Brantford, Ontario, a city founded on the Grand River in Southwestern Ontario, is a vibrant community with a population of 104,688 as of 2021. The city is politically separate from the surrounding Brant County, boasting a municipal government that is fully independent of the county's municipal government.
Brantford is named after Joseph Brant, a Mohawk leader, soldier, farmer, and slave owner. Brant was a significant Loyalist leader during the American Revolutionary War. After the Haudenosaunee moved to the Brantford area in Upper Canada, many of his descendants and other First Nations people settled on the nearby Six Nations of the Grand River reserve, the most populous reserve in Canada.
The Iroquoian-speaking Attawandaron, known in English as the Neutral Nation, originally inhabited the Grand River valley area before the 17th century. Their main village, Kandoucho, was located on the Grand River where present-day Brantford developed. However, the Iroquois declared war in 1650 over the fur trade and exterminated the Neutral nation.
In 1784, Captain Joseph Brant and the Mohawk people of the Iroquois Confederacy left New York State 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 (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, 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.
By 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.
Brantford is known as the "Telephone City" as the city's famous resident, Alexander Graham Bell, invented the first telephone at his father's homestead, Melville House, now the Bell Homestead, located on Tutela Heights south of the city. Brantford is also known as the birthplace and hometown of Phil Hartman and Wayne Gretzky.
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.
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 (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 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 in honour of Brant and the Six Nations Confederacy.
The Mohawk Chapel, built by the British Crown in 1785 for the Mohawk 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. In 1904 the chapel received Royal status by King Edward VII in memory of the longstanding alliance. Her Majesty's Royal Chapel of the Mohawks is an important reminder of the original agreements made with Queen Anne in 1710. It is still in use today as one of two royal Chapels in Canada and the oldest Protestant Church in the province. Joseph Brant and his son John Brant are buried here.
Some articles suggest that the telephone was invented in Boston 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 on 24 October 1917, Bell reminded the attendees that "Brantford is right in claiming the invention of the telephone here... [which was] conceived in Brantford in 1874 and born in Boston in 1875" and that "the first transmission to a distance was made between Brantford and Paris" (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".
Brantford has a humid continental climate (Dfb) with warm to hot summers and cold, moderately snowy winters, though not severe by Canadian standards.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Brantford had a population of 104,688 living in 41,673 of its 43,269 total private dwellings, a change of 6.2% from its 2016 population of 98,563. With a land area of 98.65 km2 (38.09 sq mi), it had a population density of 1,061.2/km2 (2,748.5/sq mi) in 2021.
At the census metropolitan area (CMA) level in the 2021 census, the Brantford CMA had a population of 144,162 living in 56,003 of its 58,047 total private dwellings, a change of 7.4% from its 2016 population of 134,203. With a land area of 1,074 km2 (415 sq mi), it had a population density of 134.2/km2 (347.7/sq mi) in 2021.
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) in Southern Ontario, outside of an Indian reserve.
Brantford has been used as a filming location for TV and films. The television series Murdoch Mysteries 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, including Welcome to Mooseport and Where the Truth Lies. Many Mayday episodes have also been filmed there.
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 (20 miles) east of Brantford. Toronto Pearson International Airport is located in Mississauga, about 100 km (60 miles) northeast of Brantford.
Brantford station is located just north of downtown Brantford. Via Rail has daily passenger trains on the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor. Trains also stop at Union Station in Toronto. 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 change-over was complete.
Brantford Transit 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 in Burlington, stopping at McMaster University. An on-demand service, Brant eRide, provides service to Paris, St. George, and Burford.
Highway 403, East to Hamilton, West to Woodstock. Highway 24, North to Cambridge, South to Simcoe.
As of 2022, there are at least 18 km (11 mi) of bikeways in Brantford. There are some planned street redesigns which include protected bike lanes and multi-use trails, which as of 2022 are in the public consultation phase. Some former rail lines serving Brantford have been converted to rail trails, 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, 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.
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.
Brantford Public Library's central branch is located downtown on Colborne Street. It has an additional branch on St. Paul Avenue. It has been automated since 1984. In 2000, the library was the first in North America to join the UNESCO model library network.
The YMCA 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 league, and a junior baseball league. There was also an annual racewalking event sponsored by the Brantford Expositor, and the Brantford-to-Hamilton marathon race. In 1910, Brantford hosted the YMCA national athletics championships.
Brantford Red Sox of the Intercounty Baseball League who play at Arnold Anderson Stadium. Brantford Jr. Red Sox of the Junior Intercounty Baseball League who also play at Arnold Anderson Stadium. Brantford Blast of the Allan Cup Hockey League who play at the Brantford Civic Centre. Brantford Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League who also play at the Brantford Civic Centre. Brantford 99ers of the Ontario Junior Hockey League who play at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre. Brantford Bandits of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League who also play at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre. Brantford Galaxy SC of the Canadian Soccer League who play at Lion's Park. Brantford Harlequins of the Ontario Rugby Union.
Brantford Alexanders (1976 to 1978), a former team of the Senior Ontario Hockey Association who played at the Brantford Civic Centre. Won 1978 Allan Cup. Brantford Motts Clamatos. Won 1987 Allan Cup. Brantford Golden Eagles of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League, moved in 2012 to become Caledonia Corvairs. 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 in 1998. Brantford Blaze of the Canadian National Basketball League, played only a few exhibition games in 2003–04.
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, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of the event. The city served as the pre-season camp and facility for the Pittsburgh Penguins during the late 1960s, hosting the franchise's first preseason training camp and its first preseason exhibition game. The Walter Gretzky Street Hockey Tournament, celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2016, is held in Brantford annually. In 2010, this "great" tournament was recognized and established a Guinness World Record for the largest Street Hockey Tournament in the world with 205 teams with just over 2,096 participants.
Brantford is twinned with Ostrów Wielkopolski, Poland and Kamianets-Podilskyi, Ukraine.
