Located on the north side of Rebecca Street between John and Catharine, the Rebecca Street bus terminal was Hamilton’s third intercity Bus terminal, replacing the Hamilton Terminal Station.
The construction contract was awarded on November 24, 1954 to W. H. Cooper Construction, with work begining shortly after. Construction and land costs totalled approximately $400 000, (Approx. $3.4 million in 2011 dollars) funded jointly by the two largest intercity bus companies that served Hamilton: Gray Coach Lines (which held the rights to run Toronto-Hamilton) and Canada Coach Lines (which held the rights to run between Hamilton and most other cities and towns near Hamilton), with Gray Coach as the owner of the bus terminal. Shortly after midnight on August 4, 1955 moving crews began emptying the Hamilton Terminal Station of furniture, tickets, files and equipment. Using three trucks the building was empty by 5 am, giving movers and staff six and a half hours to have everything organized for the Rebecca Street Bus terminal's grand opening at 11:30 am that morning.
The Rebecca Street terminal was designed by the architectural firm of Prack and Prack, with 11 bus bays and a two story terminal building. The exterior was covered in light buff brick on the upper level, with dark brown brick on the lower level. Window piers were clad in dark green imitation granite. The second floor consisted of offices and a driver’s lounge, with the ground floor having ticket windows, a waiting room, and a 32-seat restaurant. The basement housed washrooms and originally a barber shop run by Max Kuttas.
To store its buses the CCL rented a lot on the south side of Rebecca, while it acquired properties to build a small garage & yard on the east side of Catherine st across from the bus terminal.
GO Transit began using the terminal on September 8, 1970, running connecting bus service between Hamilton and Oakville, which was the western terminus for most GO trains at the time. This service was actually provided by Gray Coach Lines, under contract to GO Transit. GO Transit would later add the Toronto-Hamilton QEW Express service, and the Toronto-Hamilton Lakeshore Local bus running along Hwy 2.
The addition of these routes pushed the Rebecca Street Bus terminal past its capacity limits. GO Transit’s owner, the Toronto Area Transit Operating Authority offered to take over the terminal from Gray Coach Lines, but an agreement could not be reached. In spite of this, GO Transit began a study in February 1977 for a new, larger terminal. On February 9, 1979 GO Transit called for bids from developers to build a new terminal. GO Transit wanted the new terminal to be part of a large hotel or office building as opposed to a stand-alone building, and GO Transit would lease the new terminal from the building owners. GO Transit received 5 responses to the bid request, but all of these were for bus terminals only, with no additional structure. It was around this time that additional property for bus storage was purchased on the other side of Catharine St, and a small yard was built.
Plans for the replacement bus terminal suffered two long delays. The first revolved around the proposed Hamilton ICTS, as it was necessary to first determine the location of stations in the downtown core, so that the new terminal could be conveniently located near one of them. After the ICTS was rejected by the Hamilton-Wentworth Regional Council on December 15, 1981, planning for the new terminal resumed. A new planning study was announced on May 18, 1982 to determine which of four sites would be best. Three of the sites were immediately next to the existing terminal: across John street, across Rebecca street, or on the adjoining property north of the existing terminal. The fourth option was to rebuild the existing terminal with additional bus bays, with additional property added on the north side.
This study was interrupted by the province of Ontario’s proposal for the GO-Advanced Light Rail Transit (GO-ALRT) system on October 7, 1982. As the proposal called for all day GO train service to Hamilton, the number of GO buses would drop significantly, and a replacement terminal would no longer be needed. (At the time, approx 25% of the 300 buses that used the terminal daily were either GO Transit or on contract to GO Transit). The GO-ALRT project was scrapped by the new Liberal-NDP government on November 1, 1985. With this project cancelled, the need for GO buses in Hamilton remained, and once again planning began for a new bus terminal.
One major change that had occurred as a result of the GO-ALRT project was the recognition by Hamiltonians that the recently closed TH&B station in downtown Hamilton was ideally located for GO trains, and that the new bus terminal should be made part of this project. Changes in government delayed the project, but on April 23, 1992, it was decided to transfer operations from the CNR James Street station to the Hunter street station as part of a $56 million Hamilton area GO Transit improvement package. $16 million would be spent on the station itself, including restoration and renovation, as well as the construction of a new intercity bus terminal at the back of the station, on the site of the old freight express building.
