Catharine Street (Hamilton, Ontario)

Catharine Street, is a Lower City collector road in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It starts off at "Charlton Avenue East" at "Woolverton Park" in the "Corktown neighbourhood" as a one-way street (southbound), tunnels underneath the Hunter Street Railway bridge and stretches up to "Barton Street East" where it then turns two-way and cutoff by the CN Railway lines that cut through "Strachan Street Park" one block north past Barton. Catharine Street then resumes again on "Strachan Street East", north of the Park again as a two-way road for 3-blocks and interrupted again at "Picton Street East", the site of "St.Lawrence Elementary School" and resumes again north of this property on "Macauley Street East", again as a two-way street for another 3-blocks where it's interrupted for a third time at "Brock Street", the site of Eastwood Park and Eastwood Arena. Catherine Street resumes again north of Eastwood Park on "Guise Street East" and ends at the city's "North End" waterfront, the site of a "Royal Canadian Navy base" and "Pier 9".

History

Catharine Street was named after Nathaniel Hughson's daughter. Hughson was one of the city founders of Hamilton. Other streets in the city were named after him and his family members, "Hughson Street", "Rebecca Street" (wife) and "James Street" (son). cite book|title=Dictionary of Hamilton Biography (Vol I, 1791-1875)|first=Thomas Melville |last=Bailey|publisher=W.L. Griffin Ltd|year=1981]

In 1898, The "Five Johns", (John Cameron, John Dickenson, John Morison Gibson, John Moodie, Sr. and John Sutherland), form "The Cataract Power Co. Ltd." introducing electric power to Hamilton in 1898. On August 25th 1898, power was sent twenty seven miles from "DeCew Falls", St. Catharines, using water from the old Welland Canal. New industries, such as the forerunners of the Steel Co. of Canada (Stelco) and Canadian Westinghouse, were attracted here by the cheaper, more efficient power. One time this Company controlled hydro power from Brantford to St. Catharines, including the Hamilton Street Railway and the area's radial lines. Back then the city's nickname was "The Electric City." cite book|title=Dictionary of Hamilton Biography (Vol II, 1876-1924)|first=Thomas Melville |last=Bailey|publisher=W.L. Griffin Ltd|year=1991] Then in 1907 they erected "The Terminal Station" building on the southeast corner of "Catharine" and King Streets, where the present day "Terminal Towers" stand. Prior to this, in 1868, the "Wanzer Sewing Machine Company" was based here employing more than 250 workers. cite book|title=Footsteps In Time: Exploring Hamilton's heritage neighbourhoods|first=Bill |last=Manson |publisher=North Shore Publishing Inc|year=2003|id= ISBN 1-896899-22-6]

The "Pantages Theatre" opened up in 1921 on King Street, (between "Catharine Street" and "Mary Street"), with a seating capacity of 3,500 made it the largest theatre in Canada at the time. In 1930 it was renamed "The Palace Theatre". It closed down in 1972. Hamilton one time was home to many Grand Theatres, all of which are no longer in existence. These include, "Grand Opera House" (James Street North), "Savoy Theatre" (Merrick Street), "Temple Theatre" (behind the "Terminal Building" on King Street), "Lyric Theatre" (Mary Street) and "The Loews Theatre" renamed later to "The Capitol" (King Street East). cite book|title=Hamilton our Lives and Times|first=Brian |last=Henley |publisher=The Hamilton Spectator|year=1993|id= ISBN 0-9697255-0-7]

In 1974, Hamilton's tallest building; Landmark Place, (formerly known as the "Century 21 building") was completed. 43 stories/ 127.0 metres in height. It is also the tallest residential building in Canada outside of Toronto as of January 10, 2007. cite web| title = Landmark Place/ Century 21 Building: 1974| url=http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=landmarkplace-hamilton-canada
accessdate = 2007-03-26]

On August 30, 2003, the 60th anniversary of her commissioning into the Royal Canadian Navy, HMCS Haida (Canada's most famous warship and the last remaining Tribal Class in the world) was moved to the city of Hamilton, Ontario by Parks Canada where she has become a focal point of a revitalized waterfront. cite web| title = Parks Canada HMCS Haida website| url=http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/on/haida/index_e.asp| accessdate = 2007-03-26]

Landmarks

"Note: Listing of Landmarks from North to South."
*Pier 9
*Royal Canadian Navy, Army and Sea Cadets
**31 Lion
**2347 Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
**2814 Hamilton SVC Btn.
*HMCS Haida National Historic Site, historic naval ship; Canada's most famous warship and the last remaining Tribal Class in the world.
*Eastwood Park/ Eastwood Arena
*Canadian National railway tracks, (Catharine Street interupted here and resumes again north of the tracks)
*St. Lawrence Elementary School
*Econo Storage & Rental
*Hamilton Downtown Mosque
*Townsview Lifecare Retirement Home
*Crowne Plaza (hotel)
*Landmark Place (Hamilton's tallest building)
*Oakland Square (shopping centre)
*141 Catharine St S (Condominium complex)
*Woolverton Park

Communities

"Note: Listing of neighbourhoods from North to South" cite web| title = Hamilton Neighbourhood Boundaries, (map.hamilton.ca)| url=http://map.hamilton.ca/Static/PDFs/General%20Interest%20maps/Overall%20City/NeighbourhoodBoundaries.pdf| accessdate = 2007-05-11|format=PDF]
*North End - Everything north of the Canadian National Railway tracks
*Beasley
*Corktown

Major roads that cross Catharine Street

"Note: Listing of streets from North to South."
*Burlington Street East
*Barton Street East
*Cannon Street East - One way street (Westbound only)
*Wilson Street - One way street (Eastbound Only)
*King William Street - One way street (Eastbound Only)
*King Street East - One way street (Westbound Only)
*Main Street East - One way street (Eastbound Only)
*Jackson Street East
*Hunter Street East - One way street (Westbound Only)
*Augusta Street
*Charlton Avenue East - One way street (Westbound Only)

Roads that are parallel with Catharine Street

"Note: Listing of streets from West to East."
*Hess Street, North, South
*Bay Street, North, South
*MacNab Street, North, South
*James Street, North, South
*Hughson Street, North, South
*John Street, North, South
*Catharine Street, North, South
*Ferguson Avenue, North, South
*Wellington Street, North, South
*Victoria Avenue, North, South
*Wentworth Street, North, South
*Sherman Avenue, North, South
*Gage Avenue, North, South

References

*MapArt Golden Horseshoe Atlas - Page 647 - Grids E12, F12, G12, H12

External links

* [http://ourbeasley.com Beasley Neighbourhood (ourbeasley.com)]
* [http://www.downtownhamilton.org Downtown Hamilton]
* [http://www.northendneighbours.blogspot.com/ North End Neighbours]
* [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Catharine+St+N,+Hamilton,+Hamilton,+Ontario,+Canada&sll=43.267269,-79.862452&sspn=0.032749,0.107975&layer=&ie=UTF8&z=14&ll=43.266956,-79.861937&spn=0.03275,0.107975&t=h&om=1&iwloc=addr Google Maps: Catharine Street (Hybrid)]