2014 Annual Meeting of the
American Scientific Affiliation, ASA,
plus CSCA (Canada) and CiS (U.K.)

at McMaster University (Hamilton ON), July 25-28.

 

The conference-theme is “from Cosmos to Psyche”.

 

ASA's Homepage for the 2014 Meeting has links for the
SlideShowRegistration Brochure - Online Registration.
This page has "When you arrive on-campus ..." , and
traveling by City Bus after Car - Plane - Bus - Train.
Also, Lodging + Meals (it's one reason ASA Meetings
are my favorite conferences) and Tourist Information ,

contact us (to ask about the conference or traveling),
plus old Travel/Tourist pages from 2008-2013.

 

spacer
City of Hamilton (aerial view)

chapel on campus of McMaster University
spacer

When you arrive on-campus,

you can go to the Registration Center, using our campus map with notes.  Thursday, registration is in the Commons Building.  Friday to Monday it's in MDCL which is #52 on another campus map.  (top of notes-map is West, top on other-map is North)

 

From ASA, directions for driving and parking.

From the website of McMaster University (campus  about  mission  history), a set of link-pages about getting to Mac with directions & campus map & parking info and more.

For navigation with GPS or web-maps, the general address for McMaster's campus is 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S4L8.

 

for Hamilton and surrounding area, Time Zone is EDT

7-Day Weather Forecast — network  almanac  uground


 

TRAVELING to McMaster by Car - Plane - Bus - Train

TRAVELING inside Hamilton with Local Bus Service

 

 

• LOCAL BUS SERVICE in Hamilton

The local bus service, HSR (Hamilton Street Railway), could be useful if you travel to Hamilton by plane or bus or train.

They also have local/regional train service, GO Transit. (about)

 


 

• by DRIVING

• SHARING RIDES

If you're driving (or flying), please help others get to the conference (they will appreciate this) and please use the Ride Board, and do this ASAP. 

Why?  Because our forum-topic "for Car Drivers & Riders" might help others make their plans.  For example, if they can ride with you, they may do this instead of buying a ticket for a plane or train or bus.  But they must know that you're driving before they buy their ticket (and usually the sooner a ticket is purchased the cheaper it is, and more scheduling options are still open) so if you post your "ride offered" information ASAP this may help someone make plans.  Thanks!   :<)

Why?  Sharing is cheaper for everyone, more planet-friendly (conserve resources, reduce emissions), and you can “start the conference early” (and make it last longer on the way back) with interesting conversations during your trips.

How?  click this link and Sign In (as an ASA member, or register for free);  enter one of the two "ASA Meeting 2014" forums — for Car Drivers & Riders or from Airport (sharing rides) — and read the first post (by C. Rusbult) for an overview, and previous messages, then (if you want) write your message.

 

• DRIVING DIRECTIONS

For your GPS navigation system (or GoogleMaps - YahooMaps - Mapquest) the general address of McMaster University is 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario  L8S4L8.  Directions to ASA's on-campus Registration Center are above.

McMaster provides driving directions from USA's Midwest (thru Detroit and Brantford, London) and East Coast (thru Buffalo and Niagara);  and in Canada, from Toronto and the airports in Toronto (YYZ) & Hamilton (YHM), plus Kitchener/Waterloo, Guelph, Cambridge.
 

 

• by FLYING

If you're flying (or driving), please use the Ride Board, and do this ASAP.  Why?  Because for ground transport one option — a shuttle bus (as in a deal worked out by ASA/CSCA) — is much cheaper and uses less gas when it's shared, and using our Ride Board "from Airport" will help you find partners to share a ride.

Nearby airports are in Hamilton, Toronto, and Buffalo, plus other airports.  Based on quick/rough price checks in early April, the cost is BUF<YYZ<YHM from American cities, and BUF≈YYZ≈YHM from Canada.

Toronto Airport (Lester B. Pearson International Airport) is YYZ.  For YYZ-to-McMaster, here are three options:  • for a fast, convenient shuttle bus, use a special deal (deadline is now July 21, extended from July 16) arranged for ASA/CSCA by Bob Geddes (local meeting-chair); our Ride Board can help you find partners for traveling to McMaster, and for returning to YZZ the shuttle company will put you into groups if you reserve by July 21, or...   • other private transport you can find here (website - ground transportation) or...   • GO Transit (public); McMaster U says "GO Transit provides weekday service between Pearson International and campus, with a transfer at the Bramalea GO Station onto the Highway 407 West service" in 2 hours for $11 – routes, timing, cost.   /   for more airport-information, iFly - World Travel Guide - Wikipedia

