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The McAfee family members were United Empire Loyalists who lived in the Hamilton area (formerly known as Head-of-the-Lake), during the War of 1812. The region at the time was agricultural and consisted of various townships including Ancaster, Barton, Binbrook, Glanford and Saltfleet. Most residents were farmers, innkeepers, or labourers in trades such as pottery. These early colonial townships protected themselves with local militias made up of able-bodied men ages 16 to 60 from the nearby communities, who were required to serve as part-time soldiers if needed. These men would assemble for an annual muster call in preparation for a possible future military campaign. With war looming against the Americans in 1812, brothers Angus (1780-1832), Daniel (1791-1878) and Samuel (1793-1870) McAfee enlisted in the 5th Lincoln Militia. The two flank companies of this regiment were commanded by Captain Samuel Hatt and Captain James Durand, and also included Lieutenant Robert Land, son and namesake of one of Hamilton’s first settlers. The brothers saw action in various skirmishes and fought with Major General Isaac Brock during the Siege of Detroit. All three brothers survived the war and returned home. Daniel and Samuel took over a pottery business, and Angus became an innkeeper in Barton Township.

The Hamilton Active Service Canteen was established on May 2, 1941, by the volunteers of the Hamilton Citizens’ Committee for War Services, with the purpose of supporting and entertaining military service personnel stationed in Hamilton during World War Two. After a meeting to discuss the logistics of operation, the Active Service Canteen opened its doors on May 17, 1941. The building was located right downtown at 20 King Street East, just east of James Street, occupying the entire second floor of the building. In the early days of the canteen, attendance was low, so financing came from various sources including donations from local clubs. After a year in operation with over 160,000 visitors, the canteen became self-sufficient and even opened another location specifically geared to female service members at 10 James Street North.

The Hamilton Active Service Canteen was staffed entirely by volunteers, many of whom were women, who served in the kitchen, the games room, and as dancing partners for the servicemen. The canteen served light refreshments with a menu including salads, soups, sandwiches, bread, pies, ice cream, coffee and cokes, all at reasonable prices. Entertainment included weekly Saturday night dances, as well as a games room with card tables, ping pong tables and a billiards table, along with a few pianos. There was also a reading room that was stocked with books, magazines and local newspapers, as well as notepads for writing home to family and friends. When the war in Europe ended, the canteen was no longer needed, so it closed its doors on November 17, 1945. Over the 5 years the canteen was in operation, it served close to 1 million service members, and provided a comfortable, sociable and entertaining home away from home for those who served their country during the war.

The First Battalion Incorporated Militia was established in 1838 to protect the Hamilton area (formerly known as Head-of-the-Lake), and the surrounding region from any possible uprisings or raids stemming from the Rebellions of 1837-1838. The British army couldn’t continue to provide protection for a growing colony, and part-time militias were often ill-prepared to cope with the issues of the time. The region of Hamilton was seen as a strategic point of defense for Upper Canada due to its location, so a decision was made to create a force for regular service. On October 24, 1838, the Lieutenant Governor signed the order to raise a battalion in Hamilton and in November of 1838 it was formed and commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Sir Allan Napier MacNab (1798-1862), a veteran of the War of 1812, with Colonel William Gourlay (1794-1867), a former British officer, as second in command.

Unlike earlier militias where the men wore their own clothes and provided their own musket, the First Battalion Incorporated Militia soldiers wore the uniform of the British Army and were provided with military-issued weapons. Non-commissioned officers were required to be able to read and write, as they would be the mainstay of the unit, ensuring that the enlisted men behaved and practiced their drill instruction. Unfortunately, records indicate that desertion, drunkenness and disorderly conduct were sometimes the reality for the battalion. The 300 men that enlisted by the end of the first year of the battalion’s existence received the same pay as the British soldiers, which was one shilling a day for a regular private, minus the expenditures for their personal kits. The battalion was headquartered in Hamilton with a daily town guard of one officer and twelve men, but often sent companies of men to places such as Fort Eire, Cobourg and Penetanguishene. While stationed in Hamilton, the men engaged in daily drills and chores, and patrolled the area. After five years of service, monotonous barracks life, and with no action from any rebellions or uprisings, the regiment was disbanded in 1843.

