Coming Home?

Tomorrow evening I leave for Holland. While I am there just for a visit. It is kind of like coming home. Four years ago, I was ready to leave Holland, move to Canada and take on this new adventure. This journey is in its concluding stages. This week I finished my last work and I graduate May 23rd, pending the grades of my final weeks of course.

In the mean time I am visiting Holland. Spending time with my family, going back to my old home town of Ede, visiting Barcelona, and I get the chance to reflect. It is kind of weird coming back to Holland. The last time I visited was during Christmas of 2006 at that point I was still very much rooted in Holland and getting rooted in Hamilton. Today it feels a bit different, I have started to grow deep roots in Hamilton and my roots in Holland are established, but no longer growing.

So, I leave for Holland, my home country, yet it doesn't seem like I am coming home. I will feel that I am coming Home when I fly into Toronto again on May 15. This June I am moving into a house with some dear friends. We have been given the opportunity to live in a beautiful house on the Hamilton Harbour. Six of us will be living in the upstairs house and two will be living in a separate, but connected basement apartment. We will have the opportunity to just live. Be intentional about the simple things in our lives, give thanks for the abundance of blessings, and seek to combine a sense of community and culture in our home. (Once we get closer to that day, I will post pictures and be sharing more about this.

I am coming home. Perhaps surprisingly Hamilton has become that home to me. Initially due to my four years at Redeemer, now it continues to be home as I will start the next part of my journey here. There is so much to be thankful for.

The importance of urban places

I am a bit of an urban junky, unfortunately Redeemer's campus is not located int Downtown Hamilton, but right on the rural-urban fringe - (and it is being surrounded at an alarming rate by suburban development and a new fire-station). Therefore, when I visit downtown, I don't have my own place, I don't have a place that I can call my home, sure there are a few friends in that area, and my church is within walking distance of the downtown core, however, I have come to appreciate the importance of urban places. (To define urban places - I mean places within a distinctly urban area, in which one can engage the surroundings, experience the city, share time with friends, or just simply relax.)

Now Hamilton is full of urban places, some a bit dysfunctional, and some on the upbeat. One of these places for me is the Farmers Market. Right amidst one of the less attractive developments downtown Hamilton has seen in the the later half of the 20th century (that is the complex which includes Jackson Square, City Centre, Copps, the Library, and the Market itself) the market is a great urban place. The market doesn't claim to be a true local, all Hamiltonian market and rightfully so. The Farmers Market is kind of a mosaic. Your ethnic foods, breads, veggies, Deli, flowers, or crafty soaps are all available inside this big hall which is the Farmers Market. Whether you need a rabbit for dinner, the best deal on bagels in town, or some ingridients for oriental type of cooking you are at the right place.

Another urban place worth checking out in Hamilton is the FRWY cafe (Freeway). Depending on when you go you will either find the relaxed atmosphere of a coffee house, an art show featuring local artist, salsa dancing lessons, or even church. One thing is always present - good coffee. The Coffee house is run throught the church community that meets in the very same place. The FRWY is a place where community is central - whether meeting there for a coffee or partking in their church community - the FRWY is all about enriching deep community.

Another place is Mixed Media - located on James St. North it has been instrumental in the revival of the arts community in Hamilton. While being mainly an arts supply store, it is also a gathering place for those in the James St. area. One of the main things that Mixed Media has encouraged is the James St. Art Crawl - not only is it a great initiative because the street is closed off dor any moterized traffic, it has also been voted the best place to take a date in Hamilton... Just so you know.

What all these places have in common is that they provide the Hamilton community with unique experiences and places. They seek to enrich the life of the city, they increase the public life of a city, they provde places where we can engage with others, places where we can live out the gospel, places where we can challenge and be challenged.

Future plans

So, lots of future plans all confirmed in the last couple of weeks - God is Glorious

1. Finish this school year
2. Live with awesome guys and have a great summer on Glancaster rd. - staying in Hamilton
3. Painting - lots of it, it will be my summer job, and I am very excited, I will be working with some awesome people
4. RAing with James Cuthbert
5. Leading a ministry that I have come to love (CITB), very exciting, should be very stretching and challenging as well.
6. I am sure there is a six... but I forget.

Earth Hour

I just checked some news items on Toronto, and in case you didn't know. Toronto is participating in Earth Hour 2008 big time. March the 29th all city buildings will power down a well as businesses, hotels, individuals, and whoever else. More than 50 cities, 1,000 businesses, and 20000 people in Canada have signed up, Toronto being the main partner in Canada. They will celebrate with a "carbon-neutral" unplugged concert that will feature Nelly Furtado and others. I think it would be cool listening to an unplugged concerts in a "dark" downtown Toronto.

While it could be seen as cities, businesses and people being trendy and being environmentally concerned, still it is happening. All are powering down for 1 hour. Hamilton signed up as well, however, I have not heard of any events or such here. Who knows, we are still 20 days away.

Maybe one day all those lights will be off at the same time and the world won't look like this at night.

All within 2 blocks

I want to share with you a but about one area of downtown hamilton. Most people have probably been there at some point, it is the heart of the city. I want to share with you some thoughts about the blocks surrounding Gore Park.

In 1973 there was still a building in Hamilon Called the Birks Building. In fact, Oscar Wilde called it "the most beautiful building in all of North America," it was demolished in 1973 despite major protests. Below is a picture of the building, which is now replaced by a rather stale, concrete and glass version of the bank of Nova Scotia.


However, in recent decades right across from the location the Birks building was, the Piggott building has been saved, and is now deemed one of Hamilton's most beautiful if not the most beautiful buildings. The picture below, shows the upper levels, as well as part of the stale building that replaced the Birks building on the left.
Currently Hamilton is in another discussion, this time on the Lister block building, about 1,5 blocks North on James and King William St. In 2005 great plans for revitalizing this building were announced, the costs now seem a bit higher than anticipated and discussion about demolishing the building are back. Below, the Lister Block.
Last week the Hamilton Spectator reported on the Royal Connaught hotel to be revitalized. By Toronto developer Harry Stinson. All these buildings are within 1-2 blocks of Gore Park, the heart of the City of Hamilton that can be described as an intimate place full of opportunity. If Hamilton is going to become this great urban centre West of the GTA, I feel like redevelopment in this area is vital, revitalizing the Royal Connaught and the Lister Block are good first steps. Tackling the massive concrete square of the Farmer's market, Library, Jackson Square, and Copps should follow immediatley. Luckily there is much discussion on this, hopefully it will be fruitful. Look at this picture of Gore Park currently. What if we can make this entire neighbourhood like this? What if we can maintain and continue to give the heart of the city a distinct urban texture. A public place that is alive, active, and contagious to the communities around it. All within about 2 blocks of this park. I think it is an opportunity we should cease. I think the heart of the city of Hamilton can be a place where we can engage with culture, a place that community can be formed, a place that needs to reflect God's glory.