On Friday, Jan. 23, Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath presented her revised budget for 2026, which would see a residential property tax increase of 4.25 per cent, but included the decommissioning of the ice at Stoney Creek Arena.
Local Councillor Matt Francis (Ward 5 – Hamilton East-Stoney Creek) immediately expressed outrage with Horwath’s cut to the arena, which would save the city $161,000 per year.
He explained that the arena is busier than it has been in many years, with Stoney Creek girls’ hockey and the Stoney Creek Tigers tenants at the facility.
Francis was also unhappy with how he found out about the cut, explaining that the budget was released only two hours before the budget meeting and that Horwath did not reach out for feedback or collaboration.
When the news broke, there was also widespread outrage from the Stoney Creek community.
Neil Lumsden, who serves as Ontario’s Minister of Sport and is the Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Hamilton East-Stoney Creek, released a statement on Monday, Jan. 26, condemning Horwath’s decision.
Lumsden said he was “deeply concerned about the mayor’s proposal” and added that closing the rink is a “short-sighted move.”
“There is more to consider than the modest savings projected by this cut. Demand for ice time at the arena has been trending upwards since COVID, and it’s unclear whether single-pad facilities like Saltfleet or Rosedale can truly absorb existing and future demand,” Lumsden continued.
On Tuesday, Jan. 27, Ned Kuruc, Member of Parliament for Hamilton East-Stoney Creek, also spoke out.
“As a long-time youth sports advocate and supporter of recreational services for residents, I strongly stand against this proposition and urge the Mayor to reconsider or withdraw the proposal,” Kuruc said.
Later that same Tuesday, five days after the Stoney Creek Arena closure was included in her budget, Horwath said that the decommissioning of the ice was “inappropriately embedded” within the budget.
She added that she was “clear” to staff when they were preparing her budget that it “must not compromise the services that residents rely on and deserve.”
Then, on Wednesday, Jan. 28, Horwath added more comments at the City Council meeting that was held that day.
Horwath said that she was “surprised as well” when she saw the cut to Stoney Creek Arena included in her budget, and she added that she “found out at the same time as everybody else.”
She added that her direction to staff was “clear.”
But Councillor Cameron Kroetsch (Ward 2 – Downtown Hamilton) asked, “Didn’t the mayor look at the budget before it was released?”
“You’re saying you learned about it when the rest of us learned about it. That causes confusion for people because they presume that you looked at the budget in detail before it was released publicly.”
Francis also added that Horwath had five days to speak out against the proposal but only did so after “massive community pushback.”
“You know, the people of Stoney Creek, they know the facts,” said Francis.
“This was brought forward in the ‘Mayor’s Budget’ and debated in length on Friday, and there was ample opportunity to change course. There was no comment made for five days. It was only after the massive community pushback that this was reversed. And they do find it curious that the mayor doesn’t know what’s in the ‘Mayor’s Budget,’” he continued.
Horwath said that she did not speak out sooner because she did not want to embarrass staff.
With the cut to Stoney Creek Arena reversed, it remains to be seen what Council will decide regarding other cuts included in the budget.
The “Mayor’s Budget” includes the end of some grass cutting services and the cancellation of city-funded recycling pick-up from non-residential properties (such as small businesses).
Councillors are able to bring forward amendments to Horwath’s budget at their Friday, Feb. 6, meeting.
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
