‘Tis the season to visit these five Instagram-worthy murals in Hamilton.
As we enter early December, winter is beginning to loom over us. This means the sun sets earlier, signifying the end of daylight-saving hours and our days are bleaker with dropping temperatures. Visiting these murals around Hamilton could be a way to brighten your day with their vibrant and unique art styles and interesting backstories as well as an excellent opportunity to explore Hamilton.
Charlton Avenue
This colourful mural featuring a girl with a squirrel, raccoon and bird was designed by Robyn Lightwalker and painted by Natasha Rose, Anthony Haley and Felipe Encina over a four-day period. Lightwalker attempted to portray a version of how humans and animals could be living in harmony in an urban environment.
Durand Coffee building
This mural was painted by Tyler Van Holst. He recently repainted this over his previous “Greetings Hamilton” mural, which has been weathered over the past several years. This new mural, featuring dogs and a cat, tie in more to the idea of what makes this neighbourhood a great place to live in and they hope that the mural will put a smile on everyone’s face.
Concession Street
This mural was painted by Kyle Joedicke, a local Haudenosaunee artist who primarily focuses on Indigenous art, specifically Woodland-style art. This mural portrays the teachings of the seven grandfathers: respect, symbolized by a buffalo; truth, symbolized by a turtle; love, symbolized by a bald eagle; wisdom, symbolized by a beaver; courage, symbolized by a bear; humility, symbolized by a wolf; and honesty, symbolized by a sabe. Through his art, he wants to promote a strong sense of community and share his culture.
John Street
This mural, created by local street artist Scott McDonald, is designated for Hamilton Tiger-Cat fans who adore Angelo Mosca like him. McDonald grew up watching every game with his parents and wanted to use one of his favourite childhood memories to represent an iconic Hamilton figure. He is a former graffiti artist who now creates mesmerizing murals.
West Avenue South
This mural “Raise” was painted by a local brother duo, Norman and Lester Coloma, to represent an ambitious city. It illustrates men and women attempting to raise a giant hammer with the help of red ropes against a white background. In the piece, the hammer represents the city and Hamiltonians are working together to lift Hamilton, suggesting the city’s optimistic future.
Overall, these murals are worth a visit and provide you a chance to explore Hamilton and its hidden artistic side. You will find local talent you may not have come across before. Studies have shown that immersing yourself in art will improve your overall mood and mental well-being. Immersing yourself in art is a great way to uplift your mood in the middle of the winter through Hamilton’s signature, bright art style.
C/O Jeffrey F Lin, Unsplash
The inequalities are rooted in systemic issues within sports culture
For centuries, women were perceived as fragile beings in constant need of protection from any physical exertion. It was America in the 19th century that idealized a special definition of modesty — one where the livelihoods of women would supposedly be threatened by otherwise common practices such as entering the workforce and engaging in sports activities.
These practices persisted for a long time and it was the norm for elite women to have their (female) servants do everything that was in violation of the supposed modesty they had to uphold.
A few racially restricted sports were made acceptable, which included tennis, archery, croquet and bathing-beauty swimming (whatever that means). Of course, nothing too harsh that would allegedly threaten the fertility and feministic qualities of a woman were allowed.
A few racially restricted sports were made acceptable, which included tennis, archery, croquet and bathing-beauty swimming (whatever that means). Of course, nothing too harsh that would allegedly threaten the fertility and feministic qualities of a woman were allowed.
HADEEQA AZIZ, OPINIONS STAFF WRITER
These sports activities for women, if you could even call them that, were handpicked to be acceptable, largely due to the elaborate outfits that accompanied them.
It stamped on the assurance of femininity, creating a female sport culture that was only interesting if the women were beautiful and delicate. Heaven forbid they were aggressive or even had a desire to be competitive . . . in competition.
I think this is a good place to pause just to appreciate all the irony we’ve encountered in our history lesson so far.
During the very same 19th century, America promoted white male masculinity in capitalism, warfare, baseball, beer and basketball. Once again in an effort to preserve femininity, these activities were restricted for women, masked under false claims of women's inability to endure as much pain, injury and overall labour.
No one questioned the physical effort and endurance it took to carry a child and give birth, but athletic performances were quickly condemned as immodest and degrading.
That was back then and a few may find it silly that I’m going on about something that has evolved so much since then. While in many ways, it has, in numerous other ways, it hasn’t.
That was back then and a few may find it silly that I’m going on about something that has evolved so much since then. While in many ways, it has, in numerous other ways, it hasn’t.
HADEEQA AZIZ, OPINIONS STAFF WRITER
With the debut of “Women’s Olympics” in 1920, and the slow but steady modernization of female sports since then, you could raise a claim that women don’t face these issues anymore.
It’s easy to say that from an outside perspective, but 40 per cent of women in the sports industry would tell you something different. They’d tell you how the athletic world still belongs to men and the constant discrimination they face at every possible gateway into the industry — whether it’s at the level of a professional athlete or getting ridiculed for wanting to play middle school girls’ basketball.
