[URBAN NOTE] "An insider's guide to Hamilton: the fall and rise of an industrial powerhouse"

[rfmcdonald]

Articles like Seema Nerula's in The Guardian are why I will be making at least a day trip to Hamilton this year.

The public image of Hamilton has historically been one of industry, factories and smokestacks. But most people don’t know that it is also home to the sound of more than 100 waterfalls, tucked into the forested area that surrounds the city’s core.

[. . .]

Cannon (Chipman-Holton) Knitting Mills is a 110,000 sq ft industrial factory complex, currently abandoned and awaiting rebirth. Established in 1854, it used to house a foundry and textile mill (two leading industries of the era). Most people now walk by without knowing its beauty: an internal courtyard, a sun-lit factory atrium and an ornate rounded corner window. It’s a total dream.

[. . .]

Hamilton and “green city” are not typically words that you hear together. The steel manufacturing that has dominated much of Hamilton’s economy for the better part of a century contributes to the city’s bad green rap. But Hamilton is undergoing an urban renaissance that is helping to contribute to a new vision of the city, and some emphasis is being placed on public transportation and walkability/bikeability. There has been some progress in creating dedicated bike lanes and just last year SoBi (a bike-share programme) launched, becoming a convenient and easy way for downtowners to move around.

This new greener vision is not entirely embraced by the city as a whole, though, and it often pits downtown dwellers against suburbanites. But despite Hamilton’s green image being tainted by its steel mill skyline, the city is surrounded by green spaces, nature reserves, and some of the largest farming/agricultural lands in the province.

There's much more, including photos and more specific recommendations, at the article.