Brandon Minute: Issue 73

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 the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum’s Master Plan, transit route planning, the Brookwood South neighbourhood plan, a subdivision application on 34th Street, and an outdoor aquatic facility. A public hearing will also be held to gather feedback on borrowing funds for wastewater infrastructure in southwest Brandon.
  
  
• Mayor Jeff Fawcett has made an initial inquiry to the Royal Canadian Navy and the federal government regarding the future of HMCS Brandon, which is set to be decommissioned on Canada’s West Coast at the end of September. The ship, commissioned in 1999, is one of two vessels named after Brandon since 1941, and its decommissioning involves collaboration between multiple government departments to determine its next steps. Fawcett emphasized that his request is preliminary and intended as a fact-finding mission, with no expectations yet about acquiring the ship. HMCS Brandon has been used for naval training and has supported the RCMP and Customs Canada. Retired naval officers and local advocates have suggested the ship could serve as a tourist attraction or at least provide symbolic artifacts, like its bell, for the city. A formal ceremony marking the divestment of HMCS Brandon and two other ships will take place before the end of September. Final decisions are expected to be made collaboratively by the relevant authorities in the coming weeks. 
  
  
• The City of Brandon has inducted Ruby MacDonald into the Brandon Municipal Aviation Wall of Fame, honouring her significant contributions to the city’s aviation history. MacDonald, a pioneering female pilot, earned her licenses at the Brandon Flying Club in 1960 and was the first woman there to achieve a multi-engine rating. She played a key role in promoting women in aviation, serving as Vice-Governor and later Governor of the Canadian Section of The Ninety-Nines, Inc., helping secure its charter and organize major events, including the installation of a Canadian Forces jet at the airport. Greg Brown, Airport Manager, highlighted the importance of preserving Brandon’s rich aviation history and celebrating the contributions of women like MacDonald. The City continues to accept nominations for future inductees. 
  
  
• Brandon Regional Health Centre’s emergency department remained open 24-7 over the weekend after Prairie Mountain Health filled 10 vacant shifts through an urgent appeal to physicians. The email, sent Wednesday, cited “unforeseen physician shortages” and requested help for four days of coverage from Thursday to Sunday. By Thursday afternoon, all shifts were staffed. CEO Treena Slate said the health authority routinely encourages doctors to take extra shifts during summer to manage vacation schedules. Doctors Manitoba warned of burnout among Brandon ER physicians due to chronic vacancies. Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said 201 net new doctors have been hired province-wide since the NDP took office, including three ER physicians in Brandon. The Progressive Conservatives criticized the government’s record. Several rural ERs were closed this weekend, including in Boissevain, Glenboro, and Treherne.
  
  
• The City's rain garden program for 2026 reached capacity in just over 24 hours after the opening of applications. The program, launched in 2021 in partnership with the Central Assiniboine Watershed District, funds and installs 25 rain gardens annually. These low-maintenance gardens capture. With only 25 gardens built each year, some applicants face multi-year waits for installation. The City is in discussions with the Watershed District about expanding capacity to meet growing demand. Residents who missed the deadline are encouraged to monitor the City’s website for updates or future application opportunities.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

What do you think should happen with HMCS Brandon once it’s decommissioned? Should the City push to bring the ship here as a tourist attraction, seek artifacts like its bell for a local display, or leave it in federal hands?

Let us know what you’d like to see!

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

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