Brantford | |
|---|---|
| City of Brantford | |
 From top, left to right: Flowerbed outside RBC Building, Statue ofJoseph Brant, Colborne Street in Downtown Brantford,Bell Homestead,City Hall,Grand River | |
 Flag  Logo | |
  Brantford | |
| Coordinates:43°09′25″N80°15′27″W / 43.15694°N 80.25750°W /43.15694; -80.25750 (Brantford)[1] | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| County | Brant (independent) |
| Established | May 31, 1877 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Kevin Davis |
| • Governing Body | Brantford City Council |
| • MP | Larry Brock (Conservative) |
| • MPP | Will Bouma (Progressive Conservative) |
| Area | |
| • Land | 98.65 km2 (38.09 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 1,074.00 km2 (414.67 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 248 m (814 ft) |
| Population (2021) | |
• City (single-tier) | 104,688 (53rd) |
| • Density | 1,061.2/km2 (2,748/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 144,162 (30th) |
| • Metro density | 134.2/km2 (348/sq mi) |
| Gross Metropolitan Product | |
| • BrantfordCMA | CA$6.1 billion (2020)[4] |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (EDT) |
| Forward sortation area | |
| Area code(s) | 519, 226, and 548 |
| Website | www.brantford.ca |
Brantford (2021 population: 104,688[2]) is a city inOntario, Canada, founded on theGrand River inSouthwestern Ontario. It is surrounded byBrant County but is politically separate with a municipal government of its own that is fully independent of the county's municipal government.[5][6][7]
Brantford is situated on theHaldimand Tract,[8][9] and is named afterJoseph Brant, a Mohawk leader, soldier, farmer and slave owner.[10] Brant was an importantLoyalist leader during theAmerican Revolutionary War and later, after the Haudenosaunee moved to the Brantford area inUpper Canada. Many of his descendants and otherFirst Nations people live on the nearbySix Nations of the Grand River reserve south of Brantford; it is the most populous reserve in Canada.
Brantford is known as the "Telephone City" because the city's famous resident,Alexander Graham Bell, invented the firsttelephone at his father's homestead, Melville House, now theBell Homestead, located in Tutela Heights south of the city. Brantford is also known as the birthplace and hometown ofWayne Gretzky andPhil Hartman.
The Iroquoian-speaking Attawandaron, known in English as theNeutral Nation, lived in the Grand River valley area before the 17th century; their main village and seat of the chief,Kandoucho, was identified by 19th-century historians as having been located on theGrand River where present-day Brantford developed. This community, like the rest of their settlements, was destroyed when the Iroquois declared war in 1650 over the fur trade and exterminated the Neutral nation.[11]
In 1784, CaptainJoseph Brant and theMohawk people of the Iroquois Confederacy left New York State for Canada.[12][13] As a reward for their loyalty to theBritish Crown, they were given a large land grant, referred to as theHaldimand Tract, on the Grand River. The original Mohawk settlement was on the south edge of the present-day city at a location favourable for landing canoes. Brant's crossing (or fording) of the river gave the original name to the area: Brant's ford TheGlebe Farm Indian Reserve exists at the original site today.
The area began to grow from a small settlement in the 1820s as the Hamilton and London Road was improved. By the 1830s, Brantford became a stop on theUnderground Railroad, and a sizable number ofrunaway African-Americans settled in the town.[14] From the 1830s to the 1860s – several hundred people of African descent settled in the area around Murray Street, and inCainsville. In Brantford, they established their own school and church, now known as theS.R. Drake Memorial Church.[15] In 1846, it is estimated 2000 residents lived in the city's core while 5199 lived in the outlying rural areas.[16] There were eight churches in Brantford at this time – Episcopal, Presbyterian, Catholic, two Methodist, Baptist, Congregational, and one for the African-Canadian residents.[16]
By 1847, Europeans began to settle further up the river at a ford in the Grand River and named their village Brantford.[17] The population increased after 1848 when river navigation to Brantford was opened and again in 1854 with the arrival of the railway to Brantford.
Because of the ease of navigation from new roads and the Grand River, several manufacturing companies could be found in the town by 1869.[18] Some of these factories included Brantford Engine Works, Victoria Foundry and Britannia Foundry.[18] Several major farm implement manufacturers, starting with Cockshutt and Harris, opened for business in the 1870s.
