“The forty-eighth
anniversary of the confederation of the provinces into a dominion known as Canada
was celebrated by the people of Hamilton in a quiet manner yesterday.”
Hamilton
Spectator. July 2, 1915.
Photo courtesy PREVIEW, Local History and Archives, Hamilton Public Library.
Thursday July 1, 1915
began as a good weather day in Hamilton, but things changed as the morning
progressed :
“The day broke bright
and fair, although the weather man promised showers for the morning, they
failed to put in an appearance on scheduled time, but came later in the day,
much to the annoyance of hundreds of ladies who had gone from home in
anticipation of spending a pleasant day.”1
1 “How
Hamilton Spent Holiday”
Hamilton Spectator. July 2, 1915.
As it was a day off
from work, many Hamiltonians became excursionists, taking a train to Niagara
Falls and Buffalo. On the other hand, many trains brought thousands of visitors
from distance places to Hamilton for the day.
The principal attraction
in Hamilton for the day was the Hamilton Jockey Club, where a series of horse
races were scheduled. The attendance at the track that day was a record one:
“The Grand Trunk
railway company ran three special trains from Toronto to the track, and in
addition to those who came by regular train, the number who came by these was
estimated at between two and three thousand. Two special trains were also run
from Buffalo and brought nearly another thousand from the Bison city.”1
For those wishing to
leave Hamilton for the day, one of the city’s major fraternal organizations did
the organizing:
“The annual excursion
of the local lodges of the Ancient Order of Foresters to Niagara Falls and
Buffalo was held, and in the early morning special trains over the T.H.&B.
carried about twelve hundred excursionists all of whom had a very pleasant
time.”1
For those
Hamiltonians choosing to remain in the city, many of them chose to go, by
electric railway or boat, to some location with access to the Hamilton bay or
Lake Ontario:
“Traffic of the day
was undoubtedly the heaviest of the year for the radial lines and thousands of
passengers were carried to the Beach and other points along the waterfront, but
these too got a touch of the storm of the afternoon.”1
The big steamships
were also in heavy use on July 1, 1915:
“The steamboat lines
running between here and Toronto did a big day’s business, and it was estimated
that the boats from Toronto carried about four thousand passengers to Hamilton
and about three thousand from here to Toronto.
“About six hundred of
those coming in got off at the beach and spent the day there, while a goodly
number of those who came on to the city spent the day at the racetrack.”1
Many Hamiltonians
chose to spend the day close to home, but outdoors nonetheless:
“While no special
preparation had been made for a general celebration of the day, there was no
lack of amusement, for those who were able to leave home made their own
program, and in most cases these were carried out as planned.
“The parks were
filled and picnics were held, and for those who enjoyed out-of-door sport, the
morning and afternoon were given over to the enjoyment of the ball games, which
drew very large crowds.
“The theaters also
had a large patronage during the afternoon and evening, and the boxing match at
Britannia park in the evening also drew a large number of admirers of this
sport.”1
A new attraction for
Hamiltonians in 1915 was a beautiful piece of bay side property purchased by
the Hamilton Parks Board. Although the property was not actually within the
Hamilton City bounds, but in the Wentworth County township of East Flamboro, it
was anticipated that eventually Hamilton would expand completely around the
bay.
The new park, later
known as La Salle Park had a different name when it first opened for public use
in 1915:
“Hundreds of citizens
visited Wabassa park for the first time yesterday. From early in the morning
till about 3 o’clock in the afternoon, when the big thunder storm came up and
sent pleasure-seekers scampering in all directions, the ferry boats plying
between the city and the park were kept busy carrying great crowds of men,
women and children who sought the cool of this delightful spot.
“When the storm broke
shortly after 3 p.m., the ferry dock on the city side was packed with hundreds
of people still waiting to get across the bay. In an effort to meet the
emergency, the street railway hurriedly dispatched a number of cars to the foot
of John street and managed to thus accommodate many of the people, but there
were scores who, unable to get a car, were left at the mercy of the storm, and
these were all drenched before they could find cover.
“At the park, which
was crowded with people protection from the storm was sought by many in the
park buildings, but they were many who missed this opportunity, and bedraggled
skirts and ruined millinery were much in evidence.
“It is estimated that
over 5.,000 people visited Wabassa yesterday, and the majority of these
remained at the park until after the storm had passed, after which they
returned as rapidly as the two ferry boats could transport them back to the
city.”1
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