Brandon Minute: Downtown BIZ, Outdoor Rink, and Legislative Traffic Changes

Brandon Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Brandon politics

This Week In Brandon:

• There are no meetings of City Council this week. The next time Council convenes will be Monday, December 2nd.
  
  
• Speaking of schedules, the Council 2025 meeting schedule is now available, with regular meetings set to occur biweekly on Mondays, except for a few that fall on Tuesdays. All meetings will take place at 7:00 pm in the Council Chamber on the second floor of City Hall. The meetings are open to the public, and they will be streamed live on the City’s YouTube channel.
  
  
• Brandon's Community Sportsplex is adding a new outdoor rink, which will be ready for the 2024/2025 season. This development follows a request made by City Council during the 2023 budget deliberations for an outdoor rink in Ward 1. The exact opening date depends on weather conditions.

Last Week In Brandon:

• Doctors at the Brandon Regional Health Centre have warned that the emergency department is nearing collapse due to severe staffing shortages, with physician vacancies projected to rise to 42% in January. A letter to Manitoba’s Health Minister highlighted unprecedented burnout among staff and resource-intensive demands, including an increase in patients with drug-induced psychosis. The situation is exacerbated by insufficient support from the province, with the NDP government’s recent minor injury clinic failing to alleviate ER pressures effectively. Doctors Manitoba has called for urgent action, warning of further physician attrition as over half of Manitoba's healthcare workers report burnout or distress. Premier Wab Kinew acknowledged past policy failures but offered limited immediate solutions to stabilize the crisis.
  
  
• The City said it wants legislative changes to allow all municipalities in Manitoba, not just Winnipeg, to implement red light cameras and photo radar. Councillor Bruce Luebke, who has championed the issue since 2021, argues these measures would enhance street safety in Brandon. The proposal will be presented at the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) convention, with hopes that it will gain support from the province’s new NDP government. If approved by the AMM, the resolution will be advocated for on behalf of 137 municipalities across Manitoba.
  
  
• Brandon Downtown BIZ has requested an additional $150,000 from the City for 2025 to continue revitalizing the downtown core and supporting local businesses. The funding would cover operating costs, programming, and a new Downtown Events Grant to encourage community-led events. There are also plans to open a storefront office to serve as a tourism hub and resource center. The organization received $120,000 earlier this year.