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The Head-of-the-Lake Historical Society was established in 1944, when Lieutenant Colonel Charles R. McCullough convened a meeting of historically-minded residents of Hamilton to discuss the establishment of a new local history society to replace the former Wentworth Historical Society (1889-1925). The Head-of-the-Lake Historical Society exists to promote Hamilton’s history through its motto: Explore, Preserve, Relate. The Society holds regular meetings and annual Heritage Day dinner celebrations, as well as outreach activities such as lectures and day outings to local historical sites. The Society has collected and preserved historical photographs of the Hamilton area, many of which have been included in its publications on Hamilton history. In partnership with the Hamilton Historical Board, the Society has sponsored several historical plaques to commemorate important people and events in the city of Hamilton and the surrounding region. The Society has also been actively involved in restoring important historical landmarks such as the incorporation of the Old City Hall clock into the Hamilton Eaton’s Centre, and the Gore Park Fountain in downtown Hamilton.

Harold Harrison was born 1902 in Chorley, Lancashire, England to Margaret and John Harrison. His musical career began at the age of 5 years old. When Harold was 16, he had his own 16 piece orchestra consisting of his siblings and other musicians where they played at the Winter Gardens in Manchester, England. In 1922, Harold emigrated to Canada. The following year, he became the pit pianist at the Savoy Theatre in Hamilton, Ontario, and eventually became the orchestra leader. In 1927, was unemployed as a result of the popularity of talking movies. During the Depression, Harold worked as a projectionist at different movie theatres throughout the city. In 1939, he joined the Canadian Royal Air Force and toured Canada as their pianist. Upon returning from the air force, Harold returned to Hamilton and worked at the skyway drive-in theatre. He also played piano at various legions, in particular the Lancashire Club in Hamilton. Harold retired from playing music in 1967.

Harold married Ethel (nee Gartside) in 1926 and they had three children: Harold Winston (1929), Ronald Derwyn (1932), and Gene Sherwood (1942).

Founded in January 2006 as the Hammer City Roller Girls, this league was are the first not-for-profit, skater operated, flat track roller derby league in Canada. On July 22, 2006, in Burlington’s Central Arena, the league was founded by Lasha “Whiplasha” Laskowsky and a group of skaters where they held the first modern public roller derby bout in Canada. Hammer City has established itself as a competitive, hard-hitting league. The roller derby season is annually from March to June.

The Hamilton Savoyard Operatic Society was founded in 1929 by Thomas Ashworth. The Society' purpose was to stage Gilbert and Sullivan's Victorian comedic operas, and opened with the production H.M.S. Pinafore at Delta Collegiate in Hamilton. The Society performed at many local venues, including the Westdale Theatre, and the Grand Opera House on James Street North.

In 1949, the Society changed their name to the Hamilton Savoyards after acquiring new members from the Hamilton Musical Arts Society. The group disbanded briefly in 1957 and was re-established in 1961 under the same direction of Thomas Ashworth. In 1966, the Savoyards changed their repertoire from only reproducing Gilbert and Sullivan comedic opera productions, to a variety of styles to show their theatrical flexibility.

The Hamilton Savoyards merged with the Hamilton Theatre Company to expand their musical productions. The Company eventually was incorporated to become Hamilton Theatre Inc., a group that currently holds its headquarters at 140 MacNab Street North and continues to entertain the Hamilton community.

The Hamilton Poetry Centre was established in 1983 as a not-for-profit, volunteer run organization in Hamilton, Ontario, for the purpose of promoting and furthering the appreciation of poetry writing in the city. The Centre conducts poetry writing workshops and hosts Canada Council-sponsored poetry and author readings within the community.

In 1961, the Hamilton Opera Company was founded by the soprano June Kowalchuk and the former D'Oyly Carte singer Clifford Cox. The Gypsy Baron was the group’s first production, which was performed at Hill Park High School. The Hamilton Opera Company had three directors: George Crum, Music Director at Canada’s National Ballet School, Lee Hepner, former conductor of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, and William Santor. From 1970 to 1972, the company collaborated with the Mohawk College Opera Workshop to offset the lack of a suitable theatre, of local musicians experienced in opera, and of funds. After 1972, the company disbanded, and its supporting body, the Hamilton Opera Corporation, transferred to Mohawk College's opera productions.

