King Street (Hamilton, Ontario)
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King Street is a Lower City arterial road in
Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Hamilton has a population of 569,353, and its census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington and Grimsby, has a population of 785,184. The city is approximately southwest of ...
, Canada, also known as Highway 8. The western-end starts off beside
McMaster University Medical Centre The McMaster University Medical Centre (MUMC) is a major Ontario hospital with three key services: McMaster Children's Hospital, Women's Health Centre and Adult Outpatient Services. It is a teaching hospital in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It is a p ...
as a two-way street and passes through Westdale. At Paradise Road, King Street switches over to a one-way street (westbound) right through the city's core up to "the Delta", a spot in town where King and
Main Main may refer to: Geography * Main River (disambiguation) **Most commonly the Main (river) in Germany * Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province *"Spanish Main", the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territories in the 16th and 17th centuries ...
streets intersect. (West of the Delta, King Street is north of Main Street. East of the Delta after King crosses over Main Street, King then runs south of Main Street.) From the Delta onwards, King Street then switches over to become a two-way street again and ends at Highway 8 in Stoney Creek.


History

''King Street'' follows the path of an old native trail; it was named for
King George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...
. In 1815, George Hamilton, a settler and local politician, established a town site in the northern portion of the ''Barton Township''. He kept several east-west roads which were originally Indian trails, but the north-south streets were on a regular grid pattern. Streets were designated "East" or "West" if they crossed James Street or Highway 6. Streets were designated "North" or "South" if they crossed King Street or Highway 8.


Gore Park

Gore Park is located along two sections of King Street East from John Street and James Street. In 1860, Edward, Prince of Wales (who later became
King Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria a ...
) was in Hamilton to open up Gore Park (town centre) and the ''Crystal Palace''. The Crystal Palace saw various Agricultural Exhibitions. It was modeled on the famous Crystal Palace designed and built in
London, England London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...
. By 1891 the structure was in bad condition and decision was made to demolish it. All traces disappeared from the site which is now known as Victoria Park. In 1893, ''The Right House'' opened. It was Hamilton's first large department store. On 30 October 1893, The Sir
John A. Macdonald Sir John Alexander Macdonald (January 10 or 11, 1815 – June 6, 1891) was the first prime minister of Canada, serving from 1867 to 1873 and from 1878 to 1891. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, he had a political career that sp ...
Statue arrives in Hamilton from
London, England London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major s ...
. Official dedication of the statue took place 1 November 1893. Located at the intersection of King and Hughson Streets. Prime Minister Sir John Thompson in attendance.


Hamilton Cenotaph

The
Cenotaph A cenotaph is an empty tomb or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been reinterred elsewhere. Although the vast majority of cenot ...
at Veteran's Place at Gore Park was unveiled on May 22, 1923 by Governor General Viscount Byng who led Canadians into
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and
Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...
. The Cenotaph commemorates the 53,000 Canadian soldiers, 2,000 of them Hamiltonians, who were killed during the first World War. Hamilton's Cenotaph is a replica of the
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
Cenotaph in
Westminster, London Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...
by
Edwin Lutyens Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens ( ; 29 March 1869 – 1 January 1944) was an English architect known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era. He designed many English country houses, war memori ...
and Hamilton one was designed by ''William Russell Souter'' (1894–1971), a Hamilton
architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
, and World War I veteran. It consists of a huge granite column with an image of a
casket A casket jewelry box is a container that is usually smaller than a chest, and in the past were typically decorated. Whereas cremation jewelry is a small container, usually in the shape of a pendant or bracelet, to hold a small amount of ashes. ...
at its summit. Two smaller columns are at its side with carved replicas of the equipment used by Canadian
troop A troop is a military sub-subunit, originally a small formation of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron. In many armies a troop is the equivalent element to the infantry section or platoon. Exceptions are the US Cavalry and the King's Tr ...
s in the First World War.


Pantages Theatre

The ''Pantages Theatre'' opened up in 1921 on King Street, (between Catharine Street and Mary Street), with a
seating capacity Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...
of 3,500 made it the largest theatre in Canada at the time. In 1930 it was renamed ''The Palace Theatre''. It closed down in 1972. Hamilton one time was home to many Grand Theatres, all of which are no longer in existence. These include, ''Grand Opera House'' ( James Street North), ''Savoy Theatre'' (Merrick Street), ''Temple Theatre'' (behind the ''Terminal Building'' on ''King Street''), ''Lyric Theatre'' (Mary Street) and ''The Loews Theatre'' renamed later to ''The Capitol'' (King Street East).


