Brandon, Manitoba

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City of Brandon, Manitoba
Nickname: The Wheat City
Coordinates: 49°54′N 99°57′W / 49.9, -99.95
Country Canada
Province Manitoba
Region Westman
Incorporated 1882
Government
 - City Mayor Dave Burgess
 - MLA Brandon West Rick Borotsik (PC)
 - MLA Brandon East Drew Caldwell (NDP)
 - MP Brandon-Souris Merv Tweed (CON)
Area
 - City 465.16 km² (176.1 sq mi)
 - Urban 76.89 km² (29.7 sq mi)
Elevation 409 m (1,343 ft)
Population (2006)
 - City 41,511
 - Density 539.9/km² (1,398.3/sq mi)
Time zone Central (CST) (UTC-6)
 - Summer (DST) Central (CDT) (UTC-5)
Postal code R7A-R7C
Area code(s) 204
Website: City of Brandon

Brandon is a city in southwestern Manitoba, Canada. The surrounding area is often referred to as "Westman".

The city started as a major junction on the Canadian Pacific Railway, and the Assiniboine River and was then incorporated in 1882.

Brandon, the second largest city and service centre in Manitoba after Winnipeg, is a major hub for the surrounding agricultural area. The population of its trading area is 70,000 and 100,000 people, and the city proper has a population of 41,511. Brandon's industry reflects its agricultural history; its major industries are related to agriculture and include fertilizer and hog processing plants, as well as retail and government services for the surrounding area of Westman. Brandon is also home to Brandon University and Assiniboine Community College.

Brandon's Army Reserve unit is 26th Field Artillery Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery and the Canadian warship HMCS Brandon was named after the city.

Contents

[edit] Politics

[edit] City Council

Current Councillors:

  • Doug Paterson - Ward # 1 Assiniboine
  • Vince Barletta - Ward # 2 Rosser
  • Murray Blight - Ward #3 Victoria
  • Jeff Harwood - Ward # 4 University
  • James McCrae - Ward # 5 Meadows
  • Garth Rice - Ward # 6 South Centre
  • Ken Fitzpatrick - Ward # 7 Linden Lanes
  • Margo Campbell - Ward # 8 Richmond
  • Errol Black - Ward # 9 Riverview
  • Don Jessiman - Ward # 10 Green Acres

[edit] Former mayors

[edit] Provincial representatives

[edit] Brandon West

[edit] Brandon East

[edit] Federal representatives

[edit] Education

Public schools in Brandon are governed by the Brandon School Division. The are a number of elementary and middle schools throughout the city. There are three highschools: Vincent Massey, Crocus Plains Regional School, and Neelin Highschool. Brandon is also home to two post-secondary institutions: Brandon University and Assiniboine Community College.

[edit] Sports

The Keystone Centre, home to many sporting events and the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba. In the background is a newly attached hotel by Canad Inns
The Keystone Centre, home to many sporting events and the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba. In the background is a newly attached hotel by Canad Inns

Brandon is currently home to the following amateur sports teams:

The Keystone Centre recently sold its naming rights to the Westman Communications Group. The Keystone Centre is now known as the Westman Communication Cnt Place, which is the home of the Western Hockey League's Brandon Wheat Kings.

Brandon has hosted many curling events, including:

  • The Brier - the Canadian Men's Curling Championship in 1963 and 1982
  • The Scott Tournament of Hearts - the Canadian Women's Championship in 1993 and 2002
  • 1995 World Curling Championship - Men's and Women's Championship
  • 1997 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials - the first ever Canadian trials after curling became an official Olympic Sport

Brandon has held the Canada Games in year of 1979 Winter Games and 1997 Summer Games.

[edit] Recreational facilities

  • Westman Communications Group Place/Keystone Centre (hockey, curling)
  • Sportsplex (indoor swimming pool, hockey)
  • Andrews Field (baseball)
  • Kinsmen Stadium (baseball, football)
  • Turtle Crossing (formerly Curran Park) (softball)
  • Simplot Millennium Park (baseball)
  • Optimist Soccer Park
  • Crocus Plains Field Hockey Pitch
  • Wheat City Curling Club
  • Riverview Curling Club
  • Thunderbird Bowl
  • Canada Games Rubgy Pitch
  • Queen Elizabeth Park (baseball, tennis)
  • Deer Ridge Golf Club
  • Glen Lea Golf Club
  • Northern Pines Golf Club
  • Sunnyside Golf & Country Club

[edit] Events and exhibitions

  • The Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba is a non-profit organization established in 1872, which is now housed at the city's extensive Keystone Centre complex. It hosts the
    • Royal Manitoba Winter Fair (March)
    • Manitoba Summer Fair (June)
    • Manitoba Livestock Expo (November)
  • AgDays - Canada's largest indoor Agricultural Trade Show and Program, and one of the premier shows of its kind in North America. Held in mid January each year at Brandon's Keystone Centre.
  • Brandon Folk Music and Arts Festival is a weekend event held annually in late July. The festival is held outdoors on the grounds of the Keystone Centre.
  • The Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum, located at the Brandon Municipal Airport.

