Brantford

Official name	City of Brantford
Nickname	The Telephone City
Coordinates region	CA-ON
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name
Subdivision type1	Province
Subdivision name1
Leader title	Mayor
Leader name	Chris Friel
Leader title1	Governing Body
Leader name1	Brantford City Council
Leader title2	MP
Leader name2	Phil McColeman (Conservative)
Leader title3	MPP
Leader name3	Dave Levac (Liberal)
Established title	Established
Established date	May 31, 1877
Area total km2	75
Area total sq mi	29
Population as of	2006
Population note	From StatsCanada
Population total	90192 (31st)
Population metro	124607 (30th)
Population density km2	1152.2
Population density sq mi	2984.2
Timezone	Eastern (EST)
Utc offset	−5
Timezone dst	EDT
Utc offset dst	−4
Coordinates display	inline,title
Elevation m	248
Elevation ft	814
Postal code type	Postal code span
Postal code	N3P, N3R, N3S, N3T, N3V
Area code	519/226
Website	http://www.brantford.ca

Brantford is a city located on the Grand River in Southern Ontario, Canada. This single-tier municipality is geographically surrounded by the County of Brant and they are part of the same census division, but Brantford is municipally distinct from it. The city had a population of 90,192 in the Canada 2006 Census.

Brantford is connected to Woodstock in the west and Hamilton in the east by Highway 403 and to Cambridge to the north and Simcoe to the south by Highway 24.

Brantford is sometimes known by the nickname The Telephone City as former city resident Alexander Graham Bell conducted the first distant telephone call from the community to Paris, Ontario in 1876. It is also the birthplace of hockey player Wayne Gretzky, comedian Phil Hartman, as well as Group of Seven member Lawren Harris.

History

The Attawandaron, or Neutral 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 the Grand River where Brantford lies today. This town, like the rest of their settlements, was destroyed when the Iroquois declared war in 1650 and exterminated the Neutral nation.

In 1784, Captain Joseph Brant and the Six Nations Indians left New York for Canada. As a reward for their loyalty to the British Crown, they were given a large land grant, referred to as the Haldimand 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 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 Mohawk Chapel, part of the original Mohawk settlement, is Ontario's oldest Protestant church. Brantford was incorporated as a city in 1877.

The history of the Brantford region from 1793 to 1920 is described at length in the book At The Forks of The Grand.

Climate

Demographics

{| cellpadding="1" style="float:right; margin:0 1em 1em 0; border:1px #bbb solid; border-collapse:collapse; font-size:90%;" |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" style="text-align:center;" !Census !Population |- style="text-align:right;" |1841 |2,000 |- style="text-align:right;" |1871 |8,107 |- style="text-align:right;" |1881 |9,616 |- style="text-align:right;" |1891 |12,753 |- style="text-align:right;" |1901 |16,619 |- style="text-align:right;" |1911 |23,132 |- style="text-align:right;" |1921 |29,440 |- style="text-align:right;" |1931 |30,107 |- style="text-align:right;" |1941 |31,622 |- style="text-align:right;" |1951 |36,727 |- style="text-align:right;" |1961 |55,201 |- style="text-align:right;" |1971 |64,421 |- style="text-align:right;" |1981 |74,315 |- style="text-align:right;" |1991 |81,997 |- style="text-align:right;" |2001 |86,417 |- style="text-align:right;" |2006 |90,192 |- style="text-align:right;" |} Brantford had a population of 90,192 people in 2006, which was an increase of 4.4% from the 2001 census count. The median household income in 2005 for Brantford was $52,330. Based on the 2006 census, Brantford had an average property value of $200,319. The median mortgage payment was $933. The median rent for Brantford in 2006 was $700.

Economy

Brantford was an important Canadian industrial centre for the first half of the 20th Century, and was once the number three city in Canada in terms of cash-value of manufactured goods exported. The city is at the deepest navigable point of the Grand River, and was once a railroad hub of Southern Ontario. 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 (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 and created one of the most economically depressed areas in the country. The unemployment rate, however, has steadily decreased in more recent years, 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. Though Wescast Industries, Inc. recently closed their local foundry, 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 and colleges

Mohawk College, has a satellite campus in Brantford, and offers programs such as Police Foundations and Law & Security

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

North Park Collegiate & Vocational School

Pauline Johnson Collegiate & Vocational School

St. John's College

Tollgate Technological Skills Centre (formerly known as Herman E. Fawcett)

Grand Erie Learning Alternatives (GELA)

Politics

The Brantford City Council was elected to a four-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).

A new council chosen by the 25 October 2010 municipal election will be sworn in on 6 December 2010. The new council will include Chris Friel as mayor, Larry Kings and Jan Vander Stelt (Ward 1), Vince Bucci and John Utley (Ward 2), Debi Dignan-Rumble and Dan McCreary (Ward 3), Richard Carpenter and Dave Wrobel (Ward 4), and David Neumann 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, which started printing in 1852, is published six times a week (everyday excluding Sunday), and is published by Osprey Media a subsidiary of Sun Media, a Quebecor Media Company. The Brantford Expositor has a daily, paid circulation of 20,000. The Expositor's website, www.brantfordexpositor.ca is the area's leading source for online information pertaining to Brantford and Brant County.

