Hamilton, Ontario

With a population of around 320,000, HAMILTON lies at the extreme western end of Lake Ontario, about 70km from Toronto, and it takes its name from George Hamilton, a Queenstown storekeeper-turned-landowner, who surveyed the area after he moved here following the destruction of his homestead during the Anglo-American War of 1812. Strategically located, the town was soon established as a trading centre, but its real growth began with the development of the farm-implements industry in the 1850s. By the turn of the twentieth century, Hamilton had become a major steel producer and today its mills churn out about half the country's output, though in general the city's industrial base is on the decline with the recent departure of a string of big companies. Industrial cities are rarely high on tourist itineraries and Hamilton is no exception, but it does rustle up one or two especially good attractions and is within easy striking distance of the Bell Homestead, one-time home of the inventor of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell.