Hamilton, Ontario

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

City of Hamilton
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Together Aspire - Together Achieve
Location in the province of Ontario, Canada
Coordinates: 43°15′19″N, 79°52′23″W
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
Incorporated	June 9, 1846[1]
Government
- Mayor	Fred Eisenberger
- City Council	Hamilton City Council
- Representatives	5 MPs and 5 MPPs
Area [2]
- City	1,138.11 km²  (439.4 sq mi)
- Land	1,117.11 km² (431.3 sq mi)
- Water	21 km² (8.1 sq mi)
- Urban	227.70 km² (87.9 sq mi)
- Metro	1,371.76 km² (529.6 sq mi)
Elevation	75– 324 m (246–1,063 ft)
Population (2006)[3]
- City	504,559
- Density	451.6/km² (1,169.6/sq mi)
- Metro	692,911
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Postal code span	L8E to L8W
Area code(s)	(905) and (289)
Website: http://www.city.hamilton.on.ca/

Hamilton (pronounced: IPA /'hæməlˌtɪn/) (2006 Population 504,559; UA population 647,634; CMA population 692,911) is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Hamilton is the third largest metropolitan area in Ontario and the ninth largest metropolitan area in the country. The town of Hamilton was conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812.^[4] It is a part of the Golden Horseshoe, a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario. Residents of the city are called Hamiltonians.^[5]

Traditionally, the local economy has revolved around the steel and heavy manufacturing industries. In recent years a shift has occurred towards the health and sciences sector, led by employers such as Hamilton Health Sciences. HHS employs over 10,000 staff to serve approximately 2.2 million people in Central South and Central West Ontario. ^[6] Other economic highlights include the development of a large research campus, McMaster Innovation Park, which is currently under construction on the grounds of former industrial employer Camco.^[7] The Hamilton Airport is the busiest air cargo hub and fastest growing airport in Canada.^[8] Expansion plans include the addition of a proposed 1,050-hectare Aerotropolis industrial park.^[9] According to a Canadian Business magazine survey from 2006, Hamilton is the number one location in Ontario for doing business.^[10]

The area has become a popular destination for the TV & film industry. Hamilton boasts hundreds of unique filming locations and attracts dozen of film and television productions each year. Many of these productions have chosen this city as their home base because of an open to filming attitude and Regional Tax Incentives.^[11] Growth in the arts and culture sector has garnered a high level of media attention for the city. A Toronto Globe and Mail news article in 2006, entitled "Go West, Young Artist," focused on the growing art scene in Hamilton which included Art Galleries, recording studios and centres devoted to acting & indy film production.

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Demographics 4 Economy 5 Government 6 Education 7 Culture 7.1 Sports 7.2 Sister cities 8 See also 9 References 10 External links

[edit] History

Main article: History of Hamilton, Ontario

In pre-colonial times, the Neutral Indians occupied most of the land but were gradually driven out by the Five (later Six) Nations or Iroquois. The Iroquois were allied with the British against the Huron and their French allies. A member of the Iroquois Confederacy provided the route and name for Mohawk Road, which originally included King street in the lower city.

The town of Hamilton was conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812.^[4] Nathaniel Hughson, a property owner to the north, cooperated with George Hamilton to prepare a proposal for a courthouse and jail on Hamilton's property. Hamilton offered the land to the crown for the future site. James Durand, the local Member of the British Legislative Assembly, was empowered by Hughson and Hamilton to sell property holdings which later became the site of the town. As he had been instructed, Durand circulated the offers at York during a session of the Legislative Assembly and a new Gore District was established of which the Hamilton town site was a member. As such, Hamilton's future seemed to be shaped by a private collaboration of Hamilton, Hughson and Durand.^[4]

Initially the Town of Hamilton was not the most important centre of the Gore District. A permanent jail was not constructed until 1832 when a cut-stone design was completed on one of the two squares created in 1816, Prince's Square.^[4] Subsequently, the first police board and the town limits were defined by statute on February 13, 1833.^[12] Official City status was achieved on June 9, 1846.^[1]

Another noteworthy event that shaped Hamilton's early years, the Grand Lodge of Canada was formed in Hamilton on 10 November 1855. ^[13]

