Concession Street

(Hamilton, Ontario)

Concession Street is an Upper City (mountain) arterial road in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It starts at Belvidere Avenue, just West of Sam Lawrence Park, and extends eastward past Mountain Drive Park on Upper Gage Street and ends shortly thereafter at East 43rd Street. (Note: East of East 43rd Street the road is known as Mountain Brow Road.)

History

Concession Street landmark

Street activity

Niagara Escarpment (in red)

Concession Street, is the oldest settlement area on the Hamilton mountain. It was once an African American neighbourhood settled by slaves escaping the U.S. via the underground railroad [1]. This part of Hamilton Mountain was then known as, "Little Africa". Canada in general and Hamilton in particular received these refugees with great sympathy and understanding. They were illiterate and took up education in the "Mission", a union church and school building, erected in 1860. The adults would sit in with the children and spell out words and hoped that they might some day be able to read the Bible. They also liked to display pictures of Queen Victoria alongside that of Abraham Lincoln. They also took on new surnames to avoid being identified and recaptured. Many of the families there favoured the name "Johnson" as well as "Atkins", "Murdoch" and "Green". Over the years these families abandoned the homes they had established, to be seen no more on the hilltop. They didn't like the long cold winters and eventually returned back to the United States. ^[1] Today it is a predominantly white neighbourhood.

Originally known as Stone Road and changed to Concession Street in 1909. As well, the Hamilton mountain was a separate community from the Lower city Hamilton and known as "Mount Hamilton" but by 1891, properties north of Concession Street were annexed by the city of Hamilton and were serviced with water, sewers and sidewalks. Note: Aberdeen Avenue in the Lower City was originally known as Concession Street. ^[2]

The Jolley Cut, (named after James Jolley, (1813-1892), saddler, harnessmaker, politician) is a mountain/lower city-access road in Hamilton. James Jolley funded construction of the Jolley Cut. ^[3]

Sam Lawrence Park one of the jewels of the City of Hamilton's Parks system. It is 6 hectares (14.85 Acres) in size comprised of three sections surrounding the Jolley Cut roadway. Located on the brow of the famous Niagara Escarpment, the park offers visitors many spectacular views of the lower city, Hamilton harbour, and the Dundas Valley.

Sam Lawrence Park can be found on the western-end of Concession Street. Prior to 1944, this property was the Webb Quarry. In February 1944, The City of Hamilton was given 3 acres of land for park use by Thomas Hambly Ross, MP (Hamilton East), and his wife Olive. The park was originally named Ross Park, then renamed Patton Park in 1946, in honour of captain John MacMillan Stevenson Patton, a Hamiltonian who risked his life during World War II by detonating an unexploded bomb. For this exploit he received the first George Cross for Valour. In 1960, the park was renamed to honour Sam Lawrence. During 1990 to 1994, Sam Lawrence Park underwent a major upgrading that included repairing the stone walls, installing new walkways, site lighting, site furniture, and the redevelopment of the major rock gardens. ^[4]

The shelter at Sam Lawrence Park was built in 1956 on the existing foundations of the old water tank that used to service this part of the mountain. The stone walls, flower gardens, and pathways were originally constructed in the 1950s and 1960s under the direction of K. Matt Broman, the landscape architect who also supervised the development of the Rock Gardens at the Royal Botanical Gardens.

The Henderson General Hospital got it's name in 1954 when it was named after Nora-Francis Henderson who was the first woman on Hamilton City Council and also the first city controller in Canada. She was also a journalist and activist who pushed for children's and women's rights + health care. The hospital is currently (April 2007) going through with some major renovations and expansion and once complete the hospital will be renamed the Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre, (after Charles Juravinski and his wife Margaret), after they both made a $43-million contribution to health care in Hamilton. Charles Juravinski sold Flamboro Downs racetrack (Canada's fastest half-mile harness horse racing track)^[5] in 2002 and chose to share the money with Hamilton city hospitals. The new hospital will have a Henderson wing. ^[6]

