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News for October 29th
Update from the Mayor
I attended a Community Drug and Alcohol Education Coalition meeting this week. The coalition is comprised of members of the
Brandon School Division, Brandon Police Service, Brandon Regional Health Authority, Child and Family Services, Brandon
Ministerial Association, Brandon Youth Ministry, Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, and Probation Services. The focus
of the coalition is to develop education programs on the consequences of using drugs and alcohol to be delivered in
the schools, as well as to find ways to connect with parents and the broader community.
Potential YMCA / City of Brandon Partnership
As Council is aware, the YMCA has withdrawn from discussions associated with the construction of a new Brandon YMCA on
the grounds of Brandon University. The YMCA is currently strongly committed to the redevelopment and expansion of their
facility at their present downtown location. Given the immediate need to renew the City's indoor aquatics facility at
the Sportsplex, discussions have been ongoing between the YMCA and the City with respect to the joint development of a
new aquatics facility as part of the YMCA's future plans. The concept under discussion would ensure that at least the
existing square footage of indoor aquatics facilities in the community (both at the Y and the Sportsplex) would be
replicated in an expanded downtown Y facility. In this regard, we are currently working toward a Memorandum of
Understanding between the YMCA and the City. We expect to report to Council on this matter in November and seek
direction relative to this possible partnership.
General Museum Advisory Committee (GMAC) Report
Councillor Black advises that the GMAC is currently assembling research material for its report to City Council which
was due by the end of October. However, due to the amount of information being assembled, Councillor Black, at City
Council’s November 5th meeting, will be seeking an extension of this due date to City Council’s November 19th meeting.
Westman Communication’s Broadcast of City Council Meetings
Acting on a suggestion by Mayor Burgess, it has been agreed that the coverage of City Council meetings on the
Community Access Channel 12 be discontinued until the problems with the Council Chamber sound system and its
transmission to Westman Communication have been totally resolved. Technicians from both Advance Audio Systems of
Winnipeg, the original designer of the system and Westman Communication Group have been working on the system to
identify the source of the problems. However, it was felt that until the quality of the broadcast is restored, further
airing of the Council meetings cease in order to relieve the numerous complaints that are being received.
Electronic Vote Counting Machines
Joni Swidnicki, as Senior Election Official, travelled to St. Albert, Alberta to view the proceedings
of the municipal election held Monday, October 15, 2007. The purpose of the visit was to observe their use of
electronic vote counting machines, as the use of such machines is being seriously considered for Brandon’s next
Municipal Council and School Board elections in 2010.
Similar to the City of Brandon, election officials for the City of St. Albert are responsible for conducting the
election for both the municipal and school board elections, although in 2007, the school board trustees were all
acclaimed, so no election was required.
The 2007 election was the third election in which vote counting machines were utilized in St. Albert. In travelling
to the nine voting locations several times throughout the day, there appeared to be little difficulty on behalf
of the voters or the election officials on the use of the equipment and all voting counting machines were returned
to City Hall, with the information from the memory chips uploaded onto the City’s election web site, prior to
9:00 p.m. Consequently, with the use of the electronic voting counting machines, closure of the polls occurred
at 8:00 p.m. and the election results were announced by 9:00 p.m. that same evening.
In speaking with the election officials at various sites who had worked at previous elections, there was consensus
that the two biggest improvements over past elections was the use of fewer but larger centres, and having two vote
counting machines at each location. In conjunction with hosting Ms. Swidnicki, the City of St. Albert also had
representatives from Saskatoon, SK, Edmonton, AB and Vancouver, BC in attendance to view the proceedings, as
all those centres currently use electronic vote counting systems from other suppliers.
Ms. Swidnicki will continue to network with the above noted centres to review processes and equipment, and has
already been invited to view the election in Saskatoon in 2009.
Records Management Training
Sheila Carlisle, of the Records Department, attended an ARMA Certificate Course on October 15 & 16th,
2007 in Winnipeg. The Course was called, "Establishing and Managing Successful Records Management " and
"Managing Electronic Records". The Course was aimed at Quality Records Management within an organization
and the future of operating an organization with as little "paper" as possible. Electronic Records is
the wave of the future in Managing Documents within an organization such as the City of Brandon and
Sheila was pleased to learn that the City of Brandon is more advanced in the process of Electronic Filing
than most organizations in Winnipeg. This course is a three session learning program with the remaining
courses scheduled for May 1 & 2, 2008 and October 2 & 3, 2008.
Engineering
Len’s Landscaping is getting close to fulfilling their contractual obligations. They are currently working on
Prairie Crescent laying sod and will gradually have the landscaping completed (this is completed as of Monday).
Engineering is almost finished the storm sewer job on 10th Street south of Richmond Avenue and will start the
landscaping this week.
Planning Section
Building permit activity is still very strong. As of October 23rd we have issued 859 permits, 83 more permits than the
same time in 2006. Using the same dates for plumbing permit comparison, we have issued 480 in 2007, 84 more than 2006.
Residential permits (i.e. new housing starts, garage, deck, etc.) continue to be extremely busy with applicants
trying to get their foundations poured before freeze up. Other permits of interest include:
- 355 Park Ave East (Foundation for Trans Can Mini Storage)
- 4000 Victoria Ave (Foundation for Westside Storage)
- 2030 Park Ave (Foundation for Brandon Marine and Leisure)
- 451-18th Street (Ramp for Knox United Church)
Brandon Hotel / Motel Occupancy Rates
Brandon motels / hotels confirmed a slight increase in year to date occupancy rates, compared to the same period
in 2006. For the 8 months ending Aug. 2007, the year to date occupancy rate increased from 55.6% in 2006 to
59.2% in 2007. The August 2007 occupancy rate (66.4%) rose to 7.0% compared to the May 2006 rate (59.4%).
