Brantford is a city of 93,000 located on the Grand River, and along Highway 403 between London and Hamilton . It also lies on scenic Highway 2 which runs all the way from Windsor to Kingston.
Brantford was named after Captain Joseph Thayendanegea Brant, who was the Mohawk Chief who fought with the British and in 1784 led his Six Nations Indians from upper New York State to settle along the Grand River. Captain Brant is buried in Her Majesty’s Royal Chapel in Brantford, which was the first Protestant church built in Ontario and one of only two Royal Chapels outside the United Kingdom.
The city is an important industrial centre, using the navigable Grand River which brought raw materials and took out manufactured goods to Lake Erie. It was once the third largest city in Ontario, as home to the now shut down Massey Harris, White Farm Equipment, Massey Ferguson, Koering Waterous, Harding Carpets and others.
Famous town sones include “the Great One” hockey player Wayne Gretzky, who learned to skate in Brantford, and Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone here and also, in 1876 Bell made the first long distance call (to Paris).
Incidentally, nearby Paris was named because so many of its homes used copious amounts of plaster of Paris in their construction, which was available locally and cheap. Paris is also called “the cobblestone capital of Canada”, cobblestone was the other plentiful home building material.
Brantford Festivals
Brant United Way Air Show – September 1st, Airport at 110 Aviation Rd, Free admission (519-751-9900)
Brantford Gardening Festival – at the Brantford and District Civic Centre, 69-79 Market St S (519-753-4682)
Brantford International Villages Festival – early July, held at several venues (519-756-4602)
ElvisFest – Late August, with over 75 Elvises performing at Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts, 88 Dalhousie St (519-752-1694)
Brantford Attractions
Ben Mar Family Fun Centre
519-756-3690
440 Paris Road (between Brantford and Paris)
Brantford, ON N3T 5L8
Enjoy the fun on the driving range, miniature golf, go-cart track, baseball batting cages, arcade, pro shop, ferris wheel, diner.
Brantford Charity Casino
519-752-5004
40 Icomm Drive,
Brantford, ON N3S 7S9
Tthe Brantford Charity Casino has 50 gaming tables including Blackjack, Caribbean Stud Poker, Let it Ride, Spanish 21 and Roulette, along with 450 exciting slot machines. Dine at Galileo’s Buffet & Grille with an all-you-can-eat buffet selection. Open 24 hours, 365 days per year.
Bell Homestead National Historic Site
519-756-6220
94 Tutela Heights,
Brantford, ON N3T 1A1
The Bell Homestead provided the setting for the invention of the telephone in 1874. The Bell family sold the farm in 1881, and in 1909, the house and surrounding lands were bought for the City of Brantford. Since then many original Bell family furnishings and household items have been added to recreate the home’s 1870s appearance.
Bell Memorial
41 West St
Brantford, ON
The art deco-style granite and bronze Bell Memorial was designed by Walter S. Allward and built in 1917. At its unveiling, Alexander Graham Bell confirmed that the telephone was invented in Brantford.
Brant Museum and Archives
519-752-2483
57 Charlotte Street,
Brantford, ON N3T 2W6
The Museum contains galleries that reflect the people, events, commercial and industrial heritage of Brantford and Brant County
Brantford Armoury
519-752-1642
18 Brant Ave,
Brantford, ON
The 1893 Dufferin Rifles Armoury was built overlooking picturesque Grand River, though later, two Baronial style turrets and a tower were added to the eastern end. Today the Armoury is the home of the 56th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery
Brantford Children’s Chorus
519-759-7349
515 Park Road North,
Brantford, ON N3R 7K8
The Brant County Youth Singers, for over a decade has been a youth treble choir offering the finest in choral training for 7- to 17-year-olds.
Brantford Symphony Orchestra
519-759-8781
330 West Street,
Brantford, ON N3R 7V5
Orchestral music has long been part of the cultural fabric of Brantford. It was said that Alexander Graham Bell played as cellist in one of the several informal late 1800s ensembles that were predecessors to the BSO.
Canadian Military Heritage Museum
519-759-1313
347 Greenwich Street,
Brantford, ON N3S 7X4
Experience Canada’s military heritage, from the United Empire Loyalists of the 1780s to the peacekeepers of today. The museum houses artifacts from the War of 1812, South African War, and World Wars I and II. Summer Hours: May 1 to September 30 , Tuesday – Sunday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm (Closed Mondays).
Canning Perennials
519-458-4271
955309 Canning Road,
Take Hwy. 2 west of Paris to Falkland, and turn north on Puttown Road
Paris, ON N3L 3E2
FREE self-guided garden tours on 8 park-like acres filled with perennial gardens and water features. Extensive perennial gardens and water features. Over 1,400 different varieties of perennials, grasses, shrubs, and water plants. Partially handicapped accessible. Open Mid April to Early August
Sanderson Centre For The Performing Arts
519-752-9910
88 Dalhousie Street,
Brantford, ON N3T 2J2
The Sanderson Centre presents Broadway musicals, concerts, comedy and community events in an authentically restored historic theatre.
Twin Valley Animal Park
519-752-0607
84 Langford Church Road,
Brantford, ON N3T 5L4
Twin Valley uses a beautiful 25 acre site, to house over 40 different species of domestic and exotic animals in natural surroundings.