Parking lots, the main entrance and the exterior drop box are currently unavailable. Please use alternate entrances and parking as directed on-site.
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
The Winona Bookmobile visit on Friday, August 22 (11am-Noon) is cancelled due to the Winona Peach Festival. It is expected to resume the following week. Thank you for your understanding.
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.
Due to roof repair maintenance, the Branch is temporarily closed from September 2 until October 10. Please visit Parkdale and Barton locations as your nearest branches for your library needs. Thank you for your understanding.
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.
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.
Mountain Steps
There 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.