[edit] Geography

Main article: Geography of Hamilton, Ontario

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

Hamilton is located on the western end of the Niagara Peninsula and wraps around the westernmost part of Lake Ontario, most of the city including the downtown section are on the south shore. Situated in the geographic centre of the Golden Horseshoe and is roughly the midway point between Toronto and Buffalo. The major physical features are Hamilton Harbour marking the northern limit of the city and the Niagara Escarpment running through the middle of the city across its entire breadth, bisecting the city into 'upper' and 'lower' parts.^[14]

Residents enjoy a mix of geographic terrain with a harbour that has been called one of the most beautiful naturally formed in the world. The Niagara Escarpment and converted rail trails offer opportunities for photography, hiking and cycling. Hamilton is one of 11 cities showcased in the new book, "Green City: People, Nature & Urban Places" by Quebec author Mary Soderstrom.^[15] Hamilton was selected as it offers a unique example of how an industrial powerhouse can nurture nature. She credits Thomas McQueston and family in the 1930s who "became champions of parks, greenspace and roads" in Hamilton.^[16]

Burlington Bay is a natural harbour with a large sandbar called the Beachstrip. This sandbar was deposited during a period of higher lake levels during the last ice age, and extends southeast through the central lower city to the escarpment. Hamilton's deep sea port is accessed by ship canal through the beach strip into the harbour and is traversed by two bridges, the QEW's Burlington Bay James N. Allan Skyway and the lower Canal Lift Bridge.^[17]

Weather averages for Hamilton, Ontario

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Avg high °C	-0.5	-0.5	3	11	18	24	27	26	21	15	7	1	13
Avg low °C	-9	-10	-5	1	6	12	15	13	10	4	-1	-6	2
Avg high °F	31	31	39	53	65	76	82	80	71	59	45	32	54
Avg low °F	15	14	22	34	44	54	60	57	51	40	30	20	37
Precipitation (cm)	6	6	6	5	5	6	7	5	7	6	6	6	78
Precipitation (in)	2.7	2.4	2.7	2.3	2.6	3.1	2.3	2.9	2.6	2.6	2.6	2.5	30.9
Source: Weatherbase[18] Dec 25, 2006

The climate of Hamilton is humid continental (Dfa type) and relatively mild compared with most Canadian cities.

Between 1788-and-1793 The townships at the Head-of-the-Lake were surveyed and named. The area was first known as The Head-of-the-Lake for its location at the western end of Lake Ontario.^[19] John Ryckman, born in Barton township (where present day downtown Hamilton is), described the area in 1803 as he remembered it: "The city in 1803 was all forest. The shores of the bay were difficult to reach or see because they were hidden by a thick, almost impenetrable mass of trees and undergrowth...Bears at pigs, so settlers warred on bears. Wolves gobbled sheep and geese, so they hunted and trapped wolves. They also held organized raids on rattlesnakes on the mountainside. There was plenty of game. Many a time have I seen a deer jump the fence into my back yard, and there were millions of pigeons which we clubbed as they flew low."^[20]

George Hamilton, a settler and local politician, established a town site in the northern portion Barton Township after the war in 1815. He kept several east-west roads which were originally Indian trails, but the north-south streets were on a regular grid pattern. Streets were designated "East" or "West" if they crossed James Street or King’s Highway No. 6. Streets were designated "North" or "South" if they crossed King Street or King’s Highway No. 8.^[21] The overall design of the townsite, likely conceived in 1816, was commonplace. George Hamilton employed a grid street pattern used in most towns in Upper Canada and throughout the American frontier. The eighty original lots had frontages of fifty feet; each lot faced a broad street and backed onto a twelve foot lane. It took at least a decade for all of the original lots to be sold, but the construction of the Burlington Canal in 1823, and a new court-house in 1827 encouraged Hamilton to add more blocks around 1828-9. At this time, he included a market square in an effort to draw commercial activity onto his lands, but the natural growth of the town was to the north of Hamilton's plot.^[22]

