Wow. I wished all these old buildings in downtown were not destroyed for the modernist, car-oriented, urban revitalization bs of the 1960s-80s (Im talking to you, Mayors Vic Copps and Lloyd Jackson). Look at what a failure it was for downtown Hamilton
Fuck that. The buildings along gore park are all infested with cockroaches because theyre 100 years old and rotting behind the walls (i know this because i work around there). I wish they would tear all that shit down. The problem is modern architectural design looks like dogshit so itd probably be replaced with generic glass/concrete building
Looked like everyone had a job then but in hindsight when few had any real education to speak of once these great jobs ended or closed up everyone was stuck in a fast growing mess
Mechanization. Hamilton still produces lots of steel but now with less people. Also the car. People had the opportunity to move to the suburbs (which are very nice).
Many from this time refer to Hamilton as a ghetto now. The Character of these neighborhoods have changed,so have its people, as the jobs are warehouses of yesterday sit empty.
A little before my time. But not by much. I remember the old city hall and market street, but on fortunately the memories are starting to fade away. I love these old films they sure bring every thing back. Thank you!
Wow, I can’t believe this was Hamilton at one time! It looks booming and prosperous. Glad to see some of the buildings are still around even if they are derelict.
Hamilton's decline is the same story as Detroit, Gary, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore. But Hamilton didn't fall through the floor like those cities did (Pittsburgh is still pretty good though).
Hamilton was the manufacturing mecca/epicenter of Canada....Hamilton in the 30s 40s 50s 60s and 70s was what Toronto is today.....in fact, Hamilton was the pollution Capital of Canada, now it's Toronto.....so many industries have left. Such a shame.
I commuted to Hamilton in the late 80s and saw the area in the video daily. Watch that area of Jackson's Square go to hell in the handbag. It is so sad to watch the video....
HPL: Thank you for sharing this on-line. I was not aware that moving pictures of the Hamilton of years gone by existed. More like this please, if you can find them.
@@adawhyte4162 I know. Having witnessed it's demise l finally moved away this summer. It's so sad what Hamilton has become. It really was one of the best places in the world to be a few decades ago. At one point there were 80 factories doing a booming business! Everyone who wanted a job had one, the streets were safe. Post WW2 it was a wonderful place to buy a home, start a family, save money and live well. The decline really hit around 2008 when the steel industry collapsed. I hung on as long as I could until I realized the whole 'revitalization of Hamilton' was a lie - it just meant massive rent and housing price hikes, tent encampments, fewer job opportunities, people using the street as a toilet, higher crime, then the 'sanctuary city' laws came in, then this so called Pandemic...l couldn't take it anymore.
Great footage. I saw the last vestiges of this Hamilton when I first went there as a kid in the early 80s. The Kresges, the busy streets. I recognize every location.
We left Hamilton in 1970... noticed the Lake dying a few years earlier. It is sad to see now. However, my three old Schools are still remaining as so is the house I was raised in.
And yet we keep getting preached that we live in a better progressive and inclusive society where everything in this video is bad--except the two streets.
What a shame. The city really pushed out businesses. NDP and Liberals keep paying welfare for lazy people that have been taught to have no ambition and no respect towards society. Drug dealers, mobsters and gangs replaced hardworking business entrepreneurs. Helping them pushes businesses out. Who wants to invest in a downtown with these kind of problems. Most people don't care including the councillors. Doing business with Hamilton and most cities in the GTA is truly an obsitical. Rents, Taxes, Insurance, building fees, credit card fees, construction permits are way too high for business owners to take a chance. Help businesses and then you will see results. Sorry if I have insulted anyone.
It was Brian Mulroney's Conservative Government that introduced Free Trade Agreement with the US in 1988, which in turn allowed a large number of factories to relocate south of the border killing the big industry, well remunerated jobs in Hamilton. Ensuring that people aren't destitute is hardly the cause of Hamilton's economic demise.
This film, or portions thereof, was likely filmed between 1948 - 1950. There are no streetcar tracks shown on James south of King, and streetcars were removed from this section in 1947 (they ran out Aberdeen, terminating east of Longwood Road). It's wonderful to know that in a few years streetcars will again be passing Gore Park, as they did in this wonderful film.
![Toronto, Canada 1920s in color [60fps, Remastered] w/sound design added](/img/1.gif)
Born in Hamilton in 1946 ...this is the beautiful city l grew up in..left in 62. Many great memories l am one of the lucky ones!!
Wow. I wished all these old buildings in downtown were not destroyed for the modernist, car-oriented, urban revitalization bs of the 1960s-80s (Im talking to you, Mayors Vic Copps and Lloyd Jackson). Look at what a failure it was for downtown Hamilton
Fuck that. The buildings along gore park are all infested with cockroaches because theyre 100 years old and rotting behind the walls (i know this because i work around there). I wish they would tear all that shit down. The problem is modern architectural design looks like dogshit so itd probably be replaced with generic glass/concrete building
I totally agree! It's a tragedy, forsure!
Looked like everyone had a job then but in hindsight when few had any real education to speak of once these great jobs ended or closed up everyone was stuck in a fast growing mess
wonderful
3:11 - MARKET SQUARE... a whole Other World (and yet it's Hamilton too).. :(
My god. What happened to this town.
Hamilton became a welfare state
Free Trade.
Once the big factories could move down to the southern US and Mexico and pay their labor force less there was no need to stay in Hamilton.
Mechanization.
Hamilton still produces lots of steel but now with less people.
Also the car.
