Holiday Schedule: What's Open & Closed

All City of Hamilton administrative offices will be closed from December 25 to January 1 and will reopen on January 2, 2025.

For emergencies involving roads, water mains, sewer systems, and safety issues, please call 905-546-2489 (CITY).

Accessible Transportation Services (ATS) DARTS

The ATS Customer Service office is open weekdays from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, not including statutory holidays. The office will be closed on December 25, 26 and January 1.

• DARTS will operate weekday service on December 24 and 31, Saturday service on December 26, and holiday service hours on December 25 and January 1.
• All subscription trips on DARTS, except for dialysis trips, are cancelled for December 25, 26 and January 1. If passengers need to travel on these days, they must make a reservation in advance.
• Full details on accessible transit are available at hamilton.ca/ats

Animal Services

The Animal Services office counter and shelter will be closed on December 25, 26, and January 1. The office counter and shelter will be open from December 27 to December 31.

• For animal-related emergencies, please call dispatch at 905-546-2489
• For Found animals at the shelter, visit 247 Dartnall Road during open hours.

Gage Park Tropical Greenhouse

• The Tropical Greenhouse at Gage Park hours will be:
  • Tuesday, December 24 – 10 am to 2 pm
  • Wednesday, December 25 – Closed
  • Thursday, December 26 – Closed
  • Friday, December 27 to Monday, December 30 – 9 am to 5 pm
  • Tuesday, December 31 – 10 am to 2 pm
  • Wednesday, January 1 – Closed
  • Thursday, January 2 – 9  am to 5 pm

Green Bin, Recycling, Garbage and Bulk Garbage

• There will be no green bin, blue box, yard waste, garbage or bulk garbage pick-up on December 25 or January 1. 
• During the weeks of December 23 and December 30, waste collection is only moved by one day if your collection day falls on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. There are no additional changes to the waste collection schedule due to Boxing Day on December 26. 
• Natural Christmas trees will be collected the first and second full weeks of January (January 6 to 17) on your regular collection day. Remove all decorations, stands and bags. Limit of five (5) trees.  
• Pick up will occur one day later. Waste must be at the curb by 7 am.
• Bulk garbage phone bookings will be closed from December 21 to January 1, and resume January 2 at 8:30 am. There will be no bulk garbage pick-up from December 23 to January 4. Bulk garbage collection resumes the week of January 6 for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday collection. 
• Community Recycling Centres will close at 3 pm on December 24 and December 31. Sites are closed on December 25 and January 1. Sites are open regular hours on December 23, and December 26 to 30 from 8 am to 6 pm.

Hamilton Civic Museums

• All Hamilton Civic Museums are closed on Mondays, as well as December 25, 26, and January 1. Fieldcote Memorial Park & Museum is closed on Sundays. 
• The Hamilton Children’s Museum and Griffin House remain closed for renovations.

Hamilton Farmers' Market

• The Hamilton Farmers’ Market hours will be:
  • Monday, December 23 – 9 am to 5 pm
  • Tuesday, December 24 – 9 am  to 4 pm
  • Wednesday, December 25 – Closed
  • Thursday, December 26 – Closed
  • Friday, December 27 – 9 am to 5 pm
  • Saturday, December 28 – 8 am to 5 pm
  • Sunday, December 29 – Closed
  • Monday, December 30 – Closed
  • Tuesday, December 31 – Closed
  • Wednesday, January 1 – Closed
  • Thursday, January 2 – 9 am to 5 pm

Hamilton Public Library

• All HPL branches are closed on December 22, 25, 26, 29, and January 1. Branches will be open with modified holiday service hours from December 24 to 31.
• Bookmobile service is off the road, and Extended Access and Study Hall services are unavailable.
• Our Virtual Branch is open at hpl.ca.

Housing Services

• The Housing Services office at 350 King Street East will be closed from December 25 to January 2.

HSR Service

HSR’s Customer Service Centre at 36 Hunter Street East is closed on December 25, 26, and January 1. For assistance, call 905-546-2489. Phone service is available 7-days-a-week, including holidays, from 7:30 am to 8 pm.