The Hamilton Naturalists’ Club is a not-for profit organization dedicated to preserving, protecting and promoting the natural environment of Hamilton, Ontario and the surrounding areas, through education and activism. The Club was first established in 1918, and was officially incorporated as the Hamilton Bird Protection Society in 1919. The Club’s original function was to protect and preserve birds and bird habitats from extinction. Over time, members of the Club broadened their scope to include all aspects of the natural world, changing their name to the Hamilton Nature Club. This name remained in place until 1959, when they officially became known as the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club. Since the early days of the organization, members have been instrumental in raising awareness and securing the protection of the environment such as the 1927 designation of Cootes Paradise as a wildlife sanctuary by a Provincial Government order. In 1961, the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club became the first conservation society and not-for-profit organization in Canada to purchase land in perpetuity for nature and wildlife sanctuaries. For the past century, the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club and its members have worked to protect and preserve the environment through their conservation projects and programs, playing an active role in environmental issues that affect the local community.

The Hamilton Naturalists’ Club is a not-for profit organization dedicated to preserving, protecting and promoting the natural environment of Hamilton, Ontario and the surrounding areas, through education and activism. The Club was first established in 1918, and was officially incorporated as the Hamilton Bird Protection Society in 1919. The Club’s original function was to protect and preserve birds and bird habitats from extinction. Over time, members of the Club broadened their scope to include all aspects of the natural world, changing their name to the Hamilton Nature Club. This name remained in place until 1959, when they officially became known as the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club. Since the early days of the organization, members have been instrumental in raising awareness and securing the protection of the environment such as the 1927 designation of Cootes Paradise as a wildlife sanctuary by a Provincial Government order. In 1961, the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club became the first conservation society and not-for-profit organization in Canada to purchase land in perpetuity for nature and wildlife sanctuaries. For the past century, the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club and its members have worked to protect and preserve the environment through their conservation projects and programs, playing an active role in environmental issues that affect the local community.

The Hamilton Naturalists’ Club is a not-for profit organization dedicated to preserving, protecting and promoting the natural environment of Hamilton, Ontario and the surrounding areas, through education and activism. The Club was first established in 1918, and was officially incorporated as the Hamilton Bird Protection Society in 1919. The Club’s original function was to protect and preserve birds and bird habitats from extinction. Over time, members of the Club broadened their scope to include all aspects of the natural world, changing their name to the Hamilton Nature Club. This name remained in place until 1959, when they officially became known as the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club. Since the early days of the organization, members have been instrumental in raising awareness and securing the protection of the environment such as the 1927 designation of Cootes Paradise as a wildlife sanctuary by a Provincial Government order. In 1961, the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club became the first conservation society and not-for-profit organization in Canada to purchase land in perpetuity for nature and wildlife sanctuaries. For the past century, the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club and its members have worked to protect and preserve the environment through their conservation projects and programs, playing an active role in environmental issues that affect the local community.

The Hamilton Naturalists’ Club is a not-for profit organization dedicated to preserving, protecting and promoting the natural environment of Hamilton, Ontario and the surrounding areas, through education and activism. The Club was first established in 1918, and was officially incorporated as the Hamilton Bird Protection Society in 1919. The Club’s original function was to protect and preserve birds and bird habitats from extinction. Over time, members of the Club broadened their scope to include all aspects of the natural world, changing their name to the Hamilton Nature Club. This name remained in place until 1959, when they officially became known as the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club. Since the early days of the organization, members have been instrumental in raising awareness and securing the protection of the environment such as the 1927 designation of Cootes Paradise as a wildlife sanctuary by a Provincial Government order. In 1961, the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club became the first conservation society and not-for-profit organization in Canada to purchase land in perpetuity for nature and wildlife sanctuaries. For the past century, the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club and its members have worked to protect and preserve the environment through their conservation projects and programs, playing an active role in environmental issues that affect the local community.

