Cameron Kroetsch – he / him
Ward 2 City Councillor
Cameron.Kroetsch@hamilton.ca
Cameron Kroetsch [KAM-ren KRETCH] moved to Hamilton in 2014 and has been a huge fan of the city ever since. Cameron comes to this work with a rich education in the arts and humanities (BA, BEd, MA). Before he came to Hamilton, Cameron was the President of Guelph’s largest labour union. He has spent nearly a decade living in Ward 2 building trusting relationships with members of the downtown community. He likes riding bikes, watching birds, and writing poetry. He ran in the 2018 municipal election (finishing second) and was elected to City Council in 2022.
To schedule a meeting with Councillor Kroetsch, please contact him directly.
Liesl Thomas – she / her
Constituency Coordinator – Full Time
Ward2@hamilton.ca
Liesl Thomas [LEE-zull TOM-us] studied Peace Studies & History at McMaster University and Alternative Dispute Resolution at Humber College, and is currently working on a Master of Theological Studies in Community Development at the University of Toronto. She loves this city and has lived in Wards 2, 3, 12, and 13. Before joining the Ward 2 Team, Liesl worked at 541 Eatery & Exchange, running the kitchen and supporting volunteers. Liesl likes hiking with her dog in the Dundas Valley and Royal Botanical Gardens, watching birds, reading books, going to movies at the Playhouse Cinema, and fighting for safer, healthier, stronger, and more vibrant communities. Liesl joined the Ward 2 Team in November 2022.
Joey McCullough – he / him
Constituency Coordinator – Full Time
Ward2@hamilton.ca
Joey McCullough [JO-ee MUH-cull-UH] has proudly called downtown Hamilton home for the past 2 years. Before this, he studied history in Kingston and ran a bed and breakfast in the Maritimes. Joey is now keen on raising a family in a safe, accessible, and exciting Hamilton. In his spare time he enjoys watching birds, extensive travelling, and tending to his garden. Joey joined the Ward 2 Team in June 2023.
Phoenix Friesen – they / he
Constituency Coordinator – Part Time
Ward2@hamilton.ca
Phoenix Friesen [FEE-nix FREE-zen] is a lifelong Hamiltonian. They studied geography and environmental science at McMaster, completing a Master of Arts in health geography in 2018. While at McMaster, they hosted the CFMU radio show #ThisIsHamOnt, featuring local music and interviews with people across Hamilton working to make the city a better place to be. They live downtown with their partner and teenage kids where they love walking the rail trail, participating in community theatre, and enjoying role-playing games. Phoenix joined the Ward 2 Team in July 2024.
OFFICE HOURS
The Ward 2 Team does its best to make itself as available as possible to residents by holding day, evening, and weekend office hours. These hours change, from time to time, based on holidays, vacation, and leaves. When there is a significant change, like during winter holidays in December and January, Councillor Kroetsch will post revised hours on his social media accounts.
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday – 8:00am to 4:00pm
Tuesday, Thursday – 8:00am to 8:00pm
LOGO AND COLOURS
The Ward 2 Team chose a logo that represents not only imagery that we associate with the City’s downtown community, but also iconography and colours that tell a story about the work we’re committed to doing.
COLOURS
We chose blue and dark orange because they represent important parts of Ward 2.
The blue colour was taken directly from the iconic Hamilton Bike Share bikes that can be spotted in the City’s core. Blue also represents the Hamilton Harbour, our local waterways, and our commitment to the big blue dot (the earth) we’re all responsible to care for.
The orange colour was taken directly from the exterior brick walls of the Mulberry Coffeehouse. It not only symbolizes our rich built heritage, but our working class steel town history. It’s a rusty hue that very closely resembles the corten steel featured along the City’s waterfront.
ICONOGRAPHY
We chose a feather and a leaf not only because they represent the natural world around us but because they hold significant symbolic meaning for the work we hope to do in this term of Council.
The feather represents the rich biodiversity of bird life that we’re so lucky to have in Hamilton, whether it’s the ubiquitous downtown sparrows or North End geese, or the treasured sightings of our famous family of peregrine falcons, our feathered friends are an important part of our community. It also represents what we hope to bring to the decisions made at City Council – wisdom, truth, and reflection. The feather is also associated with ceremony in Indigenous communities. The presence of the feather is a constant reminder of our need to be thoughtful and inclusive in all we do.
The leaf represents the sumac tree, a local species that can be seen in many places around the city. We chose something native to the area and a tree species that has a long history in Hamilton as well as a history of use as a medicine by Indigenous communities. It also signifies our rich native plant biodiversity and our commitment to preserving the urban tree canopy in our city. The leaf also represents change. Every fall in Ontario, we’re treated to a colourful transformation as sumac and other leaves change colours to signal the end of one season and the beginning of another. In the same spirit, we hope to help usher in a change and turn over a new leaf for our city.