York Boulevard was part of the military road that connected the chain stations lying between
Kingston and the
Niagara River, and was the used as the main road to
York, Upper Canada (present-day
Toronto). As a result, it became known as York Street. In 1976, the road was closed for construction, over the protests of residents and businesspeople, widened and redesignated York Boulevard on November 29, 1976, at a final cost of $5.5-million. No street runs parallel with York Boulevard.
George Hamilton, a settler and local politician, established a town site in the northern part of Barton Township after the war in 1815. He kept several east–west roads which were originally Indian trails, although the north–south streets were on a regular grid pattern. Streets were designated "East" or "West" if they crossed
James Street or Highway 6, and "North" or "South" if they crossed
King Street or Highway 8. York Street was originally one of those Indian trails; it runs along a ridge of elevated ground (a former sandbar), cutting through the Strathcona and Central neighbourhoods diagonally. In 1857, 57 passengers were killed when a train derailed near the
Desjardins Canal. The old City Hall, with its 38-metre clock tower, was demolished in 1961 (corner of York and
James Street) to allow expansion of Eaton's department store. The clock and bell went into the tower of the 1990 Eaton Centre.
Hamilton's Central Library was opened in 1980 by
Prince Philip.
TD Coliseum, a sports and entertainment arena with a capacity of up to 19,000 (depending on event type and configuration) opened its doors for business in 1985. It was originally named Copps Coliseum after the former Hamilton mayor,
Victor K. Copps, and was renamed in 2014. As part of the Hamilton master transportation plan, York Boulevard was converted from a one way street to allow two-way traffic. This change came into effect at 10 am on December 10, 2010.
Parks In 1790,
Richard Beasley occupied Burlington Heights (now the site of Dundurn Park and Harvey Park) and was granted land by the Crown in 1799. A local entrepreneur, Beasley's business ventures included fur trading, land acquisition and establishment of a grist mill in
Ancaster. He was a member of the legislative assembly of
Upper Canada from 1791 to 1804 and was appointed colonel of the 2nd regiment of the York militia in 1809. Financial difficulties forced Beasley to sell lands at Burlington Heights, but they were purchased in 1832 by
Sir Allan Napier MacNab who built
Dundurn Castle on the foundations of Beasley's brick home.
Cootes Paradise is a haven for naturalists. Close to the downtown, this sanctuary provides an undisturbed refuge for birds, fish and animals of all types and can be reached from York Boulevard by following the Harvey Park Trail west and descending the stairs at the Thomas B. McQuesten High Level Bridge.
Festivals and events The
Around the Bay Road Race is the oldest long-distance road race in North America, held annually in
Hamilton, Ontario, since 1894, three years before the
Boston Marathon. This 30-kilometre race is also known as the
Billy Sherring Memorial Road Race. All races start on York Boulevard, one block west of
TD Coliseum, and finish inside TD Coliseum. On Sunday, March 30, 2008, a record 8,500 participants crossed the finish line. The City's Parks Board drew up plans in 1927 for the construction of a full-scale
botanical gardens. By 1930 work had started on the project which converted an ugly stone
quarry into a horticultural showcase, known as the
Royal Botanical Gardens. A decade later a bill was introduced in the Provincial Legislature calling for an even more ambitious project which when completed would become the "Mecca of flower lovers from all parts of North America" its supporters claimed. The sponsor of the legislation was the Minister of Highways in the Provincial Government, and native Hamiltonian,
T.B. McQuesten. The Royal Botanical Gardens was established as an independent entity in 1941 by an act of the provincial government, but the project traces its origins to the late 1920s when the City of Hamilton began acquiring land for the beautification of the city's northwest entrance. Breathtaking gardens and spectacular nature sanctuaries plus three on-site restaurants and gift shop, over 30 kilometres of nature trails, and more can be found here. The Royal Botanical Gardens also plays host to a number of festivals throughout the year. Some of these include the
Tulip Celebration,
Lilac Celebration,
Iris Festival,
Rose Celebration and
Music @ the Gardens. In addition to the festivals, hundreds of educational programs are offered for all ages as well as day camps for children. ==Waterfront Shuttle==