The Smells of Hamilton
 

Based on the recent discussion of smells in the Hamilton Census thread, and on FairHamilton's suggestion, I am starting a dedicated stink thread.

I want to determine if the argument that "hamilton smells bad" is valid, because my nose is apparently immune to hammer stink and I can't make a proper assessment.

Bring a lawn chair and sit at the corner of Victoria and Burlington St and report back to us if you smelt anything lol.

Great one astroblaster. I think we should have a template of info to report. I don't think there's anyone else out there collecting this type of info, and I think it's valuable.

Example:

Location: i.e. King & Wentworth
Smell Description: i.e. Sulfur, Oil, Sewage, etc
Date: (including day of week)
Time of Day:
Weather: i.e. Wind direction, sunny, cloudy, cool, humid, etc.

Any others?

Location: Red Hill Bowl baseball diamonds, near the old combined stormwater overflow area
Smell Description: Sewage
Date: the 90s
Time of Day: evening
Weather: after rainfall

Me and my friends got so used to this smell, that we started to like it.

I'm not sure if the expressway related re-construction has improved this.

I think the same smell is produced at any of the overflow sites.

I'm used to the smell too. But I notice it when I'm away for a while a return to the Hammer.

In fairness, visit a large European city, Athens, Istanbul, Rome and you'll smell some bad odours too. But I guess the visual sites, architecture and liveliness more then make up for it.

i won't tell you what saigon smells like...but it rhymes with sit.

I just returned from a week in Mexico and I've been amazed at the beautiful smells of fragrant flowers since returning. I was in the desert in Cabo, so no fragrance there.

In the spring, the entire west side of downtown smells like lilac. It's amazing. Come along Cannon and once you pass James St it hits you. It's beautiful.

Bunge smells downtown on days with a NE wind and 'inversion' - cool air staying in the lower city.
I've smelt manure and other farm smells at my folks place on the Mountain.
Yes, Stipley and central Ham can taste the sulfur when the wind blows properly.

As a kid I used to LOVE the smell by the Lifesavers factory on Cumberland.

The grain elevator in town is on Eastport Dr...don't think you could smell that downtown.
Strongest of all is the brewery. Again though, only with a NE wind or if you live right near it.

I must also add that the last time I walked in downtown TO it smelled like a vomit/pee combo. Quite gross.

i used to hang out here after rainfalls in the 90's. I'd play tennis.

The world's great cities smell worse than here. London absolutely reeks of diesel because all the cars there run on it. I don't smell anything living downtown, only the hops from the brewery towards the north end, which is not unpleasant. If anyone here has tried Mill St. Organic, it has such a raw flavour I say it tastes like James and Burlington smells. And somehow not in a bad way.

On most days in the summer while traveling up or down the 403 between Ancaster and Hamilton you can smell it when you hit the layer of smog that hovers over the city. It's quite noticable even without your windows open. That smell is straight up vehicle exhaust, nothing else.

I honestly don't find Hamilton smelly. All cities have smells. I used to get nauseated by the smell from the Labatt Brewery in downtown London when I lived there, and it was frequent. I've never smelled anything that offensive here, even in industrial areas.

When I suggested a separate thread it wasn’t my intention to have posts saying Hamilton smelled/doesn’t smell, or that other cities smell better/worse.

I’d envisioned a thread that people would post to when they smelled something that wasn’t localized (i.e. smell of vomit/pee in a laneway, or sewage from a sewer grate would be considered localized). Sulfur, oil, brewery smell in a neighbourhood would be post worthy. I’ll happy transpose those posts into a spreadsheet, and map on Google Earth, and after a period of time, say 6 months, send it to the city.

Location:
Smell Description:
Date:
Time of Day:
Weather:

I think some of those smells are just smells (i.e. brewery), but I think other smells like sulfur could potentially pose a long-term health risk. As I mentioned in the other thread, I could smell it during the thunderstorm on Sunday night and last night when I wiped down the patio table the paper towel turned black.

Flar, I agree breweries can be nasty. One of the worst days of my life was hung-over during Froshweek in Waterloo when both the Seagram’s distillery and Labatt Brewery were in operation……….

yah i'm right near the molson brewery by the 427.. its pretty nasty some days

I think Ancaster smells.

We can use it for both, no? both general smell discussion, and stink reports.

