Things To Do In Hamilton For 10$ Or Under Vol. 1.1

Doors Open Hamilton is this weekend.

Uhhh what is Doors Open Hamilton? (from their website):
"The Doors Open program seeks to celebrate, educate and inform citizens and visitors of the importance of the architectural, cultural and historical sites in Hamilton by allowing visitors free access to properties that are either not usually open to the public, or would normally charge an entrance fee. Many locations organize guided tours, displays and activities to enrich the visitor experience."

Uhhh when exactly is this thing?
Saturday May 1 and Sunday May 2 (you have to read about individual sites to see exact hours - but an average is 11-4)

Where can I go, I'm too lazy busy to go to the website and read everything.
Here are a few featured sites to entice you:

• Griffin House
  733 Mineral Springs Road, Ancaster
  In 1834 this simple clapboard house on a hilltop just west of the Hermitage ruins became the homestead of Enerals Griffin believed to have entered Canada through the Underground Railway.
•  Carnegie Gallery
  10 King Street West, Dundas
  The Carnegie Library building was built in the Classic Revival style in c1910, on land donated by Dundas business man Col. Grafton. In 1980, The Dundas Art and Craft Association opened the gallery and shop, showcasing artists and craftsmen of the local region. Now owned by the association, it continues to be a cultural hub for the city of Hamilton. 
• The e-House
  1820 Valens Road, Puslinch
  This e-house (ecological, economic, efficient), completed in 2007, may be the most energy-efficient house in Canada. Designed by its owner, it combines advanced energy-efficient design and construction techniques with affordability, and generates its own electricity. It is often referred to as the “no furnace, off-the-grid house.” 
• School Sisters of Notre Dame
  1921 Snake Road, Waterdown
  Located on the Niagara Escarpment, the School Sisters of Notre Dame open the doors to their magnificent chapel with jewel-like stained glass windows by Yvonne Williams and sculptures by Dora de Pedery-Hunt. A rare opportunity to enjoy the quiet beauty and gracious hospitality of the Motherhouse. 
• Art Gallery of Hamilton
  123 King Street West, Hamilton (at Summers Lane between Bay and MacNab Streets)
  Founded in 1914, the Art Gallery of Hamilton is Ontario's third largest public art gallery and owns one of the finest collections in Canada. In 2010, the AGH is celebrating Vital Africa, a year-long celebration of African arts and culture and its influence on the world. 
• Lincoln Alexander Centre (former Odeon Theatre)
  150 King Street East, Hamilton (at Catharine Street)
  Thirty years ago the Odeon I and II cinemas on this site closed down, victims of the shift of business and entertainment from the core of the city. This year it reopened as Hamilton's finest upscale entertainment hall. Life has come full circle for the downtown block.
• Ormond Green
  56 Ferrie Street West, Hamilton East of Bay Street
  This humble semi-detached worker's cottage has been transformed from a crowded layout of tiny rooms into an open concept living space. Original structural boards and scavenged wood have been re-worked into trim and wainscot. House exemplifies green design. External insulation allows for exposed brick 
• St. Mary's Pro Cathedral
  146 Park Street North, Hamilton (1 block west of James N. at Sheaffe St.)
  Built in 1859-60, St. Mary's retains its original pre-Confederation Gothic Revival character.  The magnificent interior features an elaborately carved high altar, Bavarian stained glass and memorials to Hamilton's first bishops. The imposing red brick exterior is distinguished by a massive bell tower and stone trim. St. Mary's is Hamilton's original Roman Catholic cathedral, celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2010. 
• The Studios at Hotel Hamilton
  195 James Street North, Hamilton (at Mulberry Street)
  Originally built in 1887 as a commercial building and expanded in 1905 to a hotel for soldiers. The building has been revitalized to include 19 studios, a ground floor café, gallery and more. Historical elements that still remain from its colourful past include the hand-laid terrazzo floor and custom plaster ceiling in the ground floor café, exposed brick walls, original fire doors, and high ceilings. 
