Residents invited to explore businesses and landmarks through Downtown Dash & Snap contest

Email icon Back to Search
image of ice cream, a guitar, mannequin, building, hamburger and a hand holding a phone with the words "Downtown Dash and Snap"

BRANTFORD, ON – The City of Brantford invites residents to support local downtown businesses during Small Business Week, which runs from October 19 to 25, 2025. As part of this initiative, the Downtown Action Committee, in partnership with the Downtown Brantford Business Improvement Area (BIA), is hosting a Downtown Dash & Snap photo scavenger hunt contest from October 21 to 25, 2025. Participants can follow clues that lead to 16 downtown establishments, take a photo at each location and enter for a chance to win a $100 gift basket.

“Our small businesses are the heart of downtown Brantford,” says Mayor Kevin Davis. “This initiative gives residents a great reason to explore local shops, meet the people behind them and show their support in a fun, interactive way.”

The Downtown Dash & Snap contest begins on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, when residents can find the first clue online at LetsTalkBrantford.ca/DowntownDash or pick it up in person at the Downtown Revitalization office located within City Hall, 58 Dalhousie St. Each clue will lead participants to the next downtown location, where they can take a photo and upload it to the contest page at LetsTalkBrantford.ca/DowntownDash. Each photo of a location uploaded counts as one entry, and participants who complete all 16 locations will receive five bonus entries towards the $100 gift basket. Participants can follow the photo scavenger hunt clue by clue or visit the locations in any order at their own pace.

“The Dash and Snap event encourages residents to explore our downtown, connecting with the local businesses, organizations, and the cultural and architectural gems that make our city unique,” says Beth Gurney, Director of Strategic Communications and Community Engagement at Wilfrid Laurier University, Brantford Campus and Co-Chair of the Downtown Action Committee. “It’s an opportunity to support local, and engage with one another in ways that enhance the vibrancy of our downtown, and the connectedness of our community.”

The deadline for photo submissions is 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, October 25, 2025. The winner of the gift basket will be announced the week of October 27, 2025. A full list of contest rules are available at LetsTalkBrantford.ca/DowntownDash.

Participating Locations

  • Brantford Public Library, 173 Colborne St
  • Calabar Kitchen, 11 Queen St, Unit 103
  • Carnegie Building, Wilfrid Laurier University Brantford Campus, 73 George St
  • Chamber of Commerce Brantford-Brant, 77 Charlotte St
  • Crazy Bills, 76 Dalhousie St
  • From Scratch Café and Bistro, 42 George St
  • Laurier Brantford YMCA, 100 Water St
  • Maria's Pizza, 428 Colborne St E
  • Old World Marketplace, 203 Colborne St
  • On the Lam, 106 Queen St
  • The Academy of Music and Performance, 25 King St
  • The Melting Spot, 4 King St Unit 102
  • The Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts, 88 Dalhousie St
  • The Works, 80 Dalhousie St
  • Thorpes Brothers Funeral Home, 96 West St
  • Toni's Fine Foods, 128 Nelson St #5

“As Co-Chair of the Downtown Action Committee, I believe that meaningful change in our downtown doesn’t happen overnight, it happens when each of us do our part and get involved,” says Kelly Nielsen, Manager of Public Services at the Brantford Public Library. “The Downtown Dash and Snap is a great reminder that we all have a role to play in shaping the kind of connected community we want to live in.”

The Downtown Action Committee (DAC) is comprised of downtown stakeholders with the objective of making recommendations to improve the health, vitality, and resiliency of the heart of our city. The DAC pursues the deliverables of Brantford’s Downtown Priority Plan, including better positioning the downtown as a safe and welcoming environment, coordinating and communicating supports for vulnerable populations, and enhancing community events to attract more residents and visitors. The organizations represented on the DAC, include:

  • Brantford Police Services
  • Brantford Public Library
  • Chamber of Commerce Brantford-Brant
  • City of Brantford
  • Conestoga College, Brantford Campus
  • Downtown Business Improvement Area
  • Downtown Central Neighbourhood Association
  • Grand Erie Public Health
  • Laurier Brantford YMCA
  • SOAR Community Services
  • Wilfrid Laurier University, Brantford Campus

Learn more about the Downtown Dash & Snap by visiting LetsTalkBrantford.ca/DowntownDash.

 

- 30 -

 

Media Contact:

City of Brantford Communications and Community Engagement

519-759-4150 | communications@brantford.ca