Wow, me too (for the most part).
I went to elementary school right down the street (Notre Dame, on Cumberland just west/ Gage) and we could smell Lifesavers everyday! In the summer, when our windows were opened, wow. Delish. HOWEVER, I HATED the smell of the butterscotch ones. They smelled like rotting vomit :s

Growing up in Upper Stoney Creek, even the residential areas, all I could ever smell was manoer (sp?) b/c of the Mushroom Farms in the area. Damn it stunk.

Now I live in the Wind Tunnell of Hamilton (Charlton Ave E), and don't get a chance to smell much as the wind blows everything away. However, I can smell Bunge (Canola Oil plant) every now-and-then if I'm walking at street-level.

edit: Sorry FairHamilton, I just wanted to document the smells I've smelled in the various areas of the city I've lived.

I love going to the Fortinos at Main St W because it's right next to the Cadbury factory. You could smell the chocolate, I think they make those little chocolate eggs.

that cadbury factory smells awesome. i thought they made Winegums there

Ah yes, the Cadbury factory, that's a smell I'm familiar with when I go to Fortino's. It's very localized and not a bad smell.

Another favourite smell is when McDonald's was around at Limeridge Road before relocating. I love the smell of McDonald's fries.

Now the new McDonald's must have better filters because you can't smell the fries from outside.

sure you can. Try hanging out in Victoria Park when there's a strong SW wind. It's horrible (I hate the smell of McD's...lol).

I used to work there. They don't make chocolate there, just sour patch kids, swedish berries, etc. That smell isn't too awesome when you're right at the source but I agree it's nice when you pass by.

The Lifesaver factory on Cumberland was awesome. I'm really depressed that operations were moved to the US. I took that place for granted when it was around.

The one-two punch of Lakeport brewery and Bunge (how did these guys get past an EA when they expanded?) can turn the lower city into a pretty pungent place. Not recoil in horror stinky, but a continuous, musky funk.

And don't get me started about when Stelco/Dofasco let out a sulfur plume (anyone know why this happens?)

The new central compost facility across from my office doesn't smell a whiff though, weirdly enough.

actually Bunge's new plant is pretty nifty. nothing like the old one. I hope they demolish that old one and build another new one.

I used to work at John Bear Pontiac on Upper James when Swiss Chalet was next door. The used car guys could smell Swiss Chalet all day. I would sometimes smell it when I was getting on the Linc.

Location: scenic dr., above chedoke falls
Smell Description: Sewage, and not that nice sewer smell i've posted about previously
Date: Tuesday, June 18th / 2008
Time of Day: 5pm
Weather: after rainfall

i guess this smell is to be expected after rain, but from now on my policy is if i smell it i post it.

Location: King & Sherman
Smell Description: Sulphur
Date: Sunday June, 22, 2008
Time of Day: 9pm
Weather: Light wind from NE (smell gone within 10 minutes).

Smell came back at 9:30pm when the light wind from the NE returned.

gee, I wonder what that smell could be.
Strange though...over here by Vic Park the wind is out of the west. Has been all evening. Guess the lake is trying to switch it around down your way.

That comment sounds very flippant. What do you think it is? Please do share.

Location: Sherman & Delaware
Smell Description: Sulphur
Date: Thursday July, 3, 2008
Time of Day: 9pm
Weather: Light wind from NE (no smell south of Delaware)

Location: Sherman & Vineland
Smell Description: Sulphur
Date: Saturady July 5, 2008
Time of Day: 9am
Weather: Light wind from NE

Location: Sherman & Vineland
Smell Description: Sulphur
Date: Saturday July 5, 2008
Time of Day: 10pm
Weather: Light wind from NE

Location: Sherman & Vineland
Smell Description: Sulphur
Date: Saturday July 6, 2008
Time of Day: 8am - 10am
Weather: No to very little wind

If you notice odour coming from a plant (it's best to know where the smell is coming from to make a complaint) – call and complain:

MOE – Hamilton 905-521-7650
Or the 24 hour line 1-800-268-6060

Good suggestion, and thanks for the numbers, but I'm a couple of kilometres from the steel mills. So have no idea where (which plant, if it's even from the steel mills) the smell is coming from, only that it exists.

Smog soars to unhealthy level in Hamilton today
BY ERIC McGUINNESS
The Hamilton Spectator

The air quality index (AQI) soared to a poor 78 in downtown Hamilton at noon today, prompting the Ontario Environment Ministry to issue a smog advisory.

At anything over 50, people with respiratory disease are advised to avoid prolonged exertion, and the general population is considered at risk.

Dave Yap, the ministry’s senior science advisor, said light easterly winds off the lake were trapping local industrial and traffic pollution over the city.

