Hamilton East—Stoney Creek

Hamilton East—Stoney Creek entered the 2022 election in unusual circumstances. The riding had been held by NDP MPP Paul Miller since 2007, but in March 2022, the NDP removed Miller from caucus after a vetting process found he was a member of an online group characterized as Islamophobic. The party also cited a pattern of troubling behaviour, including a 2018 human rights complaint by a staff member. Miller denied the allegations and announced he would run as an independent. The NDP nominated a new candidate, while the race also drew high-profile contenders from the Progressive Conservatives and Liberals, making the riding one of the most competitive in the Hamilton area.

Candidates

Neil Lumsden (Progressive Conservative) — A Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductee, Lumsden played university football at the University of Ottawa, where he won a Vanier Cup in 1975. He played ten seasons in the CFL with the Toronto Argonauts, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and Edmonton Eskimos, winning three Grey Cups with Edmonton. He later served as general manager of the Tiger-Cats, winning the 1999 Grey Cup. More recently, he served as Director of Athletics and Recreation at Brock University from 2016 to 2019.

Zaigham Butt (NDP) — A CRA accountant and union leader with the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, Butt had been recognized with the Order of Hamilton for his community leadership and work fighting food insecurity in the non-profit sector.

Jason Farr (Liberal) — Farr had served as Hamilton City Councillor for Ward 2 since 2010, representing the downtown core for 12 years. Before entering municipal politics, he worked as a broadcaster.

Paul Miller (Independent) — The former NDP MPP had held the seat since 2007, winning four consecutive elections. A steelworker by background, he was expelled from the NDP caucus in March 2022.

Minor candidates included Cassie Wylie (Green Party), Domenic DiLuca (Ontario Party), Jeffery Raulino (New Blue Party), and Cameron Rajewski (Equal Rights).

Local Issues

The Hamilton LRT project was a central issue for the riding. The Ford government's cancellation of the light rail line in December 2019 and its subsequent reinstatement in 2021 — with a combined federal-provincial funding commitment — generated both hope and scepticism among residents. The proposed 14-kilometre route would directly serve parts of the riding, and candidates debated the project's economic impact and construction timeline.

Homelessness and the city's approach to encampments was a divisive local issue. Liberal candidate Jason Farr had, as a city councillor, moved a motion requiring encampments to be cleared within 12 to 72 hours of the city being notified. NDP candidate Zaigham Butt criticized this approach, arguing for more supportive housing-first strategies. The debate reflected broader tensions across Hamilton about how to balance public safety concerns with the needs of unhoused residents.

Affordable housing and the cost of living rounded out the key local concerns. Like other Hamilton ridings, the area experienced significant increases in housing costs during the pandemic. Working-class neighbourhoods in the east end and Stoney Creek felt the squeeze as rents and property values climbed, while wage growth failed to keep pace.