Thomas McIlwraith was born December 25, 1824 in Ayr, Scotland. As a youth, he was apprenticed as a cabinet-maker and was employed by a gas works company in Edinburgh. In 1853, he married Mary Park Forysth and immigrated to Canada, settling in Hamilton, Ontario. That same year he became the manager of the Hamilton Gas Works Company where he remained for eighteen years. He lived in a home called “Cairnbrae” on MacNab Street North with his wife and their four sons and three daughters. In 1871 he purchased a coal business and ran this operation until his retirement in 1893. McIlwraith served on the boards of directors of several banks and insurance companies, as well as serving as President of the Hamilton Mechanic’s Institute and as an alderman for St. Mary’s Ward where he resided. His prominence came from his devotion to ornithology (the study of birds). McIlwraith was a founding member of the American Ornithological Union and wrote extensively on the subject of birds, from his observations of bird species, nesting patterns and eggs. He was particularly interested in birds within the region of Hamilton and identified hundreds of species in the surrounding area. He published two books, including the Birds of Ontario (1886) and the Birds Observed in the Vicinity of Hamilton (1860). McIlwraith died at his home in January of 1903 and is buried in the Hamilton Cemetery.

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.

Alexander Logie, son of William Logie and Anne Smith, was born in Rosefield, Nairnshire, Scotland, in 1823. He emigrated with his family to Canada. Alexander was admitted to the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1843 as a Student-at-Law. He was called to the Bar in 1848 and practiced law in Hamilton, Ontario. On October 19th, 1854, he was appointed Judge of the County Court of the United Counties of Wentworth and Halton, where he served from 1854 to 1873. He married Mary Ritchie Crooks (1827–1900), from the town of Niagara. They had three children: Anna Barbara (b.1856), Alexandra Helena, and William Alexander (1866–1933). Alexander was for many years an Elder and Trustee of Saint Andrews (now Saint Paul’s) Presbyterian Church. He was one of the church leaders who personally guaranteed the loan for the building of the new church in 1854. Alexander Logie died December 10, 1873.

The Levy Brothers Company Limited was started by one of the first members of the Prussian Jewish community to come to Canada in the mid-1800s. Herman Levy, (1833-1902), emigrated from Germany in the 1850s and established a jewellery business in Hamilton in 1857. Within a few years, he had become successful and sent for his future wife Camilla Scheuer, and his brother Abraham (1835-1907), to join him. In 1862, his brother Abraham entered the business, and the company name was changed to H.&A. Levy, eventually becoming the Levy Brothers Company Limited in 1871. The company had a brief partnership with Herman’s brother-in-law, Edmund Scheuer, and at that time was located at 27 King Street East. By 1877, the company had a new location and a prominent presence in downtown Hamilton at 58-60 King Street East, remaining there for many decades. It was a four-story building with showrooms on the first floor and manufacturing on the upper floors. The showrooms featured jewellery pieces such as pins, brooches, rings, earrings, lockets, chains, and bracelets, available in silver, platinum, gold and white gold, as well as diamond rings and various other items such as pipes, ring cases, cutlery, and gold and silver bars.