Like all kinds of discrimination, it's very important to acknowledge the intersectionality of gender discrimination. Race, culture, economic status and personal identities play significant roles in the differing experiences faced by women.
The reason I gave you a brief history lesson in the beginning was to show where these ideologies are rooted from. The idea of placing men’s sports on a pedestal while ignoring women’s sports comes from previous ideas of the sports industry belonging exclusively to men.
When issues about equal pay come to light, people are quick to point out the media and entertainment gap between men’s and women’s sports. Though this is very true, no one has bothered to take a look at why.
When issues about equal pay come to light, people are quick to point out the media and entertainment gap between men’s and women’s sports. Though this is very true, no one has bothered to take a look at why.
HADEEQA AZIZ, OPINIONS STAFF WRITER
Sure, you can probably count on one hand how many WNBA players can dunk a basketball, but no efforts are made to appreciate the talent and hard work the players put in to get to the level they’re at. Where females may lack in physical strength and endurance (when compared to equally trained males), they make up for in technique, passion and resilience.
Yes, sports will innately look different when it's played by different sexes, but failing to put forth an effort to appreciate these differences is certainly not out of society’s control. For so long, the male-dominated society ruled women by their reproductive systems, believing that they must save and expend all their energy in reproduction.
Today, imagine if women athletes didn’t have to expend so much of their energy fighting for legitimacy and equal treatment and be able to focus solely on playing their sport.
C/O Yoohyun Park
Persons Day commemorates the well-known Persons Case, when women were included in the definition of “persons”
On Oct. 18, Canadians celebrated Persons Day, the annual commemoration of the case of Edwards v. Canada, more commonly known as the Persons Case. This case took place in 1929 and ruled that women should be included in the legal definition of “persons,” making them eligible to sit in the Senate of Canada.
When the British North America Act of 1867 outlined the governmental structure of Canada, the act used the pronoun “he” to refer to a single person, but it used the term “persons” when referring to multiple people. Because of this, the term “persons” was commonly interpreted as being only applicable to men.
The BNA Act used the word “persons” when describing those who were eligible to sit in the Senate, and, due to the common legal interpretation of the word “persons,” this meant that only men were permitted to be involved.
In 1927, Nellie McClung, Henrietta Edwards, Emily Murphy, Irene Parlby and Louise McKinney, known as the Famous Five, challenged the legal definition of “persons,” arguing that women should be included in the definition and should therefore be able to sit in the Senate.
On Oct. 18, 1929, the Famous Five won their case, marking Persons Day in Canadian history.
On Oct. 18, 1929, the Famous Five won their case, marking Persons Day in Canadian history.
At McMaster University, Karen Balcom, a professor in the department of gender and social justice, explained that this day was an important legal milestone for women in Canada. At this point, women had the right to vote federally and provincially everywhere except in Quebec and had the ability to run for office.
“The Persons Day decision was one of the last barriers standing in the way of the participation of white women in the political state in Canada,” said Balcom.
However, although the Persons Case was instrumental for women’s rights, it also did not address the ongoing exclusion of women of colour from the political sphere.
However, although the Persons Case was instrumental for women’s rights, it also did not address the ongoing exclusion of women of colour from the political sphere.
Balcom cited numerous examples of race-based disenfranchisement in Canada in place at the time of the Persons Case victory. Saskatchewan didn’t allow Chinese people to vote, and Japanese people who had been expelled from BC were disallowed from voting federally in 1944. These and other restrictions on Asian-Canadian political rights were not lifted until 1948. Indigenous people were required to renounce their Indigenous status in order to vote, which remained the case until 1960.
“It’s, in some ways, a culmination of a first wave feminism battle for women’s political rights, for all that is important and for all that is tremendously flawed and limited. It’s really important that we can [recognize that] this was an important legal standard and eventually came to apply to many intersectional kinds of women, but it’s not the case that all of a sudden in October 1929 Canadian women at large had equal access to the political system. They did not,” said Balcom.
“It’s really important that we can [recognize that] this was an important legal standard and eventually came to apply to many intersectional kinds of women, but it’s not the case that all of a sudden in October 1929 Canadian women at large had equal access to the political system. They did not.”
Karen Balcom, Gender and social justice professor
Balcom highlighted that, even in 2021, not all Canadians have equal access to the political system. Balcom cited health and ability status, status as housed or unhoused and documentation status in the country as barriers to the voting rights of Canadians in the present.
“Every social movement — [whether] it’s feminism [or] any other social movement — has to be continually interrogating itself and continually coming to terms with pasts that are exclusionary,” said Balcom.
Balcom highlighted that, in gender and social justice research at McMaster, this continued consideration of the accomplishments and exclusions of social movements is key.
“I know of many, many people who are devoted to this process of thinking about an intersectional analysis of power, inclusion and exclusion,” Balcom said.
