COMPASS COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE IS STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE ON FOOD INSECURITY
THE BEES HAVE IT
LOCAL BEEKEEPERS AND ENTREPRENEURS ARE BUZZING WITH SWEET IDEAS
A DEEP DIVE
LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHER STEVE HAINING HAS EARNED HIS THIRD GUINNESS RECORD FOR UNDERWATER PHOTO SHOOTS
$7.95
CLAUDIO APRILE HAS TRANSLATED HIS UPBRINGING, HIS HERITAGE, AND HIS TRAVELS INTO HIS OWN FOOD JOURNEY
Book by Jessie Nelson Music and Lyrics by Sara Bareilles Based on the motion picture written by Adrienne Shelly
Pictured: Julia McLellan
Costume Designer: Scott Penner Photography: Mai Tilson
work of Mohawk artist Shelley Niro, based in Brantford, ON. Spanning four decades of her photography, film, painting, installation, sculpture and mixed media practice, the exhibition highlights themes she constantly returns to: Matriarchy, Past is Present, Actors, and Family Relations.
Helen McNicoll: An Impressionist Journey is the most comprehensive solo exhibition of the Canadian artist’s work since 1925. Featuring over 60 works, the exhibition offers an exceptional opportunity for audiences to explore McNicoll’s groundbreaking Impressionist style and themes of female independence, risk-taking, and global perspectives captured through her travels.
RELATED PROGRAMMING:
Studio Classes:
Shelley Niro: 500 Year Itch is organized and circulated by the Art Gallery of Hamilton with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian and with curatorial support from the National Gallery of Canada. Major support for this project is provided by the Canada Council for the Arts and the Terra Foundation for American Art.
Drawn In: Gallery Sketching McNicoll, Saturdays, March 1, 8, 29, April 5, 12, 26, May 3, 2:00 – 4:00 pm
From Studio to Landscape: Introduction to Plein Air, Sundays, April 27 - June 15 10:00 am – 12:30 pm
Free Thursdays: 11 am - 9 pm Fridays: 11 am - 6 pm Saturdays & Sundays: 11 am - 5 pm
Curator Talks: Proof in the Painting, Thursdays, March 20 & April 3, 7:00 pm
Curator Talk: Conversation with Caroline Shields and Julie Nash, Thursday, April 10, 6:30 pm
The Ekphrasis of Florence with Emily De Angelis, Thursday, April 17, 6:00 pm
Witness the rediscovery of a lost masterpiece, The Bean Harvest, now on display for the first time in 110 years.
123 King Street West, Hamilton
905.527.6610
artgalleryofhamilton.com/mcnicoll
An exhibition created and organized by the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec and adapted by the Art Gallery of Hamilton Image credit: Helen McNicoll, On the Beach (detail), 1912, oil on canvas. Pierre Lassonde Collection. Photo: MNBAQ, Idra Labrie.
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A SHOW OF UNITY
The surge in Canadian pride we are witnessing is inspiring. We know we live in a great country, but we have long been quiet about it. It’s not the Canadian way to be boastful, but when a U.S. president talks about annexing us into a “51st state,” well, that changes everything.
Canadians are responding in ways big and small – cancelling trips south of the border, refusing to buy products made in the U.S., and yes, changing the words to our national anthem and booing the “Star Spangled Banner” during an international hockey tournament.
supporting giant American corporations. Spending on Meta (Facebook and Instagram), X or Google is becoming untenable for many because of the political actions of their owners. Investing any dollars in these platforms provides absolutely no benefits locally and is increasingly antithetical to the interests of our country.
Mass corporate ownership of local media in Canada has gutted journalism at the community level. We need only look at the fates of CHML and Metroland weekly newspapers for proof. The worst offender, Postmedia, is now American owned.
HAMILTON CITY Magazine (HCM) is published by Hamilton City Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. Content may not be reprinted without written permission.
HCM is a member of Magazines Canada. HCM basic price: $35 (HST includedfive issues). Single copies: $7.95 (plus HST).
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Many Canadians from coast to coast to coast are committing to buying products made in Canada wherever possible. That is a wonderful thing for our national pride but it’s also a game-changer for Canadian businesses, workers, communities and our planet.
HAMILTON CITY Magazine is locally and independently owned, and committed to our community, through our coverage but also our business practices. We pay for entirely original content produced by only residents of Hamilton and Burlington and we commit to purchasing only through local suppliers wherever that is possible.
It is our hope that more advertisers will turn to local media sources such as ours to spend their advertising dollars rather than
It’s also worth noting that the mostly unsightly billboards across our city are no better in terms of supporting local. The money spent on those ad spaces flows right out of our community, perhaps to Toronto but more likely to New York or Chicago.
Local businesses that are truly dedicated to their communities are advertising through the HSR system (which supports improvements to our transit system) or through local media outlets that are not only producing content that shines a critical light on our city but are also providing important local jobs and supporting vital local causes.
This is the time for us to band together and commit to using our dollars to support our values as Canadians and Hamiltonians.
– The HCM team
Grab a bite to eat at
JACKSON SQUARE!
Whether you’re stopping in for lunch or planning a night out, there’s something for everyone to eat at Jackson Square!
Aichi Japan
Anchor Bar
Booster Juice
Burgers Brother
Burger King
Calabar Kitchen
Country Style Bistrodeli
Everest Tandoori
Fit For Life
Jan Bingo
Jimmy The Greek
Kajun Chicken & Seafood
Kentucky Fried Chicken
Mama Coco
New York Fries
Pita Lite
Pita Pit
Starbucks
Taco Bell
Tim Hortons (E-68)
Tim Hortons (W-02)
Toby’s Good Eats
Wok Express
52 Years in THE HEART OF downtown hamilton
Follow @jacksonsquarehamilton on Instagram for regular updates.
2 King Street West Hamilton L8P 1A1
THE COVER: CLAUDIO APRILE
by Marta Hewson for HAMILTON CITY Magazine
INSIDE
THE HEADLINERS
8/ EMBRACING THE WATER
The CN rail yard on the west harbour has to move in order to realize Hamilton’s full potential as a true waterfront city.
18/ LRT GOLDMINE
Pilot project aims to provide an alternative future for Hamilton’s transit corridor, one that includes affordable housing alongside upscale high-rises.
28/ A DEEP DIVE
Steve Haining pulled off a model shoot past the decompression zone at a shipwreck in Florida that has been recognized by Guinness.
34/ EMERGING FROM EVICTION
A group of artists have found a new home in studio spaces at Westinghouse HQ after being kicked out of their previous building. But the solution may only be temporary.
44/ CHEF OF THE WORLD
Claudio Aprile has translated his upbringing in Uruguay, his Italian heritage and his wide travels into a unique food journey.
48/ FOOD FIGHT
Compass Community Health Centre in Hamilton’s North End is battling food insecurity through a range of programs targeting vulnerable populations.
62/ ALWAYS IN A PICKLE
Marty Strub knows one thing very well: pickles. His family name still lives on jars of kosher dills and he’s using that centuryold recipe in his own Marty’s Pickles line.
THE FOOD + DRINK ISSUE
10/ FOR THE LOVE OF HAMILTON: BHAIRAVI KUMAR
21/ MADE IN HAMILTON: THE BEES HAVE IT
41/ FOOD & DRINK: MARISA’S GOOD FOOD MISSION
42/ FOOD & DRINK: SWEET SUCCESS OF WUD CHOCOLATES
44/ FOOD & DRINK: CHEF OF THE WORLD
48/ FOOD & DRINK: FOOD FIGHT
52/ FOOD & DRINK: ELDERCAMP COOKS UP HOMEMADE NOSTALGIA
54/ FOOD & DRINK: HAMILTON’S CHEAP EATS
56/ FOOD & DRINK: SMASHING BURGERS
58/ FOOD & DRINK: DINING DISTRICTS – STONEY CREEK
62/ CITY VIEW: ALWAYS IN A PICKLE
Photographed
Hair/make-up: Katelyn O’Neil | Studio assistant: Nick Cameron
Thank you to the 50+ community event organizers, hundreds of artists, technicians and volunteers for making Hamilton Winterfest 2025 a huge success!!
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY
Allegories
Photo by Ramucy
CITY LIFE IS SPONSORED BY CHCH – A CHANNEL ZERO COMPANY
Wind in their hair
THE HAMILTON AND BURLINGTON CHAPTER OF CYCLING WITHOUT AGE PROVIDES FREE RIDES ON TRISHAWS FOR THOSE WHO CAN’T PEDAL FOR THEMSELVES.
Cycling Without Age (CWA) has a mission to allow everyone – regardless of age, ability or fitness – to experience the freedom of exploring their surroundings from a bike.
The program, which began in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2012, is now in 3,500 locations in 41 countries around the world and about 43,000 trained volunteers, called pilots, have provided more than 5 million rides.
In 2018, the Hamilton & Burlington chapter launched and the first ride happened in 2020 with a pilot site at the Welcome Inn Community Centre in north Hamilton. It’s now one of 46 CWA affiliates in Canada.
The local chapter provides rides from a number of locations in Hamilton and Burlington and beginning this year, in Dundas, on one of four electric pedal-assisted trishaws, including one that allows a wheelchair to be rolled on.
In 2024, more than 70 local volunteers provided 879 rides for more than 1,500 passengers.
Sharon Gibbons, a CWA pilot and coordinator of the Welcome Inn site, says the initiative gets people out into the fresh air (its motto is “The right to wind in your hair ),
provides some social connection for people who might be isolated, and introduces people to natural areas in their community they might not have seen before.
“We’ve logged thousands of kilometres on those paths at the waterfront, and some of the people have never been down there at all, because they just don’t have the mobility, right? I think one of my first rides was a lady who had never been down there, and she only lived three blocks away, and she was just astounded.”
In addition to Welcome Inn, Hamilton rides begin from Williams Fresh Café at Pier 8, Shalom Village and St. Peter’s Residence at Chedoke. Local social service organizations, including Mission Services and Good Shepherd, bring their clients to the waterfront for rides.
People are always happy on the bike, says Gibbons.
“It’s so gratifying. The people are having fun, but we’re having just as much fun. Anything involving a bike is fun.”
The local chapter, hosted by New Hope Community Bikes, is looking for more pilots. Volunteer training will begin in April and rides take off at the end of May and run until the end of October. If you are interested in volunteering please email cwahamilton@gmail.com n
PLANS FOR A WATERFRONT MUSEUM CELEBRATING HAMILTON’S INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE WENT NOWHERE, BUT INCLUDED A CRYSTAL PALACE-STYLE STRUCTURE AND AN IMAX THEATRE. ILLUSTRATION: MOFFAT, KINOSHITA ASSOCIATES
EMBRACING THE WATER
THE CN RAIL YARD ON THE WEST HARBOUR HAS TO MOVE IN ORDER TO REALIZE HAMILTON’S FULL POTENTIAL AS A TRUE WATERFRONT CITY. By PAUL SHAKER
Hamilton is a city on water. The harbour has been a source of commerce and recreation for the entire life of the community, and it’s what gave all inhabitants, over centuries, reason to live here. Along with the Niagara Escarpment, it is the major defining geographic and geological feature of the area.
So how come we don’t think of ourselves as a waterfront city in the same way, for example, as Halifax or Vancouver? What is the difference? Sure, the size of the body of water we sit upon is significantly smaller than the two oceans, but it has more to do with the connection between the city and the water’s edge that makes a difference.
In other waterfront cities in Canada and around the world, the link is both immediately physical as well as visual. In Hamilton, we have made great progress on waterfront development in parts, but the link to the city remains as something that
happens for particular neighbourhoods in the city, rather than symbolically for the city as a whole.
This is all about proximity between the downtown core and the shoreline. Simply put, they need to be linked closer together. This wasn’t always this case as early city-building was nearer to the water and settlers moved the city centre away from the water’s edge to the area around Gore Park. In the intervening years, industry set up shop, creating a barrier between the city and water. It’s only been relatively recently, since the 1990s and the establishment of Bayfront Park, that residents have had the opportunity to reclaim some of that land from industry. Since then, development of Pier 8 has expanded this link to water further. This is all fantastic progress. However, this current epicentre of waterfront renewal is still some distance from downtown.
The area we really need to focus on, the
missing link that would make Hamilton a waterfront city, is further to the west. It’s the area which is currently occupied by an expansive 13-hectare CN train shunting yard. At that location, the distance is only about a 1 kilometre to the edge of downtown. Combine this with the fact that several city blocks to the south of the CN yard are currently publicly owned, and this translates into an unparalleled opportunity to transform the identity and feel of Hamilton, reconnecting us to our roots as a waterfront city.
Efforts to achieve this link are not new and there have been ambitious attempts to redevelop the west harbour over the decades to make a major statement about the city. This includes the original plans by John Lyle for the High-Level Bridge over the Desjardins Canal in 1928, linking Cootes Paradise to Hamilton Harbour. Inspired by the City Beautiful movement, the original design was grand and breathtaking, creating
a major water entranceway to the city. While the Great Depression downsized the plans to what we see today, ambition on the waterfront persisted.
In 1985, a waterfront master plan looked to create a waterfront trail as well as establish a “Hamilton Island” with a mixture of commercial and recreational uses. In 1989, there were plans for a major waterfront museum, the Steel Science and Technology Centre, celebrating Hamilton’s industrial
this area included a movie studio district, residential development and a mixed-use zone. Studies have been produced from a variety of sources including public, private and third-party groups. All these different plans present ideas of how to better connect downtown to the waterfront. For example, through the use of parks and boulevards, some plans shortened the distance between downtown and the waterfront and forged a stronger visual connection. Certain plans
how come we don’t think of ourselves as a waterfront city in the same way, for example, as h alifax or Vancou V er ? w hat is the difference ?
history, which included a Crystal Palace-style structure and IMAX theatre.
In 1995, a west harbourfront study proposed a major mixed-use development for this area, that would have seen residential and commercial zones mixed with a major tourist attraction and a large waterfront amphitheatre. One can imagine the view as residents attended a concert with the waterfront as a backdrop. Part of this plan involved the relocation of the CN rail yard and a feasibility study was produced where this was costed out. Regrettably, negotiations to implement the relocation did not progress.
Fast forward a decade and plans for a waterfront sports zone featuring a stadium were proposed, first for the 2010 Commonwealth games, and then for the 2015 Pan Am games. Once again, this could have created a link between downtown, James Street North, the new West Harbour GO Station, and the water’s edge. There was a very popular and robust citizenled campaign, called Our City Our Future, that sought to see this vision realized. Unfortunately, that opportunity stalled due to a number of factors, but looking at all the waterfront stadia around the world, you can only wonder what might have been in Hamilton. One positive outcome from that episode is the legacy of those city blocks in public ownership.
More recently, plans developed for
tried to coexist with the CN yard, while others understood the need to move it to connect the urban fabric to the water’s edge.
Currently, in the midst of an affordable housing crisis, the City is building a 40-unit temporary tiny shelter community on the site that was assembled for the stadium. This is proposed as a three-year project and perhaps a permanent affordable housing solution can be part of the redevelopment of this area.
Moving forward, now that we are in 2025 with the urgent need for urban redevelopment and intensification to grow more sustainably, it is well past time that this CN yard move. Scan waterfront cities around the world and these sorts of facilities are moved to more appropriate locations, usually to the financial benefit of the rail operators themselves who see the real estate potential of the land. This is no different for Hamilton and it’s time to dust off that relocation plan from the past. There just happens to be a large amount of industrial waterfront land to the east that might be a perfect location for such a facility.
With that barrier moved, we can then focus on completing the missing link between the city and the harbour and finally realize Hamilton’s transformation to a waterfront city. n
Paul Shaker is a Hamilton-based urban planner and principal with Civicplan.
OUR BEST KEPT SECRET! FOR NEARLY 70 YEARS, DENNINGER’S HAS BEEN PRODUCING THEIR OWN SAUSAGES, SPECIALTY COLD CUTS AND SMOKED MEATS IN THE NORTH END OF HAMILTON, DELIVERED FRESH DAILY TO ALL OUR STORES. Make Denninger’s your local destination! FOR LOCATIONS, VISIT WWW.DENNINGERS.COM
THIS REGULAR FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE WHO HAVE EMBRACED HAMILTON AS THEIR NEW HOME.
BHAIRAVI KUMAR
who she is:
Program manager, Tastebuds
interviewed by: Meredith MacLeod
photographed by: Geoff Fitzgerald for HCM FOR THE LOVE OF HAMILTON
scan the qr code: to r ead more of Bhairavi’s answers
BHAIRAVI KUMAR was born and raised in India. After getting married, she moved to Pasadena, California to broaden her career. She worked in the banking sector, where she managed IT projects. When her husband accepted a position at McMaster University, the couple relocated to Hamilton, settling in Dundas with their two daughters. She is a nominee for a 2025 YWCA Women of Distinction Award in the community champion category for her work as program manager at Tastebuds. She enjoys staying active through long hikes and expressing creativity in the kitchen with fresh, seasonal ingredients.
HUNGER HERO
What is the mandate and mission of Tastebuds, Hamilton’s Student Nutrition Collaborative?
The mandate of Tastebuds is to support the health and wellbeing of students by providing access to nourishing food through school-based programs. Our vision is that all students in Hamilton have universal access to healthy foods in schools and community environments to improve student success, support healthy growth, development, and lifelong eating habits.
How does Tastebuds operate?
Tastebuds runs 123 programs at 110 locations across the city, providing nutritious meals to over 23,000 students daily with the help of dedicated volunteers. The program receives funding from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, community donations, grants, and local fundraising. Collaborating with four school boards, teachers, principals, educational assistants, parents, and community members, Tastebuds ensures that programs meet each school’s unique needs. Schools receive individual budgets and place weekly food orders through a dedicated web portal. Volunteers play a crucial role in preparing, serving, and managing daily operations. Through strong community partnerships and a commitment to student well-being, Tastebuds fosters healthier habits and learning environments for students citywide.
What is the biggest challenge in the work you do?
Of course, the F-word! Not enough of it. I am talking about lack of funds. As program manager at Tastebuds, my greatest challenge is meeting the rising demand for student nutrition programs amid escalating food costs. With more students relying on our services across 123 locations in Hamilton, the need for nourishing, accessible meals is more urgent than ever. However, inflation and fluctuating food prices make it increasingly difficult to stretch resources while maintaining meal quality and consistency. Balancing these pressures – ensuring no child goes without while managing financial constraints – is a constant challenge.
What is the greatest reward in your work?
The biggest reward is knowing that the work we do directly
supports the health and well-being of thousands of students across 123 locations in our city. Seeing the tangible impact –whether it’s a child starting their day with a nourishing meal, improved focus in the classroom, or the sense of community built around food – is incredibly fulfilling. It’s not just about providing nourishment; it’s about creating environments where students feel cared for, supported, and ready to succeed.
How would you describe this city as a place to work in the non-profit sector?
Hamilton is an incredible city to work in the non-profit sector because of its strong sense of community, diversity, and resilience. There’s a deep-rooted culture of collaboration here. Organizations, community leaders, and residents genuinely care about making a difference and are eager to work together toward common goals. The city’s diverse population also brings unique perspectives and strengths, allowing non-profits to create programs that are inclusive, innovative, and responsive to the real needs of the community.
What Hamilton arts or cultural events do you most look forward to attending?
There are many events I look forward to each year. One of the highlights for me is attending performances at Theatre Aquarius. I also love the Dundas Cactus Festival and Supercrawl.
What is your favourite meal in a local restaurant? Seoul in a Bowl from Poke Co on Ottawa Street.
What’s Hamilton’s best-kept secret that you’ve discovered? I wouldn’t call it a secret but Dear Grain is a true treasure.
What does Hamilton need more of?
Hamilton is a city with so much to offer, but like many communities, there’s always room for growth. I believe Hamilton could benefit from more accessible community spaces where people from all walks of life can gather, connect, and collaborate. Whether it’s green spaces, cultural hubs, or inclusive recreational facilities, these spaces foster a sense of belonging and strengthen community ties. n
IF YOU’D LIKE TO BE FEATURED IN FOR THE LOVE OF HAMILTON, PLEASE CONTACT meredith@hamiltoncitymagazine.ca
DOGS ARE THE STARS AT FETCHING STUDIOS
PATIENCE, COOPERATION AND PLENTY OF TREATS LAND THE SHOTS
By MEREDITH M ac LEOD | Photos By FETCHING STUDIOS
This story starts with a photogenic bulldog. Soon after he moved to Hamilton in 2020, a neighbour who breeds bulldogs asked freelance photographer Geoff Fitzgerald to take photos of a new litter.
“We were grinning ear to ear. It was just so much fun,” says Fitzgerald’s wife Vanessa Marion-Merritt, who helped to corral the scrambling puppies.
Then, in spring 2021, the couple adopted Taffy, one of their neighbour’s dogs. She loves the camera and that’s a good thing because Fitzgerald is constantly taking pictures of her.
