This year marks the 150th anniversary of the invention of the telephone.
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The City of Brantford will mark the occasion and the legacy of Alexander Graham Bell with Thanks, Mr. Bell, a series of free family-friendly events at the Bell Homestead National Historic Site on Tutela Heights Road in Brantford and in downtown Harmony Square.
“On July 26, 1874, at his parents’ home in Brantford, Ontario, a young Alexander Graham Bell sat in a spot he called his dreaming place and grasped the principle of his most famous invention, the telephone,” said Brian Wood, curator of the homestead.
A weekend of celebration kicks off in Harmony Square with a Musical Tribute to the Telephone on Friday, July 26 at 7 pm featuring the Avalon Music Academy of Brantford. Guests are invited to bring a lawn chair for this outdoor performance.
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The 150th Anniversary Garden Party on Saturday, July 27 on the grounds of the homestead from 1 pm to 4 pm will include free sweet treats and refreshments. Musical 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 from 1 pm to 4 pm
A ribbon cutting for the museum’s new telephone exhibit, Life on the Line: The Evolution of the Bell Telephone, will be held at 1:15 p.m. followed by free tours.
Performances of Nature Had the Answer: An Ode to the Telephone, an interpretive dance choreographed by Elsie Myers Martin, a great granddaughter of Bell, will be held at 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
The Brant Theatre Workshop will perform Helen, Annie and Alec on July 27 at 7:30 pm at the homestead. Written by Sharyl Hudson, the play explores the friendship between Helen Keller and Bell. Canadian actor John Tench, known for his portrayal of Dr. Bell in the CBC series Murdoch Mysteries, will reprise the role in this production. Guests are invited to bring a lawn chair or blanket to enjoy the outdoor performance.
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The weekend of celebrations concludes with the Telephone Trail Trek Challenge on Sunday, July 28 at 9:30 a.m. Participants are invited to walk, run or bike the distance of the world’s first long-distance telephone call made from Brantford to Paris, Ontario.
The 18-kilometre trek will begin at Harmony Square and take participants along the picturesque trails ending at the Paris Museum and Historical Society at the Syl Apps Community Centre, 51 William St.
Registrants get a free T-shirt and can enjoy telephone trivia and refreshments at rest stops along the way. 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. Register at Brantford.ca/ThanksMrBell
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