Anti-immigration group moves planned conference out of Hamilton amid pressure

After weeks of public pressure from City of Hamilton leaders and police, an anti-immigrant group says it is moving its first-ever conference out of the Hammer.

“Due to the actions of violent, angry activists and their sympathizers in the Hamilton police we have made the decision to relocate to a venue outside of Hamilton,” the Dominion Society of Canada told CHCH News.

CHCH News is not aware of any violence.

The group says the conference, planned for this Saturday, will be held in a nearby municipality, but would not specify which one or if a venue has been booked.

Earlier this month, Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath made it clear that the “Dom Con 26” event would not be permitted on city-owned grounds, and sent a letter to businesses urging them to be wary of bookings.

“I can’t tell these venues what to do, but I can ask them as the mayor to be very thoughtful about whether this kind of activity fits with their values. And if it doesn’t, then they don’t need to rent from them,” Horwath said.

According to their website, the Dominion Society of Canada advocates for what they call “remigration.”

“They’re a white nationalist organization which advocates for mass deportations in Canada on the basis of race, ethnicity and religion. Anybody they don’t consider to be ‘real Canadians,'” said Evan Balgord, the executive director of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network.

Their speaker lineup for Saturday’s event includes Martin Sellner, a far-right speaker from Austria who has been permanently banned from the United Kingdom for promoting extremist views.

“This is dogwhistle politics. This is them trying to normalize a conversation about departing legal individuals who have come here, and anyone who is not white they see as being not right,” said Lyndon George, executive director of Hamilton’s Anti-Racism Resource Centre (HARRC).

WATCH MORE: Hamilton police seek public help after neo-Nazi group holds masked rally at Gore Park

Police said they expected up to 250 guests to attend, and warned it could bring even more supporters to the city.

“Dom Con is not welcome in Hamilton,” said Insp. Darren Murphy, executive officer to the chief of Hamilton Police. “There will be additional officers stationed and positioned throughout the city, and depending on the location of the event, if it does happen in Hamilton, we will have the ability to respond.”

This comes as police are reporting a 12 per cent increase in hate crimes and incidents in the city in 2025, compared to a year prior. Officers say the majority were racially motivated.

HARRC has been working with venues across the city, and alleges the group used a false name, “Ridgeway Media,” to try to book the spaces. One venue had agreed, but then cancelled the event.

“You should do your due diligence, reach out to them and explicitly ask if this is connected to the Dom Con event, are they a representative from the Dominion Society,” according to HARRC.

You can reach out to HARRC for support on their website.

READ MORE: White nationalist rally in Niagara sparks warning over growing hate groups