A city is born
175 years ago, the City of Hamilton was born
On June 9, 1846, a statute was passed called “An Act to alter and amend the Act incorporating the Town of Hamilton, and to erect the same into a City.”
This altered the1833 act incorporating Hamilton as a Police Village and erected it into the status of a city. The act officially took effect on Jan. 1, 1847. Elevating the Police Village of Hamilton to the status of a city gave the community more powers to govern, create laws and determine its future.
The act established five wards, each of which would have two elected councillors. These 10 councillors elected an 11th and, at a later date, the councillors elected a mayor from their ranks. Wards changed over the years, as did the method of electing a mayor. The city’s boundaries grew and Hamilton continued to prosper.
The first councillors for the new city of Hamilton, elected on Jan. 12, 1847, were: Mr. Freeman, Mr. Mills (St. George’s Ward); Mr. Kelly, Mr. O’Reilly (St. Patrick’s Ward); Mr. Ford, Mr. Counsel (St. Lawrence’s Ward); Mr. Willson, Mr. Gunn (St. Andrew’s Ward); and Mr.
Ferrie, Mr. Miller (St. Mary’s Ward). On Jan. 15, 1847, Alexander Carpenter was chosen as the 11th councillor.
These councillors then chose Colin Campbell Ferrie to be the first mayor of the City of Hamilton. He had also been a member of the first board of police in 1833.
Key city dates:
> Jan. 20, 1847, the city adopted a coat of arms designed by Edward Acraman.
> 1874 saw Benjamin Ernest Charlton become the first mayor elected by popular vote.
> 1973 marked a major change to municipal politics when the County of Wentworth was replaced by the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth. The City of Hamilton became a part of the region.
> Jan. 1, 2001, marked the amalgamation of all the municipalities that had formed the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth into the new City of Hamilton.
Current municipal government consists of one mayor, elected city-wide, and 15 city councillors elected by each of the city’s 15 wards.