After Taffy came Tootsie, her daughter.
As the couple walked their Gibson neighbourhood and beyond, they realized that Hamilton is a true dog town.
In January 2022, Fitzgerald and a few friends acquired some studio space in a converted garage at the rear of the Paperbox Studios building on Cumberland Avenue.
Fitzgerald had long had a dream to
GEOFF FITZGERALD WITH TAFFY AND VANESSA MARION-MERRITT WITH TOOTSIE.
combine his work in portrait photography with his love of dogs and from all of that, plus some market research that found a booming pet industry and a social media fascination with all things dog, Fetching Studios was born.
“The big thing with Fetching is just patience and cooperation with the dogs,” says Fitzgerald.
“I think it’s been sort of trial and error as we’ve worked with different people and their pets, because everyone has a different dynamic with their dog.”
They give plenty of time for the pup to sniff around and relax. Treats work wonders, too.
“We don’t get the best work until the last 20 minutes or 15 minutes of our shoot, because that’s when the dog, you can see their energy dropping,” says Fitzgerald. “And they become more malleable.
The humans have to be comfortable, too, because if they aren’t, the dogs pick up on that, says Marion-Merritt, a digital technology assistant for the Red Hill branch of the Hamilton Public Library.
Fitzgerald and Marion-Merritt support fundraisers of local rescue organizations, including Save Our Scruff and Ladybird Sanctuary.
The couple says there was really no discussion about where they would land after Toronto.
“Hamilton has its own thing going on,” says Fitzgerald. “If we were leaving Toronto, the only place it was going to be for us was Hamilton.” n
HCM is launching Hounds of Hamilton!
Is there any better escape from the relentless news cycle, doom scrolling and polarizing politics, and any simpler way to find joy and laughter than dogs?
We didn’t think so.
So that’s why we are launching Hounds of Hamilton, our celebration of local dogs in print and online.
Mutts to purebreds, toys to giants, puppies to seniors, Hounds of Hamilton will be the place to find the doggoes in our fair city just waiting for their brush with fame.
We are pairing up with Fetching Studios, the husband and wife team of Geoff Fitzgerald and Vanessa Marion-Merritt, who will help us showcase their local canines clients.
But we won’t stop there! We know your phone is jammed with pet photos, so, if you live in Hamilton or Burlington, send your best canine candids to hounds@hamiltoncitymagazine.ca. (To make it into print, please send JPEGS, that are at least 2 MB in file size.)
We can’t wait to show you the adorable, joyful and lovable Hounds of Hamilton!
scan the qr code to see plenty of adorable pups and a more in-depth story.
Squeeze-ing in pickleball
Pickleball has been exploding in growth across Canada, and is nearing 1.5 million players, according to Pickleball Canada. Women, in particular, have been flocking to the sport, with a recent increase of 50 per cent in the number of Canadian women players. Jim Kotsopoulos recognized this demand as an opportunity and opened Squeeze Pickleball in Burlington at the beginning of 2025. I caught up with Kotsopoulos on the court to find out more.
By SUZANNE ZANDBERGEN
Tell us a little about yourself and how you ended up with a pickleball business.
I moved to Burlington from Toronto in 2001 and have been a proud Halton resident since. I have two great kids – Stephen, my son, and Alana, my daughter – and I’m fortunate to share my life with my partner Theresa. Professionally, I spent much of my career as an executive in finance, but like many people, life has a way of changing directions. About a year ago, I was downsized from my position, which sparked a new chapter in both my personal and professional life.
Why pickleball?
Theresa and I have always been active, and we both love to stay fit. I play in the Burlington Oldtimers Hockey League (BOHC) and coed three-pitch softball with Alana, while Theresa enjoys tennis. About a year ago, I started looking for an activity we could do together, and I stumbled across pickleball. I bought a couple of paddles for Christmas, thinking it would be something fun to try. But when I went to search for lessons, we couldn’t find any in the Burlington area. That’s when the idea hit me: maybe there’s an opportunity here. A year later, Squeeze Pickleball was born.
What makes Squeeze Pickleball different from other clubs in the area?
It’s the combination of our welcoming atmosphere and versatile facility. From the start, my motto has been to ensure that we are a club where everyone feels welcome, regardless of skill level. Pickleball is meant to be fun, social, and competitive – without any judgment. I hope to create an environment where people can laugh, meet new friends,
and get some exercise. That’s truly what makes me proud to see in our members.
In terms of our facility, we’re not just a pickleball club. Batts Athletics (where Squeeze has its courts) has built a multi-use space with badminton courts, tennis, a full gym, hot yoga, Thai massage, and table tennis, plus a fully licensed bar on site. After a few games or classes, it’s nice to unwind, grab a drink, and chat with others in our community. We’re really trying to create a place where people can enjoy themselves and try out different activities – all in one location.
Why do you think pickleball has become so popular?
The sport is the perfect mix of fun, competitive play, and social interaction. It’s easy to pick up, but still challenging enough
to keep players engaged. Whether you’re new to the sport or have been playing for years, there’s always something new to learn, and the social aspect makes it incredibly appealing. It brings people together, and that’s exactly what we wanted to foster in our club. Since I first started looking for a location, I’ve seen other pickleball clubs pop up in the area, and I’m excited to see how the sport is growing. It’s clear there’s an appetite for it in the community, and I’m proud to be part of that movement in Burlington. n
Squeeze Pickleball is open to both nonmembers and members, with a variety of opportunities for social play, lessons, clinics and leagues. You can pick up a paddle at 1233 Dillon Rd, Burlington, and you can book a court at squeezepickleball.ca
JIM KOTSOPOULOS HAS OPENED SQUEEZE PICKLEBALL. PHOTO: MARTY EDWARDS, THE GENERATOR
NOT TO BE MISSED
From scavenging your city to monthly maker meetups to chocolate-making workshops, there are so many ways to enjoy city life in Hamilton and Burlington. Here are a few of our favourite local happenings.
WATCH YOUR TEMPER
Learning more about where your food comes from is rarely as sweet – or delicious – as when you’re talking about chocolate. At the hands-on classic chocolate-making workshop, offered by Chocolate Tales, the history of the confection is unwrapped, while students learn about tempering and molding, truffle-making and decorating, and even some tasting. The best part of the class might actually be the homework – a box of treats to finish on your own time. Check out the website for upcoming dates and to register. 430 York Blvd. chocolatetales.ca
MAKERS SEE, MAKERS DO
Hamilton’s DIY community is welcomed to step away from the kitchen table or come out of the garage to meet likeminded doers at Art Aggregate’s monthly maker meetups. Offering studio space, workshops, and a great community, Art Aggregate’s team welcomes all creatives to the meetups to get advice, expand their network, or simply show off their work to an engaged audience. Creativity breeds creativity –just because you can do it yourself, doesn’t mean you always have to. 637 Parkdale Ave. N. artaggregate.ca
HUNT UP SOME FUN
See ya, sofa. Date night just got a bit more interesting, thanks to the Hamilton Hopper, an app-led outdoor scavenger hunt offered by Let’s Roam. Part tour, part game, participants hit up some of the city’s must-see spots, while completing challenges along the way. Turn your phone scrolling from a solitary activity into a way to connect IRL – we promise, it won’t hurt a bit. No date? No problem. The hunts – offered worldwide – are also perfect for friends, families, and even the co-workers that you wouldn’t mind getting to know a bit better. Search the site for all the info. letsroam.com
A CO-WORKER’S GOTTA EAT
Working from home can be lonely and if done right, can also work up an appetite. Fortunately, 541 Eatery and Exchange can solve both conundrums at its Wednesday catered co-working events at Last Supper Books. The community focused, not-for profit café serves up a delicious meal with a side of connection at the cozy bookstore, allowing the workfrom-homers among us a great reason to venture out, have a bite, and meet some peeps while still getting stuff done. Check out Eventbrite for more info and to reserve.
148 James St. N. lastsupperbooks.ca
GRAVITY IS UNDERRATED
Being grounded is great, but sometimes having your head in the clouds offers a welcome change of scenery. Check out the view from above at a two-hour guided climb at Gravity Climbing Gym where trained staff take care of the tying, harnessing and belaying, so participants need only to focus on climbing. Meet forearm muscles you didn’t know you had and problem solve your way to the top of the gym’s walls with an average height of 45 feet, while your dedicated belayer offers tips and does the heavy lifting (you).
70 Frid St. gravityhamilton.com
LIFE IN THE CITY
From festivals and films to galas, galleries and gigs, Hamiltonians love to have a good time and these photos are definitely worth a thousand words. HAMILTON CITY Magazine was there – were you?
photos By B rent perniac and d onna Waxman
1. Hamilton’s Grammy nominated Steve Strongman, Ancaster Memorial Arts Centre, Dec. 7.
2. The Westdale 90th Anniversary Gala: Jacob Moon and Suzie McNeil, Feb. 14.
3. Hamilton Fashion Week Gala Show, Stelco Towers Penthouse, Feb. 15: Erin Taylor; 4. Kate Adams; 5. Danielle Brandino.
6. Singer Laura Cole, Last Call, The Casbah, Jan. 4.
7. Hamilton’s Hammer Down podcast with Jay & Mike: Jason Farr (right) & Mike Nabuurs (left) with special guest, legendary radio personality Alan Cross, Cable 14, Dec. 8.
8. The 80s Club concert with The Spoons, FirstOntario Concert Hall, Nov. 22.
Hatching a tasty plan
COMMON HOUSE CAFÉ, HAMILTON’S NEWEST FOOD INCUBATOR, IS OPERATING OUT OF THE FIRST FLOOR OF CITY HALL.
Hamilton is known for its thriving and innovative food scene. But getting a restaurant off the ground – and keeping it profitable – is undoubtedly a tall order.
Enter Common House Café, a food incubator, retail location and creative space designed to support local food entrepreneurs in Hamilton.
Operating from the first floor of City Hall and run by the Hamilton Business Centre (HBC), the café is a launchpad for licensed food businesses in the startup or expansion phase.
“Ultimately, the goal of the program is to bring these individuals in, mentor them, and help them grow their business to the best of our ability, and then graduate them out into the community,” says Keith Russell, coordinator for the Common House Café and senior business development officer at the City Of Hamilton.
Vendors in the program benefit from reduced rent, access to essential kitchen equipment, space to showcase their products, and training and mentorship opportunities. The goal is to create a collaborative working environment where local foodpreneurs can network and grow their businesses.
traffic from both City staff and the public, the space was ideal for helping Hamilton’s food-based businesses get up and running.
After an extensive and fruitless search for a new tenant, HBC took advantage of a unique opportunity through a partnership with the Ministry of Economic Development to transform the space into a community-focused program to support Hamilton’s food sector.
To support emerging foodservice businesses, the HBC team came up with an idea for an underused space on the main floor of City Hall that served as a makeshift lunchroom for City workers. Before COVID, it had been a Country Style Donuts, complete with a commercial kitchen and serving area. With its prime downtown location and steady foot
After a rigorous selection process from among nearly 75 applicants, HBC found partners for the first iteration of the program: Calabria’s Catering, which specializes in Italian cuisine, as the primary vendor, and secondary vendors Freshly Baked Happiness, a gourmet bakery, and JC’s Hot, a craft hot-sauce producer.
“The café has become a meeting hub, boosting networking (opportunities), increasing off-premise catering orders (and even) leading to a new hire,” says Frank Calabria, owner of Calabria’s Catering, who signed a 10-month lease.
Common House Café celebrated a grand opening in January. – Vanessa Green n
Common House Café is located at 71 Main St. W. on the 1st Floor of Hamilton City Hall.
To learn more about the Common House Café and apply to become a vendor, visit: investinhamilton.ca/hamiltonbusiness-centre/common-house-Café/
SCAN THE QR CODE TO READ MORE. ABOVE: FRANK CALABRIA IS THE FIRST VENDOR AT COMMON HOUSE CAFÉ.
PHOTO: MEREDITH M ac LEOD/ HCM
Sharing the LRT goldmine
PILOT PROJECT AIMS TO PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE FUTURE FOR HAMILTON’S TRANSIT CORRIDOR, ONE THAT INCLUDES AFFORDABLE HOUSING ALONGSIDE UPSCALE HIGH-RISES.
By EUGENE ELLMEN
Aland speculation bonanza is underway along Hamilton’s King and Main streets triggered chiefly by the largest infrastructure project in the city’s history, the $3.4-billion light rail transit line.
Like every other major city in Canada, high levels of immigration and demand for urban housing are driving up property values. But the city’s ambitious mass transit project cutting through a long stretch of aging, affordable housing has contributed to a sharp rise in rents and land values downtown.
This grand plan has come at a high price for people who live near the transit line. Historic single-family dwellings, row houses and walkup apartments that were once a refuge for the working poor and people on social assistance are disappearing, giving way to upscale high-rises.
But what if it doesn’t have to be this way? What if there is a way for Hamilton to reap the benefits of the LRT while preserving its downtown neighbourhoods? This is the aim of a recent progressive pilot project in Hamilton focusing on a new urban planning idea called equitable transit-oriented housing.
Rather than standing back as neighbourhoods are taken over by high-rise rentals and condos, the new thinking is to create a mix of large and small buildings along mass transit routes, better serving lowincome people in need of affordably priced housing and public transit.
“When the market hears that there’s going to be development, we start to see speculation,” says Andrea Nemtin, CEO of Social Innovation Canada (SI Canada), a national think tank that coordinated the project. “Communities get displaced, and they can’t come back, because when it’s all done, the land values are too high.”
Nemtin’s project – called the Hamilton Transit-Oriented Affordable Housing Lab –drew participants from nearly 30 municipal, provincial and national housing agencies, non-profit housing providers, community leaders and housing support groups. The aim of the project, which completed two years of work in late 2024, was to identify and find money for new affordable housing sites along Hamilton’s transit corridor. Participants also wanted to figure out how to replicate the process in other cities.
16,000 AFFORDABLE APARTMENTS GONE
Back in 2015, when then-Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne first announced the LRT project, development land in downtown Hamilton was going for $2 million an acre, says community organizer Karl Andrus, a vocal and active participant in the SI Canada project. Ten years later, it has exploded to $15 million to $20 million an acre.
Land speculation has generated tragic results. Census figures compiled by the Hamilton Community Foundation show that the city lost about 16,000 units of “affordable housing” between 2011 and 2021. These are apartments that rent for below $750 a month, the level considered affordable for a family earning $30,000 a year.
“When you lose that many units, people have a couple of different choices,” says Andrus, community benefits manager for the Hamilton Community Benefits Network. “They can either get a bunch of roommates and cram into a smaller place, or they can end up unhoused.”
People on Ontario Works (OW) and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP)
AN ARTIST CONCEPTION OF A FUTURE LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT STOP AT KING AND WELLINGTON STREETS. RENDERING: METROLINX
are particularly hard hit, he says. “There’s a direct correlation between those lost units that people can afford on OW or ODSP and the numbers of people ending up in encampments.”
Faced with such an enormous challenge, the task now is to build as many non-market housing units as possible, keeping the units permanently affordable and out of the land speculation market, says Nemtin. “If you can have planning that actually identifies the land that’s going to be increasing in value, and the non-profit and the City housing providers can get in front of that, then they can benefit from the land value uplift.”
So, was the SI Canada project successful in identifying such properties? Yes, and no.
With land values as high as $20 million an acre, it’s tough going for community housing providers to obtain land in the transit corridor that’s cheap enough for affordable housing. But one of the organizations participating in the SI Canada process is optimistic it can crack that nut.
Hamilton East Kiwanis Non-Profit Homes is a charity that has been operating for over
40 years, offering 1,100 affordable housing units in multi-storey apartment buildings and individual homes.
Like many non-profit housing providers, Kiwanis obtained low-cost houses from federal mortgage insurer Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC) in the 1980s after high interest rates forced thousands of Canadians to default on their mortgages. CMHC provided advantageous financing to providers like Kiwanis to take over the abandoned mortgages and use the properties for affordable housing.
Over the years, Kiwanis sold some of these properties – including a number close to the LRT line – to fund construction of new apartment buildings. But after rents and house prices near the LRT skyrocketed, it dawned on executive director Brian Sibley and his board that Kiwanis itself had become part of the problem.
“If we had continued on that road,” says Sibley, “we would have been adding to gentrification, not reducing gentrification.”
After participating in an SI Canada working group, Kiwanis changed its strategy.
Now, Kiwanis plans to retain single-family properties close to the LRT and slowly redevelop them into fourplexes, using a new Hamilton city council policy permitting fourplex conversions on single family lots. Kiwanis is currently working on a pilot to convert three of these dwellings into 12 affordable units. If this goes well, Sibley is hopeful that Kiwanis can build about 200 new units by 2028.
“What we’re talking about is a very gentle density that really preserves walkability.”
One of the great things about this idea is that it could be done by virtually anyone who owns a single family-home, says Sibley. “There’s a huge opportunity there. It’s not just limited to the affordable housing sector.”
But a lack of startup funding has plagued community projects, including YWCA Hamilton’s hope to convert a vacant commercial property at 499 King St. E. into 10 affordable units for women and genderdiverse people and their families. It was a good candidate for the SI Canada process, situated only 100 metres from a planned transit station. .
Nemtin, who has worked for 25 years in the philanthropic and impact investing sectors, says the lack of financing and funding for project startups, property acquisition and building construction is a huge barrier to the development of affordable housing. To meet this need, SI Canada secured commitments from investors to launch a revolving loan fund for transitoriented affordable housing in Hamilton.
$15-MILLION FUND IN THE WORKS
The group has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for a fund manager. The $15-million fund will be structured on a “blended finance” model, which is a mix of grants, and below-market and market-rate investments.
One of the most important features of the fund is that it will coordinate private financing from charities and investors with grants from the City of Hamilton’s Housing Secretariat, established in 2023. Earlier this year, the secretariat announced a first round of startup funding of $8.2 million for 11 affordable housing projects.
Andrus says the SI Canada fund will help to address challenges of startup and /continued on next page
construction financing. But a lack of lowcost land is also a big barrier to affordable housing.
He’s hopeful that the post-pandemic real estate slump will prompt some developers to offload their properties cheaply to non-profit housing providers. The city also has a large inventory of empty parking lots and churches that may also be able to supply low-cost land.
But Andrus says Metrolinx – the provincial agency building the LRT – must be pressured to free up land from its 12- to 15-acre bank of properties that it won’t need for completion of the transit line.
If surplus Metrolinx land in Hamilton is turned over to the City or community housing groups at the same cost Metrolinx paid for it, Andrus estimates it could help to create 2,000 to 3,000 affordable housing units. “That presents a unique opportunity for the public sector and for non-profits to build housing if only they’re afforded the chance to buy that land at cost.”
But Metrolinx operates under the Ontario realty directive, which requires provincial agencies to dispose of surplus land at market value – the price a developer is willing to pay. When asked for this article whether it is considering affordable housing for its surplus LRT lands, Metrolinx issued a curt two-line reply: “As a provincial agency, all transactions involving Metrolinx are subject to the Ontario realty directive. Details regarding surplus lands will be determined as the project progresses.”
Still, Andrus is hopeful. A community uproar in 2021 forced the province to provide two acres of Metrolinx land for a community centre adjacent to an LRT facility in Toronto. What Hamilton needs to avoid, he says, is a situation like the one in Mississauga in 2022 when Metrolinx sold a parking lot adjacent to the Port Credit GO station for an astounding $64.5 million. That massive windfall for Metrolinx did nothing for affordable housing.
Nemtin says Hamilton benefits from a strong local housing network, one of the reasons SI Canada piloted its equitable transit-oriented housing idea here.
Andrus agrees. “One of the strengths of Hamilton is that although we’re a large city, it’s more like a small town.” n
Eugene Ellmen writes on sustainable business and finance. He lives downtown.
TRAINWRECK DOCUMENTARY TELLS STORY OF LRT EVICTIONS
The plight of Hamilton residents evicted from their downtown homes by Metrolinx, the provincial transit agency, is the subject of Trainwreck, a moving and compassionate documentary film.
“There are dozens of tenants who have lost their homes and were pushed out of very affordable apartments into a rental market that had skyrocketing rents and very low vacancy,” says Emily Power, the movie’s producer. “These people deserve some form of justice for the hardship they’ve been through.”
One of the most moving stories in the film is that of 69-year-old Sharon Miller, who for 20 years had lived with her ailing husband in a first-floor apartment of a two-storey building on King, east of Gage. It was one of about 80 full properties and 71 partial lots that Metrolinx has acquired or plans to acquire for the LRT line.
Miller, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after witnessing a friend fall to their death from an apartment balcony years earlier, refused to accept accommodation offers from Metrolinx that would have placed her and her husband on upper floor units in high rises.
