urbanicity | December 2014 by urbanicity

December 2014, Complimentary

The Brush of

JULIA VEENSTRA Pg. 10

IDEAS | ISSUES | EXPERIENCES | EATING OUT | EVENTSâ&#x20AC;&#x2030; / HAMILTON

Novemburger And the winner is ... pg. 03

Humour Ode to the Bus pg. 06

Experiences From Hamilton to Hollywood pg. 08

Haunted Hamilton Historic Century Manor pg. 15

URBANICITY.CA

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FROM THE

EDITOR & PUBLISHER MARTINUS GELEYNSE editor@urbanicity.ca

EDITOR

M A N A G E R O F O P E R AT I O N S Kristel Bulthuis P RO DUCER Scott Summerhayes LAYO UT & DES IGN Jessica Johnstone A DVERTIS ING SA LES Ashley Coles PRINTING Canweb Printing DISTRIBUTION THAAT Co-op urbanicity Omnimedia Cover image a crop of 'I Love Fall' by Julia Veenstra Size: 36x48 inches Price: $3600 Features from left to right: 1. Valentyn Volkov Volkov, 123rf.com 2. I, Adam E. Moreira [GFDL (http:// www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-us (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/bysa/3.0/us/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons. 3. Courtesy Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research. 4. B. Kirsht urbanicity magazine is wholly owned and published by MGI Media. All content copyright © 2014 and all rights to distribution are reserved by MGI Media.

So this is Christmas, and what have you done? Novemburger’s over, but we had lots of fun… My apologies to John Lennon. Here we are, at the end of another year. In my December 2013 editorial, I recounted some of the events that had taken place in Hamilton over that year, noting just how much can happen in a 12-month period. Looking back at 2014, I simply don’t have enough space in this magazine to list even a fraction of what took place in our city over this past year. What a year this has been. More stadium woes, another missed Grey Cup, a municipal election, more heritage buildings lost, many more construction projects announced and started… I could go on. I won’t however, because I think that we, as a city, are truly moving from being a cause in need of help and hope to being a place of opportunity and excellence. We don’t need the encouragement like we used to. Simply put, five years ago, Hamilton was considered by many as a city in need of saving. Today, Hamilton is increasingly seen as a vibrant centre of creativity and commerce. There’s still (and always will be) much more to do to make this city truly the best place to raise a child, but 2014 was the year in which it became impossible to argue with the fact that Hamilton is a city with palpable upward momentum.

As a forum for ideas, issues, and experiences, the views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the Publisher, Editor, other contributors, advertisers or distributors unless otherwise stated. P R I N T C I R C U L AT I O N 10,000 copies per month. Distributed throughout the greater city of Hamilton. 12 issues per year. One copy per reader. ADVERTISING INQUIRES (905) 745-0765 ads@urbanicity.ca www.urbanicity.ca

As we move into 2015, we must strive to balance our economic progress with inclusivity and opportunity for every Hamiltonian. This city will never truly be great as long as 1 in 5 children live in poverty, and while the beds at our social agencies are filled each night. This city will never be healthy as long as parts of it remain sick and unattended to. As I have said so often in this column: we, as a community, are like a body. If part of the body is hurting, the whole body is affected. Entering the New Year, no one can argue with Hamilton’s economic momentum. It’s real. Entering the New Year, no one can argue with Hamilton’s struggles with poverty, inequality, or exclusivity. They are also real. We are a body, so in 2015, let’s consciously work toward health and hope for every part of our community. M A RT IN U S GEL EYN SE ED I TOR

Correction: In the November 2014 issue of urbanicity Magazine, the Counted! feature displayed economic development data from the City of Hamilton incorrectly by reversing the years 2013 and 2014 on the infographics. We apologize for the error.

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URBANICITY.CA

| 03

FROM THE

EDITOR & PUBLISHER MARTINUS GELEYNSE editor@urbanicity.ca

EDITOR

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04 | DECEMBER 2014 IDEAS

Music: Challenge and Change The story of Sonic Unyon Music Creators have…

Music is not created in a vacuum. Music creators have personal artistic goals that operate within a specific city in a particular technological context. The record label Sonic Unyon, which is based in Hamilton, is a great case study of this. Like the beginning of many independent record labels, it started when a group of musicians wanted to put out records and thought that they could do it themselves. Tim Potocic was the drummer in this group at the time, and he’s been helping shape Sonic Unyon since it’s official formation in 1993. Over the past 21 years, Tim has worked in the context of a significant transition in the music industry. What worked in 1993 no longer does, and what will work in the future is uncertain. Despite this uncertainty, Tim and his business partners continue to create culture by taking into consideration their personal artistic goals, their location in Hamilton, and the changing technology around them.

…personal artistic goals…

Artistic goals are often ignored when discussing the music industries at large because the power of technology, or the demands of the music listeners seem more important. However, the creativity and desire found within the creators themselves can’t be underestimated. Tim explains that Sonic Unyon formed from an eclectic group of musicians trying to make music that they loved while respecting each other’s passions. They realized that they had to play these songs over and over so they pushed themselves to play songs that were a challenge. Tim thinks these challenging artistic goals translated well into the Sonic Unyon label and their roster of an eclectic mix of artists who are constantly trying to raise the bar in the community. Recently, this boundary-pushing ethos has found it’s way into their live music events such as Supercrawl where local bands are promoted with larger bands. Inevitably some of these bar-raising attempts will fail, but the artistic goals of Tim and the others at Sonic Unyon can’t be faulted as conservative.

…that operate within a specific city…

For the past 21 years, Sonic Unyon has been located on Wilson Street near James North, nestled between Dr. Disc and The Living Rock Ministries. Tim explains that: ”We learned from touring that the heart of every city is the downtown. If you have a weak downtown, you probably have a weak city.” Though they operate their business from the core of the city, much of their work occurs globally, allowing Sonic Unyon to understand how Hamilton compares to many other cities. Though there are still many weaknesses in the city of Hamilton, it became apparent to Tim that its culture business is at the top of the game despite being in the shadow of Toronto. Tim credits this to a collaborative spirit among local artists which developed earlier and stronger than in many other larger cities. As Tim says, this willingness to “help your friends succeed” keeps helping to push the community forward. The cultural atmosphere of Hamilton has allowed Sonic Unyon to incubate several festivals and live music events in recent years, and more are still being planned. These include Supercrawl, Because Beer Festival, Hamilton Blues and Roots Festival, Seven Sundays in Gage Park, as well as the upcoming Juno Fest and the Pan Am Games Cultural Festival. Yet the growing demand for live music festivals is not the only reason Sonic Unyon is getting involved with these events. Shrinking revenues from recorded music has forced them to look elsewhere for ways to support their business and the musicians within it. “We are building an event business. That’s how we dealt with the changing music [industries]. Live event profits help us fund the label.” Sonic Unyon is now taking money from live events and investing it into artists on the label. When the label started in 1993, record labels were doing the exact opposite by subsidizing live music on tours in the hope that more records would be sold as a result. Concerts helped sell records. Now records hopefully help convince music listeners to see a performer live. One of the largest reasons for this monstrous shift is developing technologies and the companies surrounding them.

…in a particular technological context.

Shifts in the technology of recorded music format from LP, to CD, to MP3, to musicstreaming are apparent to most music listeners but it is important to explore the role that technology companies have within these changes. Simply, many technology companies are in the business of distributing massive amounts of digital information. They (Google, Facebook, YouTube, telecommunications companies, internet service providers) control the distribution of this music content and sell access to it through advertisements and

monthly subscription fees. They are not in the business of creating the digital information (content) so companies like Sonic Unyon are needed to create it. Through various laws and technological innovations, they’ve figured out a way to push content creators into selling their products at drastically reduced prices or giving it away for free. Tim feels this loss of control acutely. He says: “Technology is frightening. It’s completely changed the music business. It has taken the power out of the hands of the [content] producers and put it in the hands of the consumers.” While it is true that a music consumer now appears to have all the control as they can listen to music without purchasing it through either digital downloading or streaming, in the background a group of technology companies are distributing this music at a fee to the consumer without paying the music creator. If Tim is correct in that the consumer has gained much more control over music creation, the question becomes how do music listeners responsibly move forward with this new freedom and power? Moving forward responsibly: It would be naïve to believe that listeners and technology companies can sustainably use the recorded music without some responsibility of rewarding those who created it. Without a shared responsibility, labels like Sonic Unyon would have to stop investing in the development of the next generation of music creators and the cultural landscape in Hamilton would be the worse for it. The battle to convince technology companies to their share of responsibility will most likely have to be fought by those with legislative and judicial power. So since most citizens are not politicians or judges, the burning question is: How can music listeners take some responsibility to support music creators so that excellent recorded music continues to be made?

