Celebrate Safely this Holiday Season in Brantford

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BRANTFORD, ON – The City of Brantford offers many ways to make memories this holiday season with annual activities being offered in a safe way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our community.

Sensitive Santa

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the City of Brantford will not be able to offer the Sensitive Santa program for children who prefer a calm environment where lights are dimmed, music is turned off and there are no line-ups.

There are other ways residents can connect with Santa safely this year:

  • Use your Smart Device: Ask Alexa, Google or Siri to call Santa. You can also ask questions about the North Pole, the reindeers and the elves
  • Lynden Park Mall Santa Photo Booth
  • Set up a Jingle Ring message or live video call with Santa at www.jinglering.com.

Brantford Lights at Glenhyrst

Residents can enjoy the annual Brantford Lights at Glenhyrst Art Gallery of Brant from the comfort of their warm car as the event will be offered in a drive-thru format only. The Brantford Lights at Glenhyrst take place December 4, 2020 to January 1, 2021 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. nightly. While the event is free, donations to the Brantford Food Bank are greatly appreciated.

Harmony Square Ice Rink

The Harmony Square Ice Rink in Downtown Brantford is open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., weather permitting. There are enhanced safety protocols in place

  • City staff will be on-site to collect contact tracing information from skaters and to ensure physical distancing is being observed while on the ice. Skaters are also asked to keep a distance of 6 feet from each other while waiting to skate.
  • At this time, 35 skaters will be allowed on the ice at one time, if the community moves to Red-Control in the Keeping Ontario Open and Safe Framework, the rink will have a maximum skating capacity of 25 skaters at any given time.

Guidance for holidays and celebrations

The Brant County Health Unit has released a holiday season specific guidance for residents of Brantford and the County of Brant. The guidance is to help residents understand the safest ways to celebrate to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in our community. Learn more at bchu.org/HolidayFAQ.

Let’s take care of each other

As the effects of the secondary surge of the pandemic continue to evolve, the City’s Emergency Operations Committee (EOC) is following the city’s COVID-19 case counts very closely and working with Public Health officials to ensure that any required protocols are in place.

The City of Brantford stresses that all residents and businesses play a very significant role in keeping our community safe and preventing Brantford from moving into the Red-Control level where additional restrictions would have to be implemented. Please continue to follow these important COVID-19 guidelines:

  • Stay home when you can and avoid close contact with others outside of your household
  • Wear a face covering
  • Wash your hands frequently
  • Stay home if you are sick, even with mild symptoms
  • Download the COVID alert app

Additional updates regarding City programs and services, and the continuity of services are shared regularly on the City’s Facebook and Twitter pages and at brantford.ca/coronavirus.

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