Brantford City Council will consider naming the city’s new community centre and park after Blanche E. Williams during its Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday, June 3.
The proposal comes following a recommendation from Ward 1 Councillors Rose Sicoli and Michael Sullivan, along with City staff, to recognize Williams for her historic contributions to education and racial equity. In the 1880s, Blanche E. Williams, a Black woman from Brantford, became one of the first in Canada to attend university with the same rights as white students. She studied at what is now Brantford Collegiate Institute before being admitted to the University of Toronto.
The naming aligns with a recent decision by the Grand Erie District School Board (GEDSB) to name a new elementary school, currently under construction next to the centre, in her honour. City officials say the move would create consistency between the school and the community facilities, while also reflecting the city’s ongoing efforts to promote inclusion and recognize local history.
Earlier this year, the City launched a public consultation campaign to gather suggestions for the naming of the Southwest Community Centre and Park. The campaign concluded around the same time GEDSB announced the school’s name, leading to the current recommendation.
The Blanche E. Williams Community Centre and Park is being built at 10 Strickland Avenue and 346 Shellard Lane. The project is a partnership between the City of Brantford, GEDSB and the Brantford Public Library.
Once complete, the facility will include two tournament-size gymnasiums with bleachers for up to 300 spectators, barrier-free locker rooms, a multi-purpose room with a teaching kitchen, and a youth space. It will also offer inclusive public washrooms and office space for recreational staff.
Outdoor amenities will include a splash pad, accessible playground, regulation-size cricket pitch, artificial turf soccer field, field houses with change rooms and concessions, five pickleball courts, a skate park, and a refrigerated multi-use court for year-round sports. A network of paved trails will connect the park to the CN Rail Trail and nearby McGuiness Drive.
Construction began in September 2024 and is expected to finish in 2026. If approved, the name “Blanche E. Williams Community Centre and Park” will be used for all future signage, communications and booking references.
