History

The Salvation Army is an international Christian organization whose work began in London, England in 1865 when William Booth, a minister, abandoned the conventional concept of a church and a pulpit and took his message of hope to the poor, the homeless, the hungry and the destitute.  By 1867 The Salvation Army had developed into a ministry offering basic schooling, reading rooms, penny banks, soup kitchens and relief aid to the destitute.

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The Salvation Army started its work in Canada in 1882 and quickly began giving hope to those in need throughout the country.  It serves over 1.85 million people each year in over 400 communities in Canada and is now the largest non-governmental direct provider of social services in the country.  

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​The Salvation Army has a rich and diverse history in Hamilton that reflects a varied scope of service and ministry to Hamiltonians since the Army arrived in Hamilton in 1884. A small group of volunteers opened a mission on King Street. Since then, the organization has expanded its operations in the city, providing vital services to our community and outlying areas. In the late 1980s, Mount Hamilton Corps (previously at 573 Concession Street) and Westmount Citadel (at 257 Mohawk Road West) amalgamated as one congregation. This was in recognition of growing the Army's effectiveness and to do so, resources would need to be strengthened. In 1990, the amalgamated Corps became Mountain Citadel. They began holding temporary services at Vincent Massey School while planning a permanent location. Finally, On October 15-16 1994, Mountain Citadel relocated to its permanent home at 835 Stone Church Road East, on Hamilton Mountain. After the amalgamation, the former Mount Hamilton church facility on Concession Street transitioned to a special ministry serving the local Laotian community, while the Westmount Citadel building was sold and became the Hillcrest Masonic Temple.

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Mountain Citadel continues to evaluate how to effectively provide ministry and support to our community. 

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Mountain Citadel also supports international missionary work through the Salvation Army's Partners in Mission program by providing financially to our international partners.