King Street, Hamilton, Ontario
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King Street is a Lower City arterial road in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, also known as Highway 8. The western-end starts off in front of the McMaster Medical Centre as a two-way street and passes through Westdale and then at Paradise Road South, King Street switches over to a one-way street (Westbound) right through the city's core up to the Delta, a spot in town where King and Main Streets intersect. (West of the Delta, King Street is North of Main Street. East of the Delta after King crosses over Main Street, King then runs South of Main Street.) From the Delta onwards King Street then switches over to become a two-way street again and ends at Queenston Road in Stoney Creek. (Queenston Road, runs parallel with King Street, then King Street flows northward where it connects and ends at Queenston Road.)
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[edit] History
King Street follows the path of an old Indian Trail and was named after King George III. [1]
In 1815, 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 Highway 6. Streets were designated "North" or "South" if they crossed King Street or Highway 8. [2]
In 1860, Edward, Prince of Wales (who later became King Edward VII) was in Hamilton to open up Gore Park (town centre) and the Crystal Palace. The Crystal Palace saw various Agricultural Exhibitions. It was modeled on the famous Crystal Palace designed and built in London, England. By 1891 the structure was in bad condition and decision was made to demolish it. All traces disappeared from the site which is now known as Victoria Park. [2]
On 30 October, 1893, The Sir John A. Macdonald Statue arrives in Hamilton from London, England. Official dedication of the statue took place 1 November, 1893. Located at the intersection of King and Hughson Streets. Prime Minister Sir John Thompson in attendance. [3]
The Pantages Theatre opened up in 1921 on King Street, (between Catharine Street and Mary Street), with a seating capacity of 3,500 made it the largest theatre in Canada at the time. In 1930 it was renamed The Palace Theatre. It closed down in 1972. Hamilton one time was home to many Grand Theatres, all of which are no longer in existence. These include, Grand Opera House (James Street North), Savoy Theatre (Merrick Street), Temple Theatre (behind the Terminal Building on King Street), Lyric Theatre (Mary Street) and The Loews Theatre renamed later to The Capitol (King Street East). [4]
In 1925, The first traffic lights in Canada went into operation at the Delta. (11 June, 1925). [5]
McMaster University moved to Hamilton, Ontario from Toronto in 1930, thanks to the efforts of Thomas McQuesten. [6]
Christ the King Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic church in Hamilton, Ontario Canada. The Cathedral was consecrated on December 19, 1933. The cathedral is perched atop a hill overlooking Highway 403 leading in towards the rest of Hamilton and one travelling towards Oakville, Missisauga and Toronto. [7]
CHCH-TV 11 began broadcasting in 1954 as a CBC affiliate from a studio on King Street West (close to Victoria Park) and a transmitter located at 481 First Road West in Stoney Creek. At the time, all private stations were required to be CBC affiliates. [8] Then in 1961, CHCH disaffiliated from the CBC and became an independent TV station. [8] CHCH-TV 11 studios are now at the corner of Jackson Street West and Caroline Streets. The old studio building on King Street West is now the Westside Concert Theatre.
In 1966, Terminal Towers including a new eight-storey Holiday Inn opened on the site of the old transit terminal between King and Main at Catharine Street. It's now called Effort Square and the hotel is a Ramada Plaza Hotel. [9]
Modern day architectural developments on King Street include the following, Phase 1 of Lloyd D. Jackson Square (mall) was completed, including Stelco Tower and Bank of Montreal Pavilion in 1972. [9] Then in 1977, the second phase of Jackson Square was completed with a six-storey office tower, but not the department store intended to be its major attraction. [9] Also in 1977, The Art Gallery of Hamilton opened beside the Board of Education building. [10] In 1981, The Hamilton Convention Centre and the government office tower above it opened. The tower was named the Ellen Fairclough Building one year later in 1982. [11] In 1983, the Standard Life Centre opened at the west end of Jackson Square. [9] In 1985, Sheraton Hamilton, connected to Jackson Square, opened, boosting downtown Hamilton's hotel space. [9] In 1985, Copps Coliseum, sports and entertainment arena with a capacity of up to 19,000 (depending on event type and configuration) opens its doors for business (one block North of King Street at Bay Street). It's named after the former Hamilton mayor, Victor K. Copps. [12] In 1987, the first of two reflective glass buildings of the CIBC tower (Commerce Place I) opened at King and James opposite Gore Park. The other (Commerce Place II) opened in 1990. [11]
Hamilton has hosted several cultural and craft fairs since the 1960s, notably Festival of Friends[1], which made it a major tourist destination. The Festival of Friends, founded in 1975, is the largest annual free music event in the country. Burton Cummings, Lighthouse and Bruce Cockburn have been among the main stage headliners at Gage Park on Gage Avenue. [13] WestJet is a major sponsor of the festival.[14] Hamilton is also home to the Mustard Festival[2] because Hamilton is home to the largest miller of dry mustard in the world. It's held annually at Ferguson Station, Ferguson Avenue and King Street East at Hamilton's International Village and is another summertime food & beverage festival that features some of the top Blues and Jazz acts in the region.[15]
In 2001, the Steven Seagal film Exit Wounds used the streets of Downtown Hamilton for a period of 6-weeks during a night shoot of the movie's climatic chase scene that features the Gore Park water fountain and the Hamilton GO Transit station, Original site of the Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway (1892-1987).
