Hamilton. Canada’s Green City

Overlooking the lower city

For years (actually, over a century), Hamilton’s reputation was nothing more than steel mills and factories.

And while that was true, it’s no longer the case in 2017.

When it comes to employment, manufacturing has been taken over by industries like:

Health care
Technology
Entertainment
Education

As for Hamilton’s environment, buying a new home in Hamilton puts your family close to a wide range of natural and planned parks, green spaces and conservation areas.

If Dofasco and Stelco are all you think about when Hamilton comes to mind, then check out these reasons why Hamilton is one of Canada’s greenest cities.

Click on each image to view a larger version.

Tiffany Falls at night

Hamilton is the “City of Waterfalls”

For non-residents, waterfalls aren’t the first thing that comes to mind whenever the city of Hamilton is mentioned.

The reality: Hamilton is home to over 100 distinct and individually-named waterfalls (including a few near some DeSozio Homes communities).

Hamilton Mountain (aka the Niagara Escarpment), is a unique geological feature that splits the city into upper and lower areas.

As a result, numerous waterfalls flow over the escarpment.

The best part: many of them are easily accessible, either via the Bruce Trail, lookouts or other hiking paths.

Some of the more prominent waterfalls include:

Albion Falls: A cascading waterfall located at King’s Forest Park that’s around 63 feet in height.

Devil’s Punchbowl: A ribbon waterfall that’s actually two waterfalls in one. It’s 121 feet tall and can be found on Stoney Creek Mountain.

Felker’s Falls: One of Hamilton’s most popular waterfalls. Felker’s Falls has a height of 72 feet and experiences year-round water flow (even in the hot, dry summer).

Tiffany Falls: Found at the Tiffany Conservation Area in Ancaster, Tiffany Falls is 68 feet tall and is a popular ice climbing locale in the winter.

If you want to learn more about Hamilton’s waterfalls, please visit the City of Waterfalls website.

Eramosa Karst

Conservation areas galore

Our latest community development, Harmony on Twenty is located within minutes of beautiful and inspiring conservation areas.

Eramosa Karst: Full of underground caves, streams, meadows and forests, the Eramosa Karst is perfect for a quiet nature walk or to come face-to-face with some Hamilton wildlife.

Dundas Valley Conservation Area: With babbling creeks, rare plant life and colourful flowers, visiting Dundas Valley is like transporting yourself to another world.

Spencer Gorge/Webster Falls: Another Hamilton waterfall that’s surrounded by a massive hiking trail and clean, family-friendly picnic areas.

Confederation Beach: A beach? In Hamilton? Yes! Along the shores of Lake Ontario, Confederation Beach features the Breezeway Trail and plenty of sandy sports areas.

And that’s only a fraction of the conservation areas you’ll find in Hamilton; many of which are conveniently located within the city limits.

Wentworth Steps

Niagara Escarpment

Earlier in this blog, you read about Hamilton Mountain.

The top of Hamilton Mountain overlooks the lower city, where you’ll truly get a sense of how many trees, parks and natural spaces there are.

Because it connects the upper and lower cities, there are roads and accesses built into the mountain.

That said, there are plenty of natural getaways too (in addition to some of the waterfalls mentioned above).

Stairs: Dotted along Hamilton Mountain are staircases you can take to walk up and down the city (literally). The Wentworth Steps is biggest at a whopping 498 steps.

The Bruce Trail: A mammoth (885 km in length) hiking trail that stretches from Tobermory Ontario (at Lake Huron & Georgian Bay) to Queenston, Ontario (at the border of Lewiston New York).

Escarpment Rail Trail: An old train line along the escarpment is the back drop for walkers, runners, hikers, bike riders and roller bladers.

Another cool thing about Hamilton Mountain is that, in 1990, it was named a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization).