Religion
In 2021, the most reported religion among the population was Christianity (35.7%), with Catholicism (17.3%) making up the largest denomination. This was followed by Sikhism (25.1%), Hinduism (18.1%), Islam (9.1%), and Buddhism (1.1%). 10.3% of the population did not identify with a particular religion. The Toronto Ontario Temple for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) is located in Brampton.
{| class="wikitable collapsible sortable"
|+ Religious groups in the City of Brampton (1991−2021)
! rowspan="2" |Religious<br>group
! colspan="2" |2021
|-
!Population (human biology)|
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
|-
| 26x26px Christian
| 232,220
|
| 263,385
|
| 219,880
|
| 185,780
|
|-
| 24x24px Sikh
| 163,260
|
| 97,790
|
| 34,510
|
| 8,630
|
|-
| 21x21px Hindu
| 117,395
|
| 63,390
|
| 17,640
|
| 6,415
|
|-
| 20x20px Muslim
| 59,445
|
| 36,960
|
| 11,470
|
| 4,660
|
|-
| 20x20px Buddhist
| 7,105
|
| 6,715
|
| 3,340
|
| 1,290
|
|-
| 23x23px Jewish
| 535
|
| 830
|
| 610
|
| 805
|
|-
| Other religion
| 2,940
|
| 1,340
|
| 930
|
| 440
|
|-
| Irreligious
| 67,265
|
| 50,885
|
| 36,010
|
| 25,435
|
|-
! Total responses
! 650,165
!
! 521,315
!
! 324,390
!
! 233,460
!
|-
|}
Language
The 2021 census found that English was the mother tongue of 42.9% of the population. The next most common mother tongues were Punjabi (21.7%), Gujarati (3.4%), Urdu (3.4%), Hindi (3%), and Tamil (2.2%). The most commonly known languages were English (95.1%), Punjabi (29.1%), Hindi (17.5%), Urdu (6%), Gujarati (4.7%), and French (4.6%).
{| class="wikitable" style="float:left;"
|-
! Mother tongue
! Population
!
|-
| English
| 279,415
| 42.9
|-
| Punjabi
| 141,005
| 21.7
|-
| Gujarati
| 22,000
| 3.4
|-
| Urdu
| 21,945
| 3.4
|-
| Hindi
| 19,645
| 3
|-
| Tamil
| 14,030
| 2.2
|-
| Spanish
| 10,185
| 1.6
|-
| Tagalog (Filipino)
| 9,905
| 1.5
|-
| Portuguese
| 8,640
| 1.3
|-
| Italian
| 5,430
| 0.8
|-
| Vietnamese
| 4,230
| 0.6
|-
| Arabic
| 4,100
| 0.6
|-
| Malayalam
| 3,930
| 0.6
|-
| French
| 3,810
| 0.6
|-
| Polish
| 3,430
| 0.5
|-
| Bengali
| 3,060
| 0.5
|-
| Telugu
| 2,920
| 0.4
|-
| Yue (Cantonese)
| 2,775
| 0.4
|-
| Akan (Twi)
| 2,530
| 0.4
|-
| Dari
| 2,305
| 0.4
|-
| Mandarin
| 2,195
| 0.3
|-
| Nepali
| 1,945
| 0.3
|-
| Assyrian Neo-Aramaic
| 1,940
| 0.3
|-
| Sinhala (Sinhalese)
| 1,555
| 0.2
|-
| Serbo-Croatian
| 1,385
| 0.2
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right;"
|-
! Knowledge of Language
! Population
!
