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City of Hamilton, Culture Division PSA

Return of Restored Cannons with Newly Replicated Carriages to Smith’s Knoll

Hamilton, ON – May 31, 2010 – On Thurs. Jun. 3, five cannons that formerly rested on wooden carriages at the Smith’s Knoll Monument, commemorating the War of 1812, in Stoney Creek will be returned fully restored and with newly cast replica metal carriages.

The cast iron cannons (a pair of three-metre-long, three ton Bloomfield naval cannons from the 1760s and four smaller pieces from the 1840s weighing about 680 kilograms each) had become unsightly over the past years because of corrosion. In March, they were transported to the Ottawa area for conservation treatment. The wooden carriages holding the cannons deteriorated as well and it was feared that they would not safely support the heavy cannons in the coming years. Metal carriages were created, replicas of designs used in the War of 1812 period for cannons when not in battle. The new metal carriages are not only more historically accurate, they will be much easier to maintain in future years and last far longer than wooden ones.

Conservation of the cannons and the replication of new carriages is part of the City of Hamilton’s ongoing conservation and maintenance program for the City’s Public Art and Monument Collection. Every year numerous public art pieces, monuments and cenotaphs receive inspections, and specialized cleaning and maintenance to protect them from the harsh outdoor elements – and each year, according to a priority list, those in need of major work receive treatment. In 2010, Gore Park Fountain, the Birks Clock and the Smith’s Knoll cannons were priority projects.


Other outdoor Public Art and Monument objects receiving annual cleaning and protective coatings this summer include:

Ancaster:

Girl on a Rock
Ancaster Cenotaph
Girl Reading a Book (Fieldcote Memorial Park & Museum)

Dundas:

Spirit of Youth (Dundas Driving Park)
Family (Dundas Driving Park)
Dundas Cenotaph

Stoney Creek

Augustus Jones (City Centre fountain)
Stoney Creek Cenotaph
Island (Riverdale Community Centre)

Downtown Hamilton

Sir John A. Macdonald (Gore Park)
Queen Victoria (Gore Park)
Rafayaga/Unleashed (Pier 8)
Migration (City Hall grounds)
United Empire Loyalists (McMaster Downtown campus)
Pebbles on a Beach (Waterfront Trail)