Discover 7 cool claims to fame

The Mattamy National Cycling Centre is the only velodrome of its kind in Canada, and only the second in North America that meets top international standards. The facility features a 250-metre timber track and has the same designation velodromes must attain to hold Olympic, Paralympic and elite world championships. “Try the Track” and “Intro to Track Cycling” programs cater to riders of all ages who want to learn to ride specialty track bikes.

The Tim Hortons chain was founded in 1964 in Hamilton, when the very first coffee shop opened at 65 Ottawa Street North. Today, Tim Hortons’ first location features a small visitors museum and a replica of the original 1964 sign that once marked the location of this iconic Canadian brand. Ottawa Street is also known as one of Hamilton’s best shopping neighbourhoods, specializing in stores for home décor and do-it-yourself enthusiasts. After your donut, browse for fabric, furniture, antiques and art.

The crowd-pleasing Mediterranean Garden at Burlington’s RBG is Canada’s only Mediterranean greenhouse, and the place to see both cork trees and giant cactuses. This indoor garden blooms through the winter with countless cacti, spectacular succulents, and exotic plants of all kinds hailing from far-flung places like Australia, Chile and South Africa.

The 150-year old historic Hamilton Waterworks is a civil and power engineering landmark that houses two 70-ton steam powered water pumping engines, thought to be the oldest surviving Canadian-built engines. The building is home to the Museum of Steam and Technology, where you can take a tour and observe these full scale steam water pumps in working condition.

A miniature marvel, the RBG’s Botanical Train Show in Burlington boasts 250 feet of track and famous Canadian landmarks constructed from over seven tons of cedar slabs, 3,000 pounds of rock and countless other natural materials. It’s on show every holiday season, which is also the time to hop on the RBG Express, a small train that runs through Hendrie Park. Train lovers round out their day at the Rock Garden Escarpment Train Exhibit, RBG’s newest model train experience that illustrates three eras of locomotive history.

Inventor Alexander Graham Bell brought fame to Brantford when he invented the telephone here on July 26th, 1874, and made the first-ever long distance call on August 10th, 1876. The Bell Homestead, which provided the stage for this invention, is a National Historic Site and was restored to appear as it was in Bell’s day. The site has welcomed visitors from around the world – including Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II – since 1910.

The Halton County Radial Railway has been used for a number of films, TV shows, music videos and commercials over the years using its collection of railcars, work equipment and buses from the late nineteenth century to the mid-1990s and its historic railway station. All aboard for unlimited historic streetcar rides on two kilometres of scenic track, with stops at its famous ice cream shop.