wHAT IS JANE'S WALK?
Jane’s Walk is an annual festival of free, citizen-led walking conversations inspired by Jane Jacobs.
On the first weekend of May every year, Jane’s Walk festivals take place in hundreds of cities around the world. Jane’s Walks encourage people to share stories about their neighbourhoods, discover unseen aspects of their communities, and use walking as a way to connect with their neighbours.
Hamilton has been participating in Jane's Walk since 2013. Email us if you wish to lead a walk!
Support Your Festival
Interested in sponsoring Jane's Walk Hamilton? Email us today!
Take a look at our current Festival Partners below.
2024 jane's walk hamilton schedule
Movie screening
Catch a great movie with us!
This year, we're screening Steeltown.
Steeltown
What It's About: A vivid portrait of Hamilton. How the work of the steel mills touches the city and its surroundings is shown in many views during both day and night.
Approximate Length: 55 Minutes
Screening Dates & Locations:
✴️ May 4th & 5th - 10 AM @ Playhouse Cinema, 177 Sherman Avenue North
**Lights on during screening of movie**
✴️ May 4th - 2:30 PM @ The Hamilton Room, Central Library, 55 York Boulevard
**Doors open 2:00 PM**
Westdale Village Historic Walking Tour - Canada's First Planned Neighbourhood
Walk Leader: Tracy MacKinnon, Westdale BIA
Date & Time: 10 AM, May 4th, 2024
Meeting Location: Paisley Coffeehouse @ 1020 King Street West
Approximate Length: 1 Hour
Description of Walk: Walk within Westdale Village business district on King Street West and learn about its unique and rich historical significance as well as its modern happenings.
Ancaster Village - Historic Walking Tour
Walk Leader: Bob Maton
Date & Time: 10 AM, May 4th, 2024
Meeting Location: Ancaster Mill @ 548 Old Dundas Road
Approximate Length: 1.5 Hours
Description of Walk: The third oldest established community in Ontario, located at the intersection of ancient native trails traversed by the earliest explorers and later on visited by major figures in Canadian history, Learn more about the history, the characters, and background of our Village.
Steeltown - Movie Screening
Event Leader: Marko Maric & Open Doors Hamilton
Date & Time: 10 AM, May 4th, 2024
Screening Location: Playhouse Cinema, 177 Sherman Avenue North
Approximate Length: 55 Minutes
What It's About: A portrait of Hamilton. How the work of the steel mills touches the city and its surroundings is shown in many views during both day and night.
**Lights will be on in the theater during the movie screening.**
Death Demystified In Dundas
Walk Leader: Dr. Erin Gallagher and Dr. Matthew Yau
Date & Time: 11:15 AM, May 4th, 2024
Meeting Location: Starbucks, 46 King Street West
Approximate Length: 1 Hour
Description of Walk: Join two family medicine and palliative care physicians on a walk through downtown Dundas, as we explore the impact of community on living well with a serious illness, as well as on death, loss, and bereavement.
Walking Tour of Waterdown
Walk Leader: Doors Open Ontario
Date & Time: 11:30 AM, May 4th, 2024
Meeting Location: Mill St. & 5 American House (324 Dundas Street East)
Approximate Length: 1 Hour
Description of Walk: The Waterdown Heritage Conservation District is a largely intact pre-Confederation and Victorian neighbourhood with a variety of building types and styles. The beautiful stone façades of residences and old mills mix with later opulent Victorian masterpieces in brick.
Locke Street Historic Walking Tour - A Street of Churches and a Railway
Walk Leader: Tracy Mackinnon, Locke Street BIA
Date & Time: 12 PM, May 4th, 2024
Meeting Location: Democracy Coffee, 202 Locke Street South
Approximate Length: Walk along Locke Street South's business district and get to know its fascinating cultural history.
The Politics of Emptiness
Walk Leader: Marko Maric
Date & Time: 1 PM, May 4th, 2024
Meeting Location: 112 James Street North (James & Vine Greenspace)
Approximate Length: 1 Hour
Description of Walk: In urban planning, what isn't there is sometimes just as important as what is. Using James Street North as an example, this walk examines the technical reasons and politics of emptiness in our city: vacant storefronts, abandoned schools, empty lots, and blighted buildings.
