The Expositor (Brantford)
MCLELLAN FAMILY HONOURED WITH FARM OF THE YEAR AWARD
Jay McLellan loves to tell the story about the day his granddaughter, Kingsley, came to visit the family farm. “She was 10 at the time and when she got here she wanted to know how come I had two jobs,” said McLellan, whose family was recently named...
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MILITARY MUSEUM HAS BIG PLANS
The Canadian Military Heritage Museum has become so popular it's adding space to display more artifacts for a growing number of visitors. “We've become so successful as a museum that we're now overwhelmed with the number of artifacts that we can put...
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Councillors endorse Elect Respect Pledge
Brantford city councillors have endorsed an “Elect Respect Pledge” to encourage civil debate and stop abuse of elected officials. “Civility isn't about avoiding disagreements, it's about how we disagree,” Coun. Mandy Samwell said at a Feb. 10 city...
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MOTORCYCLISTS BRAVE COLD WEATHER FOR FRIDAY THE 13TH
John Aarssen couldn't wait to try the new motorcycle handlebars and heated grips he received for Christmas. So, the Port Stanley resident jumped on his upgraded 2024 Harley Davidson Street Glide Friday morning and headed east to enjoy a cold-weather...
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LOCKDOWN AT HIGH SCHOOL
A lockdown at Brantford Collegiate Institute – just one day after a mass shooting at a school in Tumbler Ridge, B.C. that left 10 people dead – had parents and students on edge Wednesday morning. A heavy police presence by Brantford Police, including...
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`You can hear me begging for my life'
The weather was just awful on January 22 as Burford truck-driver Roy Downs made his way along Line 86 in Wellesley Township near Listowel. And, while he had never done it before, Downs had an idea he should show people the worst snow he had ever...
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PARAMEDICS CALL FOR PAY PARITY WITH FIRE, POLICE SERVICES
Paramedics, police and firefighters have a lot in common but there are some major differences, paramedics in Brant, Norfolk and Haldimand say. They want the people they serve to understand the differences and want elected officials to bridge the gaps...
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FLAG-RAISING KICKS OFF BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Black Joy is the theme for Black History Month in the City of Brantford this year, described by Mayor Kevin Davis as honouring “Black brilliance across generations, from nation builders to tomorrow's visionaries.” About 50 people gathered at Harmony...
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SNOW CLEANUP UNDERWAY
John Jamieson, a heavy equipment operator at the City of Brantford, adds more snow to the pile city works crews have already collected from streets in recent days following the large amount of snow the city received in January. The seven-day forecast...
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POLICE STATION EXPANSION ENTERS FINAL STAGE
The enormous Brantford police station expansion on Henry Street is currently a beehive of activity as the $56-million project enters the final stage of completion. Deputy Chief Rich Paolini, who has been overseeing the project on behalf of Brantford...
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MASSILLY INVESTS $85M IN CITY FACILITY
Massilly North America is spending $85 million to begin producing metal cans for the Canadian food packaging industry at its Brantford facility. The investment, announced Tuesday, will create 50 new jobs and help protect the existing 228 jobs at the...
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RESIDENTS DIG OUT AFTER WINTER WALLOP
Local residents spent Monday digging out after winter delivered yet another blast of snow over the weekend. Environment Canada meteorologist Geoff Coulson said an estimated 15 to 20 centimetres of snow fell on Sunday in the Brantford area. “It has...
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CITY TO HOST NEXT PARASPORT GAMES
Some people may remember when Neil Lumsden, Ontario's Minister of Sport, played professional football in the Canadian Football League. But not many will know that Lumsden once played a game of wheelchair basketball. The MPP for Hamilton East – Stoney...
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BIDDERS LINE UP TO BUILD POWER STORAGE SITES
Last year's sweltering summer strained the power grid as Ontarians struggled to keep cool. But the province had a powerful ace up its sleeve. Stored inside 278 giant lithium-ion batteries – each the size of a tractor-trailer – in rural Haldimand...
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UP AND DOWN HILL
People took to the hills at Arrowdale Park on Monday afternoon in Brantford, despite winds that made the -8 C temperature actually feel like -18. Grand Erie Public Health issued a cold advisory for the region on Saturday.
