HAMILTON HISTORICAL BOARD To: Chair and Members Emergency & Community Services Committee

From: Bill Manson, Chair Hamilton Historical Board Signature of Chair Date: October 1, 2009 Re: Civic Holiday Recommendation (Report 09-003(HHB)) (City Wide)

Recommendation: A. That in honour of the city’s founder George Hamilton, the August Civic Holiday be called George Hamilton Day across Hamilton B. That, each year after 2010, on George Hamilton Day the City of Hamilton celebrate the contribution of another notable local historical figure.

Background: The practice of naming the August civic holiday in recognition of a historic figure or event is well established in . This practice has been supported by the creation of the Ontario Municipal Act of 2005, as the Act permits a municipality to declare and observe the August civic holiday as it wishes.

Other municipalities that have renamed the August Civic Holiday in honour of a local historic figure include: • celebrates Simcoe Day • Burlington celebrates Day • celebrates McLaughlin Day • celebrates Colonel By Day • celebrates Alexander Mackenzie Day • celebrates James Cockburn Day • celebrates Day

Additionally, the City of has implemented a similar strategy to th recommendation being brought forward; whereas Brantford City Council has named the August Civic holiday “Founders' Day” in honour of the founding citizens of Brantford. Annually the Brantford Heritage Committee submits a report to the Brantford City Council proposing the name of a City Founder to be recognized on Founders’ Day. SUBJECT: August Civic Holiday Recommendation (Report 09-00(HHB)) (City Wide) (Report 09-003(HHB)) - Page 2 of 2

Financial Implications: None

Analysis/Rationale: The mandate of the Hamilton Historical Board is to advise City Council on heritage matters and to promote the awareness and appreciation of Hamilton’s history.

Staff Consultation:

Yes X No □

Director, Culture Division, Community Services Manager of Museums & Heritage Presentation, Community Services Heritage Presentation Coordinator, Community Services TheThe HamiltonHamilton HistoricalHistorical BoardBoard

PresentationPresentation toto

TheThe CityCity ofof HamiltonHamilton EmergencyEmergency andand CommunityCommunity ServicesServices CommitteeCommittee

OctoberOctober 2121 20092009 HamiltonHamilton HistoricalHistorical BoardBoard proposalsproposals forfor CelebratingCelebrating AugustAugust CivicCivic HolidayHoliday

InIn mostmost OntarioOntario municipalitiesmunicipalities

thethe first first MondayMonday inin AugustAugust

isis consideredconsidered toto bebe “the“the AugustAugust CivicCivic Holiday”...Holiday”... HamiltonHamilton HistoricalHistorical BoardBoard proposalsproposals forfor CelebratingCelebrating AugustAugust CivicCivic HolidayHoliday

HowHow isis thethe AugustAugust Civic Civic HolidayHoliday recognizedrecognized aroundaround Ontario?Ontario?

•in•inTorontoToronto itit isis celebratedcelebrated asas SimcoeSimcoe DayDay

•in•in BurlingtonBurlington itit isis celebratedcelebrated asas JosephJoseph BrantBrant DayDay

•in•in OshawaOshawa itit isis celebratedcelebrated asas McLaughlinMcLaughlin DayDay

•in•in OttawaOttawa itit isis celebratedcelebrated asas ColonelColonel ByBy DayDay

•in•in SarniaSarnia itit isis celebratedcelebrated asas AlexanderAlexander MackenzieMackenzie DayDay

•in•in CobourgCobourg itit isis celebratedcelebrated asas JamesJames CockburnCockburn DayDay

•in•in GuelphGuelph itit isis celebratedcelebrated asas JohnJohn GaltGalt DayDay HamiltonHamilton HistoricalHistorical BoardBoard proposalsproposals forfor CelebratingCelebrating AugustAugust CivicCivic HolidayHoliday

HowHow isis thethe AugustAugust CivicCivic HolidayHoliday recognizedrecognized aroundaround Ontario?Ontario? InIn neighbouringneighbouring BrantfordBrantford thethe CityCity CouncilCouncil hashas namednamed thisthis holidayholiday Founders'Founders' DayDay andand annuallyannually thethe BrantfordBrantford HeritageHeritage CommitteeCommittee submitssubmits aa reportreport toto thethe CityCity CouncilCouncil proposingproposing thethe namename ofof aa CityCity FounderFounder toto bebe recognizedrecognized onon Founders’DayFounders’Day HamiltonHamilton HistoricalHistorical BoardBoard proposalsproposals forfor CelebratingCelebrating AugustAugust CivicCivic HolidayHoliday

WhereasWhereas ......

-- the the practicepractice ofof namingnaming thethe AugustAugust civiccivic holidayholiday inin recognitionrecognition ofof aa historichistoric figurefigure oror eventevent isis wellwell establishedestablished inin OntarioOntario

-- the the OntarioOntario MunicipalMunicipal ActAct ofof 20052005 permitspermits aa municipalitymunicipality toto declaredeclare andand observeobserve thethe AugustAugust civiccivic holidayholiday asas itit wisheswishes

-- and and HamiltonHamilton takestakes greatgreat pridepride inin itsits historyhistory andand heritage...heritage...

thethe HamiltonHamilton HistoricalHistorical BoardBoard respectfullyrespectfully proposes...proposes... HamiltonHamilton HistoricalHistorical BoardBoard proposalsproposals forfor CelebratingCelebrating AugustAugust CivicCivic HolidayHoliday

1.1. thatthat inin honourhonour ofof thethe city’scity’s founderfounder GeorgeGeorge Hamilton,Hamilton, thethe AugustAugust CivicCivic HolidayHoliday herehere bebe calledcalled

GeorgeGeorge HamiltonHamilton DayDay

2.2. that,that, inin August,August, 2010,2010, thethe CityCity ofof HamiltonHamilton celebratecelebrate GeorgeGeorge HamiltonHamilton DayDay throughthrough programsprograms andand eventsevents inin thethe communitycommunity toto honourhonour GeorgeGeorge HamiltonHamilton himselfhimself

3.3. that,that, eacheach yearyear afterafter 2010,2010, onon GeorgeGeorge HamiltonHamilton DayDay thethe CityCity ofof HamiltonHamilton recognizerecognize andand celebratecelebrate thethe contributioncontribution ofof anotheranother notablenotable locallocal historicalhistorical figurefigure HamiltonHamilton HistoricalHistorical BoardBoard proposalsproposals forfor CelebratingCelebrating AugustAugust CivicCivic HolidayHoliday

HowHow willwill thethe annualannual GeorgeGeorge HamiltonHamilton DayDay honoreehonoree bebe selected?selected?

TheThe GeorgeGeorge HamiltonHamilton DayDay honoreehonoree willwill bebe recommendedrecommended toto HamiltonHamilton CityCity CouncilCouncil annuallyannually byby thethe HamiltonHamilton HistoricalHistorical BoarBoardd whowho willwill useuse thethe followingfollowing determinationdetermination criteria:criteria:

1.1. inclusivenessinclusiveness ofof allall thethe geographicgeographic commcommunitieunitiess comprisingcomprising thethe CityCity ofof HamiltonHamilton

2.2. publicpublic input input fromfrom Hamiltonians,Hamiltonians, bothboth adultsadults andand especiallyespecially youngyoung peoplepeople

3.3. equitability,equitability, accountability,accountability, andand transparenctransparencyy throughthrough thethe adjudicationadjudication ofof publicpublic inputinput

4.4. dependentdependent uponupon funding,funding, sponsorships,sponsorships, parpartnerships,tnerships, andand uponupon thethe success success ofof previousprevious years’years’ programs, programs, thethe GeorgeGeorge HamiltonHamilton DayDay programprogram may,may, withwith CouncilCouncil approval,approval, bebe expandedexpanded toto includeinclude year-longyear-long educationaleducational andand communitycommunity eventsevents HamiltonHamilton HistoricalHistorical BoardBoard proposalproposal forfor CelebratingCelebrating AugustAugust CivicCivic HolidayHoliday

TheThe AugustAugust CivicCivic Holiday:Holiday: GeorgeGeorge HamiltonHamilton DayDay

anan annualannual timetime forfor allall HamiltoniansHamiltonians

toto recognizerecognize andand toto EELEBRATELEBRATE thethe menmen andand womenwomen whowho helpedhelped makemake thethe CityCity ofof HamiltonHamilton TheThe HamiltonHamilton HistoricalHistorical BoardBoard

PresentationPresentation toto

TheThe CityCity ofof HamiltonHamilton EmergencyEmergency andand CommunityCommunity ServicesServices CommitteeCommittee

OctoberOctober 2121 20092009

LET’SLET’S ALLALL CELEBRATECELEBRATE GEORGEGEORGE HAMILTONHAMILTON DAYDAY

THANKTHANK YOUYOU