- For other places with the same name, see Brampton (disambiguation).
Brampton is a city within the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario. It is one of Canada's fastest growing cities and has a population of more than 500,000. Brampton has a significant Sikh and South Asian population, with Jamaicans coming in second.
Understand
[edit]- Brampton City Council website
Get in
[edit]By plane
[edit]Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ IATA) in Mississauga is located immediately to the south-east of Brampton. From the airport a taxi costs $45, and takes about 30 minutes, all depending on traffic. Brampton Transit runs Airport Express (route 115) buses from Pearson Airport to Bramalea City Centre.
By train
[edit]- See also: Rail travel in Canada
- 1 Brampton station, 31 Church Street West.
- VIA Rail Canada, toll-free: +1-888-842-7245. Operates many intercity trains across Canada. Operates a route daily between Sarnia and Toronto including stops in London, St. Marys, Stratford, Kitchener, Guelph, Georgetown, and Brampton, and Mississauga.
- VIA Rail Canada, toll-free: +1-888-842-7245. Operates many intercity trains across Canada.
By public transportation
[edit]
GO Transit
[edit]- Main article: GO Transit
GO Transit, ☏ +1-416-869-3200, toll-free: +1-888-438-6646. Operates bus and rail commuter/regional transit within and near the Greater Toronto Area. 
GO Transit provides commuter rail and bus service to Brampton.
There are three GO train stations in Brampton: Bramalea, which serves the eastern end of Brampton; Brampton station, which serves central Brampton; and Mount Pleasant, which serves the western end of Brampton.
- The Kitchener route operates trips most of the day from Monday to Friday between Toronto and Brampton including stops in Mississauga. On those days, trips travel between Toronto and Kitchener including stops in Mississauga (Malton), Brampton, Georgetown, Acton, and Guelph mostly toward Toronto in the morning rush and toward Kitchener in the afternoon rush, but with a few extra round trip runs during the day and evening. The trip by train from Toronto Union Station takes 35 minutes.
When GO trains are not running, they are replaced by GO buses serving the same area, however these buses generally run to and from Yorkdale and York Mills subway stations to the north of downtown Toronto instead of Union Station. Trains and buses run about every 20 minutes during rush hour and about every hour outside of rush hour.
Brampton Transit
[edit]Brampton Transit bus route 501 Züm Queen (operated by Brampton Transit) links Vaughan Metropolitan Centre subway station to downtown Brampton. Note: If boarding a Züm bus at Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, pay or validate your fare on the Züm bus; do not use platform ticketing/payment machines on the platform as they are for another public transit operator.
Get around
[edit]Public transportation
[edit]Brampton Transit. provides local bus service in Brampton including the Züm express bus service. Some routes extend into neighbouring municipalities. Fares (including for Züm buses) can be paid by credit, debit or Presto card or exact cash. Riders may also pay by tapping a credit or debit card on the Presto reader in which case the cash fare will be charged. Presto card fares: adults (ages 20-64) $3.40, youth (ages 13-19) $2.80, child (ages 6-12) $2.00, seniors (ages 65+) $1.75; cash, credit or debit (ages 6+) $4.50. Children ages 0-5 ride fare-free with a paying adult..
If transferring from GO Transit to Brampton Transit (BT) to complete a trip, the BT fare will be free when using a Presto card or a credit or debit card. Just tap your card on both transit systems to get the free BT fare. When using a Presto, credit or debit card to transfer from BT to GO Transit, the BT fare will be refunded to your card at the end of your trip.
A fare allows for 2 hours of travel on Brampton Transit including changing BT buses, or transferring to connecting local public transit in Milton (Ontario), Mississauga (Miway), York Region (YRT) and Toronto (TTC). If paying by cash, ask for a "transfer" to use as a paper receipt, except for the TTC which does not accept BT paper transfers. For Presto, credit and debit card users, transfer info is automatically tracked to your card when you tap on, including for the TTC.
See
[edit]
- 1 Garden Square, 12 Main St N (at Queen St E). A modern, off-street public square with fountain, tables and chairs; venue for free events.