The Hamilton Musical Arts Society was a musical group that performed classic operatic works, as well as Gilbert & Sullivan pieces. From 1938-1949, they operated under the direction of conductor Leslie Sommerville. In 1949, the group disbanded and many of the members subsequently joined the Hamilton Savoyard Operatic Society.

The Hamilton Cricket Club is one Canada’s oldest cricket clubs still in existence. It was formed in 1847. It was one of the inaugural members of the Hamilton and District Cricket League in 1921. In 1958 membership allowed for the formation of a ‘B’ team in competitions. The club experienced dominance in the league in the 60’s and 70’s with the club winning almost every year. Membership waned in the 80’s and 90’s, as the ‘B’ team was dropped. However a resurgence of interest in the sport has allowed for a second team (Colts) to be reformed.

The Hamilton Cotton Company was a primary cotton producer, starting its operations with raw cotton from the United States, Mexico and Brazil. It was founded in 1880 but its history reaches back to the early 1870s in Dundas where brothers James M. Young, the eldest son of a prominent Hamilton merchant family, and Hamilton Young learned the business at the Dundas Cotton mills. Production expanded in the 20th century. The Young family strengthened its holdings in Hamilton and added plants in Marysville, New Brunswick, Montreal, Quebec, Trenton and Woodbridge, Ontario. Some of the products of the company included cotton yarns, dyed or undyed, blend yarns, woven cloth, wrapping twines, cotton and synthetic braided cords, twisted ropes, and laces. The numerous buildings of the Hamilton Cotton Company stood behind the Malcolm & Souter plant on Mary Street. The main plant of the company was located on Mary Street North in Hamilton, Ontario and was sub-divided into three separate mill units: The Yarn and Cloth division, the Dyeing division, and the Narrow Fabrics Division. By 1970, the name of the business changed to Hamilton Group Limited.

The Hamilton Board of Trade was formed at a public meeting held at the Royal Exchange Hotel on April 29, 1845, with thirty-seven Hamilton businessmen in attendance. The constitution of the board was adopted at this meeting and Isaac Buchanan was elected as first president. Board members were comprised of merchants and bank managers, and individuals engaged in trade in the Gore District. The mandate of the organization was to promote fair mercantile principles, correct abuses in trade, protect the rights of businesses, and advance the interests of the business community. During the war years, the organization's membership declined even though growth and development in the city were increasing. In 1919, the organization went through a major reorganization and emerged as the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce in 1920. After an intensive promotional campaign, membership increased to 1000 individuals and the new mandate of the Chamber shifted from a focus mostly on trade, to a new emphasis on promoting the economic, civic and social welfare of the people of Hamilton.

Throughout the years, the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce has played an active role in improving the business and social climate in the city through the financing of various ventures such as the Royal Connaught Hotel and the Chedoke Civic Golf Club, as well as heading the effort to relocate McMaster University to Hamilton. The Chamber has promoted better trade, roads, parking and transportation, educational and employment opportunities, the development of the Harbour and civic centres, as well as promoting access to capital for small business. The Chamber has engaged the city and its citizens through task forces and committees, studies and reports, programs and events such as Corporate Challenge, as well as promotional materials and publications, including the area’s first business directory. The Chamber has also contributed to tourism, promoted Hamilton’s art scene by founding the Hamilton Region Arts Council, and brought both the United Way and Crime Stoppers to the greater Hamilton area. Today, the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce continues to represent the interests of the business community and the community at large by encouraging the improvement of commercial and industrial activity in the city, and by promoting Hamilton as a place of innovation and progress, and a good place to invest, work and live.

The Hamilton Cake & Biscuit company was incorporated into a business by letters patent in 1920. However, due to various financial issues in 1921, it approved the appointment of Mark McLeod Tew as its trustee in bankruptcy. The company was formal dissolved in 1923 with the sale of the company lands to Frederick T. Smye, Hamiltonian businessman who later became an Ontario MPP until his death in 1930.

Established in 1882 and located at 2½ James Street South at King Street, the Hamilton Business College was Canada’s representative commercial and shorthand school. Courses included book-keeping, commercial law, contracts, business correspondence, penmanship, spelling, telegraphy and shorthand. The objective of the school was to prepare young men and women for a career in business by giving them practical experience in various aspects of commercial education. The teachers were specialists in their fields and the quality of the education and practical skills obtained by the students made them highly sought after by employers, and gave the school an exceptional reputation nationwide.