After fighting to stay in her building for nearly five years, she and her husband finally moved into the first floor of a new social housing building. Tragically, both passed away only months after their move in 2023.
Power got to know Miller and other displaced tenants while living in the neighbourhood in 2017. Soon after, she decided to make the documentary with fellow filmmakers Alex Balch and Taras Hemon. “We made friends with some of the tenants and stayed connected with them through the years. And we felt that these stories
weren’t getting the attention they deserved.”
Trainwreck played to packed audiences last year at the Hamilton Film Festival and the Playhouse Theatre as well as the Nia Centre for the Arts in Toronto.
There is no narrator in the film and it does not argue for a particular solution to the plight of those who lost their homes. Instead, it takes great lengths to let the people displaced by the transit line tell their own stories in their own words.
To ease the displacement, Metrolinx agreed to try to find similar accommodation suitable to each tenant. Temporary rent subsidies to make the difference were provided on a case-by-case basis. According to Metrolinx, 100 tenants had been relocated by last November and another 30 were in the process of finding a new place to live. The Hamilton Community Benefits Network estimates the total number of people displaced is higher – between 200 and 300 – since many tenants moved out after getting eviction notices or cash payments from their landlords.
Some viewers of the film have come away thinking the documentary is anti-LRT, suggesting the transit project should be cancelled. But Power emphasizes that Metrolinx and the province have a responsibility to provide affordable housing as well as public transit. Otherwise, the LRT will simply benefit wealthy developers and high-income transit users.
As the late Sharon Miller says in the film: “Landlords are throwing people out, putting rents up, and it’s for the gentrification of downtown Hamilton. It’ll be for the people who come in here with money, not for the people that work and live here.” n
For more information, IG: @trainwreckfilm
TRAINWRECK TELLS THE STORY OF TENANTS EVICTED BY METROLINX TO MAKE WAY FOR HAMILTON’S LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT LINE.
THE HAVE IT BEES
HAMILTON AND BURLINGTON ARE HOME TO PRODUCERS AND ENTREPRENEURS WHO ARE RAISING BEES, COLLECTING HONEY AND WAX, AND THEN DOING REMARKABLE THINGS WITH IT.
By JASON ALLEN
Afew weeks ago, I came back from a weekend conference where I had done a bit too much talking, too much singing, and too much raising my voice over the dinnertime crowd. My throat was a mess. So I reached for our two favourite sore throat remedies in the house: a hot cup of tea and a spoonful of honey.
We all know honey, whether we’re drizzling it on toast, or swirling it in tea, is a lovely little thing that makes everything just a bit sweeter, naturally. Honey isn’t processed anywhere near as much as cane or beet sugar, so as a result, it has the lowest carbon footprint of any sweetener.
Honey is so simple, and so common, that we probably take it for granted, but it is a remarkable thing. Left on its own, honey will keep indefinitely. They have excavated honey from the tombs of ancient pharaohs, only to find it perfectly edible.
It turns out that raising bees, collecting honey and wax and then doing remarkable things with that honey and wax is a thriving concern in Hamilton and Burlington. Which is a good thing, after nearly a decade of bees making front page news for being under threat of dying out. Whether it was neonicotinoid herbicides, varoa mites, or colony collapse disorder, the bees were under threat. And with bees pollinating an estimated 35 per cent of all the food we see in grocery stores, they’re a neighbour we can’t afford to live without.
THE BEEKEEPER
Terri Faloney is the head beekeeper at Hammer Hives. She’s been working with bees for eight years, apprenticing under one of the top beekeepers in Ontario. She specializes in breeding queen bees for sale, but produces a lot of honey and wax every year.
Getting from a queen bee to honey in your jar, though, is a process with many steps, and one where attention to detail is crucial.
/continued on next page
You’ve probably seen them dotting the hillsides on a drive through the rural parts of Hamilton – little white boxes laid in a pattern around the field. These are bee hives, and from them bees emerge and pollinate our crops, and return to make wax and honey in the hive. These white boxes contain supers and frames. Supers are a collection of frames, and the frames are the places where the bees live, and then make their honey. Those frames can then be pulled out and the honey removed. It seems simple at first, but there are lots of moving parts, and everything must be done to keep the health of the bees in mind.
The process starts with a queen and a solid colony of 10,000 or so. ”That colony will grow into a full-sized colony, which is about 40,000 strong,” explains Faloney. “Once you hit that point, you add a queen excluder that prevents the queen from laying any eggs in the honey super that you have added above. That way when you go to extract, you have just straight slabs of honey.”
From there, you attach a special one-way trap door, called a Quebec-style bee escape, to keep the bees out of the honey when you harvest it. Then at the end, you give some of the honey back to the bees for winter before harvesting it.
“So that makes it very ethical when you extract the honey and there’s no bees floating around in there.”
Faloney uses plastic foundation frames. These foundations have a plastic sheet with hexagons that the bees place their honey into that mimic natural honeycombs. When she takes the super back into the shop, there is a cap of wax over the frame that she removes and uses for candles.
“From there, you put the frame into an extractor to pull the honey out using centrifugal force,” Faloney explains. Then it goes through a series of gravity and fabric filters to remove any lumps of wax or debris.
“I never apply any heat, and I never use pasteurization, and it’s pumped into a tank which is kept at a consistent 20 C to keep it a liquid.”
Faloney acknowledges that she is a comparatively small operation. “Last year, I had the most hives ever. I had 80 hives, and honestly that’s nothing. I work with guys who have thousands. There are people who do almond pollination who have 50,000 hives.”
Over the course of a summer, Faloney’s 80
They are my children. i love my babies so much i ’m always T alking T o T hem. I g I ve them snacks l I ke watermelon, and they love to taste the salt on my sk I n. I just want to make sure they have anyth I ng that they need. t hey help me a lot, too.”
t
err I Faloney, head beekeeper, h ammer hI ves
hives produce about 10,000 lbs of honey. In the interest of keeping the bees healthy, though, she let them keep the lion’s share, taking 4,000 lbs to sell at local markets and through her online store.
Being a woman in beekeeping is relatively rare, something that Faloney ascribes to the physically demanding nature of the role. “There is a lot of heavy lifting. It’s very strenuous when you’re lifting a 100-pound frame stuck on with propolis (a resin bees produce to build and repair their hives) while 40,000 bees swirl around you trying to figure out what’s going on,” she says.
“Plus, a lot of women are conditioned to not like bugs. Women are conditioned to be clean and proper, and to like pretty things, and not bugs” she adds, with a hint of regret.
Still she hasn’t experienced stigma, and, on the contrary, says that men in the industry view her as powerful.
“It’s a lot of work, it’s a lot of patience, it’s very strenuous. But it’s very rewarding, and working with bees is just magical,” Faloney enthuses.
“They are my children,” she says with a laugh. “I love my babies so much I’m always talking to them. I give them snacks like watermelon, and they love to taste the salt on my skin. I just want to make sure they have anything that they need. They help me a lot, too.”
Faloney describes how beneficial the bees have been to her mental health. “They definitely reverse PTSD, they definitely help with trauma. I just have a good relationship with them.”
TERRI FALONEY, HEAD BEEKEEPER AT HAMMER HIVES, SPECIALIZES IN BREEDING QUEEN BEES, ALONG WITH PRODUCING HONEY AND WAX. PHOTO: COURTESY TERRI FALONEY
THE ENTREPRENEUR
Luc Peters has a similar reverence for the creatures he works with. His apiary Humble Bee has hives dotted all over rural and urban Hamilton, including on the roof of Strathcona Market.
He got into beekeeping 15 years ago when he read that bees were having a really hard time. “I mean they still are,” he explains, “but it was one of the first major die-offs that we had seen.”
He was initially more interested in working with bumble bees, which are more threatened than honeybees in many cases. He worked with bumble bees for a short while, but perhaps unsurprisingly found greater opportunities in honeybees.
Peters then moved to an industrial-scale bee farm, an operation with 2,000 hives. “I was the only non-migrant worker and it really showed me what farming was in an industrial sense.” At the same time, he began working with a smaller farm and keeping his own bees. With that, he was able to contrast the different ways of managing hives and honey production.
In the end he was “totally taken over by the bees.”
Peters founded Humble Bee 11 years ago, partially from a desire for people to experience “real honey.” Sometimes, he explains, what you find in the grocery stores that is labelled as honey doesn’t contain much honey at all.
“There are still a lot of … how do I put this nicely … mislabelled products,” he says. Many are other syrups with just 10 per cent honey added in for flavour.
“Honey is a special thing,” Peters continues. “It’s a food. It’s a medicine. It’s the only food that doesn’t go bad. The lore around it is incredible. It’s a very pure product in itself, and we don’t need to do anything to honey to make it better.”
He has been asked often if he blends his honey with other things, to change the flavour, but he keeps it simple. “I want to start with the honey jar with just pure straight-up honey, so everyone can experience that.
“I still get people from all ages, who come into the shop to try it and it’s the first time they have ever tried real honey,” he says. “That for me is the reward.”
On top of all this, Humble Bee’s storefront on Burlington Street is a full beekeeping
HAMILTON’S MIND YOUR BEES PRODUCES BEESWAX-INFUSED WRAPS TO REPLACE PLASTIC CLING WRAP, ALONG WITH A LINE OF SOY AND BEESWAX CANDLES. PHOTO: MIND YOUR BEES
supply shop. Here, Peters sells not only honey and wax, but also all of the equipment you would need to start keeping bees yourself. And if you’re unsure where to start, he runs regular beehive tours, and classes for beginners who want to try it out.
Despite Peters’ insistence that honey doesn’t need anything to make it better, people have been working with honey for thousands of years to make it into other things.
And one of the first things that early civilizations did with honey was to ferment it. Mead is a product made largely from fermented honey, and it is the oldest known alcoholic drink, dating back to the earliest days of prehistoric agriculture.
THE MEAD MAKER
Vincent Sowa is the head mead maker at Backed by Bees on Appleby Line in Burlington. He started making mead as a home brewer 15 years ago and trained as a cider maker because there is no formal training for mead makers.
“Everyone who is doing it is self taught,” Sowa says.
Backed by Bees opened in 2019 and has been making amazing mead ever since.
“It’s so neat because it’s such a large category itself,” he says. “I tell people if you can imagine it, I can make it.”
In some ways the process is similar to making beer, using heat to process the honey, while in other ways it’s closer to wine or cider and can be matured for years.
They do it both ways, with one version that goes “from honey to glass in 30 days.” Other versions are barrel aged for up to three years.
Micro-oxidization is the secret to why aged mead tastes so great. “It smooths out the higher alcohols, so you barely notice they are there,” Sowa explains. “We tell people that the barrel-aged product is like drinking scotch without the burn.”
The process is deceptively simple. They just add honey to warm water and pitch yeast to start the fermenting process. But the devil, as always, is in the details, including minor adjustments with acidity and Ph in the water.
“Of course with mead making, the secret sauce is the nutrient additions.”
For the first fermentation it’s often only honey and water and nutrients, but for the second round they sometimes add fruit or other flavours.
They carefully measure everything that goes into the mead. “We measure sugar content and water content certainly. If we’re really interested in the floral source, there are labs out there that will tell you what your nectar sources are,” he says.
“The process is fairly basic, but it’s all the back-end work on balance that is the secret.”
There are regulations around meaderies. They need to have 100 bee hives and do some of their honey extraction on site. Backed By Bees, however, has a lot more bees than that.
“We actually are a mid-sized commercial beekeeping operation. We keep over 700 colonies.” They do everything with their hives from agricultural pollination to selling honey and wax.
Despite the alcohol industry experiencing declining sales, Backed by Bees continues to thrive and grow, with plans in place to band together with other meaderies to grow the industry and increase the popularity of the drink.
One way Sowa is doing that is by running monthly 90-minute mead explorer classes. Here Sowa and a head beekeeper walk participants through the whole process of making mead and allow them to sample what various types taste like at different stages of production.
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Sowa is upbeat about the future of mead. “It’s where the cider industry was about five years ago. A lot of people don’t know what we are.”
In the past when he ran the mead explorer classes, most participants had never tried mead. Now when he holds the classes, everyone has.
“If we’re having this conversation in five years, it’s going to be a lot different than it is today.”
THE WAX WRAPPER
Besides honey, and some of its more delicious products, one product of beekeeping that may not get as much attention is the wax.
In pre-industrial times, when everyone lit their homes with candles, the wax produced by bees was just as valuable as the honey, if not more so. Nowadays wax is almost an afterthought, reserved for fancy candles that are often as decorative as they are functional.
But what if someone came up with a whole new way of keeping food fresh without using chemical-filled plastic that will be in landfills for the next thousand years?
Enter beeswax wraps, and Hamilton’s own producer of them, Mind Your Bees.
Ashley Shortall founded the company in 2017, and she buzzes about how beeswaxinfused wraps are just a better way to store your food.
“When you use them regularly, you will notice how much plastic waste is reduced in your home,” she says.
Wraps can be used in place of cling film to cover bowls and dishes to make them into a reusable container that goes in your fridge or pantry.
Where they really come into their own, though, is wrapping fresh greens.
“Fully exposed greens will wilt very quickly, and greens put in plastic will just turn into sludge,” Shortall describes. “We’ve all had a bag of sludge in the back of the fridge.”
But greens wrapped in beeswax stay fresh much longer. “I can pull cilantro out of my fridge after two or three weeks and it will still be completely usable.”
To pile on the environmental benefits, Shortall only uses organic, certified fair-trade cotton for her wraps, which she sources directly from India.
From there, various patterns are printed
on the fabric in Canada, and she adds her special mixture to them.
“I infuse them with a mixture of wax, jojoba oil, pine resin, and the secret ingredient coconut wax, which makes the wraps more flexible and keeps them from cracking.”
Her fabric is cut locally by a woman who experiences barriers to employment. Once the fabric is cut, Shortall and her team use rollers to apply the mixture onto the wraps, and then press them in repurposed T-shirt presses that melt the wax deeply into the fabric and seal it in.
With the row of presses, the back of her shop in the Cotton Factory looks like a giant waffle factory, and the aroma? Heavenly. The smell of honey naturally infuses all beeswax, and you are hit with a wall of scent as soon as you walk into the shop.
Shortall’s business has changed dramatically since she opened. Many of the large retailers like Hudson’s Bay, and smaller independent shops that carried her product have either moved on from wraps, or have closed, and she has pivoted to providing bespoke corporate gifts.
She also does a series of markets and festivals, and has a vigorous online presence.
“If you’re a small business, and you don’t pivot?” she says. “You’re done.”
It’s that nimbleness and responsiveness to
people’s needs and desires that has caused her to branch out into other wax products like soy and beeswax candles. She is constantly looking for the next thing and the next way to ensure people know about and use her ecofriendly product.
Shortall gets her wax in industrial quantities from one of the only producers in the area big enough to supply her, Dutchman’s Gold in Carlisle.
But her supply chain is typical of the interconnectedness of the whole bee/honey/ wax industry in Hamilton and Burlington.
Backed By Bees stocks Mind Your Bees wraps in its store alongside honey, candles and mead, and Hammer Hives is also working with Mind Your Bees on a new, top-secret location for a hive.
Everyone in the industry speaks with so much affection for everyone else, it’s clear the industry is too small to be competitive. It seems that the very nature of working with bees, honey and wax tends to attract people who naturally get along with others and want to do good for the planet and for other people. Bees and honey and wax have been part of how people have eaten and drank and lived for many thousands of years. With such a thriving bee and beekeeping industry in Hamilton, we can be sure they will be with us for many more years to come. n
BACKED BY BEES IN BURLINGTON USES HONEY IT PRODUCES TO MAKE MEAD, AN ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE MADE BY FERMENTING HONEY MIXED WITH WATER. PHOTO: BACKED BY BEES
No reservations
FULLY COMMITTED AT THEATRE AQUARIUS SERVES UP ONE ACTOR, THREE DOZEN CHARACTERS AND A SLICE-OF-LIFE LOOK AT HIGH-END DINING.
Hamilton director, playwright and actor Steven Gallagher will take a second directorial turn with Fully Committed starring actor Gavin Crawford when it opens at Theatre Aquarius. They teamed up on the production at London’s Grand Theatre in January 2020.
The two became close and Gallagher was thrilled when Crawford was free again to take on the role of Sam Peliczowski, an out-of-work actor struggling with personal issues who is answering the reservation line at New York City’s hottest restaurant.
It’s Crawford’s debut at Aquarius. He is best known for his eight seasons on This Hour Has 22 Minutes
“He has the most ease and facility with voices of any actor I’ve ever worked with. His accent work is impeccable. He understands why the character would speak this way,” says Gallagher.
It’s a demanding role: 90 minutes on stage with no breaks and no scenes. It’s physically demanding and requires Crawford to come up with voices and physical presences for roughly 35 characters.
That includes the arrogant chef, obnoxious socialites, name-dropping wannabes, and fickle celebrities. It’s a deeply funny play but it has a beating heart, says Gallagher.
“It is one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen in my life but there’s a great message about how to stay true to yourself amid the noise, and how to not let the world, the madness of the world around you, take away from who you are. It’s really a great little show about empowerment, too.”
Gallagher thinks Hamilton’s restaurant culture means Fully Committed will resonate with local audiences.
“Anybody who’s ever worked in any capacity in a restaurant will recognize these situations.”
Gallagher moved to Hamilton with his partner Neil in 2022. He acted in 2023’s The Gig at Aquarius and co-wrote 2024’s Pollyanna The Musical. This is his directorial debut at the theatre.
“I’m so lucky that I’m getting to do this. I mean, I love working in Aquarius, but I’m so lucky that this show came along the way it did. All the stars were aligning again.”
“He’s so charming, he’s so funny, he’s such a massive, massive Canadian talent. We are so, so lucky to have someone like him in this show at this theatre. So that’s what I want people to recognize, that we’re getting a world-class talent doing the show at this theatre.”
Fully Committed runs at Theatre Aquarius from March 26 to April 12. n
SCAN THE QR CODE TO READ MORE. ABOVE: STEVEN GALLAGHER IS MAKING HIS DIRECTORIAL DEBUT AT THEATRE AQUARIUS WITH FULLY COMMITTED PHOTO: DAHLIA KATZ
CONSTANT REINVENTION
JAZZ VOCALIST DIANA PANTON CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF RECORDING WITH SOFT WINDS AND ROSES, HER 11TH FULL-LENGTH RECORD, THAT TAKES ON CONTEMPORARY FAVOURITES.
By KERRY DOOLE
Juno-winning Hamilton jazz vocalist Diana Panton has just celebrated a milestone 20th anniversary of becoming a recording artist in fitting style. She recently released a new album, soft winds and roses, her 11th full-length record in a discography now impressive in both its size and consistent quality. Over a glass of wine at her favourite Italian restaurant in Westdale, Panton tells HAMILTON CITY Magazine that her prolific output was one she always expected. “When I started making the albums I don’t think it would have surprised me to learn I’d make this many or would still have more to make. I felt dedicated enough.
“Looking back, I think a highlight for me is having vinyl. That was not something I expected, but I have six albums out on vinyl now. The very first one, red, felt so special. I love vinyl records and that was the original format of the albums I loved. To hear my record on the system I have at home where I listened to those albums was such a treat. I felt then that I had arrived.”
As with so many jazz vocalists, Panton has often explored the Great American Songbook of classic jazz and pop tunes. On soft winds and roses, her song selection has moved forward a few decades, as she covers tunes written and made popular from the ’60s onward. Among those reinterpreted here in her fresh style are favourites from the likes of Elton John, The Beatles, Leonard Cohen, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Gordon Lightfoot, Randy Newman, Ron Sexsmith, Joni Mitchell and even The Bee Gees.
Explaining her approach to the material, Panton notes that “the jazz way is to bring something new to the song. You can do that by changing the tempo or the arrangements, and I’ve always felt the best way is to just be yourself. There’s only one of you. My goal is that when people listen to the album they are just hearing me do the songs and are not thinking too much about the original. That is what I do with all the albums.”
A look at the song list on soft winds and roses reveals that a huge chunk of the material is Canadian in origin. “At one stage, I thought I might do an all-Canadian album,” says Panton. “I think I have addressed that now with this one. I wanted some healthy Canadian content in there and that was a pleasure for me to highlight.”
Rave reviews have come in from media outlets around the globe. “It is nice as an artist to feel you’ve tried something a little new and that people are receptive,” she says.
As with other Canadian jazz singers such as Holly Cole and former Hamiltonian Chantal Chamberland, Panton has found Asia a very welcoming market, with her albums frequently making bestseller lists in Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Panton has received serious critical acclaim throughout her career, though the choice to remain a totally independent recording artist, funding and
releasing her albums by herself, has meant that commercial success on the scale of Diana Krall or Norah Jones is almost impossible to achieve.
