H amilton is a city with a storied history and a vibrant future. This is the city that began, after all, with a poignant story of romance, separation and reunion.

Robert Land, a United Empire Loyalist, was the first white settler in the area, having fled from persecu-tion in Pennsylvania, narrowly escaping execution. He settled at the head of the lake, believing his wife and children to be dead. His wife, Phebe, had however managed to escape with her children to Nova Scotia, also convinced that her husband was dead. When she journeyed to Niagara to claim farmland that was given to the loyalists, she heard rumours of a man called Land living in what would become Hamilton. She hired a

Left: Dundurn Castle National Historic Site

Cover PHotoS:the tea house in the rock gardens at royal Botanical Gardens and the Hamilton Philharmonic orchestra.

PHoto CreDItS:Banko Photographic, Michael Dismatsek, Mike Lalich, Peter Stevens, Hamilton Spectator, Double Decker Bus Company, Hamilton region Conservation Authority.

Westfield Heritage village

In the middleHamilton

of it all!

Getting to Hamiltonvisiting Hamilton has never been

easier. Situated in the cluster of high-ways, train lines and airports that service Southern ontario, this is a city that can be reached with ease by many different means.

John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport, Southern ontario's low-cost airport, is one of the easiest airports to navigate, with ample and affordable park-ing, short walking distances and quick exit times. there’s also wireless internet connection throughout the terminal, either using your own laptop or through two kiosks in the main concourse. there is an Airport Shuttle Service, taxis and Hamilton Limo’s limousine-on-demand service, as well as car rentals that will make the approximately twenty minute trip into Hamilton easy.

boat, traveled to satisfy her curiosity and discovered her long lost husband. The reunion, according to legend, was a joyous one, and the couple and their family, having been granted one thou-sand acres in the centre of the future city of Hamilton, helped to build the community that would be home to generations of their descendants. Robert and Phebe are buried in the Land Vault in historic Hamilton Cemetery, alongside such interesting characters as William Cook, a Canadian soldier who was killed with General Custer at the Battle of Little Big Horn, and Isabella Whyte, the secret half sister of Queen Victoria. Tours of this gothic cemetery are conducted regu-larly, and offer a running commentary on the city’s colourful past.

The Land story is just one of the many that are part of the early history of Hamilton, and which make a visit to the well preserved historic sites in the area a layered and entertaining expe-rience. Dundurn Castle, Whitehern Historic House, Griffin House and Westfield Heritage Village are just some of the authentically reconstructed or preserved sites where visitors can enjoy a taste of the past.

Architecturally, Hamilton is also excep-tionally blessed. Stand at the corner of James Street and Main for example, and you are presented with one of the best 360 degree tours of iconic architecture – the Gothic Revival style of the Pigott Building, the neo-classical former Bank of Montreal, the terra-cotta details of the Sun Life Building, the soaring pillars of the Landed Bank and Loan building, and the cozy Victorian charm of the Hamilton Club.

Circling the cosmopolitan pleasures of the city are some of the best urban pleasures to be had in Ontario – the splendor of Canada’s most important gardens, the Royal Botanical Gardens, the famous Bruce Trail, and an abun-dance of conservation areas, water parks and walking paths.

Overlooking the waters of Lake Ontario, and extending up over the protective circle of the Niagara Escarpment, this is a city whose proximity to Toronto and the Niagara Peninsula makes it an ideal destina-tion for the traveler who wants to get close to the heart of the real Ontario.

toronto's CN tower – world's tallest building Parks Canada Discovery Centre in Hamilton Niagara Falls – one of the natural wonders of the world

In the middleHamilton

of it all!

the Niagara escarpment – a world biosphere reserve

Dundurn Castle National Historic Site

Affordable Accommodations

Hamilton offers a selection of afford-able accommodations, especially in the summer season. If modern suits your taste, Hamilton has several choices, and more on the way. The Sheraton Hotel, which is directly connected to Copps Coliseum, the Hamilton Convention Centre and the Art Gallery of Hamilton by an enclosed walkway, is a modern newly renovated hotel that places you close to many of Hamilton’s downtown attractions. Also located in downtown Hamilton is the Staybridge Suites hotel that opened in August, 2005. And the iconic Royal Connaught Hotel is set to reopen as an upscale new hotel in the near future. Close to Hamilton Inter-national Airport is the new Courtyard by Marriott (opened October, 2006). Whatever your style, there will be a per-fect place to lay your head in Hamilton.

History – The Hallmark of Hamilton

History may well be the hallmark of Hamilton, and the range and number of the museums in the city are a testament to that fact. The city is proud of its long history and has worked hard to preserve it. The jewel in the crown is Dundurn Castle, a classic Regency style villa, restored to the style of 1855 that oper-ates as an historic window to the past. Costumed guides give visitors a glimpse into the life of a prominent 1850's Victorian family and their servants. The gardens have been extensively restored, notably the kitchen garden that is a rep-lica of the garden that fed the MacNab

family, all its servants and many of the neighbours. The plantings are all heritage varieties that would have been harvested there in the 1850’s.

