A massive new community hub located at 10 Strickland Avenue and 346 Shellard Lane is moving toward completion to provide a new school, library, and park for families in Brantford, Ontario. The project is a joint effort between the City of Brantford, the Grand Erie District School Board, and the Brantford Public Library, representing a total investment of over $67 million. This new facility will serve as a central gathering place for the rapidly growing West Brant neighbourhood.
The new Blanche E. Williams Public School is expected to open its doors in September 2026 and will feature 23 classrooms to accommodate 650 students. This new facility also includes a 64-space childcare centre and a 13,500-square-foot library branch with multi-purpose rooms and an outdoor reading terrace. The school is being built to help reduce the number of students at nearby schools, including Edith Monture, Agnes G. Hodge, and Walter Gretzky elementary schools.
The surrounding 24-acre park will be the largest in the southwestern part of the city and is expected to be finished by October 2026. Residents will have access to the first regulation cricket pitch in the area, an artificial turf soccer field, pickleball courts, and a skate park. The entire facility is named in honour of Blanche E. Williams, a local woman who became one of the first Black women in Canada to attend university with the same privileges as white students in 1885.
