Dundas was a town in the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth. With amalgamation, Dundas is now a neighborhood in the City of Hamilton that continues to maintain its distinctive character.

Dundas was the largest settlement at the head of Lake Ontario in the late 1700s and early 1800s because of streams that could power mills and relatively close access to Lake Ontario. The Desjardins Canal was dug from 1827 to 1837 to connect Dundas to Lake Ontario, and upon completion of the canal, Dundas flourished. When the Burlington Canal was dug and connected Burlington Bay to Lake Ontario, Hamilton became the prominent port city in the area and eclipsed Dundas. The Great Western Railway also went through Hamilton and Dundas en route to Niagara Falls to the east and Windsor to the west, and the canal became obsolete. Since then, Dundas has functioned as a bedroom community for people that work in Hamilton and for faculty at nearby McMaster University, and the community has preserved its character despite now being part of Hamilton.


The old Dundas Town Hall, on Main Street. The town hall was built in 1849, soon after Dundas was incorporated as a town in 1847.

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The Laing building, on King Street. The structure was built in 1882.

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Collins Hotel, on King Street. The hotel was built in 1841 and was until recently the oldest continuously-operating hotel in Ontario. The exterior facade dates back to the 1880s.

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Buildings on King Street. The Red Block, built in 1875, is in the center. The old Red Lion Hotel, built in 1871, is on the right.

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The Melbourne Hotel, built in 1899, on King Street. The Central Hotel is on the left and was built in 1890.

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The old town's Post Office, on King Street. The structure was built in 1913 and features a 100-foot high clock tower.

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Businesses on King Street. The old Glencampbell Dairies building is on the left, and the Winchester Arms pub is on the right.

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Buildings on King Street.

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An old, small house on King Street, now used as an office.

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A house on King Street, built in 1857.

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A stone house on John Street.

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The Woods, a house on Hatt Street. The house was built in 1848.

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Valley City Manufacturing, on Hatt Street. The furniture manufacturer was begun in 1884.

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Ellen Osler Memorial Home, on Hatt Street at Ogilvie Street. The house is run by the Salvation Army and opened in 1909.

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A house on Hatt Street, built in the 1850s.

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The pics of Dundas turned out great, Matt! Oh, btw, in the early 1800s, Dundas was actually a lot bigger in population and more important economically than Hamilton was, until the steel industry settled in Hamilton and the city grew in size rapidly.

I have said it before, and I'll say it again, Dundas is one of the nicest towns in Ontario, and I've been fortunate to have been in it many times on my way to Hamilton. The people there are very nice too as I discovered on my last trip there. :)

It was really the railway that made Hamilton the leading city in the area. Combined with the port, Hamilton's industry grew exponentially from the 1880s on. Hamilton was the Canadian HQ for the Grand Trunk Railway. Dundas was only ever bigger because it was older. Hamilton didn't really exist until the 1840s but grew quickly from the 1850s onward. Hamilton is sort of a new city that sprung up in a prime central location between existing settlements.

Now if only they could get more GO trains to come through Hamilton and VIA Rail come through Hamilton...

VIA rail passes through Hamilton, it just doesn't stop there ;) The old train station is now a banquet hall. VIA passes through Dundas too, but the train station is long gone. It used to be on a small plateau on the side of the escarpment not far from where King St. climbs up toward Greensville. You can see the rail overpass as you head up there.

BTW, the Laing Building is my favorite in all of downtown Dundas.

VIA rail passes through Hamilton, it just doesn't stop there ;) The old train station is now a banquet hall. VIA passes through Dundas too, but the train station is long gone. It used to be on a small plateau on the side of the escarpment not far from where King St. climbs up toward Greensville. You can see the rail overpass as you head up there.

Last I heard, VIA was planning to stop at the new James Street station after all, so Hamilton will be connected once again on the Niagara Falls-Toronto route at least. I don't know if NF-TOR trains will still stop at Aldershot.

Hockeyville - Buffalo vs Ottawa exhibition game at Dundas is on TSN right now.

Hockeyville - Buffalo vs Ottawa exhibition game at Dundas is on TSN right now.

I just watched it, Sabres won 2-1, nice to see images of the town to help its publicity.