Although there were many jewellery stores and manufacturers during this time, the Levy Brothers Company was the leading jewellery wholesaler and manufacturer of its kind in British North America, specializing in various jewellery pieces, watches, clocks, optical items, jewellery making materials and watchmaking materials. The company employed around 50 craftsmen who handmade the pieces. Some of these individuals started out as apprentices at the age of 14 and then spent decades with the company honing their skills and becoming experts in their trade before retiring. The quality of craftmanship made the Levy Brothers Company the standard of excellence throughout the country. By 1893, it became a joint stock company whereby investors could buy and sell shares in the business. Abraham took over as President and Herman as Vice President. When Herman passed away in 1901, Abraham ran the operations until he too passed away in 1907. Herman’s son Adolph took over the company at that time and then it was subsequently passed down to his son Herman Herzog Levy (1902-1990), who joined the company in 1923. During the Second World War, Herman H. Levy was appointed the Jewellery Administrator of the War Times Prices and Trade Board, and due to the excellent service he and his company provided during his term as Administrator, he was awarded an Order of the British Empire. In 1945, after 4 years of service as the Jewellery Administrator, he resigned his post and moved the company to its final location at 25 Main Street West. The company was still in business in 1957 to celebrate its centennial, but it is unclear as to when the doors closed permanently, ending over a century of excellent quality and craftsmanship in the jewellery trade.

This chapter was formed in 1907 as a military chapter to assist veterans. The first meeting took place at the residence of Lieutenant Colonel Moore on Hess Street South. The chapter’s name refers to the Battle of Paardeburg, fought in February, 1900. It was the Canadians’ first engagement in the Boer War. Mrs. P. D. Crerar, regent of Hamilton Municipal Chapter, began the chapter with the goal of providing care for members of the armed force and their children. At that time, each member had to have a husband, son or brother in the Canadian Army or Navy. The chapter's first project took the form of band concerts. Money was used to purchase musical instruments for the Army Medical Corps Band and to aid South African War veterans and their families. Soon after the chapter's formation, Mrs. Gordon Henderson proposed that the chapter organize a girls’ club and boarding house in the east end of Hamilton for business girls from out of town. By 1908, efforts were underway. A charter was secured, allowing for the purchase of property by the Daughter of the Empire Club, Hamilton, Limited (1911-1996). Hamilton chapters shared the responsibility of funding The Daughters of the Empire Club boarding house and girls' club. From 1913 to 1950, the Paardeburg chapter presented a rifle to Central Collegiate for the best marksman. In 1915, under the leadership of Mrs. H. S. Griffin, regent, a hospital committee was formed. It made supplies and raised funds for Number 2 Hospital in France. Around this time, Paardeburg Chapter acquired its own chapter house when Mrs. W. B. Bruce offered the use of her old home at 17 Jackson Street West, a site later occupied by the Bell Telephone Company (1929). In April of 1919, the chapter house was closed. After World War I, an organization within the chapter called the Big Sisters of Paardeburg was formed to assist daughters of deceased Hamilton soldiers, the Little Sisters of Paardeburg. In 1937, Paardeburg sponsored the formation of the Rt. Hon. Stanley Baldwin Chapter as a junior chapter. During World War II, the Paardeburg Chapter raised funds selling ice cream, candy and soft drinks from a chalet in the Rock Garden. In November of 1996, the shareholders of the Daughter of the Empire Club, Hamilton, Limited voted to surrender their charter. The remaining money held by the girl's club, in the amount of $55,000 (after expenses), was donated to McMaster University for the establishment of a Bursary Fund in perpetuity. The amount was matched by the Ontario Government. The chapter's motto was: "Always Ready."

This chapter was named after Margaret Gage (Mrs. Harry F.) Burkholder (1869-1927) and grew out of a group of girls who were sewing for the soldiers. Mrs. Burkholder brought them together as a chapter. According to The Hamilton Spectator: “When the Imperial Order of Daughters of the Empire was first conceived, in 1901, Mrs. Burkholder was one of the first members of the Municipal chapter of Hamilton. In 1906 she organized St. Cecelia chapter, now one of the most active chapters of the order in Hamilton. She was regent of this chapter from its organization until 1918, when, at her resignation, she was presented with the jeweled badge of the order. At the formation of the Provincial Chapter of Ontario, Mrs. Burkholder had the honor of being unanimously chosen its first president, an office which she held until her death…Mrs. Burkholder had been a member of the National executive for 12 years and, at the time of her death, was first vice-president of the National chapter" (Oct. 22, 1927). The chapter's motto was "Duty First." The Margaret Gage Burholder Chapter was disbanded in 1977.