• Stinson School Lofts
  200 Stinson Street, Hamilton
  Once upon a time schools were important-looking buildings, with baronial architecture, imposing stone walls, arched entrances and grand wooden interiors. Constructed in 1894, Hamilton's Stinson School is amongst the last of its kind. By good fortune the building has been designated historic and is now in the process of conversion into unique residential apartments.
• Whitehern Historic House & Garden
  41 Jackson Street, Hamilton (at MacNab Street South)
  Prominently situated in a walled terraced garden, Whitehern is an outstanding example of a mid-19th century urban estate. The house has a multi-layered character that reflects the alterations made by three generations of the McQuesten family.  Today Whitehern represents the year 1939. View the recently renovated 1850's stable. 
• Workers Arts and Heritage Centre
  51 Stuart Street, Hamilton (near Bay and Barton)
  Workers Arts and Heritage Centre is Canada's only national labour history museum and art gallery.  Housed in Hamilton's Customs House, a national heritage building (1860), WAHC offers an entertaining and educational experience. Celebrate the 150th anniversary of the building and 15th anniversary of the centre with new special guided tours. 
• Gage Park & Tropical House
  Gage Park, Lawrence Road, East of Gage Avenue
  Gage Park is a 30ha park serving the downtown community and hosting city wide special events. Originally designed by H.B. Dunnington-Grubb Landscape Architects in the 1920s, the park contains perennial and rose gardens, tropical and production greenhouses, fountain, band shell, lawn bowling and tennis clubs, baseball fields, children's playground and the Hamilton Children's Museum. 
• St. Nicholas' Serbian Orthodox Church
  1415 Barton Street East, Hamilton (at Division Street)
  In the shadow of factories, amid the bustle of traffic, there is a place steeped in history, spirituality and beauty.  Home of eastern Canada's oldest Serbian Orthodox Parish, the church's architecture celebrates the Serbo-Byzantine style. The interior features masterpieces of fresco iconography and traditional woodcarving in the Orthodox tradition. 
• Dundurn National Historic Site
  610 York Boulevard, Hamilton (at Dundurn Street)
  The former home of Sir Allan MacNab, lawyer, soldier, businessman and politician embodies the picturesque movement in Canada. Visit the re-created mid-Victorian kitchen garden and landscape. Tour the newly restored Dining Room with 1830's paint scheme. Also on site the 1835 Cockpit, the only known North American structure of this type. 
• McMaster Museum of Art
  1280 Main Street West, Hamilton (at Sterling & Forsyth)
  Opened in 1950, the Museum of Art is a hidden gem among Canadian galleries. A bequest in 1990 by Herman Levy added many key pieces to the collection, including Monet's Waterloo Bridge and Van Gogh's Still Life with Ginger Jar and Onions. It also boasts the world's largest collection of German Expressionist Art. 
• McMaster Nuclear Reactor
  1280 Main Street West, Hamilton (at Sterling & Forsyth)
  The McMaster Nuclear Reactor (MNR) opened in 1959 as the first university-based research reactor in the British Commonwealth. Today, it is used for research by students, academics, small and international businesses, and in the production of medical isotopes used to treat prostate cancer. 

So, go to www.doorsopenhamilton.ca and read more details.  Figure out what you want to see, when those things are open and plan your routes.  Many of these places charge admission during the rest of the year, or are simply not open to the public.  Go see a fresco, go get a tour that gives you a rich history lesson and insite into the city you live in, go be inspired by a green/eco house, go see a Van Gogh, go see how life is being breathed back into Hamilton through the reinvention of historic buildings.  Frescos, Van Gogh and the possibility of refreshments - all for a zero dollar admission price.  You can't really go wrong here.

Protests and Explosions

Last Friday night was an explosive night of civil unrest.  Of course, by this I mean that there was a busker protest and a fireworks conference demonstration.