Fire Department Training
Brandon Fire and Emergency Services members attended various training throughout the country in the past week.
- Chris Popowich and Shayne Collister were deployed to Churchill to take part in USAR (Urban Search And Rescue) training.
- Mike Hole and Doug Wheatland were in Ottawa to participate in training for the CBRNE team (Chemical, Biological,
Radiation, Nuclear and Explosive).
- Training Officer Hemstad attended a week long course in Vancouver for FDM training (Fire Department Management).
Sportsplex
“New at the Sportsplex - Drop in – Play Zone” – this is free of charge for all children ages 5-12 years old on Saturdays
& Sundays from 9:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. starting Saturday, November 3rd, 2007. The Zone is a supervised and an Instructor
led play area in the Multi-purpose room. This was provided by a grant from “In Motion”.
Manitoba Fitness Council is providing an Active Living Facilitator Course, free of charge, in the Multi-purpose room at
the Sportsplex. There will be 2 dates to choose from:
- Tuesday, October 30th & Thursday, November 1st – 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.
- Saturday, November 10th – 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The purpose of this course is to provide motivation, education and a safe active living program based on the Physical
Activity Guide, for a group setting. For more information on this program call the Sportsplex at 729-2470.
Parks
Fall tree planting continues throughout the community. Parks staff are replacing trees that have had to be removed in
the last couple of years with the balance of tree planting taking place at the arbor trail, winter lights park, 3rd
and Aberdeen Park, Garwood Park and the walkway along Rosser East. All the engineering projects that have been completed
this year are also being planted through their contracts.
We continue to have excavation material hauled to the greenspace south of Westbran Stadium in preparation for establishing
two softball diamonds in the future.
Our department has been working with the Brandon School Division with the first phase of developing a formal
football stadium at Vincent Massey High School. The plan is to develop a first class facility that will be available
to accommodate the growing sport of football. Streets and Roads staff have been providing the in-kind help with excavating
the site and preparing the field for seeding. The balance of our contribution to this project is the provision of soil that had been donated to our department by Mr. Ken Choy for our various landscape projects. The province and the
Brandon School division will be providing the balance of the budget for this project. This project will be phased over
a two year period.
Our department has been working with Engineering and some of the local construction companies in the construction of a
Toboggan Hill off of Braecrest Drive north of the Sportsplex. Sanitation staff have provided the expertise with the
caterpillar in the construction of this hill. Although this project is moving along very successfully we do not anticipate
completion until the fall of 2008.
A new play structure has been established at Riverheights Park and a play structure has been purchased for Garwood Park
with installation taking place in the spring of 2008.
The Winter Lights Park/ Skating Oval has been re-located and is ready for the installation of the displays. Our hope is to
have the lights on for the beginning of December. Citizens can look forward to some changes and some additions
with the displays. Mother Nature will determine when the skating oval is going to be up and running. We are very pleased to
inform council of the cooperation between the Public Works Sections in managing and providing the equipment and the
expertise in re-locating the amenities at this park. The province will be assuming all costs for this project.
Sewer & Water
The Utilities section will be focusing on cleaning up the various ditches throughout our community. At this time staff
have cleaned up the ditch that extends from 26th to 34th along Pacific Avenue. Park Avenue East is scheduled for
clean up this week. The Utilities staff will also be providing the maintenance with drainage improvements at the
Wheat City Golf Course.
Irish Society of Western Manitoba – Donation
Automated External Defibrillators are a true life saving device that have saved many people. As a police service, it is
important that our members are able to respond to all emergencies, including those related to health. Although our members are
trained in cardio pulmonary resuscitation, the ability to access an AED, provides a far superior chance of survival for the victim.
The very generous donation received from the Irish Society of Western Manitoba will enable the police service to have an
AED readily available at our station in case this type of emergency should, hopefully not, occur.
On behalf of the Brandon Police Service - Thank you!
Police
Ride Alongs have been scheduled for the ACC Police Studies Students starting Friday, October 26th.
New Recruits, Constables E. Mahoney and J. Gudnason have started their Field Training. This training will run for
the next six months.
MOTORISTS ADVISED OF OPENING OF NEW LANES ON TRANS-CANADA HIGHWAY IN WESTERN MANITOBA
Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation advises motorists the 34-kilometre twinned portions of the Trans-Canada
Highway in western Manitoba to the Saskatchewan border has been opened. At that time, the four lanes, two eastbound and
two westbound, will be fully functional for traffic.
Motorists should use extra caution in the area, watch for new directional signs and obey the posted speed limit.
The province provided a total of $26.5 million for the project while the federal government provided $6.3 million.
News for October 22nd
Update from the Mayor
I had the opportunity last Thursday and Friday to attend the annual National Heritage Conference in Edmonton with the focus on
downtown and heritage developments. There was good coverage and presentations on what has worked and what has not and
what to avoid. I found it to be very valuable and pertinent to what we are dealing with in Brandon. The Renaissance District
By-law from Brandon raised some considerable interest and admiration. There were heritage developers there with presentations
- which offered valuable question and answer opportunities.