|-
| English
| 618,060
| 95.1
|-
| Punjabi
| 189,235
| 29.1
|-
| Hindi
| 113,515
| 17.5
|-
| Urdu
| 38,725
| 6
|-
| Gujarati
| 30,310
| 4.7
|-
| French
| 30,010
| 4.6
|-
| Tamil
| 21,475
| 3.3
|-
| Spanish
| 15,395
| 2.4
|-
| Tagalog (Filipino)
| 14,925
| 2.3
|-
| Portuguese
| 11,765
| 1.8
|-
| Italian
| 8,905
| 1.4
|-
| Arabic
| 8,475
| 1.3
|-
| Malayalam
| 6,090
| 0.9
|-
| Vietnamese
| 6,030
| 0.9
|-
| Telugu
| 5,540
| 0.9
|-
| Bengali
| 5,080
| 0.8
|-
| Akan (Twi)
| 4,555
| 0.7
|-
| Polish
| 4,150
| 0.6
|-
| Yue (Cantonese)
| 3,680
| 0.6
|-
| Mandarin
| 3,660
| 0.6
|-
| Dari
| 3,350
| 0.5
|-
| Marathi
| 3,185
| 0.5
|-
| Yoruba
| 3,050
| 0.5
|-
| Sinhala (Sinhalese)
| 2,540
| 0.4
|-
| Assyrian Neo-Aramaic
| 2,440
| 0.4
|}
Economy
Companies with headquarters in Brampton include MDA Space Missions, which will be building the CanadaArm 3. Loblaw Companies Ltd., Chrysler Canada Brampton Assembly Plant, Gamma-Dynacare Medical Laboratories, Mandarin Restaurant, Brita, Shoppers Drug Mart, Canon, Canadian Blood Services, Sleep Country Canada and Clorox.
Other major companies operating in Brampton include, Boston Scientific, DSV, Air Canada Global Operations, Rogers Communications, Magna International, CN Rail Brampton Intermodal Terminal, Best Buy, Amazon which has four production facilities in the city, Nestlé, Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), Frito Lay Canada, Coca-Cola, and Canadian Tire which has two distribution facilities in the city.
William Osler Health System employs approximately 5,000 at its Brampton Civic and Peel Memorial campuses.
Lululemon, and Pet Valu have their main GTA distribution centres in the city. Wolseley Plumbing built a distribution Center and showroom in Brampton in 2024.
Alstom has an assembly plant in Brampton to fulfil their contract with Metrolinx to build Alstom Citadis Spirit LRV cars for the TTC Finch West (ordered in 2017 with delivery beginning 2021 to be completed by 2023), Hurontario and Eglinton LRT lines. The Hurontario LRT maintenance facility is currently being built in Brampton.
It is also the location of the Canadian Forces Army Reserve unit The Lorne Scots (Peel, Dufferin and Halton Regiment).
An automobile manufacturing facility was opened by American Motors (AMC) in 1960 as the Brampton Assembly Plant. In 1986, AMC developed a new, state-of-the-art operation at Bramalea. After AMC was acquired by Chrysler in 1987, AMC's Canadian division and its plants were absorbed; the older facility in Brampton closed in 1992. The newest factory was renamed Brampton Assembly; it is one of the city's largest employers, with almost 4,000 workers when running at capacity.
Education
The Algoma University at Brampton School of Business & Economics offers courses at Market Square Business Centre, 24 Queen Street East. The closest universities to Brampton (offering a wider range of programs) include York University in north Toronto and University of Toronto Mississauga.
Along with that, Sheridan College's Davis Campus is another major public higher education institution serving Brampton which also has campuses in Oakville and Mississauga. In 2017, Davis added the Skilled Trades Centre, for training in skilled trades and apprenticeship programs, previously offered in Oakville.
A plan by Ryerson University, in partnership with Sheridan College was to establish a new campus in Brampton with a goal of opening in 2022 with $90 million in funding offered by the provincial government in April 2018. On 23 October 2018 however, the new Provincial government (elected in June) withdrew the funding for plans such as this, effectively cancelling the project. In 2022, the university, now renamed as Toronto Metropolitan, announced plans to open a medical school in Brampton. Brampton City Council gifted the university the Bramalea Civic Centre and most of the land it resides for this purpose.
Brampton also has many private post-secondary institutions offering vocational training including Springfield College Brampton, CDI College, TriOS College, Academy of Learning, Evergreen College, Medix College, CIMT College, Torbram College, Bitts International Career College, Canadian College of Business, Science & Technology, Hanson College, Queenswood College B, H & T, Flair College of Management and Technology, Sunview College, and College Of Health Studies.
