Brandon, Canada

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 was incorporated in 1882.

Brandon, the second largest city in Manitoba, 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. 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.

One of Brandon's busiest intersections, 18th Street and Park Avenue, can be viewed in real time on a web cam owned by Westman Communications Group.

The current mayor of Brandon is David Burgess.

Community profile

According to the Canada 2001 Census:

Sports

Brandon University - Home of the "Bobcats"

Brandon played host to the 1979 Winter Canada Games and the 1997 Summer Canada Games.

Brandon is currently home to the following amateur sports teams:

• Brandon University Bobcats (Basketball/CWAA)
• Brandon University Bobcats (Volleyball/CWAA)
• Brandon Wheat Kings (Hockey/Western Hockey League)

Brandon is often referred to, although not yet officially, as The Curling Capital of Canada. Brandon has hosted many curling events including:

• The Brier - the Canadian Mens' Curling Championship
• The Scott Tournament of Hearts - the Canadian Womens' Championship
• 1995 World Curling Championship - Mens' and Womens' Championship
• 1997 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials - the first ever Canadian trials after curling became an official Olympic Sport

Media

Newspapers Serving Brandon

Local

• Brandon Sun (daily) - Brandon's local newspaper.
• Wheat City Journal (weekly) - Brandon's premiere weekly community newpaper.

Available Throughout Brandon

• Winnipeg Free Press (daily) - Winnipeg's local broadsheet newspaper. Some regular Brandon coverage. Sister paper to the Brandon Sun.
• Winnipeg Sun (daily) - Winnipeg's tabloid newspaper. Some regular Brandon coverage.
• Globe and Mail (daily) - Canada's "National Newspaper"
• National Post (daily) - Daily national news owned by CanWest Global Communications.

Radio Stations

FM

• 91.5 CIWM - NCI - Native Communications Inc. (Community/Aboriginal)
• 92.7 CBWS - CBC Radio Two - Classical
• 94.7 CKLF - Star FM - Adult Contemporary
• 96.1 CKX - KX96 - Active Rock
  
• 97.9 CBWV - CBC Radio One - News/Information
• 99.5 CKSB-8 - La Première Chaîne - French News/Information
• 101.1 CKXA - 101 The Farm - Country
• 106.5 CJJJ - CJ106 - Assiniboine Community College - Alternative Rock

AM

• 880 CKLQ - Country, Official sportscast of the Brandon Wheat Kings

Television Stations

• Channel 5 - CKX - CHUM/CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
• Channel 4 - CKYB - CTV, a repeater of CKY-TV Winnipeg. Local commercials inserted by CKX
• Channel 2 - CKND-2 - Global, a repeater of Global Winnipeg. Local commercials inserted by CKX
• UHF Channel 21 - CBWFT - Societé Radio-Canada, a repeater of CBWFT Winnipeg. The French language equivalent of the CBC.

All of these stations have cable equivalents, however, as there are two cable systems and two satellite services serving Brandon, only the over-the-air broadcast channels are listed here

Web Portals

• eBrandon.ca - very active Brandon centered web portal.
• ManitobaNet.com - portal for Westman hosted by Westman Communications Group

Famous Brandon people

• Samuel Bronfman (founder of the Seagram liquor dynasty)
• Clifford Sifton (MP for the federal riding of Brandon)
• Amanda Stott (Country Music singer)

City Issues:

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 a institutional setting, and into the communities of the patients. Some would like to see the centre re-open as a mental health facility.

Assiniboine Community College Relocation

There is a desire to move ACC out of its current location in the east end. Some would like to see it moved to the BMHC. That option is considered too expensive by many of the involved parties, and others say that the buildings are ill suited to some of the programs offered at ACC.