The Medical Officer of Health for the City of Hamilton has initiated a Heat Warning starting Saturday, July 5. Heat Warnings stay in effect until they are cancelled or escalated to an Extended Heat Warning.
All HPL Branches are open as Cool Places during our open service hours. www.hpl.ca/hours
Branch Hours This Week | HPL
The parking lot elevator at Terryberry Branch is not working. Members will need to use the accessible ramp at the Mohawk entrance and the inner elevator. We're working to get it fixed quickly.
Please note that the audio volume levels on our public computers are having issues. The estimated time of disruption is unknown at this time. Thank you for your patience.
The accessibility ramp at Mount Hope Branch is damaged. The handrail is not available. The ramp will not be available while being repaired. We aim to fix it quickly.
George Heriot also mentioned the King's Head Inn in 1813 as did Lt. Francis Hall who had a very interesting sojourn there in 1816.
"Our host whose portly figure reflected no disgrace on the appearance of his house, received us with bustling importance. "What would we have to eat?" - "Whatever you please" was the reply, he had everything in the house - ''Well then, a veal cutlet, as we are in haste:" he went in, and presently returned, protesting his wife was quite out of humour at our thinking of veal cutlets, when the veal had been killed a fortnight. "Well then, we are not particular, a pork chop will do" - but the pork chop only increased the storm. - "How could we expect a pork chop when the pork was all salted?" - "Body of us mine host," then said I, in the feelings of Sancho Panza under similar vexations, "what can we have?" - "Why we could have bread and cheese, or butter if we preferred it; and bread and butter it was, seasoned however, by Boniface's eulogium on his own generosity in keeping a tavern, which, he did (he said) not for the sake of profit, but because his feelings would not suffer him to send travellers from his door, albeit his wife was much vexed at this benevolence."
The strip of beach upon which the Inn was situated was also cause for interest among the visitors.
John Mactaggart combined business with pleasure on his visit in 1826 when called in by the government to investigate the possibility of cutting a canal through. He considered the bay "one of the most beautiful bays in all of Canada ."
"... there is not a finer, harbour than Burlington in the world. Burlington Heights , at the head of the bay, are almost of impregnable strength by nature; during last war, a Block-house and military-store were roughly built on them of timber. These heights are a narrow neck of high land, about 250 feet above the level of the waters in the bay, which wash one of its sides for about two miles, while the great swamp of Coot's Paradise ranges along the other, about 100 yards broad, where it joins the mainland."
He also takes note of the contribution of an earlier, and most enthusiastic tourist;
"Coot's Paradise is a very singular place. It is also, like the Bay of Burlington , of a triangular shape, but not one-fortieth part the size. Banks all round it are very high. It derived its name from a sportsman called Coots, who considered himself in Paradise when he got amongst the immense flocks of wild water-fowl that haunt it: he would move about with his punt amongst the rushes, and shoot them by the dozens. I have never seen such a variety of wild fowl as comes to this place. Had time permitted me, some curious stuffed birds might have been obtained from this Paradise . It is, therefore, strongly recommended to ornithologists and sportsmen, as a place, above all others yet known in Canada most deserving of attention. It is a swamp acted upon by a tide: This is a very rare thing to meet with. The waters rush over it from the bay when a lake storm exists; and when it lulls, the waters fall back, and leave it a paradise for wild-fowl. As these tides irrigate the wild rice that grows luxuriantly in it, perhaps it might be made a most valuable rice-farm; as such the agriculturist should examine it. If suitable for this purpose, it would form the richest farm in Canada; there is no doubt of it."
