--- title: "Hamilton mayor warns venues about far-right group’s conference with banned speaker" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/hamilton-mayor-warns-venues-about-far-right-groups-conference-with-banned-speake" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/hamilton-mayor-warns-venues-about-far-right-groups-conference-with-banned-speake" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/hamilton-mayor-warns-venues-about-far-right-groups-conference-with-banned-speake.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/hamilton-mayor-warns-venues-about-far-right-groups-conference-with-banned-speake" category: "Politics" published: "2026-08-12T19:46:31.479Z" source_reported: "2026-08-12T18:43:41.000Z" updated: "2026-08-12T19:46:31.479Z" trust_score: 62 critic_score: 55 hype_score: 15 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-12T22:00:30.447255+00:00" --- # Hamilton mayor warns venues about far-right group’s conference with banned speaker *Andrea Horwath alerts businesses to Dominion Society event featuring Austrian remigration advocate Martin Sellner* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 62 of 100, higher is better. Two full reports corroborate key facts; digests add breadth but no new evidence. - Craft 55 of 100, higher is better. Quotes and context present in full reports; digests lack depth. - Hype 15 of 100, lower is better. Headlines are measured; digests are neutral summaries. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath notified local venues about the Dominion Society’s planned conference on 29 August, which promotes mass deportations of immigrants. - The group’s speaker, Martin Sellner, was banned from the UK in 2019 on security grounds, but Canadian officials have not confirmed whether he can enter Canada. - Anti-racism groups in Hamilton signed an open letter urging businesses not to rent space to the Dominion Society, which advocates for a 10-year immigration moratorium. - No right-rated outlet reported on the story, though 15 outlets across the left and centre covered it. Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath sent letters to local businesses on 12 August warning them about the Dominion Society, a group planning a conference in the city on 29 August. The group advocates for "remigration", which it describes as the mass deportation of immigrants. Its website calls for a 10-year moratorium on immigration and the deportation of 5 to 9 million people, including temporary foreign workers, permanent residents, and people born in Canada to non-citizens. The Dominion Society’s advertised speaker is Martin Sellner, an Austrian remigration advocate banned from entering the UK in 2019 on security grounds. Canadian government officials, citing privacy reasons, have not confirmed whether Sellner is eligible to enter Canada. The group has not disclosed the conference’s location, citing concerns about member safety. Horwath’s office stated that the city would not rent facilities to the Dominion Society and that bylaw staff are monitoring event-related materials on public property. Several Hamilton anti-racism groups, including the Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Centre, signed an open letter urging businesses not to rent space to the group. The letter called on elected officials to denounce the Dominion Society and reject policies that scapegoat immigrants. ## What the coverage left out No right-rated outlet ran the story. None of the left- or centre-rated digests mentioned the number of businesses that received Horwath’s letter, though CBC News reported that her office did not disclose the figure. The centre-rated digests did not include the Dominion Society’s denial of being a hate group or the response from Pring Guesthouse. ## Who covered it Shares of the 18 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 67% (12) - Centre: 33% (6) - Right: 0% (0) 0 of 18 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-12T22:00:30.447255+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 11 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-12T22:30:44.868Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The left-rated reports led on Horwath’s warning to businesses and the Dominion Society’s advocacy for mass deportations. CBC News quoted Horwath’s statement that the group is part of Canada’s "broader white-nationalist movement" and included the open letter from anti-racism groups urging venues not to rent to the Dominion Society. It also reported that the group’s website promotes the "great replacement" conspiracy theory, which it described as suggesting "white people are being replaced by racialized people". - CBC News carried the Dominion Society’s denial that it is a hate group, quoting its spokesperson: "We are an advocacy group that promotes and preserves Canadian heritage and identity with a focus on immigration reform." The report also included a response from Pring Guesthouse, an immigrant- and queer-owned business that received Horwath’s letter, stating it would not host the group. The left-rated digests uniformly noted the mayor’s warning and the group’s remigration advocacy. ### Centre - The centre-rated reports focused on the city’s notification to venues and the uncertainty over Sellner’s eligibility to enter Canada. City News led with Horwath’s statement that the Dominion Society is part of the "broader white-nationalist movement" and included the group’s website description of remigration as "the return of foreigners to their respective homelands". It also noted the group’s plan to deport 5 to 9 million people and its 10-year immigration moratorium proposal. - The centre-rated digests carried the same core facts: Horwath’s warning, the Dominion Society’s remigration advocacy, and Sellner’s UK ban. None of the centre-rated reports quoted anti-racism groups or included the Dominion Society’s denial of being a hate group. The digests did not mention the open letter or the group’s promotion of the "great replacement" conspiracy theory. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - high: 13 - unknown: 1 - veryHigh: 4 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [CambridgeToday.ca](https://cambridgetoday.ca/national-news/anti-immigration-speaker-banned-from-uk-still-planning-to-attend-ontario-conference-12658074) — Anti-immigration speaker banned from U.K. still planning to attend Ontario conference - [flamboroughtoday.com](https://flamboroughtoday.com/local-news/hamilton-mayor-warning-venues-about-anti-immigration-conference-in-city-12658334) — Hamilton mayor warning venues about anti-immigration conference in city - [Oakville News](https://oakvillenews.org/national-news/hamilton-mayor-warning-venues-about-anti-immigration-conference-in-city-12658074) — Hamilton mayor warning venues about anti-immigration conference in city - [SooToday.com](https://sootoday.com/national-news/hamilton-mayor-warning-venues-about-anti-immigration-conference-in-city-12658074) — Hamilton mayor warning venues about anti-immigration conference in city - [Orillia Matters](https://orilliamatters.com/national-news/hamilton-mayor-warning-venues-about-anti-immigration-conference-in-city-12658074) — Hamilton mayor warning venues about anti-immigration conference in city - [City News](https://toronto.citynews.ca/2026/08/12/hamilton-mayor-warning-venues-about-anti-immigration-conference-in-city) — Hamilton mayor warning venues about anti-immigration conference in city - [Elora Fergus Today](https://elorafergustoday.com/national-news/hamilton-mayor-warning-venues-about-anti-immigration-conference-in-city-12658074) — Hamilton mayor warning venues about anti-immigration conference in city - [Battlefords NOW](https://battlefordsnow.com/2026/08/12/hamilton-mayor-warning-venues-about-anti-immigration-conference-in-city) — Hamilton mayor warning venues about anti-immigration conference in city - [meadowlakeNOW](https://meadowlakenow.com/2026/08/12/hamilton-mayor-warning-venues-about-anti-immigration-conference-in-city) — Hamilton mayor warning venues about anti-immigration conference in city - [Sudbury](https://sudbury.com/national/hamilton-mayor-warning-venues-about-anti-immigration-conference-in-city-12658074) — Hamilton mayor warning venues about anti-immigration conference in city - [Bay Today](https://baytoday.ca/national-news/hamilton-mayor-warning-venues-about-anti-immigration-conference-in-city-12658074) — Hamilton mayor warning venues about anti-immigration conference in city - [Medicine Hat News](https://medicinehatnews.com/news/national-news/2026/08/12/hamilton-mayor-warning-venues-about-anti-immigration-conference-in-city) — Hamilton mayor warning venues about anti-immigration conference in city - [Ckpg Today](https://ckpgtoday.ca/2026/08/12/hamilton-mayor-warning-venues-about-anti-immigration-conference-in-city) — Hamilton mayor warning venues about anti-immigration conference in city - [The Hamilton Spectator](https://thespec.com/news/canada/hamilton-mayor-warning-venues-about-anti-immigration-conference-in-city/article_b6785bcb-fa4c-57c2-b9e9-2220a066c0a9.html) — Hamilton mayor warning venues about anti-immigration conference in city - [The Record](https://therecord.com/news/canada/hamilton-mayor-warning-venues-about-anti-immigration-conference-in-city/article_3057bb61-5374-56a8-847e-aa69db124426.html) — Hamilton mayor warning venues about anti-immigration conference in city - [Winnipeg Free Press](https://winnipegfreepress.com/canada/2026/08/12/hamilton-mayor-warning-venues-about-anti-immigration-conference-in-city) — Hamilton mayor warning venues about anti-immigration conference in city - [Radio-Canada](https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/2274899/dominion-society-hamilton-conference) — Warning on a Conference of an Anti-Immigration Group - [CBC News](https://cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/dominion-society-hamilton-mayor-s-letter-9.7303558) — Be aware of anti-immigration group planning conference in Hamilton area, mayor tells businesses ## Questions **What is the Dominion Society advocating for?** The Dominion Society advocates for "remigration", which it describes as the mass deportation of immigrants. Its website calls for a 10-year moratorium on immigration and the deportation of 5 to 9 million people, including temporary foreign workers and permanent residents. The group is planning a conference in Hamilton on 29 August. **Who is Martin Sellner and why is he controversial?** Martin Sellner is an Austrian remigration advocate banned from entering the UK in 2019 on security grounds. He is listed as a speaker at the Dominion Society’s conference in Hamilton. Canadian officials have not confirmed whether he is eligible to enter Canada, citing privacy reasons. **How did Hamilton’s mayor respond to the conference?** Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath sent letters to local businesses warning them about the Dominion Society’s conference. She stated the group is part of Canada’s "broader white-nationalist movement" and urged venues to be aware of its advocacy for mass deportations. The city will not rent facilities to the group. **Which outlets covered the story and which did not?** Fifteen outlets, all rated left or centre, covered the story. No right-rated outlet reported on it. The left-rated reports included more detail on the Dominion Society’s ties to white nationalism and the response from anti-racism groups, while the centre-rated reports focused on the city’s warning and Sellner’s UK ban. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/hamilton-mayor-warns-venues-about-far-right-groups-conference-with-banned-speake. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Hamilton mayor warns venues about far-right group’s conference with banned speaker", https://mediabias.news/politics/hamilton-mayor-warns-venues-about-far-right-groups-conference-with-banned-speake