Brantford (
2021 population: 104,688
) is a city in
Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
, Canada, founded on the
Grand River in
Southwestern Ontario
Southwestern Ontario (census population 2,796,367 in 2021) is a secondary region of Southern Ontario in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. It occupies most of the Ontario Peninsula, bounded by Lake Huron (includ ...
. It is surrounded by
Brant County
The County of Brant (2021 population 39,474) is a single-tier municipality in the Canadian province of Ontario. Although it retains the word "county" in its name, the municipality is a single-tier municipal government and has no upper tier. The C ...
but is politically separate with a municipal government of its own that is fully independent of the county's municipal government.
Brantford is situated on the
Haldimand Tract
The Haldimand Proclamation was a decree that granted land to the Mohawk (or Kanien'kehà:ka) (Mohawk nation) who had served on the British side during the American Revolution. The decree was issued by the Governor of the Province of Quebec (1763� ...
, and is named after
Joseph Brant
Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant (March 1743 – November 24, 1807) was a Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York and, later, Brantford, in what is today Ontario, who was closely associated with Great Britain du ...
, a Mohawk leader, soldier, farmer and slave owner. Brant was an important
Loyalist
Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...
leader during the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
and later, after the Haudenosaunee moved to the Brantford area in
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada () was a Province, part of The Canadas, British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of the Province of Queb ...
. Many of his descendants and other
First Nations
First nations are indigenous settlers or bands.
First Nations, first nations, or first peoples may also refer to:
Indigenous groups
*List of Indigenous peoples
*First Nations in Canada, Indigenous peoples of Canada who are neither Inuit nor Mé ...
people live on the nearby
Six Nations of the Grand River
Six Nations (or Six Nations of the Grand River) is demographically the largest First Nations reserve in Canada. As of the end of 2017, it has a total of 27,276 members, 12,848 of whom live on the reserve. The six nations of the Iroquois Confederacy ...
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
Alexander Graham Bell (; born Alexander Bell; March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) was a Scottish-born Canadian Americans, Canadian-American inventor, scientist, and engineer who is credited with patenting the first practical telephone. He als ...
, invented the first
telephone
A telephone, colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that enables two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most ...
at his father's homestead, Melville House, now the
Bell Homestead, located in Tutela Heights south of the city. Brantford is also known as the birthplace and hometown of
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...
and
Phil Hartman
Philip Edward Hartman (; September 24, 1948 – May 28, 1998) was a Canadian-American comedian, actor, screenwriter and graphic designer. Hartman was born in Brantford, Ontario, and his family moved to the United States when he w ...
.
History

The Iroquoian-speaking Attawandaron, known in English as the
Neutral Nation
The Neutral Confederacy (also Neutral Nation, Neutral people, or ) was a tribal confederation of Iroquoian peoples. Its heartland was in the floodplain of the Grand River in what is now Ontario, Canada. At its height, its wider territory extend ...
, 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 the
Grand 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.
In 1784, Captain
Joseph Brant
Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant (March 1743 – November 24, 1807) was a Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York and, later, Brantford, in what is today Ontario, who was closely associated with Great Britain du ...
and the
Mohawk people
The Mohawk, also known by their own name, (), are an Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous people of North America and the easternmost nation of the Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois Confederacy (also known as the Five Nations or later the ...
of the Iroquois Confederacy left New York State for Canada. As a reward for their loyalty to the
British Crown
The Crown is a political concept used in Commonwealth realms. Depending on the context used, it generally refers to the entirety of the State (polity), state (or in federal realms, the relevant level of government in that state), the executive ...
, they were given a large land grant, referred to as the
Haldimand Tract
The Haldimand Proclamation was a decree that granted land to the Mohawk (or Kanien'kehà:ka) (Mohawk nation) who had served on the British side during the American Revolution. The decree was issued by the Governor of the Province of Quebec (1763� ...
, 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 The
Glebe 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 the
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an organized network of secret routes and safe houses used by freedom seekers to escape to the abolitionist Northern United States and Eastern Canada. Enslaved Africans and African Americans escaped from slavery ...
, and a sizable number of
runaway African-Americans settled in the town. From the 1830s to the 1860s – several hundred people of African descent settled in the area around Murray Street, and in
Cainsville. In Brantford, they established their own school and church, now known as the
S.R. Drake Memorial Church. In 1846, it is estimated 2000 residents lived in the city's core while 5199 lived in the outlying rural areas.
There were eight churches in Brantford at this time – Episcopal, Presbyterian, Catholic, two Methodist, Baptist, Congregational, and one for the African-Canadian residents.
By 1847, Europeans began to settle further up the river at a ford in the Grand River and named their village Brantford. 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.
Some of these factories included Brantford Engine Works, Victoria Foundry and Britannia Foundry.
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 book ''At The Forks of The Grand''.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Canadian government encouraged the education of First Nations children at
residential 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
The Mohawk Institute Residential School was a Canadian Indian residential school in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. The school operated from 1831 to June 27, 1970. Enrollment at the school ranged from 90 to 200 students per year.
History
Operated by ...
(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 titled ''Documenting Ethnic Cleansing in North America: Creating Unseen Tears'', and the Legacy of Hope Foundation's online media collection: "Where are the Children? Healing the Legacy of the Residential Schools".
In June 1945, Brantford became the first city in Canada to fluoridate its water supply.
