City of Brantford’s Community Skate Exchange program has officially started up again and will be running every Wednesday from January 7 to February 11, 2026.
The program, which was created in 2012 through a partnership between the Brantford Public Library and the team at Harmony Square, allows residents to donate gently-used or new ice skates to various drop-off points around the city and gives others the option to pick up a free pair to keep.
Jennifer Middleton, Special Events Supervisor for the City of Brantford, said the initiative allows those skates to be reused and not go to waste, since young children typically grow out of them within a year and adults who play hockey or skate frequently, tend to replace theirs more often.
“The whole concept behind the program is to make skates accessible to everyone. This program runs entirely on donations, and the idea is that you can either come and get your first ever pair of skates, or you can come and trade a pair in – no questions asked,” she said. “We’ve actually seen a lot of the same people use this program for years because they continue to come in, and trade up as their kids grow out of their current skate size. It’s also great because not everyone skates regularly, so if a child is going on a class trip and they don’t already have a pair, this is a good way to get one without having to stress about spending the money.”
Middleton stressed that it doesn’t matter if they’re kids, mens or even women’s skates, they’re always happy to receive donations of any size, and that any one of any age can take advantage of the program.
“If you come to us and we have your size, we’re more than happy to give them to you,” she said. “We’ve even had 70 year olds come in and say, ‘I haven’t skated in 50 years,’ but they want to pick it up again, and so they’ll get a pair of skates to test out and either give them back or keep them for the next time.”
As far as those who have gently-used skates to donate, drop-offs are available during regular business hours at the following locations:
- Brantford City Hall, 58 Dalhousie St.
- Brantford Public Library – Main Branch at 173 Colborne Street, and the St. Paul Branch at 441 St. Paul Ave.
- Doug Snooks Eagle Place Community Centre, 333 Erie Ave.
- T.B Costain/SC Johnson Community Centre, 16 Morrell St.
- Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre, 254 North Park St., and
- Woodman Park Community Centre, 491 Grey St.
Skates can also be dropped off at the TD Civic Centre during Brantford Bulldog home games by bringing them to the Bulldogs Rinkside Lounge.
Middleton added that if any local hockey teams or organizations were interested in holding a skate drive, the City is more than happy to partner up with them as well, and to reach out via email at harmonysquare@brantford.ca
She added that once the skates are donated, they will be inspected and sharpened before being made available to the public.
“Bob Coyne continues to inspect and sharpen the skates for us at no cost, which is such a huge help because people really appreciate the convenience of having those skates pre-sharpened,” said Middleton.
When it comes to picking up a pair of skates, the special events supervisor said that pick-up times occur every Wednesday between January 7 and February 11, from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m., however, if that doesn’t work with your schedule, you can email harmonysquare@brantford.ca to coordinate a time that does.
She also recommended that if someone is planning on getting skates for their little ones, to bring them along to the Harmony Square office, if possible.
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
