About Brantford
Brantford is a city located on the Grand River in southwestern Ontario, Canada. This single-tier municipality was once part of Brant County. The city had a population of 90,192 in the Canada 2006 Census.
Brantford, geographically surrounded by Brant, is connected to Woodstock in the west and Hamilton in the east by Highway 403 and to Cambridge to the north by Highway 24. Highway 424, connecting Highway 401 from Cambridge to Highway 403 in Brantford, is in the planning stages.
Brantford is sometimes known by the nickname Telephone City, after the city's most famous former resident, Alexander Graham Bell.
History
The city was first settled in 1784 when Captain Joseph Brant and the Six Nations Indians left New York to settle in Canada. As a reward for their loyalty to the Crown, they were given a large land grant 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 of the river gave the original name to the area: Brant's ford. By 1847, European settlers began to settle further up the river at a ford in the Grand River and named the village Brantford. The native settlement was abandoned except for the Mohawk Chapel which remains Ontario's oldest Protestant church.
Brantford was incorporated as a city in 1877.
Economy
Brantford was an important Canadian industrial centre for the first half of the 20th Century, and was once the third largest city in Ontario. The city is at the deepest navigable point of the Grand River and was once the railroad hub of Southern Ontario. Though it was formerly a railroad hub, few would describe the train terminal located just off West Street, as a major tourist attraction. The combination of water and rails helped Brantford develop from a farming community into a blue collar industrial city based on the agriculture implement industry centred around companies such as Massey Harris, Verity Plow and the Cockshutt 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, the economy of Brantford was in steady decline as a result of the bankruptcies of White Farm Equipment, Massey Ferguson, Koering Waterous, Harding Carpets, and other manufacturers. The closure of the businesses left thousands of people unemployed and created one of the most economically depressed areas in the country. However, the unemployment rate has steadily improved, from almost 14% in 1993 down to 6.3% in 2006. This improved employment picture led to the rate of personal bankruptcy in Brantford falling by 6.2% in 2006.
The completion of the Brantford to Ancaster section of Highway 403 in 1997, was intended to provide an increased incentive for business to locate in Brantford because of easy access to Hamilton and Toronto, as well as being along the quickest route through southern Ontario between Detroit and Buffalo. In 2004 Procter & Gamble and Ferrero SpA chose to locate in the city. However, Wescast recently closed their local foundry, although their corporate headquarters will remain in Brantford.
On February 16, 2005, Brant, including Brantford, was added to the Greater Golden Horseshoe along with Haldimand and Northumberland counties.
Education
Statistics from the 2001 Census indicate that 40% of Brantford residents had not earned a high-school diploma, compared to the provincial average of 33%.
The average annual income is 9% less than the national average.
The W. Ross Macdonald School for blind and deafblind students is located in Brantford.
Universities/Colleges
- Mohawk College, has a satellite campus in Brantford, and offers programs in the downtown.
- Laurier Brantford, a campus of Wilfrid Laurier University, offers undergraduate degrees in their downtown facilities. They include degrees in Contemporary Studies, Criminology, Leadership, Journalism, and a joint program in education offered in partnership with Nipissing University.
- Nipissing University, joint program with Wilfrid Laurier.
Secondary Schools
- Assumption College School
- Brantford Collegiate Institute & V.S.
- North Park Collegiate & V.S.
- Pauline Johnson Collegiate & V.S.
- St. John's College
- Tollgate Technological Institute (formerly known as Herman E. Fawcett).
Politics
The city council was elected tofour-year term in November, 2006, and is headed by Mayor Mike Hancock. Two councillors were elected to represent each of five wards. The current councillors are: Jennifer Kinneman and Mark Littell(Ward 1), Vince Bucci and John Sless (Ward 2), Greg Martin and Dan McCreary (Ward 3), Richard Carpenter and James Calnan (Ward 4), and John Bradford and Marguerite Ceschi-Smith (Ward 5).
