We hope that you have enjoyed the “Monuments of Gore Park” walking tour as we traced the history of the public monuments in Gore Park from the earliest days in 1860 to the present day.

1. Monuments of Gore Park

2. Monuments of Gore Park
Walking Tour
with Margaret Houghton
Archivist, Local History & Archives
Hamilton Public Library

3. Sir John A. Macdonald (1815-1891), Canada’s 1st Prime Minister

4. Macdonald Memorial Committee

5. William Eli Sanford (1834-1899), Chairman

6. Invitation to the Unveiling

7. Before the Unveiling, November 1, 1893

8. The Macdonald Statue in the middle of the intersection at John and King Streets

9. After the Unveiling, November 1, 1893

10. Macdonald Statue with Naval Cannons in the intersection

11. Fire Chief Alexander Aitchison (1855-1905)

12. Fireman Matthew Britain (1864-1939)

13. The Macdonald statue moved into Gore Park in 1907 and turned around to face east

14. The Macdonald statue in the 1960s

15. Laying wreaths for Macdonald’s 150th birthday in January 1965

16. The Macdonald statue in the 1970s

17. Oil Derrick flagpole stood from 1900 to 1921

18. Aerial view of the Oil Derrick flagpole

19. Oil Derrick flagpole

20. William Russell Souter (1894-1971), architect of the Cenotaph

21. Crowds waiting for the unveiling of the Cenotaph May 22, 1923

22. The Cenotaph in London, England

23. Preparing to unveil the Cenotaph, May 22, 1923

24. After the unveiling of the Cenotaph, May 22, 1923

25. The Cenotaph, May 22, 1923

26. The dates of World War II were added in 1947

27. Remembrance Day at the Cenotaph

28. Memorial Day at the Cenotaph, 1955

29. Dieppe Memorial Service at the Cenotaph, 1956

30. Veterans’ Place was dedicated in 2006

31. The Cenotaph has had the dates from Korea and Afghanistan added

32. The Ladies’ and Men’s entrances to the Gore Park Washrooms

33. The Ladies’ and Men’s entrances to the Gore Park Washrooms

34. The interior of the most beautiful public washroom in Canada

35. Filling in the washrooms for good, 2014

36. The Gore Park fountain

37. Edward, Prince of Wales, visited Hamilton in September of 1860

38. Opening of the Gore Park Fountain, May 24, 1860

39. The Kerr Drinking Fountain was built in 1860

40. The Kerr Drinking Fountain, 1967

41. Postcard of the Gore Park Fountain

42. Putting the crown on the Gore Park Fountain, 1953

43. The Gore Park Fountain lit up for Queen Elizabeth’s coronation, June 2, 1953

44. Gore Park Fountain deteriorates in the 1950s

45. Starting to remove the Gore Park Fountain in 1959

46. Saving the top bowl of the Gore Park Fountain in 1959

47. The Kinsmen Fountains were built in 1959

48. The Kinsmen Fountains and plaques, 1959

49. Ellen Fairclough and Mayor Lloyd Jackson dedicate the Kinsmen Fountains February 19, 1960

50. The Kinsmen Fountains

51. The Kinsmen Fountains were removed in the late 1960s

52. The Kerr Drinking Fountain before removal to storage

53. A new Gore Park fountain was built in 1970

54. The new Gore Park fountain was turned on October 23, 1970

55. ‘Psychedelic Glory,’ October 23, 1970

56. Suds in the fountain October 30, 1970

57. A small granite block fountain was installed in 1983

58. Starting the installation of the replica fountain, 1996

59. Archie McCoy and the original top bowl of the fountain

60. Installing the fountain, 1996

61. The ceremonial turning on of the replica fountain, October 19, 1996

62. The new Gore Park Fountain, October 19, 1996

63. Throwing a penny in the fountain for luck

64. The rusty fountain, 2009

65. The fountain after restoration, 2010

66. The fountain is turned back on May 8, 2010 for the 150 anniversary of the establishment of
municipal drinking water

67. The present Gore Park fountain

68. Queen Victoria (1819-1901)

69. Gore Park was the preferred location for a statue of Queen Victoria

70. Louis-Philippe Hébert, sculptor of the Queen Victoria Statue

71. The planning for the Queen Victoria Statue began in 1901

72. Crowds in King Street await the unveiling of the Queen Victoria Statue on May 23, 1908

73. Governor General Lord Earl Grey arrives, May 23, 1908

74. School children sing Oh Canada at the unveiling

75. The statue is unveiled, May 23, 1908

76. Governor General Earl Grey presents the statue to Hamilton

77. Adam Brown accepts the statue and eulogizes the Queen

78. Cleaning the Queen Victoria Statue, 1958

79. Leo the Lion lost his tail in 1967

80. Cleaning the Queen Victoria Statue, 1988

81. Governor General Jean Sauvé rededicates the Queen Victoria Statue June 20, 1988

82. Welding the tail back on Leo the Lion, October 1988

83. The Queen Victoria Statue

84. Questions?
For more information visit
Local History & Archives at the Hamilton Public Library