SmartPay Service Not Available

HPL's online payment service is not working. We aim to restore it quickly. Apologies for the inconvenience.

Published:
Friday, May 22, 2026 - 2:15pm
Bookmobile Service Modification

Due to Driver availability, Bookmobile has the following schedule modifications for the month of June. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Bookmobile Service June Modifications 

Tuesday, June 2:                  

  • McMaster University - Cancelled

Friday, June 5:                    

  • Winona - Cancelled
  • Queen Victoria - Cancelled

Saturday, June 6:                 

  • All Regular Sites are Cancelled due to a Special Event
Published:
Friday, May 22, 2026 - 12:00pm
Bookmobile Service Update

With the cancellation of Touch-A-Truck, Bookmobile will instead visit its regularly scheduled Saturday sites at Stoney Creek Arena, Riverdale and Discovery Centre. www.hpl.ca/bookmobile

Published:
Thursday, May 21, 2026 - 2:30pm
Central Library - Fax Machine Out of Order

Please note that the fax machine is currently out of order. The estimated time of repair is unknown. Thank you for your patience.

Published:
Thursday, May 21, 2026 - 12:00pm
Staff Professional Development Day - All Branches Closed

All HPL Branches are closed on Friday May 29, for Staff Professional Development. Bookmobile is off the road and Extended Access service is not available. Regular service hours resume on Saturday May 30.

Visit our Virtual Branch at hpl.ca for our online resources and collections.

Published:
Thursday, May 14, 2026 - 12:00pm
Central Library: Children's Area Renovation on 2nd Floor

Renovations are currently underway for the 2nd Floor Central Children's Area. Programs are still being offered as scheduled and there is a temporary pop-up Children’s Area on the northeast side of the 2nd Floor (near the Piano Room), including access to collections and train tables. Construction is expected to be completed by late Spring. Thank you for your patience.

Published:
Monday, March 23, 2026 - 9:00am
Sherwood Branch: Renovations

As of Monday, March 2, Sherwood Branch's 2nd Floor is closed due to renovations. Makerspace, Children and Teen's collection are temporarily available on the 1st Floor. All programs will be held in the basement program room. Renovations are expected to be completed in late Spring. Thank you for your patience.

Published:
Tuesday, February 10, 2026 - 1:00pm

Chronology of Cities, Towns and Townships in Hamilton

Townships in Wentworth County
Townships in Wentworth County

This information contains a chronology of Cities, Towns and Townships in Hamilton, from their original survey and naming through to the present City of Hamilton.

Chronology

1788-1793

The townships at the Head-of-the-Lake were surveyed and named.

1802

The Home and Niagara Districts were created.

The Niagara District consisted of the Counties of Lincoln (four ridings) and Haldimand. This district included much of what became Wentworth County.

The Home District consisted of the County of York including the west riding which held the townships of Beverly and Flamborough.

1816

On March 22, 1816, a new district was created out of the old divisions of the Home and Niagara Districts. The new Gore District was named after Sir Francis Gore (1769-1852), Lieutenant-Governor of the colony. This district consisted of the two counties of Wentworth and Halton. At this time the boundaries of Wentworth County were not yet permanently fixed so it was determined that Wentworth would encompass the Townships of Saltfleet, Barton, Binbrook, Glanford, Ancaster and “so much of the County of Haldimand as lies between Dundas Street and the Village of Onondaga”.

1841

Act 4, Victoria established District Councils in Upper Canada.

1842

The first elections were held and 26 citizens were chosen to represent the townships of Gore.

1850

The Baldwin Municipal Act was passed.

This replaced the 1841 Act and replaced the District authorities with County Councils.

1851

The north-west portions of the old Gore District were combined to form the County of Brant but remained grouped with the United Counties of Wentworth and Halton.

1852

Brant County separated from the United Counties of Wentworth and Halton.

1853

The United Counties of Wentworth and Halton were separated by legislation into the two counties of Wentworth and Halton.

1960

The last of Barton Township was annexed by the City of Hamilton and the township ceased to exist.

1973

Bill 155 was passed to change Wentworth County into the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth

January 1, 1974

The Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth came into being.

January 1, 2001

The new City of Hamilton came into being, incorporating the old city of Hamilton and the constituent municipalities of the old Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth.