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Brandon, Manitoba

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Brandon City Crest
Brandon City Crest
Location of Brandon, Manitoba

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 in Manitoba (pop. 42,424(according to the City of Brandon Website); Greater Brandon Area [GBA] is approx. 70,000), is a major service centre for the surrounding agricultural area. Brandon's industry reflects its agricultural history. Brandon's major industries are related to agriculture and include a fertilizer plant and a hog processing plant as well as retail and government services for the surrounding area of Westman. Brandon is also home to Brandon University and the Assiniboine Community College.

Brandon is the second main centre for Southern Manitoba. The current mayor of Brandon is Dave Burgess, who entered his second term as mayor after winning the 2006 mayoral election.

The current Member of Parliament for Brandon is Merv Tweed, representing the riding of Brandon—Souris, in which Brandon is located.

Template:Canada CP 2001

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:

Brandon has hosted many curling events, including:

  • The Brier - the Canadian Men's Curling Championship
  • The Scott Tournament of Hearts - the Canadian Women's Championship
  • 1994 World Curling Championship - Men's and Women's Championship
  • 1983 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials - the first ever Canadian trials after curling became an official Olympic Sport

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 annual fairs and other events and activities during the year.
  • 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.

Media

Newspapers

  • Brandon has two regular local newspapers. The Brandon Sun is a daily paper, 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.

Radio Stations

FM

AM

Television Stations

  • Channel 2 - CKND-2 - Global, a repeater of Global Winnipeg. Local commercials inserted by CKX
  • Channel 4 - CKYB - CTV, a repeater of CKY-TV Winnipeg. Local commercials inserted by CKX
  • Channel 5 - CKX - CHUM/CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation affiliate)
  • Channel 21 - CBWFT - Societé Radio-Canada, a repeater of CBWFT Winnipeg.

Web Portals

Transportation

The Riverbank Discovery Centre
  • Brandon has an extensive roadway system like most modern cities.
  • 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 is comprised of 11 routes that operate only six days a week. (Monday to Saturday)
  • Brandon is serviced by the Brandon Airport, a municipal airport.
  • Brandon has an extensive system of walking / bike trails throughout the city. The trails are paved and divided like roads for two-way traffic.

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, 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 and Bob Evans.
  • Brandon regularly hosts numerous musical and non-musical theatre productions every year. There are two local theatre companies (7 Ages Productions & Mecca Productions) that produce shows, and all three high schools (Vincent Massey High School, Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School, Neelin High School) 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 Penderetski String Quartet, and Charles Rossen.
  • Brandon hosts the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba which hosts exhibitions from artists both local and from across Canada.

Notable Brandonites

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. There is an ongoing debate on the location of a new complex and whether or not the two services should share a location.

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.

See also

49°50′N 99°57′W / 49.833°N 99.950°W / 49.833; -99.950

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