C/O Yoohyun Park
Downtown Hamilton BIA initiative helping Hamiltonians new and old explore their home’s rich history
Moving to a new city inherently offers a number of opportunities to grow and try new things as you explore your new home and learn about its history. The city of Hamilton, particularly its downtown core, has a great deal of history built into it, though it can be difficult to know where to find it even if you’ve lived here for a long time. The Downtown Hamilton BIA new Memory Lane project is helping Hamiltonians new and old explore their home’s rich history.
“Memory Lane is a self-guided walking tour of downtown Hamilton, using QR codes on mostly businesses, but there's also some in planters. Basically, anything throughout the Bay Area, if you see a QR code, you can scan it, it'll bring up the history of that building,” said Suzi Ozer, the operations manager at Downtown Hamilton BIA.
Ozer, along with Emily Walsh, the BIA’s community engagement coordinator, and the rest of the team at the Downtown Hamilton BIA were looking for ways to allow people to return to and explore downtown as safely and comfortably as possible during the ongoing pandemic. Memory Lane officially launched in May 2021.
“We wanted a way that people could explore downtown as safely as they possibly could. Because our ultimate goal was to get some people back down here in the shops and everything like that, just because that's what our small businesses need is people through the doors…we thought [Memory Lane] would be great. You can do it on your own time, you can do it whenever you like with as many or as little people as you like and just really go with whatever you desire with that,” explained Walsh.
All the properties and their associated historical fact sheets are also listed online, on the BIA’s website, allowing community members to explore them from the comfort of their home as well.
To compile the information for the history fact sheets on each building, which include detailed accounts of the lives of each building as well as some photographs, Ozer collaborated with the Hamilton Public Library.
“The archives of the Hamilton Public Library were super helpful. I couldn't go in person, but they were very quick, especially verifying [information]. Because when you're looking at such a broad time frame from the 1800s to now you have street name changes and address changes so to verify if something was actually in this facility with them was super helpful,” said Ozer.
While their primary goal was to encourage people to return downtown in a safe way and support the businesses there, helping to educate the Hamilton community on their city’s rich history was also important to Ozer, Walsh and their team.
“[I hope they walk away with] an increased interest in the rich fabric that makes up our downtown, whether it's the history or what's currently going on,” said Walsh. “It's just so many small pieces of a puzzle that come together and make up this really cool, vibrant place to work and live.”
Both also noted the benefit Memory Lane could have for students who are living and studying in Hamilton, as the project could offer them the opportunity to explore downtown on their own terms and learn more about the new community they live in.
“It's a great way to get [students] out and acquainted with what's going on. Because then you see, “Oh, the art gallery’s downtown,” and “there's lots of great restaurants to try downtown.”…So I think this [Memory Lane] is a great segue into seeing everything that downtown has to offer, especially for students who are looking for something to engage with something to explore,” said Ozer.
Particularly, as many students arrive in Hamilton for the first time and begin to make their homes here, projects such as Memory Lane offer crucial opportunities to explore and become acquainted with all this remarkable city has to offer.
Multidisciplinary artist speaks about the importance of conversation and our histories
C/O Bhavika Sharma
This article marks the beginning of the Artist Talks series. The pandemic has resulted in the closure of many galleries and limited the opportunities for artists to showcase their work. However, Hamilton artists have been far from idle this past year, continuing to create and exploring new experiences.
Bhavika Sharma is an emerging multidisciplinary artist and is currently the artist in residence at Hamilton Artists Inc.
They recently completed their undergraduate degree in architecture and visual arts at the University of Toronto. Sharma points to their time as an undergraduate student as a pivotal point for their art practice, as they gained more experience through studio courses and were also able to experiment with different mediums.
“When I was younger, like in high school I did [advanced placement] art and I did a lot of oil painting and stuff. But I feel like as I went to university, I think also it really was a lot of the professors I met who encouraged me to work in these mediums. Learning how to use video editing software and stuff that interested me and incorporating sewing and fabric, it really opened up a lot of opportunities. It was like, “Oh, yeah, this is what art can be. It can be like a whole range of things. And it can be just a drawing or a painting,”” said Sharma.
"Learning how to use video editing software and stuff that interested me and incorporating sewing and fabric, it really opened up a lot of opportunities."
Bhavika Sharma
Regardless of what medium they are working with, whether it be textiles or video installations, there are two key elements at the core of all their work: conversation and space. Sharma hopes their art encourages and holds space for conversation, with particular concerns surrounding the spaces we live in.
“[It’s about] getting people to think about [these spaces] differently or thinking about how we consume these spaces. And maybe we can change our ways of thinking about these places . . . I think just for people to think more about the way we learn about places or interact with the spaces that surround us,” explained Sharma.
Sharma begins all of their projects by doing thorough and thoughtful research about the history of space they’re exploring in their art. These histories are a crucial component to both key elements of their work. These histories — particularly the non-dominant histories Sharma works to shed light on — are important aspects of the spaces they’re exploring and important topics of conversations.
