Hi, my name is Kendra and I work with the International Office here in Brantford.
I help students with finding accommodations while they're studying here in Brantford
and transitioning to life at the Brantford campus.
The city of Brantford has a population of just under 100,000 people.
In the downtown, where the campus is located, there are a lot of community events that happen
throughout the year in places such as Harmony Square.
If you're coming here to study in Brantford, one thing that you should know is
there are a few unique things about the Brantford campus.
Firstly, we have a very
close relationship with Wilfrid Laurier University's Brantford campus.
Many of the services that you access here in Brantford will actually be offered by Laurier University.
The campus is comprised of over 12 buildings that are located in downtown Brantford.
Two of those are exclusively for Conestoga use,
while the rest are shared between Laurier University and Conestoga.
The furthest distance between any two buildings is only 750 metres,
so you won't have to walk too far.
The two most important buildings that you'll probably access for most of your classes and services
are 50 Wellington Street, and also the Dalhousie Centre at 274 Colborne Street.
One of the great amenities here in Brantford is the Laurier YMCA,
which is an athletic facility that you can access with your One Card, which is your student card.
One thing that's unique about the local transit system is that you can access most areas of the city.
However, you might not be able to see this if you look on Google Maps.
If you have questions about transit in Brantford, it's a good idea to email
internationalstudenthousing@conestogac.on.ca
or Google Brantford Transit to find the website and access the Brantford transit map.
Some of the services that you can access from Laurier University's Brantford campus
are the Student Health and Wellness Center.
This Center, located at 103 Darling Street,
is a full-service medical clinic where you can see a doctor and
get other services related to your personal health and wellness.
In addition to the services that you can access through Laurier,
there are many services that you can access through Conestoga staff at the Brantford campus.
First is the Employment Advisor.
The Employment Advisor can help you find a job while you're studying here in Canada.
Second is the International Student Advisor.
The International Student Advisor can help you understand everything you need to
know about study permits, work permits and immigration-related matters.
Third is a Student Success Advisor.
The Student Success Advisor is a great person to go to when you're just not sure where to go,
and can answer many of your general questions
and refer you to appropriate services on campus.
Fourth is the Student Engagement Office.
Come to the Student Engagement Office when you want to know about
how to get involved and volunteer in your community, attend events, participate in activities.
That's an important part of your college experience so don't forget about that.
One of the things that a lot of students
notice about Brantford when they first arrive is that
the campus is smaller than a few of our other campuses.
However, it feels a lot bigger than it is because of
that close relationship with Laurier and your opportunity to interact and attend events with Laurier students.
Also a great benefit of this campus
is that all of the staff's offices open to the hallway, so feel free to drop by and say hello anytime.
There's a good chance to get to know most of the staff that work here.
An important thing to remember is if you're studying at the Brantford campus,
your One Card will be offered through Laurier University
instead of through the Conestoga One Card office.
So, if you go to try to upload your photo onto the Conestoga One Card site,
it will tell you you are not registered.
Don't worry, it's okay! Just make sure that you find your way
to the Laurier One Card website after you register here at the Brantford campus.
From there you'll be able to upload your photo and receive your One Card.
Hello, my name is Harshil Mehta, and I'm taking Heavy Construction Equipment Operators at the Brantford Campus, Conestoga College.
One of the best things about the campus
is when I came here in September and we asked for the different events
for the students and they said we do not have any students club right now and
then I got the opportunity to form a student club for the Conestoga College Brantford campus.
We formed the Brantford Gujarati Association for the students of Conestoga College.
Most of the time I go to the YMCA on Colborne Street.
We can enjoy the swimming or the gym.
We have basketball courts over there and we most of the times we go there
on our leisure time to relax and to enjoy our free time.
It is a good experience for me - I feel like I'm at home.
Hi, I am Divya Guleria.
I have been doing the Occupational Health Safety program and I've been here for eight months.
I belong to Chandigarh, India.
At Brantford, all the faculty members are very, very supportive and very nice.
I would say there are a lot of things that happened,
and they have encouraged and motivated people to come and talk to them about all their problems,
being it personal or professional.
I would like to say to these students who will
be coming here to Brantford campus that this is a very small town,
a beautiful town, I will say.
I'm very grateful to be a part of Conestoga College,
and I think I'm fortunate to be in Brantford because I love this place.
So, in summary, the most important things for you to know about Brantford is:
1. Your One Card will be different from the Conestoga One Card,
and it will be through the Laurier University One Card Office.
2. Transit is readily available but be aware that it might not be visible through Google Maps,
and you'll have to go on the Brantford Transit website to see where all the transit routes are located.
3. The campus is located at a number of buildings that are in downtown Brantford,
meaning that you'll be integrated into the downtown of the city,
and you'll have a variety of buildings for accessing services, study spaces, and going to class.
I hope you're excited to come join us here at the Brantford campus.
Please know that we're all here to support you.
There is staff here from a variety of departments from Conestoga College,
in addition to the services offered through Laurier, and we're all here to support you.
If you have any questions about your Laurier One Card, transit here in Brantford, or anything about the Brantford campus,
please feel free to email internationaloffice@conestogac.on.ca.
Thanks!