Local History:
History of Gore Park (9)
In 1921 the first of the tree skirmishes occurred. The outcry touched "the felling of the tree known as the "Prince of Wales tree"...planted there during the historic visit of the late King Edward."
Alfred Wright, chairman of the Board of Parks Management, responded by stating "The tree in question was hollow and dangerous to those frequenting the park. While the board takes the stand that all such historic relics should be carefully preserved, it was regretfully obliged to safeguard citizens by removing it."
In 1921 a combined committee of the Men's and Women's Canadian Club approached City Council asking permission, Parks Board consenting, to erect a Cenotaph in the Gore Park extension on the site of the previously erected "oil derrick" flagpole. It was agreed to and a call for designs went out. Eight were submitted but the judges could not come to an agreement except that design No. 2 had possibilities. It was by F.H. Taylor. The sketch and artist were sent to Toronto to get suggestions on minor changes and on the re-design of the base. This decision was made by the Canadian Club at their executive meeting of August 5, 1921. By August 31st the winning designer was announced as W.R. Souter, whose sketches had not been accepted by the first assessors at all. Mr. Taylor had disappeared from the picture. Souter's design could be constructed for between 4 and 5 thousand dollars. They began construction and the Cenotaph was officially unveiled by the Governor General, Earl Byng of Vimy, on May 22, 1923. The Canadian Club had erected the Memorial solely by private donation.
All three monuments in the Gore, therefore, were erected solely by private subscription and did not cost the city a cent.
A pleasant change to Gore Park came in December of 1927 when it was decorated for Christmas. They built a tree of sorts in the fountain with evergreens, tinsel and coloured electric lights.
As the thirties began, yet another politician came up with a plan requiring "Goring the Gore". Mayor Peebles and City Engineer McFaul proposed slicing off 20 feet from the north side to allow a street railway diamond at King and James. This is the same mayor who had expressed the hope that in 50 years the park would have disappeared. The Herald was strongly opposed to the idea of changing Gore Park in any way and voiced the opinion strongly as they stated "All such open spaces and squares should be protected to the last inch. It is impossible to compensate the public for the loss of such priceless property. There is nothing that could be done or paid that would make up to the citizens for the loss of such a heritage."
Again Gore Park was saved but another problem cropped up almost immediately.
The benches had been removed from Prince's Square and therefore, those who were wont to sit there moved to the Gore. This led to a complaint being lodged with the Parks Board through T.B. McQuesten. "Mr. McQuesten announced that a well-known Hamilton lady had approached him regarding the practice of the city in permitting idlers to congregate in the park during the summer months. Visitors obtained a very unfavourable impression of Hamilton, she said, because of these habitués, who, like the lilies of the field, toiled not." Mr. McQuesten was inclined to think there was something in the complaint.
"Let these old fellows sit at home," he remarked.
"Maybe their wives won't let them," Chairman Langs observed.
The decade of the forties was a quiet one for the park. There were more pressing problems facing Hamiltonians, the war and the preparations to celebrate the centennial of Hamilton in 1946.
