Brantford's Harmony Square Anticipates the Return of Scare in the Square in October

BRANTFORD, ON- The City of Brantford, in partnership with Downtown Brantford BIA, is excited to announce the highlights of the annual Scare in the Square on Friday, October 6 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday October 7, from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Halloween-themed activities will take place at Harmony Square, located at 89 Dalhousie Street. “Brantford’s favourite fall event returns to the heart of downtown as Harmony Square transforms into a two-day Halloween extravaganza,” says Jennifer Middleton, Special Events Supervisor. “We’re so thankful to the Downtown Brantford BIA and all community partners for sponsoring and supporting this event to provide residents with plenty of free activities and fun for the whole family to get into the spooky spirit.” Families can expect all their favourite free annual Halloween activities in Harmony Square including trick-or-treating, costume contests, Casper's Craft Corner, roller skating, scarecrow and pumpkin displays and carving contest, the HOWL-o-ween Dog Parade, and much more. Onsite registration is required to roller skate and rentals will be available for $10. On Saturday, while supplies last, free trick-or-treat bags will be provided to everyone participating in the trick or treating downtown. Families can also enjoy a free fun game of Disney Trivia at Hudson Public beginning at 6 p.m. Registration is required by calling Hudson Public at 519-304-4561. Hockey enthusiasts will be excited to hear that the sold-out OHL Bulldogs Home Opener game taking place at the Brantford and District Civic Centre, will be broadcast live in Harmony Square beginning at 7 p.m. for those looking to watch the game with fellow fans. For those looking for extra spooky fun, tickets can be purchased for the amusement rides and tractor drawn hayrides.  Other attractions include the Paranormal Tour at the Brant County Museum and Archives, located at 57 Charlotte Street, presented by Ontario Paranormal Society and the Witches’ Hut or Golden Gambit Escape Rooms hosted by Five Nineteen Productions. Children ages 10 and under must be with an adult to enter the Escape Rooms. While the majority of activities are free, tickets must be purchased for the Paranormal Tours ($5), amusement rides ($7 ride all day wrist band), Escape Rooms ($5) and the accessible tractor drawn hayride ($2). Ticket packages for multiple attractions are also available. Package 1 includes a ride-all-day wristband for both Friday and Saturday for $10 and Package 2 includes the hayride, Escape Room and Paranormal Tour for $11.Beat the lines and purchase tickets in advance at the Harmony Square office (89 Dalhousie Street) on September 25 or 28 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. or at the event. Refunds will not be offered for unused tickets. Brantford Transit is available to attendees looking for transportation to Harmony Square, with the main terminal conveniently located only one block away.. Join the conversation on Harmony Square’s Facebook page using the hashtag #ScareintheSquare. Volunteer opportunities The City of Brantford is currently seeking volunteers to assist with the Scare in the Square event. Volunteer opportunities include; HOWL-o-ween Dog Parade, Casper’s Craft Corner, Escape Rooms, tractor drawn hayride, Paranormal Investigations, set-up and take-down, and other duties as assigned for various events. Volunteers can also collect high school community hours where applicable. Accepted volunteers will be required to take mandatory virtual training on September 27, 2023 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Volunteer Applications are available at Brantford.ca/ScareintheSquare and will be accepted until Friday, September 22. Thank you to Brantford’s Scare in the Square sponsors Community sponsors for this event include; Associated Paving and Materials Ltd., Brantwood Farms, Downtown Brantford BIA, Express Employment Professionals, Family Gathering Urban EarlyON, Heads or Tails Gaming Inc., Hudson Public, Kiddies Fun Track, Levac’s Trophies, Boyle Plumbing and Heating, Global Pet Foods, JH Young Jewellers, Len’s Mill Stores, Millards Chartered Professional Accountants, Mitsui High-tec Inc, TD Bank, The Ontario Paranormal Society, and West Brant Window World. Source - CITY OF BRANTFORD

Rapid Progress: New High School in Brantford-Brant

The 17-acre site where the new school will be built needs planning changes before construction can start — an issue the city is expected to raise at a committee meeting this month. The Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board was handed $45.7 million by the province in 2022 to add a third secondary school for Brantford. Serving students in both Brantford and the County of Brant, St. John’s College and Assumption College — the community’s only Catholic high schools — are facing enrolment pressure. Assumption College was the most recent high school built in Brantford-Brant in 1992. A new school on Powerline Road at the north end of Brantford — on land the county ceded to the city in 2017 when Brantford’s borders were expanded — will relieve some of the pressure, which the school board reported as an extra 590 students at Assumption this year above the school’s capacity of 1,032. As the sale agreement for the future site on the north side of Powerline Road — between Park Road and Old Farm Road — still hasn’t been closed, the city is taking the next step of rezoning the lands to stay on an expedited timeline for construction. At the moment, the site needs both an official plan and zoning bylaw amendment to allow for the construction of a new high school. Those proposed changes are coming to a Sept. 14 planning committee meeting. For the rezoning and plan changes, certain criteria will need to be met — which is something City of Brantford spokesperson Maria Visocchi said the city is already planning for. These considerations include direct access for cyclists and pedestrians, space for vehicles to pickup and drop-off students, and current or planned public transit within 250 metres of the future school. At this time, Powerline Road is the only road servicing the proposed site, and sewer and water infrastructure will need to be put in place ahead of schedule. “The need to design and construct a sanitary sewer and water main infrastructure to and within the secondary school site in a timely manner is the greatest challenge to achieving an expedited development timeline,” a city planning update in August stated. The current zoning on the land is still the County of Brant’s agricultural zoning from before the boundary expansion by the City of Brantford. It will need to be rezoned as “major institutional.” In an attempt to keep with the hope for shovels in the ground by June 2024, Visocchi said a decision with regards to rezoning is expected to be made by the planning committee on Sept. 14 and ratified by council at its next meeting on Sept. 26. “The development of new schools will be critical to ensuring that we have a local education system that has adequate physical resources to accommodate the growth that we are projecting in the city,” said Visocchi. Members of the public are invited to attend the hybrid virtual and in-person planning committee meeting about the proposed site changes on Sept. 14 at 9 a.m. Source - BRANTFORD EXPOSITOR

