Heat Warning Notification for the City of Hamilton

Heat Warning for the City of Hamilton.

Significant heat and humidity will arrive on Saturday, August 9.

For information about heat-related illnesses, cool place locations and reducing your risk, visit hamilton.ca.

All Branches and Bookmobile Stops
Published:
Saturday, August 9, 2025 - 9:00am
Bookmobile Stops Cancelled

The following Bookmobile stops are cancelled:

Stoney Creek Arena at 10 am

Discovery Centre at 1:30 pm

Millgrove at 3:30 pm

Apologies for this inconvenience.

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Affected Branch: Bookmobile
Nearest Branches: 
Published:
Saturday, August 9, 2025 - 8:30am
Turner Park - Outdoor Maintenance and Repairs

From August 18-19, accessible parking spots at the back of the building will not be available due to concrete and perimeter walkway repairs. From August 20-22, the main entrance from the back of the building will not be available. Please use the sidewalk on the side of the Branch to enter through the front entrance (off Rymal Road East) and gain access to the back parking lot. Thank you for your understanding.

Published:
Friday, August 8, 2025 - 12:00pm
Lynden Branch - Self-Serve Access Not Available

Self-Serve Access is not available until after 1 pm today, Friday, August 8. We apologize for the inconvenience.

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Published:
Thursday, August 7, 2025 - 5:15pm
Printing, Photocopying and Scanning Unavailable at Dundas Branch

Printing and photocopying are not working at Dundas Branch. We're working to get these working again as soon as possible.

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Published:
Saturday, August 2, 2025 - 9:45am
Locke Branch - Filming Nearby

Filming will take place near the Locke Branch from August 4 to 8, which will impact traffic flow and parking. We apologize for the inconvenience.

  • East and West Side of Locke Street South
  • North and South Side of Herkimer Street
  • North and South Side of Stanley Avenue
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Published:
Thursday, July 31, 2025 - 11:30am
Terryberry Branch Elevator Out of Order

The parking lot elevator at Terryberry Branch is not working. Members will need to use the accessible ramp at the Mohawk entrance and the inner elevator. We're working to get it fixed quickly.

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Published:
Saturday, May 31, 2025 - 1:00pm
Public Computers - Audio Volume

Please note that the audio volume levels on our public computers are having issues. The estimated time of disruption is unknown at this time. Thank you for your patience.

All Branches and Bookmobile Stops
Published:
Thursday, May 29, 2025 - 4:00pm
Mount Hope Branch Accessibile Ramp Not Available

The accessibility ramp at Mount Hope Branch is damaged. The handrail is not available. The ramp will not be available while being repaired. We aim to fix it quickly.

Published:
Friday, May 23, 2025 - 4:30pm

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.

---------------------------

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.,


A sketch depicting railway conductors raising the crashed train cars at the scene of the Desjardins Canal disaster in 1857.
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.

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