“I also want people to understand personal narratives deserve a space within these conversations. Shared experiences, non-dominant histories, they are something that we need to actively look for and actively try to find. We shouldn't just take what is there as the [only] history,” added Sharma.
"I also want people to understand personal narratives deserve a space within these conversations. Shared experiences, non-dominant histories, they are something that we need to actively look for and actively try to find. We shouldn't just take what is there as the [only] history."
Bhavika Sharma
In January 2020, Sharma had an installation piece at Christie Pits Park in Toronto, which included soft sofa-like sculptures. Sharma wanted to explore the narratives that converged in the park and after compiling their research about the more traditional historical narratives. Sharma invited community members to join them in conversation about the space.
“I hosted an event and I had people come over and we sat on these soft sculptures. I brought people tea and people just talked and shared. I read my research to start the space, but then I opened it up and we talked. People just talked about like “Oh, I used to play ping pong here with my boyfriend.” Just people saying small things and memories that they have associated with the space and building on to the history of a space,” explained Sharma.
The pandemic has forced Sharma to rethink their art. Their current work at the Inc. has given them the opportunity to explore new ways to bring their work into the virtual environment.
Currently, Sharma is working on a project surrounding the Grand River, which is close to Hamilton and their hometown of Brantford, focusing on its connection to Indigenous communities and histories.
The pandemic has forced Sharma to rethink their art. Their current work at the Inc. has given them the opportunity to explore new ways to bring their work into the virtual environment.
Looking to the future, Sharma noted that they are still an emerging artist and plan to continue exploring and experimenting with different mediums.
Sharma also offered some encouraging words for students interested in pursuing an art practice of their own.
“I would say just start making, I feel like it's the hardest thing to do. I think that for me, at least, I plan a lot and then it takes me a lot to make it but making can be thinking. You can think about your work while you make it. So just really just starting it and making it and also taking things that you're interested in outside of maybe art and bring that into it. Like if you have a nice interest, incorporate it into your artwork. Why not? People will want to learn about it or want to hear about it. If you like going on Wikipedia wormholes or like research wormholes like me, incorporate it into your art,” said Sharma.
By: Esther Liu, Contributor
The Silhouette: Could you please give a brief introduction of yourself?
Matthew Thiessen: I'm Matthew Thiessen, an associate professor of religious studies in the faculty of social sciences here at McMaster. I primarily focus on ancient texts, what Christians call the New Testament and text out of ancient Judaism, whether that's the Hebrew Bible, the Old Testamentor early Judaism text that didn't make it into the canon of either Jews or Christians.
When did you first become interested in the topic of the apocalypse and why?
The first time that I can remember something apocalyptic coming across my radar was in 1988. I know this for a fact because I grew up just outside of Detroit on the Canadian border, just outside of Windsor, and my dad took me to my first baseball game and I had been begging to go for years. It was at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. I have no recollection of the game whatsoever, but I do remember a small plane circling around the stadium during the ball game and it had one of those banners. It said: "8 reasons why the world will end in 1988" and I had never heard of such a thing.
It said: "8 reasons why the world will end in 1988" and I had never heard of such a thing. . . I remember thinking that I have no idea what this is talking about, but I sure as heck don't want the world to end.
1988 seems like a lifetime ago, but I guess I was 11 years old at the time. I remember thinking that I have no idea what this is talking about, but I sure as heck don't want the world to end. I'm 11, all I've done is go to school. I haven't reaped any benefits. I haven't got a job or made money or travelled or everything else. So I remember thinking that this is awful: I don't want the world to end because my life hasn't really even begun yet.
And so, that's sort of where I first came across this idea of apocalyptic thinking, the end of the world sort of thinking and [it] just has popped up over and over again. Anybody can, especially thinking in a North American context, come across this kind of stuff. In 2012, there was this claim about the Mayan calendar that predicted the world was going to end. In 2013, there was a Christian pastor in the States who put out billboards all over the world talking about the world ending. And, of course, this stuff keeps happening even today.
Could you elaborate on why you're still interested in this topic?
Especially in the North American context . . . you can see especially the dominance and influence of Christian apocalyptic thinking that still occurs to this day. You'll see, over and over again, predictions about the end of the world or some sort of major apocalyptic event. This includes what happened . . . when numerous Trump supporters stormed the Capitol as some of that was influenced by apocalyptic thinking. There was the thought that there was going to be this major movement by God to keep Trump in power. But this is what some people believed: that God would intervene in American history to bring about what these people thought would be some sort of just and righteous conclusion. Other historical events in the world were also influenced by apocalyptic thinking. It's out there, it pops its head out over and over again, so I think studying this is really important.
Do you believe that there is a key lesson that we can learn from the apocalypses you study?
