The community of Stoney Creek is on the south shore of western Lake Ontario, below the Niagara Escarpment. It was initially inhabited by First Nations and later explored by French-Canadian fur traders before the area was settled by Loyalists fleeing the American Revolution in the late 1700s. In 1984, Stoney Creek became a city, but in 2001, Stoney Creek was amalgamated into Hamilton.
In addition to the Stoney Creek, the Battlefield House, and the Erland Lee Museum, the first Women’s Institute in the World is also located in Stoney Creek.
Greenspaces in Stoney Creek are plentiful. Branches of the Bruce Trail provide access to Battlefield Park as well as the Devil’s Punch Bowl. The latter is marked by a large illuminated cross and offers an excellent lookout for both Stoney Creek and Hamilton. Other notable green spaces include Fifty Point Conservation Area, which includes camping and a small craft harbour.
Due to the temperate environment on the Niagara Peninsula’s western end, the Stoney Creek area was and still is known for fruit growing. In recent decades, as the reputation of Ontario wines has grown, Stoney Creek has become a part of the Niagara winery region.
Though residential growth has recently exploded, much of the land mass of Stoney Creek remains agricultural. Stoney Creek, along with Ancaster and Waterdown are among the fastest-growing parts of Hamilton. In recent years, new condominiums and homes have been built along the lakefront beyond the reach of the industrial Hamilton Harbour. Much of the sales’ efforts have been directed at residents of the Greater Toronto Area in large part because of the affordability factor and quick access to the western GTA. Detached housing growth remains strong in developments above the mountain.