Hamilton, Ontario: Downtown

Rambles in the Rustbelt is a series of audio explorations celebrating heritage architecture around the great lakes region. In this episode, Benjamin A. Vazquez leads us on a tour of downtown Hamilton, Ontario. Join us for this walk and explore the area.
Written and narrated by: Benjamin A. Vazquez
Edited by: Melissa Parrott
Music by: Jeremy Gallagher
Sources:
Historical Hamilton
Downtown Hamilton: The Heart of It All
'The Grand Old Buildings of Hamilton'
Brian Henley
'Hamilton: An Illustrated History'
John C. Weaver
'Hamilton: A People's History'
Bill Freeman
The Hamilton Centennial: 1846-1946
Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada
Dictionary of Canadian Biography
Photo Credits:
Downtown Hamilton: The Heart of It All
'The Grand Old Buildings of Hamilton'
Brian Henley
'Hamilton: An Illustrated History'
John C. Weaver
Vintage Hamilton
The Hamilton Public Library
Historypin
The Hamilton Club

[@AlexFlockhart]

"Prostitution and widespread drunkenness" - a tradition not lost to Barton St.

[@MsBarbaraLee]

lol..the buildings they tore down on King W to build Jackson Sq used to have hookers in just about every doorway. 'Good' women didn't go downtown after dinner and travel that part of the street on foot!

[@AlexFlockhart]

@@MsBarbaraLee Soo... no changes then?

[@MsBarbaraLee]

@@AlexFlockhart gee, can't remember the last time hookers flocked to the downtown core instead of hanging out around Emerald St N from King to Barton...lmao

[@AlexFlockhart]

@@MsBarbaraLee That's true, I was kidding but yeah the streetwalkers usually keep to barton/Burlington street.

[@paulrobinson5833]

No shit!

[@gokukevind]

I'm currently doing an essay on Saint Patricks. Phenomenal building. Also, I had the pleasure of taking a class with Dr. Weaver.

[@shamanegainz8171]

Beautiful old world antiquitech

[@paulrobinson5833]

My great grandfather was a mason foreman on the beautiful Piggot building ,a little proud.

[@dougfoley4388]

Good show - even with the mispronunciations. Man, did we ever have a beautiful downtown at one point. So much Victorian, classical and Second Empire architecture but alas almost all gone in the name of so-called progress and urban renewal.

[@ramblesintherustbelt]

There's still a lot of good stuff left, but yes - half the cities in the region have destroyed much of their Victorian cores. We're very much paying for it now.

[@brianchristmas1516]

Even the mid-century modern buildings that were turned into parking lots.

[@teegeemedia]

It's tragic, really ... faceless condos and big box stores are eating up everything.

[@scottkernaghan2600]

Have you seen and heard my song and video tribute to Hamilton? It's called Rock the Hammer. I thought we needed our own song! Linked here. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ipSVfGl7iNeHnbM

[@FWCaptain-kv6sm]

i lived by the brick factory on lawrence road balsam ave s

[@thatcanadian6698]

As a lifelong Hamiltonian I will never forgive city council for destroying Gore Park. Cutting down all those big, beautiful trees should have led to criminal charges.

[@pingpong3311]

Environmental damage

[@Stecbine]

Sad that we lost so many historic beauties!

[@DiggingHalton]

Just started watching this as I grew up in Hamilton during the 60's and 70's. Unfortunately, I only got a minute in until I just couldn't take the narration anymore. Seriously, if you're going to take on a project like this, do your research and retain a narrator that isn't so bloody irritating. Thank you

[@dougsouthon3437]

The Royal Connaught is pronounced .... "Cunnot" and not "Conneeot" and "Hughson" St. is pronounced "Hewson", not "Hugson" ... the Treble Hall is pronounded "Trebel' and not "Treeble" and the Piggot building was finished in early 1930, not 1927. Centenary is more well known as "Cen-Ten-Ary" and not "Centeneeree"

[@ramblesintherustbelt]

Thanks for the corrections. Pronunciations are always a bit of guesswork when I'm working with exclusively paper sources. I'm painfully aware I'm not always guessing correctly. There were a couple of ghastly errors in the Downtown Detroit videos.

[@ramblesintherustbelt]

And I'm looking at my source on the date for the Pigott Building, and in retrospect it appears to be either the date that the project was announced or the date that tenders were put out for construction - the source is a little vague. Either one would be some time before the building was completed, though.

[@steeltownbrown52]

@

[@enidaaron537]

Mispronounced names and cadence of the narrator are annoying. Otherwise a great look at Hamilton history.