MICAH VAN DIJK recently completed a Masters of Popular Music Studies at the University of Glasgow with a Music Industries Focus. His dissertation explored the motivations musicians have towards performing live. He is currently working at Redeemer University College as the Community Service-Learning and Orientation Coordinator.

04 | DECEMBER 2014 IDEAS

Music: Challenge and Change The story of Sonic Unyon Music Creators have…

…personal artistic goals…

…that operate within a specific city…

…in a particular technological context.

06 | DECEMBER 2014

HUMOUR

Ode to the Bus There have been many hit-songs about cars: Prince’s “Little Red Corvette,” Gary Numan’s “Cars,” Chamillionaire’s “Ridin’ Dirty,” War’s “Lowrider,” The Cars’s “Drive,” Meatloaf’s “Paradise By The Dashboard Light,” Depeche Mode’s “Behind The Wheel,” The Smiths’s “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out,” John Travolta’s “Greased Lightnin’,” Kazzer’s “Pedal To The Metal” and Billy Ocean’s “Get Outta My Dreams (Get Into My Car—Beep! Beep!)” The same with motorcycles: Motley Crue’s “Kickstart My Heart,” Steppenwolf’s “Born To Be Wild,” Bruce Springsteen’s “Born To Run” and “Gypsy Biker,” Love And Rockets’s “Motorcycle,” Judas Priest’s “Turbo Lover,” Meat Loaf’s “Bat Out Of Hell,” The Shangri-La’s “Leader Of The Pack,” Neil Young’s “Long May You Run” and “Motorcycle Mama,” Iggy Pop’s “Motorcycle,” The Pretenders’s “Biker” and The Jackson Five's “Harley”. But what about the bus? Where can we find musical love for the bus? Springsteen has written songs about cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats and amusement park rides (“Tunnel of Love”); I would not be surprised to hear, on his next album, a rousing new anthem about a Zamboni or a food van; but the Boss has boycotted the bus for decades. Like him, most other lyricists have ignored the bus. I can only think of two bus-themed songs—The Shuffle Demons's classic "Spadina Bus" and The Replacements’s “Kiss Me (On The Bus).” Great as it is, “Kiss Me (On The Bus)” by The Replacements was never released

as a single and few non-music-nerds have heard it. The popular Smiths song listed above, “There Is A Light,” mentions “a double-decker bus” which “crashes into us,” but that’s hardly a pro-bus message. So, why so few love-songs for the bus? If I had songwriting ability, a good voice, a lack of stage fright and a willing audience, I’d get up right now and rock out with an original song—something like, “H.S.R. Dreamin’” or “Bus Beauty (I Pull Your String When I Wanna Get Off ).” But instead, let me put in writing why I love the bus. 1. I love the bus because, when I take a kid on a bus for the first time, they think it's an adventure. Kids are amazed by the concept of a machine that’s sort of like a car, except much bigger and filled with strangers, driven by a stranger in a uniform. And the feeling of power and control they get when they pull the string, causing the STOP REQUESTED sign to light up and the bus driver to pull the bus over to the sidewalk and stop and fold open its doors and then the STOP REQUESTED sign goes dark again and people can get on or off the bus—all because a kid pulled a string! Most young people have never had such power before. I know my kids wish we had strings like that in our car and at the kitchen table. 2. I love the bus because I hate pollution. I like clean air, so I’m pro-bus and think it should be free to ride for everybody. 3. I also like how the bus brings people with very different lives together. If every politician took a bus to work, instead of a taxpayer-funded limo, they’d be a lot more connected to the people they’re supposed to represent. People: vote for public transportation! 4. I love the bus because it amuses me, in terms of grammar, how people say, “I’m waiting for the bus.” No, you’re not waiting for “the” bus, which implies that you’re

waiting for the only bus out there. To be accurate, say you’re waiting for “a” bus—unless you live in a very small town, with only a single bus around. In such situations, it is grammatically correct to say things like, “I wanted to take the bus, but I heard the bus was broken, so I stayed home and looked at the TV.” 5. I love the bus because, when I was 15 and on my first date, I took a bus to Tiffany F.’s house on Hamilton Mountain. Then we took a bus together to Jackson Square to watch Purple Rain. After, just before the bus came to take Tiffany home, she kissed me. My first kiss. I took a different bus home, in a daze. Years later, no longer part of my life, she died in Japan. The bus reminds me of Tiffany. 6. I love the bus because one of our neighbours, Frank, is a bus driver and a nice guy. That’s not rare; bus drivers here in Hamilton are generally great: accepting a transfer a few minutes expired, helping disabled people, getting drunk people home safe from bars, reporting crimes to the police, helping find lost children and, most of all, being patient with the occasional annoying customer. To Frank and the other bus drivers of Hamilton—thanks. 7. I love the bus because it is fun to throw snowballs at in winter. ... Excuse me, this is my stop.

MARK COAKLEY lives in the Ainslie Wood neighbourhood in West Hamilton. He's the author of Tip and Trade: How Two Lawyers Made Millions From Insider Trading (2011) and Hidden Harvest: The Rise And Fall Of North America's Biggest Cannabis Grow Op. He blogs at markcoakley.wordpress.com

06 | DECEMBER 2014

HUMOUR

08 | DECEMBER 2014

WISCONSIN CENTER FOR FILM AND THEATER RESEARCH {PUBLIC DOMAINE} VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

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Ownen Moore and Florence Lawrence in 'The Redemption of Riverton', 1912.

EXPERIENCES

From Hamilton to Hollywood How a local girl became the first movie star She had many names: The Biograph Girl, The Girl of a artistic value of the silver screen, and Florence was no difThousand Faces, and The IMP Girl. In the early days of ferent. But with no work for over a year, what choice did film, she was there from the beginning. She shaped the she have? With that, Florence and Lotta entered the Ediindustry just as much as the industry shaped her. She was son Studio to audition for the silent film Daniel Boone; or, the world's first movie star, and acting was in her blood. Pioneer Days of America. Florence Lawrence was born to George Bridgewood, a Nearing the end of the audition, the Studio Supervicarriage-maker and widower from England. Her mother, sor asked a life-changing question: "Who here can ride and George's second wife, Charlotte "Lotta" Lawrence, a horse?" owned and acted in the Lawrence Dramatic Company— It was only a ten-minute film, but it was a resounding a vaudeville act that toured Ontario and success. Their appearance earned Flormuch of the United States. ence and her mother $5 each per day, for Florence made her first appearance about two weeks. on stage by age five. Accompanied by her Small roles supported Florence and her That error was the mother on the piano, Florence was drawing mother until finally landing a six-month crowds with her cheerful act of singing and most lucky mistake contract with Melville Raymond's touring of my life. dancing. She was a showstopper as "Baby stage play, Seminary Girls. Flo, the Wonder Whistler and Singer." On her return to the Big Apple, Vita—D.W. Griffith On February 18, 1898, Florence's father graph quickly signed her as a full-time died from accidental coal gas poisonactress. But it was chance that provided ing. With little reason to return to Hamher big break. ilton, Lotta and her family moved in with DW Griffith approached Florence while her widowed mother in Buffalo, where Florence lived a she was having lunch at a restaurant across the street from more active childhood compared to most girls her age. She Vitagraph Studios. The man deemed The Father of Film enjoyed playing sports, and riding horses with her mother was at the time an up-and-coming young director with at the stable next to their home. competing company Biograph. In February of 1905, the two moved to New York City Neither knew a thing about the other. Florence had iniin the hopes of finding work on a larger stage. To support tially dismissed Griffith as a pestering fan, until her friend herself and her daughter, Lotta was forced to take up work had intervened. in the kitchen of a large restaurant. By December of the Similarly, Griffith had overheard the name "Lawrence" next year, the two had grown desperate. from across the room, and had mistaken her for LawAt the time, film was a new medium. Few saw the rence Turner—otherwise known as the Vitagraph Girl, the

