The HPL App and catalogue are not showing materials borrowed through OverDrive. Please use the Libby app or hpl.overdrive.com to view these items. We aim to fix it quickly. Thank you for your patience.
The accessibility door at Waterdown Branch is not working. We aim to fix it quickly.
The Makerspace at Central Library is currently out of white vinyl for printing. Members needing white vinyl can visit the Dundas or Valley Park branch Makerspaces, which are the closest locations with white vinyl currently available.
Due to maintenance, the Barton Branch will be closed on Wednesday, January, 7. Please visit Central Library or Kenilworth Branch for your library needs. www.hpl.ca/hours
Daily print balances for black and white and colour printing change January 2, 2026. The new daily print balance is 40 cents. Members receive four free black and white copies or two free colour copies.
Large format and vinyl printing pricing also change on January 2. Visit https://www.hpl.ca/makerspaces for updates.
Bookmobile is off the road December 31, and January 1st. Visit www.hpl.ca/bookmobile for our Holiday Schedule.
Due to the setup for the Noon Hour Concert, the Fourth Floor at Central Library will be closed on Friday, January 2. Makerspace and Newcomer Learning Centre will remain open. Floors 1-3 have spaces to work and study.
All HPL Branches close early on Wednesday, December 31 at 1pm. This includes branches with Extended Access.
All branches close on Thursday January 1 for New Years Day. This includes branches with Extended Access.
Branch Study Halls are paused Friday, December 19, 2025 through Monday, January 5, 2026. Central Library Study Hall hours resume Spring 2026.
www.hpl.ca/study-halls
Bring back your borrowed library items (due Oct 1 or later) within 28 days to avoid a replacement or lost fee. We'll remove the fee when you bring back your overdue items.
Tax Assessment Records

Tax assessment records help accurately date a building's construction and disclose its original owner and list of occupants.
Land assessment and tax assessment records combined allow you to determine the original owner and occupant of the property, as well as the date on which the structure was built. Please note not all buildings are tax-assessed. Public and institutional buildings, such as churches and schools, may not be found on tax assessment records. If they are used for a purpose other than their original use, such as a school that has been converted into a house, it will be assessed only from when it was converted. Before the construction of a building, the vacant lot is listed by lot number.
The following is a list of former municipalities in Hamilton and the Note: Since the amalgamation assessment rolls are available on microfilm at Local History and Archives.
Ancaster: not available
Barton Township: After annexation (1960), see Hamilton assessment rolls. Pre-1960 not available.
Beverly Township: 1837-1954
Binbrook: 1854-1970
Dundas: 1835-1942
East Flamborough: 1840-1960
Flamborough: not available
Glanbrook: not available
Glanford: 1840-1957
Hamilton: 1834-1899 [with some gaps]
These records are organized by Ward (name or number). For a listing of historic wards see the “City of Hamilton Ward Boundary Maps, 1813-1985” (R346.713045 KIN) to determine the Ward where your property can be found..
Stoney Creek: not available
Waterdown: 1880-1959
West Flamborough: 1861-1960
Note: Several areas in Hamilton were previously part of other jurisdictions. West Hamilton was originally part of Ancaster Township, while east Hamilton and the Mountain were originally part of Barton Township. Aldershot was annexed by the then Town of Burlington in 1958. It had previously been an unincorporated village in East Flamborough Township. Aldershot was annexed by the then Town of Burlington in 1958. It had previously been an unicorporated village in East Flamborough Township.
Here are some maps and recourses that can help identify previous townships, jurisdications, or wards.
Plan of Hamilton, 1875
Portion of the Hamilton and North Western Railway and Connections, 1880
Map of Wentworth County, 1920, via McMaster University







