Could this be it???
Sewage smell swamps downtown
The Hamilton Spectator
There were widespread reports of a bad smell amid the fog and drizzle downtown and in north-central Hamilton at mid-afternoon today.
Amanda Denault in the Environment Ministry’s Hamilton district office, said staffers who investigated speculate it was caused by compounds known as TRS or total reduced sulphur, coming from Stelco, Dofasco or both.
The fire department, which speculated it was steel-mill coke-oven gas blown in on a northwest breeze, received the first call, reporting a natural gas odour in the area of Barton and Emerald streets at 3:06 p.m.
Responding firefighters described the smell as more like sewage.
A truck was also sent to Hamilton General Hospital about 3:20 p.m. Firefighters on that alarm said the odour seemed to be dissipating.
Other calls came from across a widespread area, one from a security guard at City Hall, which is now empty and awaiting renovation.