When you study ancient apocalyptic texts, I think they're motivated by a few key ideological or theological beliefs. One is that what happens here on Earth is ultimately under the control of some higher being. So at least in a North American context, one of the most famous apocalypses of all is the Book of Revelation in the New Testament, in the Christian Bible. It's motivated by the belief that what happens here on earth is controlled by God and that this is a reason to believe — just because life on earth is maybe crappy, things are going bad, people are dying, people are being persecuted, unrighteous people seem to be winning, bad people seem to be ruling — that ultimately, this is not the final word. So this hope that all this will change is what motivates this literature.
I think you see, whether that's been religious or secular apocalyptic thinking today, there's this idea that now is not the final word. Just talking about maybe at the secular level, it's not this belief that there's a God who is going to make things turn out right, but you can see the sort of apocalyptic thinking around climate change. Most climate change activists say that we're very close to midnight, but there's something we can do. So the idea is we're at a very dangerous point but it can change and we can have an effect in changing it for the good. There are many people thinking that we are in an apocalyptic time and that we can change this, we just have to muster the courage to do it. There's the thought about "What can the world be? This is it now, here's what's bad about it, but here's what we can hope for and aspire to and work towards."
There are many people thinking that we are in an apocalyptic time and that we can change this, we just have to muster the courage to do it. There's the thought about "What can the world be? This is it now, here's what's bad about it, but here's what we can hope for and aspire to and work towards."
The Hamilton-based project Filipinas of HamONT is using interviews and surveys to find and connect the community
There are not enough spaces in Hamilton where BIPOC feel that they belong. BIPOC in the Steel City often feel disconnected from their heritage, their history and their community.
This is a problem that Anabelle Ragsag and Jessica Vinluan are hoping that folks in Hamilton with Filipino heritage will one day no longer have to face. They are helping to tackle the problem with their community-engaged project, Filipinas of HamONT.
Ragsag is an author and educator with a background in politics who immigrated to Canada from the Philippines in 2009. Vinluan is a teacher, the founder of BIPOC youth organization Redefine Twenty and a second-generation Filipina-Canadian who was born and raised in Hamilton.
View this post on Instagram
With their different backgrounds, they have made their project Filipinas of HamONT for all Filipinas in the city of Hamilton, whether they were born and raised in the city, a naturalized citizen, a long-timer, a newcomer or just passing by as is the case for many students.
They have made their project Filipinas of HamONT for all Filipinas in the city of Hamilton, whether they were born and raised in the city, a naturalized citizen, a long-timer, a newcomer or just passing by as is the case for many students.
The pair met in early 2020 at a Reaching for Power workshop, an initiative that teaches BIPOC women and non-binary individuals how to make a positive change in their communities. After the workshop series ended, Ragsag and Vinluan began in June 2020 to think about creating a project for the Filipina community. In fall 2020, they received a microgrant for the project and began sharing it with the larger community in November.
The project initially consisted of a survey designed to map where Filipinas in Hamilton are located. The survey asks for participants’ demographic information including: their highest completed education level; the province in the Philippines that any member of their family is from; if they are working, the industry in which they are employed; and the effect that COVID-19 has had on their livelihood.
View this post on Instagram
The survey results will be shared to show where Filipinas in Hamilton are. As Filipinas began immigrating to Hamilton in the 1960s to build the health sector, Ragsag and Vinluan anticipated that many of the Filipinas that participate in their survey will work in this area. However, they began to find Filipinas outside of this sector when they decided to complement their survey with interviews with Hamilton-based Filipinas.
“[E]specially being born and raised in Hamilton, I didn't really think that I could see Filipinas in different spaces and I think to be able to see that . . . like, “oh, you're not just in the health sector, there's other avenues that maybe I can take if I see myself in them” . . . [The project is] validating that it's not just in the health sector, but like other aspects as well and other spaces that Filipinos are taking up,” said Vinluan.
"[The project is] validating that it's not just in the health sector, but like other aspects as well and other spaces that Filipinos are taking up," said Vinluan.
Ragsag and Vinluan have completed eight of the 10 interviews that they aimed to do. They shared the first interview on Nov. 13, 2020 and will continue to share them until March 2021. The interview series neatly exemplifies the intention behind the project: they want to share stories of leadership, empowerment and living between two cultures.
“I grew up and it was very white-dominated spaces. I think that, as a Filipina, I felt like I didn't belong in a lot of the spaces . . . I felt like I couldn't have these kinds of conversations around dual identity and things that I feel like I had difficulties navigating. So, when Anabelle brought up the idea of starting Filipinas of HamONT through the YWCA project, I was so excited because I know there's a lot of these kinds of community collectives in Toronto . . . but I also feel like I don't belong because it's Toronto and I'm from Hamilton,” explained Vinluan.
Based on the feedback from some of their interviewees, Ragsag and Vinluan are working towards running online events that will enable them to continue the important conversations they began in the interviews. They are considering running a book club where they would read works by Filipino authors and hosting workshops on the history of the Philippines.
