Brandon Minute: Issue 101

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

📅 This Week In Brandon: 📅

• City Council will meet this evening at 7:00 pm. The agenda includes committee reports from the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium and Western Manitoba Regional Library. Council will address the 2026 citizen appointment to the Brandon Urban Aboriginal Peoples’ Council.
  
  
• Also on the agenda is the Vision Zero Road Safety Plan. It’s a comprehensive strategy aimed at eliminating road fatalities and serious injuries through four key themes: safer people, safer roads, safer speeds, and a safer mindset. The safer people initiatives focus on vulnerable users, including school-aged children, seniors, and people with disabilities, with programs such as Safe Routes to School, sidewalk and crosswalk improvements, and expansion of the Walking School Bus. Under safer roads, the City is developing an Active Transportation Plan, piloting pop-up bike lanes, and promoting alternative transportation to reduce reliance on vehicles. Safer speeds involves neighbourhood speed reduction pilots, advocacy for provincial authority over speed limits and photo radar, and implementation of traffic calming measures. Finally, safer mindset emphasizes community culture and awareness, partnering with other organizations for educational campaigns, conducting research to tailor initiatives to local needs, and creating a policy for memorializing victims of fatal collisions.
  
  
• The Brandon School Division board of trustees is proposing a 7.25% increase in education property taxes for the 2026-27 budget to address a projected $2.43-million shortfall. The draft budget anticipates $145.6 million in revenue against $148 million in expenses, with provincial funding contributing an additional $5 million to help offset costs. Trustees scaled back plans to reinstate teaching and support positions, approving 5 of 15 requested roles and phasing in other initiatives over multiple years to manage costs. Spending is also proposed for maintenance staff, facility adaptations, school safety personnel, and cybersecurity measures. Board members emphasized that these expenditures are necessary to meet enrollment pressures, maintain infrastructure, and ensure school safety, while long-term planning remains uncertain due to variable provincial funding. Final budget approval is expected on March 9th.
  
  
• At its February 17th meeting, Brandon City Council addressed several initiatives, including waste management, service sharing, senior services, and zoning updates. Council decided not to reinstate community organic depot bins due to rising contamination and illegal dumping, opting instead to expand the diversion depot at Eastview Landfill, with weekly curbside organics collection resuming this spring. A request from the RM of Cornwallis for wastewater service sharing is moving forward through an initial evaluation phase, with recommendations to follow. The Age Friendly Committee will transition to operate under Brandon Seniors for Seniors Co-op, aiming to improve efficiency and expand support for older adults, while council members maintain annual appointments. Council also gave first readings to By-Laws rezoning 1428 Louise Avenue for a redeveloped Park Community Centre with daycare and 856-862 1st Street for a 20-unit residential building. 
  
  
• Council has approved the construction of a 24/7, vandal-proof public bathroom in the downtown core, with a total cost of $529,000, including demolishing the existing transit information centre to make way for the new facility. The move comes after years of requests from social agencies, who emphasize that access to a functioning washroom is a basic human right and provides dignity to all, including those who are unhoused. Current public bathrooms, such as the two-stall facility in Princess Park, are in disrepair and often locked, while other agency-run facilities close overnight. Supporters argue the bathroom is essential for both residents and visitors, particularly during nights and holidays, while some councillors have raised concerns over cost and building design. Despite criticism, the project is already budgeted and seen as a priority to address downtown needs. Construction is expected to begin next year, though no specific timeline has been set. 

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

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