With Keanin Loomis

Enjoy our chat with Keanin Loomis. Keanin, thank you for engaging with Hamiltonians via The Hamiltonian!

1. In the 2022 election, Andrea Horwath garnered 41.68% of the votes while you came in a very close second with 40.51%. The vote spread was 1.17%. While we are certain that coming that close and not winning the bid would have been frustrating, , what, if anything would you have done differently in your campaign bid for the Mayor’s chair?

The closeness of the race on Election Night definitely made it harder to take, but there’s no doubt I would have rather lost by a little than a lot. I’ve certainly wondered what we could have done differently. I’m still honoured and humbled by the enthusiasm and commitment from all the volunteers that stepped up to be a part of a campaign rooted in integrity, positivity and change; it’s hard to imagine knocking on more doors or attending more events than we did. But I think most of the lessons learned come from running for political office for the first time – you just don’t know until you’ve done it. In the end, we simply ran out of time. If you look at the trajectory of our approval and support, one more week may have just been enough.

2. Had you succeeded in becoming Hamilton’s Mayor, what would Hamiltonians have experienced in terms of changes or new directions you would have sought to take the city in?

Our campaign reflected the spirit of a change election, but while Council’s composition shifted, many Hamiltonians still feel that little has actually changed. We offered a clear, thoughtful platform rooted in truth, trust, and transparency—backed by a ready-to-implement action plan for the first months in office. I was fortunate to be surrounded by capable, committed people who deeply understood Hamilton’s challenges and strengths, and were ready to get to work.

Rather than more delay or detachment, residents would have seen a Mayor’s Office defined by accessibility, urgency, and real collaboration. I’ve always believed trust is earned through action, and that rebuilding the relationship between City Hall and the public starts with showing up, listening, and delivering. While no one person can fix everything, I was—and still am—driven by the belief that leadership should move the city forward with clarity and purpose.

3. Hamilton has been struggling with several serious issues; once of which is homelessness. There have been fits and starts with respect to the handling of encampments and the overall approach to this matter. What is Hamilton doing right about homelessness (if anything), and what is it doing wrong (if anything). How do you think Hamilton should move forward to provide housing to those who need it?

Throughout the campaign, one of the most frequent questions I heard was, “What are you going to do about homelessness?” While our team had a detailed, well-informed plan shaped by input from Hamilton’s housing providers, my most honest—and simplest—answer was always: we’re actually going to try.

Homelessness is a national crisis, but in Hamilton, the greatest failure has been inertia. Despite growing public concern and worsening conditions, meaningful progress has been minimal. We have a network of affordable housing and outreach organizations doing remarkable work, yet they continue to feel sidelined—under-consulted, under-resourced, and at times, actively obstructed.

Business leaders have voiced frustration with City Hall’s inefficiencies, and Hamilton has routinely been ranked among the worst in Ontario for getting housing built. Efforts like those from HATS, which is driven by incredible people proposing innovative shelter solutions, remain stalled. Meanwhile, a modular housing project arrived years late, marked by a problematic procurement process and addressing only a fraction of the need.

The situation at the Jamesville site, still undeveloped after years of delay, is emblematic of the broader dysfunction. Hamiltonians deserve urgency, coordination, and above all, action.

4. Based on your experience with the Ontario and Hamilton Chambers of Commerce and in your current role as President & CEO of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction what advice might you have in terms of how Canadians should respond to the tariffs being imposed by the American government. What can the steel industry do to manage the fall out of tariffs targeted to industry.

This is the toughest question because I’m still trying to figure out the answer myself. As most know, I was born in the United States and I became Canadian in 2015. Yet, in my roles at the Hamilton Chamber, the Ontario Chamber and now at CISC, I have been proudly on Team Canada for well over a decade. I’m mourning the loss of a friend and neighbour just like all Canadians. I don’t recognize my birth country anymore and it’s just sad. But also hugely impactful to Canadians.

We may feel powerless, but we’re not without hope. First, I want everyone to know that there are a lot of good Canadians doing a lot of good things at this moment. I’m part of a group of leaders in industry working with Canadian politicians and civil servants who are seized with this issue and doing everything we can to exert leverage in the US. I know their size, relative to ours seems daunting, but the US is doing great harm to itself and our response increases it. We have a lot of friends in America, and we’re only talking about a handful of Americans that think tariffs against Canada are a good thing. Unfortunately one of them is the “decider”, but being on the side of righteousness is important because there’s no coherent argument to breaking the contract that is CUSMA.

Second, these tariffs and all this economic uncertainty cannot be sustained. It’s too destabilizing. We may be in a post-truth world, but one can’t deny the stock and bond markets as real-time indicators. Consumer and investor confidence has plummeted, and the Trump administration has squandered any trust and political capital it may have had. Their recklessness puts them in a desperate situation.

All this to say, there’s a lot we need to do in response. Make ourselves more resilient against future tumult, direct spending on big infrastructure, introduce worker and industry supports, etc., etc., etc., but the most important thing we need to do is be patient. Once our political situation in Ottawa settles down, the thinking is that the US wants to get down to renewing CUSMA. That’ll take some time, but it will be a significant step forward.

I can go to some pretty dark places when I think about the future of the world, but I choose to remain optimistic. To keep our heads during a difficult time and guide this country through to the other side.

5. How would you rate the performance of the current iteration of Hamilton City Council? Please elaborate on the reasoning for your response.

I had a deep sense of optimism for this term of council. With many new, well-meaning councillors elected, I truly believed Hamilton had a rare opportunity to reset—to move past the dysfunction of previous councils. The reality is that the progress many of us had hoped for hasn't happened. Several people have privately voiced concerns about a lack of cohesion and increasing divisions within City Hall. There’s also growing evidence that the culture has only gotten worse, preventing real transformation from taking root. The culture of any team is shaped by those at the helm. Hamiltonians deserve a City Hall that works for them, not against itself. We need to be honest about where things stand and courageous enough to course-correct.

6. Do you have an interest in the future to made a bid for political office? If so, have you narrowed your interests and if you have no further interest, what are the factors that have influenced your decision?

I’ve been approached about running in both recent provincial and federal elections, and I appreciated those conversations. But the reality is, I’m still relatively new in my current role—just under a year in—and I find the work incredibly meaningful. At a time when the Canadian steel industry is facing real challenges, I feel a strong sense of responsibility to stay focused and provide the leadership my members across Canada count on.

I’ve also never seen myself as a traditional politician or partisan. What has always motivated me is the chance to contribute to good governance and thoughtful public leadership—especially in a city like Hamilton, where I believe that’s been in short supply for too long. For now, I’m focused on serving in the best way I can from where I am. But like many who care about Hamilton’s future, I remain engaged and open to contributing where I can make the greatest impact.

Because very little progress has been made on any front over the last three years, the platform I ran on in 2022 wouldn’t have to change a bit.

7. In the past, with respect to the leadership at City Hall, you were quoted as saying “What they need is that new, fresh leadership at City Hall to get these things going.” Do you think we have that kind of leadership to any degree? Please elaborate.

I’ve said all I want to say at this time in my answers to 2 and 5.

8. To conclude, this next question is optional: Is there any additional information or a specific question you wish we had asked? If so, feel free to take this opportunity to pose the question and respond to it.

Thank you for this opportunity. I appreciate your contributions to the public discourse, which are more necessary than ever.