Woodlands Park

Woodlands Park. . This land was occupied by various indigenous groups, including the Chonnonton Nation, meaning people who tend deer'. They were known by their neighbours as the 'Attiuoindaron' and by the French as the Neutrals., United Empire Loyalist Colonel Robert Land became the first European to settle in what became the Gibson and Landsdale Area neighbourhood (GALA). His home was named Woodland., The City of Hamilton acquired the estate in 1895. By 1905, the main Westinghouse plant, where the first mass produced radios and toasters in Canada were made, occupied much of Woodland's northern border. In 1917, the ornate office building opened on Sanford Ave, and the park provided hundreds of salaried staff and hourly workers shade under the mature trees of the park during breaks., From the 1930s through the 1940s, working conditions at many Hamilton factories were difficult. Woodlands Park became ground zero for organized labour and radical politics. The United Electrical Workers Local 504 led by Alf Ready agitated for better working conditions and higher pay. Stelco Local 1005 workers rallied here during the strike of 1946. Alarmist anti-labour sentiment among Hamilton business and political elites resulted in a traumatic park makeover' in 1947. Most of the stately trees, which concealed faces of workers attending mass meetings, were removed., Woodlands Park is still the hub of the GALA neighbourhood. A playground, baseball diamond and large field provide recreation opportunities for residents. Gardens are tended by community volunteers. The surrounding commercial area is experiencing an economic renaissance. ,