In today’s updates: a documentary in support of St. Giles, the church immortalized in art, and St. Giles is on TV! Short documentary to help #SaveStGiles When Hamilton icon Kathy Renwald visited St. Giles for her story about efforts to save Stewart & Witton’s Neo-Gothic church at Main and Holton, she ran into Friends of…
Renwald: Fighting to Save St. Giles
Legendary journalist Kathy Renwald visits St. Giles for The Bay Observer. Plus, ACO lists the former St. Giles United Church as a Building at Risk. Thanks to Kathy Renwald for her story about St. Giles and efforts to save Stewart & Witton’s Neo-Gothic church at Main and Holton. Renwald ran into Friends of St. Giles…
Another step on the path to #SaveStGiles
Ongoing work by local residents and heritage advocates to save St. Giles — a century-old architectural gem in Hamilton’s Ward 3 — made the front of today’s Local section of the Hamilton Spectator. Thanks to Teviah Moro for his story about residents’ efforts to save the former St. Giles United Church from demolition. Members of…
Community voices call for Hamilton to #SaveStGiles
St. Giles is Sunday morning’s top story at CBC Hamilton. I spoke with Saira Peesker for her story about the United Church’s proposal to demolish the former St. Giles Presbyterian, a beloved architectural gem in east Hamilton. Stewart & Witton’s original 1912 church was expanded twice: in the 1940s, with a memorial chapel commemorating the…
St. Giles in the news
The conversation about the fate of St. Giles continues in the Spectator. Plus, powerful social media engagement from a national heritage organization. Shannon Kyles, president of the Hamilton branch of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario, issued an urgent call for a plan for our historic places of worship. About St. Giles and sustainability, Kyles wrote,…
Checking in on the Connolly
My Saturday op-ed on the Connolly and James Street Baptist, the partially demolished former church in downtown Hamilton. Print: “Checking in on the Connolly,” February 13, 2021, A17 | online: “Hamilton’s infamous church facade: a check-in on the Connolly,” February 12, 2021 With thanks to Paul Wilson, Lucasz Wywrot, John Wilcox of Vitreous Glassworks, Samantha…
Rachel Braithwaite nominated for WOD Award
Congratulations to Rachel Braithwaite on being nominated for a YWCA Hamilton Women of Distinction — Courage of COVID Award! It was an honour to nominate Braithwaite in the Community Champion category, for the excellent work she does in the Barton Village community. You can read more about Braithwaite in Paul Wilson’s 2019 article. Launched in…
A labour of love in glass, brick, and stone
I interviewed local residents about the former St. Giles in east Hamilton. The city’s first United Church, it was designed by architects Stewart & Witton. The 1912 church is at risk of demolition by its owner, New Vision United Church. Update: New team announced Feb. 11: KPMB Architects and Savira Cultural + Capital Projects with…
Save the last dance: Hanrahan’s, a 2020 story worth remembering
Hanrahan’s made the Spectator’s year-end list of “True grit and other Hamilton headlines.” After working for many months to “make some noise” and save the former Hotel Hanrahan, it was an honour to see the Hanrahan’s story featured alongside other news of the year — including the Terry the Turtle saga. Delaney Caulfield highlighted Matthew…
Designation in the core, demolition in the east: whose history matters?
My Saturday op-ed on church conversions as affordable housing and community spaces, and the former St. Giles in east Hamilton. St. Giles is at risk of demolition by its owner, New Vision United Church. Print: “Let’s not bulldoze the plague saint’s church,” December 12, 2020, A19. With thanks to Howard Elliott. Vonny Sweetland comments via…
Stardust
Front page of the Friday arts section: I interviewed producer Matt Code about the new David Bowie movie, Stardust, which shot in Hamilton. Online: “Hamilton stands in for Hollywood in new David Bowie biopic streaming Friday,” Nov. 26, 2020 | “Next stop: Hamilton in David Bowie biopic,” Nov. 27, 2020, G1 With many thanks to…
Cartoon Character
I had the pleasure of reviewing Terry Mosher’s Professional Heckler: The Life and Art of Duncan Macpherson for the Literary Review of Canada. With thanks to Kyle Wyatt, the Bora Laskin Law Library, and McGill-Queen’s University Press. Book cover design: David Drummond Illustration of Duncan Macpherson courtesy of David Parkins for the LRC. Founded in…