There are a number of parks found along the Niagara Escarpment, of which Hamilton Mountain is a part of. This ridge which runs from Tobermory at the tip of the Bruce Peninsula in the north, to Queenston at the Niagara River in the south, provides spectacular views of the cities and towns at the western end of Lake Ontario. Many of the escarpment parks include picturesque waterfalls that plummet over the cliffs. There's at least 80 waterfalls — some of which are well known, particularly in local neighbourhoods. As recently as 1999, the city has also been nicknamed “The City of Waterfalls”.^[23] All are connected at the Bruce Trail, a hiking path which runs the length of the escarpment.^[24] Some of the parks and conservation areas found along the Niagara Escarpment in Hamilton include the following; Borer's Falls,^[25] Devil's Punch Bowl,^[26] Dundas Valley,^[27] Felker Falls,^[28] Iroquois Heights,^[29] King's Forest,^[30] Mount Albion Conservation Area,^[31] Mountain Face Park,^[32] Sam Lawrence Park,^[33] Spencer Gorge Wilderness Area,^[34] Tew's Falls,^[35] Tiffany Falls,^[36] Vinemount Conservation Area,^[37] Webster's Falls^[38] and Winona Conservation Area.^[39]

[edit] Demographics

Ethnic origin	Population[40]	Percent
Canadian	193,580	29.5
English	186,815	28.5
Scottish	125,490	19.2
Irish	102,955	15.8
Italian	67,885	10.4
German	55,055	8.4
French	52,830	8.1
Polish	33,065	5.0
Dutch	32,330	4.9

Year	Population
1816	668
1833	1,000
1841	3,000
1846	6,832
1850	10,248
1861	19,096
1871	26,716
1880	35,009
1890	44,643
1900	51,561
1910	70,221
1914	100,808
1920	108,143
1929	134,566
1939	155,276
1945	175,364
1950	192,125
1960	258,576
1970	296,826
1980	306,640
1990	307,160
2002	490,268
2006	504,559
[41][21] [42]
†2002=Post-Amalgamation.

One-fourth of the local population was not born in Canada. This is the third highest such proportion in Canada after Toronto, and Vancouver. Hamilton also had a high proportion of British Isles origins (English, Scottish and Irish). Nearly three in 10 residents reported English as their sole ethnic origin, or as one of their ancestral origins. Nearly one in five (19%) reported Scottish ancestry either alone or in combination with another ethnic origin. The top countries of birth for the newcomers living in Hamilton in the 1990s were: former Yugoslavia, Poland, India, China, the Philippines, and Iraq. Hamilton was home to 64,400 visible minorities in 2001, representing 10% of its population, up from 7% in 1991. Visible minorities comprised 19% of Ontario’s population, primarily due to high proportions in Toronto.^[43] The population is 90% White. It has very small numbers of South Asian/East Indian: 2.10%, Black: 2.00%, Chinese: 1.29% and mixed race: 1.03%.^[40]

In 2005, Hamilton has an estimated population of 714,900 up from the 2001 figure of 662,400. Children under 14 accounted for 19.24% of the population while those over 65 years of age constituted 14.26%, resulting in an average age of 37.8 years, slightly above the national average.

The most described religion in Hamilton is Christianity though other religions brought by immigrants are also growing. The 2001 census indicates that 77.56% of the population adheres to a Christian denomination, Protestants constituting 37.08% of the population, while Roman Catholics number 35.48% (significantly lower than the national average), while Christ the King Cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of Hamilton. The remaining 5.0% consists of Orthodox, and independent Christian churches. The largest non-Christian religion is Islam with 12,880 adherents or 1.96% of the total population. Other religions including Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and other consistitute less than one percent each. Those with No religious affiliation account for 115,510 (17.63%) in 2001.^[44]

Environics Analytics,^[45] a geodemographic marketing firm that created 66 different "clusters" of people complete with profiles of how they live, what they think and what they consume sees a future Hamilton with younger upscale Hamiltonians - who are tech savvy and university educated - choosing to live in the downtown and surrounding areas rather than just visit intermittently. More two- and three-storey townhouses and flats will be built on downtown lots; small condos will be built on vacant spaces in areas such as Dundas and Westdale to accommodate newly retired seniors; and more retail and commercial zones will be created. The city is also expected to grow by more than 28,000 people and 18,000 households by the year 2012.^[46]

[edit] Economy

Main article: Economy of Hamilton, Ontario

See also: List of films shot in Hamilton, Ontario and List of head offices in Hamilton, Ontario

The most important economic activity in Ontario is manufacturing, and the Toronto-Hamilton region is the most highly industrialized section of the country. The area from Oshawa, Ontario around the west end of Lake Ontario to Niagara Falls is known as the “Golden Horseshoe” and the centre of it is Hamilton.^[47] Under the 2001 StatsCan definition, the population was 6,704,598 in the 2001 census.^[48] Major industrial products include motor vehicles and parts; iron, steel, and other metal products; foods and beverages; electrical goods; machinery; chemicals; petroleum and coal products; and paper products.

