HPLApp and Library Catalogue

The HPL App and Library Catalogue are seeing slowness, timeouts, and errors  . We aim to fix it quickly. Thank you for your patience.

All Branches and Bookmobile Stops
Published:
Thursday, August 28, 2025 - 2:00pm
Study Halls Return September 2

Study Halls at Central Library and Dundas, Red Hill, Terryberry, Turner Park, Valley Park, and Waterdown branches resume on Tuesday, September 2. They will be open after-hours Mondays-Thursdays from 8 pm to Midnight. www.hpl.ca/study-halls 

All Branches and Bookmobile Stops
Published:
Wednesday, August 27, 2025 - 2:15pm
Branch Closures - Labour Day

All HPL Branches are closed Sunday, August 30, and Labour Day, Monday, September 1st. Bookmobile is off the road, and Extended Access is not available. Regular service hours resume on Tuesday, September 2. www.hpl.ca/hours

All Branches and Bookmobile Stops
Published:
Wednesday, August 27, 2025 - 2:00pm
Bookmobile Stop Modified

Due to campus events, McMaster University's Bookmobile Visits for Tuesdays, August 26 and September 2 (3:30-4:30 pm) have been cancelled. Service is expected to resume on Tuesday, September 9. Thank you for your understanding.

1
Affected Branch: Bookmobile
Nearest Branches: 
Bookmobile Stop: 
Published:
Tuesday, August 26, 2025 - 12:00pm
Carlisle Branch Accessible Door Out of Order

The accessibility door at Carlisle Branch is not working. We aim to fix it quickly.

1
Affected Branch: Carlisle Branch
Published:
Tuesday, August 26, 2025 - 10:15am
Turner Park - Rymal Road Entrance Unavailable

Due to continued concrete work, the Rymal Road entrance will be unavailable until Friday, August 30. Access to the parking lot, accessible parking spaces, back entrance, and external drop box is available. Thank you for your patience.

Published:
Wednesday, August 20, 2025 - 2:30pm
Labour Day Closure

All HPL Branches are closed on Sunday, August 31, and Labour Day, Monday, September 1st. Bookmobile is off the road, and Extended Access is not available. Regular service hours resume Tuesday, September 2. www.hpl.ca/hours

All Branches and Bookmobile Stops
Published:
Tuesday, August 19, 2025 - 8:00am
Turner Park - Mid-Day Fire Drill, September 3

Due to a mid-day fire drill, Turner Park Branch and Les Chater Family YMCA are closed for a fire drill from noon-1 pm. Thank you for your patience.

Published:
Thursday, August 14, 2025 - 1:00pm
Kenilworth Branch - Temporary Closure (Sept 2 - Oct 10)

Due to roof repair maintenance, the Branch is temporarily closed from September 2 until October 10. Please visit the Red Hill, Parkdale, and Barton locations as your nearest branches for your library needs. On August 28-29, there may be some noise disruptions and limited parking spots while the roof repair set-up begins. Thank you for your patience.

1
Published:
Monday, August 11, 2025 - 8:00am

Mountain Steps

Looking down the escarpment stairs in HamiltonThere were originally 7 sets of city-built stairs up the escarpment. The original locations were Chedoke Park, Dundurn Street, James Street, John Street, Ferguson Avenue, Wentworth Street, and Ottawa Street.

Currently there are 5 sets of stairs up the escarpment in addition to a privately-built set of steps. After the Jolley Cut was rebuilt, the John and Ferguson steps disappeared and their remnants were incorporated into the walkways at Sam Lawrence Park.

Chedoke

These steps connect the West Mountain to the lower west city, coming close to the front door of the Chedoke Civic Golf Course clubhouse. There are 289 steps.

Dundurn

The original Dundurn wooden steps were replaced in the 1990s by steel steps. There are 326 steps.

James 

The original James Street wooden steps were replaced in 1987. The stairs originate at Southam Park on the mountain at the top of the Claremont Access. There are 227 steps.

Wentworth

The original wooden steps built in 1903 consisted of 6” to 7 ¼” risers. The stringers rested on cedar posts sunk 4-7’ in the ground. The original staircase had 570 steps. After a rock slide in March of 1983 they were replaced with metal steps just east of the position of the original steps and they now follow the path of the old East End Incline Railway. There are 498 steps.

Kenilworth 

The Kenilworth steps connect the East Mountain to the Escarpment Rail Trail/Bruce Trail, and continue down to the Rosedale area of Hamilton. There are 228 steps. 

Before the city completed construction on the Kenilworth stairs, a privately built set of steps named Uli’s Steps connected the upper and lower city. These steps were built as a retirement project by a Hamiltonian named Uli who spent two years on the project. They have 305 steps.