Brantford Civic Centre Upgrades: A Win-Win for Fans and Players

BRANTFORD, ON – Excitement is building as Brantford prepares to welcome the OHL Brantford Bulldogs to their new home at the Brantford Civic Centre. In anticipation of the Bulldogs' home opener on October 7, 2023, the Civic Centre renovations are well on track for completion and we are excited to share the following renovation highlights: Exterior Refresh: Beginning Monday, September 11th, the Civic Centre exterior will be painted to proudly display the Bulldog colors of black and yellow. Our thanks to the Bulldogs organization for funding this part of the Centre’s new look.  Parking Lot Upgrade: The resurfacing and realignment of the parking will result in an expansion of parking spaces, enhanced lighting, and improved pedestrian flow. New Addition: Offices within the addition will be finalized and ready for occupancy this week. This modern space will serve as the hub for the Bulldogs organization. New Scoreboard: A brand-new, state-of-the-art scoreboard has been installed, enhancing the game-day experience for fans and players. Enhanced Arena Amenities: Renovations within the arena include new rink glass, upgrades to gondolas, and the completion of concession areas to ensure that fans have a comfortable and enjoyable experience. Ice Installation: This week the City’s dedicated arena staff will begin the process of installing the ice in the rink. The ice is expected to be ready for action by September 18th. Fitness Area: A fully equipped fitness area will be completed by September 18th, providing the Bulldogs organization with a modern training facility. HVAC Installation: The final phase of the HVAC installation is set to be completed in April, 2024, ensuring optimal climate control for both players and spectators alike. The City of Brantford eagerly anticipates welcoming fans, players, and the entire community to the revitalized Civic Centre. The Bulldogs' home opener on October 7th promises to be a memorable experience for fans and players alike, as we celebrate the start of a new era in Brantford hockey history. Source - CITY OF BRANTFORD

Toronto-Brantford-London Corridor Welcomes the Return of Vital Commuter Trains

VIA Rail trains 82 and 83 are on track for a return to the Toronto-Brantford-London corridor. On Thursday, a meeting between Canada’s transport minister, VIA Rail, Metrolinx, and southwestern Ontario mayors yielded immediate results for commuters — and a commitment to improve passenger rail across the region. The new President and CEO of VIA Rail, Mario Peloquin, emerged from the round table discussion at Western University with a surprise announcement.\ “We are going to renew trains number 82 and 83, most likely in the fall. We have a few little t’s to cross and i’s to dot,” Peloquin told CTV News London. The decision to cut the two trains was a cost-cutting measure during the COVID-19 pandemic. The route had provided a critical link for daily commuters. The train arrived in Toronto before 9 a.m. and returned to London in the early evening. Recently, an online petition was launched calling for the route to be reinstated. VIA will have more details about the returning train routes after an agreement is finalized with its infrastructure partners CN Rail and Metrolinx. “They’ll be in Toronto before 9 a.m., and for London they’ll be back home in the early evening,” Peloquin added. “It’s something that is important to me personally, and to our government. We will support VIA in whatever they need to make sure that it happens,” committed Transport Minister Omar Alghabra. “There are so many interconnections between the business community. They rely on Toronto in many ways,” explained Peter Fragiskatos, MP for London North Centre. “Even if they don’t rely on it for business purposes, they want to be able to go see a baseball game or catch a Leafs game.” After arriving at the train station in London, VIA passenger Orion Boverhof explained why he’d like to see more trains, “As housing gets more expensive in the GTA and people start to live in other places, being able to use the trains to get to work, or to wherever you’re going, is very important.” The roundtable meeting also focussed on longer-term passenger rail investments. Alghabra updated CTV News London on progress to bring high-frequency passenger rail service across southwestern Ontario. “To further connect high frequency rail that we’re building from Quebec City to Toronto, in phase two we want to connect Toronto to southwestern Ontario all the way to Windsor,” he explained London Mayor Josh Morgan believes the regional approach adopted by municipalities along VIA’s corridor is showing results. “This is about regional transportation for southwestern Ontario, and when you talk about transportation in southwestern Ontario, you see London at the centre as an important hub,” he said. Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley expressed optimism after three decades fighting for better train service to his community. “The obligation will be on us to use it, and I’m fine leading the charge to do so. It’s pretty good news,” he said. “We are heading in the right direction.”  The Sorce - CTV NEWS