This Was Our Neighborhood
Walk Leader: Tony Vieira
Date & Time: 1 PM, May 4th, 2024
Meeting Location: St. John the Evangelist Church, 320 Charlton Ave W
Approximate Length: 1 Hour
Description of Walk: Participants will need earbuds and a smartphone with internet access in order to experience this web-based locative sound walk. During the walk they will use their smartphone to listen to GPS-enabled story and soundscape retellings of real and imagined histories of these two neighbourhoods.
Magnificent Mansions of South Durand
Walk Leader: Leanne Joanisse
Date & Time: 2 PM, May 4th, 2024
Meeting Location: Southwest Corner, Ravenscliffe and Aberdeen Avenues
Approximate Length: 1 Hour
Description of Walk: South Durand, located at the foot of Hamilton’s escarpment, was a desirable area for the 19th-century elite class of industrialists who sought to build magnificent homes there to denote their wealth and status. Over a hundred years later, many of these mansions remain and consist of an eclectic blend of influences from Gothic Revival to Italianate.
Stoney Creek Historic Walking Tour - Little Village with Big Historical Significance
Walk Leader: Tracy Mackinnon
Date & Time: 2 PM, May 4th, 2024
Meeting Location: The Village Restaurant, 35 King Street East
Approximate Length: 1 Hour
Description of Walk: Walk within the Downtown Stoney Creek business district on King Street East to learn about its rich history and significance in history.
Walk the Grounds of the Auchmar Estate
Walk Leader: Diane Dent
Date & Time: 2 PM, May 4th, 2024
Meeting Location: Auchmar, 88 Fennell Avenue West
Approximate Length: 1 Hour
Description of Walk: A guided tour with a quiz at the end with a gift for the person with the most correct answers.
Steeltown
Event Leader: Marko Maric & Open Doors Hamilton
Date & Time: 2:30 PM, May 4th, 2024 (Doors Open at 2 PM)
Screening Location: The Hamilton Room, Central Library, 55 York Boulevard
Approximate Length: 55 Minutes
What It's About: A portrait of Hamilton. How the work of the steel mills touches the city and its surroundings is shown in many views during both day and night.
Cemetery Chronicles - Hamilton City Builders
Walk Leader: Alex Moroz
Date & Time: 2:30 PM, May 4th, 2024
Meeting Location: Cemetery Gatehouse, 777 York Boulevard
Approximate Length: 1 Hour
Description of Walk: The Hamilton’s Builders Tour at Hamilton Cemetery is a unique and immersive experience that explores the history and cultural heritage of Hamilton and the builders who helped shape the city. The tour takes visitors on a journey through the cemetery, visiting the graves of some of the city's most influential and innovative residents.
Westdale Village Historic Walking Tour - Canada's First Planned Neighbourhood
Walk Leader: Tracy MacKinnon, Westdale BIA
Date & Time: 10 AM on May 5th, 2024
Meeting Location: Paisley Coffeehouse @ 1020 King Street West
Approximate Length: 1 Hour
Description of Walk: Walk within Westdale Village business district on King Street West and learn about its unique and rich historical significance as well as its modern happenings.
Beautiful Barton Tour
Walk Leader: Brenda Duke
Date & Time: 10 AM, May 5th, 2024
Meeting Location: Woodlands Park at Barton and Sanford
Approximate Walk Length: 3 Hours
Description of Walk: A walk starting at Woodlands Park at Barton and Sanford, and travelling through the alleys to Birch Park, over to Powell Park and then back to Gibson School Lofts for a tour and refreshments.
Steeltown - Movie Screening
Event Leader: Marko Maric & Open Doors Hamilton
Date & Time: 10 AM, May 5th, 2024
Address: Playhouse Cinema, 177 Sherman Avenue North
Approximate Length: 55 Minutes
What It's About: A portrait of Hamilton. How the work of the steel mills touches the city and its surroundings is shown in many views during both day and night.
