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St. George’s Benevolent Society of Hamilton started as a fraternal organization that formed on April 17, 1843, and officially became incorporated in 1862. Its namesake was England’s legendary patron Saint George, whose piety and charitable works towards others were characteristics emulated by members. The purpose of the Society was to practice benevolence towards the less fortunate by assisting the poor and new immigrants from England and Wales, providing a social outlet for these newcomers, and promoting a sense of patriotism and national sentiment in its members of English and Welsh descent. Many members considered it an honour to be part of the St. George’s Benevolent Society of Hamilton, and its ranks included many prominent and elite citizens such as mayors, professionals, and influential men of commerce and industry. Other members had been previously assisted by the Society and wanted the opportunity to return the favour when their financial situations improved. The members believed very strongly in their duty to assist their countrymen from England and Wales, who struggled in their new home. Members were reminded of the difficulties and loneliness some of them or their ancestors faced when they immigrated to Canada and therefore, wanted to ensure a firm means of social and financial support for newcomers, so they could better adjust to their new country and city. Members donated money and volunteered their time to canvass funds among the public to provide relief in the form of “Christmas Cheer” baskets containing beef, bread, flour, sugar, tea and raisins, as well other essential items such as clothing, shoes, furniture and fuel needed throughout the year. At its peak, the Society was able to provide hundreds of baskets to deserving individuals and families annually, showcasing the generosity of the members and the public, but also the dire need in the community. Member volunteers thoroughly investigated cases of need before distributing money or Christmas baskets to ensure the need was legitimate and to ensure proper stewardship of funds entrusted to the organization by its members and the public. Initially, relief was provided only to those of English and Welsh origin, but by 1912, the by-laws were amended to allow for the provision of emergency relief to people irrespective of nationality. The humanitarian work of the Society and other benevolent organizations was very important and necessary as these organizations existed in a time before the availability of government assisted programs of support. Poverty was a constant presence for many people, especially immigrants to a new land, and the fear and shame of coming to rest in a pauper’s grave prompted the Society to also purchase plots in the Hamilton Cemetery on York Boulevard, marked with the Cross of St. George, to provide dignified burials for those who died penniless, or without family.

Before the First World War, the Society boasted a membership of well over 1000 active individuals, including a record 1219 members in 1907, who attended meetings and participated in various social events such as annual dinners, the Festival of St. George and Trafalgar Day Celebrations, as well as made annual public appeals for funds to raise money for the charity. Appeals were consistent every year except during and right after the First World War when little was asked from the public due to the hardships brought on by the conflict, and to the high unemployment post war. Membership and funds dwindled during the war as money was tight and members were called up or volunteered to serve, with some making the ultimate sacrifice. Although the charitable work diminished during the war, patriotic work increased with the Society providing comforts and care packages to the soldiers overseas, many of whom were former British citizens who had moved to Canada and enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force when England called. During the war, the Society promoted projects such as recruiting for the C.E.F., as well as raising money for the Save a Soldier Fund, the Patriotic Fund and the Red Cross. Even with fewer members and funds during the war years, minutes from 1916 reveal that the Society was still able to provide 85 Christmas baskets helping over 400 Hamilton residents, including 235 children who received oranges and candies. By the 1920s, membership was at half its peak pre-war, but the Society was still vibrant, and its impact was still felt through its charitable works. After the Second World War, a rise in government supported assistance programs and a shift away from the traditional ties to England impacted the Society’s original purpose. By the 1970s, membership lists indicate the Society had around 190 members. In 1985, the membership was open to women and in 1993, the first female president was elected. That same year, the members of the Society formed a Renewal Committee with the purpose of reviewing the organization’s mission and goals, and reflecting on whether its objectives needed revision given the changing nature of Canadian society. Although the focus at that point was still on the British roots and heritage of the organization, the membership opened to anyone of any nationality who supported the goals of the charity. Today, the St. George’s Benevolent Society of Hamilton operates out of Dundas, Ontario and has a smaller, but meaningful presence in the community by supporting local causes that enhance community well-being. The Society and its members support and promote health and wellness programs, educational programs that enhance opportunities for children and youth, and also support social services that help vulnerable populations, continuing a long and proud tradition of benevolence.