Two main school boards operate in Brampton: the Peel District School Board, which operates secular anglophone public schools, and Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, which operates Catholic anglophone public schools. Under the Peel District School Board, the secondary schools are Bramalea, Brampton Centennial, Central Peel, Chinguacousy, Fletcher's Meadow, Harold M. Brathwaite, Heart Lake, Louise Arbour, Mayfield, North Park, Judith Nyman, Sandalwood Heights, Turner Fenton, David Suzuki, Castlebrooke Secondary School, and Jean Augustine, one of the newest. A total of 85 elementary and middle schools feed these high schools in the city.
Under the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, the secondary schools are Cardinal Leger, Holy Name of Mary, Notre Dame, St. Augustine, St. Edmund Campion, St. Roch, St. Marguerite d'Youville, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Cardinal Ambrozic. A total of 44 Catholic elementary and middle schools feed these high schools in the city.
The Conseil scolaire Viamonde operates secular Francophone schools serving the area. The Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir operates Catholic Francophone schools serving the area.
Culture
thumb|The Rose Theatre Fountain Stage
thumb|[[LCD video screen at Garden Square, downtown]]
Several cultural entities in the city operate under the umbrella of the Brampton Arts Council. Located in the city is the Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives (PAMA, formerly the Peel Heritage Complex), which is run by the Region of Peel.
The Rose Theatre (originally the Brampton Performing Arts Centre), opened in September 2006. The city had expected the facility to generate $2.7 million in economic activity the first year, growing to $19.8 million by the fifth year. The Rose Theatre far surpassed projections, attracting more than 137,000 patrons in its inaugural year, which exceeded its five-year goal. The arrival of so many new patrons downtown has stimulated the development of numerous new businesses nearby. A new Fountain Stage was unveiled in June 2008 at the nearby Garden Square.
Brampton has eight library branches to serve its population.
Festivals in the city include the annual Festival of Literary Diversity, a literary festival devoted to writers from underrepresented groups such as people of colour and LGBTQ writers.
The Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives (PAMA) in Brampton includes a museum, art gallery, and archives. Since opening in 1968, the art gallery section (previously known as the Art Gallery of Peel) has exhibited local, national, and international artists, both contemporary and historical from their permanent collection.
The City of Brampton's long-standing heritage conservation program was recognised with the 2011 Lieutenant Governor's Ontario Heritage Award for Community Leadership. In 2010, the city received an 'honourable mention' under the same provincial awards program.
Sites of interest
thumb|[[Professor's Lake]]
- Gage Park
- CAA Centre
- Camp Naivelt
- Chinguacousy Park-Greenhouse and gardens
- Mount Chinguacousy
- Claireville Conservation Area
- Heart Lake Conservation Area
- Brampton Historical Society
- Historic Bovaird House
- Korean War Memorial Wall (Canada)
- Peel Art Gallery, Museum and Archives
- Professor's Lake
- Rose Theatre
- Lester B. Pearson Theatre
- Wet'n'Wild Toronto
Major shopping areas include Bramalea City Centre, Shoppers World, and "big box centre" Trinity Commons. The downtown area has some retail; the Centennial Mall and the Brampton Mall are also of note.
Media
Brampton was one of the first areas where Rogers Cable offered its service. The city started a community access channel in the 1970s, which still operates. While some programs on the channel are produced in its Brampton studios, most are based in its Mississauga location. Christian specialty channel Vertical TV is based in Brampton.
The Brampton Guardian is the community's only newspaper, starting as the Bramalea Guardian in 1964. The city's first newspaper, The Daily Times, ceased publication in the early 1980s. For a little over a year, The Brampton Bulletin attempted to challenge the Guardian, but it was dismantled after a series of editor changes.
Brampton is the official city of license for two radio stations, CHLO and CFNY. Both stations address their programming toward the entire Greater Toronto Area rather than exclusively to Brampton. CFNY was located upstairs at 83 Kennedy Road until moving to Toronto in 1996.
