Hamilton: City of Industry

Meadow Flowers

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

	Boy With Sled

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

	Football

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

Iris

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.