
CFUW Brantford On The Move (again) — Best Western!


Starting in September, 2026, our Wednesday evening meetings will be held at the Best Western on Holiday Inn Drive in Brantford. At the May AGM, members voted unanimously for the move. This change was made to allow more time for our meetings, especially for socializing after the business part of the meetings. While we are grateful to McCleister for hosting us for the past year, we have had to sacrifice some things due to the time constraints at that site. The room we will be using at Best Western is the Alexander Graham Bell room across from the main reception desk. It will be available to us for as long as we would like each evening. It will be wonderful to have time for our meetings, for the speakers, and especially for chatting over treats at the end of the meeting. Hope to see you all there at 7:00 pm on September 23.
Colette W for the Search Committee
Our Monday lunchtime book group has wide-ranging taste!




What a great way to spend a chilly and damp Spring day. Our “Day Trippers” travelled to Cambridge for a delicious lunch at Pizzeria Motola followed by a matinee show of “Finding Neverland” at the Hamilton Family Theatre. Truly an A+ day!






Chantal Saldanha is a Professional Engineer and serves as the Software and Cybersecurity Manager at GD Land Systems – Canada. She leads a dynamic team responsible for delivering software that enables the capabilities of Light Armoured Vehicles (LAVs) and developing cybersecurity features to protect and defend these vehicles.
Chantal grew up in the town of Simcoe in Norfolk County and attended elementary school there. She graduated from Assumption College High School in Brantford, excelling in STEM fields. She went on to earn an honours degree in Engineering, with a focus on Biomedical Engineering, from the University of Guelph.
In 2000, Chantal began her career at Honda of Canada Manufacturing as a plant ergonomist. In 2001, she transitioned to a Human Factors Engineering role at GD Land Systems – Canada. Over the years, she gained experience in Survivability Systems and Project Engineering. She briefly left engineering to implement a Software Management program for the Canadian family of vehicles before returning as the leader of the Software and Cybersecurity team.
In 2021, Chantal co-founded the GD Land Systems Women’s Employee Resource Group with two colleagues, creating a platform for mentorship, networking, and skill-building to support the career growth of women within the organization.
