A Personal Touch in a Public Park

A Personal Touch in a Public Park
by Kathy Renwald

Published in the Hamilton Spectator 
September 1, 2016

  During this steamy, sweaty summer we all look for a place where we won’t get fried. It could be a pool, the lake or a park. The lucky people in the Kirkendall Neighborhood have the HAAA Grounds. The sporting history is deep at the Hamilton Amateur Athletic Association Grounds, home of the old Hamilton Tigers, the site of seven Grey Cup Games, and base for the Hamilton Hurricanes football team for over 30 years.

  Beyond the hurtling bodies, the HAAA grounds is a park, and many would say one of the best maintained in the city. It’s a public park with a personal touch.

  Drive or walk along Charlton Avenue West and beautiful flowerbeds weave underneath groves of Austrian pines. Begonias, daylilies, ferns and hostas nestle in soil as dark as coffee grounds. You can tell this garden is loved. Even driving by at the posted speed limit it’s obvious these beds are edged by a master. The line is sharp, the soil slants at what seems like an impossible angle, and weeds are forbidden.

  For several years I’ve made feeble attempts to find the gardener at the HAAA Grounds, but I searched too late in the day. The gardener, I was told, starts work at 6 a.m. So one sultry morning at 8 a.m. I knock on the door of

the pretty, brick HAAA building and meet Frank Liberatore. I barely have time to introduce myself and say how much I admire the gardens before he grabs a spade. “Let me show you how to edge,” he says

 Liberatore has been in charge at HAA for 11 years, and with the City of Hamilton for 36, “I rolled out the sod at Pier 4 Park by hand, he says, remembering the start of the West Harbour development. The HAAA Grounds has a running track, kids play area, and the field for soccer and football, with the intense activity it’s impressive that the gardens are so pristine.

  “It was never like this before Frank came here,” Arlene Laframboise says as she strolls through the park with her Basset Hound. Liberatore has popped inside to get treats for her dog. “He so nice to the dogs, and the park is immaculate. If you see litter or broken glass at night, by 7 a.m. it’s gone, we’re so lucky to have him.”

  Each spring Liberatore starts the season by putting 10 inches of new loam on top of the flowerbeds. It’s a necessity since the trees suck up so much of the soil and moisture. He cleans up the left over perennials, cultivates and waits for the annuals to arrive from the city greenhouse, before planting about May 24th. Through the summer the watering, weeding, cultivating, sports field maintenance and general cleanup continues. “I can cultivate and weed all the beds in about two-and-a-half hours,” he says. Though he has help from summer students, I could speculate that at age 66 he is working faster than most. “I still play soccer, but it’s in an old guy’s league.”

  Sitting on a bench in the shade of a locust tree is the best way to appreciate the HAAA Grounds. Kids laughter bubbles up from the playground, pleasant thunks drift over from the Hamilton Tennis Club, and dogs scuffle by hoping to see Liberatore with an outstretched hand.

  “I love my job,” he says looking out over the begonias in their fluffy beds and the Trillium Award he won last year.

In late fall he’ll leave HAAA for winter work, clearing snow at city hall, and shoveling it off the mountain access stairs, doing the physical work he enjoys. Then in February he’ll return with his meticulous ways to the park he loves where his two and four-legged fans wait for signs of spring.

A closer look at the worker's cottage home of Phyllis Tresidder

Design consultant Phyllis Tresidder of Hamilton revived an 1870's worker's cottage with flair and respect for the simple design of the house.

Tresidder worked with Patrick Lees owner of PLG Construction of Hamilton (plgconstruction.com) on the five month renovation which touched every room in the house.

The bathroom is sensational with dramatic Waverly wallpaper.

Ikea shelving is used for all that is useful and pretty.

Phyllis Tressider uses the spare bedroom as a den and office. She consults in both interior design and garden design.

The living room and dining room are generous in size. 12 people can sit for dinner.

The renovation took five months and the one floor cottage is a perfect size for an empty nester.