company's leading actress whom he had been planning to steal away from the company to work for him. In the early years of film, an actor never saw their name in lights; there were no movie stars, merely actors—recognized only by the production studio they worked under. The industry refused to glamorize their talent in order to maintain static wages. When Griffith discovered his mistake, he was forced to accept his blunder and give the relatively unknown actress a chance. "That error was the most lucky mistake of my life," he'd later say. On her first day at Biograph, the 18-year-old actress was slated to perform with Harry Solter, who had been cast the lead role in an upcoming film. The two hit it off, and by December 23, Solter was playing an even greater role off the set as Lawrence's husband. Florence's decision to leave Vitagraph forged her career. She was now being handed lead roles for the company. Her pay, too, had made the incredible leap from $5 a week at Vitagraph to $45 dollars a week. In 1908 alone, Florence acted in 34 films for Biograph, giving her the iconic moniker of the Biograph Girl. Solter’s passion, however, resided behind the camera. Frustrated with the lack of directing opportunities at the company, he was determined to leave—and to take Florence with him. The couple approached the Essanay Studios and presented a joint proposal: Florence would act, and Solter would direct. It was a disaster. Immediately after leaving the studio, Essanay reported the couple to Biograph. The two were not only fired, but also blacklisted from the ten major production companies, known as the "Trust". Together, the Trust owned patents to all the equipment required to make a film—everything from cameras, to projectors, to film stock. The Trust controlled it all in an attempt to squander the hundreds of smaller studios being established each year. Fortunately for the couple, Florence's work had caught the attention of yet another pioneer of American film. Carl Laemmle cajoled the prominent actress into signing a contract with his newly formed studio, Independent Moving Pictures. Indie studios were the pirates of their era, and Laemmle was standing at the vanguard. These pirate studios used unlicensed equipment, and surreptitiously filmed behind

The cover of Photoplay Magazine, November 1914.

closed doors in an attempt to evade the Trust. It was not uncommon for the Trust to raid independent studios, leaving their equipment destroyed, and their stage in tatters. While Florence was working for Laemmle, audiences were growing anxious at the Biograph Girl's absence. This was the opportunity Laemmle had been waiting for. Laemmle committed murder in the media, spreading the rumour that Biograph's leading lady was dead. The newspapers had a field day, reporting on the death of the young actress, tragically struck down by a New York street car. While news of the actress's untimely “death” spread across the country, Laemmle published an ad in the March 12, 1910 edition of Moving Picture World, refuting the rumour and promoting the company’s upcoming film. The headline audaciously read, "We Nail A Lie". Laemmle's scheme worked, and as Florence arrived at the premiere at the Grand Opera House in St. Louis, she was greeted by a mob of hysterical fans. The stunt marked the first time in film history an actor's name was used to promote a film. It marked the beginning of a new star system that would ultimately shatter the static wage. The world experienced its first movie star—a young girl from Hamilton. From this point until her retirement, Florence was the most recognizable face—and name—in Hollywood. IMP also made tremendous progress. A year after his daring stunt, Laemmle merged his studio with eight others to form the Universal Company, which is known today as Universal Pictures. After three years of semi-retirement, Florence reappeared before the cameras in 1915 to star in a film her husband was directing, called Dawn of Destiny. The film involved a scene in which Florence had to make a daring run down a staircase to escape a fire. In rehearsal, everything had gone smoothly. Yet when filming began, the fire grew out of control and the staircase collapsed—and

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But stars don't burn out slowly. In 1937, Florence began experiencing severe pain in her arms, legs, and back. Within the year, doctors diagnosed her with "a bone disease, which produces anemia and depression." On December 28, 1938, Florence phoned the offices of MGM to inform them she would not be coming into work. Later that evening, Florence was found collapsed in her apartment. She was rushed to Beverly Hills Emergency Hospital, and died within the hour. The moribund starlet had committed suicide—ingesting a deadly concoction of cough syrup and poisonous ant paste. The note she left was addressed to a studio worker who shared her apartment. Dear Bob, Call Dr. Wilson. I am tired. Hope this works. Good-bye, my darling. They can't cure me, so let it go at that. Lovingly, Florence P.S. You've all been swell guys. Everything is yours.

with it, her marriage, and her career. Florence fractured her spine and suffered severe burns around her face. She blamed Solter for making her perform the dangerous stunt, and it ultimately lead to their divorce. Exhausted and discouraged, Florence was relegated to acting in sporadic, bit roles. Her saving grace came in the form of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's head, Louis Mayer. The job paid $75 a week. Mayer was an old colleague—and aware of her abusive exhusband—so he set Florence up in a three-bedroom apartment and paid her rent.

In a final gesture of respect, Mayer paid for Florence's funeral at what is now the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. But he forgot one crucial token. For 53 years, Florence's grave bore no mark in the cemetery that was slowly decaying from years of neglect. In 1991, the National Film Preservation Board revitalized the area and re-established her claim to stardom with a marker that read: "The Biograph Girl/ The First Movie Star."

DYSON WELLS is a Mohawk Journalism student and intern for urbanicity magazine. Although he's relatively new to the city (4 years) he finds the shifting urban environment of Hamilton captivating, and the people more so.

08 | DECEMBER 2014

WISCONSIN CENTER FOR FILM AND THEATER RESEARCH {PUBLIC DOMAINE} VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

URBANICITY.CA

Ownen Moore and Florence Lawrence in 'The Redemption of Riverton', 1912.

EXPERIENCES

The cover of Photoplay Magazine, November 1914.

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10 | DECEMBER 2014

The Brush of

JULIA VEENSTRA I N T E R V I E W B Y K R I S T E L B U LT H U I S

Julia Veenstra has been a cornerstone of the arts scene on James North for years. She started on the street with a space at the Studios at Hotel Hamilton four years ago, and two years ago moved into her own storefront gallery. With an exciting, collaborative square foot show on, we wanted to catch up with her and get to know her a little bit more. See more at www.juliaveenstra.com and visit her studio at 167 James Street North. Can you pick a favourite painting? Can I pick a favourite painting of the month? It would be Grand Verte; the big green. Right now, it’s my favourite. That’s a BC picture. I take a lot of pictures, I find pictures, people send me pictures, if they post the on Facebook, I ask if I can use it. But, about halfway through the painting, the reference doesn’t matter anymore. It’s just initially for light and balance and shape, but the colour starts and it has its own life. What drew you to painting? I took illustration after high school, and then I never got a job in illustration. I started having children so I started doing things that made money. As my children were growing up, I didn’t have a lot of time to paint as a hobby, however I liked water colour at the time. I would do a lot of commissions. When my youngest went to kindergarten, I started painting more of a decorative type way. (I was of the age of folk art) Then I did a home décor line that got carried in a few stores around Hamilton. Then, we moved to Africa. In Africa, I started painting, because I couldn’t help it. It was the colours, and the people, and the fabrics. I would just take pictures all the time. I was a figurative painter before I went to Africa, and it exploded in Africa because of the people. When I got back to Canada, I started doing trees and landscapes, and barns, and they got really popular. I remember one lady bought the biggest painting I had ever done and it just launched me into landscape. I love doing it; the bigger the better because I can explore more shapes, more negative shapes, more divisions of the canvas. I had more time in Africa, and I had more space to leave it set up, so I painted everyday. When we moved back to Canada, I painted in my dining room. And because I had practiced for 5 years in Africa everyday, then I got into the habit of painting everyday again at home. When I got back from Africa, I also brought the Wild Hope project that I had started when I was there so, I started doing shows again with the Wild Hope project (which is a fair trade project) and I would backdrop with my paintings, so my booth would do double duty. Then, I met one of the owners’ of Hotel Hamilton’s wife and she told me to come check out the Studios at Hotel Hamilton. I thought that was nonsense, why would I pay rent when I can paint for free on my dining room table. Before I even signed a lease, they offered to let me show at an art crawl (there were 3 of them) and I sold enough every time to cover the rent. It was fun and I was getting phone calls from it. Over the course of 3 years of being there, I went from no galleries to eight galleries, people calling and making appointments, people showing up at art crawl, people wanting to find out about pieces,