She has, however, earned the respect of her peers and the music industry, as shown by eight Juno Awards nominations. She has won twice, in 2015 for her album red, and in 2017 in the children’s album of the year category for I Believe In Little Things
Her foray into children’s music was highly successful, as that album achieved the rare feat of charting simultaneously on Billboard’s jazz and children’s music charts, boosted by an interview on NPR in the U.S.
Panton has also earned nine Hamilton Music Awards, multiple National Jazz award nominations, and three Silver Disc awards in Japan.
In our extensive interview, Panton explored the origins of her career as a jazz vocalist. Growing up, she was exposed to plenty of classical music via her Scottish-born father (he passed away last year). “He was a pipefitter from Glasgow who worked in Hamilton and he was such an exceptional person. I owe a lot to him aesthetically. I discovered jazz and art literature through him.”
Panton studied violin and clarinet in the music program at Westdale Secondary School, but then her love of jazz took precedence. “The first person with whom I felt an affinity immediately upon hearing their voice was Ella Fitzgerald. Something resonated with me, and that got me started with jazz. I wasn’t listening with the intention of singing or making albums, I just loved the music.”
Trips to the Hamilton Public Library helped her discover her voracious appetite for jazz. “I’d go to the downtown library every week,” Panton recalls.
“I’d take out the limit of 10 CDs and 15 cassettes, then I’d do the same at the Westdale branch. That was the amount of listening I’d do every week even before I contemplated singing.”
She notes that the next step came “when I learned that (founder) Russ Weil was still running the practices for the Hamilton AllStar Jazz Band out of the Westdale school. I lived so close that I would go there and listen to the practices at night. That planted the seed that perhaps I could do this.”
Joining their ranks is how she cut her teeth as a jazz vocalist.
a highlight for me is having vinyl. t hat was not something i expected, but I have s I x albums out on v I nyl now.”
d iana panton
“I stayed with them for nearly a decade, working with big-band arrangements for 25 people,” she says. “I was super fortunate to have that opportunity. We got to travel all over, including the Montreux Jazz Festival, and it enabled me to meet the piano player I have worked with, Don Thompson.”
An accomplished pianist, bassist and vibraphonist, Thompson is regarded as an elder statesman of Canadian jazz. He has won multiple Junos, worked with the likes of The Boss Brass, Jim Hall and Mel Tormé, and is an Order Of Canada recipient.
Panton’s long and productive musical relationship with him has been life- and career-changing. After hearing her sing with the All-Star Jazz Band, Thompson offered the young singer (then just 19) invaluable encouragement and advice, as she recalls.
“He suggested I apply for the Banff Centre for the Arts jazz program. I got in, and even though I felt a little like a fish out of water there, Don took me under his wing. At the end of the workshop he came up and said, ‘When you’re ready to record, give me a call.’ I was a bit taken aback, after just singing for one year. I was extremely flattered but I felt nowhere near ready to record.”
Nearly a decade later, Panton took
Thompson up on his offer, launching her recording career. In the interim, Panton had earned an honours masters degree in French literature from McMaster University, then taught at the University of Paris for 18 months (the only significant period of time away from her beloved Hamilton).
Simultaneously with making that first record, 2005’s …yesterday perhaps, Panton started her full-time teaching career at her alma mater of Westdale, where she is now on the Wall of Distinction.
Thompson and Toronto guitar ace Reg Schwager (Diana Krall, Chet Baker) have appeared on all 11 of her albums, and together have created a signature sparse sound that is the perfect setting for Panton’s subtle phrasing and clear, unaffected vocals.
Thompson is responsible for the musical arrangements on her records, though Panton notes that “sometimes I’ll have a sonic idea, like starting the Leonard Cohen cover (‘Hey That’s No Way To Say Goodbye’) on the new album a cappella. Don knows exactly my vocal range, the way I breathe, so the arrangements are custom-made for my voice.”
Schwager, in turn, just shows up for the recording sessions, sprinkling his guitar fairy dust over the songs. “He still doesn’t get the song list or charts in advance. It is all done right on the spot,” says Panton.
In terms of her musical career, relocation to an industry centre like Toronto or New York City might have benefited Panton, but she remains passionate about and committed to living in Hamilton.
“People say, ‘How could you come back to Hamilton after living in Paris?’ But there is something about Hamilton I always really enjoy, even after travelling everywhere.”
She is grateful for the support of fans in the city.
“I have a very loyal following in Hamilton. Even if they are few and far between, if I have a concert here, it is well-attended every time.
“In Hamilton, I feel like the emotional content is always very important. You can’t come in and mess around. They come expecting to hear you. It is a great place to cut your teeth. If you look across the genres in Hamilton, I see that as a common thread. It doesn’t necessarily have to be polished. A little rough around the edges is OK, as long as it is truthful and honest.” n
A deep dive
STEVE HAINING PULLED OFF A MODEL SHOOT PAST THE DECOMPRESSION ZONE AT A SHIPWRECK IN FLORIDA THAT HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY GUINNESS. By
MEREDITH MACLEOD
MODEL CIARA ANTOSKI WAS PHOTOGRAPHED AT A SHIPWRECK IN FLORIDA AT 49.8 METRES DEEP.
PHOTO: STEVE HAINING
circling shark, a jellyfish sting, eight-foot waves, and the ever-present threat of decompression sickness did not sink Hamilton photographer Steve Haining’s quest for a third Guinness world record.
Haining, Brantford-born model Ciara Antoski and a safety diver Wayne Fryman are named on the record for the deepest underwater model photoshoot at 49.8 metres (163.4 feet). They achieved the record at a shipwreck off Pompano Beach, Florida on Dec. 19.
For context, the deepest a dive master is allowed to go is 39.6 metres (130 feet). But with a team of highly trained technical divers, Haining pulled off the greater depth.
Haining previously achieved records at shipwrecks in Tobermory, Ont. at 23.6 metres (77 feet) in June 2021 and then 30 metres (98 feet) in September 2023.
Haining has only been diving for about 10 years after taking a learn-to-scuba-dive course for tourists in the Dominican Republic. He was hooked and has since advanced through many levels of diving. He is now licensed as a technical diver and that allows him to go past decompression range.
The underwater work began as a joke between Haining and Antoski – both recently certified divers – during the shutdowns of the pandemic when it seemed the safest way to shoot together was with breathing tanks for scuba diving. So they started practising in a pool.
They went to Tobermory and did a shoot for fun. There was no intention to set a record and Haining and the team only realized they had when Guinness reached out and asked for documentation.
Prior to this latest dive at the site of the Hydro Atlantic shipwreck, a 90-metre long sea dredger, built in 1905 that sunk as it was being brought to the Florida Keys to become a natural reef, both Haining and Antoski had to go through an additional year of technical training in gas blending and decompression practice.
After months of precise planning, the shoot had to be delayed a day due to high swells.
And then once the dive was underway, there were plenty of challenges to overcome.
“In normal circumstances, there’s mooring
tied to the wreck you can clip off to in order to have a direct line to the wreck, but because the highest point of the wreck was actually deeper than most professional divers could go, there was no mooring,” Haining told HAMILTON CITY Magazine from his winter home in Florida.
So he had to descend to attach a safety line between the dive boat and the wreck. When he did that, he realized that people baiting and fishing the water had attracted a massive tiger shark to the area.
By the time he and his safety diver had surveyed the wreck to find the right location for the shoot, the shark was gone. But another problem arose. One of the tank bolts on Haining’s air tanks snapped and when he tried to fix it, he got stung by a jellyfish.
“I’ve never had that happen in my life before. It felt like a million paper cuts,” he says.
“Ultimately, by the time we all got to the shipwreck all the issues had resolved themselves and the shoot was perfect.”
/continued on next page
HAMILTON NATIVE STEVE HAINING HAS ACHIEVED HIS THIRD GUINNESS RECORD FOR DEEP DIVE PHOTO SHOOTS. PHOTO: COURTESY STEVE HAINING
ASCENDING HORIZONS
January 8th - June 20th, 2025
Curated by Alex Jacobs-Blum and Kim Anderson
Artists: KC Adams, Carrie Allison, Judy Anderson, Hannah Claus, Elizabeth Doxtater, Charlene Vickers, Marie Watt
Ascending Horizons was shaped by the wisdom of Indigenous women, whose deep connections to land, water and the moon echo the cycles of creation.
HAMILTON ORIGINALS
The Songs of
THE CARS & ELVIS COSTELLO
Tickets: thewestdale.ca
Highly accomplished technical diver and trainer Mareesha Klups, of Toronto, served as a rescue diver on the latest shoot. She was the model on the Tobermory shoot, when she wore a dress with a 15-foot train, held her breath for extended periods and posed on the bow of Niagara II, an intentionally sunk dive site in 6 C water.
About 16 minutes in, Klups began to convulsively shiver, so the team made its ascent. But Haining was happy with the shots, though being in the cold, murky water made it difficult to bring out colours.
The shoot caused a buzz in the diving world and in the photography world, Haining says.
“There was a really cool race to the bottom with people trying to hit that 130 feet for 10 minutes. Because as an experienced diver, 130 feet for a maximum of, say, eight to 10 minutes is your limit.”
Haining’s plans for a deeper shoot in the decompression zone began almost immediately.
Each of the record-making dives have required detailed planning and a ton of gear, including lights and camera housings that can handle the water pressure.
And to qualify for a Guinness record, the
shoots had to be at least eight minutes long, with depths and durations verified by dive computers and videos.
The depth achieved on the latest dive is dangerous for a couple of reasons. Descend too fast and you risk narcosis, which can lead to unconsciousness or something similar to a drunken stupor.
“Once you get to that 100 foot, even 80, you’ll feel it. And you might not realize you feel it, but you do, and as you might just hit you really heavy one time,” says Haining. “The slang they call it is the martini effect. So every atmosphere you go down, so every 33 feet, is like drinking a martini as you go down. So it can get potentially really bad.”
Move up through the water too fast and divers experience decompression sickness (the bends), which can result in everything from joint pain and rashes to paralysis and death. To offset that, the divers had to make planned stops for extended periods at various depths to spend time breathing different mixtures of gases from their tanks.
Haining says the success of the record attempt comes down to a talented team of experienced divers (a total of six although only three are on the record) and careful planning.
L-R: Detail of work by Charlene Vickers, Judy Anderson, Hannah Claus, Carrie Allison, KC Adams, Marie Watt, Elizabeth Doxtater
SCAN THE QR CODE FOR MORE PHOTOS AND A BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO. ABOVE: MAREESHA KLUPS WAS THE MODEL FOR A RECORD SHOOT AT 30 METRES IN SEPTEMBER 2023 IN TOBERMORY. SHE SERVED AS THE RESCUE DIVER ON THE LATEST RECORD. PHOTO: STEVE HAINING
“We had backup plans for our backup plans.”
Haining and his wife, a singer, split their time between Florida and Stoney Creek. He grew up in downtown Hamilton and his mom was a photographer and developed negatives in a photo store. So, from a young age, he had a film camera in his hands and he documented his life and those around him.
Photography became a “career by accident.” He was a graphic designer for the federal fisheries and oceans ministry at the Canada Centre for Inland Waters but in his spare time, he toured as a musician and took photos of bands for record labels and music media outlets.
He eventually left his job to do photography fulltime and launched his company, CreateOf, in 2015. He has a list of major brand clients and travels extensively for his editorial and commercial work.
Haining has moved into film work, too, serving as director of photography on commercials, music videos and corporate videos and in 2019 was both director and director of photography for feature documentary The Long Ride Home. It has won awards in festivals worldwide. His first horror film Lianne is now on Amazon Prime.
When he’s not shooting for clients, Haining makes a point of visiting remote and arctic schools and juvenile detention centres all over Canada to teach photography and videography.
He and his technical dive team are already talking about the next deep-water challenge.
“I just want to take some time to enjoy the photos from this shoot before I think too much about another one.” n
JACKSON SQUARE DENTAL CENTRE:
WITH A COMMITMENT TO PATIENT-CENTRED CARE, JACKSON SQUARE DENTAL CENTRE OFFERS A COMPREHENSIVE RANGE OF DENTAL SERVICES DESIGNED TO MEET THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
How long have you been a dentist?
I graduated from Aleppo University in 1990 and have been practising in Canada since the year 2000.
When did you start working at Jackson Square Dental?
I started working with Jackson Square Dental as an associate in the year 2006, and became the owner in the year 2012.
The dentist is not everyone’s favourite place to visit. What kind of experience can patients expect when visiting you and your team at Jackson Square Dental?
You will be greeted by our concierge with a friendly warm smile! Our team at Jackson Square Dental strives at every patient interaction to provide the best patient experience. Our patients are treated like they are family! We continually advance by staying current with our education in the industry, and with modern technology and best practices.
What are all of the dental services offered by Jackson Square Dental?
At Jackson Square Dental we provide comprehensive oral care, from cleanings to teeth whitening, dental implants, crowns, bridges, orthodontics, wisdom teeth removal, root canal procedures, and dentures. We offer our services to adults and children –awake or asleep.
What is your favourite dental procedure and why?
I enjoy all aspects of dentistry, especially dental implants, oral surgery and endodontic treatment. The experience is paramount.
What are dental implants?
Dental implant is a prosthesis that interfaces with the bone to support the replacement of a tooth or multiple teeth.
DR. SAMER AKKAD IS OWNER OF JACKSON SQUARE DENTAL CENTRE.
CENTRE: MEET DR. SAMER AKKAD
Are dental implants common?
Dental implants are very safe and very common.
What should I expect to experience during a dental implant procedure?
My patients’ feedback is that a dental implant placement procedure is a lot less traumatic than having a tooth removed, and recovery is a lot faster.
What are the benefits of replacing a missing tooth with a dental implant?
Dental implants are the ideal tooth replacement and provide the closest experience to natural tooth in function and aesthetics.
Are implant consultations complimentary?
Yes, we offer complimentary implant consultations.
SLEEP DENTISTRY
In addition to providing treatment with laughing gas, Jackson Square Dental provides dental treatment while patients are asleep under oral sedation or general anesthesia.
Is there a minimum age to be treated with sleep dentistry?
Generally speaking, the minimum age for general anesthesia in a dental office setting is 3 years of age.
Are there any procedures that cannot be completed under sleep dentistry?
All treatments can usually be performed under general anesthesia, and with a consultation this would be further decided.
Is there a recovery period from sleep dentistry?
In general, recovery time for sleep dentistry sedation is 24 hours.
For those with limited availability, do you offer sleep dentistry on Saturdays?
Due to high demand, we do offer sleep dentistry on Saturdays.
Other dental practices advertise that they offer sleep dentistry but the highest level offered is oral sedation. What is the difference between oral sedation and general anesthesia offered at your location?
Oral sedation is a lighter modality than general anesthesia, done by having the patient ingest a sedative pill. The patient is in a relaxed state throughout the procedure, aware of surroundings, and able to communicate.
General anesthesia is only provided by an anesthesia specialist, with medication administered by IV. The patient is completely unconscious.
FIND US AT:
2 King Street West, Suite 605, Hamilton, ON L8P 1A1
In Jackson Square Mall on the Plaza Level, just above Dollarama. Elevator, stairs and escalator available at our doorstep.
Call or email us to set up your complimentary consultation!
info@jacksonsquaredental.ca 905-524-2976
JACKSON SQUARE DENTAL CENTRE OFFERS A RANGE OF SERVICES. SCAN THE QR CODE TO MEET THEIR TEAM AND SEE WHAT THEY CAN DO FOR YOU!
EMERGING FROM EVICTION
By STEPHANIE VEGH
Many Hamilton artists had grimly anticipated the hollowingout of downtown creative spaces and unjust evictions as gentrification’s inevitable endgame. As a more recent arrival to the city, Melanie Cheung refused to accept these conditions and triggered a chain reaction that has made something good of an especially harsh blow to our artistic core.
29 Harriet St., a brick industrial beauty near Central Park once owned by Forge and Foster, had already caught Cheung’s eye after she moved to Hamilton from Montreal in late 2020. The former Felton Brush factory began offering studio sublets in 2023 through the artist-run Centre[3] in partnership with Aeon Film Studios, who were laying the foundations of a West Harbour creative campus. Cheung moved into an open-concept studio that year and made great strides in an abstract, atmospheric painting practice that had begun from her kitchen before being evicted with two weeks’ notice in August 2024, along with two dozen other artists, when ownership of the building abruptly changed hands.
“It still makes me so sad,” she admits, adding that stunned disbelief made it hard to move on. Driven in part by hope that the new, as-yet unknown, building owners may extend their studio leases, Cheung reached out to local media and was astonished at how quickly The Hamilton Spectator sent a reporter to her studio. CBC Hamilton and CHCH also followed the story to its seeming conclusion in early October when Aeon’s West Harbour partnership with the City of Hamilton was officially dissolved.
That’s when Tyler Cowie of Westinghouse HQ took action. “I’m tired of seeing artists kicked out and displaced,” he explained while touring me through the freshly built studios on Westinghouse’s seventh floor, which welcomed 12 artists with one-year leases at the start of this new year.
A group of artists have found a new home in studio spaces at WESTINGHOUSE HQ after being kicked out of their previous building. But the solution may only be temporary. WESTINGHOUSE HQ IS OFFERING ONE-YEAR SUBSIDIZED ARTIST STUDIOS. PHOTOS: WESTINGHOUSE HQ
Cowie has been hosting graffiti artists on the building’s vacant upper floor while cultivating national businesses as tenants within the restored heights of Westinghouse HQ. Scott Martin and Clear Eyes Collective have since moved on, but Scott MacDonald’s practice space still occupies half the expansive seventh floor with a striking tableau of ceiling-high sketches among a clutter of spray cans.
The other half is now home to 14 utilitarian studios in raw contrast to the marble tile and
pristine washrooms that define the building’s historic status and present-day ambition. Chipboard walls create a long corridor punctuated by stylish vertical light fixtures and unremarkable white doors. The first corner studio that Cowie revealed was jawdropping in its potential: worn terrazzo and concrete floors glowed with daylight pouring from high windows that frame a panorama of Hamilton from industry to escarpment. Cheung recalls many kind offers in response to the media coverage for old shop
spaces and abandoned offices that all fell short, but Cowie sparked her interest with this extraordinary space and his ability to turn around private work spaces in one month as promised, at below-market rates comparable to the affordable rents at Harriet Street. A shared kitchen and lounge will enhance the seventh floor’s studio facilities, which also provide all-hours elevator access and exhibition opportunities in Westinghouse HQ’s event spaces.
Cowie intends to add 10 more private studios while maintaining space for Scott MacDonald’s ongoing residency. However, these one-year leases represent the limits of the investor funds available to subsidize these studios, so Cowie is seeking further partnerships to sustain affordable rents for artists. As a private-sector experiment, these studios remain vulnerable to market demand that Cowie is nimbly navigating with a balance of investor support and open communication to maintain trust with his first tenants.
These include artists working in painting, textiles, sound and theatrical set design, most of whom were previously at Harriet Street. Alongside Cheung, artist and educator Nancy Benoy was among the first to move in. Her Harriet Street experience was particularly frustrating; she signed her six-month lease a mere two weeks before the eviction notice swiftly sent her on the move again. “It was such a time-waste.”
Benoy has navigated a range of studios in her career, from The Cotton Factory at 270 Sherman to a converted mud room in her
Strathcona home to a recent residency at the Glenhyrst Art Gallery in Brantford. She had been drawn to Harriet Street as a social space where she could connect with peer artists while dedicating space and focus to her art, and she looks forward to finding this community at Westinghouse HQ and in
the neighbourhood below, where a growing number of studios and creative sites can be found within walking distance.
The exiles of Harriet Street are accompanied by others who heard early rumours of this new space like Julianna Biernacki, a textile artist whose tufted rugs have become recognizable icons in Hamilton’s art community. After sharing an open-concept studio at The Cotton Factory, Biernacki is now delighted to have a private space where she can build a huge tufting frame that will allow her to make her largest works to date.
In the short time since moving in, Benoy has embraced the chipboard walls with a coat of white paint, started new work, and set up a windowside perch with a gorgeous green vintage chair snapped up from her neighbourhood’s Buy Nothing group. As an artist who makes brightly coloured assemblages from discarded wood off-cuts and other unwanted industrial remnants, Benoy knows how to pick up the pieces and give better, brighter shape to what remains. n
GRAFFITI ARTIST SCOTT MACDONALD’S STUDIO SPACE.
THE EXPANSIVE SEVENTH FLOOR IS HOME TO A SUITE OF 14 STUDIOS.
NEW MUSIC REVIEWS
PROUD HAMILTONIAN DYLAN HUDECKI, AKA THE DILL, IS A CANADIAN INDIE-ROCK VET HAVING PLAYED IN MANY DIFFERENT BANDS, INCLUDING BY DIVINE RIGHT, COWLICK AND JUNIOR BLUE.
