Today on The Incline → The calm of summer is disrupted by a gust of data centre-related enthusiasm in #HamOnt. theincline.email/p/a-breeze-i...
A breeze in the doldrums
Running and gambling and data centres. Happy Friday.
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The Incline
@theincline.email
A newsletter about the history and politics of Hamilton, Ontario. Follow at https://theincline.email/.
Today on The Incline → Why has one of the biggest stories about the 2026 #HamOnt election gone mostly unnoticed? Featuring an interview with mayoral candidate @scarlettformayor.bsky.social theincline.email/p/sock-it-to...
Sock it to me
A quiet election
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Today on The Incline → An odd story about #YHMvotes2026 raises questions about the state of the media in Hamilton. #HamOnt theincline.email/p/the-fourth...
The Fourth Estate
An odd "news" story raises questions about the state of the media in Hamilton.
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Today on The Incline → The slates of the past, the slates of the present. Some federal Conservative coordination in the early days of #YHMvotes2026. theincline.email/p/strange-be...
Strange Bedfellows
Slates of the past, slates of the present
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Today on The Incline → The first part of a series on what to expect during the 2026 #HamOnt municipal election: the left-wing spectre and how some political actors are trying to label their opponents in ways that don't align with reality. #YHMvotes2026 theincline.email/p/on-the-rad...
On The Radar, Part 1
The first part of a series on what to expect during the 2026 municipal election: The left-wing spectre.
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It's 2029. Potholes on Barton swallow three more cars today as kids & racoons fight in the crumbled ruins of rec centres. From the ghost town of #HamOnt City Hall, Councillor Whitehead's mic is cut when he calls Mayor Cooper's 2.5% tax increase "basically communism". www.thespec.com/news/council...
Rob Cooper joining race for Hamilton mayor
Ward 8 councillor says affordability is the top issue
thespec.com
Today on The Incline → How to challenge the narrative that #HamOnt is "in decline", especially as some candidates prepare to make that their central argument in this fall's municipal election. #YHMvotes2026 theincline.email/p/in-decline
In Decline
How do we convince voters Hamilton isn't "in decline"?
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Today on The Incline → Council rebels against Andrea Horwath's 2026 #HamOnt budget. Will that make her re-election bid this October *far* more complicated? #YHMvotes2026 theincline.email/p/the-great-...
The Great Budget Rebellion of '26
Council strikes back and Mayor Horwath is running out of options.
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Today on The Incline → It may be freezing in #HamOnt, but the 2026 municipal election campaign is starting to heat up. #YHMvotes2026 theincline.email/p/heating-up...
Heating up in the deep freeze
A frigid start to a hot election.
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Today on The Incline → David Lewis's early political campaigns in #HamOnt, Avi Lewis's run for the leadership of the #NDP, and politics in this messy moment. theincline.email/p/a-sea-of-c...
A sea of change
David Lewis in Hamilton, Avi Lewis in the race, and politics in this messy moment
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Today on The Incline → When it comes to crime in #HamOnt, it's a case of feelings vs. facts. And with #YHMvotes2026 on the horizon, some on the city's political right are going all-in on feelings. theincline.email/p/crime-story
Crime Story
In an election year, some are hoping feelings beat facts about crime.
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Today on The Incline → An end-of-year check-in and a reflection on the loss of a dedicated community champion in #HamOnt. theincline.email/p/the-public...
The Public Trust
A check-in from The Incline and a reflection on the loss of former HWDSB trustee Judith Bishop.
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Doug Ford's government uses a lot of "D" words to justify their actions. But they're undermining the most important “D” word of them all - democracy. #onpoli #ontpoli (Totally forgot to post this yesterday when it was published, but here's a gift link to my latest in The Spec: tinyurl.com/533jm9rm)
thespec.com
Of the 620 comments on the #HamOnt Jamesville MZO that were deemed acceptable to publish, the breakdown is: Pro MZO → 88.9% Anti-MZO → 5.5% Mixed* → 5.6% * mixed, meaning generally supportive, but with requests to adjust what is approved or focus more on affordable/supportive housing
Joey Coleman@joeycoleman.ca · 8mo agoThe Jamesville (405 James Street North Hamilton) Minister's Zoning Order is now posted to the ERO. The Province received over 700 comments on the MZO. #HamOnt #yhmcc #onmuni ero.ontario.ca/notice/025-0...
