I consider myself a bit of a news junkie. I read online newspapers whenever I have a few free seconds and stay up to date with the most current news as it happens with Twitter feeds. The constant updates from CNN, The Kitchener Record, 570news and several others keep me as informed as I could ever hope to be with current events.
The one major piece of news that I find fascinating right now is The Great Stadium Debacle in Hamilton. My wife is from Hamilton and her family still lives there. As with most of the city, they all live on, "The Mountain". Although amalgamated Hamilton is in actual fact, several municipalities combined to create a whole, there are still two distance and separate areas for those of us who are outsiders to Hamilton. You are on the mountain or below the mountain.
All of the talk about where the new stadium should be got me thinking. What are my favourite things about Hamilton? It's actually quite clear that you have some of the greatest natural assets within at least 50km. A beautiful waterfront with trails, Williams Coffee Pub, a skating rink and more. The escarpment offers an amazing view from the top or below. As a non-citizen, even the view of the industrial waterfront from the top of the escarpment is an unbelievable sight. Small town life in amalgamated cities like Dundas, Ancaster and Waterdown is valued as seen by the high value of homes in those areas.
What I can't figure out, is why there is such hatred for a waterfront site for the proposed stadium. I can see why Bob Young is against it. He wants the parking revenue that he isn't getting right now. I've been to Ti-Cats games and didn't mind the walk to save $10 for parking. As an outsider seems that there are a lot of short sighted people in Hamilton. When you build your attractions along highways, you prevent the creation of a vibrant area. People go to the game in their car. They watch the game. They get in their car and go home. I would really enjoy going out for an early meal at the waterfront. Watch a Ti-Cats game and then go out for a drink or buy a coffee and go for a walk along the Bayfront trail.
As the focus is placed on sites away from the waterfront and downtown, I'm less interested in Hamilton as a city. Oh well, Burlington is only a few minutes away and they value their waterfront and downtown. It seems that the city has made some great improvements over the past few years. Please don't ruin it by building a stadium on the Mountain!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010 at 8:16AM
Reader Comments (1)
I consider myself a bit of a news junkie. I read online newspapers whenever I have a few free seconds and stay up to date with the most current news as it happens with Twitter feeds. The constant updates from CNN, The Kitchener Record, 570news and several others keep me as informed as I could ever hope to be with current events.
The one major piece of news that I find fascinating right now is The Great Stadium Debacle in Hamilton. My wife is from Hamilton and her family still lives there. As with most of the city, they all live on, "The Mountain". Although amalgamated Hamilton is in actual fact, several municipalities combined to create a whole, there are still two distance and separate areas for those of us who are outsiders to Hamilton. You are on the mountain or below the mountain.
All of the talk about where the new stadium should be got me thinking. What are my favourite things about Hamilton? It's actually quite clear that you have some of the greatest natural assets within at least 50km. A beautiful waterfront with trails, Williams Coffee Pub, a skating rink and more. The escarpment offers an amazing view from the top or below. As a non-citizen, even the view of the industrial waterfront from the top of the escarpment is an unbelievable sight. Small town life in amalgamated cities like Dundas, Ancaster and Waterdown is valued as seen by the high value of homes in those areas.
What I can't figure out, is why there is such hatred for a waterfront site for the proposed stadium. I can see why Bob Young is against it. He wants the parking revenue that he isn't getting right now. I've been to Ti-Cats games and didn't mind the walk to save $10 for parking. As an outsider seems that there are a lot of short sighted people in Hamilton. When you build your attractions along highways, you prevent the creation of a vibrant area. People go to the game in their car. They watch the game. They get in their car and go home. I would really enjoy going out for an early meal at the waterfront. Watch a Ti-Cats game and then go out for a drink or buy a coffee and go for a walk along the Bayfront trail.
As the focus is placed on sites away from the waterfront and downtown, I'm less interested in Hamilton as a city. Oh well, Burlington is only a few minutes away and they value their waterfront and downtown. It seems that the city has made some great improvements over the past few years. Please don't ruin it by building a stadium on the Mountain!