I will be participating as a presenter at the “Manitoba’s Green Future - A Dialogue on Climate Change Action and Greening
our Economy” being held in Winnipeg on October 23rd. I’ve been told that as a signal to the level of interest in
Manitoba, this conference was sold out two weeks before the event. This will provide an excellent opportunity to
share information on the many initiatives Brandon has, and will be undertaking as an environmental leader in our Province.
Tipping Fees at Landfill
From an enquiry about the impact that charging tipping fees for the disposal of tree cuttings had on residents placing them in
the disposal bins or the recycling bins. Operations replied that they believe there is a direct correlation between the two.
As part of the Solid Waste Management Plan, it is recommended that we remove these fees with the belief that it will reduce
the amount of "illegal dumping" currently taking place in the community.
City and YMCA Partnership Discussions
Discussions continue between the Y and the City to determine what type of potential partnership might exist between the
two parties to provide Brandon with the most desirable and relevant recreational based facilities. The hope is to expand
upon what presently exists, while at the same time ensure there is no unnecessary duplication of services.
Council Chamber Sound System Problem
The mystery of the feedback being experienced with the sound system at the last two Council Meetings has been
solved. The individual desk microphones are also equipped with rectangular black speakers mounted on the desks
directly beneath the microphones. What has been occurring to cause the feedback is the sound being picked up by
the microphones is being emitted back out through the speakers, deflecting off the back of the laptops and into
the microphones. To eliminate the problem, each laptop will have to be positioned on an angle away from the microphone and speaker.
New Firehall Public Hearing
Brandon Fire and Emergency Services participated in a public forum this week to hear feedback from the public on the
proposed 18th and Princess Fire Hall Site. The Forum was well attended and we were able to share important information
that shows the potential in this site. We demonstrated to the public and many attending Councillors that this site
would improve our 5 minute response times, be an attractive addition to this main route and that we could be good
neighbors to the surrounding residents. The public shared their questions and concerns, which were addressed by
Chief Dane, Ted Snure and City Manager Brian Macrae. The forum was broadcast on Access 12 at 7:00 p.m.
Thursday night, and at 2:00 p.m. Friday afternoon.
Stop on Red, Kids Ahead Theme of Annual Awareness Campaign
Encouraging students and motorists to take extra care around school buses is the inspiration behind this year's School Bus
Safety Week, which runs until Oct. 27, Education, Citizenship and Youth Minister Peter Bjornson announced today.
"Stop on Red, Kids Ahead is our campaign theme this year to remind students and drivers to be very careful around school
buses," said Bjornson. "It is vital for everyone to see and be seen when the red warning lights of school buses are activated." Manitoba's
school bus drivers are thoroughly trained to ensure students get to and from school safely, said Bjornson. Bus drivers
must hold a Class 2 driver's licence and a school bus operator certificate issued by the provincial government.
Each year, 60,000 students travel a combined total of 33 million kilometres on 1,800 school buses to get to schools
across the province. Manitoba school buses have many special features to promote student and road safety, the minister said.
These include eight-light warning systems, stop arms, crossing arms, roof-mounted flashing strobe lights, laminated
shatter-proof safety glass, high seat backs, roof hatches, retro-reflective marking, heated mirrors and anti-lock braking systems.
Under the law, all Manitoba motorists must stop five metres from the front and rear of any school bus when the stop signals are
extended. It is illegal for motorists approaching school buses from either direction to pass buses when their warning lights
are on, except on divided highways. Failure to stop for a school bus with stop signals in operation could result in a $530
fine and two driver's licence demerit points. "While most motorists follow the traffic rules about school buses, everyone must take
care around flashing school bus lights to make sure our students arrive safely," said Bjornson. "During School Bus Safety Week, and
throughout the school year, motorists must remember: stop on red, kids ahead."
Lieutenant Governor’s Winter Festival
Planning is well underway for the 5th Annual Lieutenant Governor’s Winter Festival. The festival will be held January
31st, February 1st & 2nd, 2008. We are pleased to announce a new Chinese Pavilion will be joining the festival this
year. That being said, we have had the Polish Pavilion inform us that they will be taking a break for this year
from the festival. We are anticipating record numbers attending the festival and we hope to exceed the 41,000
pavilion visits that we had for the 2007 celebrations. The committee has set a deadline of November 13th for
any new groups wanting to participate.
The Lieutenant Governor’s Winter Festival is partnering with the City of Brandon to enter a parade float in the
2007 Santa Claus Parade on November 17th.
YMCA – Young Women’s Conference – Saturday, October 13th, 2007
The City of Brandon Operational Services was pleased to be a sponsor of the 2007 Young Women’s Conference. Over 50 young
women from Brandon and the Westman Area participated in the Conference that was coordinated by the YWCA of Brandon
and supported by a variety of businesses including the City Brandon. Group activities included Non-Traditional
Careers, Healthy Relationships, Teens & Drugs, Self-Esteem, Gang Awareness, Body Image, Drumming, Mental Health
and Leadership. Attendees also participated in Belly Dancing, Laughter Yoga & Gym Blast. There were 14
presenters which included Tracy Young, Sarah Peto, Joan Rodenbush, Colleen Erickson, Cst. Jacqueline Lawford,
Cst. Dave Scott, Heather Prosak, Kerri Judd, Wendy Schabrel, Sandy McMaster, Doris Berscheid-King,
Kathleen Kristjanson, Heather Bruederlin, and Sean Mitchell.