Today on The Incline → After a wall goes up in front of the #HamOnt Salvation Army, many in the community wonder if its days are numbered. A long look at the past, present, and future of the York Boulevard shelter. theincline.email/p/the-perks-...
The perks of being a walk-through-scaffolding-flower
Charity, entertainment, order.
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Today on The Incline → A mayoral poll drops one year out from the #HamOnt municipal election that signals the mood of the city's electorate. PLUS poll-by-poll results from the federal election and what they might mean. theincline.email/p/poll-by-poll
Poll by poll
A mayoral poll and detailed results from the federal election for your Monday morning.
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Today on The Incline → The Incline returneth. theincline.email/p/scandal-at...
Scandal! At The Disco, Part II: The Unscandalening
The Incline returns.
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Today on The Incline → A long look at the #HamOnt Ward 8 council by-election. theincline.email/p/but-first-...
...but first it’s Ward 8.
A long look at the Ward 8 by-election
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Today on The Incline → Over the past few days, a #HamOnt political controversy in Ward 4 has had people buzzing. A look at how this non-scandal is similar to ones in the past and who is behind this campaign-like attack on a sitting councillor. theincline.email/p/home-on-th...
Home on the Rage
The right-wing machine turns its attention on Ward 4
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Today on The Incline → An Incline 107th Edition Spectacular! A few thoughts on a couple of provincial things people should be paying attention to and a few links to some of my favourite Incline articles from the past year. theincline.email/p/the-inclin...
The Incline's 107th Edition Spectacular!
Not quite a clip show, not quite a new edition.
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Today on The Incline → It's hot in #HamOnt! A look at heat warnings and some of Hamilton's hottest days over the years. theincline.email/p/the-heat
The Heat
Hot in Hamilton.
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Today on The Incline → oops! The newsletter *is* the story. On the #HamOnt non-scandal that is me. theincline.email/p/scandal-at...
Scandal! At The Disco
oops wrote too much and made people mad lol sorry
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Today on The Incline → A long weekend addition that looks at hate in #HamOnt, the Ford government's drive to privatize provincial parks, and how the opposition can take the fight to the stubbornly popular premier. theincline.email/p/fourteen-f...
Fourteen Fifty or Fight
Hate in the Hammer and Doug comes for your parks.
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Today on The Incline → We're 459 days out from the 2026 #HamOnt municipal election, but the mayoral rumours are already flying. I take a look at one possible candidate, the forum on which he's been sharing his views, and what his platform might be next year. theincline.email/p/observing-...
Observing a platform
Who might run for mayor and where are they sharing their views?
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Today on The Incline → As #HamOnt council meets today, a look at last week's committee meeting where the debate over online voting took centre stage. theincline.email/p/together-i...
Together in Electric Democracy
The campaign against online voting in Hamilton
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he's running #SD4Ward8 theincline.email/p/round-hami...
'Round Hamilton
Bullies and softball and by-elections and hiring freezes.
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Joey Coleman@joeycoleman.ca · last yr.Happening right now Scott Duvall is filing his nomination papers to run in the Ward 8 by-election. Duvall is a former Ward 7 council and former Member of Parliament for Hamilton Mountain. #yhmvote #yhmcc
Today on The Incline → Is the Ford Government's takeover of 5 school boards a sign of things to come? Is this the beginning of the end for elected school trustees in Ontario? theincline.email/p/the-magica...
The Magical Disappearing Democracy
Is this the beginning of the end of elected school boards in Ontario?
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Today on The Incline → The Strathcona Quinquennium. Moving after five years in #HamOnt's Strathcona neighbourhood, I reflect on the history that was around me. theincline.email/p/the-strath...
The Strathcona Quinquennium
Five years atop the hill.
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