ordering commissions. It was an amazing experience. And it was the art crawl; I didn’t have a storefront. It was the working away from home (I couldn’t do laundry, or make the kids lunches, or watch TV). Because of this experience, I really loved James Street. I always had this dream that maybe we could (have a storefront). You’ve had interesting experiences, moving to Africa and coming back. What does Hamilton mean to you now? Hamilton is where I was raised. Then I met my husband (Doug) here. We mostly lived in Flamborough. When we came back to Canada, (after living in Africa for 5 years), we moved back to Flamborough. When we first bought our house downtown, it was quite interesting. I knew we were making a good investment, but it felt like we were making a step backwards in that, people were going to judge us maybe that we were not doing as well, that we couldn’t stay in Waterdown. We live in a neighourhood filled with people who have moved from Toronto; we have designers, magazine creative directors. Hamilton is really important. We’re invested in our neighoburhood, in our neighbours, I can walk to work. What role do artists play in a city? I often wonder, if I wasn’t an artist, would I care about art? And I’m always humbled and amazed that people are willing to spend upwards of $4000 for my work. There is something organic about owning a piece of original work

vs. a print. I know it can be a privilege to own original art. I have a square foot show and I have so many young guys come in to buy for their wives because they love my work and the price is right. It’s humbling. I’ve heard “Follow the artist, go where they go, invest where they invest because they tend to build up a community.” I think people are interested in what artists are like. I love to create, I have to create, it relaxes me. They bring a dynamism, which is proven by our art crawl. Hamiltonians brag about it. You have a very unique style, how did you develop that? Practice, practice, practice. I’ve always been colourful so, it’s just a building upon that. You find something that works, and you try it again, not following rules. If I want to outline a tree in blue, I outline a tree in blue. There’s not a rule that I have to follow. I know a lot of them from my foundation from art school. They do say you can break the rules, but first you have to know the rules. It is just volume of time and seeing what works, seeing what people respond to. If you’re encouraged, you tend to succeed. What are your inspirations? There are artists that are my inspiration, but it’s being drawn to light and shape and shadows. It’s just strange. It’s not good for me to drive on a nice day because I get distracted. My husband gets frustrated because I have to turn around all the time. We have to stop the car so I can get pictures. I always carry my camera. My inspiration can be one photograph and I can create over and over and over again. Who are your favourite artists? I love Libby Lennie, (she’s a Toronto artist and a friend). I like her whole personhood. I like Gordon Harrison (Ottawa artist), LOVE the Group of Seven and can stand in front of their work for hours. You’ve lived around the world, and you bought a house and a studio downtown. How does where you are affect what you do? I’d be interested to go back to Africa to view the landscape. Now that I’ve painted so much landscape here, I’m interested to see what I might do. You’re right, where you are does change things. When I came home and painted African things from photos, it just didn’t have the pull. It is local. I tend to paint fall in the fall, and spring in the spring. I can’t seem to get ahead. I do paint what I’m seeing around me. It’s an interpretation of what I’m in at the moment. Who else is Julia Veenstra? Mom. Now I’m a grandma. (He’s 3 weeks old). Now we’re also caregivers for the seniors in our life. That is really important. I’m pretty proud of being a mom—I have pretty great kids.

So, the square foot show was something I started last year, totally stealing the idea from various galleries that do this. It is 12” x 12” paintings on sale. My square foot paintings are $395 regularly, but at the show they will be $225. So, it’s a really good sale. Last year I had 32 paintings, and sold out in an hour and a half on the first night. The next night was art crawl and I had to put all of my old paintings out because I had no square foot paintings left. This year, I decided, instead of pushing myself to get even more square foot paintings done (and I have more commissions I have to do and this year with family situations), I have over 12 artists (a lot of them local), top notch artists. I curated them in. I specifically approached them. This show is going to be fantastic. The square foot show is taking place on Thursday, December 11th from 7pm-10 pm. It continues on Friday, December 12th (Art Crawl) from 7pm-11pm. Be sure to get there early to have the best selection! Artists: Stewart Jones, Libby Lennie, Victoria Pearce, Gordon Leverton, Laurie Skantoz, Julia Himel, Linda Den Boer, Amanda Immurs, Paul Elia, Rob Croxford, Kerry Walford, Kathy Chandler, Julia Veenstra.

Clockwise from left: 'Grande Verte' Dimensions: 24 x 72 inches, Price: $3600. 'Grand Opening' Dimensions: 36x36 inches, Price: $3200 (with original photograph by Linda Michelle). 'Lakeshore' Dimensions: 36x36 inches: Price: $3600.

10 | DECEMBER 2014

The Brush of

JULIA VEENSTRA I N T E R V I E W B Y K R I S T E L B U LT H U I S

'A Blanket of Leaves' Dimensions 40x40 inches, $3300.

'White' Dimensions: 36x48 inches, $3600.

'A Blanket of Leaves' Dimensions 40x40 inches, $3300.

'White' Dimensions: 36x48 inches, $3600.

14 | DECEMBER 2014

COUNTED

INCOME INEQUALITY IN HAMILTON % O F P O P U L AT I O N :

% O F P O P U L AT I O N :

TOP 1 0%

BOTTOM 90%

AV E RA G E A N N UA L SA L A RY:

TOP 0.1 % $1 269 900

TOP 1 %

$406 300

% O F P O P U L AT I O N :

$143 900

$31 200

HOUSING A D U LT S : 3 1 0 0 0

CHILDREN: 28000

MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN SLEEP IN AN EMERGENCY S H E LT E R I N H A M I LT O N I N O N E Y E A R R E N T E R H O U S E H O L D S I N H A M I LT O N T H A T P A Y MORE THAN 50% OF THEIR INCOME ON RENT

H A M I LT O N R E S I D E N T S LIVING BELOW POVERTY LINE

90,000

ALL PHOTOS BY B. KIRSHT

5400 5653 21%

( W O R K I N G AT L E A S T PA R T-T I M E )

H O U S E H O L D S O N T H E WA I T L I S T FOR SOCIAL HOUSING

Century Manor as it looks today.

H A U N T E D H A M I LT O N

Historic Century Manor

SENIORS: 12000

The Hamilton Insane Asylum’s last remaining building

POOR NEIGHBOURHOODS Hamilton’s Top 5 Poverty Rates by Postal Code L8N

46%

L8R

41%

L8L

38%

L8E

32%

L8M

32%

White-washed walls and peeling paint. Long spanning hallways, creaky corridors and silent, empty rooms. Boarded-up windows hide over a century’s worth of history that sits there waiting to be told. Bare bones belonging to a striking building that has suffered the neglect of time. But all is not lost. Perhaps these rooms aren’t so silent after all? They say that energy can trap itself in time, playing over and over again like a record stuck on loop. They can be happy, fond memories or sad, traumatic ones that play in perpetuity. And sometimes, this energy becomes an imprint in time so intense that it can leave a lasting impression, even 130 years later.