Mechanics’ Institutes were first established in London, England during the early to mid-nineteenth century, with the purpose of providing workers with practical knowledge and instruction in their trades through reading materials, lectures and evening classes. These institutes soon spread throughout the world including in Canada and by the 1840s, there were well-established institutes in places such as Kingston, Toronto, Brantford, Dundas and Hamilton. The Hamilton and Gore Mechanics’ Institute was established at a public meeting on Monday, February 27, 1839. As in Britain, the original purpose of the Institute was to further the technical and scientific education of the working class. In the first year of operation, there were 273 members and a total of 126 volumes in the collection. From 1839 to 1844, the Institute rented out space in the Engine House of the Board of Police and focused on its reading rooms and the circulation of material. This remained the primary focus from 1844 until 1853 while it continued to rent out space in a different building on King Street. When the Institute was incorporated in 1849, it started offering lectures and classes in subjects such as science, manufacturing and nature. With its membership growing, the Institute needed a more permanent location as the city was growing too so in 1853, the Mechanics’ Institute opened its new building at 33 James Street North at a cost of $4,000, which was mostly borrowed. The building contained a hall large enough to seat 1000 people and the reading rooms were spacious and well-furnished. With the extra space, the Institute expanded its offerings with fairs, festivals, concerts, exhibitions, and literary readings, along with regular book circulation, classes and lectures. Although classes were offered in reading, writing, math and technical skills, and were intended to be educational in nature, they were not well attended by the working class, who after a long 10-hour workday, had little time or energy to sit through a lecture on topics that often appealed more to middle-class members.

By 1881, the Institute had over 7,000 volumes and a membership of over 1000 individuals. Despite the numbers and volumes circulating, the Institute was struggling with the debt it incurred from borrowing money to construct the new larger building. Though the original function of the Institute was educating the working class, and there were members such as blacksmiths, machinists, printers and shoemakers among the ranks, the majority of members were employed as politicians, merchants, barristers, bookkeepers, physicians, architects, clerks, grocers, and teachers. The directors who ran the Institute were also men from the middle and upper classes and although they did recognize that the function and role of the Institute had shifted, they did little to rectify this and failed to adapt to the needs of the working class. The Mechanics’ Institute also did not receive much in the way of government funding, and relied mostly on the subscriptions and membership fees, as well as donations. The failure to adapt and reflect the needs of the community, the lack of regular funding, the financial debt incurred from overextending itself with a building that was too large and expensive for its original purpose, as well as the competition from private libraries and technical schools, all helped lead to the demise of the Mechanics’ Institute in 1882. That same year, the Free Public Libraries Act was passed by the provincial government, which allowed for the establishment, administration and maintenance of public libraries through tax-based government support. By 1889, city council voted to establish and construct a library and in February of 1890, residents of the city of Hamilton had access to their first free public library when the Hamilton Public Library opened its doors.

Grafton & Co. Ltd. was a clothing manufacturer located in Dundas. It was established in May 1853 when James Beatty Grafton and his business partner, Andrew V. Gregson, established Gregson & Grafton, a small dry goods and millinery shop on the corner of King and Ogilvie in Dundas. In 1858, Mr. Gregson retired from the business and the Grafton/Gregson partnership was dissolved. Later the same year, James and his brother, John Stewart Grafton, formed a partnership, and the company of Grafton & Co. Ltd. was born a year later when James’ son, James J., joined the company. The company prospered commercially in the 1800s. Grafton brothers purchased the adjacent property in 1887 and they built the three-storey brick building on the corner of King and Main streets in Dundas. By 1900, Grafton and Company had expanded to further locations in Hamilton, Brantford, London, Peterborough and Owen Sound, with a sixth location opening in Woodstock in 1905. The company always had the most modern equipment to handle clothing products from manufacturing to shipping to retail. By 1967, Grafton and Company had merged with the Jack Fraser Stores, which provided the company with 85 store locations across Canada. But business at the Dundas Grafton's store declined and, by 1976, had ceased business.