“The
busiest spot in the city during the past week has been the armories, where
hundreds of men have been engaged in arranging for the big industrial
exposition which opens on Monday next.”
Hamilton Spectator. July 4, 1914
The armories on James street north in
Hamilton consisted of two buildings in 1914; to the south was a then-still
relatively new structure, which had been built beside the old Drill Hall to the
north.
In early July, 1914, both buildings
were being transformed from their usual appearance as home to Hamilton’s
militia into what the Spectator called “exhibition buildings such as one seldom
sees at the big fairs.”1
1 “Big
Exposition : Lieut.-Governor Will Officially Open It on Monday”\
Hamilton Spectator. July 4, 1914.
All was hustle and bustle within the
armories as a huge number of workman were busily engaged in getting everything
ready for the opening of Hamilton’s first Industrial Exposition :
“No time has been lost in completing
the work, and both the exhibitors and the committee in charge have made it a
point to have everything in first-class shape by 11 o’clock on Monday morning,
when the lieutenant-governor, Sir John Gibson, will press the button that will
set the heels in motion and open what promises to be the greatest thing of the
kind that Hamilton has ever attempted. The armories have been beautifully
decorated for the affair, and the electrical display will be far superior to
anything ever attempted in Hamilton before.
Nothing has been left undone in the effort to make the exposition a
thing long to be remembered.”1
With the opening of the exposition
still a few days away, the Spectator tried to whet the appetite of Hamiltonians
as to some of the attractions, such as the electric restaurant, at which all
the cooking will be done by electricity. Music was to be a big part of the
exposition with Creatore’s band playing in the afternoons and evening in the
new armories, and the 91st Highlander Band, playing at the same
times, but in the old Drill Hall. Also much-anticipated was a performance by a
1,000 voice choir, under the direction of Bruce Carey.
A few minutes before 11 o’clock,
Monday morning, July 6, 1914, Ontario’s Lieutenant-Governor, and Hamilton
native, Sir John Gibson arrived at the armories to open the Industrial
Exposition.
Hamilton Mayor Allan began the
proceedings with a warm introduction of the lieutenant-governor :
“Mayor Allan said that his duty was a
mere formality, for the lieutenant-governor required no introduction to the
citizens of Hamilton. Proceeding to speak of the exposition, the mayor said he
thought the Y. M. C. A. deserved great credit for inaugurating an affair of
this kind. They had taken upon themselves a big job, and he hoped and believed
they would carry it out successfully. Expositions of that kind were of great
benefit to the city, for he was sure that a great many of the citizens did not
realize the extent of industrial expansion which had taken place in their midst
during the past few years. Most of the citizens were content to stay at home
and take things as they came, and they seldom went to the east end to see the
development which had taken place in recent years. Hamilton was now the second
largest industrial city in Canada, and it wanted a few more factories to settle
here and make it the first. That, added the mayor, was no small position to
hold in such a vast Dominion.”2
2 “Formal
Opening of the Big Exposition : Silken Cord Severed by Lieut.-Gov. Gibson :
High Tribute Paid to Hamilton’s Enterprise.”
Hamilton Spectator. July 6, 1914.
Sir John Gibson was met with a hearty
reception, and began by declaring that it was a pleasure for him to be present
to open the exhibition:
“It would be a pleasure, (he said) for
him to be present as a citizen of Hamilton, but as representative of the
province, it was a pleasure equally as much to see what the city was doing in
the way of developing its industries. But he was present both as
lieutenant-governor of the province and as a private citizen – one who was soon
to relapse back into the latter character solely and exclusively, but not too
soon for his liking – and he wanted to congratulate them upon their splendid
exposition.
“He knew it would be a great success,
for he had seen similar institutions in the city, and he knew what Hamilton
always did on such occasions. In the first place, they always pulled together
and perhaps in that regard Hamilton was an example to every other citizen in
the Dominion.
“It was a long time since he had seen
any movement or enterprise for the public advantage in which the citizens of
Hamilton, irrespective of religions, social, political or any other
consideration, did not pull together, and it was more pleasant, especially to
know that after the elections were over in this city, all political considerations
were absolutely dropped, and all the people combined in helping the development
of the prosperity of the city.
“Referring to the
position occupied by Hamilton as an industrial or manufacturing city, Sir John
said that proud position had been attained to a great extent through the
admirable situation of the city at the head of Lake Ontario with all the
advantages which the railways could bring. For many years, Hamilton was known
as the center of an industrial or manufacturing population, and when in later
times the time came for the accession of large industries and larger factories,
Hamilton was found to be the place where these could be most advantageously
located. (Cheers) He was pleased to know that all the natural advantages which
the city possessed were being seized upon, and, with the mayor, he believed
that Hamilton had not by any means reached the end of its growth from an industrial
point of view.
“He believed the
citizens would turn out in large numbers to visit the exposition and would do
all in their power in the way of swelling the receipts to help the funds of the
Y.M.C.A. to which institution the proceeds were to be devoted. The Y.M.C.A. in
the city had made great advances during the last decade, and it was now a
popular institution. It was doing a great and beneficial work from every point
of view and it was to be hoped that the proceeds of the exposition would
greatly swell the revenues of the association. (Cheers.) 2
The lieutenant-governor
then cut the silken cord and formally declared the industrial exposition
opened.
The visitors to the
industrial exposition were treated to a rather transformation which had taken
place inside the armories:
“The large hall was
profusely decorated with flags and bunting which swung across the ceiling from
wall to wall, while most of the stalls, whatever the nature of their contents,
were arranged with remarkable taste. Japanese lanterns and festoons of
artificial flowers lending to the appearance of the hall that touch of
lightness and gayety which is necessary to make the exhibition attractive to
the general masses
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