THE ASYLUM OVERLOOKING THE CITY

Sources: Hamilton’s Housing &Homelessness Action Plan - City of Hamilton - December 2013 http://www.hamilton.ca/NR/rdonlyres/1A8EA28E-057B-4C96-814B-57CF8BE7D06B/0/HousingAndHomelessnessActionPlanFull.pdf The Rich and the Rest of Us - Hamilton SPRC - October 2013 http://www.sprc.hamilton.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/SPRC_Rich_and_Rest_of_Us.pdf

It was the perfect setting overlooking a Victorian Hamilton high above the City’s brow. A castle up in the clouds during a time when Canada was on the verge of an industrial transformation. The city below boomed, while a serene, lush green landscape as far as the eye could see on the edge of the escarpment waited to become the future home of the old Hamilton Insane Asylum. The Hamilton Asylum for the Insane was originally intended to be a hospital for inebriates, however it was

quickly realized that the need for more beds to house mentally ill patients was on the increase. It was therefore decided that a complex of provincially-owned buildings would be built on the vacant, secluded escarpment property off West 5th overlooking the entire city. Construction began in 1874 and Ontario’s 6th asylum officially opened two years later in March of 1876. In 1884, “East House” (now known as Century Manor) opened as part of the old Hamilton Asylum as a reception hospital to house 60 patients that were acutely disturbed or mentally ill. Then from 1890-1921, the hospital was set aside for the detention of the Province's criminally insane and housed 915 patients and employed 119 staff. More property was acquired to maintain a self-sufficient farm for the patients and staff complete with cattle, pigs, chickens, vegetable and fruit gardens. The asylum grounds had a chapel, it’s very own fire hall and brigade, a power house, and an entire fleet of vehicles. It also had a bakery, butcher's shop, greenhouse, cellars, a tailor's shop, a sewing room & upholstery shop, a skating rink, and even a bowling lawn and tennis courts! The Asylum Ball was a highly anticipated annual event in the Hamilton community with an esteemed guest list of Hamilton’s influential citizens. In that time, treatments were harsh and conditions weren’t ideal. Electro-shock therapy, lobotomies and various other methods thought to help cure the insane

were performed regularly and in large doses. Whether the person was troubled coming in, or maddened coming out still remains a mystery, but it somehow became a spectacle to go and observe the “lunatics on the mountain”. It became a regular outing for people to travel up the escarpment on a sunny, Sunday afternoon to go and watch, and sometimes even taunt, the patients that were on the grounds outside enjoying the fresh air. The asylum was also equipped with a large steam whistle that would blow in the event that a patient had escaped to warn the local residents to stay inside.

A HAUNTED PAST

Century Manor has long been reputed to be haunted. With a history such as this, you know it’s bound to have ghosts! A close friend of mine told me about an experience she had while modelling for a photo shoot inside the old building. An old steel bed pan appeared in the hallway out of nowhere (they knew there was nothing in the hallway prior to this!) About 5 minutes later and from another room, they heard a loud, dragging steel sound coming from the hallway. Upon inspection, they saw that the steel bedpan had been completely moved. I was speaking to a security guard at Century Manor a few months ago who told me that he is uncomfortable

14 | DECEMBER 2014

COUNTED

INCOME INEQUALITY IN HAMILTON % O F P O P U L AT I O N :

% O F P O P U L AT I O N :

TOP 1 0%

BOTTOM 90%

AV E RA G E A N N UA L SA L A RY:

TOP 0.1 % $1 269 900

TOP 1 %

$406 300

% O F P O P U L AT I O N :

$143 900

$31 200

HOUSING A D U LT S : 3 1 0 0 0

CHILDREN: 28000

MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN SLEEP IN AN EMERGENCY S H E LT E R I N H A M I LT O N I N O N E Y E A R R E N T E R H O U S E H O L D S I N H A M I LT O N T H A T P A Y MORE THAN 50% OF THEIR INCOME ON RENT

H A M I LT O N R E S I D E N T S LIVING BELOW POVERTY LINE

90,000

ALL PHOTOS BY B. KIRSHT

5400 5653 21%

( W O R K I N G AT L E A S T PA R T-T I M E )

H O U S E H O L D S O N T H E WA I T L I S T FOR SOCIAL HOUSING

Century Manor as it looks today.

H A U N T E D H A M I LT O N

Historic Century Manor

SENIORS: 12000

The Hamilton Insane Asylum’s last remaining building

POOR NEIGHBOURHOODS Hamilton’s Top 5 Poverty Rates by Postal Code L8N

46%

L8R

41%

L8L

38%

L8E

32%

L8M

32%

THE ASYLUM OVERLOOKING THE CITY

A HAUNTED PAST

16 | DECEMBER 2014

URBANICITY.CA Learn from our past! Don’t sweep it under the rug! We’ve all questioned our belief in the paranormal at some time or another. If you’re a believer, but still like to err on the side of reason, you can consider yourself a “healthy skeptic” like me. Whether you’re a full-on believer, hardcore skeptic, or fall somewhere in between (which is where most of us do), what will it take to make you believe? Century Manor has turned naysayers into believers. Skeptics into seekers. But in this particular case (and this is the first time I have ever said this), the ghostly lore and spooky reputation is all beside the point right now, don’t you think? There are more pressing matters with Century Manor, and unfortunately, ones that could have dire consequences for the building if not addressed immediately. I think the paranormal repute must and should take a back seat to the issue at hand, and at least for the time being. The spirits are there, waiting to share their story. It may not be an ideal story, but it’s something to learn from and all the more reason why we should be sharing it. History repeats itself if we don’t learn from our mistakes. Psychiatric treatment has come so far that Century Manor should serve as a commemoration of this, rather than sitting there as a vacant reminder that all things can crumble and fall under pressure without a little love, sensitivity and care. Don’t be ashamed of our history! Celebrate what we have learned, identify how far we have come, and have a vision to see the potential for building a future that recognizes the value in learning from its past instead of trying to sweep it under the rug.

Inside Century Manor.

The security guard was so frightened that he backed out of the room, slammed the door behind him and caught his breath.

with going inside the building because he once felt someone push him hard on the right side of his back (right through the Kevlar vest he was wearing too!)

Fear of “Demolition by Neglect”

EAST HOUSE Century Manor, 1884

THE GHOSTLY NURSES

Possibly one of the creepiest stories I have ever heard comes from the property on Century Manor. It was told to me directly about a decade ago by one of my father’s former work colleagues, who at the time, was working as a security guard on the grounds of the old Insane Asylum. Underneath the property of Century Manor lies a system of old tunnels. My father’s friend was hired to guard the entire West 5th property overnight, and on one particular evening he was making his rounds and ended up underground and inside the tunnels. He made a turn at one of the corners and found himself lost in a hallway with just one wooden door at the end. He heard voices coming from the other side of the door, so he walked up to it, quickly braced himself, took a few deep breaths, and swung the door open. There sitting at a table in the middle of a small, dirty old room were two women, dressed in old-fashioned nurses uniforms. They both slowly turned and stared him directly in the eye, until one of them spoke up and calmly said to the other, “See, I told you he would find us.” The security guard was so frightened that he backed out of the room, slammed the door behind him and caught his breath. He gathered his nerves a second time and slowly opened the door to a completely empty room. The nurses had disappeared from the room with no other exits being apparent. These tunnels still exist under the property around Century Manor, and one of them even runs directly under Mohawk College and opens up into the “The Cellar”, a restaurant/pub complete with vaulted brick ceilings and long bridging archways!

EAST HOUSE (now called Century Manor) is the last surviving Victorian building on the grounds of the old Hamilton Asylum. It is municipally designated under the Ontario Heritage Act and currently sits on the same property as the new St. Joseph's West 5th Healthcare campus, but is currently owned by the province and operated by Infrastructure Ontario (IO). It is also protected by a Cultural Heritage Protocol Agreement between the Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Recreation and the Management Board Secretariat with the Ontario Realty Corporation. Century Manor served as a Mental Health Clinic from 1929-1960, a therapeutic centre for adolescents from 1968-74, a Forensic Unit from 1972-78, and was lastly used as a day program for chronic psychiatric patients from 1981 until 1995. It also housed a museum with authentic artifacts from the old asylum. Now it currently sits, vacant and abandoned. HISTORICAL PHOTO COURTESY OF HAMILTON LOCAL HISTORY & ARCHIVES DEPARTMENT

