City of Brantford invites residents to participate in earth week activities

BRANTFORD, ON – The City of Brantford is celebrating Earth Week from April 19 to 25, 2026, with a series of environmental events and initiatives planned across the city.

Let’s Clean Our City

The fifth annual Let’s Clean Our City cleanup event takes place on Friday, April 17 and Saturday, April 18, 2026, and calls upon the community to come together for a citywide litter pick up. Over the past four years, our community has collected over 1,650 kilograms of trash with approximately 2,000 individuals participating each year. Be part of the biggest collective clean-up event of the year and help keep Brantford clean!

Individuals, schools, groups, neighbourhood associations, and organizations are invited to register online to indicate their cleanup location within the city and supplies needed. Residents are encouraged to use their own reusable gloves but cleanup kits that include one large garbage bag, one large clear recycling bag, a pair of gloves, and information on how to dispose of different materials will be available for pickup. Clean up kits can be picked up at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre, 254 North Park Street, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. or from City Hall Customer Service, 58 Dalhousie Street, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from Monday, April 13 until Friday, April 18, 2026. The registration deadline to receive a free clean up kit is Thursday, April 16 at 4:30 p.m.

Individuals can leave their collected litter at the curbside with their regular garbage pickup if it is five bags or under in total. Groups or larger cleanups can bring the collected garbage to one of three disposal locations where City of Brantford staff will dispose of it for you:

• Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre Parking Lot, 254 North Park Street
• Holmedale Park, 331 Grand River Avenue 
• Doug Snooks Eagle Place Community Centre, 333 Erie Avenue 

Prizes will be randomly awarded to registered participants that submit a photo online of their cleanup efforts. Prizes are offered in the following categories:

• Individuals and families can win a $50 gift card to a local business.
• Neighbourhood Associations can win a $500 prize to be spent on an environmental initiative in their neighbourhood.
• Community groups, businesses or other organizations can win a $500 cash donation to a local charity of their choice.
• Participating schools can win a $500 cash donation to be spent on an environmental initiative (e.g. countertop composter, planting trees in the school yard) or donate to a local charity of their choice.

To participate in the Let’s Clean Our City Photo Contest and to receive your cleanup kit, register at Brantford.ca/CleanBrantford by 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 16, 2026. Participants are also encouraged to share photos of their efforts on social media by tagging the City of Brantford and using the hashtag #CleanBrantford.

Free Tree Giveaway

To support local climate action, the City of Brantford is giving away 400 free trees (18” to 24”) for Brantford residents to plant on their residential property. Starting at 9 a.m. on Monday, April 13, homeowners can register online at Brantford.ca/FreeTrees on a first come, first serve basis to select their preferred tree species and pickup time. Six native species of trees will be made available with a limit of one free tree per residential property. Trees can be picked up at 1 Sherwood Drive, Brantford between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Friday, May 1 or between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. on Saturday, May 2. The trees must be picked up and planted by residents.

Community Tree Planting

Join the Brant Tree Coalition for the 12th Annual Brantford Community Tree Planting on Sunday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Jaycee Park at 395 Dunsdon St, Brantford. The group will plant 1,000 native trees and shrubs to help naturalize an area along Wayne Gretzky Drive. For more information, please call 519-759-4150.

Environmental Recognition Awards

Nominations are also open for the 2026 Environmental Recognition Awards. There are six award categories, including Lifetime Achievement, Green Non-profit in Brantford, Green Business in Brantford, Greenest Family in Brantford, Environmental Volunteer and Young Environmental Champion Award.

Residents can nominate themselves or anyone else who has demonstrated leadership in projects that resulted in measurable improvements in preservation, conservation, sustainability, education, advocacy, green infrastructure, or environmental clean ups and restoration. Nominations can be submitted until 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 26, 2026 and can be completed online at Brantford.ca/EnvironmentalAwards.

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Media Contact:

City of Brantford Communications and Community Engagement
519-759-4150 | communications@brantford.ca