Photo: JFVoll · CC BY-SA 4.0Council seats in Hamilton are spread thin, 40,030 residents each, more than in 99% of Ontario municipalities
In the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Balfour belongs to Hamilton Mountain; who holds it as MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) isn’t on an open record, so no one is named. Lisa Hepfner (Liberal Party of Canada) is the MP for Hamilton Mountain, the riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) that takes in Balfour. City council runs Balfour; in October 2022, Hamilton chose Andrea Horwath as mayor. Ontario’s councils were renewed on 26 October 2026, but the only open list so far is 2022’s, so that is the term shown.
What stands out in how Balfour is governed
Many residents per seat
The middle municipality in Ontario has a seat for every 1,540 residents; Hamilton council has far more people behind each. Council size ↓
A close federal race
In 2021 only 1.7 points separated first and second (New Democratic Party) in Hamilton Mountain, tighter than 96% of the 338 ridings. How Balfour has voted ↓
Low federal turnout
More electors stayed home in Hamilton Mountain than in 70% of Canada’s ridings at the 2021 election. The 2021 turnout ↓
Compared with the province’s municipalities of 1,000+ residents (2021 Census; MAMH, MMAH and Statistics Canada).
Three governments, and who does what
Balfour is governed by Hamilton, with Ontario and Ottawa.
The city council decides local matters.
Schools, health care, highways, municipal law.
ola.org ↗Passports, pensions, EI, defence, immigration.
ourcommons.ca ↗Who to ask
Green: municipal. Gold: provincial. Grey: federal.
From the council table to Ottawa
Every elected tier that speaks for Balfour, from the most recent elections.
- 1Hamilton councilelected October 2022Andrea Horwath
- 2Legislative Assembly of OntarioHamilton Mountain
- 3House of CommonsHamilton Mountain
Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada
Who was elected to Hamilton council in 2022
Everyone elected in 2022, with their votes; Ontario’s file gives each seat’s votes but not the ward’s name.
- Andrea Horwath
- Maureen Wilson
- Cameron Kroetsch
- Nrinder Nann
- Tammy Hwang
- Matt Francis
- Tom Jackson
- Esther Pauls
- John-Paul Danko
- Brad Clark
- Jeff Beattie
- Mark Tadeson
- Craig Cassar
- Alex Wilson
- Mike Spadafora
- Ted McMeekin
16 members and how they were elected
| Name | Seat | Votes | Share of the seat’s votes | On the last council |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrea Horwath | Mayor | 59,216 | 42% | No |
| Maureen Wilson | Councillor | 6,610 | 75% | Yes |
| Cameron Kroetsch | Councillor | 3,619 | 49% | No |
| Nrinder Nann | Councillor | 4,334 | 50% | Yes |
| Tammy Hwang | Councillor | 2,101 | 23% | No |
| Matt Francis | Councillor | 4,239 | 44% | No |
| Tom Jackson | Councillor | 6,326 | 64% | Yes |
| Esther Pauls | Councillor | 6,043 | 51% | Yes |
| John-Paul Danko | Councillor | 5,274 | 62% | Yes |
| Brad Clark | Councillor | 3,622 | 52% | Yes |
| Jeff Beattie | Councillor | 4,236 | 40% | No |
| Mark Tadeson | Councillor | 2,829 | 38% | No |
| Craig Cassar | Councillor | 4,960 | 39% | No |
| Alex Wilson | Councillor | 7,038 | 58% | No |
| Mike Spadafora | Councillor | 2,610 | 29% | No |
| Ted McMeekin | Councillor | 3,091 | 44% | No |
For mayor, Andrea Horwath drew 42% of the votes. Councillors on Hamilton council are elected by ward, the mayor by the whole municipality.
Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario)
Balfour voted less than most of Ontario in 2022
Turnout in the October 2022 municipal elections, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is Ontario’s median.
Hamilton council was elected on 24 October 2022 with 35% of electors voting, below the provincial middle.
How Balfour voted: same source as Councillors, above.
When Balfour votes
The last and next general elections at each level; a by-election can come in between.
| Election | Last | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Hamilton council | 26 October 2026 | 28 October 2030 |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | 27 February 2025 | – |
| House of Commons | 28 April 2025 | – |
The open federal catalogue ends at 2021; the 2025 results sit on elections.ca under terms that bar commercial use. Councils are elected on the fourth Monday in October every four years, says the Municipal Elections Act, 1996, so Hamilton votes next on 28 October 2030. The Legislative Assembly of Ontario was last elected on 27 February 2025, and the House of Commons on 28 April 2025.
Election dates: the legislatures, MMAH and MAMH
Balfour votes in Hamilton Mountain for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Provinces and territories run schools, health care and municipal law; each riding elects one MPP.