- 2 Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives (PAMA), 9 Wellington St E, ☏ +1 905 791-4055. M-W F 10AM-4:30PM, Th 10AM-9PM, Sa 10AM-5PM, Su 1-5PM. Art gallery and local history museum, as well as the archives for Peel Region, where Brampton is located. Partly located in a former 1800s jail (with three preserved jail cells and exhibits of prisoner and staff memorabilia), and partially within the old Land Registry Building.
- 3 Great War Flying Museum, 13691 McLaughlin Rd (at Brampton Airport), ☏ +1 905-838-4936, [email protected]. Late May-late Oct: Tu Th 11AM-3PM, Sa Su and holidays 11AM-4PM. A small museum and a workshop with volunteers who make replicas of World War I planes from scratch.
- 4 Saint Elias Church, 10193 Heritage Rd (just north of Bovaird Dr), ☏ +1 905 459-8888, [email protected]. A beautiful Ukrainian Catholic wooden church. Burnt to the ground in April 2014, rebuilt and reopened in October 2016.
- 5 Artway Gallery (Artway Exhibit Space), 499 Main St S (corner of Hwy 10 and Steeles Ave), ☏ +1 905-453-9142. Mall hours, daily. Artway Gallery is the primary exhibit space for Visual Arts Brampton members. Every month, exhibits feature the creativity of VAB members and other local artists. Founded in 1998, Artway opened in Shoppers World Brampton in June 2004. Free.
- 6 Bovaird House, 563 Bovaird Dr E (at Kennedy Rd, southeast corner), ☏ +1 905 874-2804, [email protected]. W Sa Su noon-4PM (mid-February to mid-December). Historic house from ca 1852, now a museum. Owned by the city. Operated by volunteers that will guide you through the house and tell you about everything. The grounds also feature heritage gardens including a rose garden, herb garden and orchard. Free (donations appreciated).
- 7 Gurdwara Dasmesh Darbar, 4555 Ebenezer Rd (at Nexus Ave), ☏ +1 416-875-5720. This beautiful building is a Sikh temple serving the large Sikh community in Brampton. It's uncertain whether the interior is open to the public, but the exterior is distinctive with attractive details.
Flower gardens
[edit]Brampton prides itself as the "Flower City", with several gardens open to the public. The city has a PDF brochure for a Brampton Floral Self-Guided Tour[dead link], with some of the gardens summarized here:
- 8 Gage Park, 45 Main St S (at Wellington St W, SW corner). Floral gardens, large trees, gazebo and fountain.
- 9 Charles F. Watson and Family Park, 398 Main St S (at Pine Village Pkwy, SE corner; parking at Shoppers World). Flower garden below street level.
- 10 Donald M. Gordon Chinguacousy Park (Chinguacousy Park), 9050 Bramalea Road (at Queen St E, south end of the park). Gardens, greenhouse, ponds, petting zoo.
- 11 Toronto Ontario Temple (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), 10060 Bramalea Rd (at Bovaird Dr E, NW corner). Open during the growing season, Su Tu-F noon-8PM, Sa 8AM-8PM. Flower garden with fountains, the gardens on four hectares (10 acres of land). No smoking, sports or picnicking on the grounds.
Downtown heritage structures
[edit]
Because of the presence of many modern buildings, Brampton's downtown does not quite have the quaint heritage image of towns such as Newmarket, Port Hope or Brockville. Despite that, the Brampton website provides stories and photos of several dozen buildings with historic importance in the downtown. Here are some of the heritage buildings. Many of the buildings listed here are not open to the general public, but all can be viewed from a public sidewalk.
- 12 Old Fire Hall, 2 Chapel St. Built in 1854, this municipal building was used as the village market, as a fire engine house, and by 1860 as Village Council Chambers (second floor). The building has a tower perhaps for hanging fire hoses to dry.