Emma Francis Jane (Vail) (Birge) Pratt (1851-1917) was born in New York but came to Hamilton at a young age as her father was one of the partners in the firm of Sanford, Vail & Bickley. She attended the Wesleyan Ladies’ College and graduated with two diplomas. She first married Morton Birge in 1870 and later Thomas H. Pratt in 1879. She was very active with women’s organizations such as the WCTU and was one of the founders of the Hamilton YWCA in 1889, co-writing their constitution.

This chapter was named in honour of William Alexander Denison Sutterby who gave up his studies at the University of Toronto to enlist in the Battery and serve overseas. He was killed in the battle of Passchendaele on October 30, 1917. He was the only child of William John Sutterby (d.1956) and Margaret D. Wilkinson Sutterby (d.1953). She served as the Regent of the Chapter from 1926 until 1943. It received its charter October 5, 1926. It had been a Children of the Empire (COE) chapter called the Bartonville Chapter until it received its charter as a primary chapter in 1926. The chapter's motto was "For Others." The 67th University Battery Chapter was disbanded in 1987.

The Queen Elizabeth Chapter was formed as a junior chapter composed chiefly of senior girls of the Delta Collegiate Institute on January 7, 1937. They were sponsored by the St. Elizabeth Chapter. At some point they became a primary chapter under the name Queen Elizabeth Chapter. They were named after Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother (1900-2002). The chapter's motto was "Deeds not Words." The Queen Elizabeth Chapter was closed soon after their last meeting of 1963.

The Princess Margaret Rose Chapter, which began as a children's chapter in 1936, became a primary chapter in 1941. The chapter was named after Princess Margaret Rose (1930-2002), sister of Queen Elizabeth II. The chapter was disbanded in 2011.

The General Sir Archibald Wavell Chapter IODE was organized in January of 1941 and named after Sir Archibald Wavell (1883-1950). The chapter was sponsored by the St. Hilda Chapter. He served in the Second Boer War, World War I and World War II and was Governor General and Viceroy of India from 1943-1947. The chapter's motto was "Keep your ideals high and your resolve unshaken." It was disbanded in 1947.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 Registrar of Shipping, Hamilton, Ontario documented the ownership of small vessels and large passenger and freight ships, by administering and tracking ownership, transfers in ownership and vessel name changes. The Registrar documented the particulars of vessels through builder's certificates and ship surveys, and also compiled various correspondence, as well as reports for shipwrecks, strandings and collisions. In the early years, the Registrar of Shipping operated its offices out of the Hamilton Customs House, which handled the flow of trade and passengers through the Port of Hamilton and along the railway line.

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.

Donald William Adams was born June 4, 1922 in Louth Township to Stanley William Adams and Dorothy Serena (Kerr) Adams. The family moved to Hamilton a few years later. They lived with Charles Staple Kerr and Mary Alberta (Knight) Kerr, his maternal grandparents. C.S. Kerr was a high school teacher employed at Central Collegiate Institute. They lived at 92 Blake Street until about 1938 then moved to 36 Maple Avenue. Don Adams attended Hamilton Technical School and was then employed by the Bell Telephone Company. He was a member of the Cedar Springs Ski Club and the Model Engineer's Club. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in about 1942 and became a Pilot Officer with the Atlantic Transport Group. While at the Ellenburg Depot in New York State he was killed in a flying accident on June 22, 1944 along with three other men. He is buried in Woodland Cemetery.