MPP: see the legislature’s list
ola.org ↗By law (the Representation Act, 2015), southern Ontario’s provincial ridings follow the 2013 federal boundaries, so each place is located from those. Balfour is in Hamilton Mountain, one of the ridings that each elect a MPP to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada
Lisa Hepfner represents Hamilton Mountain in Ottawa
Each riding elects one MP to the House of Commons; the general election of 28 April 2025 chose the 45th Parliament.
Hamilton Mountain · Liberal Party of Canada · first elected 2021
en.wikipedia.org ↗- Liberal Party of Canada71
- Conservative Party of Canada50
As Wikidata records them.
Lisa Hepfner’s party, the Liberal Party of Canada, has 71 of the 122 seats from Ontario.
The MP’s record
Elections Canada’s transposition of the 2021 vote onto today’s Hamilton Mountain puts the Liberal Party of Canada first at 35%; Lisa Hepfner held it for the party in 2025. Lisa Hepfner was first elected in 2021; the current Parliament is Lisa Hepfner’s 2nd.
MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada · MPs’ records: Wikidata (CC0), positions held and party memberships, read 8 November 2026
Hamilton Mountain changed hands in 2021, to Lisa Hepfner (Liberal Party of Canada)
Counts for Hamilton Mountain within its 2013 boundaries, used in 2019 and 2021; the 2025 election ran on a new map.
Hamilton Mountain elected Lisa Hepfner (Liberal Party of Canada) in 2021: 34% of the vote, a lead of 842 over Malcolm Allen (New Democratic Party). Scott Duvall (New Democratic Party) had won it in 2019 with 36%.
All 6 candidates in Hamilton Mountain, 2021
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lisa Hepfner | Liberal Party of Canada | 16,548 | 34.2% |
| Malcolm Allen | New Democratic Party | 15,706 | 32.4% |
| Al Miles | Conservative Party of Canada | 11,828 | 24.4% |
| Chelsey Taylor | People's Party of Canada | 3,098 | 6.4% |
| Dave Urquhart | Green Party of Canada | 974 | 2.0% |
| Jim Enos | Christian Heritage Party of Canada | 306 | 0.6% |
Federal results: Elections Canada, 43rd and 44th general elections and the 44th’s transposition to the 2023 ridings, via open.canada.ca. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Hamilton council beside its neighbours
Residents (2021 Census) per council seat, head of council included, beside nearby municipalities; the tick is the provincial median.
The headline above gives the figure; the bars set Hamilton council beside nearby councils, with the provincial median as the tick.
Residents: 2021 Census; seats: the province’s council list
Having a say in how Balfour is run
Check or update the federal list.
elections.ca ↗Every MP lists an office.
ourcommons.ca ↗Ridings, registration and voting dates.
elections.on.ca ↗What this data can and can’t tell you
- Who holds each seat. MPs come from Wikidata’s records of the 45th Parliament, which can lag a resignation or a by-election by some days.
- Not on this page. Party control (Canadian councils are mostly elected without parties, and the open lists record none), council budgets, and band councils.
- Which riding. The 2021 Census homes of a place’s residents fix its ridings, and one is shown once it holds 5% of them.
- Council size. The council size includes the head of council; the population is the 2021 Census, the whole city’s for a neighbourhood.
- Election results. Elections Canada redrew the ridings in 2023 and re-tallied the 2021 ballots onto the new map from polling divisions; that estimate, and the official 2019 and 2021 counts on the old map, are what you see.
Questions about how Balfour is run
Who is the MP for Balfour?
Lisa Hepfner (Liberal Party of Canada) sits for Hamilton Mountain, the riding Balfour is in.
Which party won Balfour in the 2021 federal election?
Lisa Hepfner (Liberal Party of Canada) took Hamilton Mountain in 2021 and is its MP today.
Who is the MPP for Balfour?
Look up Hamilton Mountain on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s site: that riding, which takes in Balfour, has one MPP.
Who heads the council in Hamilton?
Andrea Horwath was elected mayor in October 2022, for the 2022–26 term of Hamilton council.
How is Hamilton council elected?
Hamilton council: the mayor is chosen by the whole municipality, the councillors ward by ward.
What was the turnout in Balfour?
Turnout for Hamilton council reached 35.4% in October 2022 (Ontario median: 35.5%).
Sources: MPs: Wikidata (CC0), 45th Parliament statements, read 7 November 2026; ridings: 2023 Representation Order, Statistics Canada · Southern Ontario ridings: the 2013 federal boundaries (Representation Act, 2015), Statistics Canada · Councils: Ontario 2022 Municipal Election data, MMAH (OGL-Ontario) · Next municipal election: the province’s municipal election act · Municipality types: Statistics Canada census subdivisions · Federal results: Elections Canada, 43rd and 44th general elections and the 44th’s transposition to the 2023 ridings, via open.canada.ca. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada · MPs’ records: Wikidata (CC0), positions held and party memberships, read 8 November 2026. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).