Photo By: Brett Klassen

Part 2 can be read in PDF format here.

Our last issue introduced readers to Hamilton historian John A. McCurdy and the first of John’s articles in a series on the history of the HCLT. We learned of the creation of the Beasley neighbourhood, the nascent stages of what would later become the Hamilton Community Land Trust, and the ties that bind the HCLT with the Beasley Neighbourhood Association. We were also introduced to founding board member and proud Hamiltonian and Beasley resident, Charlie Mattina.

In this issue, John introduces the reader to Allison Maxted, former Project Director and current Board Member of the HCLT, and the story of how a Caledonia native would fall in love with the urban core of a post-industrial Hamilton. John also discusses the official launch of the HCLT, and explores the eventual shift of the  Beasley neighbourhood from a “weak” real estate market, to one of the most universally sought-after in the city. Charlie’s story and that of Beasley, the HCLT, and Hamilton’s lower city continue in Part 2, found in the link below.

A Hamiltonian and passionate local historian, John A. McCurdy is the owner of Vintage Histories and Stories, which provides Organization, Community, Family and Personal History services in the Hamilton region. He can be contacted through his website at www.vintagehistoriesandstories.ca, or can be found digging through the archives in support of his next project.