"Golden Horseshoe" The phrase was first used by Westinghouse President, Herbert H. Rogge, in a speech to the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, on January 12, 1954. “Hamilton in 50 years will be the forward cleat in a “golden horseshoe” of industrial development from Oshawa to the Niagara River”...150 miles long and 50 miles wide”...”It will run from Niagara Falls on the south to about Oshawa on the north and take in numerous cities and towns already there, including Hamilton and Toronto."^[49]

Sixty percent of Canada's steel is produced in Hamilton by Stelco and Dofasco. The presence of these two steel giants makes Hamilton the steel Capital of Canada.^[50] In the last decade, Hamilton's heavy industry reached a stable level, Stelco has returned to profitability.^[51] Dofasco in 1999 was the most profitable steel producer in North America and in 2000 it was the most profitable in Canada. It currently has approximately 7,300 employees at its Hamilton plant and produces over four million tons of steel annually, representing about 30% of Canada's flat rolled sheet steel shipments. Dofasco is likely to be bought by a foreign company and in addition to being one of North America's most profitable steel companies, Dofasco has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index seven years in a row. Dofasco’s wide range of steel products is sold to customers in the automotive, construction, energy, manufacturing, pipe and tube, appliance, packaging and steel distribution industries.^[52]

National Steel Car Ltd., North America's leader in freight and passenger train cars and equipment is based in Hamilton. They have been building reliable rail transportation products since 1912.^[53] National Steel Car recently won (January 2007) a contract for 1,200 custom-made railcars for TransLoad America, a New Jersey based waste transport firm.^[54]

[edit] Government

Main article: Politics of Hamilton, Ontario

See also: List of politicians in Hamilton, Ontario and Category:Mayors of Hamilton, Ontario

Citizens of Hamilton are represented by 3 tiers of Government. The federal representation consists of 5 members of parliament serving in the legislature of Canada. At the provincial tier there are 5 elected members of provincial parliament who serve in the Legislature of Ontario. The municipal tier is comprised of one mayor, elected city wide, and 15 city councillors, elected individually by each of the 15 ward divisions, to serve on the Hamilton City Council. Additionally, at the municipal tier, each ward elects a school board trustee for each of the school boards serving in their respective area.

The Hamilton City Council is granted authority to govern by the province through the Municipal Act of Ontario.^[55] The Province of Ontario has supervisory privilege over the municipality and the power to redefine, restrict or expand the powers of all municipalities in Ontario. Further, the province provides oversight of Hamilton City Council through the Ontario Municipal Board.

The Criminal Code of Canada is the chief piece of legislation defining criminal conduct and penalty. The Hamilton Police Service is chiefly responsible for the enforcement of federal and provincial law. Although the Hamilton Police Service has authority to enforce, by-laws passed by the Hamilton City Council are mainly enforced by Provincial Offences Officers^[56] employed by the City of Hamilton.

[edit] Education

See also: Category:McMaster University

The growth of post-secondary education; heralded by the arrival of McMaster University in 1930 and the foundation of Mohawk College in 1967; led to numerous direct and indirect jobs in education and research. Total student population at McMaster University is well over 27,000.^[57] Almost two-thirds of the students come from outside the immediate Hamilton region.

