Hamilton’s mayor has issued letters to local businesses, urging them to be vigilant regarding an anti-immigration group promoting a conference in the region. Andrea Horwath emphasized the importance of venues having clear knowledge about the organization and event’s purpose before deciding to host it. She expressed pride in leading a diverse city and highlighted concerns about the Dominion Society of Canada, which is endorsing an event named DomCon 2026 on August 29 and advocating for “remigration,” the deportation of immigrants to their home countries.
While acknowledging the right to freedom of expression, Horwath emphasized the community’s core values of inclusion, respect, and ensuring all individuals feel a sense of belonging in Hamilton. Additionally, various Hamilton groups, including the Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Centre (HARRC) and Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion, jointly signed an open letter on August 4, urging businesses and institutions not to rent space to the Dominion Society. They called on elected officials to condemn the group and requested a commitment to policies that do not contribute to the scapegoating of immigrants and racialized communities, a trend on the rise in Hamilton.
As part of their efforts, HARRC published a guide to assist venues in avoiding unintentionally renting space to hate-promoting groups. In an interview, HARRC director Lyndon George referenced incidents where extremist groups like Diagolon and Second Sons secured spaces in community halls and gyms, unbeknownst to the owners about the groups’ true intentions.
The Dominion Society’s website, a self-proclaimed nationalist group, espouses the “great replacement” conspiracy theory, claiming that white people are being replaced by racialized individuals. The group advocates for mass deportation, including temporary foreign workers, permanent residents, and even Canadian-born individuals not of Canadian citizenship. Barbara Perry, from the Centre on Hate, Bias, and Extremism at Ontario Tech University, labeled the arguments of the Dominion Society as inherently racist and xenophobic, attributing the country’s issues to immigrants.
Horwath’s letter referenced the Canadian Anti-Hate Network’s identification of Dominion Society as part of a growing white-nationalist movement in Canada. The Dominion Society denied being a hate group, asserting itself as an advocacy group focused on immigration reform. The group has kept the location of its conference confidential to protect its members from potential backlash.
Although Horwath’s office did not disclose the number of businesses receiving the letter, she emphasized that the city would neither rent nor make its facilities available to the organization. In response to the mayor’s warning, businesses like Pring Guesthouse expressed gratitude for the city’s proactive stance, affirming their commitment to diversity and inclusion and declaring the Dominion Society unwelcome on their premises.
Hamilton police are developing a plan to address any risks, disruptions, or criminal activities associated with DomCon 2026. They acknowledge the potential fear and uncertainty the event’s promotion may cause and assure the community of their vigilance and readiness to take enforcement action where necessary. The police encourage reporting of threats, harassment, or hate-motivated incidents, with HARRC offering a community tool for reporting such incidents.