“I saw that a lot of second and multiple generations of those with Filipino roots have this thirst to know more about what it is like. What does it mean if I don't speak Filipino, if I don't speak Tagalog, am I still Filipino? Because of my teaching background . . . I thought that's something that I can do. That is something that I can contribute to the community,” said Ragsag.
“I saw that a lot of second and multiple generations of those with Filipino roots have this thirst to know more about what it is like. What does it mean if I don't speak Filipino, if I don't speak Tagalog, am I still Filipino?" said Ragsag.
However, in starting this project, Ragsag and Vinluan do not intend to take away from the work done by established Filipino organizations in Hamilton. They recognize the importance of churches, cultural gatherings, all-Filipino sports tournaments and student organizations such as the Filipino McMaster Student Association. They aim to work alongside these organizations to connect the Filipina community.
Despite the name, Ragsag and Vinluan are not completely closing the project to woman-identifying individuals. The project is intended to evolve with community needs.
“We see that our being here in Canada is rooted to that history of a feminized migration . . . So I think it started from there but at the same time, the project is an evolving one – it's not set in stone — and we are aware that identities are fluid, as well . . . the role of those who don't identify as male or female have been there in history but they [were] erased by colonization. That is one of the topics that we want to discuss: what is it in our history that was erased? Can we uncover them?” said Ragsag.
Ragsag and Vinluan hope that this project will enable them and other Hamilton-based Filipinas to continue learning more about their history and heritage. By having these conversations with their community and connecting with established organizations, the project will help ensure that every Filipina in Hamilton feels they belong.
This is part one of a three part series. Throwback Thursday looks to explore the past, present and future of Hamilton’s music scene through the eyes of those within.
The Hamilton music scene is ever-changing. The rise of Supercrawl over the past decade has given local bands a public platform that they might not have had access to otherwise. Through this Throwback Thursday series, I seek to uncover the recent history of Hamilton’s music scene, and how the city has developed the unique musical identity that it’s known for today. This will take the form of three profile-based articles focusing on interactions with the past, present and future of Hamilton’s music scene.
We will begin with a snapshot of Hamilton’s music scene in the 1990s. Our guide is a former Silhouette Arts & Culture Editor, and co-author of Canadian alt-rock music book "Have Not Been The Same".
Ian A.D. Jack began studying Kinesiology at McMaster in 1992. Although his studies were heavily focused on physiology and physical movement, Jack had a passion for music that stemmed from his childhood.
Jack recalled living in Thunder Bay as a child in the 80s, going to the local library and borrowing vinyl records which exposed him to a wide range of music. When Jack’s parents divorced, he turned to music as a comforting mechanism.
Photo C/O Ian A.D. Jack
“Music has been my saviour all along,” said Jack.
With the late 80s came the surge of bands such as U2, The Smiths and New Order, creating a new wave of music. Music was getting louder, heavier, but strangely more melodic as well. Jack was captivated by this style. He tried to emulate their sounds, find out as much as he could about the bands and build his music collection.
While Jack was at McMaster, he would spend all of his extra money at Cheapies Records and Tapes (67 King St. East), a staple record store in Hamilton’s music scene that is still around today. Cheapies does not confine itself to one type of music, allowing anybody to find their own interests in their vinyl record bins. After his first year of university he began writing for the Sil, after realizing that he would be sent new music for free so long as he wrote something about it.
“It was a great way of funding my habits and became a gateway for me to meet a lot of artists and my heroes,” said Jack.
In the past, the Sil used to have a dedicated pull-out section called Hamilton Entertainment Arts Directory, or HEAD. This section featured movie and album reviews, but also had a heavy focus on reviewing and interviewing local Hamilton-based bands. Jack wrote his first article for HEAD about alternative rock band, Rhymes with Orange. He continued writing for HEAD in his third year and became co-Arts Editor in his final year of school. HEAD was an important way for students to understand the music scene in Hamilton.
In addition to profiling Hamilton music, Jack’s section also featured interviews with bands such as Oasis and Blur. HEAD also ran interviews with notable people in the movie industry such as actor/director Kevin Smith, actor Don McKellar and director Noah Bombock.
In the 90s, there were two pubs on campus that hosted live music. The Rathskeller, now Bridges Café, typically housed Hamilton-based bands, and the Downstairs John, which has since been demolished to make room for L.R. Wilson Hall, typically hosted more well known Canadian bands. Jack described the city’s music scene as being rougher than it is today due to the minimal amount of exposure artists received as well as the undeveloped, underground scene they were playing in.
“Now, you have some more prominent artists like The Arkelles and White Horse, and you have Supercrawl. That festival didn’t exist [before],” said Jack.
Jack also recalls off-campus venues that would host live music. The largest of these clubs was called X-Club, housed on the second floor of a building at King William Street and John Street North downtown. Up and coming indie bands such as Jale, Doughboys and Pure would perform. Jack remembers tall posts extending from the floors to the ceiling, obstructing audience sightlines. Nevertheless, it was a great place to catch an indie show.
