Raise the Hammer

I love that Hamilton is a "city of waterfalls", but isn't this campaign just a vanity project by Chris Ecklund? I wonder how grassrootsy it really is.

I'm surprised he hasn't demanded City Hall rename one of our more prominent waterfalls after him!

Chris Ecklund Falls. Imagine that!

Or a new slogan -

"Hamilton City of Waterfalls - presented by Chris Ecklund"

Why all the negativity? How is Ecklund's waterfalls thing different from this website? He's a citizen and he wants to promote an initative. How about giving the guy some credit for wanting to give back to his community in a way that makes sense for him?

Ming, you're totally right. I don't mean to crap on the plan, but the man is reeeeally hard to deal with.

The Hamilton Flickr Group does photo walks throughtout the city , all year long .

Were doing a Falls Walk on Wednesday Night in Ancaster .Its Free More information about our group is here http://www.hamiltonflickrgroup.com

You can view our Hamilton Flickr Pictures here http://www.flickr.com/groups/hamilton_fl...

Enjoy the Falls

John Piercy Hamilton Flickr Group

GORGEOUS photos, John! Thanks to all the Hamilton Flickr Group for sharing their perceptions of our awesome city.

That Chris Ecklund is going to get himself elected Mayor. He is encouraging hamilton; the current Mayor just wants to let the grass grow!

I find some of these comments really disturbing. Chris Ecklund constructs a website to draw national attention to Hamilton's position as Waterfall Capital of the World. This is good for our city on all fronts: it gives us a 'handle' that will appeal to tourists and hopefully encourage businesses to set up a local branch or outlet here. To refer to it as a frivolous 'vanity project' suggests to me that the posters are either jealous or have a personal agenda against Mr. Ecklund.

The man has founded several successful companies and uses a good portion of his income to support community improvements. Tell you what- do as much for Hamilton as he has, and THEN shoot arrows.

Here here Appreciative Citizen. I don't know this Ecklund guy from Adam, but this is a positive campaign showcasing some of the beauty we sometimes take for granted. When I was a kid I loved exploring all the trails and waterfalls in Hamilton, I think the flickr group (comment above) has the right idea!

Some of my friends were complaineing that Ecklund hosts Larry DiIanni on his website, as if that makes the City of Waterfalls a bad idea. Hey, I'll partner with anyone who has a good idea and wants to work to make it happen, who cares about their politics. Look at the LRT campaign, people from all over the Hamilton map are supporting it, that should be our model for making good things happen, finding campaigns everyone can agree on and working together when we can instead of always attacking each other.

Whoops, double post! Must be a new vanity project of mine.

Nobrainer and Barton Fink St, well said. We should enjoy the project for what it will do for the city, unless you're so ignorant that you scorn the gift to spite the giver.

Wow, some of your comments about him are unbelievable bordering on slanderous.

The guy is doing everything in his power to better this City and this is how you talk about him?

You obviously have no clue about the man, and a statement that he is hard to deal with is proof there is a hidden agenda at work here, he is one of the nicest men you would ever meet.

@downtownista -> you're wondering how "grassrootsy" the city of waterfalls iniative is? Isn't Chris Ecklund a citizen and resident of Hamilton just like the rest of us? Why is it grassroots when an activist an initiative but not grassroots when a business entrepreneur does it?

It looks to me like Chris Ecklund wants to be part of the solution. I'm glad to see RTH bring attention to this worthy cause and to see principled people come to his defence in the comments.

Shame about the obstructionists above, they know who they are. We have to fight off the trolls and keep the good stuff happening! Here's to Hamilton's future, cascading like a waterfall!!

I know this Chris Ecklund. He is the real deal and wants to improve Hamilton. He pays with his own nickel to do it. Barton Fink, you should get new friends. They are the kind of low lives who want to keep this city down.
Read Chris' Blog. it makes for very interesting and compelling reading on how to improve Hamilton.

Barton Fink:

Barton Fink is a 1991 film by Joel and Ethan Coen. It tells the story of Barton Fink (John Turturro), a young, intense, and rather awkward writer of social realist plays in the early 1940s whose raison d'être is to "create a theatre of the common man," but who is suffering from writer's block and has no ability to relate to "the common man."

I think the Barton Fink Jr. who wrote nasty things works at City Hall. And we know exactly where, right BF?

@Snoopy

Eh? I don't work at City Hall. And did you actually READ what I wrote before calling it "nasty things"??

All I can say is unless you walk a mile in someone else's shoes, you don't know $#!T about them! CHRIS ECKLUND IS EXCEEDINGLY GENEROUS!
Anyone who TRULY KNOWS him and what his hopes are for Hamilton would feel proud of him to take the initiative to take the bull by the horns!
He has an INCREDIBLE vision and drive to promote his community to the world to show them the hidden or overlooked beauty within! A Diamond in the rough... if he is the only one to pick up that "dirty rock" and keep polishing it gently until the brilliance shines through, then I say KUDOS TO YOU CHRIS ECKLUND!!! I WISH I COULD WORK AND LIVE THERE TO STAND BY HIS SIDE TO HELP!!! I love the hidden beauty in Hamilton and I don't even live there!
Tell you what.... anyone of you negative people really hate Hamilton so much, I will gladly trade you... you come live and work where I do and I will take you place there!!! I WOULD BE RIGHT THERE POLISHING UP HAMILTON IN THE EYES OF THE WORLD BESIDE CHRIS ECKLUND WITH THE BIGGEST SMILE ON MY FACE!

You must understand that most of these posts do not question how a business achieves exposure in the marketplace. Sales personnel, trade magazines, donations, etc.

This is not what is being called into question here.
One can only draw a conclusion that the heighten activity is due in part to the self absorbed testimonials of this individual to which can only be described as historical rhetoric.

In any event.

The majority of these posts question the true meaning of your neighbour's intent.
Furthermore surfacing the unfounded accusations towards Ms. Chapman and attempting to use the media to accelerate opinion before we all weigh in.

More importantly the ability to use or connect to events/people for the sole purpose of posturing in a "Philanthropy" disguise that is being exposed at all levels to date.
I find it odd that such an individual would play this out in the media at the expense of Ms. Chapman.

However on the surface I am not surprised.

The cards are falling. This is not a form of positive exposure from a business perspective at all.

Leadership starts with "Lead not BIG."
Cash is short term.......integrity like Ms Chapman last a life time. Priceless.