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 the
Bell 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.
Historical plaques and memorials
Plaques and monuments erected by the provincial and federal governments provide additional glimpses into the early history of the area around Brantford.
The famed Mohawk Chief
Joseph Brant
Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant (March 1743 – November 24, 1807) was a Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York and, later, Brantford, in what is today Ontario, who was closely associated with Great Britain du ...
(Thayendanega) led his people from the Mohawk Valley of New York State to Upper Canada after being allied with the British during the
American Revolution
The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...
, 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.
Nearly a century later (1886), the Joseph Brant Memorial would be erected in
Burlington, Ontario
Burlington, officially the City of Burlington, is a city and List of municipalities in Ontario#Lower-tier municipalities, lower-tier municipality in Regional Municipality of Halton, Halton Region at the west end of Lake Ontario in Ontario, Can ...
in honour of Brant and the Six Nations Confederacy.
The
Mohawk Chapel, built by the British Crown in 1785 for the
Mohawk
Mohawk may refer to:
Related to Native Americans
*Mohawk people (Kanien’kehá:ka), an indigenous people of North America (Canada and New York)
*Mohawk language (Kanien’kéha), the language spoken by the Mohawk people
*Mohawk hairstyle, from a ...
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 the
American Revolution
The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...
.
In 1904 the chapel received Royal status by King
Edward VII
Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910.
The second child ...
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.
Chief
John Brant (Mohawk leader)
John Brant or Ahyonwaeghs (September 27, 1794 – August 27, 1832) was a Mohawk chief and government official in Upper Canada.
Brant was born near the current site of Brantford, Ontario, the son of Joseph Brant (Thayendanegea) and Catharine ...
(Ahyonwaeghs) was one of the sons of Joseph Brant. He fought with the British during the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...
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.
Chief Brant was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada for Haldimand in 1830 and was the first aboriginal Canadian in Parliament.
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.
Among the most famed residents were
Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell (; born Alexander Bell; March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) was a Scottish-born Canadian Americans, Canadian-American inventor, scientist, and engineer who is credited with patenting the first practical telephone. He als ...
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
[Patten, William; Bell, Alexander Melville]
Pioneering The Telephone In Canada
, Montreal: Herald Press, 1926, pg.7. (Note: Patten's full name as published is William Patten, not Gulielmus Patten as stated at Google Books) and later absorbed into Brantford.) Then called Melville House, it is now a museum, the
Bell Homestead National Historic Site
The Bell Homestead National Historic Site, located in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, also known by the name of its principal structure, Melville House, was the first North American home of Professor Alexander Melville Bell and his family, includin ...
. This was the site of the invention of the telephone in 1874 and ongoing trials in 1876. The
Bell Memorial
The Bell Memorial (also known as the Bell Monument or Telephone Monument) is a memorial designed by Walter Seymour Allward to commemorate the invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell at the Bell Homestead National Historic Site, in Br ...
, also known as the Bell Monument, was commissioned to commemorate Bell's
invention of the telephone
The invention of the telephone was the culmination of work done by more than one individual, and led to an array of lawsuits relating to the patent claims of several individuals and numerous companies. Notable people included in this were Ant ...
in Brantford; it is also one of the
National Historic Sites of Canada
National Historic Sites of Canada () are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as being of national historic significance. Parks C ...
.
Invention of the telephone

Some articles suggest that the telephone was invented in
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
, where Alexander Graham Bell did a great deal of work on the development of the device. 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". At the unveiling of the
Bell Memorial
The Bell Memorial (also known as the Bell Monument or Telephone Monument) is a memorial designed by Walter Seymour Allward to commemorate the invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell at the Bell Homestead National Historic Site, in Br ...
on 24 October 1917, Bell reminded the attendees that "Brantford is right in claiming the invention of the telephone here...
hich wasconceived in Brantford in 1874 and born in Boston in 1875" and that "the first transmission to a distance was made between Brantford and
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
" (on 3 August 1876). 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.
Canada's first telephone factory, created by
James Cowherd, was located in Brantford and operated from about 1879 until Cowherd's death in 1881. The first telephone business office which opened in 1877, not far from the Bell Homestead, was located in what is now Brantford.
The combination of events has led to Brantford calling itself "The Telephone City".
Law and government
Brantford is located within the County of Brant; however, it is a single-tier municipality, politically separate from the county.
''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." Single-tier municipalities provide for all local government services.
At the federal and provincial levels of government, Brantford is part of the
Brant riding.
Brantford City Council
The Brantford City Council is the governing body of Brantford, Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territo ...
is the municipal governing body. As of October 22, 2018, the mayor is
Kevin Davis.
Safety
Brantford's economy was hit hard in the 1980s when farm equipment manufacturers
Massey Ferguson
Massey Ferguson is an agricultural machinery manufacturer, established in 1953 through the merger of farm equipment makers Massey-Harris of Canada and the Ferguson Company of Ireland. It was based in Coventry then moved to Beauvais in 2003 when ...
and
White Farm Equipment
White Farm Equipment was a manufacturer of agricultural machinery, now discontinued and owned by AGCO.
History
In 1960, the White Motor Corporation entered the agriculture market with the purchase of the Oliver Farm Equipment Company. In 19 ...
closed their local plants.
By the end of 1981, the city's unemployment rate reached 22%.
