Brantford Facts 

Did you know that...

  • Brantford was named for Captain Joseph Thayendanegea Brant, a Mohawk leader who led the Six Nations People from upper New York State to the Grand River basin where they established their village in 1784.
  • The City is proud to be home to Her Majesty’s Royal Chapel of the Mohawks, the first Protestant church built in Ontario, the first Royal Chapel to belong to native people, and the final resting place of Captain Joseph Brant, the Mohawk leader for whom Brantford is named.
  • The Grand River is a Canadian Heritage River, and is an integral part of Brantford’s history. Known as the ‘Highway of the Iroquois’, this river serves the community today as a unique place to canoe, kayak, or fish.
  • The city’s downtown is home to the Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts, a fully restored vaudevillian playhouse that opened in 1919. Today, the theatre plays host to a range of touring productions, as well as comedies and musicals featuring local performers.
  • Inventor Alexander Graham Bell brought fame to Brantford when he invented the telephone here on July 26th, 1874, and made the first-ever long distance call on August 10th, 1876. The Homestead, which provided the stage for this invention, is a National Historic Site. It has been restored to appear as it was in Bell’s day, and has welcomed visitors from around the world - including Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II- since 1910.
  • Built in 1837, the Myrtleville House is one of the oldest homesteads in Brant County, and was home to the family of Allen Good. Occupied for 140 years, the home has been restored to reflect the early 19th century lifestyle of the Goods, and features many of the family’s heirlooms from Ireland. Myrtleville House Museum captures life as it was for Brantford’s earliest European settlers.
  • Proud to be the hometown of “the Great One,” Wayne Gretzky, Brantford is a city where amateur and minor sports are an integral part of community life. Wayne’s father, Walter Gretzky, still lives here in the city he's always called home.
  • Brantford boasts over 40 kilometres of natural trails, including a four-season stretch of the Trans Canada Trail. This network of beautifully maintained trails links us to the cities of Cambridge and Hamilton, and provides a great place for hikers, bikers and nature enthusiasts. Also a city known for gorgeous gardens and lush park settings, Brantford is a proud winner of the ‘Best Bloomin’ City Award,’ and is committed to keeping the city in full bloom from spring through fall.
  • The City of Brantford is host to some of the longest-running festivals in Canada. Visit us each summer and experience the International Villages Festival, a local celebration of various countries around the world, and a Brantford tradition for over 30 years.
  • Acknowledged internationally as "The Telephone City", Brantford marks with pride that dramatic moment in 1874 when Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone; launching one of the world's greatest communication industries. In 1877, Brantford was incorporated as a city.
  • Mohawk Village, in the vicinity of the recently restored Mohawk Chapel, was the site of the first settlement in the area. When a town site was purchased from the Six Nations in 1839, Brantford was founded taking its name from the historic spot where Joseph Brant, Chief of the Six Nations, forded the Grand River.
  • The Grand River has played a vital role in the development of Brantford. In the nineteenth century, the river provided the opportunity and impetus for economic growth when barges brought new materials up and manufactured goods down the River to the Great Lakes and beyond.
  • As railways and roadways replaced the river, Brantford remained a focal point of strong industrial expansion. Its key location and optimal transportation network continue to allow the city to fully service the North American marketplace, providing goods to areas throughout the world.