Brant County is saying “Thanks, Mr. Bell” with several activities on Sunday marking the 150th anniversary of the telephone.
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Starting at 9 am, participants are invited to walk, run or bike the distance of the world’s first long-distance telephone call made from Brantford to Paris. The 18-kilometer Telephone Trail Trek Challenge will start at Harmony Square in Brantford and take participants along the picturesque trails ending at the Paris Museum and Historical Society at the Syl Apps Community Centre, 51 William St.
A free shuttle will be available from 11 am to 3 pm to take participants from the rest stops to the Paris museum and back to Harmony Square.
Museum staff in period costume will be offering tours throughout the day.
The Downtown Paris Business Association is holding these events on Sunday:
- 11 am A new plaque celebrating the first long distance call will be unveiled by Brant Mayor David Bailey at the River’s Edge at the Arlington/Dominion Telegraph Events Center, 87 Grand River St. North in Paris.
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- 11 am to 3 pm Live music will be performed at Cobblestone Commons in downtown Paris, 27 Grand River St. North.
- Walk around downtown Paris and find the letters to spell “telephone” to win. Visit Downtown Paris on Instagram and Facebook for more details.
- 12:30 to 2:30 pm The Telephone City Musical Society Concert Band will perform at the Walter Williams Amphitheater in Lions Park in Paris.
Several events are also being held in Brantford in celebration of Alexander Graham Bell and his life-changing invention. They include:
- Friday at 7:30 pm Avalon Music Academy will perform music with a telephone twist in downtown Harmony Square. Bring a lawn chair.
- Saturday from 1 pm to 4 pm Residents and visitors are invited to the 150th Anniversary Garden Party with free sweets and refreshments, while supplies last, on the grounds of the Bell Homestead. Entertainment will be provided by the Telephone City Music Society and AILM+Celtic Musicians. Free tours of the homestead will be offered by the Brant 4H Bell Homestead Club. An official ribbon cutting for the museum’s new telephone exhibit, Life on the Line: The Evolution of the Bell Telephone, will take place at 1:15 pm Attendees will be able to tour the new exhibit for free throughout the afternoon. Enjoy a free performance of Nature had the Answer: An Ode to the Telephone”, an interpretive dance choreographed by Elsie Myers Martin, a great granddaughter of Alexander Graham Bell at 1:30 pm and 2:30 pm
- The Brant Theater Workshop will perform Helen, Annie and Alec on Saturday at 7:30 pm at the Bell Homestead. Written by Sharyl Hudson, the play explores the friendship between Helen Keller and Alexander Graham Bell. Canadian actor John Tench, known for his portrayal of Dr. Bell in the CBC series Murdoch Mysteries, will reprise the role. Bring a lawn chair or blanket for the free performance.
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