As with other small Ontario cities hit by the decline of manufacturing, the community struggled with an increase in social problems.
In more recent times, the city was hit hard by the
opioid crisis
The opioid epidemic, also referred to as the opioid crisis, is the rapid increase in the overuse, misuse or abuse, and Drug overdose, overdose deaths attributed either in part or in whole to the class of drugs called opiates or opioids since th ...
. In 2018, Brantford had the highest rate of emergency department visits for overdose of any city in Ontario. 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). The same year, ''
Maclean's
''Maclean's'' is a Canadian magazine founded in 1905 which reports on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, trends and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian ...
'' magazine ranked Brantford as having a higher rate of crime severity than most of the province.
Economy
The
electric 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 the
Cockshutt Plow Company
Cockshutt was a large agricultural machinery manufacturer, known as Cockshutt Farm Equipment Limited (1957–1962), based in Brantford, Ontario, Canada.
Founded as the Brantford Plow Works by James G. Cockshutt in 1877, the name was changed to th ...
. 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 as
White Farm Equipment
White Farm Equipment was a manufacturer of agricultural machinery, now discontinued and owned by AGCO.
History
In 1960, the White Motor Corporation entered the agriculture market with the purchase of the Oliver Farm Equipment Company. In 19 ...
,
Massey Ferguson
Massey Ferguson is an agricultural machinery manufacturer, established in 1953 through the merger of farm equipment makers Massey-Harris of Canada and the Ferguson Company of Ireland. It was based in Coventry then moved to Beauvais in 2003 when ...
(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 of
Highway 403 in 1997, bringing companies easy access to
Hamilton
Hamilton may refer to:
* Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States
* ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda
** ''Hamilton'' (al ...
and
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
and completing a direct route from
Detroit
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
to
Buffalo
Buffalo most commonly refers to:
* True buffalo or Bubalina, a subtribe of wild cattle, including most "Old World" buffalo, such as water buffalo
* Bison, a genus of wild cattle, including the American buffalo
* Buffalo, New York, a city in the n ...
. In 2004
Procter & Gamble
The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/con ...
and
Ferrero SpA
Ferrero International SpA ( , ), more commonly known as Ferrero Group or simply Ferrero, is an Italian multinational company with headquarters in Alba. Ferrero is a manufacturer of branded chocolate and confectionery products, and the second ...
chose to locate in the city. Though Wescast Industries, Inc. recently closed its local foundry, its corporate headquarters will remain in Brantford.
SC Johnson
S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc. (commonly referred to as S. C. Johnson) is an American multinational corporation, multinational corporation, privately held manufacturer of household cleaning supplies and other consumer chemicals based in Racine, ...
Canada has their headquarters and a manufacturing plant in Brantford, connected to the Canadian National network. Other companies that have their headquarters here include
Gunther Mele and
GreenMantra Technologies. On February 16, 2005, Brant, including Brantford, was added to the Greater
Golden Horseshoe
The Golden Horseshoe () is a secondary region of Southern Ontario, Canada, which lies at the western end of Lake Ontario, with outer boundaries stretching south to Lake Erie and north to Lake Scugog, Lake Simcoe and Georgian Bay of Lake Huron. T ...
along with
Haldimand and
Northumberland
Northumberland ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North East England, on the Anglo-Scottish border, border with Scotland. It is bordered by the North Sea to the east, Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south, Cumb ...
counties.
In February 2019, Brantford's unemployment rate stood at 4.6% – lower than Ontario's rate of 5.6%.
Climate
Brantford has a
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
(
Dfb DFB may refer to: Music
* Dem Franchize Boyz, an Atlanta hip hop group
* Dysfunctional Family BBQ, a New York festival
Sport
* DFB-Pokal, a football cup competition in Germany
Organisations
* Furka Steam Railway (), Switzerland
* German Footbal ...
) with warm to hot summers and cold, moderately snowy winters, though not severe by Canadian standards.
Demographics
In the
2021 Census of Population
The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is sli ...
conducted by
Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada (StatCan; ), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. It is headquartered in ...
, Brantford had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.
At the
census metropolitan area
The census geographic units of Canada are the census subdivisions defined and used by Canada's federal government statistics bureau Statistics Canada to conduct the country's quinquennial census. These areas exist solely for the purposes of stat ...
(CMA) level in the 2021 census, the Brantford CMA had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.
Ethnicity
103,210 people gave their ethnic background on the 2021 census,
up from 95,780 on the 2016 census. Brantford has the highest proportion of Indigenous people (
Status Indians
The Indian Register is the official record of people registered under the ''Indian Act'' in Canada, called status Indians or ''registered Indians''. People registered under the ''Indian Act'' have rights and benefits that are not granted to othe ...
) in
Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario is a Region, primary region of the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. It is the most densely populated and southernmost region in Canada, with approximately 13.5 million people, approximately 36% o ...
, outside of an
Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve () or First Nations reserve () is defined by the '' Indian Act'' as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." ...
.
* Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses.
Religion
In 2021, 51.8% of residents were
Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
, down from 64.8% in 2011. 22.2% of residents were
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
, 17.6% were
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
, 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 were
Sikhism
Sikhism is an Indian religion and Indian philosophy, philosophy that originated in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent around the end of the 15th century CE. It is one of the most recently founded major religious groups, major religio ...
(2.6%),
Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
(2.0%),
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...