It seems some buskers got fined under some sort of panhandling by-law.  Now totally trying to avoid a PR nightmare or artistic riots coincidentally the city of Hamilton started looking at putting a licensing system into place for buskers/street performers.  Alors, the artistic community wished to say "up yours" to "the man" and approximately 40 buskers took to the (James) street (North) on Friday.

Some evidence:

The Canadian Fireworks Association held their annual convention in Hamilton this year.  With the conference came 3 hours of commercial product demonstrations, competition fireworks, and a lovely display of pyrotechnics that one would need a license to purchase.

Some evidence:

You Can't Go Back To Constantinople, Or Work For Lakeport

I'm not an expert on labour relations.  But here is what I think is going down (there is a lot some bias towards the workers):

• Labatts bought Lakeport a few years ago
• Labatts called the workers in and told them 3 weeks from now y'all are out of a job, we're closing the plant
• 143 people lose their jobs
• Labatts says the plant and its equipment are old and inefficient and it's moving the equipment to other plants
• Labatts has the lease on the plant until next May and say they are open to someone else taking over the lease as long as it's not another brewer - much like someone holding a lease to a bowling alley, taking the pins and balls out and saying anyone can move in, just as long as you don't try and have a bowling alley going in there
• 3 different brewers have put in offers and have been rejected by Labbats

I stopped by a wee rally in support of the workers last week.  Here are a few pics...

For The Visual Learner

What Google Images has to say about "1500"

Let's Make It A Theme

I googled 1500 in honour of Monday's 1500th post.  Here are some of the results:

• the year 1500 was a leap year and started on a Wednesday
• a map of Europe in the year 1500
• a lot of chatter about Kristina Groves winning the 1500m women's speed skating gold at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics
• a well advertised Dodge Ram 1500
• a February 2010 outbreak of mumps among Orthodox Jews in New York and New Jersey that surpassed 1500 cases

Aren't you glad I shared all of that?

Fifteen Hundred

Well holy crap.  This is my fifteen hundredth post.  Can you believe what an unbelievable waste of time contribution to society fifteen hundred blog posts is?  That is one thousand five hundred.  Do you understand this?  I'm not sure I can even comprehend this internet bytery.

Every once in a while I go back and read some of my earliest posts.  They suck.  Like suck haaaaaard.  Though at times they are a long ad for the Pita Pit or injuring annoying people.  Doing the second one would be a lucrative vocation if one could get beyond the law.  I'm still working on it.  But it didn't work for that one angel in Dogma, soooo I'm not working too hard.

This blog has gone through at least 3 different colour schemes, 3 different names.  At times (usually when I was supposed to be writing papers) there were multiple times a day.  Occaisionally I would take a few weeks off of entertaining and inspiring.  Most of the time I can adhere to a self imposed Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule (how many brains just exploded when I said that - yup, there is a rhythm to my madness).

The blog has been an updater; a sharing vehicle; an outlet for my angst, rage, sorrow, humour, etc.  I'll admit that the dawn of facebook has hit my numbers.  Though it's not surprising that a blog that has no real point would struggle to survive.

I'll keep posting my brand of humour, biasedly pushing things I'm interested in, and sharing the ridiculous.  Maybe I'll make it to 3000. 

Peace.

Sometimes Spring Can Make You Smile

Dark Nights, Bright Lights

The First Robyn Of Spring Has Flown The Coup

One of my roommates, Robyn is gone for the next month for a teaching placement. She is lovely. I (and the rest of the house) will miss her.

Baseball Is Lovely

1. If you love the Jays, like the Leafs, they will tease your heart for a few months, then rip it out and poop on it.  Just sayin'.
2. My brother is making his triumphant return to men's baseball this summer with the Howe Sound Cannons of the North Shore Men's Baseball Association.
3. I still miss the Expos.

Some People Are Still Suffering

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More Great Parenting Advice

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