Brandon Minute: Issue 77

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

📅 This Week In Brandon: 📅

• There will be a City Council meeting this evening at 7:00 pm. Key business includes a riverbank update, a subdivision proposal at 110052 Patricia Avenue, and street naming at 1900 34th Street for Waverley Developments.
  
  
• The Brandon School Division has registered 67 students displaced by northern wildfires, a significant increase from two weeks ago when none were enrolled. The division has prepared classrooms and staffing for up to 160 evacuee students, covering all grades from Kindergarten to Grade 8, with high school students placed in Neelin and Vincent Massey schools for compulsory courses. Riverview and King George schools serve as primary sites, and busing plans and additional classroom space are ready if enrollment increases further. Teachers have been hired from the substitute list to meet immediate needs, and classrooms were set up ahead of the bulk of registrations. Factors influencing the rise in enrollment include word of mouth, visits from principals and staff from students’ home schools, and families’ growing comfort levels. While the Province has not yet committed to covering expenses, the division is planning discussions on support once the situation stabilizes. Superintendent Mathew Gustafson emphasized that schools and evacuee families have responded positively, making students feel welcome and supported during the transition.
  
  
• The City plans to remove 71 ash trees in the downtown area due to declining health caused by limited growing space, drought, environmental damage, road salt, and an infestation of jumping tree lice, also known as cottony ash psyllid. The affected trees, including black and Manchurian ash, are located along Seventh, Ninth, 10th, and 11th streets between Pacific and Louise avenues, with some removals on Rosser Avenue. The pests feed on ash leaves, causing discolouration, curling, premature leaf drop, and canopy thinning, and currently have no effective control methods. City crews will begin the removals to prevent further spread and protect the remaining urban canopy. Officials emphasized that while cutting the trees is difficult, it is necessary to maintain the health and resilience of downtown greenery. In spring 2026, the City plans to replant the area with a diverse selection of tree species to ensure a stronger and healthier urban forest. 
  
  
• Brandon University’s $5-million Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) project, launched in 2020 to modernize its outdated administrative systems, failed after four years due to poor software selection, weak vendor assessment, and inadequate governance. Manitoba Advanced Education Minister Renée Cable emphasized that the Province will not interfere directly with the University but is working to strengthen the oversight role of boards to ensure better management of future projects. Despite the project’s collapse, students continue to pay the “Renew BU” fee, which the university says covers ongoing operating costs and technology improvements. The ERP review is expected to guide both Brandon University and other post-secondary institutions in improving oversight and project management. Ongoing investments in the region, including campus renovations and medical training expansions, continue alongside these lessons. 
  
  
• Brandon-Souris Conservative MP Grant Jackson plans to pressure the Liberal government to seek alternative markets for canola farmers affected by China’s 75.8% tariffs. He also intends to advocate for more affordable housing and grocery prices and push for tougher criminal justice measures when Parliament resumes. Jackson highlighted the financial strain on farmers due to lower canola prices and criticized the government for not taking stronger action sooner. He supports allowing agricultural groups to set short-term priorities while his party focuses on broader solutions. In addition, Jackson will present a petition on election reform aimed at shortening overly long ballots and preventing candidates from indiscriminately adding their names. He emphasized that issues like crime and affordability are urgent and require immediate attention.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

Seven candidates are running for the vacant Ward 1 seat on the Brandon School Division Board of Trustees in a byelection on October 16th, 2025.

The byelection was triggered by the resignation of Ward 1 trustee Blaine Foley in March. 

Multiple voting locations will be available on election day, with advance voting at Brandon City Hall on October 8th and at the Keystone Centre on October 11th.

Learn more about the candidates at the link below:

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

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