Was Today Years Old When I Found Out...Hamilton was Canada’s first ‘Electric City’! 🤯💡 While Toronto was still in the dark, Hamilton was already glowing—13 years earlier!
At the corner of Wellington & Ferrie, you’ll find an epic mural of Nikola Tesla, painted by local artist Lester Coloma. But now that we’ve seen it… we can’t unsee the fact that Tesla’s hands look like he’s absolutely SHREDDING on an air guitar. 🎶⚡
Back in 1896, when Hamilton (pop. 51,000) needed cheap, sustainable power to attract industry, jobs, and political clout, the Five Johns (Patterson, Gibson, Dickenson, Moodie Sr., and Southerland) launched Cataract Power Company. They took a gamble, investing $99,000 (aka $3 million today!) into hydroelectricity—at a time when people thought sending power over long distances was impossible.
The solution? Decew Falls near St. Catharines, where the Decew I Power Generating Station was built, powering Hamilton into the future.
So next time you see Tesla downtown, remember—he didn’t just light up Hamilton, he also rocks a mean air guitar. 🤘⚡
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