McMaster Divinity College is a Christian seminary in Hamilton. It is affiliated with the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec, although in practice it is interdenominational, and could be said to more closely align with the broader Evangelical tradition^[58]

Post-secondary education in the area is also offered by Redeemer University College located in Ancaster, is an undergraduate university of classical Christian conviction with over 850 students and faculty. Redeemer offers several degrees certified by the Council of Ontario Universities. Besides its undergraduate degree in various disciplines of the Natural Sciences and Mathematics leading to the Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.), Redeemer also offers degree programs leading to a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.).^[59]

Also, Columbia International College of Canada is a private school in Hamilton which is inspected and registered with the Ontario Ministry of Education. It was founded in 1979 as a response to a need by international students wanting to graduate from a North American secondary school. Its west end campus is located at the former Ainslie Wood School operated by the Hamilton Board of Education. It is the largest private boarding university-preparatory school in Canada, with 1,200 students from 48 countries.^[60]

Brock University is a modern comprehensive university located in St. Catharines, Ontario. It was named for Major General Sir Isaac Brock, who lost his life during the Battle of Queenston Heights in the War of 1812, fought 30 km from the present-day site of the campus. His last words, "Surgite! Push on!", are the official university motto. A satellite campus used primarily for teacher education is located in Hamilton.^[61]

Public education for students from kindergarten through high school is administered by three school boards. The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board manages approximately 120 public schools, while the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board operates 60 schools in the greater Hamilton area.^[62] The Conseil scolaire de district du Centre-Sud-Ouest offers two french emmersion schools. Hillfield Strathallan College is the only private K-12 school in the area.

The Dundas Valley School of Art is an independent art school which has serviced the Hamilton region since 1964. Students range from 4-year olds to senior citizens and enrollment at the school as of February 2007 is close to the 4,000-mark. In 1998 a new fulltime diploma programme was launched as a joint venture with McMaster University. The faculty and staff is comprised of highly regarded regional artists.^[63]

The Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts is home to many of the areas talented young actors, dancers, musicians, singers and visual artists. The school is equipped with a Keyboard Studio, spacious dance studios, art and sculpting studios, gallery space and a 300-seat recital hall. HCA offers over 90 programs for ages 3-93, creating a “united nations” of arts under one roof.^[64] ll

[edit] Culture

Main article: Culture of Hamilton, Ontario

See also: List of attractions in Hamilton, Ontario and People from Hamilton, Ontario

Hamilton has built on its historical and social background. Interesting attractions include a museum of aircraft (Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum), ^[65] HMCS Haida National Historic Site, historic naval ship; Canada's most famous warship and the last remaining Tribal Class in the world, ^[66] a stately residence of a Prime Minister of Upper Canada (Dundurn Castle),^[67] a functioning nuclear reactor at McMaster University,^[68] a horticultural haven (Royal Botanical Gardens),^[69] the Canadian Football Hall of Fame,^[70] African Lion Safari^[71] and Christ the King Cathedral.^[72]

Growth in the arts and culture sector has garnered high level media attention for Hamilton. A Globe and Mail article in 2006, entitled "Go West, Young Artist," focused on the growing art scene in Hamilton. The Factory: Hamilton Media Arts Centre,^[73] opened up a new home on James Street North in 2006. Art galleries are springing up on many streets across the City: James Street, Locke Street and King Street, to name a few. This, coupled with growth in the Downtown condo market which is drawing people back to the Core, is having a strong, positive impact on the cultural fabric of the City. The opening of the Downtown Arts Centre^[74] on Rebecca Street has spurred further creative activities in the Core. The Community Centre for Media Arts^[75] (CCMA) continues to operate in Downtown Hamilton. The CCMA works with marginalized populations and combines new media services such as website development, graphic design, video, and information technology, with arts education and skills development programming.^[76]

The Hammertheatre Company, founded in January 2007, is a company devoted to theatre research in Hamilton and also devoted to the plays of artistic director Sky Gilbert whose plays will deal with issues of gender and sexuality. Gilbert is also the founder of legendary Toronto theatre, Buddies in Bad Times. There, Gilbert's iconic gay plays found an enthusiastic, vast audience. The theatre is at the old Ancient Order of Foresters building in the James Street North neighbourhood where Hamilton's Art scene continues to grow and where Sky has been living since 2004. ^{[77] [78]}

Le Centre français Hamilton has been pursuing plans to make the 70-seat Staircase Cafe Theatre^[79] on Dundurn Street North into a Francophone cultural centre. The Staircase originally was opened by Hugh MacLeod in 1998 and closed down in the summer of 2006. It is scheduled to re-open in the spring of 2007. The Staircase evolved and expanded from an improvisational comedy workshop to include an artist's gallery, a cafe, a theatre for film and live acts, and a rehearsal space. A former variety store next door was also acquired. It will also be hosting a Francophone Film Festival in early spring 2007.^[80]