La Luna (306 King St. West), was another spot that would host smaller bands or acoustic sets. While primarily functioning as a Lebanese restaurant, it had a small space for live performances, hosting the likes of Dave Rave, Jale and Jacob Moon. This venue is still open today.
Jack noted that The Corktown (175 Young St.) sometimes felt dilapidated, but it hosted a number of punk and alt-rock bands. For that reason, it remained one of his favourite places to watch live music in Hamilton. One notable band who performed at Corktown was Junkhouse, a rock band helmed by Tom Wilson. This venue is still open today and frequently hosts live music.
While not primarily a place for live music, Fever, now Absinthe (38 King William St.), was a dance club playing alt-rock music. This style of music started to gain traction with more and more people throughout the city.
Throughout Jack’s university years in Hamilton, a few major genres dominated the Steel City’s music scene. Punk rock was made prominent in part to Teenage Head; rock n’ roll was from Junkhouse; folk rock came from groups like Crash Vegas; and power pop from bands like The Killjoys.
“Hamilton is like the Brooklyn to Toronto’s New York,” said Jack when describing the 90s music scene.
In Jack’s earlier years, many Toronto-based artists moved to Hamilton as rent was more affordable west of the city. The same is true of New York-based artists who move to Brooklyn.
“It’s financially logical and you also have a collective of creative people that can afford to be creative,” added Jack.
Jack graduated from McMaster in 1996 and went on to teach music in the elementary sector; however, his writing endeavours didn’t stop with the Sil. He co-wrote a book in 2001 called "Have Not Been The Same" that focused on the development of alternative rock in Canada from 1985 to 1995. Through this project, Jack had the chance to interview local Hamilton-based bands from his university days, such as Doughboys and Jale, in a process that came full circle for him.
On a more personal note, I had the pleasure of being taught by ‘Mr. Jack’ from grade four to six. Since my graduation from elementary school, we’ve kept in contact over the years. By coincidence, I also found my way to McMaster for my post-secondary education. When I told him I had accepted my offer, he told me to look into writing for the Sil. My first year was really about finding my own footing at the school, as is the case for many other students, which is why I wasn’t able to pursue his advice. At the start of my second year, he told me to reconsider writing for the Sil. I took him up on his advice and the rest, as they say, is history.
An inspiration not only to my music, but also to my personal morals and values and seemingly to my journalism career, thank you, Ian.
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
Get free museum admission with your hamilton public library card
With a Hamilton Public Library card, you can access any of the Hamilton Civic museums for free. If you live, work or study within the city, you can drop by any library location to get yourself a card — there’s even one in Westdale (955 King St. West).
There are nine museums included in this offer, with a full list available on the city website. The city website features a 360° virtual tour for each site, so you can still experience them even if you can’t make it in person. Below you’ll find a brief taste of two of the museums that are included in the offer.
At its height, Dundurn was a monument of money and power, owned by Sir Allan Napier Macnab. The piano resting in the parlour would have cost more than a house at its time. The house was so impressive that it became generally known as a castle. The tour charts the building from top to bottom, covering the lives of both the Macnab family and their servants. For an hour, you’ll find yourself transported to the 1850s. There is information about the norms of this time period and most importantly, free food tastings. The shortbread is absolutely delicious.
[media-credit name="Photo by Lauren O'Donnell, A&C Reporter" align="alignnone" width="2176"]
[/media-credit]
The building was restored in the late 1960s as part of the 100 years of Canadian Confederation celebration.
Dundurn and Hamilton’s Urban Indigenous Strategy currently have an exhibit open to the public that seeks to highlight violence that resulted from the Confederation. The exhibit was created by local Indigenous youth to call attention to Canada’s missing and murdered Indigenous women.
Money raised by the Indigenous exhibition will be donated to the Drag the Red campaign, a volunteer-led organization searching the Red River in Winnipeg for evidence in unsolved cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women. The exhibit runs each week from Tuesday to Saturday until Nov. 5. Indigenous Elder and activist Wilamina McGrimmond is there on Wednesdays and Fridays to answer any questions about the exhibit and the issues it raises.
[media-credit name="Photo by Lauren O'Donnell, A&C Reporter" align="alignnone" width="2288"]
[/media-credit]
Battlefield commemorates the Battle of Stoney Creek during the War of 1812, a significant battle in Canadian history. The tour includes an inside look at Battlefield House, owned by the Gage family at the time — the namesake for Gage Park. There is also an optional opportunity to go inside the war memorial that sits at the top of the hill. It’s truly an impressive sight, visible even at a distance, and offers a breathtaking view of the surrounding area.
Similar to Dundurn, Battlefield gives insight into the social climate of the 1800s, with a particular emphasis placed on familial bonds and expectations. If you’re interested in Canadian history, this is the place for you. It also includes information about how Battlefield became a museum, largely due to the contributions of Sara Calder and the Women’s Wentworth Historical Society.