GOLDEN FEATHER Golden Feather
Golden Feather’s self-titled debut album is a vibrant celebration of soul, and improvisation, marking a groovy new chapter for this Hamilton band. Their long-awaited LP, released through local label Sonic Unyon, serves as both an introduction to the band’s dynamic sound and a testament to their years of honing their craft through live performances and earlier singles.
Blending elements of funk, jazz, psychedelia, classic rock, and yacht rock, Golden Feather is an immersive jam-band experience that takes you by the hand to your closet for your tie-dye shirt and dancing shoes.
From the opening track, “Life Without You,” to the emotionally charged closer, “Goodbye,” the album showcases the group’s ability to craft infectious rhythms, intricate guitar solos, three-part harmonies and euphoric crescendos while maintaining the energy of a live performance. Standout singles like “Awakenings,” “Anything, Anymore,” and “What Your Heart is Telling You” highlight the band’s knack for improvised exploration and feel-good vibes.
The seamless flow between tracks mirrors the spontaneity and continuity of a jam session, creating a cohesive listening journey. Themes of freedom, loss, uncertainty, self-discovery, and, most importantly, love are brought to life through soulful vocal harmonies and evocative lyrics, adding depth to the record’s instrumental brilliance. Golden Feather’s ability to balance emotional resonance with technical mastery is particularly evident on tracks like “Just For Now” and “Til the Dawn.”
For fans of Little Feat, The Allman Brothers Band, or the Grateful Dead, Golden Feather offers a modern take on the jam-band tradition, as the album embodies the communal spirit and creative exploration as the heart of the group.
TAREK FUNK & ONGLISH Cherry Tree
Tarek Funk (formerly known as Mother Tareka) and Onglish deliver a bold and thought-provoking collaborative LP with Cherry Tree, a powerful blend of socially conscious lyricism and genre-spanning production. The project is both a reflection of Funk’s Syrian-Palestinian heritage and an incisive critique of the global struggles faced by working-class communities under oppressive systems. With seven tracks, Cherry Tree masterfully fuses funk, ’80s NYC hip-hop and Afrobeat into a cohesive and impactful sound. Onglish, a seasoned Hamilton-based producer, provides a gritty, layered backdrop of beats, seamlessly weaving in funky rhythm sections, Beastie Boys organ hits, Tribe Called Quest feel-good grooves, Afrobeat-inspired lines, and clever samples peppered throughout.
Tarek Funk’s sharp, evocative lyricism sits at the forefront, tackling heavy themes of resilience, identity, xenophobia, oil spills, global warming, and hope for a better world. Standout tracks include, “Relax,” a compact and fun funk jam, and “Futuretroneofeudalism,” which critiques modern systems of prison and class war, all over a hypnotic groove. “We Massive,” featuring Hamilton’s own political activist legend Lee Reed, is a collaborative highlight, pairing razor-sharp verses with a woozy, organ-tinged beat. Each track on Cherry Tree showcases Funk and Onglish’s ability to merge diverse influences into a unified and immersive listening experience. Cherry Tree also holds a greater purpose — proceeds from the album purchased on Bandcamp support the Burj Al-Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, further emphasizing the album’s connection to global struggles.
Tarek Funk’s flow and lyricism, combined with Onglish’s eclectic production style, create a sound that is culturally rich and musically compelling. This LP isn’t just a collection of songs; it’s a call to action and a vision for a more just and equitable future. For fans of innovative, socially conscious hip-hop like Tribe Called Quest, Mos Def, Dead Prez, Talib Kweli, Cherry Tree is an essential listen — a soundtrack for the times, blending art, activism, and collaboration into something far greater than the sum of its parts.
CQ Eternal Dawn
Hamilton’s CQ (Coszmos Quartette) delivers a mesmerizing second album with Eternal Dawn, a collection of inventive dream-folk that feels so necessary to counterbalance today’s current political global landscape. With their Bandcamp four-word bio telling you all you need to know, “tea time/dream time,” CQ’s music speaks volumes where words are sparse, painting vivid emotional landscapes with intricate harmonies and timeless arrangements. Eternal Dawn is steeped in the delicate aesthetics of late ‘60s and early ‘70s folk, blending acoustic simplicity with complex musicality. Shades of Vashti Bunyan, Nick Drake, John Martyn and The Free Design echo throughout the album, creating a sound that is retro yet undeniably fresh. Tracks like “Purple Flowers,” arguably one of Brad Germain’s finest compositions, showcase his remarkable ability to conjure gorgeous floral imagery with poetic lyrics and a tender melody.
The group’s signature sound is anchored by the warmth of Germain’s soft classical guitar and velvety pitch-perfect emotive vocals, effortlessly complemented by Kate Quigley’s lilting flute, voice and piano, Sara Froese’s haunting violin and harmonies, Joel Banks’ grounding baritone and stand-up bass, and the rhythmic subtleties and occasional backbeat from the tastefully restrained Jason Bhattacharya. Together, they weave a musical tapestry that is intricate, rich, warm and inviting, reminiscent of modern contemporaries like Fleet Foxes, Jessica Pratt, Devendra Banhart, Kings of Convenience, and Jose Gonzales.
Recorded live off the floor at the Hamilton institution Boxcar Recording Studio helmed by Kirk Starkey, Eternal Dawn radiates an organic intimacy. The raw, real unfiltered approach adds a golden sheen to the album, giving the listener the sense of being in the room with the band as they pour their hearts into every note. The vocal arrangements are particularly striking, layering sunshine pop harmonies with folk introspective heart, creating a sound that is both fragile and lush. Standout tracks like “Love Is Easy,” “Purple Flowers,” and “Christiania” embody the group’s duality: seemingly light on the surface, yet brimming with emotional depth and precise production. The album’s fragile themes feel unguarded and honest, offering solace to the listener, like a warm blanket and a comforting cup of tea on a quiet rainy evening.
For those lucky enough to catch one of CQ’s extremely rare live performances over the last few years, the experience of their intricate musicality, authenticity and fearless sincerity is unforgettable. Eternal Dawn captures that essence beautifully, making it a treasure for dream-folk aficionados. While perhaps too retro, slow and whimsically hippyish for some mainstream tastes, CQ’s music holds a timeless quality that transcends trends and cements their place as torchbearers of a unique, transcendent soft-folk tradition — one that feels like a gentle embrace from another era while remaining in the here and now. Couldn’t recommend higher.
CAPITOL Sounds Like a Place
Hamilton band Capitol (not to be confused with the Capitol Bar in the east end of town) has grown leaps and bounds since their 2019 debut Dream Noise. Their sophomore album Sounds Like a Place, released on Meritorio Records, is a testament to this evolution — a meticulously crafted record that balances introspective songwriting with lush, cinematic soundscapes. The five-piece band set up shop at Toronto’s Union Sound Company, and Sounds Like a Place was created by seamlessly blending Capitol’s industrial Hamilton roots with the dream-pop and shoegaze aesthetics that have defined their core sound since their debut single, 2017’s “English Girls.”
Drawing influence from the alternative indie scene of the early 2000s, while adding a healthy dose of ’80s new wave, the album moves effortlessly between these decades of sound, creating a timeless, atmospheric experience.
The 11 tracks on Sounds Like a Place form an emotional and sonic journey, tied together by Capitol’s signature abstract storytelling. Standout songs like “Long Way From Down” and “Your Heart is Everywhere” showcase Josh Kemp’s evocative lyrics and emotive synth work, while “Twenty-Eight in Drag” and “People & City” highlight the band’s ability to weave intricate guitar melodies with driving rhythms. Tracks like “Psychomancy” and the hauntingly brief “Sound Speed” feel like cinematic moments, rich with atmosphere and depth.
The interludes “Days on Mute” and “Night Tourist,” alongside tracks like “Interior Metropol” and the closing “Evening Season,” reinforce the cinematic quality of Capitol’s music, making Sounds Like a Place feel like the soundtrack to a vivid, unmade film. Produced by Capitol alongside Ian Gomes, the album represents a refined clarity in both sound and vision. The record captures moments and feelings, inviting listeners to connect each song to their own experiences. Sounds Like a Place is a beautifully layered record. Capitol — comprising Josh Kemp (vocals/synth), Robert J. Kemp (guitar), Wes Lintott (guitar), Matt Lintott (drums), and Chris McLaughlin (bass) — has truly leveled up with this release.
If you’re a fan of Joy Division, the Strokes, My Bloody Valentine, Sigur Ros, or The Cure, Sounds Like a Place is for you.
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MAXIE DARA IS NOW WORKING ON THE SECOND INSTALLMENT OF HER MODERN-DAY GRIM REAPER TALE THAT INCLUDES DEFINITE HAMILTON VIBES. By Jessica Rose
Kathy Valence likes things boring and predictable. She’s mid-divorce, pregnant with her ex’s baby, and is terrified she doesn’t have what it takes to be a mom. Yet, there’s something decidedly different about her. She’s a modern-day grim reaper who works for S.C.Y.T.H.E. — Secure Collection, Yielding, and Transportation of Human Essences.
“Kathy definitely isn’t your run of the mill grim reaper! But that was always my goal,” says Hamilton’s Maxie Dara, who released A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer in October. “When I was first playing around with her character, I knew I wanted to contrast the extraordinary nature of the job with a very ordinary person. Death is this big, scary subject, so I wanted to make its representative anything but,” she says.
Dara, a writer, actor, and freelance journalist, says the book gave her the unique opportunity to explore life and death through one very messy, very human package. During what’s supposed to be a routine transportation of a recently deceased soul to the afterlife, Valence finds herself searching for Conner Ortiz, a teen who insists he didn’t die of natural causes – he was murdered. Kathy has only 45 days to find out the truth before he is doomed to roam the earth as a ghost forever.
Dara’s path to publishing this book is unique. After querying literary agents and getting nowhere, she answered an open call for submissions from the Berkley imprint of Penguin Random House. “Essentially, Berkley had opened their doors (and their emails) for authors without agents to submit their work,” she says. “This was a rare opportunity, and a total long shot, but on a whim I submitted.” Fast forward a year, Dara had all but forgotten she’d sent the email that would land her a deal. Then Berkley asked for her full manuscript, soon offering her a two-book contract. “I’d been one of four or five authors selected out of around 5,000 submissions.” She’s still pinching herself.
“I truly feel like the luckiest person. This is something I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid, so the fact it’s actually come true is very surreal.”
While A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer is set in an unnamed town, Dara says Hamilton vibes have “definitely snuck in,” especially in the town’s architecture and atmosphere.
“Hamilton is such an inspiring place to be a writer,” she says, adding that she prefers to write in local cafés and parks instead of at home. “The fact that the arts community is so vibrant and thriving in Hamilton makes being a writer here such a joy. Because it’s such a solitary, self-directed job, it can be easy to feel like what you’re doing isn’t real, but when you’re surrounded by other artists and writers, it grounds the experience in such a lovely way.”
So, what’s next for Dara? She’s giving her book some siblings. S.C.Y.T.H.E. Mysteries is becoming a series, with the second book coming out later this year.
“I’m absolutely over the moon that I get to live in this weird little world of corporate grim reapers for a while longer,” she says. “This is also a heads up to anyone who frequents cafés that they’ll be seeing a lot of me over the next few years.” n
OTHER LOCAL READS
BACK WHERE I CAME FROM: ON CULTURE, IDENTITY, AND HOME EDITED BY TASLIM JAFFER AND OMAR MOUALLEM
This collection of personal 26 essays takes readers to mountains, beaches, bustling cities, and remote villages around the world. Hamilton is here, too. Mariam Ibrahim’s essay, “Bullets, Soldiers, and Checkpoints: A Family Vacation” shares her family’s journey to become one of the first Arab families to settle here. “Mother, Land” was written by Lishai Peel, Hamilton’s first Poet in Place. These essays navigate the intricacies of hyphenated identities, sharing nuanced stories of heritage and a re-defined sense of home.
BROKEN: HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO FOR A DOG THAT YOU LOVE BY MICHELLE STARK
When Michelle Stark, a Waterdown-born civil litigation lawyer, decided to buy her first dog, she chose a fancy purebred, a silken windhound she named Raisa. Her powerful new memoir Broken shares the heartbreak she felt when Raisa suffers her first devastating and unexpected leg break as a young dog. In her quest to uncover what’s happening to her beloved companion, Stark stumbles upon disturbing revelations about the dog breeding industry.
WINDY
ACRES WORKSHOP: ART, NATURE & LITERATURE EDITION BY SARAH
UREN
Sarah Uren has worked as a Montessori, kindergarten and ESL teacher, nanny, and art instructor for over 25 years. She now lives in rural Ontario, just outside Hamilton, devoting her days to homeschooling her four children at Windy Acres, their “little slice of paradise.” She’s turned the family’s kid-tested activities from Windy Acres’ home workshop into a book of tried-and-true eco-friendly art activities for creatives of all ages that turn everyday items into works of art.
AUTHOR MAXIE DARA
ART AND ABOUT
There are plenty of ways to get out and enjoy the chilly days of early spring.
Here are a few of our favourite local happenings.
HAVE THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE, AGAIN
In the 35 years since we were told that nobody puts Baby in a corner, Dirty Dancing has become a cinematic classic, and its soundtrack a standout in its own right. Transport yourself to a 1963 Catskills summer and experience the old movie in a new live-to-film way at “Dirty Dancing in Concert.” Audiences will be treated to singers and a live band as they perform the music in sync with the film – projected on a full-size cinema screen – that provides a nostalgic backdrop. April 9, FirstOntario Concert Hall. dirtydancinginconcert.com
LOOK FOR FUN, FEEL GROOVY
Simon and Garfunkel’s iconic musical catalogue defined the ’60s, their beautiful harmonies at odds with their difficult relationship that continued for decades following their 1970 breakup. “Forever Simon & Garfunkel: A Tribute,” headlined by Sean Alyman and Jack Skuller, gives the duo their due, allowing audiences a chance to hear live renditions of familiar tunes spanning the group’s entire career, while reliving a simpler time when Paul and Art were (probably) still on speaking terms. March 28. Burlington Performing Arts Centre. burlingtonpac.ca
ORDER UP A SLICE OF HOPE
About much more than just a tasty baked good, Theatre Aquarius’ Waitress shows us that dreams can come true, even in the unlikeliest of places. Premiering on Broadway nearly 10 years ago, the musical – based on the 2007 indie film – tells the tale of a small-town waitress stuck in a loveless marriage, a contest that teases a chance to escape, the fortifying power of friendship, and a potentially life-changing piece of pie. April 30-May 17. theatreaquarius.org
MARCH HARE YOURSELF TO THE GARDEN
When you’re ready to trade winter for whimsy, head to the garden to take in the RBG’s Alice in Bloomland exhibit. Fall into a rabbit hole filled with thousands of colourful blooms and a selection of textile-based artwork inspired by the fantastical world of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Like Alice herself, you’ll be transformed (but will remain the same size, thankfully) as you immerse yourself in a showcase of visual arts so brilliant and so wonderous, you’ll be grinning like that Cheshire Cat. Until March 30. RBG Centre, 680 Plains Rd. W., Burlington. rbg.ca
DRAWING ROCKS!
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The unlikely pals of geology and art unite at a three-part drawing workshop at the Art Gallery of Burlington. Led by artist Sarah Kernohan, the course – Graphite is a Rock That Can Draw Itself – thinks outside the pencil box of a typical art lesson and explores the geological past and present while inviting students to imagine the future. Using a wide range of techniques that draw inspo from geological processes like sedimentation and crystallization (our favourite), they will create a new type of hypothetical rock, and only a whole lot of time will tell if any guesses come true. Course begins March 22, 1333 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington. agb.life
A good food mission
MARISA
MARIELLA IS JOINING HAMILTON CITY MAGAZINE TO SHARE HER PASSION FOR COOKING AND WELLNESS.
Marisa Mariella is bringing together three of her passions – food, teaching and mental wellness – in new contributions we are launching in HAMILTON CITY Magazine.
Mariella will share monthly recipes and cooking videos for easy and delicious dishes that you’ll be proud to serve to family and friends.
Cooking good food feeds the mind, body and soul, says Mariella, a retired teacher and guidance counsellor who was born and raised in Hamilton. Her late parents immigrated to Canada from the Calabria region of Italy and raised their two daughters on the west Mountain.
“My mom was a phenomenal cook. She didn’t own any herbs other than oregano, parsley and basil. And she would use a little bit of garlic and a little bit of onion. That was it. And to this day, I just don’t know how she did it, because everything was lick-the-plate, exceptionally delicious.”
Though she did love to watch cooking shows and pretend she was on TV herself, a young Marisa wasn’t too interested in being in the kitchen. When her mom called her to help put tomatoes through the food mill to make sauce, she’d scamper away as soon as her mother turned her back.
earning a psychology degree at McMaster University. Then it was on to Western University for a teaching degree.
During her more than 30-year career she developed a peer mentoring mental health program called iMatter, along with an after-school cooking program for newcomers.
“I missed so many opportunities to really learn what a wonderful gift she had to put food on the table out of literally nothing. You know, you’d look in the fridge and it looked bare, but that we always had, you know, a delicious meal.”
Mariella attended Cathedral Girls’ High School before
The group would cook food from each student’s culture, including chicken adobo for the Filipino students, falafels for those from Egypt or Lebanon, and, of course, authentic Italian.
Her own cooking journey really began when she was raising her four children.
“I feel especially proud that my children feel confident and courageous in the kitchen. Right from when they could climb the step stool to reach the kitchen counter, I involved them in all aspects of cooking. Despite the spills and challenges, the time spent with them in the kitchen is some of my most cherished memories. The kitchen really is the best place to bond and teach important life lessons.”
You can see Mariella on Marisa’s Easy Kitchen on Cable 14, now in its fifth season. She also offers cooking sessions, is organizing culinary trips to Italy and launching a private label of mixes for traditional Italian baked goods.
“I’m really passionate about teaching about food and getting people excited about simple ingredients, helping people shed that anxiety about having to make a perfect meal. That you have to have your cake look exactly like what someone has posted online. You have to let that go and just make a mess.” n marisamariella.com
SCAN THE QR CODE TO READ MORE ABOUT MARISA MARIELLA AND TO SEE HER FIRST VIDEO WITH US! PHOTO: MARISA MARIELLA
SWEET SUCCESS
PALESTINIAN WOMAN MAKES JOURNEY FROM REFUGEE TO CHOCOLATIER AND BURLINGTON ENTREPRENEUR.
By ELAINE MITROPOULOS
In Middle Eastern culture, chocolate is more than an indulgence to satiate a sweet tooth or satisfy a craving. Rather, it’s a special treat to share with loved ones to mark milestone occasions, including marriages and births.
So, when Nesreen Abusultan, a Palestinian refugee turned local entrepreneur, was pregnant with her third child, she wanted to continue the tradition with friends and family in her new home in Burlington.
“My husband and I were looking and looking, and we couldn’t find chocolate that satisfied our tastebuds or the quality that we were used to,” Abusultan recalls. “So, we thought, if there’s no chocolate like the ones we like back at home, why not bring it here to Canada?”
So, with the birth of her baby boy, Abusultan’s idea for a Middle Easterninspired chocolate shop was also born. And with help from a mentorship program for entrepreneurial newcomers, she secured a small business grant to help realize her vision.
She began by developing recipes that used traditional Middle Eastern ingredients. She then reached out to trusted chocolatiers in Lebanon to craft the products she would retail in Canada. In early 2023, she launched WÜD Chocolates and Gifts – an online shop specializing in luxury Middle Eastern chocolate.
WÜD’s current collection of milk and dark chocolate focuses on four main flavours: pistachio, cardamom, sesame (tahini), and
rose – made with authentic rose jam and petals from the flower.
“These flavours are unique in Canada, but so essential to Middle Eastern cooking – from Pakistan in the east to Turkey in the west,” Abusultan explains.
As well as boxes of fine chocolate, WÜD also retails kunafa-pistachio bars – the decadent treat that has taken over social media feeds this year and is commonly referred to as the “Dubai chocolate bar.” The nutty bars, which often sell out, combine a creamy pistachio paste with the crispy sweetness of kunafa, a Middle Eastern pastry made using shredded phyllo.
The “cherry on top,” as Abusultan phrases it, is that WÜD is also a social enterprise inspired by her personal experience as a
WÜD CHOCOLATES HAS A COLLECTION OF MILK AND DARK CHOCOLATES IN PISTACHIO, CARDAMOM, TAHINI AND ROSE FLAVOURS. PHOTO: WÜD CHOCOLATES
refugee. In 2019, she and her family fled war and conflict in the Middle East to start a new and rewarding life here in Canada. In launching WÜD, her hope is to empower others to be able to do the same.
“Every piece of chocolate that we sell –every piece, not every box – a portion of the sale goes to non-profits that help refugees learn about the employment market in Canada,” she adds, “because we want to support people who are coming to Canada to achieve economic stability as soon as possible.”
