Hamilton’s mayor has sent letters to local businesses, asking them to be aware of an anti-immigration group advertising a conference in the area.
“It is important for local venues to have clear information about the organization and the purpose of the event when considering whether to host it,” Andrea Horwath wrote.
She said she’s proud to lead a diverse city, noting that Dominion Society of Canada — which is promoting an Aug. 29 event called DomCon 2026 — advocates “remigration,” or deporting immigrants back to their home countries.
“While people are free to express their views, our community must also be clear about the values we stand for and are proud of: inclusion, respect and ensuring that everyone feels they belong in Hamilton.”
On Aug. 4, several Hamilton groups, including the Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Centre (HARRC) and Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion, signed an open letter urging businesses and institutions not to rent space to Dominion Society.
They called on elected officials to denounce the group, and asked leaders to commit their policies and statements “will not contribute to the scapegoating of immigrants and racialized communities that is on the rise in Hamilton.”
As part of the effort, HARRC also published a guide with tips to help venues avoid unwittingly renting to groups it says promote hate.
In an interview with CBC Hamilton, HARRC director Lyndon George pointed to recent instances in which RCMP-identified-extremist group Diagolon and Second Sons — whose leaders welcome open neo-Nazis into their ranks — secured space at community halls and gyms. Those spaces’ owners said they were unaware of the groups’ true intentions.
The Dominion Society of Canada, a group advocating for the deportation of millions of immigrants, says it’s hosting a conference in the Hamilton area Aug. 29. Local anti-racist organizations are asking businesses not to host them. They’ve also produced a guide on how to avoid accidentally renting to groups they say promote hate.
The website for Dominion Society of Canada, a self-proclaimed nationalist group, espouses the great replacement conspiracy theory, which suggests white people are being replaced by racialized people.
“Canada is not getting more ‘diverse,’ it’s getting more Indian,” the site says, arguing “mass immigration is creating chaos.”
Dominion Society also promotes an agenda that includes the mass deportation of people including temporary foreign workers, permanent residents and people born in Canada to non-Canadian citizens.
On Friday, Barbara Perry, who directs the Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism at Ontario Tech University, told CBC that Dominion Society’s arguments are “inherently racist and xenophobic” because they lay the country’s problems at the feet of immigrants.
Horwath’s letter notes the Canadian Anti-Hate Network has identified Dominion Society as part of a growing white-nationalist movement in Canada.
Dominion Society previously told CBC Hamilton it’s not a hate group, but rather, it’s “an advocacy group that promotes and preserves Canadian heritage and identity with a focus on immigration reform.”
In an email on Aug. 5, a spokesperson said the group is keeping the location of DomCon secret so its members aren’t targeted by people who disagree with them.
“While people are free to express their views, our community must also be clear about the values we stand for and are proud of: inclusion, respect and ensuring that everyone feels they belong in Hamilton,” Horwath’s letter said.
She added she isn’t asking venues to act outside their policies, but thinks they should know “Dominion Society’s stated mandate and the nature of the event when considering any booking connected to the organization.”
Unclear how many businesses got mayor’s letter
When asked, Horwath’s office did not say how many businesses she sent the letter to.
“I wrote to local venues that may be in a position to host the advertised event,” she said in an email statement Aug. 10.
She added: “The city will not be renting or making city facilities available to the organization, and bylaw staff are monitoring materials related to the event on public property.”
Pring Guesthouse, a small downtown hostel, is one business that received the mayor’s warning on Aug. 7.
The business posted to Instagram over the weekend, saying “we are glad the City is taking this threat seriously enough to notify local businesses.”
Pring said it is immigrant- and queer-owned, and that Dominion Society will never be welcome at its space, adding: “We welcome the world to Hamilton. We believe in diversity and inclusion.”
Hamilton police say they’re developing a plan to “respond to any risks, disruptions or criminal activity” associated with DomCon 2026.
Police “understand that the promotion of this event may cause fear, anger and uncertainty for members of the community, particularly those who feel targeted by hateful or extremist rhetoric,” spokesperson Jackie Penman said in an email Tuesday.
She added the service is listening to community concerns, and will maintain a “visible and appropriate presence,” taking enforcement action “where lawful grounds exist.”
Police encourage anyone who experiences threats, harassment or hate-motivated behaviour to report it.
HARRC also offers a community-run tool for people to report hate incidents.
