Steve's Story:

Back in the day, what kid didn't want to head out into the woods and build a Fort? Or even more challenging, the Tree Fort. Growing up out in the west end of Hamilton, we were lucky enough to have that patch of woods that lies just under the 403, now a part of The White Chapel Cemetery, where we built a really nice solid club house on the ground. We even had a real wooden door I carried up Lower Horning on my back from a derelict house on Main St. West. Not so lucky with the Tree Fort though, trying to nail into Sugar Maple Trees was not so easy, lots of bent nails. Years later when I lived on Erie Avenue, I ventured out into the woods, this time entering on Burris St. which ends off Cumberland, right near where the old Life Savers Plant was.  No fences, just hopped across the train tracks, and there it was. This beautiful piece of plywood, just barely hanging on up there in an old Crab Apple tree. It took me 20 plus years to finally give it some love, and put the frame on it. If that wood could talk.