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A major centre for Canadian industry, Hamilton, Ontario is also known as 'Steel
Town'. But despite its industrial reputation, this city has much to offer travellers.
Hamilton has an excellent location on the western edge of Lake Ontario and,
halfway between Toronto
and Niagara
Falls, it is within close distance to major visitor destinations. However,
Hamilton has a lot of interesting sights and attractions within its own boundaries.
In 2001, Hamilton absorbed some five other local communities to make it an even
larger centre, the city now has a population of almost a half million people.
The topography of Hamilton makes for an appealing setting. Laid out in tiers
and featuring dramatic cliffs and gullies, combined with its harbour setting
on the huge inland sea of Lake Ontario, Hamilton's location is very attractive.
As well as being a bastion of industry, Hamilton has a unique array of cultural
and leisure facilities. Former industrial areas were restored and now provide
attractive green space for cultural and social focal points. Additionally, the
city has over 25 golf courses and 1,500 kilometres (930 miles) of leisure trails
for hikers, bikers and cross-country skiers. Hamilton features a great variety
of museums,
galleries,
restaurant
and shopping
opportunities. It also hosts several annual events that are well worth attending
including the Hamilton International Air Show that is held every Father's Day.
History
The area that is modern day Hamilton was long settled by Mohawk Indians. The
first European to visit the area was French explorer Robert Cavalier in 1669,
but significant settlement by immigrants did not begin until the latter part
of 1700s. This development increased rapidly when thousands of Empire loyalists
(who chose to stay loyal to the British Crown) moved from the newly founded
United States to escape the turmoil of the revolutionary war. Their settlement
was encouraged by attractive land grants offered by the British.
In 1830, the Burlington Canal opened and created a link from the city and the
small inland lake, the shore of which had been the site of the earliest settlement,
through a narrow strip of land to Lake Ontario. This created Hamilton Harbour
and made the city into a port. The railway followed and Hamilton became an important
hub in the burgeoning system. At one time it was thought that Hamilton might
be chosen to be the provincial capital of Ontario and this attracted wealthy
merchants who built some remarkable homes along the lakeshore, many of which
still stand and can be visited.
Although Hamilton did not become the provincial capital, it did become very
prosperous. There were many fast streams and waterfalls in the region and these
provided power for mills. Steel and iron production became the main industries
and Hamilton's location on Lake Ontario enabled the product to be shipped up
the lake and through the St. Lawrence River to the Atlantic Ocean and the world
beyond. Settlers from all over came to the city and have continued to do so
up to the present day. The varied ethnic roots of Hamilton's population create
a rich cultural fabric for the city. Steel is still the major industry and Hamilton
is Canada's third busiest shipping port in terms of tonnage handled.
Climate
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Hamilton has four fairly distinct seasons where winters are cold and summers
can be hot and fairly humid. The winter average is from about -8 Celsius (18
Fahrenheit) to -1 Celsius (-30 Fahrenheit) though on occasion temperatures can
drop lower. Snow usually occurs between November and early April but often thaws
in between for a welcome respite of milder weather. As with the rest of Canada,
modern engineering ingenuity makes Hamilton a place where the cold can be avoided,
although snow does offer great leisure opportunities in the region's parks and
on its lakes.
The summer average is in the early 20s Celsius (around 70 Fahrenheit) although
it occasionally gets much hotter. Most modern buildings, stores and restaurants
are air-conditioned. Summer rainfall usually consists of heavy showers and storms
but rainy weather rarely lasts for more than a day before returning to warmer
and dry temperatures. The lake provides a wonderful range of water sports to
suit all tastes. As with much of Central and Eastern Canada, fall is attractive.
The temperature is cooler but still fairly warm and sunny offering wonderful
autumnal colours by late September and early October.
Transportation
Hamilton has an up and coming airport. As well as being a major freight and
courier aircraft centre, The
John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport is gaining popularity as an
alternative to the much busier airport in Toronto. Hamilton now has great links
with low cost air carriers to the rest of Canada as well as charter flights
to a variety of destinations.