In Arabic, wüd means “love” and the name is fitting. WÜD is a passion project for Abusultan and her husband, who are both professionals in the non-profit sector dedicated to supporting international human rights.
“You could say WÜD is our side hustle that tells our story of resilience,” Abusultan says. “When we first came here, we found it so hard to find work. I applied to more than 250 roles before I got my first job, and the experience was similar for my husband.”
Abusultan says that, more than anything else, it was joining the Canadian workforce that gave her a sense of home. Economic empowerment was a lifeline to learning about Canadian culture, to connecting with others, and to feeling like a valued member of her community.
“When I went to work, nobody knew if I was a refugee or not. I was treated the same as others. That’s why we give to organizations that help make the journey easier for people who are new to Canada, so they can also feel like they have a home faster.”
Today, WÜD ships products to Canadian homes from coast to coast. The startup’s success is largely owing to the exquisite quality, and flavours of Abusultan’s chocolate. It’s also a testament to her belief in the power of small gestures, like sharing a box of chocolates, to bring people together.
“We would like to bring more wüd into this world,” she says. “And I really believe that our chocolate will bring more love into homes, into gatherings, and into conversations around the table.”
As a refugee and mother of three, Abusultan’s journey to entrepreneurship did not come without challenges. From navigating the complexities of starting a business in a new country to balancing the
demands of parenthood, it was her strong desire to celebrate the traditions of her culture and to help other people displaced by war, violence and persecution that encouraged her to persevere.
Her advice to others considering entrepreneurship?
“There are plenty of resources and organizations in Canada to help people succeed,” Abusultan says. “They provide
training, help you write a business plan, and seek funding. Whether you are a woman, a refugee, or a newcomer, there are always programs designed to meet your needs that can help you on your journey to entrepreneurship.” n
To shop the WÜD collection, visit wudbites.ca. Follow WÜD on Instagram @wudbites
NESREEN ABUSULTAN TURNED HER SEARCH FOR MIDDLE EASTERN CHOCOLATE INTO AN ONLINE BUSINESS. PHOTO: WÜD CHOCOLATES
RENOWNED CHEF CLAUDIO APRILE IS THE CULINARY DIRECTOR AT D I MARIO’S IN BURLINGTON.
PHOTO: MARTA HEWSON FOR HCM
CLAUDIO APRILE HAS TRANSLATED HIS UPBRINGING IN URUGUAY, HIS ITALIAN HERITAGE AND HIS WIDE TRAVELS INTO A UNIQUE FOOD JOURNEY. By
DIANE GALAMBOS
If, as Julia Child says, “people who love to eat are always the best people,” what can we say about the talented people who prepare that food? Would “stellar” be an apt descriptor? In this case, the answer is a resounding yes. Local diners have a “star” among them. Celebrated chef Claudio Aprile has migrated westward from Toronto to become a force behind eateries in Mississauga and Burlington. He believes that preparing food for others communicates joy, nurturing, connection and even love – a great match for people who love to eat.
Aprile’s story has a not uncommon beginning – a chef inspired by hours at the side of his grandmother and mother in their kitchen which was, he asserts, the most exciting place in the home, especially for a youngster. That kitchen, where everything was made from scratch and sometimes on an open fire, was in Uruguay and was influenced by his Italian roots. While noting that his great-great-grandfather was Indigenous (Charrúa), Italian influences were inescapable in this country, which has one of the largest Italian populations outside of Italy.
Uruguay experienced waves of colonialism resulting in a diverse cuisine. “It was a very multicultural place and I definitely embraced that in my life … I find Uruguayan cuisine is a hybrid of European and South American cuisines all colliding together to create something really beautiful … with a focus on pasta, potatoes and meat.
Decisive at an early age, Aprile relates his mother’s story. “She tells me that when I was just five years old I told her that one day I would become a chef. Not that I wanted to be one, but that I would be one.” So began an apprenticeship leading to a 30year plus career, learning from any/all who cooked and in many countries.
Once his family immigrated to Canada, his first “food job” was at age 14, filling donuts with jelly, which he judged to be a dream job. He lost that job
after experimenting with over-filling the donut. He was fired for breaking a rule, which was the catalyst for his pondering of “food rules” and recipes. He resolved to carve his own path.
Aprile’s career took its first international turn when at age 18 he made what he describes as one of his most memorable and important decisions: to accompany a workmate to Europe. He sold his motorcycle and worked two jobs to save money for his backpack and expenses, which assuredly included food. In 17 countries and 160 cities, he experienced new foods firsthand.
“I fell in love with food, no matter where it came from. I just thought it all told a story about the people, the culture and the place.”
Aprile says a month-long stint in Turkey “blew my mind … the history and food with many layers and incredible flavours … I think Turkish food is going to become the next big food in North America.”
Living in London for several years, he encountered a consequential inspiration, namely Thai cuisine, winning raves for his work. In their review of Bali Sugar (now closed), which served authentic Southeast Asian cuisine, the GAYOT Guide gave high praise specifically to Aprile. “Other restaurants in London offer ‘fusion’ cooking with greater or lesser success; here you get the real thing … flavours and
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combinations work powerfully together and many other chefs could learn some good lessons here in what is possible.”
Says Aprile, “I will never forget my first visit to Thailand in 1998. That trip for me was transformative and revelatory. I’ve never experienced the bewilderment and mystery in any other cuisine. Every dish stopped every conversation. Magic.” He continues his fascination with Thai cuisine via his connection with Toronto’s award-winning chef Nuit Regular, with whom he has travelled and whom he judges to be one of the most dynamic chefs in the country right now. He took advantage of opportunities to work (paid or unpaid) in a long list of famous kitchens, including some with Michelin stars. Working in the kitchens of the likes of Marco Pierre White in London, Ferran Adrià’s El Bulli in Spain and Grant Achatz’s Alinea in Chicago shaped his craft, though he maintains a deep respect for learning from elders, be that a renowned chef or a skilled grandmother.
Once asked by RestoBiz which chef had influenced him the most, Aprile replied: “I’ve been so lucky to have the fortune to work with so many talented chefs throughout my career. The one chef that has made the most profound impact on me is Mark McEwan.” When bringing him on board at Toronto’s (now closed) North 44, McEwan recalls Aprile as a keen learner and today describes him as a “good friend, an exceptional chef and very, very talented.”
For Aprile, “travel has been my education in every way” and seeds that were planted along this journey took root as one of Aprile’s central goals: to understand different cultures, cook different foods and interpret them in his own way. He pursued this goal in several Toronto restaurants as executive chef (and often owner/partner).
Senses (now closed) in the Soho Metropolitan Hotel was celebrated and Colborne Lane (now closed) was highly acclaimed and award-winning, named in 2007’s top 10 new restaurants by En Route Magazine, and in 2008 as one of the top new restaurants in Toronto. Food & Wine Magazine and Condé Nast Traveler described Colborne Lane’s modernist cuisine as exciting. Aprile is among the select group of chefs who have been invited to the James Beard Awards in New York City.
I fell I n love w I th food, no matter where I t came from. I just thought I t all told a story about the people, the culture and the place.”
c laud I o a pr I le
PHOTO: MARTA HEWSON FOR HCM
Closest to his heart is his restaurant Origin, a now-closed urban tapas restaurant with European and Asian influences, that was once voted the No. 1 restaurant in Toronto by Toronto Life and Now. Aprile admits giving thought to rejuvenating Origin, which he feels was a strong brand.
Aprile has moved west of Toronto with his family and is now culinary director at DiMario’s in Burlington and Via Allegro in Etobicoke. Both restaurants focus on Italian cuisine, with Via Allegro being more upscale. As someone who follows the local restaurant scene, I have visited DiMario’s. When it transitioned to new ownership a few years ago, renewal of the kitchen team was led by Aprile. The renovated space at DiMario’s provides a sophisticated, yet casual, ambiance for exceptional dining. The Italian influence is evident and clever twists take flavour experiences over the top. The Aperitivo Tower is an ingenious presentation of impressive appetizers such as classic arancini or the unique fig and ricotta crostini. Pastas are flawless, as are mains –the chicken piccata being a signature dish. Plating and presentation reliably trigger anticipation. The desserts are sumptuous and artful. The talented kitchen reflects a full range of skills and creativity and Aprile stresses they work as a team. He generously credits the delicious cassoulet I enjoyed to executive chef Jack Lloyd and sings the praises of Alina Fedina for the spectacular orange dessert that opens to reveal a wave of Aperol and candied citrus.
Aprile points out that, up until about 10 years ago, the entirety of his experience was in kitchens. Being asked to join the judging team on CTV’s culinary competition Master Chef Canada in 2014 felt like winning a lottery. He rates it as an incredible learning experience which – even as a judge — made him a better chef. That series ended in 2021, but Aprile can still be seen on other shows such as the Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s Milk Masters, his own Instagram reels and community-building and charitable events. As a recent contributor to Best Side magazine, his engaging writing is not especially focused on food but on interesting people from a variety of professions. His keen interest in music is reflected in one of the many curated highlights on his Instagram account and frequently appears in his
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writing – for example Oakville’s music venue, Moonshine Café and his profile of Alan Cross, known in part for his long-standing radio program The Ongoing History of Music.
Aprile had his own “fan moment” interviewing George Stroumboulopoulos, whom he’s admired since Strombo’s days on Much Music. Aprile says he is drawn to anything creative and finds happiness in engaging in new experiences. Currently, he is considering other projects, shows and perhaps a podcast.
He stresses that his main focus is his role as culinary director and honing leadership skills that enable him to share insights that have come with his experience. As with many people in the hospitality business, the pandemic and restaurant closures occasioned time to pause, ponder, step off the roller coaster and often reset. Like many chefs, Aprile filled that void by questioning “the old model” – 12-hour days in the kitchen, working six to seven days per week, three hours commuting, late hours, eating late, and
not exercising.
“Chefs want to produce great food in a great environment but also want a life. The old model is not sustainable … Breaking the cycle is key to achieving your full potential as a leader.”
Success at DiMario’s, he says, has not been an accident. By design, it’s been collaboration, community and family. Together, the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts and serves as a neighbourhood restaurant and community hub.
“I know how to cook but I’m still learning a lot about leadership. It’s rewarding to see the teams excel the way they have. It gives me … a lot of joy.” In contrast to the first season of TV’s The Bear, which portrays intense, almost palpable stress, conflict and tension in a Chicago restaurant’s kitchen – something that had been not uncommon in restaurants – Aprile believes human capital thrives when given access to what he calls kindness capital. He sees kitchen leadership evolving to a more gentle approach, treating people with compassion and patience. A restaurant exists to take care of guests, but to do that the team providing the hospitality must work in a hospitable environment. He must be doing something right given that staff turnover is negligible.
With a decades-long and rich career, Aprile has a positive view of the future of the restaurant business and food culture, with a tremendous amount of young talent emerging. He views the culinary profession “as a rare occupation where you get to experience so many different fundamentals in life,” and says “I think it’s the most incredible, exciting career that one can have. I don’t think there’s any other career like it.”
If people who love to eat also love stories, Aprile can deliver. He believes food tells stories, embodies emotions and is a multimedia experience. Appearing on CBC’s The Nature of Things with David Suzuki in an episode that explored the senses of smell and taste, Aprile says: “If you asked me what my tools are I’d have to say it’s my nose and my tongue – not my knife. My goal is to leave an impression with people; something visceral. Something that transports you.” Flavour is most important but food has texture and sounds and a visual aesthetic – even when rustic. People who love to eat are in good hands with Claudio Aprile in the kitchen. n
CLAUDIO APRILE IS COMMITTED TO BRINGING KINDNESS INTO HIS KITCHEN LEADERSHIP.
PHOTO: CARLA SILVA PHOTOGRAPHY
COMPASS COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE IN HAMILTON’S NORTH END IS BATTLING FOOD INSECURITY THROUGH A RANGE OF PROGRAMS TARGETING VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.
FOOD FIGHT
By MEREDITH M ac LEOD
In vulnerable communities, food security is fundamental to health, family well-being and communitybuilding, and in the North End of Hamilton, all roads lead to Compass Community Health Centre.
The centre has been firmly rooted in community health since opening its doors on Hughson Street North in 1987. But its impact goes well beyond its neighbourhood. Clients come from all over the city and the facility is a beehive of activity every day.
It’s a primary healthcare provider, and under the banner of community health programs, provides a whole host of food security programs for everyone from kids just starting school to seniors struggling to put food on the table to trans people living in poverty.
Compass’s approach is one of wraparound care, including doctors or dietitians who can refer patients experiencing food insecurity to a health promoter administering innovative programs. Compass is a large and diverse team of about 150 people.
The effects of inflation have landed hard at Compass’s doorstep.
Program administrators see it across the centre’s offerings. Children are taking more food to go from the daily breakfast program because they don’t have a lunch to take to school. Seniors come to monthly lunches having not yet eaten that day.
More families are asking for food vouchers.
“The statistics are real but they are all real people who are struggling,” says Mariko Bown-Kai, a community development worker.
“It’s great that we are doing this work, and
it is a privilege to be able to help people, but at the same time, we shouldn’t have to … Why is it that food is so expensive, and who has the power to control how expensive food is? Food doesn’t have to be exponentially more expensive every year.”
We talk about food insecurity, she says, but not nearly enough about how economic structures create these conditions.
“People aren’t just hungry for no reason, and so it’s difficult because we are just treating a symptom of a much larger problem.”
Food banks and community gardens aren’t the answer. Solutions, she says, are in higher wages, universal income and limits on corporate profits in the food sector.
But in the meantime, Compass continues to help people avoid having to choose between rent and groceries. Programs often emerge from client and community surveys and from discussions at an annual community barbecue.
“These programs are sustainable because they run on very low budgets. Our gardening programs have donated seeds and the community fridge, there was a startup grant, but it doesn’t cost us anything to keep that running,” says Leah Janzen, a community development worker who specializes in food security programs.
“So it’s finding these ways that are sustainable, because it’s so hard with grants to get long-term funding, so we kind of have to be creative with our programs. And I think that’s the really cool piece about gardening and growing food, is that it is low cost.”
The provision of enough healthy food is essential on so many levels. When kids are hungry, they can’t learn in school. When adults don’t eat properly, they are more prone to disease.
“I see food security measures as being preventative,” says Autumn Getty, a community development worker for the 2SLGBTQIA+ population.
“I mean they do cost money, but think about how much less money they cost than treatment in the health system, or in mental health services.”
The newest and perhaps most innovative program taking direct aim at food insecurity at Compass is FVRx, which sees recipients receive a prescription for a subsidized produce box every other week.
The program began in 2022 and is unique in Hamilton. It served more than 60 clients
last year. Compass doctors or dietitians write produce prescriptions for patients who struggle with chronic diseases like diabetes and would otherwise not be able to afford fresh fruits and vegetables, which have leaped in price in the last two years.
Patients pay just $10 for each box, which is typically enough to last a single person two weeks. Produce is sourced and packaged by local online grocery store MRKTBOX.
Compass, which changed its name from the North Hamilton Community Health Centre in 2019, relies on grants and donations to keep the program running, says Janzen.
“It serves a big need. When the Good Food Box closed down during the pandemic and didn’t reopen, it was a big loss in the Hamilton community. A lot of clients at Compass used to receive that, so we had to figure out a way to carry on. We’re seeing a lot of clients with diet-related diseases, and they’re not able to afford fresh produce.”
Research led to the idea of produce prescriptions, which have become common in the United States, but not yet in Canada.
“I know Justin (Abbiss) from MRKTBOX and he was totally on board. It impacts food security and also nutrition and also healthcare,” says Janzen.
CHILDREN’S BREAKFAST CLUB AND TASTEBUDS
Every school day, from 8 a.m. to 9:15 a.m., kids and sometimes their families come to Compass’s kitchen for a filling breakfast.
Compass’s program serves a different hot item each day, including burritos, scrambled eggs, and pizza bagels, along with cereal, yogurt and fresh fruit. A trio of volunteers on a Thursday morning is cooking several dozen egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches and they have it down to a science.
Liz Richardson and Dave Popiez have been volunteering since they first visited Compass a decade ago through Team Orange, ArcelorMittal Dofasco’s volunteer squad.
“It’s become a big part of our week,” says Popiez. “We’ve met wonderful people through this program.”
It’s fulfilling because children are able to go to school ready to learn, says Richardson, as kids come up to the serving window to place their orders. “It’s just so important that they start off their day with good food.”
The Compass program is one of the few community sites of Hamilton Tastebuds, a program of the Student Nutrition Collaborative that provides 123 school nutrition programs at /continued on next page
LEAH JANZEN, OF COMPASS HEALTH COMMUNITY CENTRE, AND JUSTIN ABBISS OF LOCAL ONLINE GROCER MRKTBOX WITH FVR x DELIVERIES.
110 locations across the city.
Though the numbers may be small, the breakfast program at Compass is vital, Tastebuds program manager Bhairavi Kumar.
“That community knows that there’s a program where you will not be asked any questions. You just drop in. It’s a welcoming environment. You come, sit, eat and then drop off your kid at school, and then head home with your dignity.”
During the 2023-2024 school year, Tastebuds served about 3.1 million meals and snacks to an average of more than 23,000 kids a day. There is no registration required. Every student in a school has access to the food that is offered, so there is no stigma attached to participation.
“I’ve been doing this for 18 years now, and the guiding principle is universality,” says Kumar.
But that is not easy. It costs $1.75 to feed each child a day but Tastebuds gets just 15
cents per child per day from the province. That funding hasn’t increased in 10 years and the gap has to be filled by fundraising, grant writing, and donations of food and cash.
The staff of three, who are each directly responsible for about 45 program locations, rely on about 300 volunteers, including teachers, principals, parents and community members, to run the program.
The rapid rise in food costs over the last few years has only deepened the challenge. Tastebuds was among those calling for a national school food program, noting that Canada is the only G7 country without one. In April 2024, the federal government announced it would make a $1 billion investment over five years. That is expected to provide meals for an additional 400,000 kids a year
“Is it enough? No, it’s not, but it’s a good start and it’s a recognition that this needs more attention,” says Kumar.
SENIORS COMMUNITY KITCHEN
On this day in the Seniors Community Kitchen, participants are making potato and leek soup, sour cream biscuits and a kale Caesar salad. Three volunteers are on hand to help with the prep and cooking.
One of them is Maria DiCenzo, a retired university professor, who has been volunteering at Compass since 2022.
“For me (this program) is just perfect. We’re here for a couple of hours and we can leave the awfulness of the world behind.”
The menus are adventurous, says DiCenzo, and often plant-forward. There is almost always enough that participants can take home leftovers and they also get the recipes each week.
A typical Seniors Kitchen brings out about 15 people, but it’s a frigid Wednesday in January, so on this day, there are 11 participants. They each help out, by cutting up veggies, mixing up the biscuits, stirring the soup.
The seniors take pride in contributing to the meal and relish the chance to socialize, share resources and talk about their life’s challenges.
This is Rose Hamilton’s first day.
She learned about the Seniors Kitchen while visiting her foot doctor at Compass.
“I think this is great,” she says, while cutting up herbs. “I am really happy to find this.”
In contrast, Linda Robinson has been coming to Compass since 1986. Her doctor is there, she volunteers there and she participates in the Seniors Kitchen.
“It’s the best place you could ask for. I will never give up coming here. The staff is so respectful and kind. If it wasn’t for this place, I don’t know where I’d be.”
Not only are the food programs at Compass free to participants, but they can also get bus tickets to attend. That help is crucial for Millie, who didn’t want her last name published.
“(Seniors Kitchen) really helps me. I usually go home with dinner or lunch for the next day. That makes a big difference to me.”
POSITIVE SPACES
Food security is a serious issue within the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, says Getty, who has been an advocate at Compass for several years. When you don’t feel comfortable in public spaces, having dedicated food security programs can be the difference between eating and not eating, says Getty.
“We do have a few clients who, after they pay the rent, they’ve got no money left for the month, so this is their only source of food. The thing to know, of course, is that people are allowed to go to different food banks throughout the month, but they can only go to each one once, and so some only come to ours because that’s still the one where they feel comfortable.”
Compass partners with the Neighbour to Neighbour Centre to provide a food bank that is open to the queer community, especially trans and non-binary people, says Getty, a trans woman and long-time community activist.
She helps to organize a Trans Day of Remembrance dinner and hosts a monthly intergenerational kitchen where younger and older people socialize, share their experiences and learn from one another.
“And so that’s a kitchen for folks from those communities to cook together and then eat together and chat, just community building. It also gives a chance to have some meals that a lot of the folks necessarily wouldn’t have access to otherwise,” says Getty.
“Sometimes we make something like lasagna, which is expensive to make, and there’s a lot of steps for some folks that have ability issues.”
In partnership with the YWCA’s speqtrum program, Compass also provides the facilities for a monthly dinner for 2SLGBTQIA+ newcomers to Canada and their allies called Mother Tongue Kitchen.