[@DCR1949]

@@ramblesintherustbelt A great job bringing history back to life. I quite often mispronounce words just to wind up the petty people.👏👏👏👏👏

[@34yearold]

Oh Hamilton, so much to answer for. What have you done?

[@DaveGava]

Downtown Hamilton is booming and going through a several billion dollar building blitz . The city always had amazing bones and was always underrated. Yes many treasures were lost unfortunately

[@James-nv1wf]

What a time it must have been when hiring and firing had moral consequences. PS - Narrator sounds like the guy from Zombieland.

[@voterdown]

🤣🖐…I always wondered where the narrator from Charlie Browns Christmas went…🤣

[@moomoolaka]

The voice is annoying..

[@danmac9545]

the historical groups should have put their foot down in the 50's 60's and 70's to save the buildings.. now we have expensive hideous parking lots were you can be mugged at nighttime :(

[@pingpong3311]

Downtowns in general are pretty dangerous.

[@themasterswitch1603]

The narration is terrible.

[@klarissaclairiton9010]

So many lost treasures.

[@mccoy786]

agreed

[@SollieSafety]

This video needs to be re-narrated to get the pronunciations correct. As a Hamiltonian, it's almost embarrassing.

[@brittgreenhillfy]

I was like “where’s Hudson?” Then realized it was Hughson

[@qualityman1965]

I lived in several places downtown in the 1980s, and to this day I love walking around and think of my younger years. I take my kids for drives all over the city and talk to them about so my historical places and ones dear to me. 2 years ago I took them to the donut stop on Parkdale north. They were laughing and giggling. Oh well.

[@joannohalloran9632]

Hamilton destroyed so much! What a shame. Downtown use to be beautiful even in 60's and 70's and they ruined that era. What a shame!

[@MsBarbaraLee]

How can anyone be in Hamilton downtown for more than 15 minutes and not know how to pronounce Hughson? (Hew-Son)!!! Jeeeeesus Christ!

[@54newheart]

You need to get a better narrator. The narration is terrible. The speaker runs out of voice at the end of every sentence, so you cannot make out the word. He also mispronounces too many names to be credible. It's very amateurish, and Hamilton deserves better.

[@andrewcorbiere9859]

Great video but you're killing me its pronounced Hueson not hugson! Sorry man good work though!!

[@metilhed001]

I'm surprised the John Foote Armory wasn't in this, seeing as it's downtown and is a National Historic site. Great Vid.

[@youtubehatesus2651]

looks very interesting. I lived there for many years (17) and always liked it a lot. I may move back.

[@joannohalloran9632]

I can't believe how many beautiful building were demolished. Many other cities managed to save and restore their old building but Hamilton has to destroy many of our amazing gems. Downtown Hamilton use to be beautiful!!! Sad!

[@pingpong3311]

The ones burned by fires are understandable. But the ones purposely demolished, bummer.

[@Malumbrus]

Why don't we build like this anymore? Everything is so ugly. It's depressing. We've removed ourselves from nature and now we don't even build places that are pleasant to live in.

[@joannecohen6764]

I appreciate your video and narrative but your mispronunciation of place names is distracting. Hughson is pronounced Hewson. Royal Connaught is pronounced Connawt.

[@lucymacintyre6033]

Hamilton has many firsts and is NOW a thriving, although not perfect City!

[@11redlions]

Every sentence dies out, with no pronunciation of the last word.

[@Tequilababs]

Great show! My only criticism is that you should have done research on how to properly pronounce Hughson Street and the Connaught Hotel. Other than that, nice job!

[@dominionlad8468]

Please seriously consider re-recording the narration, correcting all the atrocious pronunciation errors. You'll save yourself a lot of negative comments. It's difficult to enjoy your video of a time now gone, and buildings needlessly destroyed for nondescript "international style" boxes which have not stood the test of time, when the myriad mispronunciations become the focus.

[@tanyadescoteaux9033]

Great pictures but the narrator is obviously NOT from Hamilton as he can’t pronounce a lot of the landmark names and streets properly

[@Cyberpuppy63]

After S.S. Kresge moved to where the twin CCIB is now located, the building was called Woolworths, up until about 1978.

[@glorianardi-bell5254]

Your walking tours are excellent, but you are pronouncing Hughson incorrectly. It's not "Hug-son" it's Hugh-son -- like the male name Hugh as in Hugh Beaumont.

[@11redlions]

Are you serious with this ''narrator''? how in the world did he get hired? never mind.

[@thestjimmy7570]

Its pronounced Hewson not hugson

[@youtubehatesus2651]

thank you

[@bertshutler5973]

Hughson is pronounced Hue son not hug son

[@fallenangel7884]

Why destroy those beautiful victorian buildings!!

