We decided to walk to Steve’s Open Kitchen for breakfast. It took us past Hamilton City Hall, where there is a topiary Tiger-Cats mascot, mini football field, and football. There is also the now ubiquitous large public art sculpture of the name of the city.


Adjacent to City Hall is Whitehern, a well preserved, stately stone mansion, built no later than 1850, for the city clerk. It was bequeathed to the city in 1968 for use as a public museum.

St. James Baptist Church was a designated property that a developer was allowed to demolish two thirds of because the city process allowed the demolition to be considered a minor alteration. That developer planned to build a 30 storey building, but went bankrupt. The site was then sold to a group of developers, who came forward with a new plan for developing the site that included maintaining the facade. Those developers have now sold the site again. So almost a decade after two thirds of the building was demolished, the site still remains undeveloped.

Steve’s Open Kitchen has been an institution in Hamilton for almost 50 years. The staff is friendly and the portions are generous. The waitress told us that two of her regulars are going to be married there.

This building, the oldest remaining bank building in Hamilton, was finished in 1908. It was inspired by one in New York City.

Gore Park is a wedge of land that did not fit into the square survey grid. Land like this is referred to as a gore, thus the park name. The ornamental fountain was erected in 1860 and in 1873 the land was laid out as a park. The current fountain is a replica installed in 1970. The park also has a monument commemorating those who served in the First World War.

We planned a short bike ride to the waterfront for the afternoon, but returned to the apartment to relax for a few hours first.
We rode towards Bayfront Park. These homes on Bay Street North have a beautiful view of the bay. They are a kilometre as the crow flies from the planned development on Pier 8, which proposes a 45 storey building which would be the tallest in Hamilton. Their distance hasn’t stopped them from opposing the new development despite the fact that housing is so desperately needed right now.


These 40 foot high panels of glass beads created by a local indigenous artist, and Hamilton‘s largest public art piece, were unveiled at the West Harbour for the National Truth and Reconciliation day.

This is known as filtered permeability. It is an urban planning concept that filters out through car traffic but allows walking and cycling.

The new park at Pier 8 has three raised areas that look like ships. One has tables and chairs, another a playground.


Across the bay, you can see the QEW bridge in the distance.

Two years ago I went on a bike tour given by Jason Thorne, who leads the Department of Planning & Economic Development in Hamilton. The parks on Pier 8 we’re still under construction then. It was good to see them open and I look forward to seeing it developed further with residential, commercial, and institutional spaces.

This imposing structure is part of a new amphitheater.

Lafarge Canada operates on Pier 11. There was a ship in today.


This is the HMCS Haida, a national historic site. It served in the navy from 1943 to 1963.

Collective Arts Brewery has some amazing street art. It also has a patio and a bar. We stopped for a drink.


This is another spot on Cannon Street where they bi-directional cycle track becomes uni- directional on the other side of the street. The transition feels a bit odd when one isn’t used to it.


We stopped at Relay Coffee in a building, called The Staircase, which is also a performance space.



We made dinner back at the apartment, and then tidied up, and loaded our van with the two bikes and all the stuff I had brought down with me. It was not a surprise to me, how much more we were able to fit in our van than in Patti’s SUV. What perplexes me is the popularity of SUVs given many owners claim they’re doing it for the interior space that provides.

It was a fun week exploring Hamilton, and I look forward to looking after Ralph and doing more exploring sometime in the future.
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