Rooms in the worker's cottage are a lovely proportion.

The surprising worker's cottage

Hamilton has a large inventory of worker's cottages. They may be brick or wood, but the simple, balanced style is the signature of the style.

This board and batten worker's cottage in Niagara-on-the-Lake shows off the restrained charm of the design. Two windows-a door and presto you have a beautiful house. Inside they often have much larger rooms than you would expect.

Simple on the outside, sensational on the inside. A worker's cottage in Hamilton finds new life in the loving hands of its talented owner. MY story tomorrow in the GO section of the Hamilton Spectator

Wallpaper in the bathroom? Why not. My story on the rescue of a 1870's cottage in Hamilton and the elegant home it became. Tomorrow in the Hamilton Spectator.

My stories coming up in the Hamilton Spectator. Carpets, Condos, Cocooning on King Street

They still do things by hand at Alexanian carpets. Watch for my story on Ali, the man who rescues ailing carpets.

Ali creates fringe for an antique Persian carpet in Alexainian's repair shop.

Wool thread, cotton thread, threads in many colours, all needed to repair carpets at Alexanian's.
Sneak Peak at PARADIGM CONDOS Burlington. Steps away from Go Station on Fairview Street.  My story coming soon in the Hamilton Spectator on this chic new condo project.

When PARADIGM is completed, there will be five condo towers. Amenities include, gym, circuit training, pool, spa, half court for basketball, lounges and garden terrace. 

The artistic life in Hamilton, Ontario

Barry Coombs and Aleda O'Connor found a sun filled turn of the century home in Hamilton that is perfect for displaying art, and providing studio space for their painting. 

Barry paints in the attic. Call him Matisse or Picasso.

Aleda has a new studio in the back of the house. It was created by converting a summer kitchen and a mudroom to the new space. 

This new staircase leads to the basement. It's an artistic statement on its own.

Aleda works in oil pastel.

This piece by Barry is vivid, modern and collage like.

A Global View. Working on my next Hamilton Spectator story on collectors. This collector has globes and wedding cake toppers on display at home.

Grade school globes in a beautiful display in the home of a collector.

Needlework just openend on Jame Street North in Hamilton. I'm writing about it for the Hamilton Spectator. Learn to sew, buy cool fabric, it's a fine addition to the street.

Kaz Novak, Spectator photographer shoots Needlework owners Kate Hunter and Liz Thompson.

iloveneedlework.com

Mansions and mills on Mary Street North in Hamilton. Did you know about the rich history of one of the city's oldest streets. Look for my story in Thursday's Hamilton Spectator Go section.

The house at Cannon and Mary Streets in Hamilton is for sale. It is a gem, built in 1855 with an elegant spiral staircase and curved doors into the dining room, its architectural importance was recognized with a heritage designation. The seller is hoping it remains a single family home, and is loved by its new owners. $349,000.

Another core value.

The house on Murray is across the street from this club. Espresso, soccer games, grappa-one stop shopping.

Commmitted to Hamilton's core.

This house at the corner of Murray and Park in Hamilton's core, used to be covered in stucco and looked unremarkable. Ah ha. Remove stucco and discover elegant stone, remove siding and find wood bargeboard. It's being restored, and a couple from Stoney Creek will be moving in. The house faces the new condos being built on Murray. A good sign for 2012. 

I'm writing about the Pam velodrome in Hamilton on OpenFile Hamilton today.

Needed: Watchdog for West Harbour

Boarded up and left behind. Houses in the Barton-Tiffany neighbourhood in Hamilton were bought by the city to make way for the Pan Am stadium in the West Harbour. Now with the stadium located at a rebuilt Ivor Wynne, what's to become of the neighbourhood that was? I'm blogging about in on Open File Hamilton tomorrow.

Working on North End Hamilton stories. Storm clouds ahead?

What is going to happen in the Barton Tiffany neighborhood where the city expropriated people, boarded up houses and now like a fickle lover is turning attention to new passion-Ivor Wynne. Those left behind in the West Harbour neighborhood now look out to a bitter view. Excellent piece at Open File Hamilton, I will be blogging about it tomorrow.