Whitehern, right next to city hall, is another historic urban estate. Almost hidden gardens surround the home, part Georgian, part Edwardian and part Victorian, where the McQuesten family lived from 1852 to 1968. They were instrumental in establishing the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton, McMaster University and the Queen Elizabeth Way.

A half an hour away is Westfield Heritage Village, a restored 19th cen-tury village complete with over thirty buildings, including a schoolhouse and a blacksmith shop.

The Museum of Steam and Technology, a National Historic Site, preserves the amazing technology that pow ered the city 140 years ago, while the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum has restored and displays aircraft from WWII, including the only operational Lancaster in North America.

In nearby Ancaster, Griffin House preserves the story of Enerals Griffin, a Virginian slave who escaped to free-dom and lived in this simple clapboard house which is now a museum and an important cultural landmark of the Black Heritage Network.

Impressive ArtArt lovers will find that Hamilton

is exceptionally supplied with great art experiences. The city is home to Ontario’s third largest art gallery, the Art Gallery of Hamilton. After an $18 million renovation and expansion designed by Hamilton born architect

Bruce Kuwabara, the AGH is now a beautiful exhibition space, and home to the Joey and Toby Tanenbaum collection of Nineteenth century European art.

The McMaster Museum of Art houses a permanent collection of close to 6,000 works and is recognized inter-nationally for its specialist collection of early twentieth-century German prints and outstanding European paintings, drawings and prints.

Fun for Families Families will enjoy

a visit to the Parks Canada Discovery Centre and HMCS Haida, Canada’s most famous warship.

The African Lion Safari, north of Hamilton, is a perennial favourite with both adults and children. It’s a surprising place, where the visitors are confined (to their cars) and the animals roam free. There is also a safari lake cruise, parrot shows and the chance to watch the elephants bathe.

For fun in the water, Wild Waterworks has tdoor wave pools and giant body slides.

Afterwards, grab a bite at one of the waterfront restaurants.

The Hamilton Children’s Museum offers fun in the Muckabout Room, and the Sensarium.

Hamilton’s galleries, museums and activities are surprisingly varied and abundant, with something that will intrigue every visitor and something for every member of the family.

African Lion Safari Whitehern Historic House and Garden Art Gallery of Hamilton

African Lion Safari

Antique Shopping on Locke Street

Distinctive ShopsOne of the charms of Hamilton is

its collection of neighbourhoods, each with a distinctly different and unique character, and each offering the intrep-id shopper an exceptional experience. Even if you don’t buy, the walk through these small distinct neighbourhoods will be worth it.

Westdale Village, for example, in the west end of the city, is full of the energy of its student population from nearby McMaster University. Personal and specialized shops are numerous.

The little shops on Locke Street are places where you can discover great bargains on antiques and collectibles, designer clothes and specialty items for the kitchen. Everything from a carved Victorian settee to vintage clothing can be found here, at incredible prices.

James Street North is a neighbour-hood that bubbles with artsy avant garde style. Here is where you can discover the works of tomorrow’s note-worthy artists while they are still afford-able.

There is no place in the country like Hamilton’s Ottawa Street. It is the textile bargain capital of Canada. The street is lined with stores that specialize in everything you need to sew clothing or make draperies or upholster furni-ture. There are stores that specialize in buttons and trims, and those that provide curtain rods and rings. You can find authentic Chanel wool gabardine by the yard, and Versace silk for a frac-tion of their value. Restaurants on the street echo the relaxed European fla-vours of the neighbourhood, and are a great place to recuperate from shopping with a cappuccino or a plate of pierogi.

royal Botanical Gardens

The east end of the city is a culinary paradise, with shops tucked into cor-ners and supplying a range of ethnic foods, from Bosnian Specialties on Grays Road, to the homemade panze-rotti’s at Nardini’s on Highway 8.

Nearby Dundas is a well-preserved small town that will make you think you have gone back in time. Have a look in the windows of the Deluxe Restaurant, a perfectly preserved café from the early fifties, which has been featured in several films. Dundas itself has been a film star, standing in for New Hampshire in a couple of epi-sodes of The West Wing, and serving as the backdrop for Robin Williams’ “Man of the Year”.

Shopping is eclectic and excel-lent, from unique art to elegant bath and beauty products, gorgeous beads and handmade jewelry. Stop in at the Dundas Valley School of Art, a presti-gious and well-regarded art school in a reclaimed factory building. There’s often a good art show in its Dofasco Gallery, and pieces are frequently for sale.

The Great OutdoorsWhen visitors get a clear view of

Hamilton from the top of the escarp-ment, they are amazed to discover the large areas of trees, gardens and water that make up the city and its environs. The expanse of green forests, the curve of the bay and the view of Lake Ontario is a revelation. It may be the Steel City, but it is also a garden city.

