An Orange Air Quality Warning has been initiated for the City of Hamilton by Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks beginning July 15, 2026. This alert will remain in effect until a cancellation notice is issued.
Stay safe, Hamilton. www.hpl.ca/hours
Due to online maintenance, Members can not access HPL's catalogue, online services and resources on Sunday, July 19 from 5am-10am. Thank you in advance for your understanding.
The Medical Officer of Health for the City of Hamilton has initiated a Heat Warning beginning today, Monday, July 13. Heat Warnings stay in effect until they are cancelled or escalated to an Extended Heat Warning. All HPL Library locations are Cool Places. Stay hydrated, Hamilton. www.hpl.ca/hours
Due to poor air quality, the Bookmobile visit at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum is cancelled today, Wednesday, July 15. The Rosedale visit is shortened to 5-5:30pm (instead of 5-6:30pm). Regular service is expected to return next week. Thank you for your understanding.
As of July 1st, partner library Members can no longer borrow HPL Express items via Overdrive. More to Borrow partner libraries will be offering Lucky Express (Skip the line) titles to their cardholders only. This will help manage wait times for popular titles. Lucky Express is a collection of in demand titles with a seven-day loan period, available with no wait.
Our partners will still be able to borrow titles from the rest of our collection.
www.hpl.ca/more-to-borrow
The What's Happening Guide has been retired and replaced with different communications channels and tactics. You can find the new Summer Reading Flyer here. Watch for future communications updates.
Sunday hours return to Central Library. Beginning July 5, Central is open Noon to 5pm. Dundas, Red Hill, Terryberry, Turner Park, Valley Park and Waterdown branches are also open Sundays, 1 to 5pm. hpl.ca/hours
After Hours Study Hall is not available in July and August. Hours will resume Tuesday, September 8. www.hpl.ca/study-halls
Site of a major battle during the War of 1812, the historic name of the community of Stoney Creek has a somewhat different story than that of the original municipalities amalgamated to create the new City of Hamilton in 2001. The village of Stoney Creek was in existence long before the famous battle, which took place in the area on June 6, 1813. The first European settlers, mainly United Empire Loyalists, began moving into the Stoney Creek vicinity about 1786. Parts of famous Gage House, now a portion of the Battle of Stoney Creek National Historic Site, date to 1796. The national historic site designation was granted because the Battle of Stoney Creek marked the deepest inroad of the invasion of Upper Canada by American troops. The victory of the British forces that day is credited with turning the tide of the War of 1812.
While the exact origin of the name Stoney Creek is not precise, it should be noted that the spelling is Stoney Creek, not Stony Creek. There definitely is a creek running close to the historic battlefield and it does have a somewhat rocky bottom, but that would not necessarily relate to the origin of the name.There were two early individuals living in the area whose surname was spelled Stoney. Jim Stoney was a trapper and storekeeper in the earliest days of settlement in the vicinity, and, somewhat later, Edmund Stoney was the Anglican priest for the immediate community. A post office with the name spelled Stony Creek as its address was opened in 1827, although the spelling of that name was later officially changed to Stoney Creek in 1832.
The village of Stoney Creek was part of Saltfleet Township, which was part of the original Lincoln Township, beginning in 1791. Saltfleet Township was then transferred to the newly created Wentworth County in 1816. Saltfleet got its name from a community in Lincolnshire, England. It was appropriate as in the early days of the history of Saltfleet Township there was indeed a salt mine in operation close to the Lake Ontario shoreline in the vicinity of what is now known as the Red Hill Creek. Saltfleet Township went out of existence with the creation of the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth in 1974. Saltfleet Township and the small municipality of Stoney Creek became at that time the Town of Stoney Creek. In 1984, Stoney Creek achieved city status. With the completion of the amalgamation of the City of Hamilton on January 1, 2001, Stoney Creek retains its historic identify while serving as one of the most populous and fastest growing sectors of the new city.
