Due to maintenance, the Central Library's First Floor Women's Washroom will be out of service on the morning of Monday, July 21. Washrooms are available in the Hamilton Room and by the Jackson Square Food Court. We apologize for the inconvenience.
HPL's catalogue is not available Sunday July, 20 5:00am - 10:00am due to system maintenance. Thank you for your patience.
Heat Warning for the City of Hamilton.
Significant heat and humidity will arrive on Friday July 11. Heat Warnings stay in effect until they are cancelled or escalated to an Extended Heat Warning.
For information about heat-related illnesses, cool place locations and reducing your risk, visit hamilton.ca.
Accessible Parking Spot not available. We are working to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
Filming will take place near the Locke Branch from July 13 to 16, which will impact traffic flow and parking. We apologize for the inconvenience.
- North side of Homewood Avenue between Lockes Street South and Kent Street
- North/South side of Stanley Avenue
- East side of Kent Street between Stanley Avenue and Homewood Avenue
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.
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.
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.
Desjardins Canal Disaster
How the accident was first discovered

There is but one small house, belonging to the poor woman who behaved so nobly by the Doyle children near the fallen bridge; and she was looking out of the window as the train approached. She says the catastrophe made little noise. The train seemed to sway to one side, and then all disappeared. It is probably the swaying was the first passenger car overturning. She says she saw a man leap from the locomotive immediately before it disappeared. This was likely the engineer, as he was found with his neck broken on the ice. At the same time one of the workmen at the station house - it is about a mile distant from the broken bridge - who was watching the train coming in saw the steam suddenly stop, and a sort of dust arise. In a second there was no train to be seen. The alarm was at once given; and we believe that all persons connected with the railroad have exerted themselves most assiduously since, to render all the assistance they could. The crash was not heard at the depot.
("The Calamitous Railroad Accident at Burlington Bridge! Over the Des Jardines Canal, Canada." Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, 4 April 1857: 277-278.)