The Delta

In 1925 the first traffic lights in Canada went into operation at ''the Delta.'' (11 June 1925).


McMaster University

McMaster University McMaster University (McMaster or Mac) is a public research university in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main McMaster campus is on of land near the residential neighbourhoods of Ainslie Wood and Westdale, adjacent to the Royal Botanical Ga ...
moved to
Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Hamilton has a population of 569,353, and its census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington and Grimsby, has a population of 785,184. The city is approximately southwest of ...
from Toronto in 1930, thanks to the efforts of
Thomas McQuesten Thomas Baker McQuesten (June 30, 1882 – January 13, 1948) was a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1934 to 1943 who represented the riding of Hamilton—Wentworth. He served as a ...
.


Christ the King Cathedral

Christ the King Cathedral, is a
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
church in
Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Hamilton has a population of 569,353, and its census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington and Grimsby, has a population of 785,184. The city is approximately southwest of ...
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. The Cathedral was consecrated on December 19, 1933. The cathedral is perched atop a hill overlooking
Highway 403 The following highways are numbered 403: Canada * Manitoba Provincial Road 403 * Newfoundland and Labrador Route 403 * Highway 403 (Ontario) Costa Rica * National Route 403 Croatia * D403 road Hungary * Main road 403 (Hungary) Japan * Jap ...
leading in towards the rest of ''Hamilton'' and one travelling towards ''Oakville'', ''Missisauga'' and ''Toronto''.


CHCH TV

CHCH Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River ...
-TV 11 began broadcasting in 1954 as a CBC affiliate from a studio on ''King Street West'' (close to Victoria Park) and a transmitter located at 481 First Road West in Stoney Creek. At the time, all private stations were required to be CBC affiliates. Then in 1961, ''CHCH'' disaffiliated from the ''CBC'' and became an independent TV station. CHCH-TV 11 studios are now at the corner of Jackson Street West and ''Caroline Streets''. The old studio building on ''King Street West'' is now the Westside Concert Theatre.


Terminal Towers

In 1966, ''Terminal Towers'' including a new eight-storey
Holiday Inn Holiday Inn is an American chain of hotels based in Atlanta, Georgia. and a brand of IHG Hotels & Resorts. The chain was founded in 1952 by Kemmons Wilson, who opened the first location in Memphis, Tennessee that year. The chain was a division ...
opened on the site of the old ''transit terminal'' between King and
Main Main may refer to: Geography * Main River (disambiguation) **Most commonly the Main (river) in Germany * Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province *"Spanish Main", the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territories in the 16th and 17th centuries ...
at Catharine Street. It's now called ''Effort Square'' and the hotel is a ''Crowne Plaza''. Effort Square is also the home of the Lincoln Alexander Centre.


Architecture

Modern day architectural developments on ''King Street'' include the following, Phase 1 of
Lloyd D. Jackson Square Lloyd D. Jackson Square, or simply Jackson Square, is an indoor shopping mall, commercial, and entertainment complex located in the downtown core of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, which is named after Lloyd Douglas Jackson, who served as mayor of ...
(mall) was completed, including 100 King Street West (Stelco Tower) and 1 James Street North (Bank of Montreal Pavilion) in 1972. Then in 1977, the second phase of ''Jackson Square'' was completed along with a 9 storey office building called the
Robert Thomson Building The Robert Thomson Building is a 9-storey low-rise office building in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The building was completed in 1977, and is part of the Lloyd D. Jackson Square complex. The building is still officially known as the ''Robert Thomson ...
, but not the department store intended to be its major attraction. Also in 1977, The Art Gallery of Hamilton opened beside the ''Board of Education building.'' In 1981, The
Hamilton Convention Centre The Hamilton Convention Centre is a full service convention, exhibition, and event facility located in downtown Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The convention centre was designed by local architect Trevor P. Garwood-Jones and was constructed in 1981 a ...
and the government office tower above it opened. The tower was named the
Ellen Fairclough Building Ellen Fairclough Building (French: Édifice Ellen-Fairclough) is an 18-storey (94 m) high-rise office building built in 1981. It is the 5th tallest building in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It is situated on the corner of King Street West and MacN ...
one year later in 1982. In 1983, 120 King Street West (Standard Life Centre) opened at the west end of ''Jackson Square''. In 1985,
Sheraton Hamilton Sheraton Hamilton, built in 1985, is a 19-storey, , 299 room hotel in downtown Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Situated on King Street West, East of Bay Street North, the hotel is part of the Lloyd D. Jackson Square complex. The hotel has 1,200 s ...
, connected to ''Jackson Square'', opened, boosting downtown Hamilton's hotel space. In 1985,
FirstOntario Centre FirstOntario Centre (originally Copps Coliseum) is a sports and entertainment arena at the corner of Bay Street North and York Boulevard in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Opened in 1985, it has a capacity of up to 19,000. History Hamilton was lef ...
(Formerly Copps Coliseum),a sports and entertainment arena with a capacity of up to 19,000 (depending on event type and configuration) opens its doors for business (one block North of ''King Street'' at
Bay Street Bay Street is a major thoroughfare in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the centre of Toronto's Financial District and is often used by metonymy to refer to Canada's financial services industry since succeeding Montreal's St. James Stre ...
). It was named after the former Hamilton mayor, Victor K. Copps. In 1987, the first of two reflective glass buildings of the
CIBC The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC; french: Banque canadienne impériale de commerce) is a Canadian multinational banking and financial services corporation headquartered at CIBC Square in the Financial District of Toronto, Ontario. ...
tower (
Commerce Place I Commerce Place in a commercial complex, consisting of two towers, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Commerce Place I Commerce Place I was built in 1987 as the first of two towers in the complex. The second tower; Commerce Place II was built in 19 ...
) opened at ''King'' and ''James'' opposite ''Gore Park''. The other (
Commerce Place II Commerce Place in a commercial complex, consisting of two towers, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Commerce Place I Commerce Place I was built in 1987 as the first of two towers in the complex. The second tower; Commerce Place II was built in 19 ...
) opened in 1990.


Culture

Hamilton has hosted several cultural and craft fairs since the 1960s, notably
Festival of Friends The Festival of Friends is an annual three-day free summer music festival held in Gage Park in Hamilton, Ontario, on the first weekend in August. History 1976 Festival of Friends was started in 1976 by artist Bill Powell Jr. as an independent fo ...
, which made it a major tourist destination. The Festival of Friends, founded in 1975, is the largest annual free music event in the country. Burton Cummings, Lighthouse and
Bruce Cockburn Bruce Douglas Cockburn ( ; born May 27, 1945) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist. His song styles range from folk to jazz-influenced rock and his lyrics cover a broad range of topics including human rights, environmental issues, p ...
have been among the main stage headliners at Gage Park on Gage Avenue.
WestJet WestJet Airlines Ltd. is a Canadian airline headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, near Calgary International Airport. It is the second-largest Canadian airline, behind Air Canada, operating an average of 777 flights and carrying more than 66,130 ...
is a major sponsor of the festival. Hamilton is also home to the Mustard Festiva

because Hamilton is home to the largest miller of dry mustard in the world. It's held annually at ''Ferguson Station'', Ferguson Avenue (Hamilton, Ontario), Ferguson Avenue and ''King Street East'' at ''Hamilton's International Village'' and is another summertime food & beverage festival that features some of the top Blues and Jazz acts in the region. In 2001, the
Steven Seagal Steven Frederic Seagal (; born April 10, 1952) is an American actor, screenwriter and martial artist. A 7th-dan black belt in aikido, he began his adult life as a martial arts instructor in Japan and eventually ended up running his father-in-l ...
film
Exit Wounds ''Exit Wounds'' is a 2001 American action film directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak, and starring Steven Seagal and DMX. The film is based on the book of the same name by John Westermann. The book takes place on Long Island, while the film is set in D ...
used the streets of Downtown Hamilton for a period of 6-weeks during a night shoot of the movie's climatic chase scene that features the Gore Park water fountain and the Hamilton GO Transit station, Original site of the
Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway The Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway was a railway based in Hamilton that ran in Southern Ontario from 1892 to 1987. It never reached the other two cities in its name, although it did have branch lines extending to Dunnville and Port Maitl ...
(1892–1987).