It’s time to step up Hamilton! Make your voice heard. Patricia Saunders, a retired psychiatric social worker, has made it a mission to advocate the need to preserve our heritage buildings. She is a wonderful woman who I have had the pleasure of meeting on several occasions, most recently at one of the Friends of Auchmar meetings. She vocalizes a common fear that we are all thinking… “Demolition by neglect”. The unfortunate habit that the City has gotten itself into when it allows a perfectly useful heritage building to sit unappreciated, unmaintained (or just barely), and unused. It’s a sad fact of the matter because eventually and over time, the weather takes a toll and the building pays the ultimate price. Thrill seekers of the wrong kind contribute to even further deterioration when they break in and vandalize and trash the historic structure as well. The City loves this. It expedites the process of the building falling into disrepair, until it reaches a point where, oops, we have to tear down this building because it is just too far gone or has become too much of a safety concern. This almost happened with the Hermitage Ruins in Ancaster this past summer 2014, until enough interest was brought to the table to save the crumbling structure. Some of Hamilton’s other buildings didn’t get off so lucky, unfortunately. The Belvidere Mansion (also known as Bellevue), was an almost identical home to Whitehern and used to stand at the top of the Jolley Cut at the foot of Upper Wellington next to Sam Lawrence Park. Want a little bit of spooky trivia? Did you know that the Belvidere Mansion was the very first reputedly haunted building that Haunted Hamilton ever investigated? The photographs that I took during our visit there 15 years ago are the last remaining interior pictures of Bellevue! What an honour, but what an incredible sadness that comes with that sentiment. Bellevue couldn’t stand the test of time, and in the autumn of 2000, a businessman by the name of Clair Sellens (who had owned the house and property since 1971) secretly razed and levelled the entire building in the

middle of the night. WITHOUT even giving the opportunity for any heritage group to come in and try to salvage some of the irreplaceable items that were still in great condition within the home. It was a devastation felt across the entire City. And even though some tried, nothing was done to stop the wrecking ball from demolishing one of the first homes on the Hamilton Mountain. So here we are, 15 years later, dealing with the same issue. I was 21 then, I am going on 36 years old now. And sadly, not much has changed. Yes, Hamilton has a plethora of historically significant structures that HAVE been saved and re-purposed (kudos to the entrepreneurs who have

| 17

successfully achieved this!), but what about the buildings that hold such a fascinating and noteworthy history that shouldn’t be forgotten? If we let Century Manor slip further away from us to a point where it no longer stands, it will be a choice that we ourselves, and generations to follow will live to regret. Because it is still just that, a choice. Let’s make the right one!

Make it a museum! Something that many Hamiltonian’s don’t know is that there is currently an incredible collection of artifacts from the old Hamilton Asylum, many dating back to 1876 when

Images below and right, scences from Century Manor.

the asylum was first built. The small but fascinating collection used to be kept in a single room in the 1930s-era Hickory House which was one of the older buildings on the sprawling property before that too was torn down. The Museum housed many items and devices that were actually used in treatment, including electro-shock therapy machines, surgical tools, hand-cuffs, bath tubs, cold dunk tanks, wheelchairs, and even a Utica Crib, a horizontal, casket-like cage used to lock patients up in. Century Manor would be an ideal location to house a museum dedicated and solely devoted to Psychiatric Care in Ontario (or even Canadian) history. And in all honestly, it seems like a no-brainer to me. The fact that it is a living, surviving building actually still standing from the original asylum… you can’t replace something as genuine and authentic as that. We’ve already lost so much of our past this way. Let’s not miss an opportunity like this Hamilton. And to those who have the means to help make this happen, please don’t let the City carry another burden of losing something so historically significant.

Thank you! On a final and completely separate note, I would like to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU for the recent honour of being awarded GOLD by The Hamilton Spectator’s Readers’ Choice Awards for Favourite Local Author for my “Haunted in Hamilton” column in urbanicity Magazine. How unexpected, but very much appreciated! And a special Thank You to Martinus Geleynse for giving me the opportunity to express my passion and voice in a unique way. After all, what better way to get people engaged in their local history, than through a good ghost story!

STEPHANIE LECHNIAK is Founder and Owner of Haunted-Hamilton, a strangely unique business that operates Haunted Tours and Bus Trips to spooky locations all over Canada and the US. Stephanie is also Host & Producer of “Haunted Hamilton’s Ghost Stories” on Cable 14 and “The Haunted Hamilton Radio Show” on 93.3 FM CFMU. She has also appeared on OLN’s “Creepy Canada” and YTV’s “Ghost Trackers”. www.Haunted-Hamilton.com www.facebook.com/HauntedHamilton

16 | DECEMBER 2014

Inside Century Manor.

The security guard was so frightened that he backed out of the room, slammed the door behind him and caught his breath.

with going inside the building because he once felt someone push him hard on the right side of his back (right through the Kevlar vest he was wearing too!)

Fear of “Demolition by Neglect”

EAST HOUSE Century Manor, 1884

THE GHOSTLY NURSES

| 17

Make it a museum! Something that many Hamiltonian’s don’t know is that there is currently an incredible collection of artifacts from the old Hamilton Asylum, many dating back to 1876 when

Images below and right, scences from Century Manor.

PHOTO BY MARTINUS GELEYNSE

C O C K TA I L S W I T H K B

FRED EISENBERGER Mayor of Hamilton

Fred Eisenberger surveying the city from Sam Lawrence Park.

One of my favourite things to do is have a cocktail with a friend, or someone who will become a friend by the time the glass is empty. Cocktails with KB is a monthly column that allows you to get to know some of Hamilton’s most exciting people! So, pour yourself a cocktail and enjoy! When I started the cocktails with KB column, I knew I wanted to have the mayor (whomever that may be come October 27th) join me for cocktails at some point. I was excited when it became a 3-person race early on because I knew any 3 men would be fun to have a cocktail with. Turns out it ended up being Fred Eisenberger. The invitation is still out there for Brian McHattie and Brad Clark to join me for a cocktail and a chat! This Cocktails with KB is special for a few reasons. First, it is the first one that took place in the middle of the morning over green tea (Tea with KB?). Second, it was a chance to sit down with the man I had campaigned for over the past 8 months and just chat. Grab a cocktail (or a green tea) and enjoy! What is the best advice you’ve ever received? Be the calmest guy in the room. It was a lawyer who gave that advice to me. He was talking about his practice and then politics. One of the things we all tend to do is get our backs up and get angry or whatever it is. He said it’s the best place anyone needs to be, in crisis or otherwise. You’ll get a lot more results that way. It was pretty sound advice.

LIGHTNING ROUND WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT THESE DAYS?

Getting into office.

H OW DO YOU LIK E YOUR COFFEE?

Milk and sugar. FAVOURITE BAND?

Foo Fighters

Paul McCartney A BOOK YOU P LAN ON READING?

I am planning on re-reading Shogun by James Clavell. FAVOURIT E COLOUR?

Blue.

LEAST FAVOURIT E COLOUR?

Three words to describe Hamilton. Gritty. Dynamite. Momentum. What’s the best thing about what you do? It’s really about what happens in the broader community and getting to sit with people that interested, engaged, excited about their neighbourhood or their project or their community or their church or whatever it is. There’s so much enthusiasm for what they do that can be translated into good works that can happen in the broader city. For me, it’s not about bricks and mortar, it’s about people.

What’s the best thing about 2014? The best thing is that we have an opportunity to make 2015 spectacular. So, 2015 is Pan Am time, is Junos time. There is so much positive that we can build on. I think it’s a good time to put the past behind us and start looking to the future and I think 2015 is really the target for me in terms of what the next Hamilton can really start stepping into. The other good part of 2014 is that I got elected in 2014, so that’s a given. I figured that’s assumed.

BEST GIFT YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?

I had a tour of New York City back in 1972 by a cousin of mine that I thought was absolutely outstanding and remembered to this day.

FAVOURIT E SOLO ART IST ?

Why Hamilton? Hamilton is that place that has enormous potential. You see Hamilton and say Hamilton could be leading in terms of poverty issues, or leading in terms of advanced manufacturing, could be leading in terms of innovation ideas. So, the potential of Hamilton is the exciting opportunity. There’s room to grow in Hamilton, it’s a real city with real problems and real opportunities, and I think that’s the exciting part in getting involved in bringing it to the next level.

What’s the worst thing about what you do? I cancel out the overt and irrational praise, and the undue and overt criticism. That’s probably the hardest thing to balance out. You don’t want to get caught up in either camp, but we’re all human and we are impacted by a lot of negative stuff and by the sometimes irrational praise. So, to try to keep that on an even keel is a challenge.

