Dominion Society marches ahead with nationalist conference despite Hamilton mayor’s opposition, political pressure

CALGARY — The founder of the Dominion Society of Canada says that his nationalist organization is planning to proceed with an upcoming conference in Hamilton, Ontario, later this month despite opposition from the city’s mayor and uncertainty over whether controversial Austrian remigration advocate Martin Sellner will be admitted to Canada.Daniel Tyrie told the Western Standard his organization has signed a contract with a private venue, booked travel for its speakers and developed contingency and security plans for the August 29 conference, called DomCon 2026.The event, which is billed as “Canada’s Premier Nationalist Conference” and features speakers such as Tyrie, Sellner, Dominion Society co-founder Ken Jones and Restore Britain campaigns director Charlie Downes, has attracted controversy over its nationalist stance and promotion of remigration.Andrea Horwath, Hamilton mayor and former leader of the Ontario NDP, has spoken out against the planned event and has sent letters to local businesses asking them to be aware of the society, which has been called an anti-immigration group and has been hit with accusations of being “white supremacist.”“It is important for local venues to have clear information about the organization and the purpose of the event when considering whether to host it,” Horwath said in her letter.“While people are free to express their views, our community must also be clear about the values we stand for and are proud of: inclusion, respect and ensuring that everyone feels they belong in Hamilton.”Tyrie said there has been opposition from Hamilton’s mayor and other parties since the event was announced.“It’s more of the same, the same folks that just wanna uphold the same dysfunctional status quo that we stand against,” he said.“More and more, I think municipal politicians are starting to get nervous. They see how well-organized we are, and they know what impact that can have on these local races that are coming up in Ontario at the end of October. So I think they're getting nervous for their jobs.”DomCon was hit with more controversy recently when it was announced Sellner would be one of the keynote speakers..Sellner is an Austrian nationalist who has advocated for the large-scale removal of immigrants from European nations and, in the course of his career, has been barred from entering multiple countries, as well as permanently banned from the United Kingdom in 2019 after UK authorities concluded his presence posed a threat to efforts to “counter extremism.”German authorities also imposed an entry ban on Sellner in 2024 following controversy over a nationalist gathering where remigration was discussed.Currently, it remains unclear whether Sellner will be allowed to enter Canada and attend the conference..In a Thursday post on the social media platform X, the Austrian said, “I have never been to Canada and would really like to see if the nature is as beautiful as people say. Looking forward to the conference and hope to see you there if they let me in.”Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) would not say whether it would permit Sellner to enter the country or whether he has received a visa, electronic travel authorization or temporary resident permit.“Due to privacy laws, we cannot speak to individual cases,” IRCC told the Western Standard in an emailed response.The department also declined to say whether IRCC or the Canada Border Services Agency had opened an admissibility assessment concerning Sellner.“All persons seeking to come to Canada must meet the eligibility and admissibility requirements under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act,” IRCC said.“Decisions regarding the granting of travel documents are made independently, on a case-by-case basis, by trained officers.”Tyrie said the Dominion Society has been consulting lawyers for months and believes Sellner is legally admissible.“Based on our analysis of IRPA, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, Martin clearly counts as an admissible traveller from a visa-exempt country,” Tyrie said.“Really, any action to try and prevent him from entering the country is just clearly political persecution to uphold a dysfunctional status quo... We have everything set up and booked, but we’ll have to wait for the final word from CBSA and IRCC.”.Dominion Society protests outside Conservative convention over party's immigration stance.Tyrie added that his organization was covering Sellner’s travel and accommodation costs and that, if the Austrian were to be denied entry into Canada, he would address the conference remotely.“We have backup plans,” he added.Mayor Horwath’s office has said it has not received a facility rental application from the Dominion Society and will not provide municipal space for the conference. It did, however, say that “the city seeks to accommodate groups and activities that align with its values of inclusion.”“Hamilton is a diverse community, and the city remains firmly opposed to any imagery, speech or actions that are hate-motivated or discriminatory in any form, in line with its Respectful Environments Policy (Rzone),” the mayor’s office said in a statement to the Western Standard.According to Tyrie, the event will take place at a privately owned venue near Hamilton, but its location has not been publicly disclosed.He added that his organization would consider legal action if political pressure resulted in the event being cancelled.“We have a venue, a signed contract, and we're ready to move forward,” he said.“I hope [legal action] isn’t necessary. We have all sorts of contingency plans in place to make sure we hold a successful event.”If DomCon is a success, the Dominion Society plans to make it an annual event, although Tyrie said next year’s conference may be held somewhere more receptive to his group.“We’ll probably try and get out of Hamilton for the next one,” he said.“Maybe to an area that might be a bit more welcoming.”

Dominion Society marches ahead with nationalist conference despite Hamilton mayor’s opposition, political pressure

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