(1.7%) and
Buddhism
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
(0.5%).
Film and television
Brantford has been used as a filming location for TV and films.
* The television series ''
Murdoch Mysteries
''Murdoch Mysteries'' is a Canadian television drama series that premiered on Citytv on January 20, 2008, and currently airs on CBC. The series is based on characters from the ''Detective Murdoch'' novels by Maureen Jennings and stars Yannick ...
'' has used the Carnegie Building, now part of Wilfrid Laurier University's Brantford campus, as the courthouse.
The interior of the Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts has also been featured in the series.
In addition, Victoria Park and many of the older homes along Dalhousie and George streets have been used for shot locations.
* The television series ''
The Boys'' third season was partially filmed in Brantford during the spring of 2021.
* The television series
''The Handmaid's Tale'' had several locations filmed in Brantford during 2018, 2020 and 2022.
* Several movies have had scenes shot at the
Brantford Airport
Brantford Airport , also known as Brantford Municipal Airport, is a registered aerodrome located west southwest of the City of Brantford, in the county of Brant, Ontario, Canada.
There is a single fixed-base operator at the airport. The air ...
, including ''
Welcome to Mooseport
''Welcome to Mooseport'' is a 2004 political satire comedy film directed by Donald Petrie, and starring Ray Romano and Gene Hackman in his final film role. It was filmed in Jackson's Point and Port Perry in Ontario.
Plot
Former President o ...
'' and ''
Where the Truth Lies
''Where the Truth Lies'' is a 2005 thriller film written and directed by Atom Egoyan and starring Kevin Bacon, Colin Firth, and Alison Lohman. It is based on Rupert Holmes's 2003 novel of the same name.
The film alternates between 1957, when com ...
''. Many ''
Mayday
Mayday is an emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice-procedure radio communications.
It is used to signal a life-threatening emergency primarily by aviators and mariners, but in some countries local organiz ...
'' episodes have also been filmed there.
* An episode of ''
Due South
''Due South'' is a Canadian crime comedy-drama television series created by Paul Haggis, and produced by Alliance Communications from its premiere on April 23, 1994, to its conclusion after four seasons on March 14, 1999. The series starred P ...
'', "Dr. Long Ball", was filmed at
Arnold Anderson Stadium in Cockshutt Park.
* Brantford's downtown provided locations for ''
Weirdsville
''Weirdsville'' is a black comedy film directed by Allan Moyle and written by Willem Wennekers. It premiered on January 18, 2007, at the 2007 Slamdance Film Festival.
The film takes place in Northern Ontario and was filmed in Hamilton, Ontario, ...
'' in 2006 and "
Silent Hill
is a horror media franchise centered on a series of survival horror games created by Keiichiro Toyama and published by Konami. The first four main games—'' Silent Hill'', '' Silent Hill 2'', '' Silent Hill 3'', and '' Silent Hill 4: The ...
" in 2005. Many area residents observed that little work had to be done to make downtown look decayed and haunted.
* Brantford's Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts was used as "The Rose" mainstage theatre of the "New Burbage Festival" in the series ''
Slings & Arrows.''
Education
Statistics from the
Federal 2021 Census indicated that 57.2% of Brantford's adult residents (ages 25 to 64) had earned either a post-secondary certificate, diploma, or university degree,
compared to 67.8% for the whole of Ontario.
Universities and colleges

Several post-secondary institutions have facilities in Brantford.
*
Laurier Brantford
Laurier Brantford is Wilfrid Laurier University's second campus located in Brantford, Ontario. The first and original campus of Wilfrid Laurier University is located in Waterloo, Ontario. Laurier follows a 'multicampus' structure, as it is one ...
, a campus of Wilfrid Laurier University, offers a variety of programs at their downtown campus. The 2013–14 enrollment is 2,800 full-time students.
**The Faculty of Liberal Arts includes Contemporary Studies, Journalism, History, English, Youth and Children's Studies, Human Rights and Human Diversity, Languages at Brantford and Law and Society programs. The Faculty of Human and Social Sciences includes Criminology, Health Studies, Psychology and Leadership.
**The Faculty of Social Work includes the Bachelor of Social Work.
**The Faculty of Graduate and Post-Doctoral Studies includes Social Justice and Community Engagement (MA) and Criminology (MA)
**The School of Business and Economics includes Business Technology Management.
*
Six Nations Polytechnic operates out of the former
Mohawk College
Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology is a public college of applied arts and technology located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Established in 1966, the college currently has five main campuses: the Fennell Campus on the Hamilton Mount ...
campus. The school offers various 2-year college programs from their campus in Brantford. They also have a campus on the nearby
Six Nations of the Grand River
Six Nations (or Six Nations of the Grand River) is demographically the largest First Nations reserve in Canada. As of the end of 2017, it has a total of 27,276 members, 12,848 of whom live on the reserve. The six nations of the Iroquois Confederacy ...
, catering to mostly university programs.
*
Nipissing University
Nipissing University is a public university located in North Bay, Ontario, Canada. The campus overlooks Lake Nipissing.
History Northeastern University (1960–1967)
The roots of Nipissing University date back to 1947, when residents of North B ...
, in partnership with Laurier Brantford, offers the Concurrent Education program in Brantford. In five years, students earn an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Society, Culture & Environment from Laurier Brantford and a Bachelor of Education from Nipissing University. During the 2013–14 academic year there were 70 full-time and 100 part-time students in the program.
