Brandon Minute: Issue 88

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

📅 This Week In Brandon: 📅

• There will be a meeting of Council this evening at 7:00 pm. A delegation from the Brandon Downtown Development Corporation is scheduled to present. Key business items include consideration of the Memorials in the Right-of-Way Policy, funding through the Safe Routes to School Program for the Richmond Avenue and 22nd Street intersection improvement, and approval of the 2026 Fee Schedule.
  
  
• A resolution from Brandon, Riding Mountain West, and Thompson is headed to the Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) convention, calling for provincial help in dealing with abandoned and derelict buildings. Municipalities currently bear the cost of securing, cleaning up or demolishing unsafe properties when owners walk away, often leaving taxpayers responsible for bills that can run into the tens of thousands of dollars. Brandon currently has approximately a dozen buildings listed under its derelict bylaw, with additional properties under enforcement, costing the City roughly $10,000 this year. The motion asks the Province to introduce penalties for property owners who neglect or abandon buildings, streamline processes under the Municipal Act, and provide financial support for municipalities facing cleanup or demolition costs. Delegates at the AMM convention will debate the resolution, with a provincial response expected early next year.
  
  
• Assiniboine College’s Creative CoLab in Brandon opened as a hybrid makerspace and co-working hub designed to support students, makers, entrepreneurs, and creative businesses in Western Manitoba. The space provides access to professional-grade tools, technology, and collaborative networks that were previously difficult for rural creators to access. Students are using the CoLab to experiment with 3D printing, materials, and custom designs - such as guitar parts - while gaining hands-on experience and mentorship. The CoLab is structured around five focus areas: industry groups, entrepreneurs, freelancers, connections, and makers, with a registration system to ensure safe use of equipment. It also connects participants with local businesses and community partners, including Westman Immigrant Services, Community Futures, and Winnipeg’s North Forge, fostering local industry growth and retention of talent. Co-ordinator Derek Ford describes the space as a creative “playground” where experimentation, collaboration, and blending of skills and tools are encouraged. The CoLab aims to strengthen the region’s creative economy and provide an ongoing network for graduates, freelancers, and community members.
  
  
• Rural food banks in Westman face significant challenges due to upcoming Food Banks Canada accreditation requirements, with a March 2026 deadline looming. The accreditation process sets strict food safety standards, including the need for commercial kitchen facilities to handle “high-risk” foods, which many volunteer-run rural food banks lack. Critics warn that these rules could force some food banks to close and limit community contributions such as produce from hobby gardeners and Hutterite colonies, which currently provide substantial donations. Brandon’s Samaritan House is pursuing accreditation to maintain access to grants, steady donations from Harvest Manitoba, and food-handling best practices, while smaller pantries like Boissevain Food Pantry may opt out, prioritizing community-based donations over grants. Volunteers are concerned about the impact on rural food security.
  
  
• A recent report on Brandon School Division (BSD) facilities shows that most of its buildings are aging, with an average age of 62 years. Of BSD’s 24 original buildings, 75% are over 50 years old, and only one is under 35. The oldest schools - École New Era (1906), the administration building (1927), and Earl Oxford (1928) - are over 90 years old, while mid-century schools like George Fitton (1954) and J.R. Reid (1959) make up much of the infrastructure. BSD also operates 30 additions and 13 modular units, with a significant portion of these structures over 50 years old. Superintendent Mathew Gustafson outlined the division’s three-pronged maintenance strategy - corrective, preventive, and predictive - but noted the Division still relies heavily on corrective work due to rising costs, limiting resources for preventative maintenance that could extend building life. Shifting to predictive maintenance could reduce long-term costs, but financial constraints remain a key challenge for BSD.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

This week's sponsor is you! We don't have big corporate backers, so if you like what you're reading, please consider making a donation or signing up as a monthly member.

Having said that, if you are a local business and are interested in being a sponsor, send us an email and we'll talk!