Operation Impact
Operation Impact is a Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police project to address high risk and aggressive driving
behaviors. It is run on the first weekend of each October. The goal of the CACP is, as part of the Road Safety
Vision 2010, to make the road in Canada the safest in the world. Spearheaded by the Traffic Section of the Police
Service again we had a successful effort in 2007. Patrol, Community Policing and Traffic members worked hard over
the time period of October 5th to 8th setting up Roadwatch Check Stops and conducting general traffic enforcement
targeting driving behaviors such as No Seat Belts, Impaired Driving and Aggressive Driving behavior.
The results below show the hard work and dedication of our members in trying to make the roads of Brandon and
ultimately Canada the safest in the world. There is, however, much more work to be done and the efforts will
continue each day and especially through programs such as Operation Impact and other Traffic Safety programs
that the Police Service participates in.
The Stats are:
- Failing to Wear Seatbelts (33 Charges)
- Impaired Driving (None)
- Highway Traffic Act Infractions (20 Charges)
- Other (20 Charges)
Sportsplex
Registration for all Winter Programs will begin November 1st, 2007.
SANITATION
While vehicles queued, Tom Keep, Environment Community Co-ordinator held a tire pressure clinic, checking
vehicle’s tire pressure. He explained the environmental benefit of maintaining tire pressure to promote
vehicle fuel efficiency.
On behalf of the City of Brandon, we would like to acknowledge the volunteer commitment of the Brandon
Rotary Club and the Brandon Air Cadets at this event. Thanks to the environmentally friendly residents
of Brandon for their continued support of Household Hazardous Waste Day. The next event will be announced
in the spring.
Please note the Eastview Landfill Site will continue to accept e-waste, and the Eco Centre is open year round,
accepting used oil and filters. We encourage all residents to use their neighbourhood recycling depots and use
blue bags to deposit recyclables in their residential containers. The “Recycle Rechargeable Batteries” station
is set up at the Civic Works Complex for deposit of rechargeable batteries and cellular telephones. Items can
be deposited during hours of operation 8 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday.
Sanitation staff completed a “bin painting blitz” to eliminate graffiti tagged bins. Approximately 1,200 bins were
painted with a total of 144 staff hours invested.
Festival of Lights
The relocation of the skating oval to the west of the original oval site is complete and staff will be setting up the
displays in the next couple of weeks. There were also some adjustments with the location of some of the winter light
displays as a result of the oval being re-located.
The community can also look forward to a cross country ski trail and some new additions and changes to the light
display. The province has been very cooperative with this project and all costs associated with the oval, displays, and
the spruce tree replacements will be reimbursed to the city.
Safety Concerns – Intersection of 1st St. & Victoria Ave.
In March 2007, Provincial representatives held a meeting at Lions Manor to discuss the re-design of the
intersection at 1st Street and Victoria Avenue. Provincial representatives discussed committing funds to the
project. City representation at the meeting was not able to make such a commitment since our 2007 budget was
already in place and there was no estimate of what the improvement costs may be.
By late summer 2007, MIT completed its preliminary functional design which called for totally eliminating
the right turn cut-offs, relocation of the traffic signal and street lighting facilities, and provision of
pedestrian/motorized scooter enhancements. The estimated cost of said improvement work is in the order of
$600,000, of which the Province is asking the City to commit 50% of the cost. Given that 3 directions of
the intersection are fully the responsibility of the Province, we conveyed to the Province that a 25%
contribution by the City would be more appropriate.
As an interim measure, MIT is exploring whether paraplegic ramps can be constructed on the existing islands.
On September 28, 2007, Development Services staff met with MIT staff to review and prioritize intersections
presently needing improvements within the City. The intersections needing improvement and in order of priority are:
1. 18th Street & Maryland Ave. (Cost of $1,000,000±)
2. 1st Street & Victoria Ave. (Cost of $600,000±)
3. 17th St. East & Richmond Ave. East (Cost of $200,000±)
4. 34th Street & Victoria Avenue (Cost of $800,000±)
The estimates given above are very preliminary and are without the benefit of a detailed design of each
intersection. Each of these projects are appropriate for cost-sharing with the Province and each brings its
own safety concerns to the decision process.
No funds are budgeted in 2008 for any of the above listed projects as there is still a need to refine the project costs.
U-Turn 3
WE”RE DONE. After months of planning, building, cleaning and moving, the Youth For Christ Skill Development Centre is
completed and occupied. Photos of the construction and the final building can be seen @ www.flickr.com/photos/westman
A few stats you might be interested in:
- The final cost of the Uturn 3 project is approx $1.75 million of new money invested into downtown Brandon
- Uturn 3 opened last fall and has been full since then. We have turned away more than 70 individuals in the past year
- 50% of the people who have left U3 in the past year have moved into independent living situations
- I have received no complaints from local landlords, homeowners or businesses
- The new building, 1228 Rosser, also houses the YFC offices, 3 more affordable housing units and a 24/7 emergency shelter
managed by the CMHA
- We’ll have an open house and celebration later in November
If you’re interested in learning more about our programs or hear the stories from some of the youth who have
been involved this past year come to The Gala of Hope October 16th and 27th at the Imperial Ballroom - tickets
available at our office or call 727.1251
Dwayne Dyck
Executive Director
Westman Youth For Christ
DAVID WILSON - MANITOBA HERITAGE TATTOO
At council, on Tuesday October 9th, David Wilson made a verbal and written presentation on behalf of Augustfest Brandon
Incorporated regarding the Manitoba Heritage Tattoo. Mr. Wilson explained that the 2007 Tattoo had to be cancelled due to
lack of ticket sales, and requested the funds from the City of Brandon to help sponsor the event be carried forward to
2008 to attempt the attraction once again.