In fact, Hamilton is home to the Royal Botanical Gardens, Canada’s most prestigious gardens, and one of the world’s largest. The RBG includes five gardens and four nature sanctuar-

ies on 2,700 acres of land, linked by shuttle bus and open all year. The gar-dens are home to the world’s largest col-lection of lilacs, and nearly two acres of roses. Thirty kilometres of trails weave through nature sanctuaries and marsh-land, including Cootes Paradise, one of North America’s largest wetland restora-tion projects. There are frequent special events like the Herb Show and the Orchid Show, and every Spring people come from miles away to snap up exotic flowers and heritage vegetables at the annual plant sale.

Hiking trails are numerous, with the Bruce Trail being the best known. The Iroquois Bruce Trail is the mem-ber club of the Bruce Trail association that maintains a 125 kilometre sec-tion of the Bruce, from Grimsby to North Burlington along the Niagara Escapement. This part of the trail gives hikers access to several beautiful waterfalls, like Tiffany, Sherman, Webster’s, Tews and Borer’s Falls, as they trek through the parkland and conservation areas.

The Chippewa Trail will join Hamilton to Caledonia along a 15 kilometre abandoned rail corridor, 8 kilometres of which are now completed. It will become part of the Trans Canada Trail.

Spectacular views and for-

ested walks make the Dundas Valley a natural attraction for hikers and bik-ers, but the trail system also connects to two heritage sites, The Hermitage Ruins, and Griffin House.

One of the most enjoyable trails, and a favourite of locals, is the Waterfront Trail. It is part of an exciting transfor-mation that is turning the area into a popular destination with activities for everyone. There are two parts to the trail, both paved and perfect for walk-ing, cycling or boarding. If you get tired, there’s a trolley you can ride.

Flamboro Downs & Slots Hamilton Harbour Queen boat tours Baranga's on the Beach

Westfield Heritage Centre and Historical village

The Hamilton Beach Recreation Trail which follows the Lake Ontario shore-line for about 8 km from Burlington to Confederation Park is a lovely walk that passes by beachfront cottages that have been lovingly preserved, and provides open views of the lake and the boats going through the lift bridge.

Hamilton is circled by major con-servation areas that offer great outdoor adventure and opportunities for hiking, bird watching, sketching, swimming, or just enjoying the mix of gardens, forest and wetlands.

The area is agriculturally rich. Pick-your-own farms are plentiful in the area, providing the opportunity to gath-er fruits and vegetables at their very

freshest. In the Fall, every weekend is the occasion for a great traditional fall agricultural fair.

The rich natural environment in and around Hamilton makes the city an attractive destination for anyone who loves outdoor activities. Whether it's bik-ing, boating, boarding, or just a leisurely stroll that you want, the experience is mere steps away from city centre.

Performing Arts It has been said that, for a city to be

truly civilized, it must nurture its talent and create a home for that talent to blossom. Hamilton has excelled at both of these. This is the city that has pro-duced, for example, the comic actors Red Green (aka Steve Smith), Martin Short, and Eugene Levy, singer Stan

Rogers, architect Bruce Kuwabara, and ballerina Karen Kain. And there are few cities with as many major venues for performance.

Hamilton will entertain you!The theatre scene is vibrantly

alive. Theatre Aquarius is begin-ning its thirty-fourth season and it is just one example of the quality and reach of Hamilton’s performing arts. It’s the third largest regional theatre in Ontario and has a reputation for showcasing both innova-tive and classic theatre works. Its performance home is the state of the art Dofasco Centre for the Arts, with a 750 seat auditorium and an

intimate studio theatre. Hamilton Place, beloved by the stars

who have performed there for its amaz-ing acoustics, is the city’s premiere venue for plays, operas, musicals, bal-let and concerts. The main theatre is massive, with seating for over 2,000 people, but the acoustics are so well designed that even those in the most distant seats can hear everything.

Next door at Copps Coliseum you can enjoy performances by big name attrac-tions like Blue Rodeo and Elton John.

One of the best things about theatre and performing arts in Hamilton is that all the venues are within a short walk of some of the best dining in Southern Ontario serving a great vari-ety of cuisine. Dinner and a show is a great way to get acquainted with the heart of the city.

the Double Decker Bus Company

Hamilton Place Jazzman Sonny Del rio Family Festival Fun

34 James Street South, Hamilton oN L8P 2X8

telephone: 905-546-2666 or 1-800-263-8590

www.tourismhamilton.com

tourism Hamilton is a public-private partnership with the City of Hamilton.

It has been established with a 19-member Board of Directors to be the tourism marketing

agency for the City of Hamilton.

Executive Editor: David Adames, Executive Director

email: dadames@hamilton.caEditor: ted Flett, Marketing and

Media Relations Coordinatoremail: tflett@hamilton.ca

Contributor: Barbara ramsay orr

Tourism Hamilton

PrINteD IN CANADA – FeBruAry 2007