Freda Farrell Waldon was born August 29, 1898 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her family moved to Hamilton, Ontario about a year later, and she remained there for the majority of her life. Waldon attended Central Public School and Hamilton Collegiate Institute. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto (1919), then went on to complete her M.A. in English at Columbia University (1931). Waldon attended the School of Librarianship at the University of London before becoming Chief Librarian of the Hamilton Public Library, a position which she held from 1940 to 1963. Waldon developed an interest in the Wesleyan Ladies' College, located on King Street East in Hamilton, Ontario, due in part to the fact that her mother, Lillie Hardy, was a graduate (1887). In 1952, Waldon sent a letter to the Toronto periodical Saturday Night, with a request to its readers for all available information on the College, including recollections, reminiscences and information from former students and teachers. Waldon also searched among her own papers and brought together a great deal of material on the College, its staff and students.

Graeme MacKay was born in 1968, and grew up in Dundas, Ontario where he attended Parkside High School. MacKay graduated from the University of Ottawa, majoring in History and Political Science. During his undergrad, MacKay became the graphics editor for the student newspaper, "The Fulcrum". In 1997, MacKay began his professional career at the Hamilton Spectator as a full-time editorial cartoonist. MacKay was President of the Association of Canadian Editorial Cartoonists from 2008 to 2010.

Major William Logie was born in Scotland in 1782. William married Mary McNair (1784-1818) in 1808. After the death of his first wife, he married Anne Smith (1784-1868), of Pitgair, Scotland in 1822. There were six Logie children: William, Alexander (1823–1873), James Alexander, Margaret, Mary, and Barbara, who died as a child in 1838. Major William Logie retired from the army in 1832, and the family emigrated from Scotland to Canada, leaving behind eldest son, William, who chose to remain in Glasgow. The Major and Anne Smith Logie lived near Kingston, Ontario in their home, Glenlogie, until 1852 when they moved to Hamilton. Major William Logie died in 1853 and Anne Logie died in 1868.

Thomas G. McIlwraith was born December 25, 1824 in Ayr, Scotland. As a youth, he was apprenticed as a cabinet-maker and was employed by a gas works company in Edinburgh. In 1853, he married Mary Park Forysth and immigrated to Canada, settling in Hamilton, Ontario. That same year he became the manager of the Hamilton Gas Works Company where he remained for eighteen years. He lived in a home called “Cairnbrae” on MacNab Street North with his wife and their four sons and three daughters. In 1871 he purchased a coal business and ran this operation until his retirement in 1893. McIlwraith served on the boards of directors of several banks and insurance companies, as well as serving as President of the Hamilton Mechanic’s Institute and as an alderman for St. Mary’s Ward where he resided. His prominence came from his devotion to ornithology (the study of birds). McIlwraith was a founding member of the American Ornithological Union and wrote extensively on the subject of birds, from his observations of bird species, nesting patterns and eggs. He was particularly interested in birds within the region of Hamilton and identified hundreds of species in the surrounding area. He published two books, including the "Birds of Ontario" (1886) and the "Birds Observed in the Vicinity of Hamilton" (1860). McIlwraith died at his home in January of 1903 and is buried in the Hamilton Cemetery.

James Winslow Mortimer was a Canadian comic book and comic strip artist, best known for his illustrations on the Superman comic. He was born in Hamilton on May 1, 1919. He attended the Stinson Street School and Central Collegiate. He studied art at the New York Art League and later studied anatomy under George Bridgeman in New York. In 1940, Mortimer enlisted into the Canadian Army, but was discharged after a brief training period for medical reasons. In 1943, he was employed at Otis Elevators in Hamilton where he illustrated propaganda posters for the company. After the Second War World, Mortimer moved to New York where he joined DC Comics and ghosted the Superman daily comic strip. He became the cover artist for Superman, Batman and Superboy comics. In 1955, Mortimer began his own comic strip entitled "David Crane" a story about a young minister and his wife and their difficulties in building a parish in a rural community. In 1960, he illustrated the strip "Larry Brannon" for The Toronto Star. He returned to DC Comics to illustrate. In 1983, Mortimer left comics for advertising and commercial art to work for Neal Adam's studio at Continuity Associates. Winslow Mortimer died on January 11, 1998. In 2006, Mortimer was inducted into the Joe Shuster Hall of Fame.