**Lights will be on in the theater during the movie screening.**
Prioritizing Pedestrian Safety in Our Downtown
Walk Leader: Cameron Kroetsch
Date & Time: 10:30 AM, May 5th, 2024
Meeting Location: Gore Park Fountain, 1530 King Street East
Approximate Walk Length: 1.5 Hours
Description of Walk: Walkers will look at some of the downtown core's most pressing infrastructure challenges that have an negative impact on pedestrians. The walk will include visits to safety hot spots to discuss how our downtown can be made safer and more accessible for everyone.
The Pipeline Trail - Walking on Water
Walk Leader: Jane Jamnik
Date & Time: 11 AM, May 5th, 2024
Meeting Location: Parking lot behind the NE corner of Ottawa and Main St
Approximate Walk Length: 1.5 Hours
Description of Walk: The Pipeline trail is a vital, urban, much loved east-end corridor. It's zigzag Trail defies traditional pathways as it goes through residential streets and links the communities of Crown Point and Homeside. It all lies above the Hamilton waterworks water pipeline, thus the name. It features parks, art murals and natural urban gardens.
Locke Street Historic Walking Tour - A Street of Churches and a Railway
Walk Leader: Tracy Mackinnon, Locke Street BIA
Date & Time: 12 PM, May 5th, 2024
Meeting Location: Democracy Coffee, 202 Locke Street South
Approximate Length: 1 Hour
Description of Walk: Walk along Locke Street South's business district and get to know its fascinating cultural history.
This Was Our Neighborhood
Walk Leader: Tony Vieira
Date & Time: 1 PM, May 5th, 2024
Meeting Location: St. John the Evangelist Church, 320 Charlton Ave W
Approximate Length: 1 Hour
Description of Walk: Participants will need earbuds and a smartphone with internet access in order to experience this web-based locative sound walk. During the walk they will use their smartphone to listen to GPS-enabled story and soundscape retellings of real and imagined histories of these two neighbourhoods.
Walking Tour of Waterdown
Walk Leader: Doors Open Ontario
Date & Time: 1:30 PM, May 5th, 2024
Meeting Location: Mill St. & 5 American House (324 Dundas Street East)
Approximate Length: 1 Hour
Description of Walk: The Waterdown Heritage Conservation District is a largely intact pre-Confederation and Victorian neighbourhood with a variety of building types and styles. The beautiful stone façades of residences and old mills mix with later opulent Victorian masterpieces in brick.
Stoney Creek Historic Walking Tour - Little Village with Big Historical Significance
Walk Leader: Tracy Mackinnon
Date & Time: 2 PM, May 5th, 2024
Meeting Location: The Village Restaurant, 35 King Street East
Approximate Length: 1 Hour
Description of Walk: Walk within the Downtown Stoney Creek business district on King Street East to learn about its rich history and significance in history.
Walk the Grounds of the Auchmar Estate
Walk Leader: Diane Dent
Date & Time: 2 PM, May 5th, 2024
Meeting Location: Auchmar, 88 Fennell Avenue West
Approximate Length: 1 Hour
Description of Walk: A guided tour with a quiz at the end with a gift for the person with the most correct answers.
Ancaster Village - Historic Walking Tour
Walk Leader: Bob Maton
Date & Time: 2:30 PM, May 5th, 2024
Meeting Location: Ancaster Mill @ 548 Old Dundas Road
Approximate Length: 1.5 Hours
Description of Walk: The third oldest established community in Ontario, located at the intersection of ancient native trails traversed by the earliest explorers and later on visited by major figures in Canadian history, Learn more about the history, the characters, and background of our Village.
Cemetery Chronicles - Hamilton City Builders
Walk Leader: Alex Moroz
Date & Time: 2:30 PM, May 5th, 2024
Meeting Location: Cemetery Gatehouse, 777 York Boulevard
Approximate Length: 1 Hour
Description of Walk: The Hamilton’s Builders Tour at Hamilton Cemetery is a unique and immersive experience that explores the history and cultural heritage of Hamilton and the builders who helped shape the city. The tour takes visitors on a journey through the cemetery, visiting the graves of some of the city's most influential and innovative residents.