The request to carry forward funding for the Manitoba Heritage Tattoo from 2007 to 2008, was received and referred to
Administration for consideration and subsequent report.
News for October 15th
Westridge Community Centre needs your Help
The westridge Community Centre is having having it's AGM on Sunday Oct 21st at 7pm at the Hall. We really need some new faces on the
board to discuss and implement current and future programs to keep the hall viable. Is anyone able to run the
Pre-teen dances...if not there will be no dances for the kids.
Many thanks
Bob Mcmillan
Westridge Community Centre
55+ Day at the Sportsplex
Friday, October 19th is seniors and elders (+55 years) day at the Sportsplex. From 9 am to 4 pm swimming, skating, racquetball
or aquacise is free. There will also be free coffee, tea & dainties in the canteen. Bring a friend and enter the draw
for a free “10” pass of your choice.
Brandon's BizPal
Brandon’s BizPaL is proving to be a popular resource for entrepreneurs. In the four months since the launch of
Brandon’s BizPaL, an online business permit and licence service that helps entrepreneurs find the information they
need to start, operate, or grow their business, the site has received 933 visits from 809 unique visitors in 15 different countries.
Since the launch of BizPaL on June 15th, 2007, an additional 60 industry sectors have been added to BizPaL, bringing the total
industry sectors currently available to 217. The addition of new business sectors is ongoing and the Planning Department continues
to play a significant role in adding industry sectors to BizPaL. If entrepreneurs do not see the sector they are looking
for, they are encouraged to advise the Economic Development office by calling 729-2132 or emailing: econdev@brandon.ca.
National Fire Prevention Week
Last week was National Fire Prevention Week. We have been hosting various activities throughout the week such as Fire Chief for a
Day and the Fire Olympics. The theme for last week’s activities was “Practice your escape plan”. It is not enough to have a
fire escape plan. To escape safely you need to make sure that everyone in the house has practiced the plan. We are
encouraging everyone to update their fire safety plan and PRACTICE IT!
Fire Chief for Day
Brandon Fire and Emergency Services along with Grand Valley Mutual Aid and McDonalds Restaurant hosted the annual Fire Chief
for a day last Tuesday. We had 28 Grade 4 children participate from various Brandon and area schools. We spent the
morning at #1 Fire Hall along with Deputy Chief Bell, Mayor Burgess, Colin Hogarth (from the Office of the Fire Commissioner) and
Ronald McDonald. They participated in a fire hall tour, had lunch at McDonalds and ended the day with various
firefighting activities at the Manitoba Emergency Services College.
Fire Olympics
Linden Lane schools hosted the Fire Olympics last Friday. We had Grade 8 students participating in various fire fighting
activities along side Brandon University basketball players. The teams are cheered by the entire school population.
Fall Clean up Schedule
Fall Clean up is scheduled for October 6 - October 21. NO tipping charges at the Landfill for Brandon residents with loads
under 500 kg’s. This opportunity is for residents to dispose of their summer yard waste.
REMEMBER:
- tree branches should be tied and bundled in THREE FOOT lengths;
- place into refuse container or take to the Landfill;
- tree branches are NOT to be dropped off at neighbourhood depots;
- garden and yard waste CAN be deposited at neighbourhood depots or taken directly to the Landfill for composting.
Volunteer Appreciation
This year over 200 people attended the volunteer appreciation evening. Thank you to all who came to the event, met the
volunteers, and said a personal thank you to those in attendance. It was noticed and appreciated. Also, a thank you to
the businesses that donated the door prizes – they were very much appreciated by the volunteers. The draw tickets for the
prizes revealed that:
- 40% of the entries were from people that volunteered for the Beautification projects – Adopt a Bed; Open Garden
Tours; Spring Planting Days
- 37% of the entries were from Culture & History projects - Asian Heritage Month; Brandon 125 Celebrations; Doors
Open; Music in the Parks
- 5% of the entries were from Planning & Collaboration projects - Community Strategic Plan; Neighbourhood
Sweep; Northern Evacuation;
- And . . . a massive 18% of the draw slips showed that people were involved in multiple projects. Thank you one and all.
2007 Paddle Pool
The YMCA and the City of Brandon for the second year entered into a partnership agreement for the delivery of the paddle
pool program. The scheduled hours and days open remained the same as in 2006 except for Stanley Park which was open
on Canada Day and Kirkcaldy which was open three days a week instead of five. This year’s overall attendance numbers
were down from last year (please see chart below); however, both South End and East End saw a minimal increase. A number of
factors contributed to the change in attendance and include:
Rain Days (5) – pools were closed if there was an 80% chance of rain and if there was lightening.
Cold Days (2) – pools were closed if the temperature was below 15 degrees Celsius. During the last two weeks
the attendance at all of the pools was extremely low due to cold temperatures.
Skate Plaza Fundraising Campaign
The Brandon Skate Plaza kidded off its “Get on Board” fundraising campaign on Wednesday, October 10th, 2007. A press
conference was held asking the community for assistance in reaching its goal to sell 1000 yards of concrete to
begin the next phase in making the development of the Skate Plaza a reality. For more information or to buy
your yard of concrete today, visit www.brandon.ca/skateplaza.