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SIU PROBES FATAL SHOOTING INVOLVING POLICE
The province's Special Investigations Unit is probing a fatal shooting involving police in Brantford. During a noon-hour press conference Friday, SIU spokesperson Kristy Denette confirmed that a 33-year-old Brantford man was shot and killed by...
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NEW LIFE FOR OLD JAIL?
Could the long-closed Brantford Jail reopen as part of Ontario's solution to severe overcrowding in correctional facilities? The province is currently reviewing ways it could increase the number of beds available for adult inmates, including looking...
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CANADIAN CHAMPIONS, OLYMPIC BOUND
Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud, who train in Brantford with Brant Figure Skating Club coach Alison Purkiss, captured the 2026 Canadian National Skating Championship pairs title on the weekend in Gatineau, QC. With their gold-medal performance, the pair...
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BRANTWOOD FARMS GEARING UP FOR `BIGGER AND BETTER' OPERATION THIS SPRING
A Brantford farming family that not only sells the products they grow but offers fun activities for families throughout each year, is getting ready to carry on that tradition in a new location. Tom Pate, his wife Dawn, and children, Kara and Andrew,...
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SWIMMERS VENT ABOUT POOL TIME CHANGES
City representatives who hastily arranged a public meeting to discuss scheduling changes at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre pools got an earful from unhappy swimmers on Wednesday. About 80 people showed up for what was to be an hour-long 'dropin'...
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BUILDING DEMOLISHED AFTER WEEKEND FIRE
The fire is out and all that remains of an old commercial building at the corner of Jarvis Street and Grand River Avenue is a large mound of rubble. Brantford firefighters left the scene of the blaze, which began at about 2:30 a.m. Sunday at about 10...
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IT'S A GIRL: FIRST BABY OF 2026 AT BGH
Georgia Thomas's entrance in to the world at 9:08 a.m. on Jan. 1 makes her the first baby born in 2026 at Brantford General Hospital – to parents Ellaya General and Rory Thomas of Six Nations of the Grand River. With General's due date set for Dec. 24,...
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BITTERSWEET GOODBYE
At 14, Doreen Proctor's family settled in at St. James Anglican Church on Dublin Street: at 96, Proctor has outlasted the church, which held its last worship service on Sunday. “I can't believe it,” she said, still sitting in her pew as the last notes...
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TINY RESTAURANT HAS BIG HEART
The space at Lonnie's on Market is small. The narrow restaurant can't accommodate a sit-down community dinner, but the hearts of volunteers are large, so they always find a way to serve. This year, about 30 turkeys were carved up, added to vegetables...
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CHRISTMAS SKATE
Sixteen-year-old Natalie Goodnough of Brantford skates with Mrs. Claus on Sunday at the TD Civic Centre in Brantford. City councillors Mandy Samwell and Michael Sullivan held their 2nd annual free Christmas skate with free hot chocolate, draw prizes,...
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EARLY MORNING FIRE
Brantford firefighters remained on the scene of a fire at a property on Wellington Street on Thursday afternoon. Firefighters responded shortly after 6 a.m. and had the fire out within 45 minutes. The home was vacant at the time and no one was injured...
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BRIGHT LIGHTS
Jeff and Rebecca Sylvester of Brantford pose within a festively adorned picture frame hanging from a tree at the Brantford Lights at Glenhyrst on Monday. The holiday lighting display illuminates nightly from 6 to 9 p.m. until New Year's Day at...
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OPENING OF $140M `CAMPUS OF CARE' CELEBRATED
The grand opening of a `campus of care' was celebrated Friday afternoon as dignitaries and seniors gathered at the newly constructed Aspira Brant's Landing Retirement Living and Oakwood Commons long-term care facility on Lynden Road in Brantford. “One...
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PUBLIC TOURS SITE OF FUTURE HOMELESS HUB
Brittney Scott was among the 75 people who visited the former Fox Ridge property on Thursday to learn more about Brantford's hub for the homeless plans. “It was very informative,” Scott said after speaking with city staff and touring the West Street...
