A ‘monumental’ change: meet the many new faces on your Hamilton council

Hamilton's so-called change election" lived up to its billing Monday as voters ousted three council incumbents and welcomed 10 newcomers.

That record turnover - nearly two-thirds of the 16-member council - represents both a challenge and an opportunity for local government, said Russ Powers, the outgoing temporary councillor for Ward 5.

This is monumental change - and that's not necessarily a bad thing," said Powers, who has run or participated in more than a dozen municipal campaigns since he was first elected as a Dundas town alderman in 1982. Sometimes the public gets tired of the same old faces, you know? So you try somebody new."

Candidates for mayor and councillor all promised less secrecy and more accountability in the wake of scandals like Sewergate and the slippery Red Hill mystery. A new grassroots group, Ielect Hamilton, formed ahead of the election with the express goal of large-scale turnover on council.

Powers said it often takes rookie councillors several months to get up to speed" on the workings of council and governance - but also noted not all new faces are new to city politics.

Mayor-elect Andrea Horwath got her starts in politics as a city alderman before going on to lead the provincial NDP for 14 years, while incoming Ward 15 councillor Ted McMeekin has decades of experience in local and provincial politics.

Hamilton's rookie council crew also brings a diverse skill set and fresh perspective" to an elected body that voters clearly wanted to shake up, Powers suggested.

Many have also learned lessons about how city hall works - good and bad - via volunteer committee work, advocacy and in a couple of cases by actually working within the municipal bureaucracy.

The Spectator will write more in depth about your new councillors. In the meantime, here's a quick introduction:

• Ward 2 councillor-elect Cameron Kroetsch is a well-known LGBTQ issues advocate, past city committee chair and former union local president. You might know him as founder of the Downtown Sparrow news and information site. He has run for council before and on his second try successfully beat veteran incumbent Jason Farr.

• Ward 4 councillor-elect Tammy Hwang is a city business development officer who focused on attracting new investments and helping newcomers and immigrants start businesses. Hwang also helped found co-working space Co-Motion on King. She replaces outgoing councillor Sam Merulla, who did not run again.

• Ward 5 councillor-elect Matt Francis learned the ins and outs of council business working in the city clerk's office. You might know him as the face of a campaign to preserve public access to the Burlington canal piers on the beach strip, where he grew up. He replaces Russ Powers, who filled in briefly after longtime councillor Chad Collins ran successfully for east-end Liberal MP.

• Ward 10 councillor-elect Jeff Beattie co-owns Winona Gardens greenhouse and was first elected municipally as a public school trustee in 2014. You might also know him from 25 years as a peach festival volunteer. He has run for council before and successfully unseated incumbent Maria Pearson on his second attempt.

• Ward 11 councillor-elect Mark Tadeson is a retired school principal and teacher who will now represent the Glanbrook area where he grew up. He replaces outgoing councillor Brenda Johnson, who did not run again.

• Ward 12 councillor-elect Craig Cassar is a Maple Leafs Food employee who made a citywide name for himself as an environmental advocate, opponent of urban boundary expansion and co-founder of Save Our Streams Hamilton. He replaces outgoing councillor Lloyd Ferguson, who did not run again.

• Ward 13 councillor-elect Alex Wilson is a local environmental organizer and legislative assistant to New Democrat MPP Sandy Shaw. Wilson handily dispatched two-term incumbent Arlene VanderBeek.

• Ward 14 councillor-elect Michael Spadafora is president of the Hamilton Kilty Bs Junior Hockey Club and a past Progressive Conservative candidate on the Mountain. He replaces outgoing councillor Terry Whitehead, who did not run again.

• Ward 15 councillor-elect Ted McMeekin cut his teeth in municipal politics as a Mountain alderman and later Flamborough mayor before spending 18 years as a Liberal MPP for the west city. He replaces outgoing councillor Judi Partridge, who did not run again.

Matthew Van Dongen is a transportation and environment reporter at The Spectator. mvandongen@thespec.com