Gone are the days when on a Saturday morning the real “buzz” of Hamilton could be found at the farmers market in downtown Hamilton. I’ve been going to the market religiously since I emigrated to Canada many moons ago, but the past 4 years I’ve been forced to stay away. The culture the market once represented of this great city was gone and the once majestic location needed new life. Well it seems that I was not the only one paying attention, as a complete renovation is underway.

We’ve been fortunate enough to travel quite a bit the past 5 years or so and one of the norms when we travel is to visit the local markets in whatever new city or town we’re in. You won’t believe how much you can tell about a country or city, just from a quick visit to a market. And a visit to the Hamilton Farmer’s market is no exception.

Culturally you’ll be blown away at the representations of the different ethnic groups that call Hamilton (and Canada) home. From the Italian baked treats, to the wide selection of ground provisions found at Ms Tilly’s Caribbean stall, the fish section run by the South Asians, the pastries influenced by the jolly German lady, the fresh locally grown berries run by the Dutch family, the prepared vegetarian delights from India… culture to the extreme! And I love it!

Presently due to the renovations to the old location of the market, the market is relocated down the aisle way from the Sheraton Hotel and the Dollarama Store in Jackson Square and this move seems to have brought back life to the once prosaic existence.

Rather than try to convince you about how nice it is to visit the market now and all the wonderful things you can get here, I let some of my pictures tell the story. There is no place in Hamilton or the surrounding area where you’ll not only find the true vibe of Hamilton represented, but there’s no better place for fresh produce, fish, baked treats, flowers, cheese, deli meats and just about everything you’d expect to find at a farmers market.

History of the Market

The Hamilton Farmers’ Market was originally founded in 1837, at the corner of York & James Streets. Andrew and Mary Miller transferred a small parcel of land to the President and Board of Police of the Town of Hamilton, to be utilized specifically for a Market.

The Market has been in its current location next to the Hamilton Public Library since August 1980. The modern architectural design provides a mezzanine level and lower level, consisting of 176 stands and approximately 80 stallholders. All indoors!

The Market re-opened for business in April 2009 in its temporary location inside Jackson Square. It will remain there until the renovations are complete (Fall 2010). All stallholders are operating, and the hours are the same: Tues & Thurs. 7-6, Fri. 8-6 and Sat. 6-6.

Location:   2 King Street West
Jackson Square Mall, Phase 4
Hamilton, Ontario
Phone:     905-546-2096
Fax:     905-546-2829
Email:     farmersmarket@hamilton.ca

Hours of Operation

Tuesday:        7 am – 6 pm
Thursday:      7 am – 6 pm
Friday:            8 am – 6 pm
Saturday:       6 am – 6 pm

The Market is closed on Mondays, Wednesdays, Sundays and all statutory holidays.

Free Parking

One hour of free parking at the York Blvd. Parkade when the market is open. Take your parkade stub to the Market Office, show proof of your Market purchase, get your validation stamp and show it to the cashier when you exit the parkade.

Come out and support the local economy and enjoy the sights, sounds and taste of Hamilton.

As mentioned in a previous post, one of my favorite things to do in the Spring is go to all the garden centers in the area. A couple years ago a friend introduced me to Holland Park in Burlington and after one visit I fell in love with this place. After-all it was the only place I could find heirloom tomato plants… the absolute “best” tomato you will ever eat.

Seems the norm this year,  it was another chilly spring morning when we visited Holland Park. And the wind was something fierce so browsing the outdoor area was a bit uncomfortable. Hey! I could care less for the cold though I’ve been living in Canada for over 20 years now.

Rater than go on about how nice this place is or how well stocked it is, I’ll touch on a few areas that stands out as compared to my visit to “Terra Greeanhouses“. Both places do stand out when it comes to being complete garden centers. But where Terra takes the prize for the widest selection of potted plants, shrubs and hanging baskets, Holland Park makes up in the following areas.

