Brantford is getting a Canadian Junior Football League team – at least temporarily.

The Hamilton Hurricanes will be playing the remainder of their home games this season at the Bisons Alumni North Park Sports Complex, beginning Friday when they host the GTA Grizzlies at 7 p.m.

The Hurricanes normally play their home games at Hamilton’s Tim Hortons Field but with the Canadian Football League’s Tiger-Cats as the top tenant and a Canadian Premier League soccer team beginning play this season at that location, the Hurricanes decided to move down the 403.

The team had their season opener on Aug. 17 scheduled for Brantford but the victory was awarded to Hamilton (2-0) as a forfeit. Its second game was played on the road last week.

“When it was announced that the Hamilton Forge soccer team was coming in, because they’re owned by the Ticats, I thought it may be a problem for us,” said Hurricanes president and general manager Mike Samuel.

“They assured me it wouldn’t be. They still wanted to house us for our home games at Tim Hortons Field but I made alternate plans.”

After discussing things with the Brant and District Football Club’s Bisons, Samuel’s alternate plan was to have his team play their home games at Bisons Alumni field.

“Wouldn’t you know it, when it came time to get our dates booked for Tim Hortons Field, they said there was only one game they could accommodate us for,” said Samuel. “That didn’t sit well for us.

“I was assured all four games in Brantford so I said thanks but no thanks (to Hamilton). I want to have a home. I don’t want to be a travelling road show.”

Samuel said the CJFL mandates that teams play on turf fields. With that in mind, the organization looked at other options in Hamilton but because the Hurricanes have to provide change rooms for the visiting team and some of those turf fields are at schools that the team can’t get into during the summer, Brantford was picked as the team’s home.

“We’ve got two home games prior to school starting,” Samuel said. “It would be quite a chore for us.”

Samuel said there has been no opposition with regard to the move from anyone within the Hurricanes organization and part of that may be because in the past, Hamilton has played one of its four regular-season games in Brantford.

“Everyone loves the facility,” said Samuel, noting that the Hurricanes and Bisons have a great relationship.

“It’s perfect for junior football. Sometimes it can seem a little cavernous when you’re at Tim Hortons Field when you get 500 or 600 fans in a 25,000-seat stadium.”

The CJFL is considered one of the top leagues in the country for players aged 18 to 22 and Samuel said the level of play is a notch below university. There are 18 teams across the country who play for a national championship.

He noted that many of the players in the CJFL are transitioning between high school and post-secondary school or are taking college courses with an eye on continuing their playing days at the university or professional level.

“When I’m recruiting, there are a lot of guys who have the dream of going to the next level,” said Samuel.

“This gives them the opportunity to keep playing football.”

As for the 2020 season, Samuel said that the City of Hamilton is still open to having the Hurricanes play at Tim Hortons Field.

“They said they understood and they’d circle back next year and see if they can help us a little more,” he said of the team leaving.

But maybe Brantford will become a better fit.

“I don’t know if it’s temporary,” he said of the move.

“We’re a junior football club that runs as a non-profit. It’s actually a lot more cost effective for us to be in Brantford than at Tim Hortons Field. We have to cut costs wherever we can.

“We’re taking this one step at a time.”

The cost to attend the games is $10 for adults and $5 for seniors, with children aged 13 and under given free admission.

Visit www.the-canes.com or www.cjfl.org for more informatioon on the team or league.