'At Home in Hamilton' brings family and team members together with residents
Kristian Partington

Ontario’s steel town has a long and storied history as the gritty, hard-working engine driving a major chunk economic growth of Ontario; a history being celebrated this week at the Village of Wentworth Heights.

A series of photographs highlight the history of the city of Hamilton during the weeklong event at Wentworth Heights, “At Home in Hamilton.”

“At Home in Hamilton” was conceived of as a weeklong exploration of the city where so many village residents lived for the bulk of their lives. It’s a way to honour the many experiences and memories sparked in the city, as well as the contributions of residents to its vibrancy and growth, says recreation therapist Kristel Bulthuis.

“We are in a unique situation here in Hamilton as compared to our other homes in that many of the people are born and raised Hamiltonians,” Kristel says.

“They have so many stories to share and we wanted to highlight those and celebrate our amazing city.”

On Tuesday, a series of large photographs adorned the walls along Main Street depicting memorable Hamilton landmarks over time. Dubbed “A Walk Through History,” the work to collect and organize the showcase paid off in the memories and conversations sparked throughout the evening as residents and guest walked through time, Kristel says.

As resident Beryl Growcott began to move down Main Street, she stopped at the first photo in the series; a shot of the Royal Connaught.

“My daughter had her wedding reception there,” Beryl recalled fondly. “It was so elegant.”

She stopped later at a shot of the Piggot building, where she worked for years with Piggot Construction, the company responsible for many of the landmark building in the city.

“That building has so many memories for me," she told team members walking with her.

“The response from families has been overwhelming,” Kristel says. “They sat all along our Main Street as we were putting everything up, and the stories just flowed.”

Several other events were scheduled to round out the week. On Wednesday, a royal tea marked visits by the Royal Family over the years, while Thursday morning is Tim's, Ti-Cats and Steel, with donated Tim Hortons treats and articles from Dofasco from the ’50s and ’60s lent to the village.

Thursday afternoon an exploration of “Hamilton, Then and Now,” is scheduled and the week will culminate with a men’s breakfast with Hamilton mayor Bob Bratina.

“It’s been a lot of work,” Kristel concedes, “but totally worth it.”

She says the experience serves to connect residents, families and team members around their shared history.

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