Media Release: Hamilton Police Service Board Supports Ontario Inspector General of Policing's First Notice To Fortify Police Response to Rising Antisemitic and Hate Motivated Incidents

The Hamilton Police Service Board (Board) welcomes the release of the Inspector General of Policing's first Notice of Issue released on July 14, 2026, which identifies seven actions for police services and boards across Ontario to fortify their response to the sustained rise in anti-
Semitic and hate-motivated incidents. The Board stands in full support of this important oversight initiative and commits to working with the Hamilton Police Service (HPS) to ensure theactions identified are implemented consistently and effectively in our community.

Hamilton was among the board and police services that participated in the Inspector General's June 15, 2026, meeting, which brought together police chiefs and their representatives, board leadership, and Jewish and community organizations from across the province to discuss how policing can continue to evolve in response to hate-motivated incidents. The Board recognizes Jewish communities have remained the most targeted group for religion-based hate crimes in Canada, and that recent incidents, including threats and violence directed at synagogues, schools, and businesses, demand a coordinated and sustained response.

The Notice of Issue identifies seven actions in the areas of data classification, investigative centralization, release conditions, supervisory oversight, victim and community support, training, and board-level prioritization and reporting. The Board is currently in the process of reviewing and restructuring its strategic plan and policies to ensure these actions are reflected in the priorities it sets for the Hamilton Police Service and will require regular reporting from the Chief of Police on implementation progress.

“Every resident of Hamilton, no matter their faith or background, deserves to feel safe in their neighbourhood, their place of worship, and their community. The Board takes seriously the  rust placed in us to provide effective governance of policing in this city, and we welcome the Inspector General's leadership in bringing forward clear, actionable steps. We are committed to continuing to work with Chief Bergen and the Hamilton Police Service to put these actions into practice and to reporting back to our community on our progress. We welcome similar initiativesfrom the Inspectorate of Policing in the future.” - Chair Don Robertson

While the Notice of Issue is focused on the disproportionate rise in anti-Semitic incidents, the  Board recognizes hate is not experienced uniformly across communities. Consistent with the Inspector General's guidance, the Board will also consider how these actions can inform the Service's response to hate-motivated incidents affecting other groups in Hamilton, based on local data and ongoing engagement with affected communities.

The Board thanks the Inspector General of Policing, the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, Police Governance Ontario, and the Jewish and community organizations that contributed to this process and looks forward to continued collaboration as this work moves forward. 

Hamilton Police Service Board Strategic Plan Survey: Request for Community Feedback

The Board, in consultation with the Chief of Police, is developing an updated Strategic Plan – an initiative that will shape the future of policing in our community. This plan will define priorities, guide resource allocation, improve services and strengthen relationships between the Board, the Hamilton Police Service, community partners and the public. It will be designed to reflect community values, align with provincial legislation and support responsible, transparent governance.

The Board has selected Consilium Public Sector Services (CP2S) to lead the Board in the planning process and to facilitate a public survey, as well as key stakeholder feedback sessions, to gather input from Hamiltonians. This is truly a community-drive process. CP2S’ proven track record working with other Ontario police service boards ensures a professional, inclusive and evidence-based approach.

Community survey input will help inform recommendations for future planning and service improvements. It is meant to gather community feedback on safety, policing priorities, service experience and communication. A confidential public survey has been open to all members of the public since June 1, 2026, and will remain open until July 31, 2026. For more information, please visit the Board’s website www.hamiltonpsb.ca or access the survey through the QR  code below.

Board Members: Chair Don Robertson, Vice Chair Esther Pauls, Cameron Kroetsch, Shaun Padulo, Mike Spadafora, and Robin St. Jean Administrative Team: Executive Director Kirsten Stevenson, Executive Assistant LuciaRomano and Board Assistant Jordana Shainbach

The A.I. Special Session of Council

Today, Hamilton City Council is holding a special session, commissioned by Mayor Andrea Horwath, to receive additional information on artificial intelligence (AI) and its implications.

The very decision to convene the session has generated some controversy, including criticism from at least one member of Council.

Some argue that the meeting will serve less as an educational exercise and more as an opportunity for proponents of AI and related technologies to advocate for their position.

The Hamiltonian sees the matter differently.

As a general principle, the more information Council has before making significant policy decisions, the better. Artificial intelligence is a rapidly evolving and highly complex subject. It deserves careful examination and informed discussion.

Even if some presenters arrive with a particular perspective or objective, that should not, in itself, disqualify them from being heard. Council is fully capable of exercising critical thinking. Members can ask probing questions, challenge assumptions, test the evidence, and evaluate the credibility of what they hear. That is, after all, the purpose of informed governance.