Sportsplex Featured
Perry Roque, Sportsplex Manager, attended the Canadian Parks and Recreation Conference held in Ottawa September 25th to
29th. Perry had the opportunity to tour recreation facilities in the capital city. He also spoke with other colleagues
in recreation in regards to what they are doing with recreation facilities and programs. The City of Brandon Sportsplex
was showcased during a video presentation at the President’s luncheon. The video presentation was prepared by Algonquin
Park College and featured pictures of our facility from March of 2007.
Active Living Facilitator Courses
The Sportsplex, along with In Motion and Manitoba Fitness Council, is offering two free Active Living Facilitator Courses, which
will be held in the classroom at the Sportsplex. The first session is Tuesday, October 30th and Thursday, November 1st
from 6:00-10:00 pm. The second session is Saturday, November 10th from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm and 1:00-5:00 pm. For
further information or to register call the Sportsplex at 729-2471.
Student Night
The 2nd annual Sportsplex Student Night was held on September 27th from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. This event is free for all
Brandon University and Assiniboine Community College students to welcome the students to our city, and to show
them what our facility has to offer. We had positive feedback from the 20 participants and they have made return visits.
Trucking Compliance Enforcement Program
On September 19th and 20th, 2007 the Brandon Police Service and the Manitoba Compliance Services conducted truck inspections
in the city. The results from those inspections are as follows:
Trucks checked 44
Trucks passed 10
Trucks Failed 12
Trucks out of service 22
Charges laid 14 (All provincial offence charges)
Note: Trucks that were out of service had significant problems identified. Trucks that failed had minor problems identified.
News for October 8th
Alternate Firehall Sites
After discussions with residents of our ward, I requested information on different locations within the city and why they were
not considered as potential sites for the new firehall.
1) 10th and Victoria (separate from the police Station) - It is in # 2 hall prime response area (firehall at 13th and Queens) and would not help
improve response time to other areas of the city. Further, we have been advised by a consulting architect that the site
is not large enough for both a fire and police station.
2) Fleming Property - the further west and south location will reduce response times to the east end and north
hill. Further, until the property agreement between the City & the Division is worked out, this property is
not available for the City's use and may not be available for the future depending on the tender process of the School Division.
3) Earl Oxford Property - Substantial work was done to try and secure a piece of this property, but it is simply
not available (school division decision). Due to requirements pertaining to school sizes and appropriate
land areas for school children recreation, a fire hall development on this site is therefore not an option.
4) 18th and Rosser - This parcel was reviewed by Senior Administration in the spring of this year. It was determined that 0.5 of
an Acre was too small and the Rosser Avenue site had very little ability to expand. While the property the City is proposing
to purchase at 18th & Princess is 0.6 of an Acre, it does equate to 4,356 square feet more space which assists with overall
site development and related parking issues for staff. It was also thought that we would be too close to the 18th Street
bridge (over the CP tracks). The inability to properly warn motorists to clear travel lanes prior to reaching the
bridge, being a short distance to the bridge from Rosser Avenue could be a liability for response times to the North end.
NEW SANITATION SYSTEM RECOMMENDATIONS
At the October 9th Council meeting, the Solid Waste Management Plan (along with recommendations) will be coming to council.
We will have a chance at future meetings to discuss, debate and determine what we are going to do in the future with our system. There are 19
recommendations that will be coming forward with an proposed implementation timeline of 2007 through 2011. Some of the
main recommendations being proposed from administration are the following:
Recommendation #8 - Implement a residential recycling/garbage collection system that include the following elements:
- the collection system would be split into two systems;one for garbage and one for recylcables (additional refuse containers could be
purchased and owned by the owner).
- each residence would be provided with one 95 gallon garbage container and one 95 gallon recycling container.
- each residence would be provided with a 5 gallon kitchen waste container that could be used to collect waste to go to the organics depots.
Recommendation #9 - Convert the existing depots except for the one at the Shopper's Mall into organic/yard waste depots.
Recommendation #10 - Establish a bulk item collection system with a nominal pick up fee.
Recommendation #11 - Work with business and industry to support the establishment of individual workplace recycling programs.
Recommendation #12 - Remove the residential tipping fee of $3.00
As we start discussions I will provide more information on these as well as the other recommendations.
SKATEBOARD PARK CAMPAIGN KICKOFF
Please join us at the Town Centre Atrium at 1:30 pm, October 10, 2007 for the fundraising kick off for the Skate Plaza.
In June, 2007 the Skateboard Park Committee unveiled the preliminary concept
drawings for the proposed skate plaza to be located at the former Prince Edward Hotel
site. The group has been working on a fundraising and corporate sponsorship program
and is pleased today to launch the fundraising campaign portion of the plan called, “Get
On Board”. Please click on following link to view all the details: Skateboard Park Kickoff.
SANTA CLAUS PARADE
I was informed that the Santa Claus parade was going to be a bit different this year in that it will be an evening parade
on Saturday, November 17 at 6:00 pm. Once I receive some more information I will update everyone.
WEST NILE
VIRUS UPDATE #16 - October 4th
The chief medical officer of health advises that, as of the end of the day yesterday, 15 additional positive human test results for West Nile
virus had been reported in Manitoba since last week. These new results most likely reflect exposures to infected mosquitoes before or during
early September.