- 13 Peel Country Courthouse, 3 Wellington St E (at Main St S). Built in 1866, the courthouse features an onion-shaped copula. Next to it, at 7 and 9 Wellington, are the Peel County Registry Office (1890) and the Peel County Jail (also 1866), both of which today house the Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives.
- 14 Alderlea, 41 Elizabeth St S (west side of Gage Park). A Victorian house built in the Italianate Villa style in 1867. Used today for group events.
- 15 Dominion Building, 8 Queen St E (at Garden Square). Built in 1889 by the federal government, the building used to house a post office and a customs house. It has a textured stone facade and a clock tower with the royal coat of arms just below. Today, a coffee shop occupies the ground floor.
- 16 Carnegie Library, 55 Queen St E (at Chapel St). Built in 1906, this is one of 156 free libraries in Canada that were financed by the Carnegie Institute between 1881 and 1917. Today, the building is owned by the City of Brampton and is used by the Brampton Concert Band for rehersals.
- 17 Grand Trunk Railway Station (Brampton GO station), 15 Church St W. Built for the Grand Trunk Railway in 1907, and later acquired by Canadian National Railways, the station is still in use today for Via Rail and GO Transit passenger trains. The main entrance to the station is framed by a pair of small, round castle-style towers.
It seems that all the churches in downtown Brampton are 19th-century heritage buildings. For most, you don't need a map to find them as the tend to be prominent landmarks.
- 18 Grace United Church, 156 Main St N (just north of Church St). Opened in 1867.
- 19 Christ Church, 4 Elizabeth St N. Built in 1875.
- 20 First Baptist Church, 2 Wellington St E (just east of Main St S). Built in 1876.
- 21 St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, 44 Church St E (at Union St). Completed in 1881 and constructed of Credit Valley stone.
- 22 St Paul's United Church, 30 Main St S (at John St). Built in 1885 using Credit Valley Brownstone with multi-coloured slate roof.
Do
[edit]
- 1 The Rose Theatre, 1 Theatre Ln, ☏ +1 905-874-2800.
- 2 Brampton Flight Centre, 13691 McLaughlin Rd, ☏ +1 905-838-1400. Get a discovery flight lesson for $140 or a sightseeing flight for $300 per hour. The centre also have a restaurant: The Flying Pan.
- 3 Wet'n'Wild Toronto, 7855 Finch Ave W, ☏ +1 416-369-9453, [email protected]. Jun–Aug: 10AM-6PM daily, some days 7PM. Water-based fun park. $60.
- 4 Heart Lake Conservation Area, 10818 Heart Lake Rd, ☏ +1 416-667-6295. Great place to walk and hike. $24/vehicle.
Buy
[edit]- 1 Bramalea City Centre, 25 Peel Centre Dr, ☏ +1 905-793-9417. M-F 10AM-9PM, Sa 9:30AM-9PM, Su 11AM-7PM.
- 2 Trinity Common Mall, 130 Great Lakes Dr, ☏ +1 905-789-9734.
- 3 Shoppers World Brampton, 499 Main St S (Bus 2 from downtown Brampton or bus 11 from Bramalea GO train station), ☏ +1 905-459-1337. M-F 10AM-9PM, Sa 9:30AM-6PM, Su 11AM-5PM. This large mall was once Canada's top selling mall. It is a large regional mall serving the Brampton area. It is easily accessible by transit with its own bus terminal. It is served by Brampton Transit, GO buses and Mississauga Transit.
Eat
[edit]Fast-food style restaurants can be found throughout the city, as well as other styles of dine in and take out restaurants.
- 1 Antica Osteria, 3088 Mayfield Rd, ☏ +1 905-495-5555, [email protected]. M-Th 11:30AM-9PM, F 11:30AM-10:30PM, Sa 5-10:30PM, Su 5-9PM. Real Italian food and great service. $25 for mains.
- 2 Fanzorelli's, 50 Queen St W (downtown), ☏ +1 905-450-9752, [email protected]. M-Th 11:30AM-9PM, F 11:30AM-10PM, Sa 5-10PM, Su 5-9PM. Good Italian food. Pasta from $28, mains from $32.