• Wednesday, December 25, 2024 – Christmas Day: Special holiday schedule. Visit www.hamilton.ca/HSRHoliday for details. 
• Thursday, December 26, 2024 – Boxing Day: The following routes will operate on a Saturday service schedule: 1, 2, 16, 21, 25, 26, 41, and 43. All other routes that normally run on Sundays will operate on a Sunday service schedule, except for Route 51 University, which will not operate on December 26.
• Tuesday, December 31, 2024 – New Year’s Eve: Regular weekday schedule with free service after 6 pm. Transit is a safe way for people to enjoy festivities, as the last buses will depart Frank A. Cooke Terminal at 1:20 am on January 1, 2025.  
• Wednesday, January 1, 2025 – New Year’s Day: Sunday schedule ending at 10 pm. Trans-Cab service will follow the HSR Sunday service schedule.  

HSR’s new service schedules take effect on Sunday, December 29. Visit www.hamilton.ca/BusNews for more information.  

Licensing and By-Law Services

• The City's Licensing counter located at City Hall, 1st Floor will be closed December 25 to January 1, and reopen January 2.
• The City's Licensing counter located at 330 Wentworth St. N. will be closed December 24 to January 5, and reopen January 6. 
• Phone services for Licensing and By-law Services will be unavailable from December 25 to January 1, reopening on January 2.
• If you have a matter that requires immediate attention such as vital services, or a health and safety concern, please call the City’s Customer Contact Centre at 905-546-2489

Municipal Service Centres

• All Municipal Service Centres will be closed on December 25 and will reopen January 2 at 8:30 am. 
• The City offers five convenient ways to pay your property taxes. Learn about at hamilton.ca/PayYourPropertyTax.

Ontario Works

• The Ontario Works Program, including the Special Supports Program, will be closed on December 25, and will reopen on January 2, at 8:30 am.
• The Ontario Works Program phone line 905-546-4800 and Special Supports phone line 905-546-2590 will resume on January 2 at 8:30 am.

Parking and Enforcement

• Hamilton Municipal Parking System offices are no longer open to in-person services. Remote services (i.e. permits, disputes, etc.) will be closed on December 25 and will reopen on January 2 at 8:30 am. 
• There will be no regular parking enforcement service on December 25, December 26, and January 1.
• Parking enforcement staff will be on the road these days and times, with no overnight enforcement:
  • December 24 and 31 until 5 pm 
  • December 27, 28 and 29 from 6:45 am to 10 pm 
  • December 30 from 6:45 am to 10 pm
• Proactive enforcement may occur for special events and areas of interest.

Public Health Services

• Call 905-546-2489 to report:
  • Suspected reportable diseases, outbreaks, and food poisoning.
  • Environmental spills, fires, or other events that may be a health hazard or safety issue.
  • Potential animal exposure to rabies.
  • Safe Water Program issues that may be health hazards (visit hamilton.ca/safewater).
• Dental Services will be closed from December 25 to January 1, reopening on January 2 at 8:30 am. The Dental Health Bus is permanently closed. For more information on accessing treatment for dental emergencies, including hours of operation, visit Emergency Dental Services
• The Van Needle Syringe Program:
  • Modified daytime shift on December 24 from 12 pm to 4 pm. 
  • The Van will not be operating on December 25, 26 and 27, 2024 and will resume operations on December 28, 2024.
  • Modified hours on December 31 from 12 pm to 4 pm.
  • Closed on January 1, resuming regular operations on January 2. 
  • For more information, visit: hamilton.ca/van
• Harm Reduction Supplies and Naloxone Orders received between December 23 to January 1 will be processed beginning January 2, 2025
• The Public Health Vaccine Records line, 905-540-5250 will be closed on December 25 and reopen on January 2. Visit hamilton.ca/vaccinereporting for additional options to report routine vaccines.
• The Sexual Health Information Line, 905-528-5894, will be closed on December 25 and reopen on January 2 at 8:30am.
  • Street Health Clinics will be closed from December 25 to January 1, reopening on January 2 at 8:30 am.
• STI Medication Ordering (fax: 905-546-3472) will be paused from December 23 to January 2. Orders will be processed beginning January 3, 2025.

Recreation

• All City of Hamilton recreation centres and arenas will be closed on December 25, 26 and January 1
• For locations and schedules, visit hamilton.ca/things-do/recreation/locations

Traffic Violations

• The Provincial Offences Administration Office at 50 Main St. E. will be closed on December 25 and will reopen on January 2 at 8:30 am. 
• Online payments can be made anytime at hamilton.ca/pay-your-ticket.
• Any outstanding fine that has suspended your driver’s licence can be paid in full at Service Ontario.