A Ward 7 Neighbour.
A Trusted Leader.
Mark and his wife of 32 years, Rowena
Ward 7 Is Home
We’ve lived in Ward 7 since 1995. My wife Rowena and I raised our four children here — it’s our home.
Education and Athletics
A Cathedral High School graduate, I earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Education from Boston University, Magna Cum Laude, on an NCAA Division I basketball scholarship. In 1992, I was an NCAA Academic All-American, was named one of ten Ontario finalists for the Rhodes Scholarship, and later played professionally with the Hamilton Skyhawks. Hamilton has always been my city.
Sports have also been a major part of my life. For more than 20 years, coaching was volunteer service — house league, rep, girls’ teams, boys’ teams, and high school basketball. During 10 years coaching Senior Boys’ basketball, our teams won numerous championships and achieved four top-four finishes in Ontario. Coaching taught me how to build teams, set standards, handle pressure, and help young people succeed.
A Career in Catholic Education
My career in Catholic education lasted 34 years, including 14 years as a secondary school principal at St. Jean de Brébeuf Catholic Secondary School and Cathedral High School.
At both schools, graduation rates and academic achievement improved significantly. At Cathedral, the academic stream grew from approximately 35% to 70% of students. Both schools also saw major facility improvements, including new turf fields. St. Jean de Brébeuf received the Ontario Premier’s Award for Safe Schools. SJB in Toronto Globe and Mail. Cathedral navigated COVID and extraordinary challenges while continuing to support downtown Hamilton families.
In 2020, I was named a Principal of the Year by the Catholic Principals’ Council of Ontario. Education News Canada
At St. Jean de Brébeuf, we also led a school-community effort alongside parents, staff, and students to advocate for new sidewalks on Acadia Drive and Upper Sherman Avenue. It started with a simple concern: students and families needed a safer walk to school. Together, we brought that concern to City Hall and got results.
Real infrastructure. Real results. For Ward 7 — before I ever considered running for office.
Community Service
Service has always been part of my life. I have served on the boards of the John Howard Society Hamilton, Thrive Hamilton, and Birthright Hamilton. I currently serve as a funeral altar server at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Ward 7, and I was formerly a member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish.
Rowena is also a retired principal and is well known to many families in Hamilton’s Catholic education community. Our family is deeply rooted in Catholic education, public service, parish life, coaching, and community work in Hamilton.
Why I’m Running
Running for City Council was never my plan. The decision came after retirement, when the same basic concerns kept coming up: crumbling roads, rising taxes, and too little accountability at City Hall.
I decided to stop complaining and do something about it.
Ward 7 deserves result-based leadership rooted in service, experience, and care for this community.
Rowena and I raised our four children right here in Ward 7. They have each built successful lives of their own, and our family is deeply grateful for the schools, parish, and community that helped shape them.
Pictured with us: Sarah holding Pepper, Colin, Andrew, Miranda’s husband Scott, and Miranda.
From Frustration to Action
My decision to run began in Ward 7, driving on Hamilton roads. In June 2024, my wife Rowena made custom cupcakes for the graduation class at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Elementary School. She asked me to drive carefully so the cupcakes would arrive intact. Driving from our neighbourhood near Limeridge and Upper Sherman, we couldn’t get much above 40 km/h — bumps, potholes, and crumbling roads the whole way. We barely arrived without ruining the batch. It was beyond frustrating. Meanwhile, our property tax bills kept climbing, with no relief on the roads. That drive crystallized something for me. This past March, Rowena and I also took the GO bus from Toronto Pearson Airport back to Hamilton. The ride through Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington, and Aldershot was smooth all the way. Then the bus turned off the 403 onto Main Street in Hamilton. The difference was immediate and stark — every person on that bus felt it. It was embarrassing. Hamilton residents should not have to accept that. On January 22, 2026, I wrote a formal letter to Councillor Esther Pauls and Mayor Andrea Horwath demanding fiscal restraint and accountability. It was specific, documented, and signed with my name and address. I decided to stop complaining and do something about it. Where I live. Where I served. Where I’ve already delivered results. “Ward 7 is home. I’m looking forward to knocking on doors and earning the trust of my neighbours — one conversation at a time.”
Filing nomination papers at Hamilton City Hall, May 1, 2026.