The Walking Tours

After having worked on developing a downtown walking tour for the opening of Harmony Square and three previous downtown tours as part of pre-event programming for Doors Open Brant, the Executive Director asked me in January if I would conduct some of the walking tours a second time, and even develop some new tours with appropriate support materials so that others could deliver them.

In March I developed a draft schedule that included some repeat tours such as the Market Street Walk, Victoria Park Heritage Walk, and the Downtown Walk, as well as two new tours that would be repeated for Doors Open Brant 2012 and Remembrance Day, specifically, the Brant’s Ford Walk and the Memorials and Monuments Walk.

To date I have done the Brant’s Ford Walk on Saturday, April 21st at 10:30 a.m. A modest twelve people joined me on a very cool spring morning to learn about the earliest development of this area prior to 1812. The walk was set as a primer leading into the happenings during the War of 1812 period which will be part of the bicentennial commemorations over the next three years. The walk moved through the four parks that circle Brant’s Ford and while the guide was in costume, costume is not necessary for conducting the tour.

The next walk was done of Market Street, walking from the Brant Museum & Archives up to the Railway Station and down Market Street to Colborne Street on Saturday, May 26th at 10:30 a.m. Eighteen people joined me for the walk with elements of a “Jane’s Walk” focusing on the remaining structures from Brantford’s Golden Age (1880-1914) and the developments between Brantford’s two competing transportation systems – the canal and the railway. Once again the guide was in costume to help set the context. The consequences of this tour are that it has already brought some new members, contributions, and some researchers investigating their own properties.

There are six additional walking tours booked this year, and we would love to see you there!

Brian Moore
For  a complete list of upcoming events, including the Walking Tours, click here