[edit] Media

Brandon at night as seen from the North Hill
Brandon at night as seen from the North Hill

[edit] Newspapers

  • Brandon has three regular local newspapers. The Brandon Sun is a daily paper, News In A Minute is a daily newspaper and the Wheat City Journal is a weekly paper. The Sun also produces two "community" editions that are distributed throughout Westman on Thursdays and Sundays.

[edit] Radio stations

[edit] FM

[edit] AM

[edit] Television stations

[edit] Web portals

[edit] Transportation

The Riverbank Discovery Centre
The Riverbank Discovery Centre
  • Taxi service is available from numerous local taxi companies.
  • The city of Brandon runs Brandon Transit, which provides daily bus service throughout the city. The system comprises 10 routes that operate only six days a week. (Monday to Saturday)
  • Brandon is serviced by the Brandon Airport, a municipal airport.
  • Brandon has a system of walking / bike trails throughout the city.

[edit] Music and the arts

  • Brandon hosts the Brandon Festival of the Arts every February and March. This festival is associate with the Manitoba Festival of the Arts, and participants regularly represent Brandon at the provincial level of the festival.
  • Brandon hosts the Brandon Jazz Festival. This non-competitive, education based festival brings in over 3500 participants from schools across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ontario, and the Northern USA. The 3-day festival hosts 20+ adjudicators and performers.
  • Brandon hosts an annual Folk Festival. Organized by the Brandon Folk Music and Arts Society, the Brandon Folk Festival takes place every summer 'under the trees' on the Keystone Center. The festival actively pursues local and regional talent. Notable past performers include Big Dave McLean, Murray Evans, Wally Landreth, Crash Test Dummies, Rheostatics, Ben Sures, Hugo Torres, Papa Mambo, Scruj MacDhk, Swing Soniq, The Hummers, The Wyrd Sisters, Bill Bourne, Fred Eaglesmith, Harry Manx, Ellen Mcllwaine, Fred Penner, Wailin' Jennys, D Rangers, Bob Evans, The Plaid Tongued Devils, and Tagaq.
  • Brandon regularly hosts numerous musical and non-musical theatre productions every year, including shows by all three high schools (Vincent Massey High School, Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School, Neelin High School), whom each put on a yearly production.
  • Brandon University School of Music hosts an annual 'Pro Series'. Guest artists from across North America are brought in to Brandon to perform at the Lorne Watson Recital Hall. Past performers include Bob Brookmeyer, George Crumb, The Penderecki String Quartet, and Charles Rosen. Numerous student performances and thrice-yearly visits from the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra fill out the calendar, except in the Summer.
  • The Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition takes place each May, rotating between Voice,Piano and Strings events each year.
  • Brandon hosts the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba which hosts exhibitions from artists both local and from across Canada.
  • Brandon also plays host to three non professional theatre groups. 7 Ages Productions, Mecca Productions and the Outcast Theatre Company.

[edit] City issues

[edit] ACC relocation to vacant Brandon Mental Health Centre (BMHC)

The Brandon Mental Health Centre is a picturesque group of buildings in the city's north end. The facility was abandoned in the 1990s as mental health services were moved from away from an institutional setting, and into the communities of the patients. The provincial government announced in 2005 that part or all of Assiniboine Community College (ACC) would move to the site.

[edit] Public services building

The city's Fire and Police Services both require newer facilities as their main buildings have grown too small for their current uses. There is an ongoing debate on the location of a new complex and whether or not the two services should share a location.

[edit] Downtown revitalization

With most of the city's retail activity having moved to the major Eighteenth Street shopping centres, downtown renewal and the viability of the Business Improvement Area (BIA), a downtown development organization with taxation powers, became a larger concern. The BIA was disbanded in 2006, however, the future of the downtown is still under debate.

[edit] Industrial Pollution

There is a significant presence of agri-chemical producers in Brandon, including former Simplot Chemicals, now Koch Canada. As residential land has expanded eastward in the past thirty years, increasing residential complaints of smells, clouds and dust have been raised. To date, these issues have not been aggressively pursued by civic or provincial workers.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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Coordinates: 49°50′N, 99°57′W