To date in 2007, a total of 566 individuals have tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV) in Manitoba. Of these, 21 test results
were identified by Canadian Blood Services routine screening. The donated blood units were discarded as planned.
To date, 449 West Nile virus human cases have been classified, of which 58 are West Nile virus neurological syndrome. In 2007, there
have been three human deaths related to West Nile virus infections in Manitoba.
Based on the most recent mosquito surveillance, the time of year and the life cycle of the Culex tarsalis mosquito, the
current risk of becoming infected with West Nile virus in Manitoba is considered very low. A few mosquitoes may be
active if the weather is warm.
Whenever mosquito activity is observed, Manitobans are encouraged to reduce the risk of mosquito bites by:
- using appropriate mosquito repellent;
- wearing light-coloured, loose-fitting clothing; and
- maintaining door and window screens so they fit tightly and are free of holes.
Additional information on human cases will be posted on the WNV website at www.gov.mb.ca/health/wnv as it becomes available.
For more information, visit the website or call Health Links-Info Santé at 1-888-315-9257 or 788-8200 in Winnipeg.
Writing Contest
Brandon Museum Inc. (Daly House Museum) is accepting non-fiction entries for the 2007 History Writers’ Contest. The contest deadline is Oct 31, 2007.
Stories and essays entered must be in English, unpublished, not accepted elsewhere for publication and must be 1200 words or
more in length. They must also relate to the history of the city or the surrounding area.Writers must include two (2) double-spaced
copies of their story, one with no identification, and the other with full identification (name, address, city/town,
postal code, phone number, and e-mail). Grand Prize is a limited edition Brandon Luxury Table Lamp. Second prize is a
complete nine issue set of EcoOdessy’s Voices of Experience, and third prize a copy of G.F. Baker’s Brandon a City.
All winners (including those receiving an honorable mention) will be published in the Museum’s planned anthology, and
receive a complimentary copy of that anthology, along with a year's subscription to our newsletter, The Daly News.
The fee is $5 per entry -- entries outside of Canada must be accompanied by U.S. funds -- made payable to "Brandon Museum, Inc;" Museum
members are eligible for one free entry.
Writers may enter as many submissions as they wish but each entry must follow the above guidelines and be accompanied
by a $5 fee. Entries should be postmarked no later than May 31, 2007 and mailed to or dropped off at: The Daly H
ouse Museum, 122 18th Street, Brandon, MB R7A 5A4. A panel of judges will be chosen from the community. The Museum
cannot respond to or return individual entries unless accompanied by a SASE. For more information, please call Daly House at (204)727-1722.
ENGINEERING UPDATES
- Paving on Prairie Crescent was completed last Friday (Sept. 28th). Completion of driveway repairs and landscaping is underway.
- The Fotheringham land drainage issue at the end of Rosser Ave. and Otter Bay has been corrected by City staff with
all costs to be billed back to the developer.
- Drainage work on 10th Street between Richmond & Ottawa Avenues is actively underway and on schedule for completion
by the end of October.
NEW DEVELOPMENT
Two applications for development on the North Hill have been processed by the Planning Dept. namely:
- Approximately 40 acres of land on 18th Street north of Braecrest is in the preliminary stages for zoning changes
from Development Reserve to Residential and Commercial zoning.
- Proposal for multi-family development on 1st Street north of Braecrest is before the Planning Commission as a
re-zoning application with a neighbourhood meeting scheduled for Friday, October 5th. The meeting is being
conducted at the request of the Planning Commission in order for the developer and area residents to
achieve some consensus on the proposed development before the Planning Commission formulates
its recommendation to City Council.
HomeOwnership Training Program
The Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation is offering a homeownership training program that is intended to assist
individuals in understanding whether homeownership is right for them, whether they are financially ready for homeownership and
what professional assistance they may need when making the transition from renting to homeownership. The training is made
possible by local support from Sutton – Harrison Realty, Virtual Finance Group, Meighen, Haddad & Co and NuWorks
Enterprises. The establishment of homeownership training was one of the recommendations contained within the Affordable
Housing Plan adopted in April 2007. The session is free, but space is limited, so early registration is recommended.
Saturday, October 27th, 2007 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. To register contact the BNRC office: In person at 410 9th Street;
Phone: 729-2412; Email: s.poitras@brandon.ca
Handi Transit Pilot Program
Beginning October 1st, Handi Transit began a pilot program with three local personal care homes, which allows the home to
be billed directly for all resident's trips on Handi Transit. Prior to this pilot program, all residents had to pay cash
or use a prepaid ticket which made it very cumbersome for the residents and care home personnel to ensure that the tickets
were distributed ahead of time. In addition, there were occasions where the residents were unable to provide payment for
their trip but due to the medical nature, were transported anyway. It is our goal that this new billing program will reduce
the amount of no-fare trips and make our system more user friendly for personal care home residents, staff and our Operators
as well. We will be evaluating this pilot program throughout the month of October and begin to identify other groups utilizing
our system that may benefit from this billing program.
