Hamilton East-Stoney Creek MPP Neil Lumsden to retire Aug. 4

In a surprise announcement Friday morning, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Hamilton East-Stoney Creek MPP Neil Lumsden will retire as of Aug. 4, 2026.

Hamilton East-Stoney Creek MPP Neil Lumsden to retire Aug. 4 Lumsden was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in 2022 Hamilton East-Stoney Creek MPP Neil Lumsden has announced his plans to retire effective Aug. 4. In a statement on X, Lumsden said "Today, I informed Premier Ford of my decision to retire from my seat as MPP for Hamilton East-Stoney Creek and as Minister of Sport, effective August 4, 2026." And to the people of Hamilton East-Stoney Creek, he said "thank you for the trust you placed in me.

Representing you has been the honour of a lifetime, and I retire with tremendous optimism for the future of our community and our province under the leadership of Premier Ford." In a statement Friday morning, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Lumsden "has been a dedicated public servant with a storied career during his time in the CFL, as a minister and as the MPP for Hamilton East-Stoney Creek. In particular, I want to thank Neil for his work supporting Toronto’s successful hosting of the FIFA World Cup.

Ontario is lucky to have benefited from his leadership. I wish Neil and his family all the very best in his retirement.” Lumsden, Ontario's minister of sport, was first elected in 2022, and is a Canadian Football Hall of Famer who was the general manager of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats when they won the 1999 Grey Cup.

He was also a player with the Edmonton Elks, during which time the team won the cup three times. He was the general manager and chief operating officer of the 2003 Road World Cycling Championships in Hamilton, managed a sports marketing agency and was Brock University's athletics director. Lumsden's resignation came as Ford also announced that Ontario's Tourism Culture and Gaming Minister Stan Cho resigned from cabinet after facing criticism for expensing hotel stays in Toronto despite living in the city.

In a statement shared on social media, Cho said he was resigning effective immediately and was taking "full responsibility" for his "mistake." He said he would continue to serve as MPP of Willowdale, a north Toronto riding. Lumsden was re-elected in 2025 with 42.1 per cent of the vote.