Hamilton is located in the southern area of the Ontario province on the west end of the Niagara Peninsula. It wraps around the westernmost portion of Lake Ontario. The major physical features of the city include Hamilton Harbour and the Niagara Escarpment, which runs through the middle of the city, dividing it into upper and lower parts.
Hamilton became the center of a densely populated and industrialized region in the west end of Lake Ontario, which is called the Golden Horseshoe. In 2001, the current boundaries of the city of Hamilton were created by the amalgamation of the city with five municipalities nearby, including:
- Ancaster;
- Dundas;
- Flamborough;
- Glanbrook; and
- Stoney Creek.
Residents of the city are referred to as Hamiltonians. The economy of Hamilton is based mostly upon steel and heavy manufacturing industries.
Manufacturing is an important part of the economy of Ontario. The Toronto-Hamilton region is the country’s most industrialized area.
Sixty percent of the steel produced in Canada is made in Hamilton, which has become known as the Steel Capital of Canada. In recent years, the economy has seen a shift towards the service sector, including health and sciences.
The city of Hamilton is home to many attractions, including:
- The Royal Botanical Gardens;
- The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum;
- The Bruce Trail;
- McMaster University;
- Redeemer University College;
- Mohawk College;
- The HMCS Haida National Historic Site;
- Dundurn Castle;
- The Canadian Football Hall of Fame;
- The African Lion Safari Park;
- The Cathedral of Christ the King;
- The Workers’ Art and Heritage Centre; and
- The Hamilton Museum of Steam & Technology.
McMaster University is ranked 69th in the world and 4th in Canada by the Times Higher Education Rankings in 2021. The city of Hamilton faced a blackout in 2003 as well as a tornado in 2005.
The city of Hamilton is home to the Tiger-Cats in the Canadian football league. The Forge FC is the soccer team in the city, in the Canadian Premier League.
In addition to these team sports, Hamilton has an auto race track, the Flamboro Speedway as well as Canada’s fastest harness horse racing track, the Flamboro Downs. Similar to the other provinces which are in Canada, Ontario does have some strange laws, which include:
- Snowmen are not permitted to be higher than 30 inches;
- A product cannot be labeled as maple syrup when, in fact, it is not;
- A comic book which depicts a criminal act cannot be:
- Sold;
- Published; or
- Possessed;
- It is against the law to scare the Queen.
Additional Hamilton Law Information
For individuals who are seeking help from lawyers in Hamilton, Canada it may be helpful to have an awareness of the differences in the terminology and processes that are used between the United States and Canada. For example, a Canadian lawyer may be referred to as a solicitor or a barrister.
In the United States, individuals who practice law are referred to as attorneys and lawyers. In contrast, the term attorney is only used to describe individuals in Canada who are appointed under a power of attorney.
This awareness of terminology may also be helpful when an individual is seeking legal assistance and is using a service such as LegalMatch or other services based in the United States. In LegalMatch’s system, the search terms attorney and lawyer may be used interchangeably because the content is created by individuals who have American vocabularies.
No distinction is made in the United States between a lawyer who practices in court and a lawyer who does not. In Canada, however, lawyer is used to describe an individual who has been called to the bar.
In Canada, a lawyer can appear in court and represent their clients in court. In addition to terminology differences, there are also differences between the processes in the United States and Canada.
This includes the availability of large damages awards and the way legal fees are handled. In the United States, large damages awards are commonly awarded to individuals in personal injury cases.
Canada, on the other hand, has limited the amount to around $400,000. The two countries also handle legal fees differently, with the American Rule being used in the United States, where each party pays their own legal fees.
In contrast, Canada follows the English Rule, where legal costs are paid by the losing party. The court system in the province has two divisions, the Superior Court of Justice and the Ontario Court of Justice.
The Superior Court of Justice oversees more serious cases, which include:
- Serious criminal offenses;
- Divorces;
- Civil cases;
- Civil cases which involve large sums of money; and
- A challenge to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The Ontario Court of Justice oversees cases which include:
- Criminal offenses, except for the most serious offenses;
- Pre-trial hearings, or preliminary hearings, in criminal cases which will go to The Superior Court; and
- Violations of provincial laws.
These court divisions also have specialized branches, including the Family Court and Small Claims Court branches of the Superior Court of Justice. If a court ruling is in dispute, it may be heard by the Court of Appeal for Ontario.
The Court of Appeal for Ontario is separate and distinct from other courts in Ontario. Typically, this court provides the final ruling on the legal issues it hears.
An appeal of a ruling from the Court of Appeal for Ontario would go to the highest court in the country, the Supreme Court of Canada.
Locate Lawyers in Hamilton, Canada and Hamilton, Canada Attorneys Quickly
Before choosing your barrister or solicitor in Hamilton, it is important to check that your potential legal representative has completed all of the educational training which is required in addition to having the proper certifications. In order to become a lawyer in the city of Hamilton or the province of Ontario, an individual is required to complete high school and earn an undergraduate degree.
The individual who desires to become a lawyer must then complete law school. Following law school, the lawyer is required to complete an articling program, which typically lasts around one year, and then pass the bar exam.
Lawyers in Canada are permitted to define their own practices using the title which they choose. For example, a barrister is a lawyer who appears in court or in mediation.
A solicitor, on the other hand, is a lawyer who does not appear in court and whose practice often involves document preparation, such as wills and contracts. If you are seeking to find the top lawyers in Hamilton, LegalMatch is an excellent resource.
LegalMatch is a service which can assist you with finding a list of lawyers in Hamilton who are equipped to handle your legal issue or issues. LegalMatch provides detailed information on pre-screened lawyers in the area, including:
- Background information on each lawyer;
- The experience and educational information of each lawyer;
- Fee information for each lawyer;
- Whether the lawyer has malpractice coverage; and
- Reviews from former clients, or lawyer ratings.
For more information on the Hamilton, Ontario lawyers, you can visit the Hamilton Law Association website at https://www.hamiltonlaw.on.ca/.