An Expressway Nicknamed “The Linc” is Opened in Canada

October 5, 1997

The Lincoln Alexander Parkway, which is also known as The Linc, was formally opened in the city of Hamilton in the Canadian province of Ontario. Measuring 7.8 miles (12.5 kilometers) in length, this municipal expressway connects King’s Highway 403 with the Red Hill Valley Parkway in Hamilton. Plans for the Lincoln Alexander Parkway had first been developed in 1963, but construction on the route did not actually begin until 1991.

Less than three months before the opening of this expressway, the Hamilton City Council unanimously voted to name it after Lincoln Alexander (1922-2012). As the member of the House of Commons of Canada from the Hamilton West electoral district between 1968 and 1980, Alexander was the first black person to serve in the Canadian Parliament. He was also Ontario’s first black lieutenant governor, serving in that position from 1985 to 1991.

Alexander and his family joined Mike Harris, who was premier of Ontario from 1995 to 2002, for the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the expressway on October 5, 1997. There was a huge irony for Alexander in having a highway named after him; he made it through his long and productive life without ever obtaining a driver’s license.

Photo Credit: SonySnob at English Wikipedia (licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en)

For more information on the Lincoln Alexander Parkway, please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_M._Alexander_Parkway