*
Conestoga College
Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning is a public college located in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.
History
In 1967, the college was founded as Conestoga College of Applied Arts and Technology by the government of Ontar ...
offers academic programming in Brantford's downtown core in partnership with Wilfrid Laurier University and its Laurier Brantford campus. Conestoga College offers diplomas in Business and Health Office Administration, a graduate certificate in Human Resources Management, and a certificate in Medical Office Practice in Brantford. This program has 120 full-time students in the 2013–14 academic year.
*
Mohawk College
Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology is a public college of applied arts and technology located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Established in 1966, the college currently has five main campuses: the Fennell Campus on the Hamilton Mount ...
had a satellite campus; however, the college ceased operations in Brantford and transferred the property to
Six Nations Polytechnic at the end of the 2013–14 academic year.
Secondary schools
Public education in the area is managed by the
Grand Erie District School Board
The Grand Erie District School Board (GEDSB, Originally known as Haldimand Norfolk Brant (English-language Public) District School Board No. 23 prior to May 1998) is a school board that has legal jurisdiction over Norfolk County, Haldimand Coun ...
, and Catholic education is managed by the
Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board
The Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board (BHNCDSB, known as English-language Separate District School Board No. 51 prior to 1999) is a separate school board in Ontario, Canada. The school board is the school district administrat ...
.
*
Assumption College School
Assumption College Catholic High School is a Catholic secondary school in Windsor, Ontario. The school was originally established as a private preparatory school by Assumption College, now Assumption University, but it is now a publicly-funded sep ...
(Catholic)
*
Brantford Collegiate Institute – successor to Brantford Grammar School (c. 1852) and Brantford High School ( 1871).
*
North Park Collegiate & Vocational School
*
Pauline Johnson Collegiate & Vocational School
Pauline Johnson Collegiate & Vocational School in Brantford, Ontario, Canada is a composite high school with collegiate and vocational departments. It was named in honour of the Canadian First Nations poet E. Pauline Johnson, who was born nearb ...
*
St. John's College (Catholic)
* Tollgate Technological Skills Centre (formerly known as Herman E. Fawcett)
* Grand Erie Learning Alternatives (GELA)
Elementary schools
Public education in the area is managed by the
Grand Erie District School Board
The Grand Erie District School Board (GEDSB, Originally known as Haldimand Norfolk Brant (English-language Public) District School Board No. 23 prior to May 1998) is a school board that has legal jurisdiction over Norfolk County, Haldimand Coun ...
, and Catholic education is managed by the
Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board
The Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board (BHNCDSB, known as English-language Separate District School Board No. 51 prior to 1999) is a separate school board in Ontario, Canada. The school board is the school district administrat ...
and the
Conseil Scolaire de District Catholique Centre-Sud
Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir (also referred to as Csc MonAvenir) is a French-language Catholic school board that manages elementary and secondary French schools in South-Central Ontario. The school board operates 47 elementary schools, 12 ...
.
Other
* The
W. Ross Macdonald School for
blind and
deafblind students is located in Brantford.
* The
Mohawk Institute Residential School
The Mohawk Institute Residential School was a Canadian Indian residential school in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. The school operated from 1831 to June 27, 1970. Enrollment at the school ranged from 90 to 200 students per year.
History
Operated by ...
, a
Canadian Indian residential school
The Canadian Indian residential school system was a network of boarding schools for Indigenous peoples. The network was funded by the Canadian government's Department of Indian Affairs and administered by various Christian churches. The scho ...
, was located in Brantford. It was closed after emphasis on educating children in their home communities and encouraging their own cultures, in part because of reporting of abuses at such facilities.
* Braemar House School is a private elementary school in Brantford offering diverse Montessori and Elementary School curricula.
Media
Online
''BTOWN'' is a free
alternative online magazine which highlights people, projects and events in the Brantford area.
Print
The ''
Brantford Expositor
The ''Brantford Expositor'' is an English language newspaper based in Brantford, Ontario and owned by Postmedia. It provides the readers with coverage of local news, sports and events to the community as well as coverage of provincial, national ...
'', started in 1852, is published by Sun Media Corp. six days a week (excluding Sundays).
The ''Brant News'' was a weekly paper, delivered Thursdays until 2018; it publishes breaking news online at their website, and is published by
Metroland Media Group
Metroland Media Group (also known as Community Brands) is a Canadian mass media publisher and distributor which primarily operates in Southern Ontario. A division of the publishing conglomerate Torstar Corporation, Metroland published more than ...
.
The ''
Two Row Times
The Two Row Times, an Onkwehon:we ( Onkwehonwe) flagship publication of Garlow Media,Two Row Times Business Report (September 20, 2013) is a free weekly news publication based in Hagersville, Ontario, Canada, and focusing distribution on the Six ...
,'' a Free weekly paper started in 2013, is published on Wednesdays, delivered to every reservation in Ontario and globally online at their website, 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. Independently published.
Radio
* AM 1380 –
CKPC (AM)
CKPC (1380 kHz) was a commercial AM radio station in Brantford, Ontario. Owned by Evanov Communications, the station was first established in 1923 in Preston, Ontario, as one of Canada's earliest radio stations.
The station broadcast various fo ...