[edit] Waterfront Shuttle
The Waterfront Shuttle is a free service offered by the Hamilton Street Railway. It has a seasonal schedule that runs weekends from May-to-October connecting Hamilton's downtown core to the waterfront and attractions that can be found there like HMCS Haida and the Parks Canada Discovery Centre. The route circles Hamilton's downtown core around York Boulevard (north), Bay Street South (west), King Street West (south) and James Street North (east). Then it travels north along James Street and the Art District until it reaches the waterfront at Guise Street past the Royal Hamilton Yacht Club, Hamilton Chamber of Commerce and the Harbour West Marina Complex. Then the route hangs a left on Discovery Drive, the site of the Parks Canada Discovery Centre. Also at this site is the Hamilton Harbour Queen (cruise boat), Hamiltonian (tour boat) and the Hamilton Waterfront Trolley. [16]
[edit] Landmarks
Note: Listing of Landmarks from West to East.
- McMaster University
- McMaster Medical Centre
- McMaster Museum of Art
- Ronald V. Joyce Stadium, (McMaster University)
- David Braley Athletic Centre, (McMaster University)
- Westdale Library
- Coronation Park, (just north of King Street on Paradise Road)
- Coronation Arena/Pool
- Highway 403 Overpass (bridge)
- Christ the King Cathedral
- Staircase Cafe Theatre, (north of King Street on Dundurn Street)
- Dundurn Plaza (shopping)
- Victoria Park, (old site of the Crystal Palace)
- [3] Westside Concert Theatre, former CHCH TV 11 studios.
- Locke Street Shopping district (Antique shops, Art galleries, Cafes & fine dining Restaurants)
- Grand Lodge of Canada (The Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Canada in the Province of Ontario)
- Scottish Rite Castle, Originally the home of George Elias Tuckett, (1835-1900), Tuckett Tobacco Company owner + Hamilton's 27th Mayor in 1896. (just South of Main Street on Queen Street South [2]
- Hess Village, (site of summertime Jazz Festival)
- King Street West Shopping District.
- Art Gallery of Hamilton, (Second largest permanent collection in Ontario, and third largest in Canada)
- Copps Coliseum, (one block north of King Street at Bay Street)
- Standard Life Building
- Sheraton Hamilton (hotel), just East of Bay Street North on King Street West.
- Stelco Tower (part of the Lloyd D. Jackson Square Mall complex)
- Lloyd D. Jackson Square (mall)
- Ellen Fairclough Building/ Hamilton Convention Centre
- Commerce Place I & Commerce Place II (Twin tower complex)
- Gore Park including Queen Victoria statue [4]
- Gore Park Water Fountain
- Gore Park War Memorial Monument
- Downtown Bingo Hall
- HSBC Building
- Sir John A. Macdonald statue (Gore Park) Statue info. at myhamilton.ca
- Connaught Block (Royal Connaught Hotel/ Holiday Inn)
- Ramada Plaza (hotel)
- Ferguson Station (historic site)- defunct Grand Trunk Railway train station, site of the summertime Mustard Festival
- International Village (shopping district)
- Wellington Park
- First Place Hamilton, Seniors apartment building
- Canadian Blood Services building
- Cathedral Secondary School
- Ivor Wynne Stadium, home of the CFL Hamilton Tiger-Cats, (2-blocks north of King Street, 2-blocks West of Gage Avenue)
- Scott Park Secondary School
- Scott Park Arena
- Gage Park
- Hamilton Children's Museum (inside Gage Park)
- Gage Park Bandshell (concert stage)
- Gage Park fountain
- The Delta (where King Street and Main Street intersect)
- Ottawa Street Shopping District - "Textile District"
- Brock University, (Hamilton campus)
- Holy Cross Croatian Roman Catholic Church
- Bartonville Cemetery
- Red Hill Bowl (park)
- Red Hill Creek Valley
- Red Hill Valley Trail
- Red Hill Creek
- Red Hill Valley Parkway, flows underneath King Street overpass
- St. Joseph's Community Health Centre
- Stoney Creek Cemetery
- Stoney Creek Battlefield Park, where the Battle of Stoney Creek took place during the War of 1812.
