Hamilton, Ontario

Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. As of the 2021 Canadian census, the city has a population of 569,353, and its census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington and Grimsby, has 785,184 people. It is located about 45 kilometres southwest of Toronto in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.

The city began when George Hamilton bought the Durand farm after the War of 1812. It grew into an important industrial area at the west end of Lake Ontario, part of the Golden Horseshoe. On January 1, 2001, the city’s current boundaries were set after combining the original city with other nearby towns from the Regional Municipality of Hamilton–Wentworth.

Hamilton is famous for its steel and manufacturing history, but in recent years, it has focused more on health and science services. The city is home to beautiful places like the Royal Botanical Gardens and the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, as well as schools such as McMaster University, Mohawk College, and Redeemer University. People who live in Hamilton are called Hamiltonians.

History

Main article: History of Hamilton, Ontario

Long ago, the Neutral First Nation lived on the land that is now Hamilton. Later, the Five (later Six) Nations, who were friends with the British, moved there. After the American Revolutionary War, many people who were loyal to the British moved from the United States to what is now Ontario. In 1792, the land was bought from the Mississaugas, and settlers began to arrive.

Hamilton was created by George Hamilton after the War of 1812. He worked with Nathaniel Hughson to plan a town. Hamilton became an important place, especially when a canal was built in 1832, allowing boats to reach the city easily. Over time, Hamilton grew with new buildings, roads, and industries. By the mid-1800s, it had banks, churches, and many businesses.

In the 1900s, Hamilton became known for steel manufacturing and other industries. However, since the 1970s, many big factories have closed, changing the city's economy. Today, Hamilton is a larger city after joining together with nearby areas in 2001.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Hamilton, Ontario

Hamilton is located in Southern Ontario at the western end of the Niagara Peninsula. The city wraps around the western part of Lake Ontario and sits in the middle of the Golden Horseshoe. Important features include Hamilton Harbour to the north and the Niagara Escarpment, which runs through the city and divides it into upper and lower sections. The highest point in Hamilton is 250 meters above Lake Ontario.

Originally, the area was called Attiwandaronia by the Neutral people. Hamilton is known for its mix of industry and nature. Many parks and green spaces were developed thanks to local leaders in the 1930s.

Hamilton Harbour is a natural harbor with a large sandbar called the Beachstrip, formed during the last ice age. The city's deep sea port uses a ship canal that goes through this sandbar. Two bridges cross the canal: the QEW's Burlington Bay James N. Allan Skyway and the lower Canal Lift Bridge.

The city has many parks, especially along the Niagara Escarpment, which stretches from Tobermory to Queenston. The Bruce Trail is a popular hiking path along the escarpment. Hamilton is home to over 100 waterfalls and cascades, many near the Bruce Trail.

Climate

Hamilton has a humid-continental climate, meaning the weather can change a lot. Summers are warm, and winters can be cold. The city’s climate is milder than many other places in Canada. The highest temperature ever recorded was 41.1 °C, and the coldest was −30.6 °C. Some areas of the city have air quality concerns due to nearby industrial sites.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Hamilton, Ontario

See also: Film industry in Hamilton, Ontario and List of head offices in Hamilton, Ontario

Manufacturing plays a big role in Ontario’s economy. The area around Lake Ontario, called the Golden Horseshoe, is one of Canada’s most industrial places. Hamilton is right in the middle of this area.

Hamilton is famous for making steel. Two big companies, Stelco and Dofasco, help make most of Canada’s steel. Dofasco makes steel for many things like cars, buildings, and energy projects. It employs thousands of people and makes a lot of steel each year.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population led by Statistics Canada, Hamilton had a population of 569,353 people. The area covers 1,118.31 km² (431.78 sq mi), with people living in 222,807 of its 233,564 homes.

The larger area around Hamilton, called the census metropolitan area, includes places like Burlington and Grimsby and has 785,184 people. This area spans 1,373.15 km² (530.18 sq mi).

Many people in Hamilton come from different places. In 2016, about 24.69% were not born in Canada. Some moved here from Italy, England, Scotland, Germany, and Ireland. There are also people from former Yugoslavia, Poland, India, China, the Philippines, and Iraq.

Hamilton has a small community that speaks French. There are schools, a health centre, and other services to support them.

Government

Main article: Politics of Hamilton, Ontario

See also: Hamilton City Council (Ontario) and Category:Mayors of Hamilton, Ontario

People in Hamilton are represented in Canada's government at three levels: national, state, and city. At the national level, Hamilton elects five members to help make laws for the whole country. At the state level, it also elects five members to help make laws for Ontario.