, religious
* FM 92.1 –
CKPC-FM
CKPC-FM (92.1 FM, ''Lite 92'') is a radio station in Brantford, Ontario. Owned by Evanov Communications, it broadcasts a soft adult contemporary format, billed as "Southern Ontario's Favourites". The studios are located at 325 West St in Brantf ...
,
adult contemporary
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...
* FM 93.9 –
CFWC-FM
CFWC-FM (93.9 MHz, ''Hot Country 93.9'') is a radio station in Brantford, Ontario. Owned by Evanov Communications, the station broadcasts a country format. The studios are located at 325 West St in Brantford while its transmitter is located atop ...
,
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
Television
Brantford's only local television service comes from
Rogers TV
Rogers TV (stylized as Rogers tv) is a group of English-language community channels owned by Rogers Communications. Many of these channels share common programs. Rogers TV broadcasts in the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and ...
(cable 20), a local
community channel on
Rogers Cable
Rogers Cable is Canada's largest cable television service provider with about 2.25 million television customers, and over 930,000 Internet subscribers, primarily in Southern and Eastern Ontario, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador. Roger ...
. Otherwise, Brantford is served by stations from
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
,
Hamilton
Hamilton may refer to:
* Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States
* ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda
** ''Hamilton'' (al ...
and
Kitchener.
Transportation
Air
Brantford Municipal Airport is located west of the city. It hosts an annual
air show
An air show (or airshow, air fair, air tattoo) is a public event where aircraft are trade fair, exhibited. They often include aerobatics demonstrations, without which they are called "static air shows" with aircraft parked on the ground.
The ...
featuring the
Snowbirds
Snowbird may refer to:
Places
* Snowbird, Utah, an unincorporated area and associated ski resort in the United States
* Snowbird Lake, a lake in the Northwest Territories, Canada
* Snowbird Glacier, a hanging alpine glacier in the Talkeetna Moun ...
. The
John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport
John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport , or simply Hamilton Airport, is an international airport in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The airport is part of the neighbourhood of Mount Hope, southwest of Downtown Hamilton and southwest of Tor ...
in Hamilton is located about 35 km (20 miles) east of Brantford.
Toronto Pearson International Airport
Toronto Pearson International Airport is an international airport located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It is the main airport serving Toronto, its metropolitan area, and the surrounding region known as the Golden Horseshoe. Pearson is the ...
is located in
Mississauga
Mississauga is a Canadian city in the province of Ontario. Situated on the north-western shore of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, it borders Toronto (Etobicoke) to the east, Brampton to the north, Milton to the northwest, ...
, about 100 km (60 miles) northeast of Brantford.
Rail
Brantford station is located just north of downtown Brantford.
Via Rail
Via Rail Canada Inc. (), operating as Via Rail or Via (stylized as VIA Rail), is a Canadian Crown corporation that operates intercity passenger rail service in Canada.
As of December 2023, Via Rail operates 406 trains per week across eight ...
has daily passenger trains on the
Quebec City-Windsor Corridor
Quebec is Canada's largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, New Brunswick to the southeast and a coastal border ...
. Trains also stop at
Union Station
A union station, union terminal, joint station, or joint-use station is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway company, railway companies, allowing passengers to connect conveniently bet ...
in
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
.
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.
Bus
*
Brantford Transit
Brantford Transit is a public transit service serving Brantford, Ontario, Canada. It operates bus service for almost 1.3 million passengers per year.
Services
Regular routes operate on a half-hour schedule from the downtown terminal.
*Monda ...
serves the city with nine regular routes operating on a half-hour schedule from the downtown Transit Terminal on Darling Street, with additional school service.
*
GO bus service between downtown Brantford and
Aldershot GO Station
Aldershot GO Station is a railway station and bus station used by Via Rail and GO Transit, located at Highway 403 and Waterdown Road in the Aldershot community of Burlington, Ontario, Canada.
History
The Great Western Railway built the first ...
in Burlington, stopping at
McMaster University
McMaster University (McMaster or Mac) is a public research university in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main McMaster campus is on of land near the residential neighbourhoods of Ainslie Wood, Ontario, Ainslie Wood and Westdale, Ontario, Westd ...
.
* An
on-demand
On-demand or on demand may refer to:
Manufacturing
* Build-on-demand
* Just-in-time manufacturing, a methodology for production
* Print on demand, printing technology and business process in which new copies of a document are not printed until an ...
service, , provides service to
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
,
St. George
Saint George (;Geʽez: ጊዮርጊስ, , ka, გიორგი, , , died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was an early Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to holy tradition, he was a soldier in the ...
, and
Burford
Burford () is a town on the River Windrush, in the Cotswold hills, in the West Oxfordshire district of Oxfordshire, England. It is often referred to as the 'gateway' to the Cotswolds. Burford is located west of Oxford and southeast of Chelt ...
.
Provincial highways
*
Highway 403, East to Hamilton, West to Woodstock.
*
Highway 24, North to Cambridge, South to Simcoe.
Cycling
, there are at least of
bikeways in Brantford. There are some planned street redesigns which include protected bike lanes and
multi-use trail
A shared-use path, mixed-use path or multi-use pathway is a path which is "designed to accommodate the movement of pedestrians and cyclists". Examples of shared-use paths include sidewalks designated as shared-use, bridleways and rail trails. A ...
s, which are in the public consultation phase.