- an amazing selection of tropical plants (see the wonderful Croton in the pictures below)

- garden ornaments and water features

- birding (food, water and feeders)

- hostas – I’ve never seen a wider selection

- a huge selection of high end garden furniture (very pricey.. we saw loungers priced at $1500 and above)

As I ventured outside (I brave the cold to bring you the reviews) I was awestruck at the wide selection of perennial and annuals, especially when I hit the vegetable and herb section. I assure you, this place stocks the widest selection of herbs I’ve ever seen in a garden center (the pic below is just one of the sections of herbs available) . However this year I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t get my precious heirloom tomatoes. What I did find though were Habanero plants, those blazing hot peppers that’s the base for all spicy Caribbean dishes. Nice strong plants similar to ones I remember my dad growing when I was a kid. But like everything thing else at Holland Park, they were pricey.

You get what you pay for? Maybe this saying is true for Holland Park, but I still think that they’re overpriced when compared to Terra Greenhouse and more-so if you compare them to smaller nurseries that sprout up every spring. Don’t let the price keep you from visiting… even if just for a browse. Grab a cup of coffee and reserve some time to take in everything. Like me, I’m sure you’ll be agape by what you see.

Departments include:

annuals, nursery,
perennials, vines & roses
bag/bulk goods
birds
fertilizers & pesticides
floral
fruits vegetables & herbs
lawn care
patio furniture
tropical plants & pot flowers
seeds & accessories
silks/everlasting flower
statuary/pottery
tools & accessories
water gardening

Locations:

Burlington
2243 Fairview St. (905) 639-7740
Mon. – Fri. 8am – 9pm
Sat. & Sun. 8am – 6pm

Dundas
294 York Rd. (905) 628-8562
Mon. – Fri. 8am – 9pm
Sat. & Sun. 8am – 6pm

Without any doubt, Spring is my favourite season of the year. After a long harsh winter, there’s no better way to spend a Saturday morning than grabbing a large double-double from Tim Hortons and heading to a garden center. Just so happens, that last weekend we were at Terra Greenhouses in Waterdown and I brought my camera along.

Terra is known for being a bit higher priced than the garden centers that pop-up every Spring at each corner, but the quality and selection of plants you get at Terra Greenhouses is way superior. Mind-you there’s just some things that I can’t justify paying for at Terra, so I take the window shopper approach.

Terra Greenhouse is your one-stop location for all you’ll ever need to make your outdoor living space just as comfortable as your family room.

Looking for ideas for that water feature you wanted to add to your outdoor living space?

How about some evergreens or shrubs to add a bit more personality to your yard?

Did someone say Tropicals? Without a doubt, Terra stocks the best selection of indoor tropical plants in Southern Ontario. This year they have a advertising campaign centered around these massive indoor lemon trees. Just wished I took a couple pics to share with you. However I did get a nice pic of a Bougainvillea.

Some info…

Hours:

Saturday – Wednesday 9am – 6pm

Thursday & Friday 9am – 8pm

Address:
#8 Fifth Concession E.
S.E. corner on Fifth Concession at Hwy #6
(3km north of Clappison’s Corners)
T: 905.689.1999
F: 905.689.1770

Departments at TERRA

Perennials
Pond Life
Lawn and Garden
Greenhouse
Gifts and Decor
Birding
Outdoor Living
Nursery
Annuals and Bedding Plants

More info… Daisy Club
Every dollar you spend is another Petal Point in your Daisy Club Member Account and is our way of thanking our loyal customers for their continued business. Use your Daisy Club Card every visit to collect points.

To Redeem your Petal Points, simply visit the Daisy Club Kiosks at any TERRA store. Print out your Daisy Dollars and present it to the cashier with your purchase. As a valued and loyal customer, our Daisy Club Members program let’s us thank you for your business.

As long as go with the knowledge that you will find that the prices are a bit higher that non specialty garden stores, you’ll love shopping or browsing at Terra Greenhouses.

Here’s my mini review of the Sutton Place hotel in downtown Toronto. Last winter we took the girls for the weekend in Toronto to do some Christmas shopping, so we we gassed up the mini van and hit the QEW. We had reservations at the Sutton Place which was recommended by a friend, who said that it was centrally located and offers good service. We really didn’t have need to test most of the services that were offered by the hotel, except for the porter, valet parking, concierge and check in attendant. All tops in their respective duties I must add. Shopping does take a toll on my body, so it was a welcome relief to hit that bed at night.