Bruce William New was born in Toronto in 1944. New graduated from Downsview Collegiate and pursued a brief career in industrial accounting before going into several entrepreneurial businesses including trucking, a dealership, a sales agency and a tour company. New lives in Hamilton and Largo, Florida.

Michael Roderick Johnstone was born in Hamilton, Ontario at the Salvation Army Hospital. He graduated from McMaster University in 1969 where he served as the Student Cultural Affairs Commissioner and President of the McMaster Students Union. He was also involved with The Silhouette, McMaster’s University’s student-run newspaper as a writer from 1962 to 1963 and with the McMaster’s Film Board. Michael returned to school at Mohawk College for nursing in the 1980’s and worked at the Hamilton General Hospital as a registered nurse in the post-operative care unit for more than 25 years until his retirement.

Michael was involved in the founding of many gay and lesbian organizations in the Hamilton area. Prior to moving back to Hamilton in 1979, he was a member of Gays of Ottawa from 1976 to 1979. Michael also served as a secretary of the Coordinating Office of the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Rights Coalition that dealt with specific issues of federal jurisdiction. At this time, the Hamilton-McMaster Gay Liberation Movement group has been established. To expand outside of McMaster University and into the broader Hamilton community, core members of the McMaster Homophile Association formed Hamilton United Gay Societies (HUGS) in 1980. Michael was one of the founding members of HUGS and served in different executive committee roles such as secretary, treasurer and president from 1980 to 1982 and again from 1988 to 1991 when HUGS changed their name to Hamilton Gay and Lesbian Alliance (HGALA). Michael was the self-appointed archivist of the Hamilton-Wentworth Gay Archives which was founded in 1982 and was also involved in the Gay Phoenix (then The Phoenix/Hamilton Phoenix) newsletter, Lesbian/Gayline and Speakers’ Bureau.

Since its founding in 1986, Michael was as a member of the Hamilton AIDS Network for Dialogue and Support’s (HANDS) Board of Directors, was the president from 1991 to 1993, and a member of the Steering Committee. He was also involved in the AIDS Prevention Task Force Implementation Subcommittee of the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth, the AIDS Working Group on Anonymous HIV Testing, and Regional Palliative Care Program Hospice Services Group.

At the Hamilton GALA Honour Roll Dinner in 1991, Michael Johnstone along with Anne Cassel were presented with the Honour Roll Award plaque to recognize their contributions to the LGBTQ+ community in Hamilton throughout the years.

In addition to Michael’s activist work, he was a part of the Social Justice and World Outreach committees of the Hamilton Presbytery of the United Church of Canada and was an active member of the Hamilton Group of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East.

Michael passed away from lung cancer on July 26, 2018 at the Good Shepherd’s Emmanuel House hospice in Hamilton which used to be a housing residence for individuals living with HIV/AIDS.

Isaac Baldwin, son of Dr. Calvin McQuesten, studied law and was admitted to the firm of Proudfoot & Jones. When Proudfoot was elevated to the bench, the firm became Jones & McQuesten until they formed a partnership with Chisholm in 1882. Jones retired in 1886 and the firm became known as McQuesten & Chisholm. Isaac Baldwin was married to Mary Jane Baker (ca. 1848-1934) and they had six children: Mary Baldwin (1874-1964), Calvin (1876-1968), Hilda Belle (1877-1967), Ruby Baker (1879-1911), Thomas Baker (1882–1948) and Margarette Edna (1885-1935). None of their children married. In 1885, Isaac and his family moved to Whiterhern, the McQuesten's family home.

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.

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.