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SHOP WITH A COP
Const. Kelsie Annaert of the Brantford Police Service takes Carter, age 13, on a shopping excursion at Lynden Park Mall on Wednesday in Brantford. Ten local children were selected by their schools to take part in the 2nd annual Shop With a Cop event to...
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DEVELOPERS LINE UP TO SUPPORT $152M PROJECT
Major companies including a hotel and convention centre developer have voiced their support for the $152-million sports and entertainment centre. Darko Vranich, CEO of Vrancor Group, wrote a letter of support for the project to Brantford city...
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`GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY'
Brantford city council has approved plans to build a new $152-million “Madhouse on Market.” Councillors, at a special city council meeting Thursday, voted in favour of a plan that will see a new sports and entertainment centre at 79 Market St. S....
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WARM MESSAGE
Shawna Wilson, a public health nurse with Grand Erie Public Health's Sexual Health Team, ties a scarf to a tree in Victoria Park on World AIDS Day, on Monday in Brantford. GEPH and Brantford Public Library staff have knitted 45 scarves that were placed...
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DAYTIME PARADE DRAWS THOUSANDS TO DOWNTOWN
Day or night, Santa Claus draws a crowd in Brantford. As the traditional parade took to the downtown at a non-traditional time Saturday, thousands still showed up for the event – some of them cranky at the forced change and others delighted at the...
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BRANTFORD MAYOR: PROJECT WILL `SPARK' CITY'S LOWER DOWNTOWN
The proposed $152-million sports and entertainment centre could be the “spark” that helps lower downtown Brantford reach its full potential, says the city's mayor. “This project is extremely important to the downtown but it's even more important to...
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FRAUD VICTIMS
A Port Dover couple is warning others about the dangers of fraud - and a bank's initial reaction to their loss - after their dream vacation turned into a financial nightmare. Roger and Lisa Buis recently ventured to Florence for a trip in the heart of...
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PARIS PORT DOVER PIPE BAND TEAMS UP WITH MCCARTNEY
For the fourth time, the Paris Port Dover Pipe Band has played a major musical part in a Sir Paul McCartney show. On Friday, 42 bagpipers and drummers in the world-touring group were at Hamilton's TD Coliseum hoping for the chance to be onstage with...
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`IT REALLY DOES TAKE AN ARMY'
The Brantford Salvation Army has kicked off its Christmas program to help hundreds of struggling city residents through the holidays. More than 650 families registered for the Army's Community Christmas program in 2024. Capt. Joshua Cain said it has...
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LEST WE FORGET
Members of the 56th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery (from left) Mbdr. Mike Butler, Sgt. Travis McLaughlin, Cpl. Georgia Nix, and Sgt. Jason Long arrange wreaths Monday in the order they are to be laid during the City of Brantford's Remembrance...
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STATUE RESTORED
Philanthropist Paul Aucoin (left), Ward 3 Councillor Dan McCreary, and sport tourism co-ordinator Mike Mansfield stand behind the Welcome Statue inside the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre in Brantford on Thursday. Aucoin covered the $11,000 cost to repair...
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GRAND PATHWAYS HELPS STUDENTS WITH FUTURE PLANS
The Grand Erie District School Board is working to help students plan their future in secondary and post-secondary education. Representatives from all high schools, community service agencies, five colleges and universities, and trade unions were on...
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CADETS PAY HOMAGE TO INDIGENOUS VETERANS
Local cadets ensured all veterans including those who overcame barriers to serve were given their due at Brantford's Thank-A-Vet luncheon. Thousands of Indigenous men and women chose to fight for Canada despite systemic barriers and often at great...
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Youth writes rap song for the Toronto Blue Jays
When the Toronto Blue Jays made it to the World Series, their incredible season inspired an 11-year-old St. George boy to create a special anthem to celebrate the team. Felix Munce — a Grade 6 student at Glen Morris Public School in Brant County —is...
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NO STONE LEFT ALONE
Bonnie Sitter embarked on her Canadian history journey after discovering an interesting photograph in an album belonging to her late husband. For Mary Anne Rose and members of the Middleport Heritage Society, the trip began with a memorial...
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GHOSTLY FANS
Trish Logan decorated the front lawn of her Locks Road home in Brantford for a city-wide Halloween contest. But when the Toronto Blue Jays secured a spot in the World Series, she decided to dress up the ghosts to represent fans who may have passed...