Sports and recreation
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Sports teams of Brampton<!-- sorted by date established -->
|-
! scope="col" | Team
! scope="col" | League
! scope="col" | Sport
! scope="col" | Venue
! scope="col" | Established
! scope="col" | Disestablished
! scope="col" | Championships
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;" |
Brampton Honey Badgers
| Canadian Elite Basketball League
| Basketball
| CAA Centre
| 2019*
|
| 1
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;" | Brampton A's
| National Basketball League of Canada
| Basketball
| CAA Centre
| 2013
| 2015
| 0
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;" | Brampton Admirals
| Ontario Junior Hockey League
| Hockey
| Brampton Memorial Arena
| 2018
| 2021
| 0
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;" | Brampton Battalion
| OHL
| Hockey
| CAA Centre
| 1998
| 2013
| 0
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;" | Brampton Beast
| ECHL
| Hockey
| CAA Centre
| 2013
| 2021
| 0
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;" | Bramalea Blues
| Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League
| Hockey
| CAA Centre
| 1972
| 2010
| 1
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;" | Brampton Bombers
| Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League
| Hockey
| Brampton Memorial Arena
| 2012
| 2020
| 0
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;" | Brampton Thunder
| Canadian Women's Hockey League
| Hockey
| CAA Centre
| 1999
| 2017
| 0
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;" | Brampton Capitals
| Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League
| Hockey
| Brampton Memorial Arena
| 1984
| 2012
| 4
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;" | Brampton Excelsiors
| Major Series Lacrosse Senior "A" Lacrosse League.
| Box Lacrosse
| CAA Centre
| 1912
|
| 30
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;" | Junior Excelsiors
| OLA Junior A Lacrosse League
| Box Lacrosse
| Brampton Memorial Arena
| 1971
|
| 4
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;" | Junior "b" Excelsiors
| OLA Junior B Lacrosse League
| Box Lacrosse
| Victoria Park Arena
| 2012
|
|0
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;" | Bramalea Satellites
| Northern Football Conference
| Football
|
| 1974
| 1975
|
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;" | Brampton City United FC
| Canadian Soccer League, First Division
| Soccer
| Victoria Park Stadium
| 2002
| 2016
| 1
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;" | Brampton Wolves
| Global T20 Canada
| Cricket
| CAA Centre
| 2019
|
| 1
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: center;" |
Brampton Steelheads
| Ontario Hockey League
| Ice Hockey
| CAA Centre
| 1996*
|
| 0
|}
- The Honey Badgers relocated from Hamilton for the 2023 season.
- The Steelheads relocated from Mississauga for the 2024–25 season.
Brampton has been home to minor professional sports franchises at the CAA Centre, formerly the Powerade Centre. From 2013 to 2015, the Brampton A's played in the National Basketball League of Canada, but relocated to Orangeville, Ontario, to decrease costs of operations of switching the arena floor from ice hockey to basketball. From 2013 to 2020, the Brampton Beast played in the Central Hockey League and ECHL, but ceased operations during the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2021 after having not been able to play since March 2020.
The numerous sporting venues and activities includes the outdoor ice path for skating through Gage Park. Chinguacousy Park includes a ski lift, a curling club, and Tennis Centre for multi-season activities. In the summer, amateur softball leagues abound. Crowds line the beaches at Professor's Lake for the annual outdoor "shagging" display.
Since 1967, the Brampton Canadettes have hosted the annual Brampton Canadettes Easter Tournament in hockey.
Brampton was also the host for the following major sports events:
- 2013 Junior Women's Softball World Championship.
- 2023 IIHF Women's World Championship
- 2023 World Junior Girls Golf Championship
Infrastructure
Health and medicine
William Osler Health System operates two health facilities in the city.
Courts
The A. Grenville & William Davis Courthouse which houses branches for the Ontario Court of Justice and the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, is located at 7755 Hurontario Street (Hurontario Street at County Court).