George Sorbara was a graduate of Westdale Secondary School found in Westdale Village, a suburb of Hamilton. He participated in high school activities such as stage productions and the football team. After graduation, George Sorbara joined the Hamilton Hurricanes, a member of the Canadian Junior Football League. He was part of the Championship winning 1972 team which defeated the defending champs Regina Rams in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

During and after the First World War, many soldiers returning from the front wounded in mind and body needed assistance to provide for themselves and their families. Social assistance programs were non-existent during this period, so returning veterans who struggled to reintegrate into civilian life faced extreme hardships and destitution, along with their families. The province of Ontario established the Soldiers’ Aid Commission on November 10, 1915, to address this emerging issue and to support the needs of veterans, who had given so much for their country during the war. The early mandate of the Commission was to provide emergency financial assistance to returning soldiers, with a focus on the sick and wounded. As soldiers began to return home it became apparent that their needs included more than just emergency assistance. What started as emergency financial assistance, evolved into various avenues of support that also included retraining, education, rehabilitation, employment assistance, childcare arrangements, and pension advocacy. Due to the large number of returning veterans, the SAC set up various branches across the province to provide local assistance.

The Hamilton branch of the SAC was established on January 15, 1917. The aim of the branch was to support veterans through various initiatives such as hospital visits, providing comfort to dying veterans, visiting soldiers and their dependents in their homes, providing for dependent or orphaned children of the servicemen, providing loans and other financial assistance, retraining and re-educating for new employment, helping veterans secure their former employment, and advocating for fair wages and for pensions. Overall, the SAC and all its branches championed the rights of returning veterans with various needs, and worked to ensure that the general public understood that the help received by the returning soldiers was not charity, but entitlement. The veterans had earned this assistance for their service and sacrifices. Although the various branches of the SAC are no longer in existence, the Soldiers’ Aid Commission continued to provide support throughout the Second World War and the Korean War, and continues to help Ontario veterans to the present day.

In 1994, Goldshower Recording Company was created by Jean Paul Gauthier. Two years later, the company was renamed September Seventh Entertainment Ltd. The company hosted and produced concerts and events in the Hamilton area, and, most notably produced concerts for Daniel Lanois for over ten years. Under the direction of Jean-Paul Gauthier, September Seventh Entertainment Ltd. created the Hamilton Music Scene festival, the Hamilton Music Awards and the Harvest Picnic festival.

Founded in 1897 by C.L.M. Harris as the Hamilton Conservatory of Music (HCM), the conservatory provided higher education in music with focus in piano, strings, winds, organ and guitar, as well as art, physical culture, dance, musical kindergarten and elocution. The conservatory was originally located in the former home of Robert Steele, and in 1899, the conservatory moved to Main and Charles Streets. In 1904, the conservatory moved to its permanent home on James Street South with studio space on the first floor, a recital hall on the second floor, and a meeting room in the basement.

Under Harris' directorship, the conservatory was incorporated by the province of Ontario in 1902, and two years later was affiliated with the University of Toronto as a means to prepare students for the Bachelor in Music from the university. The affiliation ended in 1918, when the HCM began to offer a competing system of examinations. Harris was succeeded by J.E.P. Aldous, W.H. Hewlett, and Bruce Carey who oversaw the administrative functions of the conservatory and presented internationally known artists in the recital hall. After Carey resigned, Hewlett began the first principal of the conservatory.

On May 15, 1965, the conservatory received a royal charter and changed its name to the Royal Hamilton College of Music. During this process, the conservatory renamed its associate diploma (AHCM) in piano, violin, voice, speech arts and drama to ARHCM, and expanded to offer a licentiate diploma (LRHCM) and an honorary fellow's degree (FRHCM).

The conservatory expanded its program to include courses in Suzuki string method, jazz, theatre, and the visual arts. The conservatory also physically grew to offer five branches in the Hamilton area and maintained branches in Windsor, Leamington and Oakville, Ontario.