Hotel info:

The Sutton Place Hotel

955 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada  M5S 2A2

416.924.9221  Fax 416.924.1778

Toll Free Reservations 1.8663.SUTTON (1.866.378.8866)

We had booked one of their apartment type suites, that’s located on the upper floors of the hotel. If I remember correctly, I think our room was on the 29 floor. Excellent view if you’re nosy (tons of high end condos surrounds the hotel).  Our suite came with 2 bedrooms with queen size beds, 2 bathrooms (one with bath), kitchen, dining area and full living room/ den. I’m always concerned about 2 things when I stay at a hotel, the bathrooms and the beds/bedding. Both passed the test, except the bed was a bit to hard for my liking but Caron and the girls loved it.

Couple bathroom Pics..

What a great location for what we wanted to do. Not even five minutes walk and you were on the subway and there were tons of great shopping with 5-10 minutes walk. And how could I forget that wonderful Chinese restaurant where I got that amazing Generals chicken.. it’s half way between the hotel and the subway line. Please don’t ask me the name, I was hungry and tired!

Some pics from our balcony…

Except for the hard beds, lack of pillows (quick call and we had tons) and the hot water tap in the shower that seem to be doing it’s own thing after you’ve set it, I would gladly recommend this hotel to anyone. With the subway close and not to mention area attractions (see below), shopping and dining so close, it’s great for that weekend trip to Toronto. We didn’t have time to visit their business center or pool area so I really cannot comment on those  things.

I believe it cost us a couple hundred dollars a night, but for a family of 5 we consider that very reasonable for what we got. Mold free bathroom, clean bedding, a great view, very roomy and a full functional kitchen (with dishes etc).. you can’t go wrong.

Area attractions…

• Molson Amphitheatre: The Molson Amphitheatre is located on the former site of the Ontario Place Forum. The Amphitheatre’s sound-delay system allows patrons on the lawn to hear as well as those in the reserved seating, while two large-screen video walls allow those in the rear and lawn sections a closer view of the performers on stage .  .  . [more]

• Hockey Hall of Fame: Largely due to Sutherland’s convincing arguments claiming Kingston as hockey’s birthplace, the CAHA and the NHL agreed to establish a Hockey Hall of Fame in that city. In a meeting held September 10, 1943, Kingston’s mayor, Stuart Crawford, was elected president of the newly-established Hockey Hall of Fame  .  .  . [more]

• Ontario Place: Ontario Place is an internationally acclaimed cultural, leisure and entertainment parkland located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The complex extends throughout three man-made islands along the Lake Ontario waterfront. Ontario Place opened in May 1971 and featured a five pod pavilion complex, The Forum, pedal boats, a marina, restaurants and the world’s first permanent IMAX^® theatre, the Cinesphere  .  .  . [more]

• Roy Thomson Hall: Roy Thomson Hall opened in the fall of 1982 and has hosted hundreds of world-renowned artists over the years .  .  . [more]

• Hummingbird Centre for the Performing Arts: Hummingbird Centre is Toronto’s only mainstream civic theatre in the heart of the downtown entertainment district, it is the largest performing arts venue in Canada with a capacity of 3,200 seats .  .  . [more]

• Air Canada Centre: Home of the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL) and Toronto Raptors (NBA)Air Canada Centre has earned its place of distinction along Toronto’s skyline, and in the hearts of sports and entertainment fans from all over the world .  .  . [more]

• Princess of Wales Theatre: The theatre is a 2000-seat theatre located at 300 King Street West in the heart of Toronto’s Entertainment District. It is named in honour of Diana, Princess of Wales .  .  . [more]

• Rogers Centre (SkyDome): Formerly known as SkyDome, the venue was renamed the Rogers Centre February, 2005.  Home of the Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Club and the Toronto Argonauts.  Roger Centre facility’s capacity ranges from 5,000 to 60,000 for sports events, concerts, family shows, trade shows and conventions .  .  . [more]