Писатель из Питтсбурга влюбился в Гамильтон и назвал его «Канадским Питтсбургом»

“Beauty” and “romance” aren’t words most Hamiltonians would use to describe home — but for Pittsburgh author Colin Williams, a recent visit revealed exactly that. In a story called “Hamilton, Ontario: Canada’s Pittsburgh?” Williams, the managing editor of Pittsburgh City Paper, recounted his recent visit to Steeltown — and it’s safe to say, he was enthralled. “In short, I was fully smitten by the Hammer. Nailed, even,” he wrote. Williams chatted with The Spectator on Thursday afternoon, as he was “still coming down off the Hammer high from this past weekend.” The American has been to Toronto a couple of times, and his partner visited parts of Canada as well, but this was their first time in Hamilton. The trip was built around a Hamilton Tiger-Cats football game. Williams had learned about the impending changes to Canadian Football League rules and was interested to see “three-down, 12-man football as god intended: on a ridiculous 110-yard field with the uprights in play at the front of the end zone,” he wrote in his story. As he read up on Canadian teams, Hamilton’s black and gold caught his eye — the same colours as the Pittsburgh Steelers. “It’s a quick drive, they’re wearing the right colours,” he said of their decision to visit. Hamilton’s food scene and craft breweries earned shout-outs in his story, as did the Royal Botanical Gardens, “vibrant local arts scene,” and bike lanes. A rude run-in with the fans behind them nearly cost Hamilton two new supporters — until His favourable impression wasn’t hampered by the scent wafting from the steel mills, “which means pollution, which means public health issues,” and visible socioeconomic challenges — which Pittsburgh deals with too, he wrote. The two cities certainly have some “overlap” including “large immigrant populations coming to work in the steel mills,” and the decline of steel creating some “less than pleasant effects on the local economy,” he said in a call. Plus, the similarity of pivoting to a new economy through “the eds and meds (universities and medical centres),” he added. If Hamiltonians are curious to experience the United States’ Steel City, Williams suggests checking out the Pittsburgh breweries, the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Andy Warhol Museum, and the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens — a Victorian greenhouse made of steel and glass. Plus, “given the overlap in steel culture,” the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area could be “of particular interest.” It celebrates industrial traditions through tours, workshops and an annual Festival of Combustion, he said. As for Williams, Hamilton wasn’t just a summer fling. “We’re already talking about when we’re going to be coming back,” he said. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page.