The Hamiltonian is not taking a position on whether AI initiatives or related data centre developments are ultimately right or wrong for Hamilton. Rather, we believe the discussion should be approached with an open mind and a commitment to understanding the issues before conclusions are reached.

It is also important not to dismiss those who have knowledge simply because their motivations may be questioned. Often, what people choose to say—and just as importantly, what they choose not to say—provides valuable insight that helps inform public debate.

Council's responsibility is to listen, scrutinize, and decide. The public's responsibility is to hold Council accountable for those decisions. That process is strengthened—not weakened—when all relevant information is allowed to come to the table.

The Hamiltonian Political Intelligence Dossier- School Trustee Candidates

The Hamiltonian's Before the Ballot series continues to gain momentum as we feature candidates seeking election as School Board Trustees across Hamilton.

If you're finding it difficult to keep up with the growing number of candidate profiles, we've made it easy. Visit The Hamiltonian Political Intelligence Dossier, where you'll find all of our Before the Ballot – School Trustee Edition interviews in one convenient location.

Click here to access the Political Intelligence Dossier.

Before the Ballot- School Trustee Edition with Melissa Baxter, Candidate for Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board Trustee (Public) – Wards 11 and 12.

Enjoy this instalment of Before the Ballot- School Trustee Edition with Melissa Baxter, Candidate for Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board Trustee (Public) – Wards 11 and 12.

Please tell our readers a little about yourself and what motivated you to seek election as a School Board Trustee.

Hi, I'm Melissa Baxter. I’ve been living in Hamilton for almost 10 years now with my partner, Alex. Together, we're raising our two wonderful boys, ages 5 and 10, who both attend school in Ward 12.

When I was younger, I saw my father serve two terms as a School Trustee in Durham Region, giving me a firsthand appreciation for the responsibility the role carries. Through his service, I came to understand that being an effective trustee is about far more than attending meetings and casting votes. It means being available, accessible, accountable, and willing to listen to the students, families, educators, and communities you represent.

As a local business owner, a lifelong advocate for children, and, most importantly, a proud mother of two children enrolled in Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board schools, I understand both the opportunities and the challenges facing public education. My decision to seek election comes from my own family's experiences within the HWDSB and the many conversations I've had with parents, guardians, students, educators, and community members over the years. Like many families, we have experienced both the successes and the challenges of our education system. Those experiences motivated me to become more involved by attending school and community meetings, researching issues at both the board and provincial levels, and advocating for safer schools, stronger communication, and greater transparency.

Throughout that time, one message has remained consistent: families want to be heard. They want trustees who are visible in the community, approachable, responsive, and willing to ask thoughtful questions when concerns arise. I believe a School Trustee should be an active voice for students and families, not only during elections or board meetings, but throughout their entire term. Parents and guardians deserve to feel represented.

I want to help strengthen the relationship between families and the school board by improving communication, rebuilding trust, and ensuring that every decision is guided by one simple question: Is this in the best interest of students? I believe in working collaboratively with parents, guardians, educators, fellow trustees, board staff, and our provincial partners to support safe, inclusive, and high quality learning environments for every student. One commitment I can make is simple: every voicemail, email, and message I receive will receive a response. No parent, guardian, student, educator, or community member should ever feel unheard by their School Trustee.

In your view, what are the three most important issues currently facing students, parents, educators, and the school board, and how would you help address them?

The three most important issues facing students, parents, guardians, educators, and the school board are threefold: Safety and Well-being, Communication and Trust, and

Before the Ballot- School Trustee Edition with Joanne Belanger, Candidate for Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board Trustee – Ward 6.

Enjoy this instalment of Before the Ballot- School Trustee Edition with Joanne Belanger, Candidate for Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board Trustee – Ward 6.

Please tell our readers a little about yourself and what motivated you to seek election as a School Board Trustee.

I moved to Hamilton on April 23rd of this year, from Belleville, Ontario where I was a trustee on the Algonquin & Lakeshore Catholic District School Board. I am a widow and six of my seven children live in the Hamilton area as do nine of my grandchildren.

I retired in 2020 having spent the last 14 years of my working life as the Chaplaincy Leader of my alma mater, Nicholson Catholic College, in Belleville, Ontario. I was president of my Catholic Women’s League Council, past Chair of the Kingston Archdiocesan Council of Development & Peace – Caritas Canada, and past Chair of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Belleville. I currently am a parishioner of St. Margaret Mary Parish in Hamilton.

I have always been active in politics and firmly believe that it is important to be an engaged citizen. Having enjoyed my time as a trustee, I decided to run in Hamilton as I think it is important, more now than ever, to have local representation on our school boards.

In your view, what are the three most important issues currently facing students, parents, educators, and the school board, and how would you help address them?