The college closed in 1980 due to financial problems.

The Royal Court Entertainers were an amateur concert party consisting of nine members: Mary Hanson, Dorothy Sommerville, Hazel Phillips, Mary Grant, Ethel Morris, Frederick Davidson, Howard Wilson Jerome, Richard Fairs, and Leslie Sommerville. From 1937-1941, they performed old fashioned choruses, humorous sketches and dances for personal parties, garden parties and group events.

The Player’s Guild of Hamilton was founded in 1875 as the Hamilton Garrick Club after founder David Garrick. After a period of decline post-World War 1, the club was re-established by Caroline Crerar in 1929 under the name ‘The Player’s Guild’. In 1951 the guild bought the property at Queens Street South and Jackson Street West and remained at the location ever since.

The Birth Control Society of Hamilton, later Planned Parenthood, was the first clinic of its kind in Canada. The clinic opened March 3, 1932 to disseminate family planning information and contraceptives. The clinic operated outside of Canadian law until 1969 when its practices were decriminalized by act of parliament.

The Otis Elevator Company was founded in the United States in 1811 by Elisha Otis. In 1902 it expanded into Canada, setting up headquarters in Hamilton forming the Canadian Otis Elevator Company. However, it was in direct competition with the Canadian Fensom Elevator Company for the limited Canadian market. Rather than competing for market shares in a small market, both companies agreed to merge in 1905 under the name, Otis-Fensom Elevator Company Limited. The company flourished in the following years, playing a significant manufacturing role in the two world wars. In 1949, the company renamed itself the Otis Elevator Company Limited. Otis Elevator is a subsidiary of the American Otis Elevator Company, which itself is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation.

The Optimist Club was first founded in Louisville, Kentucky in 1919. The first Hamilton branch of the Optimist Club was founded in 1924. The Optimist Club of Hamilton is the second oldest of the chartered Optimist Clubs in Canada. As a service club, the Optimists work towards the betterment of their community with a focus on the youth. Examples of Optimist Club works include Bike-A-Thons, garden and ladies’ nights, fundraisers and tournaments. Currently, there are more than 3 chartered Optimists Clubs operating in the Hamilton area, serving their community.

Opera Hamilton was founded in 1980. Prior to its creation in 1976, Italian opera companies were invited to perform for Hamilton's Festitalia, a celebration of Italian culture. Due to the problems and costs associated with importing entire productions from Italy, Festitalia decided to produce its own operas starting in 1979. The following year Opera Hamilton was created with plans to perform two productions annually at Hamilton Place. At the end of their first season, Steven Thomas was appointed artistic director, Boris Brott was musical director, and the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra was the resident orchestra. Opera Hamilton also had agreements with CHCH TV to broadcast a television production of one opera each year.

Conductor Daniel Lipton was appointed to the role of artistic director for the 1986-7 season. Under his leadership, the company improved many aspects of its productions and continued to build a strong audience on the foundations of Italian 19th-century opera. In addition to standard repertoire, Lipton introduced the successful 'Popera' concerts in 1987 to showcase leading operatic soloists, including many Canadians, in concert performances of popular operatic excerpts. In 1989, Lipton expanded the Opera Hamilton season to three productions.

In 1995, plans to expand and share resources with the nearby city of Kitchener led to the creation of the operatic partnership known as Opera Ontario. As Opera Ontario, the company began to mount its productions in Hamilton and repeat them in Kitchener. The company announced their claim for bankruptcy in January of 2014 and ceased operations following years of financial struggles.

