National Post
· collected 2026-09-04 · by Special to National Post
analysis
John Carpay argues that Hamilton's mayor, Andrea Horwath, and the city's police service are violating Canadians' Charter rights by discriminating against the Dominion Society, a group advocating for remigration. The society was denied rental of city-owned property to hold a conference, and the police have publicly denounced the group as "divisive" and "exclusionary". According to Carpay, this decision is similar to a 2023 incident in Quebec where a government official canceled a Christian conference due to disagreement with its views. The article does not provide specific numbers on the number of Canadians supporting or opposing remigration, but uses hypothetical figures to illustrate the point that having unpopular opinions should not disqualify groups from exercising their Charter rights.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-04,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
The mayor and police in Hamilton, Ont., have decided that some Canadians have the wrong kind of opinions and should not be allowed to rent public facilities.
asserted
Canadians → decide → facilities
Last week, Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath declared that the Dominion Society is not entitled to rent city-owned property to hold a conference.
asserted
Society → declare → conference
The predictable result was to force the group to seek a private venue in which to hold its meeting.
asserted
result → force → meeting
The Hamilton Police Service then diverted some of its stretched resources to impeding the efforts of the Dominion Society, issuing a political statement denouncing it as “divisive and exclusionary,” and as negatively impacting “the sense of safety and belonging within our community.”
asserted
Service → divert → community
The police even asked the public to contact them with information about any efforts the group might make to secure a venue.
uncertain
group → ask → venue
Hamilton’s police and mayor are behaving much like Quebec’s former tourism minister, Caroline Proulx.
asserted
police → behave → minister
In 2023, she ordered the Centre des congrès de Québec, which is owned by a Crown corporation, to cancel its contract with Harvest Ministries to hold a Christian conference.
asserted
which → order → conference
The sole reason for cancelling the contract was that Proulx vehemently disagreed with the Christian group’s beliefs about abortion.
asserted
Proulx → cancel → abortion
The Superior Court of Quebec recently ruled that Proulx had abused her authority and violated the Charter-protected freedom of expression of Harvest Ministries.
asserted
Proulx → rule → Ministries
The court awarded general and punitive damages to Harvest Ministries.
asserted
court → award → Ministries
The Dominion Society describes itself as “dedicated to promoting Canadian identity, heritage and nationalism.”
asserted
Society → describe → identity
It advocates for remigration: sending immigrants back to their countries of origin.
asserted
It → advocate → origin
Neither Hamilton’s mayor nor its police force have accused it of being violent, criminal or terrorist.
asserted
mayor → accuse → it
It therefore has the same right as every other non-profit in Canada to operate peacefully within the law, and to advocate for its beliefs.
asserted
It → have → beliefs
Polls have shown that roughly half of Canadians believe immigration levels are too high.
asserted
levels → show → Canadians
Let’s say for argument’s sake that only eight per cent of Canadians support remigration, and 92 per cent oppose it.
asserted
cent → let → it
Should having only eight per cent support for your opinion mean losing your right to rent government-owned facilities, and to use public spaces like parks and sidewalks?
asserted
having → have → parks
If yes, then no government facilities should be available for rental by the NDP, which garnered only 6.3 per cent of the popular vote in Canada’s most recent federal election.
asserted
which → garner → election
Almost 94 per cent of Canadians rejected the NDP in 2025.
asserted
cent → reject → 2025
Yet the NDP is not disqualified from being able to exercise its Charter freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly.
asserted
NDP → disqualify → expression
Politicians and policemen have every right to express their political opinions for or against various groups and causes.
asserted
Politicians → have → groups
At the same time, Canada’s mayors, cabinet ministers and police forces have no right to treat government property as though it were their own private property, available only to “good” people who have the “correct” political beliefs.
asserted
who → have → beliefs
The Hamilton Police Service has a solemn duty to fight crime.
asserted
Service → have → crime
Its decision to waste its scarce resources on politics is a betrayal of taxpayers and free citizens alike.
asserted
decision → waste → taxpayers
Indeed, unlike other professions, police have a legal duty to enforce the Criminal Code, as well as numerous non-criminal laws (such as traffic safety).
asserted
police → have → safety
The politicization of the British police should serve as a stark warning to Canadians.
asserted
politicization → serve → Canadians
What began with the monitoring and recording of “non-crime hate incidents” quickly led to British citizens being criminally charged for what essentially amount to thought crimes.
asserted
what → begin → crimes
Their crimes included sharing opinions about topics like immigration and transgenderism.
asserted
crimes → include → immigration
David Wootton was sentenced to two years in prison for an “offensive” Halloween costume.
asserted
Wootton → sentence → costume
This is why police should be 100 per cent focused on fighting crime and zero per cent focused on politics.
asserted
police → fight → politics
If Canada is to remain a free society, the government should uphold the law equally for all Canadians, including those who hold unpopular beliefs.
asserted
who → remain → beliefs
Otherwise, there will be little to separate us from fascist, theocratic, communist or national socialist regimes, under which the government decides which views are correct.
asserted
views → separate → which
This is why taxpayer-funded facilities like convention centres, and public spaces like sidewalks and city parks, are — and must always be — available to all citizens, regardless of their political beliefs.
asserted
facilities → fund → beliefs
