I recently moved to Hamilton from Toronto,where had I lived for more than 30 years. We moved west so that I could be closer to my aging parents, who live in the Woodstock area. With my husband still working in downtown Toronto, we found ourselves looking in Westdale and Ancaster. At the time there was next-to-no resale housing available in Westdale, so we decided on Ancaster. It is too bad that Westdale did not have housing available at the time we were looking, because Westdale is where I spend a lot of time.
The many lovely shops in Westdale have made this a destination shopping area for me. I have coffee there regularly with my friends. My church is in Westdale. The flower shops have attracted my business too, because I love to send flowers for special occasions. I love the fact that I can park my car and walk to all my necessary destinations in Westdale. I even take my dogs for grooming at the Westdale Dog Salon. The Westdale Theatre is a great place to see a movie—I love the movies that arrive there, and I am not bombarded with loud sound or with endless advertisements. My friends from Toronto now visit me to attend a movie. The best bookstore and service I have ever experienced is Bryan Prince Bookseller. I make a regular visit there each Christmas with my list of book titles to buy for the children in my life. The staff are among the most friendly and knowledgeable bibliophiles in the business. The Casual Gourmet is also a store I cannot live without; since coming to Hamilton I have made it my wedding–gift store of choice. “The” Boutique is simply a joyful place in which to shop, with its fine selection of artistic pieces of jewellery and accessories—all against a background of classical music. The Global Village Market is the only place for me when it comes to coffee on the run and samosas for lunch. At Weil’s Bakery I had to discipline myself to resist the danishes, cinnamon rolls, and scrumptious oat cookies; I now go into Weil’s only when I have been watching my diet long enough to know that I will not do major damage when I treat myself.
Westdale has everything I need to be content. Although I do not live there,I can truly say that Westdale is one of the most beautiful residential areas anywhere. The tree-lined streets and the variety of shops are simply splendid. Since I have not been in every store or restaurant yet,I expect that there are still more treasures to be discovered in Westdale.
Trish Strung, First published in the Spring 07 newsletter, p3