LRT in Houston-taking a chance with design.

A section of the light rail system in downtown Houston. A reflecting pond, places to sit, flowers. Would we do this in Hamilton?

Sorry folks I think the new Hamilton Farmers Market is underwhelming.

Hamilton Farmers' Market

Hamilton Farmers' Market

Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia

 

The first two photos are of the new Hamilton Farmers' Market, the third photo is of the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia. To me the so called new Hamilton Farmers' Market with brighter (and uninteresting lighting) looks a lot like the OLD market. No colour, no warmth, generic signage, a terrible view from the top floor looking down, and no escalators. Where are all the cool places to eat? Why are all the flower vendors split up so that now they have no impact? It has all the charm of the Customs and Immigration arrival at an airport. Look at the Philly market, note the stalls that have an individual stamp, neon lights, and a variety of lighting rather than just banks of prison issue fluorescent lights as we get in Hamilton. I was really looking forward to the new market, but after all the delays is this as good as it gets? Is this a hint of what we have to look forward to in the rebuilding of Ivor Wynne? Let's hope the Market gets gussied up as the vendors settle in, and dare to individualize their spaces.

 

 

 

How do you live in a city that drives you nuts?

Is Hamilton any worse than any other annoying mid-size city? Probably not. I think what grinds away at us is that it has such potential. There is the physical beauty, the proximity to fine places-Toronto-Niagara-Buffalo, the affordability, and the character of the place. It's irritating and frustrating, but Hamilton is not bland. A positive trend is the blossoming of new media coverage. Raise the Hammer, and CATCH have been slogging through the muck in the city, now OpenFile Hamilton adds additional coverage of the good and the bad in the Hammer. Online content will have to fill the gap as the Hamilton Spectator continues to slim down. I went to a buy-out party for the latest group to leave. To say goodbye to Paul Wilson, Barb Brown, Gary McKay and John Kernaghan makes for a very sad Saturday night. But as my late neighbor Gil Simmons would say, press on. Hamilton it's nutty and nice but not to be ignored.

How dare people think they can have a porch at their new house?

The CATCH newsletter contained a gem recently, reporting on the remarks of certain Hamilton City Councillors and their outrage that some new home construction is including porches and my goodness-bay windows. These renegade houses apparently do not have the sort of palatial front yards suburban councillors favour. They therefore contravene by-law set backs-scribbled into planning guidelines which were written I believe before the printing press was invented.  The new houses which I guess are just built in the wrong postal codes, are too close to the sidewalk to allow a porch. The porch might encourage conversation, civility, engagement, and communication, with passersby, and that is clearly against the spirit of isolation and perhaps civic apathy that some councillors seem keen to encourage. All the more reason to locate in the lower city where porches like this one on Bay Street South are not just tolerated but allowed.

West Harbour Hamilton-now as popular as bedbugs.

This is a photo of Hess North where the City of Hamilton once wanted to build a Pan Am stadium. I have driven by this land thousands of times on my way home. Matt Jelly blew the whistle on the barrels of unidentified liquid abandoned on the site, I have been emailing people who should have been concerned about it for years. Jelly got the job done. After the lid came off the story, there was much furrowing of the brow by the city and the Ministry of the Environment. Now, not so much. The switch hitting city is now fretting about enhancing the Ivor Wynne neighborhood since a rebuilt Ivor Wynne will decrease their parkland. That's fine. But after sitting through the five hour stadium debate at council yesterday (and writing about it for OpenFile Hamilton) I heard two references to selling the West Harbour land the city bought for the stadium to developers in order to recover some costs. Is this a whim, a notion, a trend, a threat? Whatever it is, it should be watched. Developers can do good things, but we can't forget that the early developer ideas for what became Bayfront Park, was for light industrial use. Great things could happen on that West Harbour land, and they should, but they should happen with imput and imagination. Citizens be vigilant.