Area Information
RECREATION
With the Niagara Escarpment running right through the middle of the city, Hamilton boasts unique topography and scenery. Hamilton is home to over 100 waterfalls and cascades; and The Hamilton Conservation Authority operates some 2,661 acres of parkland within the city.
Nature lovers are sure to enjoy the Hamilton to Brantford Rail Trail; Ontario’s first entirely off-road, interurban hiking and biking trail. Trail users can enjoy 20 miles of completely resurfaced trail on the former bed of the Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway, and also take advantage of cross-country skiing opportunities.
Another popular area to enjoy the outdoors in Hamilton is the West End of Hamilton Harbor. It includes 40-acre Bayfront Park, which offers nearly 6,000 feet of shoreline, a protected sandy beach, native vegetation, a public boat launch, and a 250-space parking lot.
Pedestrian and bicycle trails in Bayfront Park also lead to Pier 4 Park, which boasts 5.9 acres of greens space, a multiuse trail and a pier with benches and sun shelters offering views of nearby marinas and distant vistas.
Sports fans have plenty to cheer for in Hamilton. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League play at Tim Hortons Field, a stadium that can host 22,500 fans for football games. In addition to being home of the eight-time Grey Cup winners, Tim Hortons Field can also accommodate up to 40,000 for special events, and will be a host venue for the 2015 Pan American Games.
If action on the ice is what you’re looking for, you can catch a hockey game in Hamilton at the First Ontario Centre. This 19,000-seat arena is home to the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs; the junior team of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens.
AMENITIES
Hamilton is at the forefront of healthcare and medical research. It is home to Hamilton Health Sciences; a medical group of six unique hospitals, a cancer center, and a research center with approximately 8,000 employees and 1,000 physicians. Facilities include Hamilton General Hospital, McMaster University Medical Centre, McMaster Children’s Hospital, Chedoke Hospital, St Peter’s Hospital, Juravinski Hospital, Juravinski Cancer Centre, and the David Braley Cardiac, Vascular and Stroke Research Institute. In 2008 Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation was named by Mediacorp Canada, Inc. as one of “Canada’s Top 100 Employers”.
McMaster University is a public research university in Hamilton with an enrollment of approximately 30,000. It was ranked 4th among Canadian universities and in the top 100 worldwide according to the 2013-2014 Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
Mohawk College also operates two campuses in Hamilton. This college of applied arts and technology has 12,500 full-time students, and has received three national Yves Landry Foundation awards.
CLIMATE
Hamilton’s location on an embayment at the southwestern corner of Lake Ontario moderates its climate in comparison to much of Canada. Average summertime high temperatures reach 81 degrees F (27 degrees C), while most winter days see temperatures rising above freezing. However, the city’s varied topography and shoreline areas mean that temperatures can vary significantly within city limits.
HISTORY
Shortly after the War of 1812, merchant and politician George Hamilton purchased farm holdings from British Legislative Assembly member James Durand, and cooperated with property owner Nathanial Hughson to prepare a proposal for a courthouse and jail on the property, thus marking the beginnings of the city of Hamilton.
After the city steadily grew throughout the nineteenth century, its population doubled between 1900 and 1914 due to the opening of manufacturing plants such as Stelco and Dofasco steel companies, as well as Proctor & Gamble and the Beech-Nut Packing Company. As the twentieth century progressed, other companies such as Canadian Tire, Studebaker and Tim Hortons set up operations, and eventually Hamilton’s economy shifted more towards transportation, education and healthcare.
The current city of Hamilton was formed at the beginning of 2001 from the annexation of the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth and its municipalities of Ancaster, Dundas, Flamborough, Glanbrook and Stoney Creek, bringing the city’s population from 331,121 to 519,949.
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