During this time, the Rebecca Street Bus terminal ownership had changed, as Gray Coach Lines had been sold to Skipburn Ltd, a subsidiary of Stagecoach Holdings. When Gray Coach was sold to Greyhound in 1993, the Rebecca Street Bus terminal remained in the hands of Skipburn.
On April 27, 1996, at 12:20 am, a London bound Greyhound bus was the last bus to depart from the Rebecca Street Bus terminal. With the transfer of all bus operations to the new Hamilton GO Centre, the Rebecca Street Bus terminal was sold to the City of Hamilton, renovated, and became the home of the Hamilton Urban Core Community Health Centre. (HUCCHC)
In August 2017 Sonoma Development Group proposed a 40 storey 371 unit building for the site, designed by David Premi of DPAI Architecture. This was later reduced to 30 storeys. Sonoma would not go through with this project, and the site would later be sold in 2020 to Rosehaven Group who would build a 477 unit 30 storey building with the same basic specifications, but to a simpler design.
HUCCHC had no use for the old bus bays and they sat unused and empty for years until they were demolished on November 6 2019. HUCCHC moved out of the old terminal on December 6, 2021. Demolition of the building began during the first week of January 2022.
1964 Aerial photo of the intersection of Rebecca & Catherine. The Rebecca St Bus Terminal is to the upper left of the intersection, the Catherine St Garage & Yard is to the upper right. The large parking lot in the lower left was the temporary storage yard used by the CCL before the Catherine St Garage & Yard was completed. North is at top.
Mayor Lloyd D. Jackson is presented with the ceremonial scissors as part of the official opening the Rebecca Street Bus terminal on August 4, 1955. Behind him is either Canada Coach Lines #1207 or #1407. (Photo courtesy of the Hamilton Public Library, Local History & Archives.)
Mayor Lloyd D. Jackson cuts the ribbon, officially opening the Rebecca Street Bus terminal on August 4, 1955. (Photo courtesy of the Hamilton Public Library, Local History & Archives.)
A lineup of buses at the Rebecca St Bus Terminal in 1969, mostly Gray Coach Lines and Canada Coach Lines. (Photo from the Edward Viveiros collection, used with permission.)
CCL #1527 at the Rebecca St Bus Terminal, date unknown.
Buses lined up at the Rebecca St Bus Terminal, September 27 1973, including CCL #1959 and Gray Coach Lines #2022. (Photo by David L. Phillips, used with permission.)
Buses lined up at the Rebecca St Bus Terminal, September 27 1973. On the right, from closest to furthest: CCL #1823, CCL #2138, unknown, GO Transit #1020, GO Transit ?, CCL #1973. On the left is Gray Coach Lines #2024. (Photo by David L. Phillips, used with permission.)
CCL #111 at the Rebecca St Bus Terminal, May 24 1976. (Photo by Paul A. Bateson, used with permission)
CCL #2132, 1943, 1765 & 1992 at the Rebecca St Bus Terminal, May 24 1976. (Photo by Paul A. Bateson, used with permission)
CCL #2103, 2132 and 1943 at the Rebecca St Bus Terminal, May 24 1976. (Photo by Paul A. Bateson, used with permission)
CCL #1973 at the Rebecca St Bus Terminal circa 1980. (Photo by Bob Hussey, used with permission. From Esbdave's Fotki Page)
CCL #2163 at the Rebecca St Bus Terminal, date unknown. (Photo by Bob Hussey, used with permission. From Esbdave's Fotki Page)
CCL #2142 at the Rebecca St Bus Terminal in April 1984. (Photo from mbernero's Flickr page.)
