|
Discover Places to Go and Things to Do
|
|
Brandon, MB
|
|
|
|
|
|
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 behind Winnipeg, is a major hub for the surrounding agricultural area, with a trading area population sometimes estimated between 70,000 and 100,000 people and a population of around 40,000. 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.
PoliticsCity Council Current Mayor: Dave Burgess (2002-Present)
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 behind Winnipeg, is a major hub for the surrounding agricultural area, with a trading area population sometimes estimated between 70,000 and 100,000 people and a population of around 40,000. 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.
PoliticsCity Council Current Mayor: Dave Burgess (2002-Present)
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 AcresFormer mayors1997-2002 - Reg Atkinson1989-1997 - Rick Borotsik1979-1989 - Ken BurgessProvincial representativesBrandon WestPresent - Rick Borotsik (Progressive Conservative)1999-2007 - Scott Smith (New Democratic Party)1986-1999 - Jim McRae (Progressive Conservative)1982-1986 - Henry Carroll (Independent)1981-1982 - Henry Carroll (New Democratic Party)1969-1981 - Edward McGill (Progressive Conservative)Brandon EastPresent - Drew Caldwell (New Democratic Party)1969-1999 - Len Evans (New Democratic Party)Federal representativesPresent Merv Tweed (Conservative)1997-2004 - Rick Borotsik (Progressive Conservative)1993-1997 - Glen McKinnon (Liberal)1983-1993 - Lee Clark (Progressive Conservative)1953-1983 - Walter Dinsdale (Progressive Conservative)EducationPublic 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. SportsBrandon is currently home to the following amateur sports teams:
Brandon University Bobcats (Basketball/CWUAA)Brandon University Bobcats (Volleyball/CWUAA)Brandon Wheat Kings (Hockey/Western Hockey League)
The Keystone Centre recently sold its naming rights to the Westman Communications Group. The Keystone Centre is now known as the Westman Communication Group 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 1982The Scott Tournament of Hearts - the Canadian Women's Championship in 1993 and 20021995 World Curling Championship - Men's and Women's Championship1997 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.
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
Events and exhibitionsThe 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.MediaNewspapers 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.
Radio stationsFM91.5 CIWM - NCI - Native Communications Inc. (community/Aboriginal)92.7 CBWS - CBC Radio 2 - classical music94.7 CKLF - Star FM - adult contemporary96.1 CKX-FM - KX96 - active rock97.9 CBWV - CBC Radio One - news/information99.5 CKSB-8 - La Première Chaîne - French news/information101.1 CKXA - 101 The Farm - country106.5 CJJJ - CJ106 - Assiniboine Community College campus radio
AM880 - CKLQ, Country, official sportscast of the Brandon Wheat Kings
Television stationsChannel 2 - CKND-2, GlobalChannel 4 - CKYB, CTVChannel 5 - CKX, CBC/A-ChannelChannel 21 - CBWFT, SRC
Web portalsdiscoverbrandon.com - audio visual portal of Businesses, Points of Interest, People, and Organizations of BrandoneBrandon.ca - very active Brandon centered web portal.ManitobaNet.com - portal for Westman hosted by Westman Communications Groupbrandon.com - hosted by Innovative Media Group, a division of Leech Printing Ltd.Music and the artsBrandon 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 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.Brandon also plays host to three non professional theatre groups. 7 Ages Productions, Mecca Productions and the Outcast Theatre Company.City issuesACC 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 buildingThe 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 revitalizationWith 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.
External linksCity of Brandon MB website - Link to City HallBrandon University website Assiniboine Community College websiteeBrandon.ca - Your link to what's going on in BrandonBrandon.com - Brandon's Home Page/Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum website
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
By cturtle
30 days
The first of three legs in a 25000 (give or take) kilometre road trip covering most of Canada and every (hopefully) contiguous U.S. State.
|
|
|
|
2 people reviewed Brandon
|
Top
|
|
|
|
at 12:00PM October 6, 2009
The City of Brandon is in a nice little valley with the Assiniboine River winding right through the middle. It's a nice sized city, friendly people everywhere, including the walk-ways. One really nice thing is that there are paved bicycle/walking paths that go on for miles throughout the city, great way to see several of the parks. Speaking of the parks, Brandon really utilizes the riverbank and there are several parks that sit on the edge of the river. A nice university and a community college that is in process to moving to an historic location that overlooks the city, at the top of the valley. Looks like a good place to raise kids and to retire to.
|
|
|
at 5:00PM May 28, 2008
boring. You can see for miles but you have nothing to see.
|
|
|
|
Add to
My Places
Plan Your Visit