The Hamilton Unit of the Nursing Sisters’ Association of Canada was formed in 1927, seven years after the formation of its parent organization, the Overseas Nursing Sisters’ Association of Canada. Nursing sisters had been around since the 19th century serving at home during rebellions and skirmishes, and abroad during the war in South Africa, but there was no formal medical unit within the military until June 1899, when the Militia Army Medical Department was created that included a nursing unit. Outside of the military, there were various groups and clubs of nursing sisters existing around the country, which provided members with the opportunity to socialize and reminisce about their experiences. By the First World War, an official Canadian Army Medical Corps was established, which included nursing sisters called “bluebirds” because of their uniforms. These women held the military rank of lieutenant and served alongside their male counterparts in hospitals and casualty clearing stations, often experiencing the same hardships and rough conditions as the soldiers they cared for. When the war ended, many of these women wanted to continue the friendships they had made during their service, as well as promote the rights of veterans who had sacrificed for their country. In 1920, the Overseas Nursing Sisters’ Association of Canada was officially formed, and within the decade, many other affiliated sister units emerged around the country, including in Hamilton.

In the early years, only nursing sisters who served overseas were allowed into the membership of individual units and the National Association. During the Second World War, the nursing service expanded to all three branches of the military: navy, army and air force, and there was increased participation on the home front, which swelled the ranks of nursing sisters. In 1946, the Hamilton Unit invited nursing sisters from the Second World War to join their membership. In 1947, the word “overseas” was removed from the title of nursing sister associations, and the mandatory overseas service component was also dropped from the membership requirement, to include all nursing sisters who served at home or abroad, and who were honourably discharged from the branches of the army, navy or air force. Over the years, members of the Hamilton unit came together regularly in fellowship through meetings, luncheons, dinners, and memorial services. Members raised funds for memorials, charities and a nursing scholarship, attended many Remembrance Day ceremonies, and provided aid and comfort to sick, disabled and bereaved nursing sisters. As the years moved on, nursing sisters aged and passed away leaving the organization that once boasted around 100 members after the Second World War, with a dwindling membership of around 15 women. The Hamilton Unit held its last meeting on May 3, 1996, where it officially dissolved. Although disbanded, the remaining members committed to continue unofficially for a few more years until 1998. During that time, they continued an annual social gathering, attended and spoke at Remembrance Day events, and educated young military cadets on their wartime experiences and the importance of never forgetting the true cost of conflict.

The No. 424 Tiger Squadron Fund Committee was established by members of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce during the latter half of the Second World War to provide comforts and care packages for the 500 men of the No. 424 Tiger Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force, who were serving overseas. The committee consisted of C.H. Boothe, President of the T. Eaton Company, who served as Chairman, C.H. Sclater, President of the Tuckett Tobacco Company, H.A. MacLennan, General Manager of the Cardy Hotels chain, T.M. Mayberry, Treasurer of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company of Canada Limited, and President of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, W.B. Powell, President and General Manager of Appleford Paper Products Limited, and William J. McCulloch, Managing Secretary of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce. Under McCulloch’s direction, items of clothing such as pyjamas, sweaters and socks, food such as canned fruit and soup, crackers, fruit cake and peanut butter, candies such as gum, lifesavers and chocolate bars, as well as cigarettes, sporting equipment, razor blades and soap, were ordered from various local Hamilton companies and sent overseas though the Canadian Red Cross Society to the men serving in the squadron from 1944 to 1945. The committee also sent Christmas parcels to each of the men in 1944. Funds were raised by members of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce and orders were filled by employees from companies such as Life Savers Limited, the Tuckett Tobacco Company Limited, William Neilson Limited, and William Wrigley Jr. Company Limited. By the end of the war, the Tiger Squadron Fund Committee had sent 220,000 cigarettes, 10,000 packages of gum, 6,000 packets of lifesavers, 500 Christmas parcels, a football and various other items of food and clothing. The items received were very much appreciated by the men of the squadron and their gratitude was expressed in letters sent home to members of the Tiger Squadron Committee, which had “adopted” the unit as part of the war effort. Various squadrons were adopted by different organizations and charities throughout the country during the war, but few had the reputation of the Tiger Squadron, which was given its name in honour of Hamilton sports teams of the same name. The squadron gained a good reputation for being affectionately cared for and supported by the generosity of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce and its Tiger Squadron Committee. This support was steadfast and only ended when the squadron was officially disbanded on October 15, 1945.