“So typically, folks from those communities, and in particular, trans people have difficulty finding work. So many are on some kind of social assistance or disability, or maybe even have no income at all. And so I’ve found that the food bank, in particular, is extremely well attended, actually. So is Mother Tongue. Many people are very grateful for these programs.”
OTHER COMPASS PROGRAMS
Grub Club
Grub Club is for kids six through 12, and runs from the May long weekend through the last week in August. Kids learn to plant, prune, weed, water, and what parts of plants are edible. Each week includes time in the kitchen, too.
“So the kitchen would be a short recipe that is kid friendly, that they can do in about 20 minutes,” says Bown-Kai. “And then they get a recipe book at the end of summer, and they learn all those different skills. You know, it can be simple, like learning how to juice a lemon or we’re learning how to properly use a whisk, simple things, but it helps them feel independent.”
It’s so popular, Compass had to institute a registration cap of 30 last year to keep numbers manageable.
Bown-Kai says there are children that come year after year. “We’ve even had kids that grew up doing Grub Club in the summer have come back to volunteer, or have used those skills to get a job.”
The program is supported by volunteers who share their passion and knowledge about gardening or cooking with kids.
Community gardens
Compass’s on-site garden grew about 400 pounds of produce last year in 32 beds. Growing also happens in a greenhouse and in three organic community gardens (including two off-site in the North End) where about 80 community members can rent a plot for the growing season for between $20 and $30.
Compass also provides special information and hands-on sessions to teach gardening practices, along with tools, fertilizers and organic pest controls and
some seedlings and seeds.
Earlier this year, Compass learned it is getting a grant through Agriculture Canada that will allow it to expand to 60 plots and add raised beds for accessible gardening, along with an irrigation system and wash station.
Grow Well
Grow Well is a unique horticultural therapy program that combines organic greenhouse growing practices and mental wellness exercises for adults. Participants grow organic produce, herbs and plants while learning mindfulness techniques through experiences in Compass’s community greenhouse. Grow Well typically is offered throughout the spring and autumn seasons.
Seedlings are then planted in the community garden. All the food grown through Grow Well goes home with participants or back into programming, such as the seniors kitchen or into Compass’s community fridge.
It opened about three years ago. Community members donate excess food they’ve grown, and schools and businesses contribute the proceeds of food drives. Anyone is welcome to take what they need, whether or not they are a client at Compass.
“It’s not often full and it doesn’t stay stocked long. It is well used and serving the purpose it was meant to serve,” says Janzen. n scan the qr code to read more about compass and tastebuds and for a list of other h amilton food security programs
THE FVR x PROGRAM SEES COMPASS CLINICIANS WRITE PRESCRIPTIONS FOR FRESH PRODUCE FOR THOSE WITH CHRONIC DISEASE.
ELDERCAMP PRESERVES HOMEMADE NOSTALGIA
BARTON STREET CAFÉ FOCUSES ON FERMENTATION AND PRESERVATION
WHILE SHARING KNOWLEDGE AND BUILDING COMMUNITY IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD CO-FOUNDER KATHRYN DIEROFF PRACTICALLY GREW UP IN.
ELDERCAMP BRUNCH FEATURES FRENCH TOAST WITH HOUSEMADE BREAD.
PHOTO: LUCAS SWINDEN
By JESSICA ROSE
Kathryn Dieroff knows a little bit about almost everything. A goldsmith, sewist, and chef, most recently she’s opened the doors to ElderCamp, a grab-and-go café and sandwich shop in Barton Village that specializes in fermentation, preservation, and comfort food.
Founded in 2019 by Dieroff and her partner Nadine Ubl under the name NanaCamp, ElderCamp has already lived multiple lives as a pop-up, at coworking spaces, and as a stall at the Hamilton Farmers’ Market.
“We started out as education workshops because so many people would come up to me and say, ‘Kathryn, how do I hem these pants? How do I pickle these beans? How do I make this loaf of bread?’ I was sort of the on-call person to help with these things,” says Dieroff, who grew up learning and absorbing skills from her parents and grandparents, making pies with Nana, sewing with her mom, processing film and prints in an at-home darkroom, painting, stitching, and creating the perfect sandwich with her brother.
“It was just constant creativity, creative energy, and education,” she says. “I wanted to be able to offer that back.”
Since those early memories of embracing food and craft traditions, she’s strived to find a way to do-it-all-herself at home, approaching her work with care and precision. She completed a honours bachelor of arts degree from Trent University in cultural studies, with a focus on visual and written storytelling, before attending George Brown College for jewellery arts and design. In 1999, Dieroff started her first business and has been self-employed ever since, working in coworking spaces and owning a jewellery store in Toronto, before moving back to her hometown of Hamilton.
Located at 340 Barton St. E., ElderCamp’s walls are lined with art and other ephemera tracing her family’s early days in the city. It’s just around the corner from Oak Avenue, where Dieroff’s grandfather owned his first home. Her great-grandparents lived at Burlington and Wentworth. Though she grew up on the Mountain, Dieroff says she spent most of her time downtown, attending shows, purchasing deadstock fabric from Ottawa Street, and soaking up the small,
unique spaces that encouraged community.
In addition to being a café that serves coffee, drinks, and comfort food sourced from local farmers and preserved fresh, ElderCamp strives to be a safe space where people can gather, tell stories, and make connections. Future plans include hosting workshops and non-secular after-hour singalongs. But the vision doesn’t end there.
“We want to have a camp. We want to have a place out in the country with a bed and breakfast and a community kitchen where we can conduct community workshops,” says Dieroff. “People would come together. We could host weddings there. We could have conferences. And we would branch out beyond food to natural fabric dyeing and foraging, and really draw on the efforts of the
community to be able to teach people things,” she says.
Dieroff says that as soon as she saw the space on Barton Street, which formerly housed Emerald Coffee Co., she could see ElderCamp thriving, especially by serving made-from-scratch meals to the nearby General Hospital and Westinghouse HQ communities.
“I want to think that Barton Village can develop in a thoughtful way, thinking of the needs of the people, the residents who live in this neighbourhood,” she says, adding that Barton Street has a reputation of being a scary place.
“The thing that gets forgotten is families live here. There are houses all around here. You see parents with strollers, and there are people who live and work in this place,” adding that neighbourhood families need a grocery store like Barton Lettuce and butchers like J Waldron. “They need a place to get their coffee and come sit and work. It shouldn’t be a food desert,” she says. “It shouldn’t be a place that cars just drive through. It should be a community, and we’re hopeful that we’re going to be able to do that.”
ElderCamp focuses on slow food and pure, unique flavours that evoke nostalgia and comfort. Dishes are constructed with sustainability and affordability in mind through a pantry full of vinegars, syrups, ferments, and preserves. Saturday and Sunday brunch boasts tater tot brisket hash, brotzeit (a traditional Bavarian snack), among other sweet and savoury items.
“Coffee is also a fermented food, so is chocolate,” says Dieroff, adding that one of her most popular pantry items is a chili sauce using her mother’s recipe.
At its heart, ElderCamp’s concept is about sharing – not just meals but traditions, skills, and memories. Dieroff believes that sustainability and stewardship lie in filling gaps in knowledge that have disconnected people from their food and where it comes from.
“I want to feed people. I want to feed people and have them experience these things. I also want people to be able to do these things. Ask me for a recipe. I will write it down for you. and help you to do it,” says Dieroff. “I’m not here to protect. None of this is precious. It’s all to share.” n www.eldercamp.ca
KATHRYN DIEROFF AND NADINE UBL FOUNDED WHAT BECAME ELDERCAMP IN 2019.
PHOTO: ELDERCAMP
A BEET EGG AT ELDERCAMP. IT HAS GRADUATED FROM A STALL AT THE HAMILTON FARMERS’ MARKET TO A SHOP ON BARTON STREET.
Cheap Eats
THESE HAMILTON RESTAURANTS AND TAKEOUT JOINTS – MOST OF THEM LONGTIME INSTITUTIONS – PROVE THAT IN THE LOWER CITY AND THE MOUNTAIN, PAYING LESS CAN BE SUPER SATISFYING.
By VANESSA GREEN
Keeping our bellies full feels like a rich man’s game these days. Grocery prices are through the roof, and take-out delivery fees are simply eyewatering. But there are some long-standing Hamilton eateries where you can still get delicious food at a budget-friendly price. If you’re looking for a meal or snack for $10 or less (before tax) from a local Hamilton institution, then we’ve got your cravings covered.
MCQUEEN’S BÁNH MÌ VIET
103 Queen St. N., Hamilton
IG: @banhmiviet
Hands down, McQueen’s has the best bánh mì in the city. Located at Queen Street and York Boulevard, they’ve been serving their classic Vietnamese sandwiches to hungry Hamiltonians since 2019. Generous portions, a perfectly crispy baguette and a fresh filling of savoury meat and pickled veggies make McQueen’s sandos so beloved. And the price will make you do a double-take. Grab a classic bánh mi for $5.50 or a deluxe with extra filling for $6.50. Their Saigon, which is filled with pork, is a popular choice, but the lemongrass chicken and country paté are also not to be missed.
NOODLE & DUMPLING
220 King St. E., Hamilton
This cozy, no-frills dumpling restaurant in the heart of Hamilton’s International Village boasts some of the city’s tastiest little savoury parcels. Serving Hamilton since 2017, Noodle & Dumpling sells a serving of crispy fried pork dumplings made to order for just $9.99. If you’re in the mood for something that will warm your soul, try the beef noodle soup with house-made noodles for the same price. There’s not a ton of seating, so get there early or take it to go.
LA LUNA
306 King St. W., Hamilton
650 Concession St., Hamilton
281 Barton St. E., Hamilton lalunarestaurants.ca
A Lebanese staple in Hamilton, La Luna has been serving up tasty Middle Eastern fare since 1998. With two restaurants and a third take-out location in Hamilton, La Luna has a strong presence and loyal following in the city. Their falafel wrap is stuffed with house-made falafel, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, parsley and tahini sauce. At just $9.73, it’s a real bargain, and the generous portions are guaranteed to fill you up.
VIETNAMESE STEAM RICE CAKE DEEP WITH COCONUT MILK. PHOTO: @BANHMIVIET
NOODLE & DUMPLING HAS BEEN SERVING IN THE INTERNATIONAL VILLAGE SINCE 2017.
HUMMUS IS A FAVOURITE AT HAMILTON’S LA LUNA. PHOTO: LA LUNA
PANE DEL SOL
175 John St. N., Hamilton IG: @panedelsole
Family owned and operated for more than 50 years, Pane Del Sol is a staple of Italian food in Hamilton. The bakery is known for classic Italian cakes and desserts like Sicilian cannoli and tiramisu. If you’re hankering for a hearty lunch, pick up a classic chicken parm featuring crispy breaded chicken breast, tomato sauce and parmesan cheese for just $9.99. Or try the classic penne pasta and tomato sauce for just $6.29. Don’t forget to check out the made-to-order sandwich bar, too. Plus, Pane Del Sol makes fantastic made-to-order custom cakes for any celebration.
LYN’S LINSTEAD MARKET
1000 Upper Gage Ave. #1, Hamilton lynslinsteadmarket.com
If you’re looking for the best Jamaican patty in The Hammer, Lyn’s Linstead Market is where it’s at. Located on Hamilton Mountain, the market has been selling Caribbean, Asian, and African hot food, groceries and beauty supplies since 1999. For a grab-and-go meal, get a Jamaican patty with beef (mild or spicy), veggie or chicken filling encased in flaky golden pastry for just $2.50. Try it with a traditional small Mannish water goat head soup for just $6 (Fridays only) and keep your whole meal under $10.
OLA BAKERY & PASTRY
230 James St. N., Hamilton olabakeryhamilton.ca
Ola’s is a fan favourite in Hamilton’s little Portugal community on James Street North. It’s always full of regulars and gives off a local European café vibe with classic décor to match. Originally opened in 2006, new owners took over the location three years ago and have maintained the authentic Portuguese atmosphere. Treat yourself to a handmade pastry, like the pastel de nata, a traditional Portuguese egg custard tart, for just $2.50. Pair it with a cappuccino or espresso for another $2, or enjoy one of their delicious misto sanduíches (mixed deli meat sandwich) for just $9.
MIKE’S SUBMARINE
1050 Upper Gage Ave. Unit #6, Hamilton mikessubmarine.com
The submarine sandwich game in Hamilton is fierce. But the original Mike’s Submarine on Upper Gage has probably been in the game the longest. Opening its doors in the 1960s, Mike’s Submarine is known for generous portions, fresh bread and prices that reflect what a sub used to cost back in the day. For under $9, you can get yourself a 12-inch meatball, veggie, assorted meat, roast beef or corned beef sub made to order with your choice of fresh veggies and sauces on a soft bun.
ORIGINAL’S PIZZA
1388 Main St. E., Hamilton 445 Ottawa St. N., Hamilton IG: @theoriginalpizza
Pizza: the original cheap eats. And where better to get yours than Original’s Pizza, serving hungry Hamiltonians for over 20 years. Original’s is home to the famous 20” Notorious P.I.E. Slices, a giant piece of pizza roughly the size of a small child. But if you’re looking for something more moderately sized, they’ve got a walk-in, large 1-topping pizza for just $9.99. Now, that’s some OG pricing. And make sure to check out their second location, at 445 Ottawa Street North, slated to open in March.
PANE DEL SOL IS KNOWN FOR SWEETS AS WELL AS HEARTY LUNCHES. PHOTO: @PANEDELSOLE
ORIGINAL’S PIZZA IS A GOOD VALUE OPTION IN THE CITY. PHOTO: @THEORIGINALPIZZA
JAMAICAN PATTIES AT LYN’S LINSTEAD MARKET. PHOTO: LYNSLINSTEADMARKET.COM
MIKE’S SUBMARINE HAS BEEN ON THE HAMILTON MOUNTAIN SINCE THE 1960S.
WHETHER YOU’RE CHOOSING THIN AND CRISPY BURGERS, OR THICK, JUICY, AND HARD-TO-FIT-IN-YOURMOUTH BURGERS ARE MORE YOUR STYLE, THE CITY IS RIFE WITH OPTIONS TO SATISFY YOUR CRAVINGS.
SMASHING BURGERS
By HEATHER PETER
GOLDIES FAST FOOD
152 James St. S., Hamilton
IG: goldies_fastfood
Goldies on James Street South recently celebrated its second anniversary in Hamilton. It continues to receive rave reviews online, praising both the spectacular smashburgers, along with the rest of the menu items. Goldies’ burgers are crispy, yet juicy, striking a perfect balance. Always go for the 6 oz double burger! Try the topped fries (ranch fries, hot fries, and more) or the massive fried chicken sandwiches if you are craving something a little different. In need of a sweet treat? Goldies also offers vanilla soft serve sundaes.
PINKS BURGERS
1335 Main St. W., Hamilton pinksburgers.com
IG: pinksburgers | FB: pinksburgers
A favourite of McMaster students and beyond, Pinks Burgers has been in the city for over 10 years. Not only does it serve up juicy beef burgers and veggie bean burgers, it also offers loaded cheese fries, a plethora of gyros options, hand-spun shakes, and more! The ’90s vibe is also very cool, with a Miami retro sort of style. It’s so cool, there is even merch coming soon!
HAMBRGR
49 King William St., Hamilton
207 Ottawa St. N., Hamilton hambrgr.ca | IG: eathambrgr
If you’re a big burger fan, you’ve been to or at least heard of this spot! With two locations to choose from in Hamilton (and one in St. Catharines), Hambrgr has been slinging its inventive burger offerings for years. The over-the-top offerings are drool-worthy, stacked high with toppings like al pastor pulled pork and Bomb Ass onion dip, crispy panko mozzarella and coffee BBQ bacon. Looking for something custom? Try the build-your-own-burger option! Enjoy a giant Caesar or decadent (and often outrageous) milkshake to round out your meal.
MOUNTAIN BURGER
969 Upper Ottawa St. Unit 3, Hamilton mountainburger.ca
IG: mountainburger_hamilton
FB: mountainburgerhamilton
For those on the Mountain, this spot is for you. Offering completely halal burgers, Mountain Burger is a family-owned restaurant serving up cooked-to-perfection smashburgers topped with ingredients such as eggs, Mountain sauce, grilled pineapple, and beef bacon! If you’re a truffle fan, be sure to try the Truffle Double Double with mouthwatering truffle aioli. For something a little different, try the beef hotdogs or Dynamite fries topped with chicken bites, caramelized onions, jalapenos, Dynamite sauce, and cheese sauce.
HOTTIE’S SMASHBURGERS
657 Barton St. E., Hamilton hottiessmashburgers.com
IG: hotties.smashburgers/
Let the neon lights of Hotties Smashburgers draw you in like a moth to a flame – but the tasty version of that! This spot on Barton Street has a very cool look, with pink neon elements throughout the small (mostly takeout) restaurant. Try the most famous offering – the Hottie Toddie smashburger, with white cheese, bacon, grilled onion, jalapeno, tomato, garlic pepper sauce, and house ketchup. Other options include topped fries, topped all-beef hotdogs and the signature pink soft serve.
DELIRIOUS BURGER CO.
1008 King St. W., Hamilton
232 Locke St. S., Hamilton
FB: DeliriousBurger | IG: delirious_burger_co Delirious Burger Co. is an OG in the city. Starting at a small-scale location in Westdale, it has since expanded to a second, larger location on Locke. The food remains the same – high quality smashburger and fresh-cut fries options. The menu at Delirious is simple, but you absolutely cannot go wrong with anything on it, from the 4 oz local beef cheeseburger to the double bacon cheeseburger. For those looking to eat less meat, try the stuffed portobello burger!
HUNGRY DUDE
1831 Main St. W., Hamilton hungrydude.ca | IG: hungrydude.ca
This smashburger spot in west Hamilton is one of the newest spots on the scene. The patties are smashed to perfection, with a crispy edge and topped with the special Dude Sauce. Try them in single, double, or triple patties. While here (or through delivery), you can also grab yourself dishes like chicken shawarma on rice, beef steak sandwiches, salads and more. The fried chicken sandwiches (regular or spicy) are also a new option on the menu. The service is also especially friendly here!
GALAXY BURGERS
423 Barton St., Hamilton galaxyburger.ca | IG: thegalaxyburgers
Galaxy Burgers has one of the most creative brands of all the local burger spots. Its decadent and “out-of-this-world” delicious smashburgers have names like Mars, Saturn, and Terra. Galaxy also has a variety of dips to enjoy with shoestring fries (regular or spicy). Galaxy Burgers is one of the tougher spots to visit – since it’s on the move as a food truck! But you can typically find the truck at 423 Barton S., Stoney Creek (be sure to check the Galaxy Instagram before you drive too far to visit, because the truck may be out and about on a pop-up at a local brewery or park). Try the monthly featured soft serve!
THE SHIP
23 Augusta St., Hamilton theship.ca | IG: shiptwits | FB: ShipTwits
You can’t talk burgers in Hamilton without mentioning The Ship. The Augusta Street pub remains a favourite among Hamiltonians, as a master of stacked-high 8 oz beef burgers with tons of creative and mouth-watering toppings. You can’t go wrong with any of the options, but favourites include the Greek burger with cucumber tzatziki slaw, feta, and pickled red onion, or the Hawaiian, with grilled pineapple, bacon, red onion and tabasco mayo. Looking for something veganfriendly? Try the quinoa and black bean patty (gluten-free too), complete with vegan cheese and vegan sauces and dips.
BURGERTONE
2025 Upper Middle Rd., Burlington burgertone.com
IG: burgertone.ca | FB: burgertone.ca
This family-run spot in Burlington just off Brant Street not only has warm service, it also has a very cool also have a very cool musicinspired brand and atmosphere, and tasty eats! All of the fresh AAA Angus smashburgers have music-themed names, including Pop, Rock, and Heavy Metal. These smashburgers are cooked to perfection with toppings of your choice. Looking for something a little bit different? Try their Philly cheesesteak, hotdogs, topped cheese fries, twist potatoes or signature milkshakes. Picking up a meal for the whole family? Try the family meal option!
BURGERWALE
85 John St. S, Unit C, Hamilton burgerwale.ca | IG: burgerwalecanada
For those looking for something completely different, visit Burgerwale on John Street South. Burgerwale specializes in burgers with an Indian street food twist – veggie patties and chicken patties are topped with a variety of options such as green pepper, crispy tikki and even noodles! They also serve additional items like panipuri, wraps, pressed melty sandwiches, topped fries (tandoori, masala and more), and shakes. n
CUISINE IN
STONEY CREEK OFFERS AN ARRAY OF DINING OPTIONS, FROM PUBS, SUSHI AND PASTA IN OLD TOWN ALONG KING STREET, TO ICONIC SLAB PIZZA, MEMPHIS BBQ, AUTHENTIC MEXICAN AND FINE DINING FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER.
