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The community is invited to join the City of Brantford, Brantford Public Library, Grand Erie District School Board and Shellard Neighbourhood Association to celebrate the new Blanche E. Williams Community Centre and Public Elementary School and Shellard Lane Branch on Saturday, November 7, 2026. Residents can enjoy free family-friendly activities, tours and more from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 10 Strickland Ave. Welcoming remarks will take place in the gymnasium at 1 p.m. followed by free cake and refreshments in the Community Room, while supplies last.Upon arrival, attendees can pick up a free activity passport to help them explore the impressive new facility and for a chance to win prizes. Families can enjoy a variety of activities throughout the day, including meet-and-greets with PAW Patrol’s Chase and Skye at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., live entertainment with Gabby’s Dollhouse Cat-Tastic Dance Party at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., and the Barry O Kids Show at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m., in the gymnasium.
Guests are encouraged to explore all the new facility has to offer and take a tour leaving every 30-minutes from the Reception Counter near the Community Centre entrance. Attendees are also invited to enjoy a free outdoor barbecue with refreshments, while supplies last. Challenge your skills in the Escape Room located outdoors between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. While the barbecue and Escape Room is provided at no cost, donations supporting future Shellard Neighbourhood Association events and programming are welcome.
Additional activities include basketball, sports and interactive games in the gymnasium, opportunities to connect with representatives from the Shellard Neighbourhood Association in the meeting room, roaming entertainment with Guiness World-Record-holding stilt walker Doug “The Great” Hunt, and the chance to contribute to a community art mural that will be proudly displayed at the facility following the event.
Library staff will be offering various fun activities for all ages to enjoy from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., along with tours of the new branch. Residents can also stop in to apply for a free digital or full membership during their visit. The Shellard Lane Branch is the first new library branch to open in Brantford in the last 50 years! The new branch features welcoming spaces to read, study and connect and a collection of more than 30,000 library materials. Additional features include; new public computers, two private study rooms, and dedicated programming room. An outdoor reading terrace is scheduled to open in 2027.
The new community centre features a quad-gymnasium designed for tournament hosting, a variety of meeting and program spaces, snack bar and more. Additional outdoor amenities scheduled for completion in the coming months include a new playground with swings, splash pad, multi-use sports pad, cricket pitch with bleachers, artificial turf field, skatepark, shade structures, accessible pathways and more.
Find more information by visiting www.Brantford.ca/BlancheEWilliams or by calling 519-759-4150.
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