Levels here were higher than anywhere else in the province, and the 78 reading downtown was the highest seen so far this year. The worst previous day was April 18 when the AQI downtown hit 55 at 3 p.m.

Yap said the poor air was expected to persist through the afternoon.

The noon reading on Hamilton Mountain was 58, in Hamilton West 48. Burlington was at 23 and Toronto Downtown at 18.

Crap. I went for a jog from St. Joes to the top of the Wentworth steps and back right around noon. I can say though, that the Madison looks like it is coming along.

I found it exceptionally bad on Friday August 22, 2008. I went for a bike ride and called it off at 10km's because of the air quality. I phoned my wife at work when I got home and she said, "What's with your voice, you are all hoarse", and per that article things are worse today.

Anyone voting Green??

I am voting green FairHamilton. I voted green the past few elections.

Basically voting anything BUT conservative will help ensure things are done about it.

Yes, it's a well known fact that all the major parties but the Conservatives have the ability to prevent slight easterly breezes and atmospheric temperature inversions.

Also, I heard that the Liberals have a plan to ban lake effect snowfalls and the NDP have a plan to create more pleasant lake breezes.

You're missing the point. The environment is simply not a significant part of the Conservative platform. Nor should this be surprising, given the roots of the party in oil-rich Alberta. Compare the wording of the issue on the various party websites - From the Conservatives, it really does sound like half-hearted lip service. In fact, occasional bigotry aside, it's my only serious beef with the party.

For an excellent rundown of the differences between the various environmental platforms put forward this fall, see Ryan McGreal's article in Raise the Hammer. http://raisethehammer.org/blog.asp?id=1100

Lol....classic stuff.

Seriously, in this city Green's should have major traction, period. But they don't seem to, and that's puzzling (then again, maybe not).

http://thespec.com/article/423128

http://thespec.com/article/418290

http://thespec.com/article/343230

http://thespec.com/article/402264

http://thespec.com/article/415096

To date, the federal conservatives and the provincial liberals have done nothing. Heck, I may have done more then the two combined when I had the Ministry of Environment at my house for 1 hour in mid-August to take my report and my pictures from the plume the night of the Ticat game.........

I agree, FairHamilton. There was a day in early October last fall when there was a thick "fog" that was actually faintly green/brownish. Many people I spoke to suggested it was probably mist from the escarpment. I should add that I had particular difficulty jogging that night. Owing to breathing problems, in fact, I had to cut my routine in half. Guess that mountain gets pretty misty, eh? My recent home on the west coast was certainly not immune from air quality problems, particularly in the suburbs, but I have to say that living in a major manufacturing town (with, for some reason, 5 lane one-way streets downtown) brings the issues of climate warming and air pollution into sharp relief. It would be great to see the Greens have somewhat of a presence out here, or anywhere in Canada for that matter.

Environmental Commissioner Gord Miller recently released an Annual Report that offered up a frank assessment of where we're at. Apparently we aren't getting nearly enough smog days.

Miller writes:

In Ontario, air pollution is a public health crisis, with thousands of premature deaths attributed to air pollution each year. To help the public reduce or modify their exposure to poor air quality, the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) monitors and provides regular updates on regional ambient air quality through its on-line Air Quality Index (AQI) (see www.airqualityontario.com). MOE’s 40 monitoring stations measure six key air pollutants known to be harmful to human health, including ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5).

Unfortunately, Ontarians who rely on the government’s AQI may be lulled into a false sense of security about the quality of the air they breathe. MOE’s monitoring stations are intentionally located away from local sources of pollutants in order to provide representative information about regional average exposure to air pollutants; while MOE’s data is useful for predicting air quality on a regional scale, it does not provide information about local – “street-level” – air quality at any given location. Current reporting of air quality by MOE based on the AQI may lead Ontarians to believe that air quality on the streets is better than it actually is.

To illustrate this concern, in the summer of 2007 the ECO asked air quality experts to monitor the air quality at street-level at a variety of locations across Ontario. The results revealed that levels of particulate matter were consistently higher at street-level sampling locations than at MOE’s equivalent AQI monitoring stations. For example, while street-level samples collected in downtown Toronto recorded concentrations of particulate matter equivalent to the AQI’s “very poor” category, MOE’s Toronto downtown AQI station reported air quality to be “good” at that time.

So it stands to reason that a car and its driver at street level are flooded with this higher level of pollution (an air filter can only do so much) constantly throughout their daily commute. Not a great way to start each and every day IMHO