About
Land Acknowledgement
Mills Hardware recognizes and acknowledges that it resides upon the traditional territories of the Erie, Chonnonton/Attawonderon (Neutral), Wendat, Haudenosaunee, and Mississauga nations.
The land on which Mills Hardware stands is covered by Sewatokwà:tshera, the Dish with One Spoon Wampum. This agreement, made between the Anishinaabe and the Haudenosaunee nations, was made to ensure that the lands and resources around the Great Lakes were properly cared for, and that all nations sharing this territory would do so responsibly, respectfully and sustainably.
This territory is also covered by Tékeni Teyohá:te Kaswentah, the Two Row Wampum, made between the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and the Dutch, signifying that these distinct nations, their cultures and traditions, could coexist without either being assimilated by the other.
Mills Hardware further acknowledges that this land is covered by the Between the Lakes Treaty No. 3, 1792, between the Crown and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. We share this land and celebrate its gifts, and are thankful to live and work in a place that has sustained human activity for over 10,000 years.
As settlers, we acknowledge our responsibility to listen, learn, and evolve in the spirit of historic covenants as well as take on the important work of reconciliation. In doing so, we seek to forge new and respectful relationships with the Indigenous nations of this region and throughout Turtle Island.
We strive to work collaboratively to keep the importance of our shared history, friendship and future relationships in our minds and hearts, and we recognize that we must do more to learn about the rich history of this land so that we can better understand our roles as residents, neighbours, partners and caretakers.
What is Mills Hardware?
Mills Hardware is an event and entertainment space located in downtown Hamilton. The space is on the ground floor of a building featured in Canadian Architect magazine, one awarded both the 2014 HBSA Award of Excellence for Heritage/Adaptive Reuse, and Excellence in Design and Urban Regeneration at the City of Hamilton's 2015 Urban Design and Architecture Awards. Mills’ staff was nominated for Canadian Live Music Industry Awards for Best Teamwork in a Small Club (Less Than 300 Capacity) in 2017, 2019, and 2023.
The venue is available for rental by arts organizations, community groups, companies, political organizations, wedding receptions, and anyone else who is looking for an exceptional space to hold an event to accommodate almost 150 people.
Mills Hardware is a Keychange signatory venue; learn more here. Keychange is a pioneering international initiative which transforms the future of music while encouraging festivals and music organizations to achieve a 50:50 onstage gender balance.
Mills Hardware is a signatory of the Breaking Down Racial Barriers Declaration, committing to end anti-Black racism in the Canadian music industry.
Mills Hardware is also a signatory of the Government of Canada’s 50 – 30 Challenge, an initiative to increase the representation and inclusion of under-represented groups in leadership positions, pledging to two core commitments: gender parity (50%), and significant representation (30%) on boards, committees, and senior management of members of other equity-deserving groups, including those who identify as Indigenous Peoples, Racialized, Black, and/or People of colour (“Visible Minorities”), People with disabilities (including invisible and episodic disabilities), 2SLGBTQIA+ and/or gender and sexually diverse individuals.
Why “Mills Hardware”?
It's a nod to downtown history. The building was given life some 110 years ago by local architect/merchant Charles Mills, and in the early 1900s, the address was home to a thriving business called — you guessed it – Mills Hardware. You’ll find the historic signage suspended above the venue’s bar.
By the middle of the century, that hardware store closed, and the building began its transition to live entertainment. In the '50s and '60s, that meant headliners like Ronnie Hawkins & The Hawks, The Ink Spots, The Platters, and Tiny Tim (booked by legendary impresario Harold Kudlets, whose agency was across the street in the Royal Connaught). By the '80s and early '90s, 95 King East was hosting acts such as OMD, NoMeansNo, Tragically Hip, Joan Jett, and the Ramones. That eclectic tradition continues today with programming that embraces a variety of music genres, along with theatre, comedy, spoken word, visual art, film and much more.
What about the venue's specs?
Mills Hardware is fully licensed and is configurable in multiple ways. Venue capacity is 147 standing or 75 seated. We also offer cocktail tables; conference tables; small group settings, and more. The room is spacious — soaring 16-foot ceilings, a wall of large south-facing windows — with generous sight lines and expanses of exposed brick. There is a 15'x16' stage and the venue comes equipped with high-end sound and lighting system. The venue's complete technical specs can be found here.
Mills Hardware is an accessible venue with stage, bar and accessible washroom facilities all conveniently located on the ground floor. Access to the main room via the venue’s main door involves two-step descent; a side door offers step-free access for those with mobility assistive devices.
Most of the venue's events are configured as General Admission standing, but a limited number of temporary seats are typically located around the perimeter of the room, where they must remain for safety reasons. (Please note that seated attendees at a show ticketed for a standing audience may experience compromised sight lines as a result of height differentials.)
If you have any additional accessibility needs, please contact the venue before the day of event and our staff will make every effort to accommodate them.
Where is Mills? How can I contact the venue?
Mills Hardware is located at 95 King Street East, Hamilton, Ontario.
The venue can be reached by phone at 905-777-1223 or via email at booking@sonicunyon.com.