Real McCoy #62 & GO Transit #1414 at the Rebecca St Bus Terminal, Apr 15 1989. (Photo by Paul A. Bateson, used with permission)
CCL #2192, GO Transit #1414, CCL# 2201 & 2204 at the Rebecca St Bus Terminal circa 1991. (Photo by Bob Hussey, used with permission. From Esbdave's Fotki Page)
CCL #2191 at the Rebecca St Bus Terminal circa 1991. (Photo by Bob Hussey, used with permission. From Esbdave's Fotki Page)
CCL #2206 at the Rebecca St Bus Terminal circa 1991. (Photo by Bob Hussey, used with permission. From Esbdave's Fotki Page)
A book of matches from the Terminal Restaurant
View of the other side of the same book of matches
The main entrance to the Rebecca St Bus Terminal, November 9 2008
Right on the corner of John and Rebecca was the Terminal Restaurant. June 27 2011.
The old lettering for the Terminal Restaurant in still visible on the Rebecca St side. June 27 2011.
The rear side of the bus terminal, November 9 2008.
The bus bays as seen from Rebecca St, November 9 2008.
The bus bays looking east from the terminal building, November 9 2008.
The bus bays looking west to the terminal building entrance, November 9 2008.
Looking west from Catherine St, November 9 2008.
Notice of rezoning of former Rebecca St Bus Terminal, September 3 2017 (Photo by Joe, used with permission. From Joe's Flickr Page)
Demolition of old bus bays at former Rebecca St Bus Terminal, November 8 2019 (Photo by Joe, used with permission. From Joe's Flickr Page)
Interior view of former Rebecca St Bus Terminal, January 5 2022 (Photo by Joe, used with permission. From Joe's Flickr Page)
Interior view of former Rebecca St Bus Terminal, January 5 2022 (Photo by Joe, used with permission. From Joe's Flickr Page)
Demolition of the former Rebecca St Bus Terminal, January 2022 (Photo by Michael Hrysko, used with permission)
Demolition of the former Rebecca St Bus Terminal, January 2022 (Photo by Michael Hrysko, used with permission)
Demolition of the former Rebecca St Bus Terminal, January 2022 (Photo by Michael Hrysko, used with permission)
Demolition of the former Rebecca St Bus Terminal, January 2022 (Photo by Michael Hrysko, used with permission)
Demolition of the former Rebecca St Bus Terminal, January 5 2022 (Photo by Joe, used with permission. From Joe's Flickr Page)
Demolition of the former Rebecca St Bus Terminal, January 5 2022 (Photo by Joe, used with permission. From Joe's Flickr Page)
Demolition of the former Rebecca St Bus Terminal, January 5 2022 (Photo by Joe, used with permission. From Joe's Flickr Page)
Demolition of the former Rebecca St Bus Terminal, January 5 2022 (Photo by Joe, used with permission. From Joe's Flickr Page)
Demolition of the former Rebecca St Bus Terminal, January 5 2022 (Photo by Joe, used with permission. From Joe's Flickr Page)
Demolition of the former Rebecca St Bus Terminal, January 5 2022 (Photo by Joe, used with permission. From Joe's Flickr Page)
Hamilton Spectator:
"Bus Terminal Construction Starts At Once." November 24, 1954
"Union Bus Terminal To Be Opened Officially Tomorrow." August 3, 1955
"New Barber Shop To Be Of Most Modern Design." August 3, 1955
"Snack, Full Meal Can Be Obtained At Restaurant." August 3, 1955
"GO buses to make 22 Hamilton-Oakville trips daily." February 17, 1970
"GO buses will make four downtown stops." September 3, 1970
"Hamilton may get new bus terminal." October 14, 1978
"New bus depot planned as a private affair." February 9, 1979
"New bus terminal within two years." February 24, 1982
"Another study on downtown bus terminal." May 18, 1982
Stewart, Bruce. "It's all GO for city." Oct 7 1982
Johnston, Bill "Bus terminal plans stalled." Jan 7, 1983
Crandall, Larry and Hallman, Mark, and Porter, Brian "Burlington gets GO trains but Hamilton gets only talk." Nov 1, 1985
Wilson, Paul "Does bus station deserve tag of 'a shack?'" Feb 11, 1987
Peters, Ken "Bus terminal on sales block." Aug 12, 1995
Wilson, Paul "Last bus will mean end of an era." Apr 23, 1996
Paddon, Natalie "'Unique' 40-storey building proposed on Rebecca Street" Aug 8, 2017
