Unbuilt Hamilton

There was nothing inevitable about the way Hamilton developed. It was the result of choices. They may have been limited by geography, informed by economics, dictated by politics, or influenced by trends and temperament, but things usually came down to some people in a room, deciding what made sense economically, politically or practically. In Unbuilt Hamilton, published this fall by Dundurn Press, and in a free exhibition based on the book on now at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, I chronicle the city’s building plans that didn’t make the cut, in whole or in part, for better or for worse. From George Hamilton’s early-19th-century vision for his namesake town, to plans for a stadium in the west harbour area in the early 21st century, the history of Hamilton’s development is a history of invention and reinvention — by an “ambitious city” whose ambition has always had its limits.

Mark Osbaldeston will give an illustrated talk based on Unbuilt Hamilton at the Art Gallery of Hamilton on October 28 (reception at 7 p.m. followed by talk at 7:30 PM). Admission is free. He will also give a free illustrated talk at the Central Library on December 3 at 2:00 p.m.

You can get your copy of Unbuilt Hamilton from most bookstores, as well as from Dundurn Press at www.dundurn.com. You can also pick it up at The Hamilton Store at 165 James Street North in downtown Hamilton.

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• Civic Square
• Hamilton
• HamOnt
• Jackson Square
• library
• McMaster University
• Mount Hamilton Hospital
• West Harbourfront