The sun sets on Hamilton East

scotto

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Posted with permission from the Hamilton Spectator.

Scrappy riding, tough politicians put city on map
By Wade Hemsworth
The Hamilton Spectator
(Mar 30, 2007)
East Hamilton may be alive and well, but Hamilton East is living its last days.

The political riding that came to define all of Hamilton to the outside world through its tough, colourful federal and provincial politicians, is about to be consigned to the scrap heap of history.

Hamilton East has been the city's political star factory, producing such memorable figures as Sam Lawrence, John Munro, Quinto Martini, Sheila Copps, Dominic Agostino, Bob Mackenzie and, almost, Lincoln Alexander.

(Almost, because Alexander was wooed by the Conservatives there, only to be rejected because he was black and couldn't win, according to his recent memoir. He switched ridings to run in Hamilton West.)

After more than 100 years, Hamilton East's storied and decidedly left- leaning political history began its final chapter when the plates of the electoral earth shifted, first federally and now provincially.

Boundary realignment has split Hamilton East in two, giving part to Stoney Creek, where the name lives on -- if a little weakly -- as Hamilton East-Stoney Creek. The rest of the riding has been hived off and grafted to the amorphous Hamilton Centre.

Last night, Andrea Horwath, the last East Hamilton member of any parliament -- federal or provincial -- officially became a candidate in Hamilton Centre, marking one of the final stages of a long ending.

Federally, Hamilton East died four years ago at age 100, having been born after the federal riding of Hamilton was abolished in 1903. At that time, the city was simply split into Hamilton East and Hamilton West. Conservative Samuel Barker was the first Hamilton East MP and died in 1915 after being elected to his fourth term. Sydney Chilton, another Hamilton lawyer, carried the Conservative tradition to 1931.

It was an impressive run for the Tories, but Hamilton East was not destined to be remembered for its Conservatives, with one notable exception: The party produced Canada's first Italian MP, Quinto Martini. Elected in 1957, he was Hamilton East's last Conservative.

Liberal warhorse John Munro carried the riding in 1962 and held it until 1984, when Sheila Copps took up the torch and held it to the end.

Copps, the last MP ever for Hamilton East, was ultimately unable to survive the realignment when she lost a bitterly contested nomination battle to Tony Valeri, who had held the neighbouring riding of Stoney Creek.

If the Liberals had dominated Hamilton East federally, the New Democrats and their forerunner, the CCF, owned it provincially.

In 1934, during the depths of the Depression, Hamilton East voters dumped the Conservatives and elected the CCF's Sam Lawrence to represent them at Queen's Park.

Though Lawrence served just one term, he went on to a greater political legacy as mayor of Hamilton, from 1944 to 1949, famously siding with the strikers in the Stelco strike of 1946 and becoming the namesake of the escarpment park that looks over the lower city.

Of the 73 years since Lawrence's election to the provincial legislature, Hamilton East has belonged to the New Democrats for 44.

And for nearly half that time, it was union activist Bob Mackenzie who held it from 1975 to 1995, serving four years as labour minister in Bob Rae's government.

Dominic Agostino, the fiery but media-friendly Sheila Copps protege who graduated from Hamilton city council to take the seat for the Liberals, served nine years before his untimely death.

In May, 2004, Horwath won the byelection that would turn out to be the last election ever held for the seat.

Hamilton East, born Liberal in the provincial election of 1894, will go out under the NDP flag when her term expires with the election of Oct. 10.

whemsworth@thespec.com

905-526-3254
 

scotto

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MPP picks Hamilton Centre

Daniel Nolan
Hamilton Spectator

MPP Andrea Horwath has started the ball rolling in wrapping up the history of the riding of Hamilton East.

The former city councillor, who has represented Hamilton East since a 2004 byelection to replace the late Dominic Agostino, was acclaimed last night the NDP candidate in the new provincial riding of Hamilton Centre. Hamilton East is disappearing because of redistribution in the Oct. 10 vote and its voters are being split between Hamilton Centre and the new riding of Hamilton East-Stoney Creek.

Horwath, whose former ward, Ward 2, is located in Hamilton Centre, was mindful of the history surrounding Hamilton East and was sorry to see it go.

She is the first local MPP to hold a nomination meeting. More than 100 people attended her meeting at the Parks Canada Discovery Centre, including NDP Leader Howard Hampton who praised Horwath's compassion and work at Queen's Park. The NDP/CCF have held the riding since 1955, except for the 1995-2004 Liberal Dominic Agostino period.

"It's historic," said Horwath. "But, the people of Hamilton East will never disappear and the issues facing Hamilton East will never disappear. It's a neighbourhood that's had a lot of challenges, whether industrial fallout, whether it's disinvestment in neighbourhoods ... The people of Hamilton, their spirit is always going to be there. It's certainly been an honour to represent that riding and I hope I did it justice from all the members that represented it."

The mother of one said she decided to run in Hamilton Centre as opposed to Hamilton East-Stoney Creek, even though she grew up in Stoney Creek, because of her political ties to the area.

"I was struggling with that decision, but I think it just makes sense for me to go back to my old home and see if they'll have me," she said.

It won't, however, be a coronation. The election is shaping up to be a battle between incumbents as Hamilton West Liberal MPP Judy Marsales considers running in the new riding.

Marsales, first elected in the 2003 general election, said she'll make up her mind after Victoria Day when she's talked to family, but she said yesterday she's leaning toward running again.

The realtor could have run in Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale, which has taken a chunk of her riding, but Liberal MPP Ted McMeekin is running there and Marsales didn't want to challenge him because "I think that's a lot of negative energy for no positive outcome."

"The best place for me to run is Hamilton Centre because of my roots. I live there. If things work out, my wish would be to run in Hamilton Centre."

She said facing Horwath does not worry her.

"She's a hard-working lady, but I think I'm also hard-working. I have a different vision for Hamilton. I'm up to the challenge."

Horwath had no qualms about facing off against Marsales. "It's always a challenge, no matter who you're facing. I think I have a good record and I hope (voters) recognize that and give me the honour of representing them."

dnolan@thespec.com
 
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