Jails
The Brampton Jail is in the city it's now defunct and has turned into a museum.
The Roy McMurtry Youth Centre is a juvenile detention centre located in Brampton.
Transportation
Public transit
thumb|Brampton Transit bus at the now-relocated [[Bramalea City Centre Terminal]]
Local transit is provided by Brampton Transit, with connections to other systems such as MiWay, York Region Transit, GO Transit, and Toronto Transit Commission. Brampton Transit also operates a bus rapid transit system, "Züm" (pronounced Zoom), along Main/Hurontario Streets, Steeles Avenue, Queen Street/Highway 7, Bovaird Drive–Airport Road, and Queen Street West–Mississauga Road, which form the backbone to its bus network.
There is GO Bus service to York University and subway stations at Yorkdale Mall and York Mills in Toronto. There are three GO Train stations in Brampton along the Kitchener line: Bramalea, Brampton and Mount Pleasant.
Rail
Both Canadian National Railway (CN) and the Orangeville-Brampton Railway short line (formerly part of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) line) run through the city. CN's Intermodal Yards are located east of Airport Road between Steeles and Queen Street East. The CN Track from Toronto's Union Station is used by the Kitchener GO Transit Rail Corridor providing commuter rail to and from Toronto with rail station stops at Bramalea, Downtown Brampton, and Mount Pleasant. Via Rail connects through Brampton as part of the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor.
Air
Canada's busiest airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport (CYYZ), is located near Brampton, in Mississauga. For general aviation, the city is served by the privately owned Brampton Airport (CNC3), located to the north of the city in neighbouring Caledon. There is also a registered helipad Brampton National D (CPC4) located near the Brampton/Vaughan border, at Countryside Drive and Coleraine Drive.
Notable people
Four people from Brampton have received the Order of Canada: Robert William Bradford, former Director of the National Aviation Museum; Michael F. Clarke, director at Evergreen, the Yonge Street Mission for street youth in Toronto; Howard Pawley, professor and former Premier of Manitoba; and William G. Davis, former Premier of Ontario.
Sports
<!--add sportspeople to this para-->
- Baseball: Zach Pop
- Basketball: Michael Meeks (internationally), Tyler Ennis (NBA), Tristan Thompson (NBA), Anthony Bennett (NBA)
- Cricket: Saad Bin Zafar, Cecil Pervez,
- Curling: Scott Bailey, Peter Corner, Graeme McCarrel, Wayne Middaugh, Allison Pottinger
- Field hockey: Bernadette Bowyer
- Figure skating: Vern Taylor, Mark Janoschak
- Football: Michael Bailey (CFL), Fernand Kashama (CFL), Chris Kowalczuk (CFL), Rob Maver (CFL), Jerome Messam (CFL, NFL), Jason Nugent (CFL), Junior Turner (CFL), Steven Turner (CFL), Jabar Westerman (CFL), Jamaal Westerman (NFL), James Yurichuk (CFL) Nakas Onyeka (CFL)
- Golf: David Hearn; Steve Duplantis (caddy)
- Hockey: Andrew Cassels, Mike Danton, Mike Dwyer, Todd Elik, Chris Felix, Sheldon Keefe, Tom Laidlaw, Kris Newbury, Rick Nash, Tyler Seguin, Jamie Storr, Mike Weaver, Mike Wilson, Sean Monahan, Tyler Graovac, Cassie Campbell, Mikyla Grant-Mentis, Scott Wedgewood
- Horse-racing: Sid C. Attard, Patrick Husbands, Robert P. Tiller, Emma-Jayne Wilson
- Lacrosse: Jim Veltman (NLL)
- Sailing: Kevin Stittle
- Soccer: Gabe Gala (MLS), Atiba Hutchinson (Super Lig), Peter Roe (ASL, MISL), Murphy Wiredu, Doneil Henry, Junior Hoilett, Paul Stalteri, Roger Thompson, Cyle Larin, Tajon Buchanan, Kadeisha Buchanan, Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, Liam Millar, David Barrie
- Speed skating: Tyson Heung
- Tennis: Jill Hetherington, Milos Raonic
- Track and field: Charles Allen, Mark Boswell, Kate Van Buskirk
- Wrestling: Ohenewa Akuffo
Politics
<!--add politicians to this para-->Three Canadian premiers got their start in Brampton; Premiers Tobias Norris and Howard Pawley OC of Manitoba, and "Brampton Billy", Ontario premier William Grenville Davis CC. Other notable politicians include John Coyne, and Conservative opposition leader Gordon Graydon. Alberta politician and businessman Sir James A. Lougheed was born in Brampton, and served 30 years in Senate; Regina mayor David Lynch Scott was born here.
President of the Treasury Board Tony Clement spent time as a Brampton MPP. John McDermid held various cabinet positions under Brian Mulroney, Bal Gosal Minister of State-Sport, and former Mayor Linda Jeffrey held cabinet positions at the provincial level. Incumbent mayor Patrick Brown served as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario and as leader of the official opposition from 2015 until 2018 prior to serving as mayor. He was also a federal MP and provincial MPP, but not for Brampton.
Ruby Dhalla represented the riding of Brampton—Springdale in the Canadian House of Commons from 2004 to 2011 as a member of the Liberal Party. Dhalla and British Columbia Conservative MP Nina Grewal were the first Sikh women to serve in the Canadian House of Commons. Parm Gill was elected as the member of parliament from the Conservative Party of Canada for the riding of Brampton-Springdale in 2011, who was also appointed as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veteran Affairs in 2013.
Jagmeet Singh began his political career in Brampton running in two elections in 2011, defeated in the federal election in May but elected Member of Provincial Parliament for Bramalea—Gore—Malton in October. In 2015 he became deputy leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party. In 2017 he became leader of the federal NDP, the first member of a visible minority to become permanent leader of a major federal party in Canada.
Arts
Authors born in or living in Brampton include Rohinton Mistry, Jesse Thistle, Edo Van Belkom and Rupi Kaur (poet).
Visual arts notables from Brampton include etcher Caroline Helena Armington, Ronald Bloore, Member of the Order of Canada; Organiser and member of the "Regina Five" (1960), watercolourist Jack Reid, and William Ronald, who was raised in town. Norman Mills Price. Animators David Feiss and Jay Stephens grew up here.
Music acts from Brampton include Punk band The Flatliners, Indie Rock band Moneen, R&B singer Keshia Chanté, country singer Johnny Reid, "Metal Queen" Lee Aaron and pop singer Alyssa Reid. Country singer and "World Champion Yodeller" Donn Reynolds lived here from 1969 to 1997. Barry Stock, guitarist from Three Days Grace was raised in Brampton, and currently resides in Caledon. Singer Alessia Cara, hip-hop artist Roy Woods, and hip-hop artist Tory Lanez were also born in Brampton. Hip-hop record producer WondaGurl was also born in Brampton.
Film, television and comedy
<!--only include people with WP articles-->
<!--add comedians to this para-->Two notable comedians hail from Brampton: Scott Thompson and Russell Peters.
Comedic actor Michael Cera was born and raised in Brampton. The twin actors Shawn Ashmore and Aaron Ashmore (Smallville) are Brampton-raised. The sibling actors Tyler Labine (Mad Love) and Kyle Labine were born in Brampton.
Other Brampton-born or affiliated actors include Paulo Costanzo, Jordan Gavaris, Gemini Award winner Kris Lemche, Lara Jean Chorostecki, Sabrina Grdevich, Nicole Lyn, actor and producer David J. Phillips, reality TV star and art dealer Billy Jamieson, performer George R. Robertson, and performer Sidhu Moose Wala.
Others include voice actor Brenna O'Brien, and on-air media personalities Cassie Campbell, Chris Connor, Chris Cuthbert and Scott McGillivray.
Sister cities
Brampton has two sister cities as well as active economic, historic, and cultural relationships with others.
- Plano, Texas
- Ribeira Grande, Azores, Portugal