The 10 greatest shapes in Hamilton

CUBE
If you haven’t tried Pokeh in the Hamilton Farmers’ Market yet, go right now! It is the best discovery of the entire year. This traditional Hawaiian dish that’s like sushi in a bowl is the best lunch around. The topping combinations are endless and I love to sit at the counter and watch them prepare it almost as much as I enjoy eating it. GO!

DIAMOND
If you’re a parent reading this, it might already be too late to register your tots
for summer baseball – that’s how popular the leagues are in Hamilton. Although not super sporty myself, I still enjoy watching games at nearby Gage Park or elsewhere around the city. Watching kids run the diamond while being cheered on by occasionally aggressive sport parents is entertainment at its finest.

HEART
A blog I’ve followed for a while now is I Heart Hamilton by Kristin Archer. She encourages being a tourist in your own city, a tenet I also hold dear. She also hosts a podcast on CFMU and features a lot of local music talent way cooler than me, but it’s a great way to know what’s going on. I guarantee you’ve seen her around town – she’s always on top of what’s new and great in the city. Check her out.

RECTANGLE
Mark the April 16 & 17 weekend on your calendar as the 4th annual Vintage Marketplace at Hamilton Convention Centre and plan to attend. It’s a great place for clothing, housewares, jewelry, and other classic finds as well as some surprises
this year. Pick up this rectangular ticket at the door or email info@thevintagemarketplace.ca for advance tickets. I’ll be the one trying to get on board with flared jeans again.

SPADE
This is the season when gardening picks up in a big way and one of my favourite examples of civic togetherness is the community garden. They are all over the city, but the one on Hill Street is particularly impressive. Grab a spade and get involved – they’ll teach you what you need to know. Grow me some beets, please!

SPHERE
These art pieces are one of the best vestiges of last summer’s Pan Am games and can be found around the city. They’re officially called exploding soccer balls and were done by artists Steven Twigg, Lori Le Mare, Amanda Immurs, and Danuta Niton. Go find one! They’re quite the sight.

SQUARE
Cake & Loaf Bakery on Dundurn is one of the best neighbourhood bakeries around and the line always trails out the door. At this time of year, everyone is there for the Crème Egg Brownies. As I write this, I realize they may have stopped making them as Easter is over or I might have ordered them all and they’re gone. But either way, check out all the other amazing squares they have every day. It’s hip and delicious to be square.

STAR
The star atop one of our greatest hospitals, St. Joseph’s at Charlton and James, always makes me smile. Perhaps there is some meaning behind it or more likely it might be a forlorn Christmas decoration, but today, for me, it is a beacon. It is an opportunity to adorn some- thing formal and average. It’s unusual and I like it … like Flight of the Conchords.

TRIANGLE

Slated to close in June, Delta Secondary is one the oldest and most impressive buildings in the city. The Greek letter, Delta, is signified by the red triangle on the front lawn and represents their motto, “gnothi se” (“know thyself”). When I was
in high school, it was where the cool kids hung out, smoking and presumably talk- ing about whose mom could get hospital scrubs for them to wear and parties to which I was never invited. No biggie; I had Dawson’s Creek on Friday nights.