Heart of Brant Blog

Bow Park Farm

The property where Bow Park Farm resides has a long history. In the early 1600s, the land was home to the Neutrals and by the mid-1600s the Iroquois took over the Neutral land during the Beaver War. The land became an Iroquois hunting ground before it was home to settlers in the 1850s.

Bow Park Farm
140 Oxbow Road, Brantford
Photo Courtesy of Brantford Public Library

The Honourable George Brown, one of the Fathers of Confederation, founder of the Toronto Globe newspaper and the namesake for George...

Nursing Sisters of Canada

Nurses have been the backbone of our community and have played a key role in keeping us healthy throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. From administering vaccines to caring for infected people to running assessment sites, nurses are true heroes. The County of Brant has always had a strong group of nurses pulling us through hard times. Experiencing how much nurses have done during the pandemic, makes us reflect on the nurses from days gone by who helped pull us through tough times.

Brant is proud of...

Kindred Spirits

Kindred Spirits Artisans of Paris is an organization of individuals who share a common creative interest and who work cooperatively to actively encourage arts and crafts within the Paris and district community.  This group has a core of approximately forty members, representing a variety of artistic and craft skills. 

Kindred Spirits Artisans of Paris was founded in 1991.  Over the past years, the cultural life of Paris has profited from open workshops, cultural discussions, exhibits, and members...

Tips for Making an Indie Film in your own Backyard!

Here are some tips on how to approach your backyard budget films; including who to ask for help, where and how to gather resources, and how to be everybody’s friendly neighbourhood filmmaker.

Shooting a film in your backyard is the reality of many indie productions. For many, budgets are low, but hopes can stay alive for good production value. The key to success is leaning on neighbours or even strangers to donate their time, talents, homes, businesses, and items.

#1- Design your film on what’s...

Focus on Collectives

Did you know that the County of Brant is home to many collectives, a place where artists and artisans sell unique handmade goods and collected items?

Be sure to stop by our local collectives:

• The Burford Collective
• Classic Vault Emporium
• The Gem
• Wincey Mills

Artisans and crafters have played an important role in shaping our community. Our makers make us distinguishable from any other nearby town. Buying from artisans connects us to the regional crafts and customs. It is a personal encounter with a...

Cobblestone Capital

Paris is known as the Cobblestone Capital of Canada. Stones were pulled from the riverbed, after years of tumbling smooth and found in farmer’s fields. Once cleaned and dried they were layered like a birthday cake with cement icing holding it all together. In order to ensure uniformity, labourers measured fieldstones for shape and size by passing them through a ring. If you look closely enough when visiting some of the buildings, you will notice that the stones are at different angles. Every...

Bonney/Innes Farm

Located in Burford Township, John Fowler purchased the parcel of Crown land this farm is located on in 1803 and the plot stayed in his family until it was purchased in 1861 by William Bonney. The farm was purchased from a trust by Bruce Innes in 1940 after the farm fell into tax arrears.

The farm house is a two storey single-detached building with two single-stack chimneys located side-left and rear-centre. The dormer shape is a centre-gable with return and roof trim is boxed-plain cornice. The...