I think that the three most important issues facing the education community are 1) centralization of decision making at Queen’s Park thus ignoring the voices of the local experts (students, parents, educators, board staff and trustees) who know their community and what is needed to serve our students well, 2) the consistent erosion of education funding across Ontario in order to set boards up to fail, laying the blame at the feet of the trustees, and 3) the lack of a consistent, well thought out and proven plan to address the increasing level of violence in our school communities. Students should feel safe at school, staff should feel safe at work and administration and board staff should have the tools required to work with students, staff and parents to reduce violent incidents in our schools, school yards, buses and even out in the community. My goal would be to continually advocate for decision making at a local level, better funding to meet the needs of our students and implementation of best practice strategies to reduce violence in our school communities.

A trustee's role is one of governance rather than day-to-day management. How do you see the relationship between trustees, board administration, and school principals?

Trustees should develop a strong working relationship with the Director (CEO?) of the Board and through committee work, with the Senior Team. It is important to know the local principals but a respectful relationship is one wherein the trustee funnels information, requests etc. through the Director (CEO?). As a trustee in Eastern Ontario, I felt that I had a very strong and positive relationship with the Director and a collegial relationship with the Senior Team and a very respectful and positive

Before the Ballot- School Trustee Edition with Abby Zaitley, Candidate for Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board Trustee (Public) – Ward 4.

Enjoy this instalment of Before the Ballot- School Trustee Edition with Abby Zaitley, Candidate for Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board Trustee (Public) – Ward 4.

Please tell our readers a little about yourself and what motivated you to seek election as a School Board Trustee.

I’m seeking re-election as the Ward 4 Trustee with the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board because I believe there’s still important work to do. It has been a privilege to serve my community over the past two years after being elected in the by-election, and I would be honored to have the opportunity to continue that work with a full four-year term.

Over the past two years, I’ve made it a priority to be accessible, responsive, and connected with families, and community members. I’ve seen the many strengths of our public education system, but I’ve also seen the challenges our schools face every day. I believe every student deserves a safe, welcoming, and supportive place to learn, and I’ll continue advocating for the resources, supports, and policies that help make that a reality for all our students.

In your view, what are the three most important issues currently facing students, parents, educators, and the school board, and how would you help address them?

It’s hard to narrow it down to just three issues because so many of the challenges in education are connected. At the root of many of them is a lack of adequate provincial funding. With better funding, we could strengthen special education supports, improve school buildings, expand student supports, and do a better job meeting the diverse needs of all learners.

That said, the three issues I hear about most from families in Ward 4 are student safety and well-being, communication and transparency, and the condition of our school buildings.

Student safety is always a top priority. Families want their children to feel safe, supported, and ready to learn every day. That means continuing to invest in mental health supports, proactive support, and programs that help identify and address students' needs before they become bigger challenges.

Good communication is part of building strong school communities. Parents deserve to know what’s happening in their children's schools and understand how decisions are made. I’ve worked hard to be accessible, whether that’s through newsletters, town halls, school council meetings, community meetings, or simply being available to answer questions and listen to concerns. I’ll continue to be open, approachable, and committed to keeping families informed.

Our school buildings also need continued investment. Our facilities need practical upgrades like improving accessibility and upgraded HVAC, while also creating learning spaces that feel comfortable and inspiring for our students. From outdoor classrooms to modern learning spaces and ensuring schools have the supplies and resources they need.

A trustee's role is one of governance rather than day-to-day management. How do you see the relationship between trustees, board administration, and school principals?

One of the biggest misconceptions about being a school board trustee is that we make

Before the Ballot- School Trustee Edition with Ben O'Reilly, Candidate for Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board Trustee (Public) – Wards 8 and 14.

Enjoy this instalment of Before the Ballot- School Trustee Edition with Ben O'Reilly, Candidate for Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board Trustee (Public) – Wards 8 and 14.

Please tell our readers a little about yourself and what motivated you to seek election as a School Board Trustee.

My day job is as the Acting Manager of Flood Forecasting and Operations for Conservation Halton, where I’ve worked for the past ten years. I live on the West Mountain (Ward 14) with my wife and son. My mother and Grandmother were both teachers, and I am a product of our Public education system. With a child at one of the HWDSB schools, I look at this role as a duty to provide the best quality education to our children to set them up for a lifetime of success. I stood for this position in 2022 but was unsuccessful, so I’ve spent the last four years sitting on the School Council of our local school (Chedoke Elementary) becoming deeply familiar with the issues of the day facing our kids at school. I was already interested to run again after making many new connections last time, and then the Province set about tweaking the role of the Trustee, and there was a fear that they were going to remove them altogether. For that reason, it's essential for those of us who truly value local governance of our Public Education system to step-up and run.

In your view, what are the three most important issues currently facing students, parents, educators, and the school board, and how would you help address them?