The city of Hamilton has its own government led by a mayor who is elected by everyone in the city, along with 15 councillors who represent different areas. The mayor right now is Andrea Horwath, who was elected on October 24, 2022. The next city election will happen in 2026. Hamilton also has schools run by four different groups, each with leaders called trustees who help make decisions for the schools.

The Canadian Military has a base in Hamilton where soldiers and sailors train and work.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Hamilton, Ontario

See also: Media in Hamilton, Ontario and List of attractions in Hamilton, Ontario

Hamilton has many interesting places to visit, such as the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, the HMCS Haida National Historic Site, Dundurn Castle, the Royal Botanical Gardens, and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. The city also has public art, an art gallery, and a museum of steam and technology.

Supercrawl is a big festival for arts and music that happens every September. Hamilton also holds a film festival and has many art galleries and creative centers.

Sports

Main article: Sports in Hamilton, Ontario

See also: List of sports venues in Hamilton, Ontario

Hamilton has a rich sports history. It hosted the first Commonwealth Games and co-hosted the Pan Am Games. The city is home to the Tiger-Cats football team and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Other teams include Forge FC in soccer, the Hamilton Honey Badgers in basketball, and the Hamilton Cardinals in baseball.

Hamilton also has race tracks for cars and horses, and it hosts the Around the Bay Road Race.

Education

Further information: List of secondary schools in Ontario § Hamilton

Hamilton has many places for students to learn after high school.

• McMaster University moved to the city in 1930 and now has about 30,000 students, many of whom come from outside Hamilton.
• Brock University from St. Catharines, Ontario has a smaller campus in Hamilton for training teachers.
• McMaster Divinity College is a Christian school for training religious leaders, located on the McMaster University campus.
• Mohawk College offers programs in arts and technology, with thousands of students.
• Redeemer University is a private Christian university that opened in 1982.

There are four groups that run public schools for children from kindergarten to high school. The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board runs 93 public schools, and the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board runs 57 schools. Two French-language school groups also operate a few schools in the area.

There are also several private Christian schools, such as Calvin Christian School and Hamilton District Christian High School. Other special schools include Hillfield Strathallan College, which offers education from early ages through grade twelve, and Columbia International College, a large private boarding school with students from many countries.

Hamilton is also home to art schools like the Dundas Valley School of Art and the Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts, where young people can learn acting, dancing, music, and more. The city also has two groups that study and discuss culture, cities, and education.

Infrastructure

See also: Transportation in Hamilton, Ontario and List of streets in Hamilton, Ontario

Hamilton has many important roads, including Highway 403, the QEW, the Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway, and the Red Hill Valley Parkway. Other roads like Highway 5, Highway 6, and Highway 8 also connect the city. People can ride buses all over Hamilton thanks to the Hamilton Street Railway. Plans are in place to build a new train line called the Hamilton LRT in the next few years. Trains and buses also go to nearby cities such as Toronto, thanks to GO Transit. There are three main train stations in Hamilton: the Hamilton GO Centre, Confederation GO Station, and West Harbour GO Station.

The John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport started as a training place for planes many years ago. Today, it has grown to welcome many travelers each year, mostly to places in the United States, Mexico, and Central America. The airport also helps move many goods for companies like United Parcel Service. There are also plans to build big areas for jobs near the airport.

Hamilton is also important for ships and boats because the Port of Hamilton is one of the busiest places for moving goods in Ontario.

Major highways

•  Highway 403
•  Queen Elizabeth Way
• Red Hill Valley Parkway
• Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway
•  Highway 5
•  Highway 6
•  Highway 8

Health

Hamilton has several hospitals that take care of people’s health. The Hamilton Health Sciences group runs five hospitals, including McMaster Children's Hospital. There is also St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, which has three places where people can get help. These hospitals work with schools like McMaster University to help doctors learn and improve.

Sister cities

Hamilton, Ontario, has ten sister cities around the world. These partnerships began in different years and help bring people together from different places to share ideas and experiences.

The sister cities are:

• Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada (1958)
• Kaga, Ishikawa, Japan (1968)
• Mangalore, Karnataka, India (1968)
• Fukuyama, Hiroshima, Japan (1975)
• Racalmuto, Sicily, Italy (1987)
• Ma'Anshan, Anhui, China (1987)
• Flint, Michigan, United States (1987)
• Sarasota, Florida, United States (1991)
• Valle Peligna, Abruzzo, Italy (1991)
• Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico (1993)