Accidental Activist

Kinetic Potential

Dave Kuruc exemplifies what's good about this city.

By Ben Bull
Published January 10, 2007

It seems that whenever anyone laments the lack of progress in Hamilton, they feel compelled to talk about the town's potential. One thing I have realized about Hamilton's potential is that this is not limited to its geographical location, its natural features or it's concentration of industry.

It's also about the people.

I first met Dave Kuric during a Yard Sale in the east end. I was sitting on a friends' lawn, helping him fence an assortment of stolen goods to his unsuspecting neighbours.

"How much for this car radio that, er...looks a lot like mine?"

"One dollar."

"How much for this bike with my name on it?"

"One dollar."

Dave wandered by with a box full of books and some scratched LPs and plonked them on the grass. "Mind if I use your lawn?"

Instead of lazing around like the rest of us and insulting the customers, he began running up and down, manhandling the buyers and hawking his wares like an old fashioned mountebank. "I'm not asking five dollars! I'm not asking four dollars!"

After fleecing half the street Dave sat down and told me he was a graphic designer at the Hamilton Spectator. "For now..."

About a year later I bumped into him again, at a function in Dundas, and he told me all about his soon to be launched publication, H Magazine.

"I hope people like it."

They did, and two years later, they still do.

Next thing I hear, on Raise the Hammer's Downtown Update, is that Dave has ditched his job at the Spec and opened up an arts supply shop, Mixed Media on James Street North.

What next? I wondered.

Well, just last month came the announcement that Dave Kuric's design for the new fleet of Hamilton Hybrid buses has been selected. Kuric's logo expertly captures the very essence of Hamilton's own unique potential - the escarpment, the core, and the waterfront.

But that's the thing about potential. It's a great thing to have, but it's a far better thing to realize.

Just ask Dave.

RTH would like to congratulate Dave Kuric on his wonderful new HSR design. We look forward to seeing this sweeping past us when the new fleet hits the road in 2007.

Ben Bull lives in downtown Toronto. He's been working on a book of short stories for about 10 years now and hopes to be finished tomorrow. He also has a movie blog.

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