Mark McNeil
Hamilton Spectator
Hamilton, ON, Canada
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Past articles by Mark:
‘Valley of the Dolls’ exhibition ranges from the cuddly to the creepy
Welcome to the strange world of the Dundas dolls that have been suddenly released from archival captivity after 20 years. → Read More
The curse of the Desjardins Canal
It was supposed to spur economic growth in Dundas, but the Desjardins Canal ushered in disaster → Read More
Remembering two Black Civil War veterans
I recently learned about another notable Black history story connected to James Street, not far from where the banners are displayed from lampposts. → Read More
Remembering an ambitious guitar amplifier company in Hamilton from the 1960s
It piqued my curiosity to find out more about the stories behind these largely forgotten gems from Hamilton history, writes Mark McNeil. → Read More
George Furlanetto’s bass guitar business is 45 years old and booming
On one side of the two-storey building is an industrial gas company with a parking lot packed with tanker trucks. On the other side is a railway line that shakes the rafters when trains rumble past. Across the street, that is long overdue for a paving job, is a fenced field where old cars go to die. It seems like an unlikely neighbourhood to make beautiful musical instruments that are renowned… → Read More
Of all the wacky tales I know about Hamilton, these two are my favourite
Both of these bizarre decades-old events required Hamiltonians to lend a hand. → Read More
Marcus is going to miss riding the escalators at the Hamilton City Centre
There is one young man who has had a most unique connection to the big building at James and York. His name is Marcus Johnston. He is 24. And he is autistic. → Read More
Test your knowledge about Hamilton’s history with the Flashbacks Quiz
Here is a quiz to assess your Hamilton History Quotient. Each question is drawn from a key detail from a Flashbacks column in 2022 but involves something civic-minded residents should probably have known already. → Read More
At 50 years of age, Jackson Square has seen it all
In 1969, more than 43 acres of Victorian buildings were torn down to make way for the downtown shopping centre → Read More
Spitfire fighter plane rises from the ashes and soars again in England
The ill-fated Mk 9 Spitfire ML295 crashed in northern France in 1944, but it’s flying again after five years of meticulous restoration and nearly $4.8 million. → Read More
Hamilton’s Hermitage ruins are more popular than ever
It took more than six months of meticulous masonry in 2015, and the results were amazing. Bracing was no longer needed. Nor were fences. People could walk wherever they wanted. → Read More
Dundas history comes alive in glass negative photo show
They say every picture tells a story, but sometimes a photo can tell multiple stories if it is wide-angled and clear enough. So is the case with a fascinating new exhibit of historic Dundas scenes from glass negatives at the Dundas Museum and Archives. The negatives from the 1850s to the 1930s are sometimes badly scratched and damaged but they still pass on an astounding amount of detail in the… → Read More
Massive blast marks end of an era at Stelco
I remember the morning of the big boom. It was a little after 9 a.m. on August 17. I was on the southwest Mountain, about to get in my car. “Is that what I think it is, more than 10 kilometres away on the bayfront?” Earlier that morning, I’d seen the confusing tweet from the Hamilton Police about a “controlled detonation of a large structure at U.S. Steel … Be advised this will be very big and… → Read More
Wild ideas in concrete — McMaster’s hospital at 50
As the hospital formerly known as the McMaster University Medical Centre celebrates its 50th birthday this year — with a building design that kind of looks like a birthday cake — we’re left to wonder why its keepers never seemed to complete the construction. → Read More
Catch a glimpse of Hamilton’s bygone days at this weekend’s antique postcard show
Postcards from the past — this Sunday around 750,000 vintage postcards will be on display at the 35th Annual Antique Picture Post Card Show on Hamilton Mountain → Read More
Hamilton still owns sunken warships. What do we do with them?
Flashbacks: City of Hamilton still owns the sunken Scourge and Hamilton but no one is sure what to do with them → Read More
McMaster commemorative torch will be part of Dutch liberation pilgrimage in September
Seventy-seven years ago, McMaster engineering student Anna Esposito’s maternal forebears were among millions of Dutch in the Netherlands who jubilantly celebrated the arrival of liberating Canadian troops during the final months of the Second World War. While it was something that took place during the time of her grandparents and great grandparents, the story still resonates strongly today with… → Read More
Remembering the grizzly bear obsessed Troy Hurtubise and his infamous suit
Flashbacks: Troy died fours years ago, leaving behind a widow, a son and a bear-protection suit in a North Bay hock shop. → Read More
How about a downtown heritage walkabout using your cellphone to lead the way?
Touring ‘Memory Lane’ and other pathways to local discovery → Read More
Remembering the ‘Dam Buster’ raid and the two Hamilton boys who didn’t make it back
Fifty-three airmen paid the ultimate sacrifice during the Second World War bombing raid. → Read More