Some former rail lines serving Brantford have been converted to
rail trail
A rail trail or railway walk is a shared-use path on a Right of way#Rail right of way, railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed but may also share the rail corr ...
s, which allow for intercommunity cycling connections to the north, south, and east. This includes the
SC Johnson Trail to Paris (with further connections north to Cambridge and beyond) and the
Hamilton to Brantford Rail Trail
Hamilton may refer to:
* Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States
* Hamilton (musical), ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda
...
, which provides a connection east to Hamilton through
Dundas and
Jerseyville. Twin rail trails, the LE&N Trail and TH&B Trail, connect south to
Mount Pleasant, where they connect further south ultimately to
Port Dover
Port Dover is an unincorporated community and former town located in Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada, on the north shore of Lake Erie. It is the site of the recurring Friday the 13th motorcycle rally. Prior to the War of 1812, this community ...
.
Culture and entertainment
Local museums include the Bell Homestead, Woodland Cultural Centre, Brant Museum and Archives, Canadian Military Heritage Museum and the
Personal Computer Museum.
Annual events include the "Brantford International Villages Festival" in July; the "Brantford Kinsmen Annual Ribfest" in August; the "Chili Willy Cook-Off" in February; the "Frosty Fest", a Church festival held in winter;
The Bell Summer Theatre Festival, takes place from Canada Day to Labour Day at the Bell Homestead
Brantford is the home of several theatre groups including Brant Theatre Workshops, 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.
Sports, teams and tournaments
The
YMCA
YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It has nearly 90,000 staff, some 920,000 volunteers and 12,000 branches w ...
in Brantford organized individual and team sports, led by
J. Howard Crocker from 1908 to 1911. This included intercity basketball competitions, a
junior ice hockey
Junior ice hockey is amateur-level ice hockey for 16 to 20 year-old players. National Junior teams compete annually for the IIHF World Junior Championship. The United States men's national junior ice hockey team are the defending champions from ...
league, and a junior baseball league. There was also an annual
racewalking
Race walking, or racewalking, is a long-distance discipline within the sport of athletics. Although a foot race, it is different from running in that one foot must appear to be in contact with the ground at all times. Race judges carefully asses ...
event sponsored by the ''
Brantford Expositor
The ''Brantford Expositor'' is an English language newspaper based in Brantford, Ontario and owned by Postmedia. It provides the readers with coverage of local news, sports and events to the community as well as coverage of provincial, national ...
'',
[; ; ] and the Brantford-to-
Hamilton
Hamilton may refer to:
* Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States
* ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda
** ''Hamilton'' (al ...
marathon race. In 1910, Brantford hosted the YMCA national athletics championships.
Current intercounty or major teams
*
Brantford Red Sox
The Brantford Red Sox are an independent team of the Intercounty Baseball League based in Brantford, Ontario. They play their home games at Arnold Anderson Stadium.
History
The Brantford Red Sox were founded in 1911 when they joined the Canadi ...
of the
Intercounty Baseball League
The Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) is a Canadian baseball league, comprising teams of college players and others from North America and beyond. The teams are located in Southern Ontario.
The league was formed in 1919 and has enjoyed much succ ...
who play at Arnold Anderson Stadium.
* Brantford Jr. Red Sox of the Junior Intercounty Baseball League who also play at Arnold Anderson Stadium.
*
Brantford Bulldogs
The Brantford Bulldogs are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) that began to play in the 2023–24 season. Based in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, the Bulldogs play their home games at Brantford Civic Centre.
The fr ...
of the
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; ) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League, alongside the Western Hockey League and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. The league is for players ag ...
who also play at the Brantford Civic Centre.
*
Brantford Bandits
The Brantford Titans are a Canada, Canadian junior hockey, junior ice hockey team based in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Mid-Western Conference of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.
History
For years, the Brantford Eagles ...
of the
Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League
The Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL) is a Canadian junior ice hockey league based in Southern Ontario, Canada. The league is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association, Ontario Hockey Federation, and Hockey Canada. The league is c ...
who play at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre.
*
Brantford Harlequins of the
Ontario Rugby Union
The Ontario Rugby Union (ORU) also known as 'Rugby Ontario'' is the provincial governing body for the sport of rugby union in the Canadian province of Ontario and a Provincial Union of Rugby Canada. Rugby Ontario governs various levels of rugby (U ...
.
Defunct teams
*
Brantford Alexanders
The Brantford Alexanders were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League and Ontario Hockey League from 1978 to 1984. The team was based in Brantford, Ontario, Canada.
History
The Hamilton Fincups were relocated in 1978 b ...
(1976 to 1978), a former team of the Senior Ontario Hockey Association who played at the Brantford Civic Centre. Won
1978 Allan Cup
The 1978 Allan Cup was the Canadian senior ice hockey championship for the 1977–78 senior "A" season. The event was hosted by the Kimberley Dynamiters in Kimberley, British Columbia. The 1978 playoff marked the 70th time that the Allan Cup ...
.
*
Brantford Motts Clamatos
The Brantford Motts Clamatos was a Canadian senior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association's Senior A Hockey League, from Brantford, Ontario. The team played their games at the Brantford Civic Centre in the 1980s. The Brantford Motts ...
. Won
1987 Allan Cup.
*
Brantford Golden Eagles
The Brantford Eagles were a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Mid-Western Conference of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.
