I’m not an old Northender, having lived here only a few years, but I try to make up for it with enthusiasm. As a hardcore pedestrian, my mission is to seek out strange old stuff, look for odd angles and reveal the mysteries of our awesome neighbourhood. I aim find all the interesting places, things, animals and people that area that are accessible and can tell a story.
Centennial School: Was that a thing?
By Robyn Gillam A couple of weeks ago I was chatting with a man working on a site near my house. After asking me how long I had been in the neighbourhood, he shared that he had spent part of his childhood in the North End. With a smile and a sparkle in his eye, he...
Machinery, Towers and Birds: Finding Life through Art in the North End
by Robyn Gillam When Sandra Crisante’s family emigrated to Canada from Italy, they settled on Niagara Street, near Burlington and Wentworth. When she was not watching the world from the front porch with her family, Sandra was exploring an intriguing landscape...
Janes Walk 2023 : Hey! You are on the Wrong Side of the Bridge.
By Charlie Mattina and Jeanette Eby This walk was inspired by an article in the North End Breezes: BRIDGES TO NOWHERE? VANISHED SPANS OF THE NORTH END - by Robyn Gillam, Nov 5, 2018. The North End is a unique neighbourhood, bounded by the Bay to North and West, Heavy...
What’s happening to the Lake?
Submitted by Robyn Gillam The little Mallard duck was picking her way through dried out mud and roots along the shore of the Bayfront on her orange webbed feet. Although her lovely brown and black plumage was offset by the purplish-blue streak under each wing, she...
I VOTED… DID YOU?
Submitted by Robyn Gillam So we’ve just had a big turnover in our municipal government. The mayor, and some councillors retired; incumbents lost in the polls. It certainly looks like a “change election”, but there’s a downside. Only 35.4% of eligible voters bothered...
New Openings: Restoring the Doors at St. Lawrence
Submitted by Robyn Gillam About a month ago, I noticed people inspecting the front doors of St. Lawrence. I discovered that they were being assessed for repair and restoration over the Summer. The work is being undertaken by Heritage Mill of Dundas, specializing in...
VIEW FROM HERE: LIFE AFTER COVID
by Robyn Gillam Covid 19 has brought change to the North End. Although the pandemic is not over,with vaccination rates rising, it’s a good time to look back over the past 18 months. The sudden lockdown in March of last year made for an eerie quietness in the...
Controlling Covid in the North End: Better Late than Never
By Robyn Gillam Covid 19 has ravaged Hamilton for months. Although numbers are now falling, the positivity rate remains well above the provincial average. There have been deadly outbreaks in nursing and retirement homes, workplaces and large apartment buildings....
The Two Towers: Stories from the bottom of John Street
by Robyn Gillam The Two Towers, the second novel in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy (along with the film based on it), is the scariest, most unsettling of the series. The two towers overlooking the harbour at the foot of John Street remind us of this tale. Theirs...
Beautiful North End
by Robyn Gillam In the mid 20th century, 468 James North was home to the Genesee Tavern, a famous watering hole and social hub of the old North End. Later on, it was Clarkey’s, part of Hamilton’s bar-based music scene. Like many such older establishments, the building...