Ronnie Hawkins came to Canada in 1958. His first gig was at the Golden Rail in Hamilton where he became an overnight success. It was a result of Hawkins success in Hamilton that he decided to move to Canada permanently. His career spans over five decades and 25 records. His hits include, “Forty Days”, “Mary Lou”, and “Hey Bo Diddley”.^[81] Colonel Harold Kudlats, was given nickname “The Colonel” by Ronnie Hawkins. It was Kudlats who booked Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks in Hamilton for the first time. He's worked with acts Fats Domino, Duke Ellington & Louis Armstrong. Kudlats later went on to become agent for Levon Helm and The Band. He is also the Eugene Levy's uncle.^[41] Also in 1958, Conway Twitty, singer-songwriter and his band were in town and were playing at the Flamingo Lounge where Hamilton Place is located today. Legend has it that the drummer, Jack Nance, wrote "It's Only Make Believe" between sets, although another story puts them at the nearby Fischer Hotel. The song was recorded in 1958 and became the first of nine Top 40 hits for Twitty, selling eight million copies.^[82]

The Hamilton region has produced a number of talented musical artists over the years, some of these include; King Biscuit Boy^[83] (Canadian blues musician), Steve Negas^[84] (Drummer for progressive rock band Saga), Skip Prokop^[85] (Drummer and band leader for Lighthouse + The Paupers), Stan Rogers^[86] (Canadian folk singer), Neil Peart^[87] (Drummer and lyricist for the progressive rock band Rush (Hagersville, ON)), Lorraine Segato^[88] (lead vocalist for 80s pop group The Parachute Club), Ian Thomas^[89] (singer/ songwriter), Jackie Washington^[90] (legendary Canadian blues singer) and Tom Wilson^[91] (veteran of the Canadian music scene).

A number of recording studios call Hamilton home. The Sonic Unyon label started and fostered the Hamilton sound in the early 1990s and continues today as one of Canada's most successful independent record labels and distributors. ^[92] In 1985 Daniel Lanois, opened up Grant Avenue Studios a landmark in Hamilton.^[93] A solo artist in his own right he's made his mark as a producer for some of the world's biggest musical acts. Some of these include Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel and U2.^[94] Steve Negas (Drummer for progressive rock band Saga) is also a producer with a studio in town. Some of his clients include; Chris De Burgh, The Nylons, Liona Boyd and Saga.^[84]

Hamilton has hosted the Juno Awards a total of 5-times; 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999 and 2001. The Juno Awards are awards of achievement presented to Canadian musical artists and bands. 1996 was the most memorable one. Anne Murray was the host for the ceremonies and prominent nominees were Alanis Morissette and Shania Twain. The Canadian Music Hall of Fame Inductees that evening were: David Clayton-Thomas (Blood, Sweat & Tears), Denny Doherty (The Mamas & the Papas), John Kay (Steppenwolf), Domenic Troiano (played w/ various artists) and Zal Yanovsky (The Lovin' Spoonful).^[95]

Oh What a Feeling: A Vital Collection of Canadian Music was a 4-CD box^[96] set released in 1996 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Juno Awards. All of the sets feature popular Canadian songs from the 1960s onward. The sets were titled for the song "Oh What A Feeling" by Hamilton, Ontario rock band Crowbar.^[97] From 1969 to 1970, most of the members of the group had been a backup band for Ronnie Hawkins. However, he fired them, saying "You guys are so crazy that you could **** up a crowbar in three seconds!" They recorded their first album in 1970 as King Biscuit Boy and Crowbar. King Biscuit Boy left the band later in 1970, but continued to appear as a guest performer.^[98]

[edit] Sports

Main article: Sports in Hamilton, Ontario

See also: Sports venues in Hamilton, Ontario and Category:Sport in Hamilton, Ontario

Professional sports teams

Club	League	Venue	Established	Championships
Hamilton Tiger-Cats	Canadian Football League	Ivor Wynne Stadium	1950	8
Hamilton Bulldogs	American Hockey League	Copps Coliseum	1996	0