People had the opportunity to move to the suburbs (which are very nice).
Too bad there's no sound
It would be really nice with sound, but there isn't any on the original recording.
What happened to Hamilton…
This is at least 1952, not 1946.
Ugh thank GOD we liberalized this city and made it more diverse, now its perfect!
Many from this time refer to Hamilton as a ghetto now. The Character of these neighborhoods have changed,so have its people, as the jobs are warehouses of yesterday sit empty.
OMG! Who else wants to cry watching this....
Shopped at the farmers market with my mom and dad it was awesome.
@@adawhyte4162 If only I was born 60 years earlier :(
A little before my time. But not by much. I remember the old city hall and market street, but on fortunately the memories are starting to fade away. I love these old films they sure bring every thing back. Thank you!
Wow, I can’t believe this was Hamilton at one time!
It looks booming and prosperous. Glad to see some of the buildings are still around even if they are derelict.
Hamilton's decline is the same story as Detroit, Gary, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore. But Hamilton didn't fall through the floor like those cities did (Pittsburgh is still pretty good though).
Hamilton was the manufacturing mecca/epicenter of Canada....Hamilton in the 30s 40s 50s 60s and 70s was what Toronto is today.....in fact, Hamilton was the pollution Capital of Canada, now it's Toronto.....so many industries have left. Such a shame.
@@Etaoinshrdlu69 it hasn't fallen through the floor YET.
@@Etaoinshrdlu69Hamilton is a shit stain on Ontario. I'll leave one way or another.
Love the look of the old Piggott building,my great grandfather was a masonry foreman on that building, a little proud.
I commuted to Hamilton in the late 80s and saw the area in the video daily. Watch that area of Jackson's Square go to hell in the handbag. It is so sad to watch the video....
No one talking on their cell phones
HPL: Thank you for sharing this on-line. I was not aware that moving pictures of the Hamilton of years gone by existed. More like this please, if you can find them.
It's disappointing how much was torn down in downtown and simply turned into parking lots.
The Hammer brings tears to My eyes the good old days everybody had jobs what a hub of commerce now just a waste land...
So sad to see what our downtown has become😦😢 today
@@adawhyte4162 I know. Having witnessed it's demise l finally moved away this summer. It's so sad what Hamilton has become. It really was one of the best places in the world to be a few decades ago. At one point there were 80 factories doing a booming business! Everyone who wanted a job had one, the streets were safe. Post WW2 it was a wonderful place to buy a home, start a family, save money and live well. The decline really hit around 2008 when the steel industry collapsed. I hung on as long as I could until I realized the whole 'revitalization of Hamilton' was a lie - it just meant massive rent and housing price hikes, tent encampments, fewer job opportunities, people using the street as a toilet, higher crime, then the 'sanctuary city' laws came in, then this so called Pandemic...l couldn't take it anymore.
And white
Decline started in the early 90s with the end of the Cold War.
@@John-sk8cm Hamilton is past its low point. Hamilton has a future as a suburb of Toronto.
Hamilton was beautiful at one time what happened?
Politicians, that's what.
So many people downtown
Great footage. I saw the last vestiges of this Hamilton when I first went there as a kid in the early 80s. The Kresges, the busy streets. I recognize every location.
I believe this was from 1949 or 1950 as there are Ford, Chev and Pontiac cars from those years. Great part of our history that should make us smile
As our generation looks back, we see our veterans returning home to a peaceful life. This was their time.
Some of those big buildings and the churches are still there. I notice there's no traffic lights.
What the hell happened? lol
Is this hamilton ohio?
We left Hamilton in 1970... noticed the Lake dying a few years earlier.
It is sad to see now. However, my three old Schools are still remaining as so is the house I was raised in.
There's that statue of John A. now destroyed and erased. What barbarians!
Much of these building still stand today. At 2:50 is the old Birk's clock. It was restored and moved inside to the Farmer's Market.
This is Hamilton?! Hamilton Ontario? Looks so clean and organized! The people look clean and dress good.
And yet we keep getting preached that we live in a better progressive and inclusive society where everything in this video is bad--except the two streets.
So it was a real city at one time before city hall screwed it up
1:04 - Light Rail Transit (LRT) Version 1.0
Hey there, do you have a higher resolution version of this video?
Good question and thanks for watching! We'll do some digging and see what options we've got. - Team HPL
What a shame. The city really pushed out businesses. NDP and Liberals keep paying welfare for lazy people that have been taught to have no ambition and no respect towards society. Drug dealers, mobsters and gangs replaced hardworking business entrepreneurs. Helping them pushes businesses out. Who wants to invest in a downtown with these kind of problems. Most people don't care including the councillors. Doing business with Hamilton and most cities in the GTA is truly an obsitical. Rents, Taxes, Insurance, building fees, credit card fees, construction permits are way too high for business owners to take a chance. Help businesses and then you will see results. Sorry if I have insulted anyone.
It was Brian Mulroney's Conservative Government that introduced Free Trade Agreement with the US in 1988, which in turn allowed a large number of factories to relocate south of the border killing the big industry, well remunerated jobs in Hamilton. Ensuring that people aren't destitute is hardly the cause of Hamilton's economic demise.
This film, or portions thereof, was likely filmed between 1948 - 1950. There are no streetcar tracks shown on James south of King, and streetcars were removed from this section in 1947 (they ran out Aberdeen, terminating east of Longwood Road). It's wonderful to know that in a few years streetcars will again be passing Gore Park, as they did in this wonderful film.
A video record of what "Urban Renewal" destroyed.