Waterfalls are often seen as places of beauty, but they can also carry stories of sorrow. Albion Falls in Hamilton, Ontario, is one such place. Known today as a scenic site for walks and photographs, it is also linked to one of the city’s most chilling crimes. The story of Evelyn Dick, retold in Robert Antrim Calwell’s book Evelyn, shows how this landmark became part of Hamilton’s darker memory.
In 1946, children hiking near Albion Falls stumbled upon what would become a central piece of evidence in a murder investigation. They found a torso lying below the escarpment at Mountain Brow Boulevard. What should have been a day of hot dogs and summer adventure turned into a discovery that tied the falls forever to tragedy. This moment shows how ordinary places can suddenly take on new meaning when marked by loss.
Albion Falls is not the only location in Hamilton tied to this story. Streets, hotels, and neighbourhoods all play a part. For example, the Windsor Hotel is remembered for being one of John Dick’s last stops before his murder. The MacLean family home’s coal furnace and hidden ashes became another backdrop to this crime. Even the ordinary detail of Becker’s Variety Store, where children later stopped for ice cream during their hikes, is woven into the narrative. These locations remind us that crime does not happen in isolation. It leaves footprints across a city, and those places hold echoes long after events have passed.
Mountain Brow Boulevard, Albion Falls, and the surrounding areas have since become symbols of Hamilton’s uneasy relationship with its history. Residents know these streets and parks for their daily use, yet the stories attached to them remain. The falls remain a popular spot for visitors, but for those familiar with the case, it isn’t easy to stand there without recalling what was found decades ago.
That is what makes Evelyn more than a retelling of a crime. Calwell’s work highlights how places are more than physical settings. They become part of memory and myth. Albion Falls, once just a natural wonder, became a permanent character in the story of Hamilton. The falls are not haunted in the literal sense, but they hold a ghostly presence in the city’s collective mind.
Hamilton has always been a city of contrasts, with its steel mills, working-class roots, and hidden corners. The Evelyn Dick case magnified this contrast by showing the beauty of familiar landmarks against the backdrop of violence and scandal. Places like Albion Falls remind us that history is not only written in books but also carved into the landscapes we pass by every day.
When visiting Hamilton, one can appreciate Albion Falls’s natural beauty while acknowledging its past weight. It reminds us that the places we walk through often hold stories we may not see at first glance. This book offers a thoughtful and haunting perspective for those who want to explore this balance of place, history, and memory further.
Explore Robert Antrim Calwell’s Evelyn today, available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DJTHJNCG/.
