HPL Writing Workshop - Healing Through Narrative Therapy
In-Branch Program
Saturday, August 08
11:00am - 12:00pm
Learn how to heal through the stories you carry.
A trauma-informed workshop of gentle, guided writing prompts to organize fragmented memories, restore your voice, strengthen cultural connections and help survivors re‑author their lives with clarity and power. Bring a pen and notebook or laptop.
Presented by Dawn Cheryl Hill, BA, MSW, RSW. Dawn is the author of Memory Keeper, which was nominated for an Indigenous Voices Award, received the 2022 First Nation Communities Read Long-list Award and is a recommended read by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. She won the Ontario Native Women’s Association’s (ONWA) Every Story Matters Writing Competition in May 2024. Dawn is an Ambassador for the Chaney-Wenjack foundation, board member of the Six Nations Public Library, the Mohawk Village Memorial Park and also a member of the North American Indigenous Women’s Association.
West Harbour Branch
The temporary West Harbour Branch at Pier 8 (formerly the Canadian Marine Discovery Centre) officially opened Wednesday, July 29, 2026. This space will offer core Library services, programs and an Indigenous-focused collection of books and resources, an 'Intention of Water' art installation, and create opportunities to connect, learn and gather on the waterfront.
The long-term Discovery Centre Project Study is underway. Hamilton Public Library and the City of Hamilton's Indigenous Relations Division, in collaboration with consultant Lord Cultural Resources, are developing a Program Design and Development Study to guide the future of the site. The vision includes a new library branch, an Indigenous gathering space, a café and visitor amenities.
Community input will continue to shape this work through public outreach and updates. Study recommendations are expected to be presented to City Council in 2027.
Note that the patio is not available for use at this time. Please enjoy indoor seating by the windows facing the lakefront.
