The accessibility door at Ancaster Branch is not working. We aim to fix it quickly.
Ancaster Branch Accessible Door Out of Order
1
Published:
Saturday, November 8, 2025 - 9:45am
Concession Branch: Children's Area Renovations
Concession Branch: Children's Area Now Reopened
Concession Branch's children's area has now reopened, with the exception of the teen section. Public computers still remain affected. Thank you for your patience as we aim to restore these services soon.
1
Published:
Friday, November 7, 2025 - 9:30am
Odour at Carlisle Branch
Members visiting the Carlisle Branch may notice an unpleasant odour. We are working to identify the source and hope to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
1
Published:
Thursday, November 6, 2025 - 5:30pm
Network Maintenance - Wednesday, November 12
HPL's WiFi, Catalogue and online resources will undergo network maintenance on Wednesday, November 12 from 5-8am. We apologize for the inconvenience.
All Branches and Bookmobile Stops
Published:
Thursday, November 6, 2025 - 8:00am
Kenilworth Branch Reopening
Noise and limited parking continue at the Kenilworth Branch this week as renovations wrap up. Thank you for your understanding.
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Published:
Monday, October 27, 2025 - 3:00pm
Delayed Branch Openings
The following locations have upcoming delayed openings due to Staff training drills.
Thursday, November 13
Binbrook Branch, 10am
Friday, November 14
Valley Park Branch, 10am
Monday, November 24
Mount Hope, 2pm
Thursday, November 27
Stoney Creek, 10am
You may visit nearby Branches for your library needs. www.hpl.ca/hours
All Branches and Bookmobile Stops
Published:
Tuesday, October 7, 2025 - 2:00pm
Replacement and Damage Fees
Bring back your borrowed library items (due Oct 1 or later) within 28 days to avoid a replacement or lost fee. We'll remove the fee when you bring back your overdue items.
All Branches and Bookmobile Stops
Published:
Thursday, September 11, 2025 - 3:00pm
Desjardins Canal Disaster
On March 12, 1857, the 6:15 Great Western Railway train from Toronto crashed through the railway bridge spanning the Desjardins Canal. The accident left fifty-nine people dead and made international headlines. The following article appeared in the April 4, 1857 issue of Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper.
THE CALAMITOUS RAILROAD ACCIDENT AT BURLINGTON HEIGHTS
OVER THE DES JARDINES CANAL, CANADA.
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Scenes at the Place of the Disaster!
The Bodies Found!
Recognizing the Dead!
Appearances of the Remains of the Bridge and Cars.
The Bridge and its Construction.
The Last Melancholy Scene at the Bridge.
&c., &c., &c.,
The conductors of the railway raising the ruins of the cars. From a sketch by Mr. Lum. (Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, 4 April 1857: 273.)
The railway train from Toronto (Canada West) was due at Hamilton at a quarter past six o'clock P.M., Thursday, March the 12th. It came on from Toronto as usual, and was proceeding at a moderate speed to cross the trestle or swinging bridge of the Des Jardines canal. The chasm, sixty feet deep, over which this bridge was erected, was made by cutting an outlet for the canal through Burlington heights. At the time of the accident the water was covered with ice about two feet thick. The moment the train reached the bridge the immense weight crushed through the timbers, and the whole structure gave way, and, with one frightful crash, the engine, tender, baggage car and two first-class passenger cars broke through the severed frame-work, and leaped headlong into the yawning abyss below. The engine and tender crushed at once through the ice. The baggage car, striking the corner of the tender in the act of falling, was thrown to one side and fell some ten yards from the engine. The first passenger car rushed after, and turning as it descended, fell on its roof, breaking partly through the ice, and being crushed to atoms, while the last car fell endways on the ice, and, strange to say, remained in that position.
