Brandon Minute: Issue 124

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

📅 This Week In Brandon: 📅

• There are no City Council or Committee meetings scheduled in Brandon this week. City Council last sat on July 27th and does not meet again until Monday, August 17th at 7:00 pm in Council Chambers.
  
  
• The City of Brandon and the Province of Manitoba have issued a request for proposals to build transitional and supportive housing at 705 Rideau Street, and the City is offering the municipally owned lot to a developer for $1. The proposed building would hold up to 48 units for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and sit near the Brandon Regional Health Centre. Manitoba Housing and Renewal Corporation plans to contribute funding through its Housing Starts Here program, and the project could also draw municipal incentives under the City's Affordable Housing Incentive Program, which is backed by the federal Housing Accelerator Fund. The City and Province are seeking proposals from non-profit organizations or Indigenous governments. Mayor Jeff Fawcett called it an important step forward, saying the three levels of government are working together to deliver housing with supports. The announcement follows a groundbreaking earlier this month for a separate 72-unit downtown rental project.
  
  
• A vacant Brandon property that once housed a Sobeys grocery store could stay empty for years, even after the company said it will stop enforcing the property controls that keep competitors out. The store at 1645 18th Street has sat empty since Sobeys moved across the street in 2017, but the company still holds the lease, pays rent, and can renew it until at least 2028. Sobeys' parent, Empire Company, announced on July 21st that it would not enforce restrictive covenants or exclusivity clauses, which have been used to block competing stores from opening nearby. Provincial legislation that took effect last year, introduced after the Brandon location drew attention, bans new property controls and voids existing ones unless the holder registers for an exemption, which the Municipal Board can then strike down. The Province has referred four Sobeys sites, including the Brandon store, to the Municipal Board, and says the company holds 43 such controls across Manitoba. Brandon East MLA Glen Simard, who proposed the legislation, said he wants the controls removed outright rather than left unenforced, arguing that a new grocery store on the site would give shoppers more competition and lower prices.
  
  
• Brandon has moved into flood recovery after the Assiniboine River slipped below flood stage on August 4th, easing the high water that had put the city under a state of local emergency last month. City crews are now assessing damage, clearing debris, and planning cleanup as water recedes from low-lying areas. The Red Willow Pathway has reopened, while Dinsdale Park and Queen Elizabeth Park remain closed until conditions are safe. Crews are also preparing to remove a temporary dike on Grand Valley Road later this week. Officials are asking residents to respect closures while the work continues.
  
  
• Brandon will host the 2027 TELUS Cup, Canada's national under-18 men's hockey championship, with the Brandon U18 AAA Wheat Kings serving as the host team. The week-long tournament will be held at the Keystone Centre in April 2027, drawing the country's top under-18 players to the city. Host committee chair Dan Trotter said the event will require several hundred volunteers and described it as a chance to put Brandon back on the map as a host centre. The winning bid was led by former Wheat King Scott Hlady, and organizers said Hockey Canada called it one of the best bids it had seen. Mayor Jeff Fawcett joined the announcement at the Keystone Centre. 

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

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