BTOWN // Community Features // Brantford, Ontario

It takes a community.

We are so proud of the community members we have been able to work with to produce our feature articles.
The amazing things we do as a community make us all better, stronger and more united - as one.

WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH CRICKET?

Locals have been playing cricket since the mid-1800’s, but the bat-and-ball sport, which involves two teams of 11 players, each competing to score the most runs, never managed to gain mass popularity here. Now, over a hundred and fifty years later, Paris-resident Rajesh Prasad is working to change that. He’s one of the representatives of several local cricket clubs, working with Brantford Sports Council and local politicians, to introduce more locals to the joy of the sport.

THE MANY MEANINGS OF IMAM

You might have already met Imam Abu Noman Tarek, or at least heard about him, through one of his many roles in our community. Imam Tarek is a trained counsellor, public and motivational speaker, consultant, part-time teacher, and humanitarian worker both in Canada and around the globe. He received the YMCA Peace Medal in 2022, and the Learn, Lead and Inspire award from the Grand Erie District School Board in 2023. From 2013 to early 2023, he worked as the faith leader at the Brantford mosque. He continues to work as an imam in Mississauga, but still lives and contributes in Brantford as well. His role as an imam includes many layers such as being an employee of a mosque, a spiritual leader, a worker, and a community leader for all. He is busy, with many commitments and undertakings, but he says first and foremost he is a family man.

COLLABORATION STATION

As Inaugural Director of Laurier University’s recently-developed Laurier Hub for Community Solutions (LHCS), Dr. Christina Han says she has been, “Very busy, and the kinds of projects that are coming to me are really interesting.” The Hub, she explains, is “Almost like a brokerage and I'm a broker. Let's say, there's a professor who wants to work with a community partner. I go out and connect that faculty member with the community organization.” Community members who wish to work with faculty or students are also invited to bring proposals to Christina.

BARBER DRE

He's a master of his craft, a genius behind a pair of clippers, and a whiz with a straight razor. Over the years Andre Brown, better known as ‘Barber Dre’, has built a loyal following of clients who swear by his skills. In this feature, we get an inside look at the man behind the barber’s chair, and the passion that drives him to be one of the best around. For fifteen years, Barber Dre has been turning the city’s rough and unruly into the sleek and stylish. A pioneer in his own right, Dre brought the hair styles seen in large cities, music videos, and popular television to a generation of young men in Brantford.