1895

In 1895, the first blast furnace in Hamilton was opened at Huckleberry Point by what would be later known as the Steel Company of Canada (Stelco) (Figure 1, 2, 3).    This was a massive step in the city's industrialization as the steel industry grew to dominate the majority of the Hamilton Harbour and became one of the largest industries and employers in the area. 

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Figure 1: Photograph taken in 1909 which shows the first blast furnace in Hamilton built by Stelco on the right. The furnace shown on the left of the photo was built in later years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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​​​​​Figure 2: Map of the greater Hamilton area depicting the locations of Huckleberry Point and the first Stelco blast furnace. This map also depicts ward boundaries as established in 1881 (dark grey) and 1911 (light grey).

 

 

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Figure 3: Photograph taken in 1900 which shows Huckleberry Point in the distant back left corner.

 

The 1890s were important years in Hamilton because it was when the industrial sector took off.  For Hamilton locals, this meant a time of prosperity due to the economic boom that the industry brought. Having just been deemed a city in 1846, the first few decades were challenging for Hamilton as the city suffered economically and even reached near bankruptcy in the 1860s.  It was for this reason that the city’s industrialization was welcomed with open arms by citizens who were unknowing of the future health and environmental repercussions. Hamilton became an industrial hub as it was near both coal supply from the United States and iron ore from northern Ontario. The waterfront on the Hamilton Harbour made for easy transportation of materials and products to and from the industrial plants. The Hamilton Public Library Archives retains a quote from an American visitor who came to Hamilton in 1889, the quote reads:

 

 

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The new blast furnace set Hamilton ahead in terms of steel production, but the technology came with significant environmental impacts. Blast furnaces function through a combustion process that releases carbon, nitrogen, sulphur, and other elements into the atmosphere.  In a coke-fuelled blast furnace, iron ore pellets, and dolomite are conveyed into the blast furnace and molten iron is subsequently carried out.  This molten iron is then transported to a steelmaking shop where it is moved into a basic oxygen furnace. It is then mixed with scrap steel, fluxes, and additives before being blown with oxygen to remove carbon and impurities.  To put the severity of the environmental impact of this process into context, the concentration of CO2  produced by these furnaces are the primary cause of global warming and the steel industry is responsible for 8% of the world's anthropogenic CO2 emissions.​

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While at this time there are few recorded data sets on environmental impacts, such as air and water quality, there is substantial data specific to population health that was recorded beginning in 1900. For instance, in 1900, the rate of cancer in Hamilton was 18% greater than the average for other Ontario cities.   Coke ovens, like those present in Hamilton's newly developed blast furnace, are known to contain carcinogens including cadmium and arsenic .   The higher incidence of cancer may therefore be correlated to the growing steel industry.

 

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