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Brandon, Manitoba

Encyclopedia : B : BR : BRA : Brandon, Manitoba

Brandon City Crest

Brandon, known as the "Wheat City", is a city in southwestern Manitoba, Canada. The surrounding area is often referred to as "Westman".

The city started as a major junction on the Canadian Pacific Railway, and the Assiniboine River and was then incorporated in 1882.

Brandon, the second largest city in Manitoba (pop. 39,716), is a major service centre for the surrounding agricultural area. Brandon's industry reflects its agricultural history. Three of Brandon's largest employers are a major fertilizer plant, a major pork processing plant with exports to much of the world, and a call center for a major American wireless carrier. Also, the city has been the long time home to seed company, McKenzie Seeds. Other industry includes more call centres, as well as retail and government services for the surrounding area of Westman. It is also home to Brandon University and the Assiniboine Community College.

The current mayor of Brandon is David Burgess.

The current Member of Parliament for Brandon is Merv Tweed, representing the riding of Brandon—Souris, in which Brandon is located.

The Canadian warship HMCS Brandon was named after the city.

According to the Canada 2001 Census:

Population: 39,716 (+1.4% from 1996)
Land area: 74.53 km²
Population density: 532.9 people/km²
Median age: 36.6 (males: 35.1, females: 38.0)
Total private dwellings: 17,509
Mean household income: $38,951

Contents

Sports

The Keystone Centre, home to many sporting events and the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba. In the background is a newly attached hotel by Canad Inns
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The Keystone Centre, home to many sporting events and the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba. In the background is a newly attached hotel by Canad Inns

Brandon is currently home to the following amateur sports teams: Brandon is often referred to, although not yet officially, as The Curling Capital of Canada. Brandon has hosted many curling events including:

Events and Exhibitions

The Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba

The Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba is a non-profit organization established in 1882. Along with various smaller events and activities, its main function is to host three annual fairs: The Provincial Exhibition is housed at the city's extensive Keystone Centre complex. All three major fairs take place at the centre and its grounds.

Media

Newspapers

Radio Stations

FM

AM

Television Stations

Web Portals

Transportation

The Riverbank Discovery Centre
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The Riverbank Discovery Centre

Music and the Arts

Notable Brandonites

City Issues

ACC Relocation to vacant Brandon Mental Health Centre (BMHC)

The Brandon Mental Health Centre is a picturesque group of buildings in the city's north end. The facility was abandoned in the 1990s as mental health services were moved from away from an institutional setting, and into the communities of the patients. The provincial government announced in 2005 that part or all of Assiniboine Community College (ACC) would move to the site.

Public Services Building

The city's Fire and Police Services both require newer facilities as their main buildings have grown too small for their current uses. There is an ongoing debate on the location of a new complex and whether or not the two services should share a location.

Fleming School

Fleming Elementary School closed after the 2004/05 school year after almost a century in service. There is a debate on what to do with the now vacant site.

Downtown Revitalisation

With most of the city's retail activity having moved to the major Eighteenth Street shopping centres, downtown renewal and the viability of the Business Improvement Area (BIA), a downtown Brandon development organization with taxation powers, have become a larger concern.

See also

External links

 Manitoba
Regions Winnipeg Capital Region - Central Plains - Eastman - Interlake - Northern - Parkland - Pembina Valley - Westman
Cities Brandon - Dauphin - Flin Flon - Portage la Prairie - Selkirk - Steinbach - Thompson - Winkler - Winnipeg
List of communities in Manitoba - List of rural municipalities in Manitoba

 

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.

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