Railways serve Hamilton well. The city is linked to the enviable Go Transit
system that links it by commuter train and bus from Toronto and other centres
in the region. At Toronto it is possible to connect with the Go Train from the
system of Via
Rail Canada or for those travelling from the USA from the Amtrak network.
For those choosing to travel to Hamilton by long distance bus, Greyhound
and other companies provide service.
Despite being named the
Hamilton Street Railway, the local transit company offers only bus service;
however, their service is widespread and offers a good selection of special
fares and passes.
Featured Attractions
Hamilton has a surprisingly large amount of interesting attractions for the
visitor. Moreover, these attractions offer a wide variety and something to please
everyone.
Museums and Galleries
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There is an amazing selection of museums in Hamilton. For football fans, the
Canadian
Football Hall of Fame and Museums highlights the history of this unique
Canadian version of the game. Many famous players are showcased. For lovers
of planes and even those who are mildly interested, the Canadian
Warplane Heritage Museum is considered world class. There are almost 40
military aircraft displayed covering the Royal Canadian Airforce's history from
World War II until the present day. Many of these aircraft are still in flying
condition including one of the very few remaining flying examples of the Avro
Lancaster. In addition, there are many other intriguing exhibits including a
robotic Hawker Hurricane and cockpit simulators for vintage trainers and modern
jet fighters. Rides are often available and, on certain weekends, actual flying
exhibitions take place.
For art lovers, Hamilton has two outstanding art collections. The
Art Gallery of Hamilton houses a surprisingly impressive collection of Canadian,
American and European art. On the campus of McMaster University, the McMaster
Museum of Art has a particularly inspiring collection of Impressionist work-including
works of Monet and Van Gogh- as well as many paintings from Canada's greatest
artists.
To learn more about the development of Hamilton, and about the great strides
in engineering and industry made in the Industrial Revolution of the 19th Century,
the Hamilton
Museum of Steam and Technology has some fascinating features including two
behemoth steam engines. For youngsters, the Hamilton
Children's Museum features many fun interactive and hands-on exhibits and
workshops that are sure to keep them entertained. The Hamilton
Military Museum offers an interesting perspective of the wars Canada has
been involved in from the War of 1812 to World War I.
Parks, Gardens and Homes
The City of Hamilton is known for its beautiful lakeshore, which is showcased
at Confederation Park featuring three kilometres (two miles) of promenade along
Lake Ontario. Many water-based activities can be enjoyed from here and there
is a great waterpark-Wild
Waterworks-that has waterslides, a children's pool, wave pool and a simulated
action river ride.
Dundurn National Historical Site is home to Dundurn
Castle that is actually not a castle but an Italianate villa of more than
40 rooms built for Sir Allan Napier
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McNab, former prime minister of the United Provinces of Canada. The house accurately
reflects 19th Century life for all levels of society who lived there-from the
wealthy McNabs themselves to their servants.
Canada is well known throughout the world for its many living history museums
and villages and Hamilton possesses a worthy example. Westfield Heritage Village
has over 30 historic buildings set among attractive meadows and woodlands. The
famous Canadian TV series Anne of Green Gables was filmed at Westfield, which
is particularly known for its Maple Syrup Festival.
One of the prominent families of early Hamilton was the McQuestens. They developed
the first iron foundry in Hamilton and founded McMaster University and the Royal
Botanic Gardens. Whitehearn
Historic House, where they lived from 1852to1968, is now open to the public
and is a splendid example of Georgian architecture. Of particular interest is
the collection of period children's toys and the lovely ornamental gardens.
The Royal
Botanic Gardens are perhaps the greatest attraction that the Hamilton area
has to offer. Located in neighbouring Burlington and set on over a thousand
hectares (2,700 acres), the gardens feature the world's largest lilac collection.
Irises and other spring bulbs as well as roses are also very well represented.
Additionally, there are various botanical themes including a particularly uplifting
Mediterranean garden. Aside from the formal and well-manicured flowerbeds, the
surrounding topography of wetlands, cliffs and ravines are also cleverly incorporated
into the gardens. Cootes Paradise is one of the largest wetlands conservation
projects in North America.
