City of Brantford held a grand opening to celebrate their new City Hall on Saturday, September 18.
Members of City Council, staff and community members celebrated the opening of the new building, which is located at 58 Dalhousie Street.
The official ceremony kicked off with remarks from City of Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis.
“I am deeply honoured and immensely proud as Mayor to mark this very auspicious and historical occasion in the life of our city. To all past and present members of Council who played a role in making today a reality, I want to take this opportunity to personally thank you for your vision and support of this transformative initiative that will serve as the centre of local government in our city for decades to come,” said Mayor Davis. “I have no doubt that as a centerpiece in the heart of our city, this renowned space will be key to our ongoing efforts to further revitalize the city’s downtown while we continue to uphold the building’s long legacy of public service.”
Brian Hutchings, CAO for the City of Brantford, also shared his thoughts on the opening of the municipalities’ new building.
“The progress we’ve made, and the future prosperity of our city is nothing short of exciting. We’re here today because Brantford is a city in transition and the City’s previous accommodation model did not meet the needs of a rapidly growing city. It’s exciting that a majority of City employees are together now under the same roof, and that now we can provide a better customer service experience to residents, all while achieving greater operational efficiencies in the process,” said Hutchings. “I am sincerely grateful to staff both past and present who have made this tremendous achievement a reality. As we look forward to another exciting chapter in the City’s long and rich history, there has never been a more exciting time to be part of the City of Brantford.”
The celebration included a ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by a flag-raising ceremony in Harmony Square. The event also featured a free jazz concert at Harmony Square, fun giveaways for the kids, Harmony Squirrel handing out customized cookies, world record stilt walker Doug the Great, and guided tours through City Hall, with all COVID-19 safety protocols in place and observed.