- Stoney Creek Battlefield House and Monument
- Stoney Creek Motel
- Hamilton Public Library (Stoney Creek branch)
- Stoney Creek Dairy Ice Cream (restaurant/ factory)
- St. Francis Xavier Junior Separate School
- Cenotoph Park
[edit] Communities
Note: Listing of neighbourhoods from West to East. [17]
- Ainsley Wood
- Westdale
- Strathcona
- Central - The financial center of Hamilton, Ontario
- Beasley
- Landsdale
- Gibson
- Stipeley
- Crown Point
- The Delta
- Bartonville
- Glenview
- Corman/ Vincente King Street is the division between these 2 neighbourhoods.
- Greenford/ Gershome King Street is the division between these 2 neighbourhoods.
- Stoney Creek
- Cherry Heights
[edit] Roads that are parallel with King Street
Lower City Roads:
- Burlington Street, West/East
- Barton Street, West/East
- Cannon Street, West/East
- Wilson Street
- King William Street
- King Street, West/East
- Main Street, West/East; - Queenston Road
- Jackson Street, East
- Hunter Street, West/East
- Augusta Street
- Charlton Avenue, West/East
- Aberdeen Avenue
Niagara Escarpment (Mountain) Roads:
- Concession Street
- Fennell Avenue, West/East
- Mohawk Road, West/East
- Limeridge Road West/East
- Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway - Mud Street, (Hamilton City Road 11)
- Stone Church Road, West/East
; Rymal Road, West/East- Twenty Road
[edit] Roads that cross King Street
Note: Listing of streets from West to East.
- Longwood Road, South
Chedoke Parkway, (Freeway passes underneath the King Street West bridge)- Dundurn Street, North, South
- Locke Street, North, South
- Queen Street, North, South
- Hess Street, North, South
- Bay Street, North, South
- MacNab Street, North, South
- James Street, North, South
- Hughson Street, North, South
- John Street, North, South
- Catharine Street, North, South
- Ferguson Avenue, North, South
- Wellington Street, North, South
- Victoria Avenue, North, South
- Wentworth Street, North, South
- Sherman Avenue, North, South
- Gage Avenue, North, South
- Ottawa Street, South
- Kenilworth Avenue, South
- Parkdale Avenue, South
- Red Hill Valley Parkway (Freeway passes underneath the King Street East bridge)
- Nash Road, South
- Centennial Parkway, South
- Lake Avenue Drive
- Gray Road
- Green Road
[edit] References
- ^ Manson, Bill (2003). Footsteps In Time: Exploring Hamilton's heritage neighbourhoods. North Shore Publishing Inc. ISBN 1-896899-22-6.
- ^ a b c Bailey, Thomas Melville (1981). Dictionary of Hamilton Biography (Vol I, 1791-1875). W.L. Griffin Ltd.
- ^ Sir John A. Macdonald statue, 1893 (www.myhamilton.ca). Retrieved on 2007-04-08.
- ^ Henley, Brian (1993). Hamilton our Lives and Times. The Hamilton Spectator. ISBN 0-9697255-0-7.
- ^ Houghton, Margaret (2006). Vanished Hamilton Calender. North Shore Publishing. ISBN 1-896899-39-0.
- ^ Bailey, Thomas Melville (1992). Dictionary of Hamilton Biography (Vol III, 1925-1939). W.L. Griffin Ltd.
- ^ Parish History. Retrieved on 2007-04-27.
- ^ a b CH TV Hamilton History. Retrieved on 2007-04-08.
- ^ a b c d e Johnston, Bill. Hamilton Spectator article: "Lament for a Downtown". Retrieved on 2007-04-08.
- ^ Manson, Bill. Gallery of distinction.. Retrieved on 2007-04-08.
- ^ a b Skyscraperpage.com: Hamilton, Ontario. Retrieved on 2007-04-08.
- ^ OHL Arena Guide: Copps Coliseum (1985). Retrieved on 2007-04-08.
- ^ The Hamilton Spectator- Tourism Hamilton page MP54 (2006-06-10). "The Hamilton Memory Project;". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-04-08.
- ^ WestJet sponsors Festival of Friends in Hamilton. Retrieved on 2007-04-08.
- ^ Hamilton's Annual Mustard Festival. Retrieved on 2007-04-08.
- ^ The Waterfront Shuttle (Trolley)- HSR. Retrieved on 2007-06-05.
- ^ Hamilton Neighbourhood Boundaries, (map.hamilton.ca). Retrieved on 2007-05-11.
- MapArt Golden Horseshoe Atlas - Page 646/647/648 - Grids H8, H9, H10, G10, G11, G12, G13, G14, G15, G16, H16, H17, H18, H19, H20, J20, J21, J22, J23, H23, H24
[edit] External links
- Westdale Village
- Ainslie Wood/Westdale Community Association of Resident Homeowners
- MyWestdale - Westdale schools alumni directory
- Locke Street.com
- Locke Street South Shopping District
- Downtown Hamilton
- International Village
- James Street North Art District
- Ottawa Street B.I.A.
- Google Maps: King Street (Hybrid)
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