Hamilton Street Railway kicks off 150th anniversary with launch of downtown exhibit

Hamilton's transit agency hits a milestone in May and will celebrate with a variety of events and promotions until late December.

Two drivers who’ve spent more than 45 years each working for Hamilton Street Railway say the appearance of their riders over the decades is the first thing that comes to their mind when recalling their careers behind the wheel.

Both Pasquale “Pat” Almonte, a driver for 45 years, and the retired Maurice Powell, driver for 53 years, remember how industrial workers dressed in overalls and business people in formal wear and briefcases were a common sight packing the service’s downtown routes regularly.

“When I started in 1979, we used to get a lot of workers going to the industrial area of Hamilton,  like Stelco, Dofasco, Firestone … because there was not enough parking,” Almonte recalls.

“Coming down from the Mountain was packed as well, we used to get business people with suits and briefcases coming to downtown Hamilton to the offices, again because there was not enough parking.”

He admits riders’ appearances now are much more casual amid a growing city that has an annual ridership of about 21 million per year.

The veterans say that once signed on with the HSR they never thought of doing anything else, insisting there have been more good times on the job than rough days.

“I just love the job,” Almonte says.

“I like interacting with people, I like seeing life from behind the wheel and the windshield.”