Joslin's Karate and Kickboxing Studio is owned by 3 time Canadian heavyweight Karate champion Rick Joslin. Joslin's Karate & Kickboxing Studios is located at 436 Concession street. Past & current clients include Hamilton Bulldogs AHL hockey players, including NHL tough guy Georges Laraque. In 2007, the gym was ranked #1 in Canada and #4 in the World. His son Jeff Joslin, nicknamed "The Inferno", is a Mixed Martial Arts Fighter. ^[7]

Landmarks

Concession Street landmark

Concession Street banner

Pathway connecting Concession Street to the Jolley Cut

Jolley Cut, mountain access road

Jolley Cut/Arkeldun Avenue, looking down

Hamilton Skyline, view from Jolley Cut, below Sam Lawrence Park

Note: Listing of Landmarks from West to East.

Sam Lawrence Park
Jolley Cut/ Arkeldun Ave., (mountain/ lower city access road)
Hamilton Mountain Seventh-Day Adventist Church
Joslin's Karate & Kickboxing Studio
Concession Medical Pharmacy
George L. Armstrong Elementary School
Mountain Lanes (bowling alley), Upper Wentworth near Concession Street
Concession Wentworth Medical Clinic Inc.
The Movie Palace (theatre)
Royal Bank building
Concession Library
Zarky's Fine Foods
The Cancer Assistance Program House
St. Stephen on the Mount (church)
La Luna on the Mountain (restaurant)
Henderson Research Centre
Juravinski Cancer Centre
Henderson General Hospital
Grand Health Academy-Training Centre
Sherman Cut, (a road that travels underneath Concession Street)
Big Bear Food Mart
Mountain Drive Park

Communities

Note: Listing of neighbourhoods from West to East. ^[8]

Centremount
Inch Park
Eastmount
Raleigh
Sunninghill

Roads that are parallel with Concession Street

Lower City Roads:

Niagara Escarpment (Mountain) Roads:

Concession Street
Fennell Avenue, West/East
Mohawk Road, West/East
Limeridge Road West/East
Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway - Mud Street, (Hamilton City Road 11)
Stone Church Road, West/East
; Rymal Road, West/East
Twenty Road

Roads that cross Concession Street

Note: Listing of streets from West to East.

Upper Wellington Street
Upper Wentworth Street
Upper Sherman Street
Upper Gage Street

Images

Sam Lawrence Park	Sam Lawrence Park	Sam Lawrence Park	Sam Lawrence Park
Sam Lawrence Park	Sam Lawrence Park	Sam Lawrence Park	Sam Lawrence Park

References

Concession Street B.I.A.
Niagara Escarpment Commission (NEC) Official web site
MapArt Golden Horseshoe Atlas - Page 647 - Grids H12, H13, H14, H15
Google Maps: Concession Street (Hybrid)

Roads in Hamilton, Ontario
Lower City Arteries (Primary):	Aberdeen • Barton • Bay • Burlington • Centennial • Cootes • Dundurn • Gage • James • John • Kenilworth • King (Hamilton) • King (Dundas) • Main • Ottawa • Parkdale • Queen • Queenston • Victoria • Wellington • Wentworth • York
Lower City Collectors (Secondary):	Augusta • Beach • Cannon • Catharine • Charlton • Cochrane • Ferguson • Hess • Hughson • Hunter • Jackson • King William • Locke • MacNab • Sherman • Wilson (Hamilton)
Mountain-access roads:	Beckett Drive • Claremont Access • Highway 20 • Highway 403 • James Street Access • Jolley Cut/ Arkledun Ave. • Kenilworth Access • Mount Albion • Sherman Access • Upper Centennial Parkway
Upper City Arteries:	Concession • Fennell • Garth • Mohawk • Mountain Brow • Mud • Rymal • Stone Church • Upper Gage • Upper James • Upper Kenilworth • Upper Ottawa • Upper Paradise • Upper Sherman • Upper Wentworth • Upper Wellington • West 5th • Wilson (Ancaster)
Upper City Collectors:	Limeridge • Twenty
Municipal Expressways:	The Linc • Red Hill Valley
Provincial Highways:	2 • 5 • 6 (By-Pass) • 8 • Chedoke Parkway • QEW
Roads in Ontario

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