The history of the Brantford region from 1793 to 1920 is described at length in the bookAt The Forks of The Grand.[19]
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Canadian government encouraged the education of First Nations children atresidential schools, which were intended to teach them English and European-Canadian ways and assimilate them into the majority cultures. Such institutions in or near Brantford included the Thomas Indian School,Mohawk Institute Residential School (also known as Mohawk Manual Labour School and Mush Hole Indian Residential School), and the Haudenosaunee boarding school. Decades later and particularly since the late 20th century, numerous scholarly and artistic works have explored the detrimental effects of the schools in destroying Native cultures. Examples include Ronald James Douglas' graduate thesis titledDocumenting Ethnic Cleansing in North America: Creating Unseen Tears,[20] and the Legacy of Hope Foundation's online media collection: "Where are the Children? Healing the Legacy of the Residential Schools".[21]
In June 1945, Brantford became the first city in Canada to fluoridate its water supply.[22][23]
Brantford generated controversy in 2010 when its city council expropriated and demolished 41 historic downtown buildings on the south side of its main street, Colborne Street. The buildings constituted one of the longest blocks of pre-Confederation architecture in Canada and included one of Ontario's first grocery stores and an early 1890s office of theBell Telephone Company of Canada. The decision was widely criticized by Ontario's heritage preservation community, however, the city argued it was needed for downtown renewal.[24][25]
Plaques and monuments erected by the provincial and federal governments provide additional glimpses into the early history of the area around Brantford.[26]
The famed Mohawk ChiefJoseph Brant (Thayendanega) led his people from the Mohawk Valley of New York State to Upper Canada after being allied with the British during theAmerican Revolution, where they lost their land holdings. A group of 400 settled in 1788 on the Grand River at Mohawk Village which would later become Brantford.[26] Nearly a century later (1886), the Joseph Brant Memorial would be erected inBurlington, Ontario in honour of Brant and the Six Nations Confederacy.[27]
TheMohawk Chapel, built by the British Crown in 1785 for theMohawk and Iroquois people (Six Nations of the Grand River), was dedicated in 1788 as a reminder of the original agreements made with the British during theAmerican Revolution.[26] In 1904 the chapel received Royal status by KingEdward VII in memory of the longstanding alliance. Her Majesty's Royal Chapel of the Mohawks is an important reminder of the original agreements made with Queen Anne in 1710. It is still in use today as one of two royal Chapels in Canada and the oldest Protestant Church in the province. Joseph Brant and his son John Brant are buried here.[28]
ChiefJohn Brant (Mohawk leader) (Ahyonwaeghs) was one of the sons of Joseph Brant.[29] He fought with the British during theWar of 1812 and later worked to improve the welfare of the First Nations. He was involved in building schools and improving the welfare of his people. Brant initiated the opening of schools and, from 1828, served as the first native Superintendent of the Six Nations.[26] Chief Brant was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada for Haldimand in 1830 and was the first aboriginal Canadian in Parliament.[30]
The stone and brick Brant County Courthouse was built on land purchased from the Six Nations in 1852. The structure housed courtrooms, county offices, a law library and a gaol. During additions in the 1880s, the Greek Revival style, with Doric columns, was retained.[26]
Among the most famed residents wereAlexander Graham Bell and his family, who arrived in mid 1870 from Scotland while Bell was suffering from tuberculosis. They lived with Bell's father and mother, who had settled in a farmhouse on Tutela Heights (named after the First Nations tribe of the area[31] and later absorbed into Brantford.) Then called Melville House, it is now a museum, theBell Homestead National Historic Site. This was the site of the invention of the telephone in 1874 and ongoing trials in 1876. TheBell Memorial, also known as the Bell Monument, was commissioned to commemorate Bell'sinvention of the telephone in Brantford; it is also one of theNational Historic Sites of Canada.