Amateur and junior clubs

Club	League	Venue	Established	Championships
Hamilton Red Wings	Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey	Chedoke Twin Pad Arena	1973	1
Hamilton Wildcats	Australian Rules Football League	Mohawk Sports Park	1997	0
Hamilton Thunderbirds	Inter County Baseball League	Bernie Arbour Memorial Stadium	2005	0

Hamilton were the hosts of the first Commonwealth Games; then called British Empire Games in 1930 (see: 1930 British Empire Games); Canada's first major international athletic event, and bid unsuccessfully for the Commonwealth Games in 2010, losing out to New Delhi in India.^[99]

The [1] Around the Bay Race circumnavigates Hamilton Harbour or Burlington Bay. Although it is not a proper marathon, it is the longest continuously held long distance foot race in North America.^[99] The local newspaper also hosts the amateur Spectator Indoor Games.^[99]

Hamilton has representation in two profesional sports leagues, the Canadian Football League and the American Hockey League. The major sports complexes include Ivor Wynne Stadium and Copps Coliseum and is also home to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame museum. ^[100] The museum hosts an annual induction event in a week-long celebration that includes school visits, a golf tournament, a formal induction dinner and concludes with the Hall of Fame game involving the local CFL Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Ivor Wynne Stadium.^[101][102]

In addition to team sports, Hamilton is also home to two auto race tracks, Cayuga International Speedway ^[103], Flamboro Speedway ^[104] and Canada's fastest half-mile harness horse racing track, Flamboro Downs. ^[105]

[edit] Sister cities

Hamilton is twinned with Flint, Michigan, and its amateur athletes compete in the Canusa Games, held alternatively there and here since 1958.^[99] Flint and Hamilton hold the distinction of having the oldest continuous sister-city relationship between a U.S. and Canadian city, since 1957.^[106]

Cities that are "twinned" with Hamilton include:^[107]

Flint, Michigan (U.S.A.)[106] Fukuyama (Japan) Maanshan, Anhui (China) Mangalore (India) Monterrey (Mexico)

Racalmuto, Sicily (Italy) Sarasota, Florida (U.S.A.)[108] Shawinigan, Quebec Valle Peligna, Abruzzo (Italy)

Other City Relationships:^[107]

• Porto Alegre, (Brazil)

[edit] See also

Bank of Hamilton Economic History of Hamilton, Ontario Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario Hamilton Street Railway Hamilton/John C. Munro International Airport

Historical Timeline of events in Hamilton, Ontario List of Royal visits to Hamilton, Ontario List of media outlets in Hamilton, Ontario List of tallest buildings in Hamilton, Ontario Wiki Commons Hamilton Ontario

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 43.25999° -79.8499999°
  • WikiSatellite view at WikiMapia
  • Street map from Mapquest
  • Aerial photograph from Terraserver
  • Topo, Nautical, Aeronautical maps from Maptech
• Photos from the Stelco Steel mill

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Counties	Bruce · Dufferin · Elgin · Essex · Frontenac · Grey · Haliburton · Hastings · Huron · Lambton · Lanark · Leeds and Grenville · Lennox and Addington · Middlesex · Northumberland · Perth · Peterborough · Prescott and Russell · Renfrew · Simcoe · Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry · Wellington
Districts	Algoma · Cochrane · Kenora · Manitoulin · Nipissing · Parry Sound · Rainy River · Sudbury · Thunder Bay · Timiskaming
Regional municipalities	Durham · Halton · Muskoka · Niagara · Oxford · Peel · Waterloo · York
Single-tier municipalities	Brant · Brantford · Chatham-Kent · Greater Sudbury · Haldimand · Hamilton · Kawartha Lakes · Norfolk · Ottawa · Prince Edward · Toronto
Separated municipalities	Barrie · Belleville · Brantford · Brockville · Gananoque · Guelph · Kingston · London · Orillia · Pembroke · Peterborough · Prescott · Quinte West · Smiths Falls · St. Marys · St. Thomas · Stratford · Windsor
See Also:	List of communities in Ontario
Subdivisions of: BC · AB · SK · MB · QC · NB · NS · PEI · NL · YU · NT · NU