Welcome To Flower City! #LoveWhereYouLive

Look up "Flower City" online and you'll likely end up on the Brampton.ca website!  Why Flower City though?  Time for a quick history lesson:  A long time ago, there was a man named Harry Dale, an immigrant from England whose father sold produce from his garden. Harry's passion for flowers (particularly his roses) eventually made him the town's largest employer and attracted world-wide attention to tiny town.  The varieties of flowers and the abundance of production in the city eventually dubbed Brampton "The Flower City".  Here's a quick link to a book which was written to explain the history behind the name.  I recommend the read!  Brampton: The Flower City Story by Dale O'Hara.

So what made us choose to move from the hustle and bustle of Toronto, to the more toned down suburbs of Brampton?  Well, I was 21 and decided that I was going to put money down on a house where I would establish my future family.  My wife (fiancee at the time) and I decided that we wanted our future family to live in a community that was safe, still growing, and was affordable.  After searching many new developments all around the GTA, we had finally found what was to be our new home, nestled in a new development area in the north-western part of Brampton.  We were within a 10 minute drive to nearly everywhere!  It was perfect!  In 2002, our house had been built and was ready for Brampton's newest residents, US!  We moved in and haven't looked back since.  Brampton is always in a constant state of development, building new recreational centres, hospitals, updating its public transit, building new schools, all to provide better facilities and services for it new and current residents.  I feel at home here and have felt this way ever since we moved in.  

Here are some of our favourite 

places to visit in our wonderful city:

Favourite Breakfast Place:  Kosy Korner.  This little secret has been a gem of mine since we firstmoved to Brampton back in 2002.  The owners know all their regular customers and make new customers feel like family!  In all the years we've been enjoying our breakfasts there, I have yet to see one dissatisfied customer!  Then again, who could be upset over perfectly cooked bacon, juicy breakfast sausage, and probably the best homefries in the city!


Favourite Smokehouse : Sul Irmaos.  The name itself translates into "The Southern Brothers".  After watching a late-night episode of the FoodNetworks' "You Gotta Eat Here" with John Catucci, I was introduced to what was to be our new favourite BBQ Smokehouse.  From their amazing mac n' cheese bites, to their pulled pork beanasaurus, you can't go wrong with ordering anything from their menu.  Their southern twist on some great Portuguese classics is what separates this place from most other smokehouses!   

Favourite Year-Round Park: Gage Park. All year long, Gage Park is the place to be for city events.  During the summer, it's a gathering place for all to enjoy.  From hosting a variety of festivals and concerts, wedding photos, music presentations held in the gazebo, there's something for everyone! During the winter though (and my favourite time I might add!), this park turns into a true Winter Wonderland.  The circular paved path is transformed into a public skating rink which allows you to take in the gorgeous Christmas lighting as you skate around the with family and friends. With DJ's, fire pits, and a food trailer to keep you energized on weekends, there's something to be said about the scenic skate right across from Brampton City Hall!

So now it's your turn, what do you love about where you live?  

REMax is partnering with some great local businesses in the South-western Ontario and offering an amazing giveaway when you show the world why you #LoveWhereYouLive!  Enter here for your chance to win 1 of 3 prizes!