- 3 The Keg, 70 Gillingham Dr, ☏ +1 905-456-3733. M-Th 4-11PM, F 4PM-midnight, Sa 3PM-midnight, Su 3-11PM. Good steaks, but their salads and starters are also delicious.
- 4 Turtle Jacks, 20 Cottrelle Blvd (at Airport Rd), ☏ +1 905-595-0519, [email protected]. Su-W 11AM-midnight, Th-Sa 11AM-1AM. Lively and fun place. Burgers from $20, mains from $21.
- 5 Terrace on The Green, 8672 Mississauga Rd, ☏ +1 905-459-4447. Tu-Sa 5-10PM. One of the few fine dining restaurants in Brampton. Great food, friendly service and a nice view. Mains $40-85.
- 6 Desi Bar & Grill, 341 Main St N, L6X 1N5 (Vodden Place in the city centre), ☏ +1 647-812-1100, [email protected]. 5PM-midnight. Casual eatery for Indian cuisine in a relaxed, unpretentious setting with TVs at the bar. 15.
Drink
[edit]- 1 Tracks Brewpub, Union St and Market Sq Blvd, ☏ +1 905-453-3063. M-Th noon-midnight, F Sa noon-2AM, Su noon-11PM. Good beer and good simple food. There is a small outside patio away from any traffic noise, but as the name implies, it is next to the train tracks.
- 2 Jake's Boathouse, 59 First Gulf Blvd, ☏ +1 905-451-9695, [email protected]. M-Th 11:30AM-10PM, F Sa 11:30AM-2AM, Su noon-10PM. Fun place with live music on weekends.
Sleep
[edit]- 1 Quality Inn & Suites, 30 Clark Blvd, toll-free: +1-877-297-2239. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. From $170.
- 2 Fairfield Inn and Suites, 150 Westcreek Blvd, ☏ +1 905-874-7177. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. Breakfast included. Wi-Fi and fitness centre with pool available. From $146..
- 3 Holiday Inn Express, 10 Nevets Rd, ☏ +1 905-791-7433, toll-free: +1-877-660-8550. Breakfast included. Double queen from $170.
Cope
[edit]Fitness
[edit]If you want to work out, Goodlife Fitness and LA Fitness offer day passes for $15. If it is your first visit it might also be possible to sign up for a cheap or free trial on their websites.
A cheap and easy option is the community centres where you can just show up and pay the entry fee in cash.
- 1 Cassie Campbell Community Centre, 1050 Sandalwood Pkwy W, ☏ +1 905-840-4041. $10 for fitness, $2.50 for swimming.
- 2 Chinguacousy Wellness Centre (next to Brampton Civic Hospital). M-F 5:45AM-10PM, Sa 6:45AM-8PM, Su 7:45AM-8PM. $8.90 for fitness.
Stay safe
[edit]Brampton is a safe city, however be on your guard at night like in any other city. Muggings and assaults may happen.
Go next
[edit]- Caledon — the rural northern portion of Peel Region, with parts of the Niagara Escarpment and Bruce Trail.
- Georgetown — a large town in Halton Hills, with a historic main street shopping area.
- Glen Williams — a tiny villages with well-preserved heritage buildings housing antiques and artist studios.
- Mississauga — Toronto's largest suburb, with large shopping centres, sprawling parks, and heritage villages offering smaller-scale shopping and dining.
- Toronto — Canada's largest city, and the region's entertainment and economic centre.
| Routes through Brampton |
| Kitchener ← Georgetown ← | W  E
|
→ Mississauga → Toronto |
| Hamilton ← Mississauga ← | W  E
|
→ Vaughan → Markham |
Owen Sound via  ← Caledon ←
|
N  S
|
→ Mississauga → Hamilton via 
|
Kitchener ← Georgetown ← becomes  ←
|
W  E
|
→ becomes  → Vaughan → Markham
|
| Kitchener ← Georgetown ← | W  E
|
→ Mississauga → Toronto |