At the federal and provincial levels of government, Brantford is part of the Brant riding.
Media
Print
The Brantford Expositor, printed six times a week excluding Sunday, is owned by Osprey Media.
Radio
- AM 1380 - CKPC (AM), oldies
- FM 92,1 - CKPC-FM, adult contemporary
- FM 93.9 - CFWC-FM, religious
Television
Brantford's only local television service comes from Rogers Television, a local community channel on Rogers Cable. Otherwise, Brantford is served by stations from Toronto, Hamilton and Kitchener.
Film
Several movies have had scenes shot in Brantford, including Silent Hill, which was filmed downtown. Others include Welcome to Mooseport and Where the Truth Lies, which were filmed at the Brantford Airport. Weirdsville was also shot in Brantford. An episode of Due South, "Dr. Long Ball", was filmed at Arnold Anderson Stadium.
Transportation
Air
The Brantford Airport located on the outskirts of the city serves as a small municipal airport. It hosts the an annual air show, featuring the Snowbirds. The John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport in Hamilton is located 20 minutes from Brantford, as well as the Toronto Pearson International Airport located about an hour from Brantford.
Rail
The Brantford Train Station is located just north of downtown Brantford. The station is part of the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. The only passenger rail that passes through the station is VIA Rail, which features daily trains to and from Union Station in Toronto, Ontario.
Bus
Brantford Transit provides local transportation around Brantford. Greyhound and Coach Canada also provide transit to Hamilton and Toronto.
Highways
- Highway 403, East Hamilton, West Woodstock.
- Highway 24, North Cambridge, South Simcoe
- Highway 424, Proposed highway connecting Highway 401 from Cambridge to Highway 403 in Brantford
Entertainment and Attractions
Brantford has many forms of entertainment available within the city. It houses cinemas, bowling alleys, and other traditional entertainment centres but also is home to the Brantford OLG Casino and weekly pro-wrestling down the road from the casino at J's Place in the form of the Pure Wrestling Association.
The Sanderson Centre offers live performances. The Ford Plant, Jack Hammers, and J's Place offer live music. Angel's Diner offers 1950s style fast food while chain restaurants like Boston Pizza, McDonald's, and New York Fries offer up more specialized forms of fast food.
The Kinsmen Club of Brantford offer many entertaining events throughout the year, including a weekly Kingo (Bingo) game which runs every Thursday evening.
Sports Teams/Tournaments
Local Rep Teams & Tournments
- Brantford 99er's Hockey Team
- Brantford Ice Cats Girls Hockey Team
- Brantford Bison's Football Team
- Brantford Red Sox Baseball Team
- The Wayne Gretzky International Hockey Tournament[3] is held in Brantford annually
- The Walter Gretzky House League Tournament is a tournament that is held yearly
- Brantford Intercity Soccer Team
Current Intercounty/Major Teams
- Brantford Red Sox of the Intercounty Baseball League who play at Arnold Anderson Stadium
- Brantford Braves of the Junior Intercounty Baseball League who also play at Arnold Anderson Stadium
- Brantford Blast of the Major League Hockey who play at the Brantford Civic Centre
- Brantford Golden Eagles of the Ontario Hockey Association who play at the Brantford Civic Centre
Other
- Brantford will host the 2008 Allan Cup, which will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the event.
- The Brantford Golf & Country Club was founded in 1879. It is the fourth oldest golf club in North America. It is ranked 29th on Score Golf's "Top 100 Golf Courses in Canada" 2006 list.
Service Clubs
Kinsmen Club of Brantford
Kinsmen Club of Brantford (Kin Canada Bursaries)
Kiwanis Club Of Brantford
Rotary Club of Brantford
Rotary Club of Brantford Sunrise
Kiwanis Club of Grand River
Religion
There are also many churches situated in Brantford, including Baptist, Anglican, Presbyterian, Latter Day Saint, United, Christadelphian, and Sikh.