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FERRERO CELEBRATES SWEET MILESTONE
Ferrero Canada is celebrating a sweet milestone at its Brantford facility. Company executives, employees and local dignitaries gathered Thursday for the official launch of Ferrero's new chocolate squares production line. “This is the first time that...
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BRIDGE REMOVED
Concrete piers and abutments are all that remain of the Brant's Crossing pedestrian bridge over the Grand River in downtown Brantford on Wednesday. The former CNR railway bridge, built in 1913, sustained damage from an ice jam in 2018, and will be...
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DIWALI CELEBRATION
Nirmal Sharma and Anuroopa Handa hold some jewelry that was on display at Diwali, the Festival of Lights, held at D'Aubigny Creek Park in Brantford on Saturday night. Diwali is one of the most sacred and joyous celebrations in Hindu culture. The...
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FIRE DESTROYS HOME UNDER CONSTRUCTION
An excavator was on site removing the charred remains on Friday of a house under construction destroyed in an early-morning fire in Brantford. Dwayne Armstrong, deputy chief of the Brantford Fire Department, said they received a call about a fire at...
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COUNTDOWN TO PUMPKINFEST
Misty Ladd (left), her daughter Faith Harrington, and grandson Stirling Conlon stand with the hand-made halloween figures they have created to decorate their Main Street South home in Waterford. The town's annual Pumpkinfest celebration takes place...
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IN THE SWING OF THINGS
Penelope Westerberg (left), age 13, and her 18-year-old sister Jodi enjoy a swings ride on the midway at the Burford Fall Fair on Saturday in Burford.
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THANKSGIVING FEAST
Apple or pumpkin can be a difficult choice at a Thanksgiving meal. Sue Ecker, whose family owns Harmony Pastry Shop in Simcoe, was offering both kinds of pie on Friday at the Brantford Farmers' Market.
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GO TEAM
Members of the Delhi Raiders cheerleading squad didn't let the rain and mud dampen their spirit as they take part in Young Canada Day competitions at the Norfolk County Fair and Horse Show in Simcoe on Tuesday. Delhi District Secondary School won the...
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HEROES WALK AND ROLL
Young Lincoln Palmeter joined a group from RNJ Theatrics including Steve Rogers, Jakob Szczur, Gwen Stacey and Trevor Wellwood for a photo at the Heroes Walk and Roll on Saturday at the Brant Park Conservation Area in Brantford. The 7th annual event is...
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SMALL CROWD, BIG SUPPORT FOR SEC
Plans for a new sports entertainment centre in downtown Brantford look “pretty good,” long-time resident Bob Mackay says. “I'm glad the Brantford Bulldogs are here, but I'm not really a big hockey fan,” Mackay said Wednesday. “I'm more interested in...
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TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION
Mohawk Institute survivor Roberta Hill, who spent five years at the former Indian Residential School in Brantford, called it the saddest time of her life. “All I wanted to do was go home,” she told a huge crowd, most wearing orange shirts to mark...
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VETERANS HONOURED
The names of 23 veterans who gave their lives serving their country have finally found a place of honour on the Brant War Memorial. On Monday, a crew from Ingham Monuments began etching the names, one of which had been lost for more than a century,...
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`I WANT TO LIVE FOR MY FAMILY'
Speaking from a hospital in Gaza, looking gaunt and in failing health Baker Abualjedian says he only has one wish. “I just want to live,” Abualjedian said. “I want to live for my family. “They need me. I have to survive.” Abualjedian was badly hurt...
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MOM RAISES ALARM AFTER SON GOES MISSING AT SCHOOL
A Brantford mom is raising an alarm about how staffing cuts at schools have affected her special needs son. Donna King said she learned last week her six-year-old autistic son had gone missing three times from his Grade 1 classroom during lunch...
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BIG CRANE FOR BIG JOB
A 146,600-pound (66,500 kg) steel plate girder span of the former CNR bridge over the Grand River in Brantford is rigged up for removal on Wednesday morning. One of the largest mobile cranes in North America from Mammoet was brought in to make the...