[@dawnsacks5161]

There’s still a lot around. All four corners or James and main for example. A lot is gone but unlike most cities Hamilton repurposed a few and restored quite a few. Love our downtown

[@pingpong3311]

Don't blame Hamilton, blame the fuckers that voted for the demolitions for modern urbanism.

[@glewlew]

You say “Hug-son.” The street and its namesake is “Hew-son.” Trust me.

[@heidiheidi4662]

Why are there no pictures of these buildings being originally planned and built?? Where is everyone in these pictures? Strange

[@BillKing8888]

Sometimes you do not see people because the photograph required a long exposure time and anything passing by was therefore not captured in the image.

[@FWCaptain-kv6sm]

nothin to do but get drunk then and now

[@Yesmehtrini]

If everyone understood Hughson vs Hewson or whatever, give the man a break.. Thank you for this video.

[@paulrobinson5833]

When a man's name is Hugh you don't call him Hug.

[@DCR1949]

@@paulrobinson5833 Okay Saul !

[@ziggyz1750]

Time for an update

[@captaintor7920]

Hughson is pronounced Hewson.

[@dylanpaterson3145]

SAVE THE CLOCKTOWER!

[@pingpong3311]

We have phones to tell time now. We don't need clock towers anymore.

[@heidiheidi4662]

Research mudflood

[@rossanobonito1892]

This was great! ❤

[@tiae.475]

Nice job!🏦🏢🏗️

[@travist7644]

Hug son lol it’s Hugh-son

[@dilligaf0220]

There is literally NOTHING that is accurate with the narration. Just simply find mute, and enjoy the excellent pictoral history of the City Of Hamilton.

[@paulrobinson5833]

Royal Conaught.

[@buutich1]

Hug-son Street?

[@mr.nigglesworth4563]

Ah yes, "King and James". Where every dudes mom works the corner of. Classic.

[@sh06king]

These are really great! Do you know where the Court of Chancery was located? I understand it was on Hughson between King and Main. Do you have any information about it? Thanks!

[@benjaminvazquez1243]

I don't know, no. I'm actually from London, Ontario, not Hamilton. I wanted to explore the history of my urban neighbour after I finished the London videos, and I learnt a heck of a lot, but I was never a local. May I recommend stopping into the local history room at the central public library? The librarians there were incredibly helpful to me.

[@powershop1903]

Good video and thanks for putting it all together!

[@bertshutler5973]

just a note to the author.....Hughson is pronounced Hue son

[@nigel65deck]

I like the narration it enhances the pictures. it sound almost from another time as well

[@katiegrundle9900]

when was the fontaine bleu on hunter street built

[@johnmackinnon1026]

Hughson street is not Hug-son street.

[@KarenNewtonCanada]

You need a good narrator.

[@ramblesintherustbelt]

I dunno. We're pretty happy with the narrator we've got.

[@moniquedewyk6341]

Rambles in the Rust Belt - the next time he works for you can you ask him to talk a little faster

[@rodimusprime9599]

What are those metal polls with the ball at the tip on each building? Why are there street lamps at a time when electricity wasn't invented yet? Something is wrong here. These buildings are old not new, even in these old pics the buildings appear old. This city looked way better back then vs now.

[@pingpong3311]

Oil lamps

[@paulrobinson5833]

Probably lightning rods.

[@vassa1972]

wow Benjamin great video I must say it didn't even sound like you took a breath between site to site. I'm impressed because I know that I couldn't do that, but let me introduce myself I'm Peter papadimitriou, and I live downtown Hamilton east end at 24 Tisdale street south which my uncle Angelo owns which I'm very greatful because I'm now 49 years old and a stroke and cardiac arrest survivor and use a cane for balance when I'm outside walking around and was actually curious if you have any information my apartment building that I live in? I did some research back at the library at Jackson Square about 8-9 years ago and I understand that there was some kind of Mill here before the building was done at least 100 years ago and it had a waterwheel too? If you have anything on this property at 24 Tisdale street south that would be great thanks

[@ramblesintherustbelt]

The audio file is edited to remove the breaths. I didn't think people would want to listen to my heavy breathing. But at the same time that means that things are going altogether too fast, and I probably won't do it when the channel starts making videos again in the winter. As to the building, I couldn't tell you. I'm from London, Ontario, and Hamilton's not my area of expertise. But the central library is almost certainly the best place to start for research. They were incredibly helpful to me when I was doing the research for these videos.

[@vassa1972]

@@ramblesintherustbelt okay thanks for getting back to me sir. Take care and be safe

[@jacksonramsay1572]

Looked nice

[@dylanpaterson3145]

Lmfao

[@kaydenmarlow2674]

I live downtown hamilton

[@hamiltonhippie7085]

Love it!