Some articles suggest that the telephone was invented inBoston, where Alexander Graham Bell did a great deal of work on the development of the device.[32] However, Bell confirmed Brantford as the birthplace of the device in a 1906 speech: "the telephone problem was solved, and it was solved at my father's home".[33] At the unveiling of theBell Memorial on 24 October 1917, Bell reminded the attendees that "Brantford is right in claiming the invention of the telephone here... [which was] conceived in Brantford in 1874 and born in Boston in 1875" and that "the first transmission to a distance was made between Brantford andParis" (on 3 August 1876).[34][35] As well, the second successful voice transmission (over a distance of 6 km; 4 miles) was also made in the area, on 4 August 1876, between the telegraph office in Brantford, Ontario and Bell's father's homestead over makeshift wires.[36][37]
Canada's first telephone factory, created byJames Cowherd, was located in Brantford and operated from about 1879 until Cowherd's death in 1881.[38][39] The first telephone business office which opened in 1877, not far from the Bell Homestead, was located in what is now Brantford.[26] The combination of events has led to Brantford calling itself "The Telephone City".
Brantford is located within the County of Brant; however, it is a single-tier municipality, politically separate from the county.[5][6][7]Ontario's Municipal Act, 2001 defines single-tier municipalities as "a municipality, other than an upper-tier municipality, that does not form part of an upper-tier municipality for municipal purposes."[40] Single-tier municipalities provide for all local government services.[41]
| Year | Liberal | Conservative | New Democratic | Green | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 29% | 13,409 | 38% | 17,655 | 21% | 9,956 | 3% | 1,226 | |
| 2019 | 31% | 14,977 | 38% | 18,058 | 22% | 10,280 | 6% | 2,747 | |
| Year | PC | New Democratic | Liberal | Green | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 43% | 13,926 | 30% | 9,773 | 13% | 4,252 | 7% | 2,158 | |
| 2018 | 39% | 16,473 | 44% | 18,560 | 10% | 4,032 | 4% | 1,860 | |
At the federal and provincial levels of government, Brantford is part of theBrant riding.
Brantford City Council is the municipal governing body. As of October 22, 2018, the mayor isKevin Davis.
Brantford's economy was hit hard in the 1980s when farm equipment manufacturersMassey Ferguson andWhite Farm Equipment closed their local plants.[44] By the end of 1981, the city's unemployment rate reached 22%.[44] As with other small Ontario cities hit by the decline of manufacturing, the community struggled with an increase in social problems.[44]
In more recent times, the city was hit hard by theopioid crisis. In 2018, Brantford had the highest rate of emergency department visits for overdose of any city in Ontario.[45][46] In 2018, Brantford police reported an overall crime rate of 6,533 incidents per 100,000 population, 59% higher than in Ontario (4,113) and 19% higher than in Canada (5,488).[47] The same year,Maclean's magazine ranked Brantford as having a higher rate of crime severity than most of the province.[48]
Theelectric telephone was invented here leading to the establishment of Canada's first telephone factory here in the 1870s. Brantford developed as an important Canadian industrial centre for the first half of the 20th century, and it was once the third-ranked Canadian city in terms of the cash value of manufactured goods exported.
The city developed at the deepest navigable point of the Grand River. Because of existing networks, it became a railroad hub of Southern Ontario. The combination of water and rail helped Brantford develop from a farming community into an industrial city with many blue-collar jobs based on the agriculture implementation industry. Major companies included S.C. Johnson Wax, Massey-Harris, Verity Plow, and theCockshutt Plow Company. This industry, more than any other, provided the well-paying and steady employment that allowed Brantford to sustain economic growth through most of the 20th century.
By the 1980s and 1990s, Brantford's economy was in steady decline due to changes in heavy industry and its restructuring. Numerous companies suffered bankruptcies, such asWhite Farm Equipment,Massey Ferguson (and its successor, Massey Combines Corporation), Koering-Waterous, Harding Carpets, and other manufacturers. The bankruptcies and closures of the businesses left thousands of people unemployed. As a consequence, it became one of the most economically depressed areas in the country, leaving a negative impact on the once-vibrant downtown.