FBy DIANE GALAMBOS
rom roots in the late 1700s, and designations such as township, town and (in 1984) city, Stoney Creek was amalgamated into the City of Hamilton in 2001. More than two decades later, it is still commonly referred to as Stoney Creek or maybe even The Creek. The community boundaries are unusual with areas on and below the escarpment. This dining overview focuses partly on the historic area, known as the “Old Town” extending eastward below the escarpment on King Street from the Battlefield Park and Monument that marks a key battle in the War of 1812 to Gray Road. But this core does not deliver an extensive collection of eateries. For a full grasp of Stoney Creek as a dining district, we’ll broaden our view to include a surprising collection of noteworthy eateries.
ANTHONY DI FILIPPO IS A THIRD GENERATION OWNER AND LEADER AT ROMA BAKERY.
PHOTO: ALISSA BALTAZAR
THE CREEK
For readers of a certain age, one of the most iconic food stops used to be the Stoney Creek Dairy. Founded in 1929, it became a destination ice cream parlour with some indoor and outdoor seating and room for tailgate ice cream parties. Sundaes and banana splits were carried to one’s car on a silver tray – marked with the indelible “Stolen from Stoney Creek Dairy.” Anyone have one of those trays? In 2012, the dairy was replaced with a retirement community that designated a small space for ice cream enjoyment.
KING STREET
SCOUT
CAFÉ
100 King St. W. scoutrestaurant.ca | IG: scoutcaferestaurant
The King Street core begins at Scout Café. In a restored building on the busy corner of King Street East and Centennial Parkway and across from Battlefield Park, brothers Dejan and Miroslav Rajsic have, since 2000, offered charming, modern indoor and outdoor spaces for the enjoyment of a diverse, extensive menu that includes ethnic Serbian, Balkan, and east European cuisine. From affordable breakfasts to private event menus, there is something to please all diners –including those craving cabbage rolls, stuffed peppers, goulash, paprikash or schnitzel. Creative spaces enable this eatery to be your favourite café or sports bar.
RAW ROOTS CAFÉ
38 King St. E. Unit 2 rawrootscafe.ca | IG: rawroots.cafe
Owner Brandon Carroll’s journey began in his home basement, then moved to a food truck and is now a storefront that offers takeout and dine-in. The focus is on sustainable and organic food with a wide assortment of organic and vegan-friendly, plant-based food items. Offerings include fresh-pressed juices, smoothies, smoothie bowls, protein bars and an assortment of supplements. On “smoothie days,” a percentage of sales is donated to local schools.
SAN REMO
73 King St. W.
IG: san.remo.rustico
Founded in 1977 by chef Roberto Silvestri, now in his 80s, this eatery is well known for its pasta and veal parmigiana sandwiches. Hours are irregular, so call ahead to check if it’s open and enter through the back door.
STOHO COFFEE AND COCKTAIL BAR
2 King St. E. stoho.ca | IG: stohobar
There’s no spelling error. “StoHo” stands for Stoney Creek, Hamilton, Ontario. If it evokes Soho in New York City or England you’ll not be surprised that owner Lana Flinn is aiming to capture the vibes of neighbourhoods and cafés she’s encountered during her international experiences. Open since mid-2023, Flinn says StoHo is still a work in progress. Menus evolve, for example, with the recent addition of a dinner menu, all-day breakfast foods and brunch on Fridays to Sunday. As the evening unfolds, consumption may tilt away from coffee to cocktails enjoyed with live music on some nights. All of this happens in a trendy, welcoming setting. Diversity among patrons is proof that a place like StoHo was long overdue in The Creek.
BANANA LEAF ASIAN CUISINE
44 King St. E. bananaleafasiancuisine.ca IG: bananaleafasian
If a male voice answers when you call Banana Leaf, it’s probably Tom Ngo, the eatery’s manager whose welcoming service leaves no doubt that you are in the hands of someone experienced in hospitality. The extensive Asian menu includes rice bowls, meal deals, and group/party packages. They also feature a delicious Hakka menu that combines Indian flavours and spices with Chinese foods. Try the classic ginger beef. Did you know this dish was invented in Calgary in the mid-1970s? This is not a takeout-only eatery. Lovely décor and white tablecloths are suited for a cozy dining-out occasion.
THE VILLAGE RESTAURANT
35 King St. E.
villagerestaurant.ca | IG: thevillagedining Since 1976, the Terziev family has run this full-service restaurant with an attached pub. Now approaching their 50th anniversary, several generations of the
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RAW ROOTS FRESH SMOOTHIES AND SMOOTHIE BOWLS DELIVER FLAVOUR AND NUTRIENTS. PHOTO: RAW ROOTS
family have worked together to make this a neighbourhood go-to for everything from breakfasts to family to group celebrations –with an event room if desired. In an attractive space, upscale home-style meals – clubhouse, steaks, and a weekend prime rib dinner, along with daily specials await. Next door are the Village-owned fish and chip shop and two bars.
THE POWERHOUSE
21 Jones St.
thepowerhouse.ca
IG: powerhouse_restaurant
The imposing restored building from the 1890s is a Stoney Creek landmark with a storied history. Used as a power generator for only a few years and left empty for some periods, it has spent more time as an eatery. The Powerhouse describes its menu as casual, celebrating American and international fare. Along with the food, it earns the “powerhouse” moniker for all of the entertainment and theme days. Comedy, music and trivia nights and even children’s breakfast events attract patrons. In its own words, it’s where history, flavour, and fun unite.
CHEF MARTIN’S SUSHI HOUSE
53 King St. E.
chefmartinsushi.com
IG: chef_martin_sushi_house
From the time chef Martin opened his sushi house in Stoney Creek it’s been considered a gem. The takeout eatery has become the “go-to” place for classic and special nigiri, sashimi and rolls – individual or combos, chef’s choice, salads and party trays.
OTHER MENTIONS
The King Street/“Old Town” core also includes a cake shop, an active Legion Hall, Mediterranean, Indian and Pakistani food and the temporarily closed Attic Pizza (opened in 1973). Stoney Creek eateries tend to have long-standing histories. Many have been celebrated and publicized in ways that make Stoney Creek a destination.
BEYOND THE CORE
MARIA’S TORTAS JALISCO
438 Hwy 8 Unit 1
mariastortasjalisco.com
IG: mariastortasjalisco
Maria Ojeda’s amazing travels from her birthplace of Jalisco, Mexico to Stoney Creek included running a full-service restaurant in Toronto. Her patrons also travel from far and wide for her authentic cuisine, and thus the eatery has been featured in many publications and even a film. The family business includes daughters Angelina in the kitchen and Helen handling business, but both are happy to chat with patrons anytime. The sunny Stoney Creek location does takeout and has space for dining in. The family expresses their gratitude for loyal customers and hints that new plans are coming.
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james street north king william street downtown dundas hess village ancaster burlington
CHEF MARTIN’S SUSHI COMBO - DYNAMITE, CRUNCH AND CALIFORNIA ROLLS, BEAUTIFULLY PLATED AND DELICIOUS. PHOTO: DIANE GALAMBOS
MARIA’S TORTAS JALISCO: TORTAS ARE CLASSIC MEXICAN SANDWICHES ON A FRENCH STYLE BUN WITH CHEESE, REFRIED BEANS AND TOPPINGS. PHOTO: DIANE GALAMBOS
ROMA BAKERY & DELI
233 Barton St.
romabakery.ca | IG: romabakeryca
Roma’s family bakery and deli was founded over 70 years ago, and is noteworthy for its inclusion in Gabby Peyton’s Where We Ate: A Field Guide to Canada’s Restaurants, Past and Present. Currently, it offers takeout of baked goods, deli and hot table foods, and catering. Recent plans for a considerable expansion have met with delays but are still promised and may bring a return of some dine-in space. Roma’s Sorella side project has run popular prix-fixe pop-up meals at local venues. While Roma also makes what it calls pizzeria pizzas, it is best known for the cheeseless slab pizza sold in grocery stores and which they have even “delivered” across Canada.
THE INNSVILLE Hwy 8 #1143
innsville.ca | IG: innsville
Though some distance from the restaurant core, this eatery still has a Stoney Creek address. There has been an Innsville on Highway 8 since 1932, with various chapters leading to the current, iconic, award-winning prime rib, steak and seafood focus. Various spaces enable casual and more formal dining, and menu specials and events keep loyal patrons travelling from points far and wide.
RONY’S CHARCOAL CHICKEN
312 Grays Rd.
ronystogo.ca | IG: ronysrestaurant
Responding to the scarcity of Middle Eastern food in 2016, Rony Shamoun founded his business focusing on charcoal grilled chicken and accompaniments. While these include red pepper hummus, falafels and seasoned basmati rice, Rony is reputed to make the best fries in the city. Frequent mention in “where to eat” food writing –often as Stoney Creek’s best-kept secret –attracts locals and out-of-towners.
MEMPHIS FIRE BARBECUE COMPANY
1091 King’s Highway 8
memphisfirebbq.com
IG: memphisfirebbq
Featured on the You Gotta Eat Here food show, this eatery open since 2010, describes itself as probably Ontario’s favourite BBQ restaurant. The TV program has been aired in 93 countries, so the word is out and it has become a destination. Chef Steven Popp has honed his BBQ skills and knowledge and with his wife – whom he describes as a culinary nerd – they have created a popular menu and their own sauces and spice mixes. Dine in a ’50s-style space or check out the “do it yourself” catering. With all the family involved, they mean it when they say “when you’re here, you’re home.”
EDGEWATER MANOR
518 Fruitland Rd.
edgewatermanor.com
IG: edgewatermanor
Anyone wishing for fine dining that combines stunning lake views will surely head to Edgewater. The building’s roots date back to the 1920s, but it was mid-century before it was complete, then used for several decades as apartments. Since the 1990s, it has been a desirable dining venue and often the setting for weddings and events.
OTHER MENTIONS
Waterfront dining also includes Limani at Fifty Point (closed for the winter season) and although they have Hamilton mailing addresses, some Stoney Creekers think of Baranga’s on the Beach and Hutch’s as their own. As with many flourishing communities, restaurants offering a diversity of cuisines are sprinkled throughout Stoney Creek’s strip malls and shopping hubs –though some offer only takeout. The only “battle” these days is deciding which eatery to visit.
RONY’S CHICKEN KABOB WITH RICE, SAUCE, TABOULI AND RED PEPPER HUMMUS.
PHOTO: RONY’S CHARCOAL CHICKEN
THE INNSVILLE: PRIME RIB WITH VEGETABLES AND ROASTED GARLIC MASHED POTATOES. PHOTO: DIANE GALAMBOS
SCOUT CAFÉ’S TASTEFUL DESIGN AND FURNISHINGS MAKE BOTH INDOOR AND OUTDOOR SPACES ENJOYABLE. PHOTO: SCOUT CAFÉ
ALWAYS IN A PICKLE
By MEREDITH M ac LEOD
MARTY STRUB knows one thing very well: pickles. His family name still lives on jars of kosher dills – a family business that dates back to its launch in a Hamilton backyard in the 1920s. Strub has lived in one square mile for most of his life. He grew up in Westdale with his parents and two brothers and raised his own three children there, too. Strub went to Westdale High School and earned a degree in religious studies from York University before serving as production manager at Strub’s Pickles until the business was sold in 2008. Marty now produces his own hand-packed line of pickles in Hamilton under the brand name Marty’s Pickles. He is a father to three and grandfather to seven.
How did Marty’s Pickles begin?
I’ve always made pickles just on the side, and gave them to friends and family. And I started doing that in Israel the year I was there. And I was like, basically making pickles on my back porch in barrels, and selling them to friends and family there. And I said to my wife, that if we ever end up back in Hamilton and I have nothing to do, I’m going to make pickles again, and that’s what I did.
What is the size of your operation?
So the first year I started, I made 9,000 bottles, which sounds like a lot, but it’s not very many. And now it’s 10 years later, and I’m making about 90,000 bottles. I’m the only full-time employee and my wife helps out a lot. I hire people as I need them to help pack or brine the pickles. Some of the people that I hire used to work for me 30 years ago. I just really service independent and chain stores (Lococos, Metro, Fortinos, Goodness Me!) in the Golden Horseshoe area and I sell online.
I’ve just grown organically. I started with one product, and now I have about eight or
LIFELONG HAMILTONIAN MARTY STRUB USES HIS GREAT-GRANDPARENTS’ RECIPE FOR HIS MARTY’S PICKLES LINE. PHOTO: REG BEAUDRY FOR HCM
nine different products that I sell. But I’m not trying to sell to more stores. I’m just trying to sell to the stores that I have because I really can’t grow that much more unless I start hiring people. I don’t want to have big overhead. I’ve had 200 employees. That wasn’t always that much fun. This is much more fun.
What is the greatest satisfaction in the work you do?
What makes me happy about doing this is really the satisfaction when people call me or tell me, or write to me and say, ‘These are the best pickles. I love them. They taste like you used to make them. And keep going, keep doing it.’ And that’s what makes me happy. I’m just happy satisfying people with the pickles.
What is the greatest challenge?
The greatest challenge now is I think that it’s grown so much, and how do I accommodate that and still keep it like a one-person operation.
Tell us about the history of your family business in pickles.
My great grandparents came from the Ukraine in the 1920s along with my grandfather, my great uncle and great aunt. My grandfather was about 15 years old, and during the Depression, my great grandfather didn’t have work, and he went into the local Jewish grocer on York Street, and the grocer said to him, ‘Do you know anybody that has pickles? I ran out of pickles.’ He says, ‘Well, my wife makes pickles. Do you want to try them?’ He said, ‘Sure.’ So he brought them in, and people liked them, and the grocer asked if we could make more. And that’s how the business started. So they kept making pickles in their backyard on Mulberry Street downtown. And when my grandfather married, he bought the house next door, and they had barrels in both backyards. On Macaulay Street they also had a pop factory called Strub’s Beverages, which they sold in the 1960s. As a kid, I was tightening jars, coopering barrels, rolling barrels, standing barrels up,
adding ingredients, making salt water. You know, as a 12 year old kid, my father had me making salt water with 100 pound bags of salt. Wow. It made me very strong and I would tighten 10,000 jars a day by hand.
From about 1955 to 1989 we were on Mill Street in Dundas in what is now Turkstra Lumber. Then we ran out of space and moved to Brantford.
Strub’s Pickles grew and grew and grew. And you know, we were selling pickles basically all over North America. I was in charge of production and one of my brothers handled the finances and another was in charge of sales.
What led to selling the business in 2008?
The business grew large and quickly and then the financial crisis happened, and the banks went a little crazy. So we had to sell the business. And then three or four years later, the people who we sold it to went bankrupt. Whyte’s Foods, out of Quebec, bought the business, and they asked me to run it again. I came back from Israel to run it for about a year and then they moved all the production to Quebec (from the Strub’s facility in Brantford), and then subsequently, just a year and a bit ago, that company went bankrupt, too. Now the Strub’s brand and the Whyte’s brand were bought by another company that is having the product made in India and Germany.
Have you seen an effect of the buy Canada movement in response to the U.S. tariffs and sovereignty threats?
It’s a little early but I think it will be helpful. I think we all should be buying Canadian. We certainly shouldn’t be buying from the United States if we don’t have to.
Why did you return to Hamilton to launch Marty’s Pickles?
I still had my house in Hamilton, my parents are here, my daughter lives here. We weren’t going back to Israel because our first grandchild was coming. And this is where I’ve been my whole life. Hamilton’s my city.
What was it like to grow up in Hamilton?
Growing up in west Hamilton, I think it was like growing up in any area in Hamilton in the late ’60s or early ’70s, everybody knew everybody in the neighbourhood. I went to school with a lot of kids whose parents went to school with my parents.
How would you describe Hamilton as a place to live and work?
It’s got everything that a big city has and it’s also like a small city. It’s a nice, easy place to live.
What’s the most Hamilton thing about you?
I don’t know what makes one a Hamiltonian, but I certainly feel like one.
What neighbourhood do you live in, and what do you love about it?
I live in Westdale and every street and every house I have a connection to because I’ve been here almost all my life. I like that it has a little commercial area, and it backs onto the woods.
What’s your ideal way to spend a lazy day in Hamilton?
Going for a walk in the woods at Churchill Park to Sassafras point and walking the Botanical Garden. That whole area is just fantastic. It’s minutes from my house. You can walk along the rail trail and in 10 minutes, you’re on the escarpment.
That’s what’s really amazing about Hamilton. Here you are in a relatively large metropolitan area, but within five or 10 minutes, either driving or riding your bike or walking, you’re in a beautiful environment.
What’s your favourite meal in the city?
AA Pizza on Wheels. It’s a kosher pizza and it’s very good. We share a commercial kitchen. He makes the pizzas there and sells them out of his garage.
What is your favourite artistic or cultural experience in Hamilton?
I have to say the Tiger Cats. And it’s nice that we have the (Hamilton) Philharmonic (Orchestra).
To have that in Hamilton is fantastic. You go to plays. You go to music. There’s always something going on, even now at the Westdale Theatre.
What’s the one thing you brag about Hamilton to outsiders?
It really is the nature that’s here in a big city. You can’t say enough about that. It’s just fantastic. There’s ice skating on Coote’s Paradise. Or tobogganing or snowshoeing. There’s everything here with all the water, plus all the waterfalls. n
scan the qr code to read more about incite and the legacy of carl and kate turkstra.
ARTS FOR ALL
THE INCITE FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS SUPPORTS THE INNOVATIVE WORK OFTHE HAMILTON CONSERVATORY FOR THE ARTS.
SPECTRUM OF CONNECTION PERFORMS AT DANCES AT THE BAY. PHOTO: JEFF HAYWARD
The Incite Foundation for the Arts has contributed more than $9 million to 50 Hamilton-area organizations, through grants from $2,500 to $300,000, since it was founded in 2011. It is the legacy of the late Carl and Kate Turkstra who believed the arts are key to quality of life and critical to the future of Hamilton. And they believed anyone, regardless of circumstance, should be able to enjoy and pursue music, theatre and visual art.
HAMILTON CITY Magazine is showcasing the incredible, creative and talented recipients of Incite grants. Here we share the work of the Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts.
After defecting from Poland and settling in Hamilton, professional dancer Vitek Wincza revitalized the historic Royal Hamilton College of Music, a century after its inception, reopening it in 1997 as the Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts (HCA). Wincza had a dream of creating a multidisciplinary environment where music, dance, drama, and visual arts could flourish together under one roof, ensuring that the arts were visible and accessible to everyone.
This was a shared vision brought to reality with the commitment of the HCA’s longtime supporter, the Incite Foundation. Their dedication has been essential to the HCA’s work to remove barriers and enhance the quality of life for people in Hamilton. Thanks to the Incite Foundation’s commitment, HCA is now home to two charitable, community-
based organizations: HCA Dance + Theatre (HCADT) and Arts for All.
Arts for All harnesses education, connection, and inspiration to spark creativity, critical thinking, and proactive actions in the leaders of tomorrow. This initiative is dedicated to providing access to arts programming every day, everywhere, and for everyone, positively impacting more than 70,000 children and youth at no cost to them. The Incite Foundation helps multiple neighbourhoods to flourish by: supporting after-school arts programming; the Artasia summer program with emerging artists activating more than 40 community sites and parks; the Resonance Choir for children and youth with disabilities at the Ron Joyce Children’s Health Centre; and the KinderFest Festival presenting professional artist
performances for the very young and their families. Arts for All touches the future by connecting citizens to creativity to build a better community.
HCADT is dedicated to making the performing arts visible and accessible through year-round programming, each serving distinct facets of our community. The Children’s Arts Exploration Field Trips provide hands-on arts education to students at an affordable cost. After two decades, the Performing Arts Sunday Series (PASS) remains a vibrant cultural cornerstone in Hamilton, showcasing internationally acclaimed performing artists through an accessible ticketing model. Additionally, PASS enriches the artistic community with an annual opera master class, offering emerging artists a unique chance to refine their skills under the guidance of professional performers. Dances at the Bay, born from the conclusion of a decade-long partnership with Dusk Dances Inc., is now a free self-produced three-day festival held outdoors at Bayfront Park. This festival represents a continued commitment to the city, as a festival uniquely for Hamilton by Hamilton.
There is a profound power in the arts to inspire, to instill confidence, and to foster a broader sense of well-being. Living in these divisive times, it is more important than ever to invest in the arts as a beacon of hope and a force of unity within our communities. When art is made accessible to all, its potential is truly limitless. This is a truth that the HCA umbrella of organizations has always recognized. Thanks to the generosity of funders like the Incite Foundation, the HCA is able to make a lasting and widespread positive impact. The HCA extends their heartfelt gratitude to all the board members and staff for their profound commitment to the organization’s success – with special thanks to Liz Stirling – for their unwavering support of the arts and our community. n
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