Purple.

BEST WAY TO DECOMP RESS?

Work out.

If you found $10 in your pocket, what would you do with it? I don’t carry money around very often. Here’s what I’d like to do; I’m really interested in helping people who don’t have enough to get through the day. So, when I am approached by people, I am pretty generous when it comes to helping them out. But it never seems to be enough. I’d really like to come to a place at some point where a lot of people would be willing to put $10 into helping the less fortunate and disadvantaged in our community on a regular basis rather than occasionally. So, that’s my wish. Realistically, I’d have to admit that it doesn’t happen for me or others too often but it should. I think we should start thinking in those terms, at least the folks that can afford to do so. What are the criteria four years from now, that will allow you to say your mayoralty was a success? Have we moved the yardsticks? Everyone wants our city to progress and there’s opportunity for that to happen. We don’t need to turn the world upside down. I think what we need to do is keep Hamilton moving toward a progressive, innovative, creative society that people can be proud to call home. If we can get to that place; I think many people are there, if we can get the rest of the community there to say, “I love my Hamilton, I love my city”, I think that’s the measure of success I’m looking for. The moment that happens, much more good, positive things will happen in our city.

IF YOUR LIFE W ERE A SONG, W H AT WOULD T H E T IT LE BE?

Determination.

FAVOURIT E H OLIDAY ?

Christmas.

W H AT DO YOU LIKE ON A P IZZA?

Pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers.

KRISTEL BULTHUIS is the Manager of Operations for urbanicity Omnimedia, and the Assistant Director for the Hamilton 24-Hour Film Festival. Known for her energy and love of fine designer fashion, Kristel lives in Durand with Chanel, her shorkie. Get in touch at kristel@urbanicity.ca

PHOTO BY MARTINUS GELEYNSE

C O C K TA I L S W I T H K B

FRED EISENBERGER Mayor of Hamilton

Fred Eisenberger surveying the city from Sam Lawrence Park.

LIGHTNING ROUND WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT THESE DAYS?

Getting into office.

H OW DO YOU LIK E YOUR COFFEE?

Milk and sugar. FAVOURITE BAND?

Foo Fighters

Paul McCartney A BOOK YOU P LAN ON READING?

I am planning on re-reading Shogun by James Clavell. FAVOURIT E COLOUR?

Blue.

LEAST FAVOURIT E COLOUR?

BEST GIFT YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?

I had a tour of New York City back in 1972 by a cousin of mine that I thought was absolutely outstanding and remembered to this day.

FAVOURIT E SOLO ART IST ?

Purple.

BEST WAY TO DECOMP RESS?

Work out.

IF YOUR LIFE W ERE A SONG, W H AT WOULD T H E T IT LE BE?

Determination.

FAVOURIT E H OLIDAY ?

Christmas.

W H AT DO YOU LIKE ON A P IZZA?

Pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers.

20 | DECEMBER 2014

URBANICITY.CA

TEN CHARITIES to support

THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

Packages of healthy food are prepared by volunteers and delivered to schools each Friday to ensure children have nourishment over the weekend. There are 1,200 children in Hamilton and 500 children in Halton sustaining each and every weekend without food. Help fight child hunger in our own community. info@food4kids.ca

The YMCA believes that people enrich their own lives when they enrich the lives of others. All YMCA endeavors involve a partnership of volunteer and staff teams dedicated to creating healthy communities where individuals and families have opportunities to reach their potential. www.ymcahbb.ca

Culture for Kids in the Arts relies on a small staff and dedicated volunteer Board to bring top-tier cultural education to children across our community. If you feel that you have a passion for arts in the community, email info@ckarts.ca

Volunteers play a very important role in the Society’s delivery of service. There are unlimited volunteer opportunities available and the agency will make every attempt to find a volunteer role that is suitable to the amount of time you have, your interests, and your talents or skills. volunteer@hamiltoncas.com

Sadly, about 25,000 in the Hamilton area are living in poverty. City Kidz needs hundreds of volunteers to sort through toy donations and make deliveries to children in need. The smile you get when you personally drop off a toy at a child’s house by Christmas Eve will be worth every second it took for you to get volunteer@citykidz.ca

Volunteers are an integral part of Hamilton Health Sciences, and there are many reasons to volunteer. www.hhsc.ca/VR

You can sponsor a family in need in our community this holiday season. Reach out to lisa@kboysandgirlsclub.com

TOP & BOTTOM LEFT: COURTESY OF LIUNA, RICCARDO PERSI, FAR RIGHT: SCOTT SUMMERHAYES.

THE TEN LIST

Top: Prior to restoration. Bottom left: The foyer prior to restoration. Bottom Right: The foyer today.

PLACES

Volunteer at Wesley’s Christmas store. Hamilton’s only Christmas assistance program that provides food and new gifts for children, youth and adults living in poverty. Help continue a long-standing Wesley tradition of extending generosity during the Christmas season. The new location is 270 Sherman Avenue North, 2nd floor. Tara.monks-canfield@wesley.ca

Kitchen support volunteers on Decmeber 18th and 25th to assist with food preparation, presentation, serving and cleanup. Gift management volunteers on December 25th to help hand out gifts and dress up as Christmas characters. Bingo coordinators on December 25th to facilitate annual bingo games. joel@livingrock.ca

Christmas Program: volunteers bag and carry out groceries, manage people traffic, sort food donations, keep shelves stocked and ensure shoppers are treated with dignity and respect. Toy Room: volunteers sort donated children’s toys by suitability to age and gender.Christmas Toy Store: volunteer set up the store, float between the store and N2N Centre and maintain tables stocked with toys, assist with carryout and ensure each shopper is treated with dignity and respect. www.n2ncentre.com

A Landmark Restored How a union saved Hamilton's Train Station Old train stations hold such great history within their National Railway James North Station) was built between walls. It’s not the same with airports. No one looks at an 1929 and 1931, leading right into the Great Depression, airport and says, “Oh my god, look how beautiful it is! which hit Hamilton hard. However, Hamilton came out of Image all the people who walked through here!” But old it strong by the 1940s, and continued where it left off as a train stations have that charmanufacturing giant. acter—especially those with a The station saw a lot between time-less Art Deco/neoclassiconstruction and its closure in cal design. 1993, including the much-celFor decades, trains were the ebrated arrival and 90-minonly way to get around. There ute visit of King George VI and were no planes because commerQueen Elizabeth in 1939. cial air travel wasn’t very comSadly, by the 1980’s, common until the 1950’s. And while muter train service in Hamilton Canada was the second-largest was running through the TH&B car producer in the world by the station (Hunter Street), and Via 1920’s, the Ontario stretch of the was forced to reduce their numTrans Canada Highway didn’t ber of Toronto-Niagara Falls even open until 1960. The railpassenger trains due to governway ruled cross-country travel in ments funding cuts. There was Canada for a long time. little need for a grand, marbleOur stations were the sets for laden train station in Hamilton, LiUNA Station was built innumerable hellos and goodand the station was officially byes. They witnessed the gloribetween 1929 and 1931, leading closed in February of 1993. ous arrival of kings and queens. For six years, the gorgeous right into the Great Depression, They were grand gateways for building sat untouched, decaywhich hit Hamilton hard. immigrants seeking new homes ing and enduring more and more and opportunity. They saw damage each year. Until, in 1999 countless young men off to war, LiUNA (Labourers’ Internaand welcomed back far fewer. tional Union of North America) Whether we choose to recognize it or not, the corridors of purchased the space from its previous owner for $900,000 our train stations still maintain those memories, and so it is to convert into a nursing home, which was later reconsidour duty to preserve the buildings too. ered. The station was then slated to become the banquet LiUNA Station (formerly known as the Canadian hall and conference centre it is now.

