Brandon Minute: Issue 105

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

📅 This Week In Brandon: 📅

• City Council has approved a $17,000 raise for Mayor Jeff Fawcett next year, bringing his base salary to $122,500, with planned 3% increases each year for the following four years. Councillors will receive 25% of the Mayor’s salary, or $30,625, while the Deputy Mayor will receive 28%. The decision followed extensive debate on fair compensation and the desire to attract quality candidates, with Fawcett abstaining from the vote due to a conflict of interest and suggesting mayoral pay could be tied to provincial representatives instead. Council also decided to maintain the current ward system and the same number of Councillors, responding to resident feedback that the current system works well. Administration had recommended a salary increase and a potential shift to an at-large electoral system with fewer Councillors, but Council rejected these structural changes. 
  
  
• The Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum in Brandon is preparing a $15-million redevelopment to address structural issues in its nearly 80-year-old wooden hangar, including a heaving concrete floor and warped frame that have limited its functionality. Temporary support beams installed to stabilize the structure have crowded the interior, making it difficult to move planes, and the project aims to preserve as much of the historic building as possible. Plans include repairing the floor, adding heating infrastructure to prevent further damage, and potentially constructing a new half-hangar nearby, designed to reflect a Second World War-era style. The redevelopment is expected to take up to five years, with the museum remaining operational throughout. The museum is seeking funding from all levels of government and public donations, and has already received a $1.6-million bequest from a former member to support the project.
  
  
• The provincial NDP’s latest provincial budget has drawn criticism from Tory officials, who called it “Brandon blind” for lacking measures to address rural crime. Brandon West MLA Wayne Balcaen, a former Brandon Police Chief, said additional funding for the Brandon Police Service and its cadet program should have been included. Mayor Jeff Fawcett acknowledged the budget included smaller local initiatives but suggested more support for the City would have been welcome. Finance Minister Adrien Sala highlighted investments in rural and northern communities, including $7 million for the Dauphin Centre for Justice, school construction and design projects in Brandon and Neepawa, and infrastructure upgrades such as highways and trails. The budget also included funding for rural nursing education programs through Assiniboine College and Red River College Polytechnic.
  
  
• The provincial government plans to provide free transit passes for youth in Winnipeg, Brandon, Selkirk, and Flin Flon, aiming to make it easier for students to get to school, work, and activities. The initiative, expected to cost $10 million, will be funded through the provincial budget and implemented in partnership with municipalities, though rollout will vary by city. Advocates say the program could foster a lifelong transit culture, increase youth workforce participation, and improve school attendance. The initiative comes amid a large provincial deficit.
  
  
• Parents in Brandon are questioning the Manitoba government's anti-Islamophobia action plan, raising concerns regarding religious neutrality in public schools. Parents expressed support for inclusion but argued that focusing on specific religious identities might create division or conflict with beliefs taught at home. Released in December 2025, the plan serves as a guidance framework for educators rather than a mandatory curriculum. During a school board meeting, parents requested transparency and asked how the division would ensure compliance with neutrality laws. They specifically worried that classroom discussions about religious observances could lead to theological conversations that put students in difficult positions. The Brandon School Division superintendent clarified that the framework is not a directive. The Board Chair indicated that these concerns would be forwarded to the provincial government for consideration.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

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