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RE-ENACTMENT EVENT BRINGS HISTORY TO LIFE
The crack of musket fire and the boom of stout iron cannons unsettled the tranquility of the Backhouse Historic Site near Port Rowan on Saturday. Lined up in formation, dozens of history buffs, dressed in meticulously accurate uniforms, re-enacted...
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PEOPLE IN KENYA GET SUPPORT ONE SCHOOL AT A TIME
In the McLaren household Stu makes the money and his wife Amy makes sure it's well spent. The couple take some of the money generated by Stu's business ventures and donated by other like-minded entrepreneurs to build schools in Nakuru, Kenya. To...
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STUDENTS PLAY ROLE IN DOWNTOWN'S ENERGY AND VITALITY: MAYOR
Hundreds of new and returning college and university students gathered under sunny skies at Harmony Square on Wednesday for the annual mayor's lunch. “The student population has become so important to the energy and vitality of our downtown,” said...
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`MAGICAL TO SEE ALL THE HAPPY PEOPLE'
The town of Paris isn't short on accolades, and it got even more on the Labour Day weekend. “It's a cute little town – people here are pretty friendly too,” said Amy Santos. Alongside her husband Joseph and young daughter Iyla, the Toronto family...
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Local schools preparing for return of students
It's almost time for students to get back to the books as summer unofficially comes to a bitter-sweet end after the Labour Day long weekend and the new school year begins. Shannon Mason, principal at St. Leo Catholic School in Brantford, was in her...
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TASK FORCE CHAIR: `AN IDEAL SITE FOR AN IDEAL HOSPITAL'
The chair of a task force looking for a property big enough to accommodate a new hospital is a long-time Brantford resident who brings 35 years of health care experience to the role. “After my wife (Carolyn) and I got married, I was working in the...
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Language a key factor for newcomers to Brantford and area
Staff at the YMCA Immigrant Services office in Brantford can welcome new arrivals to the city in a lot of different languages. Arsim Aliu, the general manager, can say hello in Albanian, Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian. But that's just for starters,...
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HIGH-TECH TREE REMOVAL
Keegan Frederikse, an arborist with Maple Hill Tree Service of Burlington, remotely operates a grabber saw on a boom to bring down sections of a tree in Mohawk Park on Tuesday. The company spent two days this week removing eight large, dead trees and...
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HOMETOWN SPECIALTY
FOR TOURNAMENTS `FEW CITIES CAN MATCH WHAT BRANTFORD OFFERS'
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HUNDREDS GATHER FOR SMOKE DANCE
More than 100 dancers, their families, and spectators gathered under shade trees at the Woodland Cultural Centre in Brantford on Saturday for the annual Smoke Dance Celebration. “It started as a war dance. Only the men did it,” explained Kyleeya...
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CYCLISTS STOP IN BRANTFORD AT END OF GREAT LAKES ADVENTURE
About 160 cyclists made a quick stop at Brantford's Mohawk Chapel on Friday near the end of an eight-day, 640-kilometre trail ride that included visits to three Great Lakes. The looped ride, which started and ended in Hamilton, celebrated the 30th...
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Affordable housing project officially opened in Paris gives tenant `new lease on life'
A new affordable housing development in Paris is already changing the lives of its residents. “It's a huge relief to finally have a safe, affordable home where I can be close to my family and plan for the future,” said one tenant, adding that before...
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FAMILY DAY FUN
Shailene Grahn of Splatz Face Painters gave Olaf Opalka a new look during Family Fun Day last Saturday afternoon at Arnold Anderson Stadium in Brantford. Family Fun Day was part of the Arnold Anderson Sport Fund 25th anniversary celebration. The...
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SIX NATIONS HOSTS WILDFIRE EVACUEES
With wildfires continuing to wreak havoc across much of northern Manitoba, displaced families are missing some of life's milestones. But a group of new high school graduates from two remote Manitoba First Nations were recognized for their achievements...
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`IT'S LIKE A HOMECOMING'
Preparation is the key to a perfect pow wow performance. Just ask Patricia Gardner. At 72, the native of Detroit has attended the Grand River Champion of Champions Pow Wow since 1977. A member of the Six Nations band, Gardner brought two...
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