[media-credit name="Photo by Lauren O'Donnell, A&C Reporter" align="alignnone" width="1040"]
[/media-credit]
The grounds of Battlefield are currently dappled with autumn leaves. Beyond the historic significance, it’s a beautiful place to visit and explore.
The grounds of Battlefield are currently dappled with autumn leaves. Beyond the historic significance, it’s a beautiful place to visit and explore.
These are just a taste of the museums that you may visit with a library card. Since it’s spooky season, you could also go visit Whitehern HIstoric House and Garden. Remotely, you may access an online tour of two different underwater shipwrecks.
Make sure to take a trip to your local library to pick up a library card. The cards themselves are absolutely free and guarantee you admission to any civic museum, in addition to free books. Get out there and take a trip into Hamilton’s past.
By Morgan Parcells, Contributor
Sixteen-year-old Greta Thunberg agrees: hot girl summer was way too hot.
At the forefront of a global sustainability movement, Greta Thunberg seems to have lit a fire amongst younger generations. She inspired hundreds of thousands of individuals to take part in Fridays For Future, Greta’s very own climate strike, across the world on Sept. 27, 2019.
On Aug. 20, 2018, Thunberg singlehandedly began the development of her global movement with the very first Fridays For Future protest outside of her local parliament. The following week, her fellow students joined her in taking a stand for the environment. After only a few weeks, Fridays For Future became a weekly occurrence.
Thunberg’s ideas quickly garnered attention from neighbouring countries and Fridays For Future began to spread internationally. By February 2019, more than 30 countries across the world were participating. In August 2019, Thunberg attended the United Nations’ Climate Summit in the United States, and students in over 165 countries took part in Fridays For Future.
To some, the idea of climate activism is an entirely new idea. However, others may believe that an environmental political movement has been at play for a greater portion of history. The question stands: how long have we known about the climate crisis?
In 1896, the first scientific evidence of human-induced climate change was discovered: Swedish scientist Svente Arrhenius found that human carbon emissions have a direct contribution to the warming of the atmosphere.
In 1938, British inventor and engineer Guy Stewart Callendar posited that a correlation exists between the warming land temperatures and human carbon emissions. Callendar’s research was largely ignored by the scientific community of his time.
In 1960, American scientist Charles David Keeling — known for the Keeling Curve — found that carbon dioxide emissions were rising.
Clearly, the science has been in our grasp for over a century, but only relatively recently have we begun paying significant attention. Many credit Thunberg as the sole pivotal voice in the conversation around global climate issues. While her impact is nearly unmatched in the social world, the voice of Thunberg is not a lonely one. For decades, there have been voices of colour proclaiming the same message as Thunberg. Although her message is undoubtedly an important one, it would be disappointing to look past the second message Thunberg is sending — that the world only listens when white activists decide to speak up.
Despite doing the same work as Thunberg, climate change activists of colour are largely ignored.
Autumn Peltier, 13-year-old water advocate, addresses UN: pic.twitter.com/KaJ1aW5610
— Arlan 👊🏾 (@ArlanWasHere) September 28, 2019
Only 15 years old, Indigenous activist Autumn Peltier addressed the United Nations on the same day as Thunberg, urging the organization to protect the world’s universal right to clean water. She has been an advocate for these issues for the majority of her young life, having attended the Children’s Climate Conference in Sweden at only 11 years old and even personally addressing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about his broken promises regarding Indigenous Canadian populations. At the age of 14, Autumn was named chief water commissioner by the Anishinabek Nation.
Eleven-year-old Ridhima Pandey calls Uttarakhand, India home and has been a climate change activist for the past few years. When she was only nine years old, Pandey filed a legal complaint against the Indian government for their failure to reduce and regulate the emission of greenhouse gases that heavily contribute to climate change. Her petition reached the National Green Tribunal.
Greta has done amazing work in calling for action on the #ClimateEmergency.
But don't forget Ridhima, Kaluki, Aditya, Nina, Autumn, Leah, or any of the other incredible young activists working for the future of this planet. https://t.co/CgheGTYtaR pic.twitter.com/DyuY1cWjh9— Greenpeace International (@Greenpeace) October 5, 2019
Beyond the two bright individuals detailed above, there exists a world of young climate leaders of colour who face global issues at a harsher level than most white communities will ever see.
The choice to champion Thunberg as the leader of the global climate advocacy movement holds a large amount of political weight behind it, exposing our tendency to champion those with lighter skin in place of coloured individuals who work just as hard, if not harder.
It is not wrong of us to recognize Thunberg’s dedication, passion and undying mission to save the world. But it is most definitely wrong of us to fail to acknowledge and appreciate the voices of colour who have been pushing this conversation for decades.
[thesil_related_posts_sc]Related Posts[/thesil_related_posts_sc]
