Brandon, Manitoba

City of Brandon, Manitoba
The Riverbank Discovery Centre
The Riverbank Discovery Centre
Nickname(s): The Wheat City
Brandon, Manitoba Location.png
Coordinates:
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 between 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.

Spruce Woods Provincial Park is a relatively short distance (by car) to the southeast of the city.

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

Politics

City Council

Current Councillors:

Former mayors

Provincial representatives

Brandon West

Brandon East

Federal representatives

Geography

Brandon at night as seen from the North Hill

The city is located in the Westman region of southwestern Manitoba. It is on the banks of the Assiniboine river valley and has a few natural hills within the surrounding area.

Climate

Brandon has a semi-arid mid-latitude steppe climate (Koppen climate classification BSk), with cold, dry winters and warm to hot summers. Brandon experiences four distinct seasons, with summer temperatures often infuenced by winds blowing in from the southern United States, and Winter temperatures often infuenced by winds blowing in from the Canadian Arctic.

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.

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

Brandon is currently home to the following amateur sports teams:

The Wheat Kings play at Westman Communications Group Place, the newly named main arena at Keystone Centre.

Brandon has hosted many curling events, including:

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

Recreational facilities

Events and exhibitions

Media

Main article: Media in Brandon, Manitoba

Transportation

The Spirit Sands desert in Spruce Woods Provincial Park, just southeast of the city

Music and the arts

City issues

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.

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. Despite public opposition as well as opposition from the Brandon Fire Services, city council has chosen a location on the north side of the 18th street bridge.

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.

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.

See also

External links

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