Buffalo Airport (Buffalo-Niagara International Airport) is BUFwikipedia (re: low fares) & website - ground transportation (into Canada) {tourist info about Niagara Falls}  /  We have found some ground-transport information about getting from BUF to Hamilton/McMaster, but if you can help us with "more info" your assistance will be greatly appreciated.  /  for more airport-information, iFly - World Travel Guide - World Airport Guides

Hamilton Airport (John C. Munro International Airport) is YHM.  It's much smaller than Toronto or Buffalo, with fewer flight-options.  For YHM-to-McMaster, you can take a taxi, or try this website and click (>Passenger Services > Transportation) - HSR Bus (public);*  McMaster U says "There is an hourly shuttle bus from John C. Munro International Airport to hotels in downtown Hamilton" and "Hamilton's municipal transit system (HSR) also services the airport. Note this service includes a special taxi connection," but they don't link to a page with more details.   /   for more airport-information, iFly - World Airport Guides - Wikipedia   /   From some cities (in Canada and west-coast USA) you may find good rates through WestJet.

 

• For the return trip, from McMaster to your airport, at the conference there will be an old-fashioned physical Sharing Board where you can write information, offers, and requests. (but for the shuttle deal you must make a reservation by July 21)   Or you can reverse your trip using public transit, or with other options.

 

• by BUS    
Niagara Falls
spacer

Greyhound Bus in U.S. and Canada — Usually, rates are much cheaper if you purchase in advance: Deals and Discounts.    Stations in U.S. and Canada:  The GH station in Hamilton is "36 Hunter St. East, Hamilton" which (along with "1280 Main Street West" for McMaster) you can enter into a trip planner of the local bus system.   /   example fare: The one-way fare from Chicago was $59 (for Advance Purchase) on April 7.

Megabus (in U.S. and Canada) can be a great deal - very cheap - if you buy early, and if the timings are convenient.  They have buses to/from Toronto (but not Hamilton) at the end of an east-coast run from Washington D.C. through New York City and Buffalo, but... this trip would require three sub-trips, from YourCity to Buffalo (on U.S. Megabus) and Buffalo to Toronto (on Canada Megabus), and then getting from Toronto to Hamilton/McMaster. (ways to get from Toronto Airport to McMaster are above)

 

 

• by TRAIN

Amtrak has stations in Ontario — Toronto, Oakville, Aldershot (in Burlington, near Hamilton), Grimsby, St Catharines, Niagara Falls — and many cities (search or look) in the USA, in the Northeast & Midwest and elsewhere.  The station in Aldershot is 1199 Waterdown Road, Aldershot, ON L7T4A8, if you want to enter this into a Trip Planner of the local bus system or GO Transit.   /   example fare: The one-way fare on an overnight train from Chicago was $136 on April 7.

also:  the local/regional train-and-bus system of GO Transit.

 


 

LODGING and MEALS

Both are available at McMaster University – see Registration Brochure (page 5).

Benefits of On-Campus Lodging & Meals:  ASA's Annual Meetings are my favorite conferences, and one reason is their meal policy because we all eat together.  This is a great way for everyone to meet and get involved with informal conversations, 3 times each day. (in addition to discussions between talks and at night)   Most people stay on-campus, which also makes meeting-and-talking easier, as I (Craig Rusbult, writer of this travel-page) explain here.

spacer chapel on campus of McMaster University Campus of McMaster

 


 

TOURIST INFORMATION

ASA offers Field Trips (page 4)* for Niagara Falls, Niagara Falls Geology, Royal Botanical Gardens, and McMaster Campus Tour.   {Field Trips also are described here on pages 4-5, and 11-14.  And later there will be Self-Guided Tours, pages 15-18. }

in HamiltonTourism Hamilton (what to do & more) - WikiTravel - TripAdvisor (to do) - Wikipedia -

near Hamilton, to enjoy the beauty of nature in Canada:  Bob Geddes, the meeting's Local Chair, has provided information about Camping in the Hamilton Area.

in TorontoTourism Toronto - WikiTravel - Tourist Toronto - TripAdvisor (to do) - Wikipedia - Edgewalk (an opportunity missed) -

Niagara Falls - Tourism Niagara - Wikipedia (tourism) - Tourism (about) -

 


 

Contact Us if you have questions:
about McMaster, Hamilton, Ontario, camping,...
      Bob Geddes (local chair), bobgeddes@shaw.ca
      or call him at 1-905-389-3001 ,
about this page, Craig Rusbult - craigru178-att-yahoo-daut-caum ,
about registration, Marty Herdrich - marty@asa3.org

 


 

For travel-and-tourism information about previous meetings:
2013 - Nashville    2012 - San Diego    2011 - Chicago (suburban) 
2010 - Washington D.C.
    2009 - Waco, TX    2008 - Newberg (near Portland)