Waterfront Shuttle

The ''Waterfront Shuttle'' is a free service offered by the
Hamilton Street Railway The Hamilton Street Railway commonly known as the HSR is a public transport agency in Hamilton, Ontario, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The name is a legacy of the company's early period, when public transit in Hamilton was primarily served by streetc ...
. It has a seasonal schedule that runs weekends from May-to-October connecting Hamilton's downtown core to the waterfront and attractions that can be found there like
HMCS Haida HMCS ''Haida'' is a that served in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) from 1943 to 1963, participating in World War II and the Korean War. She was named for the Haida people. The only surviving Tribal-class destroyer out of 27 vessels constructed ...
and the Parks Canada Discovery Centre. The route circles Hamilton's downtown core around
York Boulevard York Boulevard is a Lower City arterial road in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Formerly known as Highway 2 and Highway 6, it starts in Burlington, Ontario at Plains Road West as a two-way arterial road that wraps around and over Hamilton Harbour, ...
(north), Bay Street South (west), King Street West (south) and James Street North (east). Then it travels north along James Street and the Art District until it reaches the waterfront at ''Guise Street'' past the
Royal Hamilton Yacht Club The Royal Hamilton Yacht Club (RHYC) is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, at the west end of Lake Ontario, and has been in existence since 1888. When the yacht club first opened, it was located on the Burlington Canal (near the light station), ...
, Hamilton Chamber of Commerce and the Harbour West Marina Complex. Then the route hangs a left on ''Discovery Drive'', the site of the ''Parks Canada Discovery Centre''. Also at this site is the ''Hamilton Harbour Queen'' (cruise boat), ''Hamiltonian'' (tour boat) and the ''Hamilton Waterfront Trolley''.


Major intersections

''Note: Listing of streets from West to East.'' *Longwood Road, South * Chedoke Parkway, (Freeway passes underneath the ''King Street West'' bridge) * Dundurn Street, North, South * Locke Street, North, South * Queen Street, North, South * Hess Street, North, South *
Bay Street Bay Street is a major thoroughfare in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the centre of Toronto's Financial District and is often used by metonymy to refer to Canada's financial services industry since succeeding Montreal's St. James Stre ...
, North, South * MacNab Street, North, South * James Street, North, South * Hughson Street, North, South * John Street, North, South * Catharine Street, North, South * Ferguson Avenue (Hamilton, Ontario), Ferguson Avenue, North, South * Wellington Street, North, South * Victoria Avenue, North, South * Wentworth Street, North, South * Sherman Avenue, North, South * Gage Avenue, North, South * Ottawa Street, South *
Kenilworth Avenue Maryland Route 201 (MD 201) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Kenilworth Avenue, the highway runs from the District of Columbia boundary in Tuxedo, where the highway continues south as District of ...
, South * Parkdale Avenue, South *
Red Hill Valley Parkway The Red Hill Valley Parkway (RHVP) is a municipal expressway in the Canadian city of Hamilton, Ontario. The route connects the Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway, Hamilton's second municipal expressway, to the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) near Hamilton Har ...
(Freeway passes underneath the ''King Street East'' bridge) * Nash Road, South *
Centennial Parkway Centennial Parkway is an arterial road in southeastern Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It is best known as the western terminus of the former King's Highway 20, now maintained by the City of Hamilton. It starts off as ''Upper Centennial Parkway'', a m ...
, South *Lake Avenue Drive *Gray Road *Green Road


See also

*
Royal eponyms in Canada In Canada, a number of sites and structures are named for royal individuals, whether a member of the past French royal family, British royal family, or present Canadian royal family thus reflecting the country's status as a constitutional monarch ...


References

*MapArt
Golden Horseshoe The Golden Horseshoe is a secondary region of Southern Ontario, Canada, which lies at the western end of Lake Ontario, with outer boundaries stretching south to Lake Erie and north to Lake Scugog, Lake Simcoe and Georgian Bay of Lake Huron. The ...
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External links


Google Maps: King Street (Hybrid)
{{Hamilton Roads in Hamilton, Ontario