Ontario Provincial Police and the Stelco Strike of 1946 – Part 2

Many Ontario Provincial Police officers came into Hamilton to assist with maintaining the peace around the picket lines set up for the 1946 Stelco strike. The numbers of picketers, and the highly charged atmosphere at the pickets lines, prompted the Hamilton police to seek assistance after the strike entered its sixth week.

While many OPP were brought in from nearby detachments as needed, others were brought in from far distant places and were in need of accommodation, especially as it was unclear how long they would be required. The barracks of the HMCS Star were chosen for that pupose.

The following images were taken in and around the HMCS Star facility on August 26, 1946.Original captions from the Spectator accompany each photo.

“More arrive ready to stay awhile.”

“If they were in the Army, they know how to make a bed.”

“Two others try bed fixing.”

“Bedding is issued to Cpl. G.V. Clubb.”

Photos courtesy PreVIEW, Local History and Archives, Hamilton Public Library.

Ontario Provincial Police and the Stelco Strike of 1946 – Part 1

After six weeks’ of picketing by striking employees of Stelco, the Hamilton Police Commissioners acknowledged that help was needed to keep the picket lines peaceful. Picketers had been more or less successful in preventing entry into or from the Stelco plant. Defiance had also been directed to the local police trying to intervene.

A call was made to the Ontario Provincial Police for assistance, and on Monday, August 16, 1946 a considerable force of OPP officers came to Hamilton, proceeding at first to the barracks of the HMCS Star where they would be housed.

Below in this first of a 2 part collection of photographs are pictures taken at the HMCS Star documenting the arrival of the OPP. Captions as appeared in the paper follow each image.

“Staff Inspector E.T. Doyle (left) , in charge of provincial police detachment which will help to restore order in the Steelworkers’ strike here, Staff Inspector F.B. Creasey, and District Inspector S. Oliver. They were snapped by a Spectator cameraman after their arrival at H.M.C.S. Star yesterday.”

“More arrive ready to stay awhile.”

 

“Inspector Doyle carries out inspection.”

Photos courtesy Preview, Local History and Archives, Hamilton Public Library

Cochrane Views from Late 1890s

Charles Cochrane was one of Hamilton’s leading photographers in the late 19th century. Not confining himself to portrait taken in his downtown studio, Cochrane ventured throughout Hamilton, taking and leaving for posterity many spectacular views of the city.

Below are two images, probably taken on the same date in the late 1890s. Both were taken on the mountain brow.

Above – note the reservoir for the Hamilton Waterworks – still in place (without water!). Lower running diagonally, the right of way for the railway line to Port Dover (now used as a recreational trail)

Looking towards the north east. The railway line visible is also the Hamilton and Port Dover Railway.

Photos courtesy PreVIEW, Local History and Archives, Hamilton Public Library.

Many thanks for the correction provided by a follower of this blog.

Steven Street Rowhouses – In pictures 1952

Steven street is one of Hamilton’s older residential streets. It runs north south from Cannon to King street, east of Victoria Street and west of Wentworth street.

In 1952, the following photographs of the row houses on Steven street were taken by a photographer with the Hamilton Spectator.

Photos courtesy PreVIEW, Local History and Archives, Hamilton Public Library

City Hall Fountain – 1967

Sometimes the weather in Hamilton during the month of June can be primarily rainy and cool, other years it can be very hot and humid. June 1967, as pictured below, was the latter.

Below two images from the Hamilton Spectator, June 15, 1967, taken in front of the Hamilton City Hall showing children cooling off in one of the fountains.

Photos courtesy PreVIEW, Local History and Archives, Hamilton Public Library

Price Control Exhibition at the Hamilton Public Library – March 1944

By early 1944, World War Two was having  a direct effect on the home front economy. A national government agency, the Wartime Prices and Trade Board, in co-operation with the Consumer Branch Committee, sponsored a series of public displays to encourage Canadians to use close discretion in their spending and avoid wild and unnecessary spending. The danger was that inflation and a return to the depression of the previous decade was a real possibly. “Throwing away your money today may throw you in a breadline tomorrow” was the overall motto of the display

The first location for this traveling display was the downtown Hamilton Public library building. Local merchants, including Carroll’s grocery store and the Agnew-Surpass shoe stores added to the display which opened on March 1, 1944.

Advertisement for the display outside the library.

Photos courtesy PreVIEW, Local History and Archives, Hamilton Public Library.

Panama-Pacific Exposition – At the Right House

From February 20 1915 to December 4, 1915, the city of San Francisco was the location of a spectacular international exposition, which, among other things, was designed to show the recovery the city had experienced after the 1906 earthquake.

For Hamiltonians who could never dream of going to San Francisco for the Panama-Pacific Exposition, a model of the exposition came to Hamilton and was put on display at the downtown department store, The Right House.

The Right House pictured under the flag.

The Right House signature font used in newspaper advertizements, including the one below, an  invitation to see the display.

The ad boasted that the model was a “cycloramic view” and was a miniature reproduction of the fair site in exact detail and done to exact scale. A lecturer was advertised as to be on hand to explain everything about the model and respond to questions.

Detail from the advertisement showing the drawing. The lighting of the model was designed to show the miniature model in was “brilliant sunlight” then forwarded to “gorgeous sunset” to “silvery moonlight.”

Postcard from my own collection.