An economic revival was prompted by the completion of the Brantford-to-Ancaster section ofHighway 403 in 1997, bringing companies easy access toHamilton andToronto and completing a direct route fromDetroit toBuffalo. In 2004Procter & Gamble andFerrero SpA chose to locate in the city. Though Wescast Industries, Inc. recently closed its local foundry, its corporate headquarters will remain in Brantford.SC Johnson Canada has their headquarters and a manufacturing plant in Brantford, connected to the Canadian National network. Other companies that have their headquarters here includeGunther Mele andGreenMantra Technologies. On February 16, 2005, Brant, including Brantford, was added to the GreaterGolden Horseshoe along withHaldimand andNorthumberland counties.
In February 2019, Brantford's unemployment rate stood at 4.6% – lower than Ontario's rate of 5.6%.[49]
Brantford has ahumid continental climate (Dfb) with warm to hot summers and cold, moderately snowy winters, though not severe by Canadian standards.
| Climate data for Brantford (1981−2010 normals, extremes 1960–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 17.0 (62.6) | 16.5 (61.7) | 25.5 (77.9) | 30.5 (86.9) | 34.0 (93.2) | 35.5 (95.9) | 38.5 (101.3) | 36.5 (97.7) | 34.4 (93.9) | 30.0 (86.0) | 25.0 (77.0) | 20.5 (68.9) | 38.5 (101.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −1.6 (29.1) | 0.3 (32.5) | 5.1 (41.2) | 12.4 (54.3) | 19.3 (66.7) | 24.6 (76.3) | 27.2 (81.0) | 25.8 (78.4) | 21.7 (71.1) | 14.5 (58.1) | 7.9 (46.2) | 1.4 (34.5) | 13.2 (55.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −6.0 (21.2) | −4.3 (24.3) | 0.3 (32.5) | 7.0 (44.6) | 13.5 (56.3) | 18.7 (65.7) | 21.3 (70.3) | 20.2 (68.4) | 16.0 (60.8) | 9.3 (48.7) | 3.8 (38.8) | −2.5 (27.5) | 8.1 (46.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −10.4 (13.3) | −8.9 (16.0) | −4.5 (23.9) | 1.5 (34.7) | 7.5 (45.5) | 12.7 (54.9) | 15.4 (59.7) | 14.6 (58.3) | 10.1 (50.2) | 3.9 (39.0) | −0.3 (31.5) | −6.3 (20.7) | 3.0 (37.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −30.0 (−22.0) | −31.4 (−24.5) | −24.0 (−11.2) | −12.8 (9.0) | −5.1 (22.8) | 1.1 (34.0) | 5.6 (42.1) | 1.1 (34.0) | −4.5 (23.9) | −7.0 (19.4) | −16.0 (3.2) | −27.0 (−16.6) | −30.5 (−22.9) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 54.7 (2.15) | 51.5 (2.03) | 59.1 (2.33) | 68.9 (2.71) | 81.1 (3.19) | 75.9 (2.99) | 95.0 (3.74) | 75.0 (2.95) | 86.6 (3.41) | 70.1 (2.76) | 84.4 (3.32) | 65.1 (2.56) | 867.3 (34.15) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 27.6 (1.09) | 30.4 (1.20) | 43.5 (1.71) | 65.3 (2.57) | 81.1 (3.19) | 75.9 (2.99) | 95.0 (3.74) | 75.0 (2.95) | 86.6 (3.41) | 70.1 (2.76) | 78.3 (3.08) | 40.8 (1.61) | 769.6 (30.30) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 27.1 (10.7) | 21.9 (8.6) | 15.6 (6.1) | 3.6 (1.4) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 6.1 (2.4) | 24.2 (9.5) | 98.4 (38.7) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 11.3 | 9.5 | 11.1 | 12.2 | 12.4 | 10.4 | 10.4 | 10.5 | 10.6 | 12.2 | 13.2 | 12.0 | 135.6 |
| Average rainy days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 4.5 | 4.7 | 8.1 | 11.6 | 12.4 | 10.4 | 10.4 | 10.5 | 10.6 | 12.2 | 11.8 | 7.0 | 114.0 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.2 cm) | 7.0 | 5.4 | 3.7 | 0.92 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.5 | 5.8 | 24.4 |
