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Celebrating all things Hamilton / Welcome Message
City Life

PRIDE: Kenadie, how do you shake off judgment?

Welcome to the first monthly column from Hamilton drag queen Kenadie St. James! Read on for the best bad advice you’ve ever had! Hamilton, your problems are officially about to get WORSE. 💋 Local drag legend Kenadie St. James is serving up catastrophically bad life advice in her…
Arts + Culture

Festival season: Summer on parade

Here is your hot 2026 summer festivals guide for Hamilton and Burlington. You’ll find everything from inaugural events to two local traditions that are turning 50 years old this year! Our summers may be short but fortunately for us, the list of local festivals is long. Spend warm-weather…
Arts + Culture

THE PLAYLIST

Born Ruffians – Beauty’s Pride For a band that once felt like it might combust from sheer nervous energy and mileage logged, Born Ruffians have aged in a surprisingly graceful, and still charmingly unpredictable way. Beauty’s Pride finds the long-running Toronto/Hamilton group loosening their grip on that early, jittery urgency…
Made in Hamilton

OPINION: Election 2026 is the time to build

The last municipal election saw just over 35 per cent of eligible Hamiltonians vote. We must do better this time because this city needs to deliver on its potential.  October 2026 will define Hamilton’s next chapter. We are entering a municipal election that will shape how our…
City Life

7 2SLGBTQIA+ leaders you should know

In honour of Pride in June, we asked inspiring local advocates and community leaders about their work, why marking Pride matters, what needs to change at the local level, and their greatest wish for the communities they serve. These are just seven Hamiltonians who champion 2SLGBTIA+ people locally.
Arts + Culture

Silverstein never stands still

Twenty-six years,13 albums, and a million records sold later, and the Burlington-born hardcore/punk band continues to defy the odds. Silverstein began making music during a fertile period in heavy guitar rock. The turn of the millennium saw guitar rock genres splinter into even more subgenres as bands borrowed…
Arts + Culture

PRIDE: Queer and crafting in Hamilton

QUARTZ: Queer Art Hang at the Art Gallery of Hamilton and Queer Craft Club at Hamilton Craft Studios offers an oulet for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community to gather and create. If you are queer and into crafting, you have two options to let your creative flag fly and…
Food + Drink

ON THE MENU: WHAT’S OPENED AND CLOSED ON THE LOCAL RESTAURANT SCENE

Here's a list of what has come, gone and changed in Hamilton and Burlington in May. Launched & opening soon Chubby Tiger (2016 Victoria Ave., Burlington) Early reviewers have described the cuisine at Chubby Tiger as reminiscent of food court Canadian Chinese fare, with…
Arts + Culture

Cadence Weapon wants you to stop scrolling and start listening

Rollie Pemberton, aka Cadence Weapon, is done with treating music as background filler. In his new book Ways of Listening, the Hamilton rapper explores the transition from record bins to algorithms and reimagines how we can reclaim a deep connection with music in the age of streaming. When…
Arts + Culture

For Spoons, ‘Old Emotions’ are new again

Burlington band that had a string of hits in the 1980s, is releasing a new album and taking on a new musical sound. By Jenna Yeomans and Stephen Metelsky  Nov. 1, 2025. The bottom of the 11th inning of the World Series at Toronto’s Rogers Centre. The Jays…
Arts + Culture

incite: Delivering on a mission

Since the incite Foundation for the Arts was formed in 2011, it has donated $11 million to local arts organizations. On its 15th anniversary, the incite Foundation for the Arts is reaffirming its mission to revolutionize support for the arts in the greater Hamilton community.  incite strives to…
Food + Drink

Delicious and Indigenous

There are a growing number of notable food options in Six Nations, along with a beloved Indigenous-owned diner in Hamilton. Six Nations & Beyond  Just south of the city, not far from the edges of Hamilton, is the community of Six Nations. With a whole variety of…
Arts + Culture

Hamilton’s music scene: What is and what could be

Music writer Dylan Hudecki asked Hamilton’s music insiders for their opinions about how to keep the local music scene thriving and reinventing itself. Think of it as a suggestion box to turn up the volume on Hamilton. Hamilton’s music scene continues to thrive as one of Canada’s most…
Food + Drink

DINING DISTRICTS: A Locke on food

This interesting west Hamilton street is ever-evolving, with newcomers joining long-time eateries to make for a true foodie destination. On the whole, my visits to Locke Street have all been linked to food. It must be said that I can think of over a dozen eateries that closed…
City Life

CITY VIEW: A Hamilton storyteller

Annette Hamm is about to retire after being part of the CHCH News team since 1986. We talked to her about her career and what Hamilton means to her. ANNETTE HAMM is retiring next month after a 40-year career at CHCH. She's spent the last 21 of those…

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HAMILTON CITY Magazine’s mission is to tell the stories that celebrate the city’s past, present and future by featuring stunning photography, illustrations and world-class writing. It’s your city. It’s your magazine.


Made in Hamilton

Steel goes green

The steel industry, long a part of Hamilton’s lifeblood, has endured 50 years of turmoil, writes Eugene Ellmen. But things are turning around as the world discovers the importance of steel in the fight against global warming. Steel is all around us. It’s in the engines and…
Made in Hamilton

Marta Hewson: Fully in focus

Hamilton photographer is continually reinventing her career behind the camera and is now embarking into fine art. Two abductions have been turning points in photographer Marta Hewson’s life. The first came in 1974 when she was just four years old. Her father, president of a successful family construction…
Arts + Culture

All Hail the Queens!

Drag has sashayed into the mainstream while at the same time being at the tipping point of social protest. Hamilton’s drag queens just keep being fierce. For the faithful, Easter weekend is a holy celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. Among the more secular, it’s a time to…
City Life

HMCS Star celebrates 100 years in Hamilton

Naval unit continues to play a vital role in the Canadian Navy, including participating in operations and training, and providing support to local emergency services during disasters. In March 2023, 250 people gathered at Liuna Station to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Hamilton’s Senior Service unit HMCS Star.
Arts + Culture

Mid-week whisky tasting to unveil new spirit, song

Chris Gormley, drummer with Hamilton-based band the Trews, will debut Nectar of the Gods in the former home of Ward IV in east Hamilton on May 17. Whisky and songs and food inspired by whisky will be the stars of an event in the former home of…
City Life

What to consider when choosing a tree

Our beloved Norway maple, which provided hours of shade in the backyard, had to come down. That has led to a search for a native species that will provide food for birds and insects, grow quickly, withstand our hot summers and be resistant to pollution. Read on for…
Arts + Culture

Hamilton Art Circuit features four gallery openings in one night

Event will showcase the work of close to 50 artists of diverse styles, a pop-up exhibition space, and the new Crown & Press Gallery on Ottawa Street North. An art circuit in Hamilton isn’t a new idea but it is a good idea and that’s why four galleries…
City Life

Organization tips for the sandwich generation

Straight Up Spaces is a Hamilton-based home organization company led by Cheryl Ross. In this month’s column, she looks at what it takes to balance caring for aging parents while raising a family. Many people find themselves in the “sandwich generation,” needing to care for their older parents…