Discover Hamilton
Walk Creator: Linda, Tourism Hamilton
Approximate Length: 2 Hours
Description of Walk: Hamilton, a port city on the western tip of Lake Ontario in Canada, is dominated by the Niagara Escarpment, commonly referred to as "the mountain". Aside from this, there are other, man-made, attractions in the city, including HMCS Haida, a naval warship moored at the city's lakefront, and the Hamilton Military Museum, showcasing Canada's military history. TAKE TOUR
Découvrez Hamilton
Walk Creator: La ligne bleue (lien de Tourism Hamilton)
Approximate Walk Length: 2 Heures
Description of Walk: Explorez les 26 points de l’amusante balade interactive de La ligne bleue pour découvrir la ville de Hamilton sous toutes ses facettes (œuvres d’art, éléments du patrimoine, ruelles historique, architecture remarquable ou diversité gastronomique). TAKE TOUR
Ancaster Heritage
Walk Creator: Tourism Hamilton
Approximate Length: 45 Minutes
Description of Walk: Ancaster has a long history dating back long before it was surveyed in 1793. It was incorporated as a Township in 1850, as a town in 1974, and as a community of the City of Hamilton in 2001. The ‘Village’ area was the central point of commercial activity and where magnificent residences were built by wealthy entrepreneurs. TAKE TOUR
Hamilton Heritage
Walk Creator: Tourism Hamilton
Approximate Length: 1 Hour
Description of Walk: James was Hamilton’s primary street from the city’s founding in the early 1800’s, connecting the historic commercial heart of the city around Gore Park to the waterfront and railway. Its current character is the result of the accumulation of over 150 years of history, and the re-use and rehabilitation of the original buildings. TAKE TOUR
East Hamilton Escarpment
Walk Creator: Tourism Hamilton
Approximate Length: 2 Hours
Description of Walk: See workers homes from the industrial era of Hamilton, Hamilton's oldest and only urban brickyard, and some great views from the escarpment. Note this walk does include two sets of mountain access stairs and uneven ground.
Hamilton Architecture Crawl
Walk Creator: Thomas Allen, from Tourism Hamilton
Approximate Walk Length: 45 Minutes
Description of Walk: From historic gems to modern masterpieces, Hamilton is blessed with a breathtaking stock of buildings. TAKE TOUR
Olde Town Stoney Creek
Walk Creator: Iroquoia Bruce Trail Club and the City of Hamilton
Approximate Walk Length: 30 Minutes
Description of Walk: Over the years, each of Bruce Trail Conservancy's (BTC) nine volunteer clubs have offered educational hikes looking at a range of topics from wild flowers to local history. The Iroquoia Bruce Trail Club (IBTC) maintains the section of the Bruce Trail that includes Hamilton. TAKE TOUR
GALLERY
Take a look at our past Hamilton Jane's Walks!
meet the jane's walk hamilton team
Get to know our amazing team of volunteers.
MARKO MARIC
Organizing Committee & Walk Leader
CHRISTINE FANDRICH
Lead Organizer
AKEMI LIYANAGE
Website & Social Media Manager
DIANE DENT
Walk Leader
JANE JAMNIK
Walk Leader
LEANE JOANISSE
Walk Leader
ALEX MOROZ
Walk Leader
DR. ERIN GALLAGHER
Walk Leader
CAMERON KROETSCH
Walk Leader
DR. MATTHEW YAU
Walk Leader
TRACY MACKINNON,
STONEY CREEK BIA
Walk Leader
TRACY MACKINNON, WESTDALE VILLAGE BIA
Walk Leader
TRACY MACKINNON,
LOCKE STREET BIA
Walk Leader
BOB MATON,
Walk Leader
BRENDA DUKE,
BARTON VILLAGE BIA
Walk Leader
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