The Brantford Expositor also publishes Your Brant Connection, a free weekly community paper (delivered every Thursday), which has a verified distribution of 52,500 to all homes in the Brantford / County of Brant area.

The Brant News is a weekly paper (delivered Thursday) that also carries breaking news online.

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 TV (cable 20), 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 Welcome to Mooseport and Where the Truth Lies, which were filmed at the Brantford Airport. An episode of Due South, "Dr. Long Ball", was filmed at Arnold Anderson Stadium in Cockshutt Park. A more recent filming was Weirdsville, which was filmed downtown in 2006. "Silent Hill" was filmed in the downtown in 2005. Many Brantfordians observed in jest that very little work needed to be done to make Downtown look decayed and haunted. Brantford's Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts was used as "The New Burbage" mainstage theatre in the series Slings & Arrows.

Transportation

connects Brantford with London and Hamilton. Seen here is the 403 eastbound near the Grand River bridge.]]

Air

Brantford Municipal Airport is located west of the city. It hosts an annual air show, featuring the Snowbirds. The John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport in Hamilton is located about 35 km east of Brantford. Toronto Pearson International Airport is located in Mississauga, about 100 km northeast of Brantford.

Rail

The train station is located just north of downtown Brantford. VIA Rail has daily passenger trains on the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. Trains travel between Windsor and Union Station in Toronto.

Bus

Brantford Transit services the city with nine regular routes operating on a half-hour schedule from the downtown Transit Terminal on Darling Street, with additional school service.

Greyhound Canada has intercity service to Toronto, Hamilton, London, Windsor, etc.

All Around Transportation operates a Paris/Brantford shuttle bus.

Provincial Highways

Highway 403, East Hamilton, West Woodstock.

Highway 24, North Cambridge, South Simcoe.

Entertainment and attractions

Brantford is home to the Brantford OLG Casino.

The Sanderson Centre offers nightly performances of musicals, operas, concerts, and other performing arts.

The Kinsmen Club of Brantford offer entertainment throughout the year, including a weekly game which runs every Thursday evening at the Bellview Community Center in Eagle Place and Brantford's Own Annual Ribfest held in August.

The Ford Plant is an independent, not-for-profit music venue that has hosted concerts by many musical artists, including Arcade Fire, Wintersleep, Blue Rodeo, and more. The week-long Murdered City Music Festival is held here to showcase independent Canadian music.

Brantford's Canada Day Festival

Brantford hosts the region’s largest Canada Day Festival each July 1. A grassroots, not-for-profit, organization was formed in the fall of 2004 after a call from the Mayor to re-establish the event when nobody was able to organize one in 2004. Since then Brantford’s Canada Day Festival has presented family events and Canadian Juno Award winning entertainment. A 2006 and 2009 Shining Stars Tourism Awards winner and with a budget of nearly $250,000.00, this one day festival draws an estimated crowd of 35,000 or more people.

Past main stage headliners have included: :2005 – Jeff Healey :2005 – Lighthouse :2007 – The Trews :2008 – Theory of a Deadman :2009 - Theory of a Deadman

Sports teams and tournaments

Current intercounty or 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 Galaxy SC of the Canadian Soccer League who play at Lion's Park.

Brantford Golden Eagles of the Ontario Hockey Association who play at the Brantford Civic Centre

Brantford Harlequins of the Ontario Rugby Union

Defunct teams

Brantford Alexanders (1978 to 1984), a former team of the Ontario Hockey League who played at the Brantford Civic Centre. They are now the Erie Otters.

Brantford Smoke (1991–1998) of the CoHL, Colonial Hockey League who played at the Brantford Civic Centre. The team moved to Asheville until 2002.

Brantford Blaze of the Canadian National Basketball League.

Tournaments

The Wayne Gretzky International Hockey Tournament is held in Brantford annually

The Walter Gretzky House League Tournament is a tournament that is held yearly

Swim International is held annually in November

The Walter Gretzky Hockey fest

Other

Brantford hosted and won the 2008 Allan Cup, which celebrated 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.

People

Service clubs

Kinsmen Club of Brantford

Kiwanis Club of Brantford

Kiwanis Club of Grand River

Rotary Club of Brantford

Rotary Club of Brantford Sunrise

Brantford Lions Club

North Brantford Lions Club

Religion

Brantford is home to many churches and religious temples. It is estimated there are over 35 churches in Brantford, including Anglican, Baptist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Salvation Army, Presbyterian, United, Christadelphian, and Mormon. There is a mosque and also one Sikh temple.

Twin city

Brantford is twinned with: {|cellpadding="10" |- style="vertical-align:top;" | Ostrów Wielkopolski in Poland |}

See also

Brant (electoral district)

Brantford City Council

List of mayors of Brantford, Ontario

Service Clubs

References

10. Vhcle Magazine - Dirt, Grime, and Poety - a look at the music scene in Brantford Ontario

External links

City of Brantford

Brantford Heritage Inventory

Brant Museum and Archives

Brantford Public Library

Laurier Brantford

Kinsmen Club of Brantford

The Brantford Expositor

Canadian Industrial Heritage Centre

The Brantford Album

Brantford "The Telephone City"

Views of Brantford, Canada

Remember: Brantford 1877-1977

Album of Honour for Brant County

/ The County of Brant

Category:Populated places established in 1877