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LiUNA still built a $10 million nursing home in another downtown location—a brownfield which they purchased from the city for only a dollar. “It was February when we walked through here— pigeons running through here, the roof had holes in it, probably around two feet of ice down in the basement—so it was in bad, bad shape,” said Riccardo Persi, Director of LiUNA Station and LiUNA Gardens. “Let me tell you, a lot of people said ‘what are you, crazy? What are you guys doing? This is not Toronto, this is Hamilton—North End’… but we saw potential,” said Persi. The vast majority of the original interior and design was still in tact when LiUNA scooped it up, but they hired local architect, John Mokrycke to help redesign the parts that needed special attention, and to help navigate the lengthy process of working with the City’s Building and Heritage offices. “John Mokrycke had an idea. I think he’s probably the best in the city for heritage, and keeping the look of what any kind of building used to look like,” said Persi. “We tried to keep everything as original as possible.” They succeeded. When you stand in the lobby of LiUNA Station, everything in sight is original, from floor to ceiling—something to be proud of during a period when many developers are happy just tearing out the unhealthy parts of a building and replacing them with glass. Persi said around the time of purchasing the station, the union also thought about buying the houses across the road on Murray Street as the prices were very low at the time. They thought they could turn the area into a Hess Village sort of area, but they didn’t go through with it. “Back then, in 1999 and 2000…it was pretty drab and not a lot of people taking chances,” he said. Now, in hindsight, with time it might have become a hit. LiUNA Station, on the other hand, was a hit right away. Interest in the space rose quickly, and the place started booking up very soon after. “I would say it was pretty fast when they saw what was happening, like the wow factor… It was crazy busy for the first 2 or 3 years.” “I think us taking a chance here gave other people hope to do things down here,” said Persi. LiUNA was the first major building along James North to be redeveloped at that scale, in a time when Hamilton’s core was suffering badly. James North wasn’t nearly the place it is today, but perhaps the renewal of the station was the catalyst for it to start becoming the bustling neighbourhood it is now. “I’m not the type of guy to brag, but if people think that, that’s fantastic.” LiUNA also bought the Lister Block on James North in 1999 for $1.6 million, and after partnering with the City and Hi-Rise Group, that building too was rescued and restored to its original glory in 2011. The newest edition to LiUNA station is the King George Ballroom, which has been built on the track level of the station where passenger trains used to idle. It too is consistent with the original classic design of the station. Finally, with the new James Street GO Station planned to open in 2015, and a number of new condo building projects coming downtown, Persi thinks the area is “going to just explode.” “We’ll probably look at expanding within another 5 to 10 years,” he noted. Who knows, that could mean another addition to the building, or a major construction project in place of the parking lot east of the station. A lot of things are possible in that area now.

SCOTT SUMMERHAYES After moving to Hamilton in 2011 to study journalism at Mohawk College, Scott quickly became a keen member of the city’s media community. Currently, Scott works for MGI Media and sits on the executive board of the Hamilton Media Guild as their Events and Workshops Coordinator.

20 | DECEMBER 2014

URBANICITY.CA

TEN CHARITIES to support

THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

Volunteers are an integral part of Hamilton Health Sciences, and there are many reasons to volunteer. www.hhsc.ca/VR

You can sponsor a family in need in our community this holiday season. Reach out to lisa@kboysandgirlsclub.com

TOP & BOTTOM LEFT: COURTESY OF LIUNA, RICCARDO PERSI, FAR RIGHT: SCOTT SUMMERHAYES.

THE TEN LIST

Top: Prior to restoration. Bottom left: The foyer prior to restoration. Bottom Right: The foyer today.

PLACES

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URBANICITY.CA

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> PLUG Bella of Ancaster Bella of Ancaster is Located in the Historic Philip Shaver House. We have a warm elegant atmosphere in a beautiful country setting. We offer a seasonally inspired menu utilizing the freshest ingredients which we source locally. We offer both lunch and dinner Tuesday to Saturday. Live Music Friday and Saturdays 1034 Garner Rd West, Ancaster 905-648-5225 Bellaofancaster.com | @dineatbellas Facebook.com/bellaofancaster

Fisher’s Eatery and Sports Lounge At Fisher's Pier we do it right: fresh food, friendly staff, and an atmosphere you'll want to come back to. Our newly renovated bar and dining room makes for a great experience whether you want to come with the family or watch the game. Come see for yourself! 544 James Street North (905)-526-9622 www.fisherspier.com

The George Hamilton Affordable quality in the heart of downtown Hamilton. If you're sick and tired of pre-packaged franchise food at places with a pre-packaged franchise feel... welcome to your new home. The George Hamilton features quality, house-made food, a cozy atmosphere, and down-toearth prices. Cocktails at the bar? We do that. Casual dining? We do that. Office lunches? We do that. Family dinner? We have a great kids menu. Private room? How about a private bar? Yep, we do that too. 152 King Street West thegeorgehamilton.com www.facebook.com/pages/ The-George-Hamilton/ 355185164523936?ref=br_tf

The

URBAN DINING GUIDE Readers: We’re excited to offer you our new dining guide as a source of inspiration for those evenings you’re looking to try something new. If it’s on our pages, you can be sure we’ve vetted it, and that we’ve come away impressed! Restaurateurs: List your restaurant in our print dining guide and receive a full online profile of your restaurant in the dining guide at www.urbanicity.ca! Special add-ons are available to help promote your restaurant, including videos, photo galleries, and more! Contact Ashley Coles, Account Executive at urbanicity Magazine for more information at (905) 745-0765

Burrito Boyz Burrito Boyz is a fine Mexican restaurant located in gore park. They serve burritos and quesadillas and are open late night on weekends. The portions are big but the prices are small. The staff are friendly and fast, and the food is delicious. Accessible parking available in front of the Royal Connaught.

Made for You by Madeleine Happy Healthy Holidays! Catering, corporate, custom… We have treats that are tasty AND nutritious, all packaged up for special gifts. Our fresh-milled flour makes the difference. Visit us for a sample and try for yourself!

Rapscallion At Rapscallion, we have a love for food and pushing the limits. Our skilled and passionate chefs will do it all, whether it's curing, salting, boning, stuffing, wrapping, charring, braising or just leaving the meat raw. We get a joy out of food and offer our guests menu items that they are unlikely to find at other local restaurants such as: oxtail, and pig's head.

66 King Street East 905-529-2699 burritoboyz.ca

51 King William Street, Hamilton 289-389-5100 www.bymadeleine.ca

61 Young Street 905-522-0088 rapscallionrestaurant.com

Two Black Sheep We offer light fare of oysters, with a variety of garnishes; charcuterie and salumi; a selection of cheeses; and other offerings of pickled vegetables and crisps. We have wine that you will love and cocktails that aren't typical. Our favourite beers are served by the bottle.

Baci Ristorante For those craving inspirational Italian cuisine you're in for a treat at Baci Ristorante is the place to indulge the senses. Masterful wood oven pizza, pasta and veal dishes will be complimented by a wide selection of premium Tuscan, California and Niagara wines. All five senses will be taken for a memorable adventure when you join us at Baci Ristorante!

Acclamation Bar & Grill Enjoy fine dining with a Portuguese flare in our front dining room, or grab a beer and burger while watching the game in our sports bar! Offering a great menu of apps, entrees, pastas, salads, seafood, pizzas, and more, Acclamation has something for everyone. Free parking is available on-site!

163 John Street South 905-525-1001 twoblacksheep.ca

For advertising inquiries pleasefor email Visit urbanicity.ca ourads@urbanicity.ca full list of restaurants and reviews.

1530 Stonechurch Road 905-381-9811 | baciristorante.ca

191 James Street North 905-523-7269 www.acclamation.ca

For advertising inquiries please email ads@urbanicity.ca

00 | DECEMBER 2014

URBANICITY.CA

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The

66 King Street East 905-529-2699 burritoboyz.ca

51 King William Street, Hamilton 289-389-5100 www.bymadeleine.ca

61 Young Street 905-522-0088 rapscallionrestaurant.com

163 John Street South 905-525-1001 twoblacksheep.ca

For advertising inquiries pleasefor email Visit urbanicity.ca ourads@urbanicity.ca full list of restaurants and reviews.

1530 Stonechurch Road 905-381-9811 | baciristorante.ca

191 James Street North 905-523-7269 www.acclamation.ca

For advertising inquiries please email ads@urbanicity.ca