1914-01-30

“That his action in having the third reading of the mountain hospital bylaw deferred at the city council meeting on Tuesday evening was a spontaneous expression of opinion by the alderman, not the result of a carefully planned campaign, was the contention of Ald. Wright this morning.”

          Hamilton Spectator.   January 30, 1914.

          The city of Hamilton’s long-lasting tradition of loose cannon municipal politicians was in full evidence at the city council meeting of January 29, 1914.

          In an oft-repeated scenario, an already long-debated matter had been decided upon, the appropriate legislation crafted, and just one more vote needed to conclude the deal, butt…

          A Hamilton municipal politician has second ‘thoughts’ and decides to scuttle matter and refer it back to staff and committee for further study.

          The bylaw facing the third and final reading concerned the proposed site for a new hospital in Hamilton. While it was widely acknowledged that a new hospital was desperately needed in Hamilton, the location was a matter of debate.

          While technically still within the Hamilton City limits as they existed in 1914, the site that most citizens and politicians had seemingly agreed upon was above the escarpment, on the north side of Concession street, just west of what would become Upper Sherman.

          At the last possible opportunity to block the choice, Alderman Wright decided, on the fly, to have the three reading of the hospital deferred, with the hope that the proposed location would be completely eliminated at a subsequent meeting of Hamilton City Council.

          Alderman Wright sensed that public opinion was about evenly divided as regards the mountain site. The reasons against the mountain site were its inaccessibility, the need for the construction of an incline up the escarpment from the head of Sherman avenue in the lower city, the lack of water and services in the area which would have to be supplied and finally the feeling that the site was “exposed” and would place the patients and hospital staff at the mercy of inclement weather conditions and high winds.

          In an interview with the Spectator, the alderman justified his sudden move to kill consideration of the mountain site:

          “’Imagine,’ he said, ‘a mother being notified by the hospital authorities in the middle of the night that her son was at the point of death. What chance would there be for her to get to an institution on the top of the mountain at such an hour? It is for reasons such as this that I contend public sentiment is against the building is against the building of such an institution on the mountain.’ ”¹

               ¹ “Need Incline to Reach Hospital : Strong Argument Against Proposed Mountain Site : Ald. Wright Advances Other Reasons for Stand.”

          Hamilton Spectator.  January 30, 1914.