| Source:Environment Canada[50] | |||||||||||||
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1841 | 2,000 | — |
| 1871 | 8,107 | +305.3% |
| 1881 | 9,616 | +18.6% |
| 1891 | 12,753 | +32.6% |
| 1901 | 16,619 | +30.3% |
| 1911 | 23,132 | +39.2% |
| 1921 | 29,440 | +27.3% |
| 1931 | 30,107 | +2.3% |
| 1941 | 31,622 | +5.0% |
| 1951 | 36,727 | +16.1% |
| 1961 | 55,201 | +50.3% |
| 1971 | 64,421 | +16.7% |
| 1981 | 74,315 | +15.4% |
| 1991 | 81,997 | +10.3% |
| 1996 | 84,764 | +3.4% |
| 2001 | 86,417 | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 90,192 | +4.4% |
| 2011 | 93,650 | +3.8% |
| 2016 | 98,563 | +5.2% |
| 2021 | 104,688 | +6.2% |
| [51] | ||
In the2021 Census of Population conducted byStatistics Canada, Brantford had a population of104,688 living in41,673 of its43,269 total private dwellings, a change of6.2% from its 2016 population of98,563. With a land area of 98.65 km2 (38.09 sq mi), it had a population density of1,061.2/km2 (2,748.5/sq mi) in 2021.[52]
At thecensus metropolitan area (CMA) level in the 2021 census, the Brantford CMA had a population of144,162 living in56,003 of its58,047 total private dwellings, a change of7.4% from its 2016 population of134,203. With a land area of 1,074 km2 (415 sq mi), it had a population density of134.2/km2 (347.7/sq mi) in 2021.[53]
103,210 people gave their ethnic background on the 2021 census,[54] up from 95,780 on the 2016 census.[55] Brantford has the highest proportion of Indigenous people (Status Indians) inSouthern Ontario, outside of anIndian reserve.[56]
| Panethnic group | 2021[54] | 2016[57] | 2011[58] | 2006[59] | 2001[60] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
| European[a] | 82,015 | 79.46% | 80,945 | 84.51% | 81,035 | 88.11% | 79,205 | 89.15% | 78,115 | 91.77% |
| South Asian | 6,070 | 5.88% | 3,115 | 3.25% | 1,640 | 1.78% | 1,660 | 1.87% | 1,245 | 1.46% |
| Indigenous | 5,415 | 5.25% | 5,395 | 5.63% | 4,090 | 4.45% | 3,440 | 3.87% | 2,475 | 2.91% |
| African | 3,570 | 3.46% | 2,015 | 2.1% | 1,550 | 1.69% | 1,580 | 1.78% | 1,110 | 1.3% |
| Southeast Asian[b] | 2,385 | 2.31% | 1,805 | 1.88% | 1,190 | 1.29% | 1,195 | 1.35% | 1,045 | 1.23% |
| East Asian[c] | 1,020 | 0.99% | 1,065 | 1.11% | 1,090 | 1.19% | 940 | 1.06% | 670 | 0.79% |
| Middle Eastern[d] | 910 | 0.88% | 490 | 0.51% | 655 | 0.71% | 115 | 0.13% | 140 | 0.16% |
| Latin American | 905 | 0.88% | 445 | 0.46% | 365 | 0.4% | 360 | 0.41% | 140 | 0.16% |
| Other[e] | 920 | 0.89% | 510 | 0.53% | 355 | 0.39% | 245 | 0.28% | 190 | 0.22% |
| Total responses | 103,210 | 98.59% | 95,780 | 98.24% | 91,975 | 98.21% | 88,845 | 98.51% | 85,125 | 98.5% |
| Total population | 104,688 | 100% | 97,496 | 100% | 93,650 | 100% | 90,192 | 100% | 86,417 | 100% |
In 2021,[61] 51.8% of residents wereChristian, down from 64.8% in 2011.[62] 22.2% of residents wereCatholic, 17.6% wereProtestant, and 7.7% were Christian not otherwise specified. All other Christian denominations and Christian-related traditions accounted for 4.1% of the population. 40.4% of residents had no religion, up from 31.6% in 2011. All other religions and spiritual traditions make up 8.1% of the population. The largest non-Christian religions wereSikhism (2.6%),Islam (2.0%),Hinduism (1.7%) andBuddhism (0.5%).
Brantford has been used as a filming location for TV and films.
Statistics from theFederal 2016 Census indicated that 54.1% of Brantford's adult residents (ages 25 to 64) had earned either a post-secondary certificate, diploma, or university degree.
Several post-secondary institutions have facilities in Brantford.
Public education in the area is managed by theGrand Erie District School Board, and Catholic education is managed by theBrant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board.
Public education in the area is managed by theGrand Erie District School Board, and Catholic education is managed by theBrant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board and theConseil Scolaire de District Catholique Centre-Sud.[citation needed]
BTOWN is a freealternative online magazine which highlights people, projects and events in the Brantford area.[74]
TheBrantford Expositor, started in 1852, is published by Sun Media Corp. six days a week (excluding Sundays).
TheBrant News was a weekly paper, delivered Thursdays until 2018; it publishes breaking news online at their website,[75] and is published byMetroland Media Group.
TheTwo Row Times, a Free weekly paper started in 2013, is published on Wednesdays, delivered to every reservation in Ontario and globally online at their website,[76] published by Garlow Media.
BScene, a Free community paper founded in 2014, is published monthly and distributed locally throughout Brantford and Brant County via local businesses and community centers, It can also be viewed online at their website.[77] Independently published.
Brantford's only local television service comes fromRogers TV (cable 20), a localcommunity channel onRogers Cable. Otherwise, Brantford is served by stations fromToronto,Hamilton andKitchener.
Brantford Municipal Airport is located west of the city. It hosts an annualair show featuring theSnowbirds. TheJohn C. Munro Hamilton International Airport in Hamilton is located about 35 km (20 miles) east of Brantford.Toronto Pearson International Airport is located inMississauga, about 100 km (60 miles) northeast of Brantford.
Brantford station is located just north of downtown Brantford.Via Rail has daily passenger trains on theQuebec City-Windsor Corridor. Trains also stop atUnion Station inToronto.
Street rail began in Brantford in 1886 with horse-drawn carriages; by 1893, this system had been converted to electric. The City of Brantford took over these operations in 1914. Around 1936, it began to replace the electric street car system with gas-run buses, and by the end of 1939, the changeover was complete.[78]
As of 2022[update], there are at least 18 km (11 mi) ofbikeways in Brantford.[79] There are some planned street redesigns which include protected bike lanes andmulti-use trails, which as of 2022[update] are in the public consultation phase.[80]
Some former rail lines serving Brantford have been converted torail trails, which allow for intercommunity cycling connections to the north, south, and east. This includes theSC Johnson Trail to Paris (with further connections north to Cambridge and beyond)[81] and theHamilton to Brantford Rail Trail, which provides a connection east to Hamilton throughDundas andJerseyville.[82] Twin rail trails, the LE&N Trail and TH&B Trail, connect south toMount Pleasant, where they connect further south ultimately toPort Dover.[83]
Local museums include the Bell Homestead, Woodland Cultural Centre,[84] Brant Museum and Archives,[85] Canadian Military Heritage Museum[86] and thePersonal Computer Museum.
Annual events include the "Brantford International Villages Festival" in July;[87] the "Brantford Kinsmen Annual Ribfest" in August;[88] the "Chili Willy Cook-Off" in February; the "Frosty Fest", a Church festival held in winter;[89]
The Bell Summer Theatre Festival,[90] takes place from Canada Day to Labour Day at the Bell Homestead
Brantford is the home of several theatre groups including Brant Theatre Workshops,[91] Dufferin Players, His Majesty's players, ICHTHYS Theatre, Stage 88, Theatre Brantford and Whimsical Players.
Brantford has a casino,Elements Casino Brantford.The Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts is a local performance venue.[92]
TheYMCA in Brantford organized individual and team sports, led byJ. Howard Crocker from 1908 to 1911.[93] This included intercity basketball competitions,[94] ajunior ice hockey league,[95] and a junior baseball league.[96] There was also an annualracewalking event sponsored by theBrantford Expositor,[97] and the Brantford-to-Hamilton marathon race.[98] In 1910, Brantford hosted the YMCA national athletics championships.[99]
Brantford istwinned with:
Ostrów Wielkopolski, Poland[104]
Kamianets-Podilskyi, Ukraine[105]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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