Exhibits
The Plow That Opened the West
Join us at the Waterford Heritage & Agricultural Museum (WHAM) on Friday, October 16 at 7:00 p.m. to open The Plow That Opened the West, a special Cockshutt exhibit commemorating the 140th anniversary of the J.G.C. Riding Plow.
Discover the story of James George Cockshutt, a young Brantford entrepreneur and inventive pioneer who designed the J.G.C. Riding Plow to tackle the challenging soil conditions of the Canadian West. Its remarkable performance helped establish the plow as a legendary piece of Canadian agricultural history.
The opening will feature a presentation exploring Cockshutt’s innovations and the history of the J.G.C. Riding Plow, followed by a reception. As part of a fundraising campaign to restore one of the oldest known J.G.C. Riding Plows in the Waterford collection, a limited-edition set of J.G.C. Plow-themed lapel pins will also be available for purchase.
Event: Opening of The Plow That Opened the West
Location: Waterford Heritage & Agricultural Museum (WHAM)
Date: Friday, October 16
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Reception: Following the presentation
We hope you’ll join us at WHAM to celebrate the legacy of James George Cockshutt and explore the story behind a plow that helped shape agricultural history in the Canadian West.
Roots & Routes: Black Brantford — Freedom Seekers, Community Builders
This special exhibit highlights the history and lived experiences of Brantford’s Black community, whose presence in the region dates back to the arrival of freedom-seekers around 1830. Curated by Dr. Christina Han, the exhibit centres stories of resilience, leadership, creativity, and community-building that have shaped Brantford socially, culturally, and economically.
Opening on Saturday, October 18, the exhibit launches with a weekend of programming—including a heritage walking tour, theatrical performances, music, dialogue, and a community dinner—before remaining on display at the Brant Museum and Archives from October 2025 to August 2026. Part of the Memories of Brantford’s Immigrant Communities project, Roots & Routes preserves and amplifies historically underrepresented voices, affirming that Black history is an essential and enduring part of Brantford’s shared story.
Fibres and Fabrics: Weaving Brantford’s Textile History
This is a collaborative pop-up exhibit presented by the Brant Historical Society, the Canadian Industrial Heritage Centre, and the Paris Museum & Historical Society, with support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Opening on September 24 at the Brant Museum and Archives, the exhibit explores how textile and garment manufacturing shaped Brantford’s economic, social, and cultural development. Featuring manufacturers such as Kitchen Overalls, Slingsby’s Wool Mill, and Mary Maxim, Common Threads highlights the industries and people behind everyday materials like clothing and yarn. On display until January/February 2026, the exhibit connects Brantford’s industrial past to its present, preserving stories of labour, innovation, and community resilience that played a key role in transforming the city into a thriving industrial centre.
Once in-a-lifetime Doors Open Event
Step back into history for a remarkable day at the Cockshutt Moulded Aircraft Factory!
Once a bustling industrial hub in Eagle Place, the factory at 148 Mohawk Street in Brantford played a critical role during the Second World War. Operated by the Cockshutt Plow Company, this facility was dedicated to producing essential aircraft parts and fuselages, including those for the Avro Anson, Lancaster bomber, B-29 Superfortress, Bolingbroke Bomber, Mosquito fighter, and the PBY Catalina. Now largely forgotten and repurposed, this significant site is reopening its doors to the public for one exclusive day.
Join the Canadian Industrial Heritage Centre and Brant Theatre Workshops on May 10 from 10 AM to 4 PM as they bring the sights, sounds, and stories of the 1940s vividly back to life. Enjoy hourly readings of Vince Ball’s evocative play, "The Footlocker," performed right within the historic factory walls. Experience the atmosphere of the era through authentic period music, a screening of the wartime film "Together We Stand," historical exhibits showcasing rare artifacts and photographs, an informative slide show, and guided tours that highlight unique industrial features such as the building’s impressive wooden truss ceiling.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore a historic factory never before opened to the public, and to learn firsthand about the vital contributions made by Brantford's largely female wartime workforce.
Admission is free, suitable for all ages, and no registration is necessary. Convenient parking is available in the lot across the street.
To register, click here.
For more information, visit our Doors Open link.
For additional information, please contact btheatre@rogers.com or call Peter Muir at 226-938-1930.
Don't miss your chance to step inside history—just for one extraordinary day!
How a Brantford farm machinery company helped bring down the Nazis
The Waterford Heritage and Agricultural Museum presents Swords and Plowshares Revisited, an exhibit exploring how Cockshutt Plow Company shifted from farm machinery to wartime production during the Second World War. Known for tractors and harvesters, the Brantford-based company produced aircraft components, including Lancaster bomber landing gear and B-29 targeting systems.
Featuring artifacts, documents and personal accounts, the exhibit highlights Cockshutt’s vital role in Canada’s war effort and the resilience of its largely female workforce.
The exhibit runs November 2024 to February 2025, with an opening gala on Nov. 3, 2024, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Waterford Heritage and Agricultural Museum, 159 Nichol St., Waterford.
The Site of Brantford’s First Industry 180 Years of Invention and Transition 1844 – 2024
The site of Brantford’s City Hall has always been closely tied to both industry and public service. On June 24, 2024 the Canadian Industrial Heritage Centre (CIHC) gathered at Brantford City Hall with Mayor Kevin Davis to formally acknowledge the 180th Anniversary of the founding of Brantford’s first industry, following the arrival of Philip C. Van Brocklin. The CIHC has placed on public display at City Hall a set of fireplace andirons made in Van Brocklin’s foundry circa 1845.
Inventors, Industries & Marketing Pop-Up Exhibit
On display now at the Paris Museum & Historical Society.
51 William St., Paris ON N3L 1L2
Cockshutt Moulded Aircraft
This exhibit is comprised of a collection of newspaper clippings from the Second World War, centred around Cockshutt Moulded Aircraft. A Brantford-based industry, Cockshutt Moulded Aircraft Limited was a subsidiary of Cockshutt Farm Equipment, which manufactured airplane components for the Allied forces throughout the war. These newspaper clippings showcase the importance the company had not only to the war effort, but to the City of Brantford.