Hundreds of people spent their day exploring the new Downtown Paris promenade on Saturday, June 11, 2026.
Two separate but intertwined events transformed the area into a bustling destination.
The County of Brant, in partnership with the Bell Homestead, the Paris Museum and the Brant Museum and Archives, celebrated the 150th anniversary of the world’s first long-distance telephone call during a special Historic Places Days event.
Made on August 10, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell used telephone lines to make the call from Brantford to Robert White’s Boot and Show Store in downtown Paris. Bell was on the receiving end of the call while his friends and family were set up at the Dominion Telegraph Office near where Harmony Square is today.
While the communities were approximately 13 kilometres apart, the signal traveled an additional 93 through Toronto, where stronger telegraph batteries helped boost the connection.
As part of the celebration, the three museum partners were set up just a short distance away from the historic landmark, each sharing information about the moment that changed history.
“We’re here spreading the word that it’s the anniversary of the first long-distance call between Brantford and Paris,” said Robert Stanczyk, the new curator of the Bell Homestead. “It really paved the way for long distance communications, so this is a very exciting milestone that’s worth celebrating.”
The Bell Homestead’s display featured a selection of telephones throughout the years, including a replica model of the very phone Bell would have used.
“We have a bit of matching game on, so people can up and try to match our phones to the specific year which has been fun,” said Stanczyk. “We also have a replica of the phone that would have been used to make and receive the call as well.”
As people tried their hand at the matching game, others visited the Paris Museum tent right next door. There they had the opportunity to learn a bit more about telephone operators, and to sign up for a historical walking tour around downtown.
While all of that was going on, Rustic Palm owners, Teresa and Bobby Howatt, were also hosting their inaugural Paris Street Market at the same time. The event featured more than 40 local vendors selling a variety of unique handmade items.
From crochet creations to dog treats, charcuterie boards, clothing, pottery, jewellery, refreshing lemonade, and much more, there were plenty of wares to buy and browse.
“We wanted to really bring people downtown because we know things haven’t been great for the businesses with all the construction going on,” said Teresa. “Our store is full of different vendors so we thought, why don’t we take the vendors that are here, and put them out in tents on the street.”
The couple said that while they weren’t sure how many people would traverse the detours to check out the event, they were happy with the turn out.
“We just hoped people were going to show up, and they did,” said Bobby. “It’s been incredible, better than we could have imagined.
Teresa added, “I know a lot of us businesses are struggling this year with construction, especially since we had to do it last year as well, so it’s nice to see how many people are here. I know that the driving situation and detours haven’t been the best, so we really appreciate everyone who has come out, it’s insane to see. I could get emotional. We did go around and chat with some of the store owners too, and most of them are saying they’ve done well, which is awesome to hear.”
County of Brant author Hannah Birss said she was happy to be part of the big event.
“It’s been really amazing,” she said. “There’s a really nice variety of vendors here today and the foot traffic has been incredible. I think the downtown businesses have really suffered the last couple of years with construction, so it’s nice to see everybody coming out to support them.”
Birss said that she was pleasantly surprised with how much business she was doing, and that she would absolutely attend another market in the promenade.
“I’ve sold quite a bit today, it’s been insane,” she said. “I would 100 per cent come back for another market here.”
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.