On May 23, 2012, the Eagles were transplanted to Caledonia, ...
of the
Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League
The Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL) is a Canadian junior ice hockey league based in Southern Ontario, Canada. The league is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association, Ontario Hockey Federation, and Hockey Canada. The league is c ...
, moved in 2012 to become
Caledonia Corvairs.
*
Brantford Alexanders
The Brantford Alexanders were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League and Ontario Hockey League from 1978 to 1984. The team was based in Brantford, Ontario, Canada.
History
The Hamilton Fincups were relocated in 1978 b ...
(1978 to 1984), a former team of the
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; ) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League, alongside the Western Hockey League and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. The league is for players ag ...
who played at the Brantford Civic Centre. They are now the
Erie Otters
The Erie Otters are a major junior ice hockey team based in Erie, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Midwest division of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), one of only three American teams in the league. The team's name refers to the North Am ...
.
*
Brantford Smoke
The Brantford Smoke were a minor professional ice hockey team in the Colonial Hockey League and the United Hockey League. They played in Brantford, Ontario, from 1991–92 (the league's inaugural season) until 1997–98, playing home games at t ...
(1991–1998) of the CoHL,
Colonial Hockey League
Colonial or The Colonial may refer to:
* Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology)
Architecture
* American colonial architecture
* French colonial architecture
* Spanish colonial architecture
Automobiles
* Col ...
who played at the Brantford Civic Centre. The team moved to Asheville in 1998.
* Brantford Blaze of the
Canadian National Basketball League played only a few exhibition games in 2003–04.
*
Brantford Blast
Brantford Blast were a Canadian senior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association's Allan Cup Hockey, from Brantford, Ontario. The team was established in 2000, and played their games at the Brantford Civic Centre.
The Blast were the win ...
of the
Allan Cup Hockey
Allan Cup Hockey (ACH), also known as the OHA Senior “AAA” Hockey League, is a senior ice hockey league with three teams in Southern Ontario. The league was founded in 1990 as the Southwestern Senior "A" Hockey League. It is governed by th ...
League who played at the
Brantford Civic Centre
The Brantford and District Civic Centre (More commonly known as simply the Brantford Civic Centre) is a 2,952-seat arena in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. It was built as a Canadian Centennial project in 1967. The Civic Centre is located in the dow ...
.
*
Brantford 99ers of the
Ontario Junior Hockey League
The Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) is a Junior A ice hockey league in Ontario, Canada. It is under the supervision of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) and the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL).
The league dates back to 1954 where i ...
who played at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre.
*
Brantford Galaxy SC
Brantford Galaxy Soccer Club was a semi-professional Canadian soccer club based in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, with their home venue located in Hamilton, Ontario at the Heritage Field Turf. The club competes in the Canadian Soccer League, a league ...
of the
Canadian Soccer League
The Canadian Soccer League (CSL; ) is a semi-professional league for Canadian soccer clubs primarily located in the province of Ontario, and claims the history of the Canadian National Soccer League (CNSL). It is a non-FIFA league previously ...
who played at Lion's Park.
Events
* The Wayne Gretzky International Hockey Tournament, which celebrated its 9th anniversary in 2015, is held in Brantford annually.
* Brantford hosted and won the 2008
Allan Cup
The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the senior ice hockey champions of Canada. It was donated by Sir Montagu Allan of Ravenscrag, Montreal, and has been competed for since 1909. It was most recently won by the Wentworth Gryphins ...
, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of the event.
* The city served as the pre-season camp and facility for the
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. The Penguins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), E ...
during the late 1960s, hosting the franchise's first preseason training camp and its first preseason exhibition game.
* The Walter Gretzky Street Hockey Tournament, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2016, is held in Brantford annually. In 2010, the tournament was recognized and established a Guinness World Record for the largest Street Hockey Tournament in the world, with 205 teams and just over 2,096 participants.
Notable people
Twin towns – sister cities
Brantford is
twinned with:
*
Ostrów Wielkopolski
Ostrów Wielkopolski () (often abbreviated ''Ostrów Wlkp.'', formerly called simply ''Ostrów'', , Latin: ''Ostrovia'') is a city in west-central Poland with 70,982 inhabitants (2021), situated in the Greater Poland Voivodeship; the seat of Ostr ...
, Poland
*
Kamianets-Podilskyi
Kamianets-Podilskyi (, ; ) is a city on the Smotrych River in western Ukraine, western Ukraine, to the north-east of Chernivtsi. Formerly the administrative center of Khmelnytskyi Oblast, the city is now the administrative center of Kamianets ...
, Ukraine
See also
*
Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell (; born Alexander Bell; March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) was a Scottish-born Canadian Americans, Canadian-American inventor, scientist, and engineer who is credited with patenting the first practical telephone. He als ...
*
Brant (electoral district)
Brant may refer to:
Places
* Brant County, Ontario, Canada
** Brant (electoral district), Ontario, Canada
** Brant North, Ontario, Canada
** Brant South, Ontario, Canada
** Brant South (provincial electoral district), Ontario, Canada
** Bra ...
*
Brantford City Council
The Brantford City Council is the governing body of Brantford, Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territo ...
*
List of mayors of Brantford, Ontario
Notes
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
1877 establishments in Ontario
Cities in Ontario
Populated places established in 1877
Populated places on the Grand River (Ontario)
Single-tier municipalities in Ontario
Southwestern Ontario