The top issue in my mind, and the elephant in the room (unfortunately) is the budget deficit at the School Board, because the Province has made no secret that it is happy to install Overseers of School Boards who have been forced (through underfunding) to carry budget deficits. As an employee of a Conservation Authority (which are also in the process of losing some of their local governance due to this Provincial government) I’ve had a first-hand look at top-down loss of decision making due to the Province, and I just don’t want that to happen to more of our School Boards. I think the Board needs to get serious and creative about tackling the deficit, because if it becomes structural it will lose its autonomy. As a trustee, there are limited levers available, but I would be open to any suggestions and creative ideas from the Director of Education to set the Board on the path towards a balanced budget.

The second issue, really a continuation, is the underfunding of the School Boards since this government came into office in 2018. Per student funding has seen a reduction at a time when our student body was recovering from an unprecedented interruption in learning associated with the initial COVID pandemic closures and a shift to more digital learning. These interruptions have had a large impact on our students, and it’s almost unforgivable to pair this with a reduction in per student funding. As a trustee, I would continue to beat this drum at every forum and every meeting that I would be attending – our School Boards are worth funding, and they are worth funding properly.

The third issue is the impact that personal cell phones and algorithmic social media are having on our study body (and you can add Large Language Model/AI to this as well). From reduced concentration to cyber bullying and violence, we are letting down an entire generation of students without truly understanding the lasting impact this is having on their ability to learn. A few years ago, one of the principals at my son’s school said he spends most of his time refereeing and dealing with cellphone issues on a day-to-day basis – that is incredibly wasteful and takes him away from helping to deliver a great learning experience for our students.

It’s abundantly clear that the major technology companies don’t care about the health

Before the Ballot-School Trustee Edition with Mary Nardini,Candidate for Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board Trustee (Separate) – Ward 10.

Enjoy this instalment of Before the Ballot- School Trustee Edition with Mary Nardini,Candidate for Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board Trustee (Separate)  – Ward 10.

Please tell our readers a little about yourself and what motivated you to seek election as a School Board Trustee.

I enjoy advocating for my fellow community members and ensure that their concerns are raised at the board level. I will always seek to resolve any issues that may arise and make it my goal to make your child’s educational journey smooth, enjoyable, and successful.

I’ve been an employee of the Hamilton Health Sciences as a med lab tech for 50+ years. I have also been elected as school board trustee for 23 years. Over the years I’ve dedicated my time to students and parents in the community, attended any/all board meetings, sub-committee meetings, awards assemblies, and parent conferences.

In your view, what are the three most important issues currently facing students, parents, educators, and the school board, and how would you help address them?

3 most important issues are literacy and math programs, increased technology programs in education , supporting mental health and special education.

A trustee's role is one of governance rather than day-to-day management. How do you see the relationship between trustees, board administration, and school principals?

We must continue our relationships with school board officials, principals, and teachers. We need to all work together for the betterment and success of our students.

What changes or improvements, if any, would you like to see in the delivery of education within our local school system over the next four years?

Changes/improvements - I would like to lobby the government for changes in their delivery of education in our school system.

Also, I would like to further explore the decision made by the ministry for high school absenteeism. For example, Mr Calandra is coming down on absenteeism in High Schools. His idea seems too punitive for students with explained absenteeism due to extra-curricular activities. While I agree, we need to encourage attendance, we also need to foster the development of their skills and separate them from those who have unexplained absenteeism.

It is imperative that we as a board need to draft a response to the ministry when a policy may not be in the best interest of the students.

Why should voters place their trust in you? What qualities, experience, or perspective would you bring to the role of School Board Trustee that distinguish you from the other candidates?

Voters should place their trust in me based on my years of experience being a trustee. I am a trusted community member who listens to all voices. I always make myself available for parents and school board commitments. I enjoy learning more about curriculum implementation and supporting the need for newly built schools, and refurbishments. I’ve sat on numerous committees over the years. 

I bring with me knowledge from the past 20 years and use that to help plan for our student’s future and support parents on their child’s educational journey. Additionally, I want to maintain our Catholic faith and values. Encouraging the church, school, and parish relationship. For example, encouraging more parish visits to schools to assist in fostering this relationship.

What would you like parents, students and the broader public to know about the role of a Trustee?

The role of trustee is to be an advocate for the constituents. If any concerns may arise I can be your voice by continuing to ask questions at board meetings and sub-committee meetings.

How can voters contact you and/or learn more about you?

Mary Nardini 905 664 6336
Fnardini@cogeco.ca
nardinim@hwcdsb.ca

Thank-you Mary for engaging with Hamiltonians on The Hamiltonian!

Would you like to see the Before the Ballot- School Trustee's Edition series thus far? Click here.