Job Opportunities with the City of Brandon
Following are the job opportunities that are currently being offered by the City of Brandon. Please visit the City of Brandon web site at
www.brandon.ca and apply if you are interested.
| Competition No. | Position | Closing Date/Time |
| 2007016 | CANTEEN ATTENDANT | Dec 31, 2007 04:00 PM |
| 2007078 | YOUTH ACTIVITY CENTRE LEADER | Dec 31, 2007 04:00 PM |
| 2007004 | LIFEGUARD | Dec 31, 2007 04:00 PM |
| 2007081 | TRADESWORKER LVL 2 BLDG MTCE | Oct 11, 2007 04:00 PM |
Golf course Update
This year, the golf course was operated through a partnership between the City and Chris Kading. The
City was responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the course and Chris Kading along with Chris
McCannell, acted as the course golf pros and managed the Pro Shop, staffed by City employees. As part
of managing the Pro Shop, the pros assisted in facilitating tournaments and league play. All parties
worked together and had input in managing the operation in order to facilitate the success we had this
year.
As of the end of September, the revenue for the operation was $490,728, with $145,422 from
membership, $285,577 from green fees and the remaining from cart storage and golf cart rentals.
Expenses over that same period were $367,353, which includes the utilities for the building. At this point
in the year, there has been very little capital expenditure at the facility, due to the plans to expend the
allocated capital funds on repairing and improving the dyke after play is complete for the year. This work
will occur through the end of October and into November.
We currently have a tentative agreement established with Chris Kading for a similar arrangement over the
next two years. We are hoping to finalize the agreement shortly, which will include improvements in
inventory in the Pro Shop, and rental revenue from events being booked in the summer on the curling ice
surface.
We believe that we have had a very successful year and would like to acknowledge the commitment and
co-operation of Chris Kading, Chris McCannell, and all the City staff involved. We would also like to
thank all the members and patrons of the facility for their patience, enthusiasm and helpfulness, as we
made the transition to the new model.
News for October 1st
Fire Hall Public Consultation Meeting
The public consultation meeting surrounding the proposed fire hall location at 18th Street and Princess Avenue has been
scheduled for Tuesday, October 16th at 7:00 p.m. in City Hall.
Brandon Municipal Heritage Committee (MHAC)/General Museum Advisory Committee (GMAC)
The Brandon MHAC and the GMAC held a joint public meeting on Tuesday, September 25th in the main foyer at City Hall. Approximately
60 people attended. The topics discussed during the evening included the future direction of heritage in Brandon and the
possible establishment of a general museum and archives in the city. The Brandon MHAC presented a number of heritage objectives/areas of
focus and asked those in attendance to select the areas they felt were most important. A questionnaire was also presented to
the public on a general museum for Brandon which sparked some good discussion on possible locations, collection materials, funding, etc.
The information collected from the Public Meeting will be used by the Brandon MHAC to prepare the 2008 Heritage Resource Management Plan
which will be presented to Council for endorsement early in the new year. The GMAC will also use the data from the questionnaires in
the preparation of their report to Council which is expected in early November. Preliminary analysis of the completed questionnaires
and comments from the public in attendance indicate that there is a preference for a new building to house a museum as opposed to
updates to an existing heritage property.
Heritage Maintenance Workshop
A free one-day workshop entitled Maintenance Planning for Historic Places will be held on Thursday, October 18th, 2007 at the
North End Community Centre. The workshop, sponsored by the Provincial Historic Resource Branch, is open to owners, manager and
volunteers of Manitoba’s historic places, those involved in local heritage organizations and anyone with a general interest in
heritage and maintenance. The registration deadline for this event is October 11th. Anyone interested in attending should
contact Westman Regional Office of Manitoba Culture, Heritage and Tourism, located in Room 126, 340 – 9th Street, Brandon,
(phone) 726-6066, (fax)726-6583.
New Guide Available
The Immigrant Services Network Coordinating Committee is pleased to release the newly developed Guide for Service Providers—Working with
Immigrant Communities is ready for distribution. The guide includes general/reference information on immigration and the settlement
process, provides a list of Brandon resources that offer immigrant specific service, and a series of appendices explaining
provincial/federal programs, definitions, eligibility for services and legal information. The guide will be reviewed in its
entirety on a quarterly basis. Copies will be distributed to various community stakeholders throughout September. Due to
costs, there are a limited number of hard copy versions available; however the guide is available electronically
for download at www.econdev.brandon.ca in the immigration section
Update from Fire Chief
A recent article in the Brandon Sun has brought into question whether the current staffing levels of the Department are appropriate.
In February this year, the Provincial Government introduced new Health and Safety standards specifically for firefighting
measures. This legislation requires the individual Departments to identify the number and type of firefighting vehicles and
firefighters required for each type of emergency.
After consultations with the Office of the Fire Commissioner and Provincial Workplace Health and Safety, the Brandon Fire
Department has identified the number and type of vehicles and firefighters required, and has adopted general operating guidelines
to meet the Health and Safety legislation. These guidelines require a minimum number of firefighters to be present at the
scene before any firefighter enters the building to suppress the fire, or perform rescue operations.
Although the article states that the Department is short-staffed, we currently have an approved complement of
52 firefighter/paramedics, and these positions are all filled. The Department has always used a deployment model that
can be adjusted depending on the number and type of emergencies it is responding to at any given time. Our policies
have been amended to meet the Health and Safety guidelines, and to ensure firefighter safety. The concerns raised have
been examined in detail over the past two years, resulting in a staffing plan being developed to increase our staff
complement over the next six years. Part of this plan includes the pursuing of election-promised funding from the
Provincial Government for four additional firefighters.
The current plan allows us to continue to provide an appropriate level of service to the community.
Airport
Brandon Municipal Airport will host Live Fire training in conjunction with the Winnipeg Airport Firefighters for the next eight
days. The training is required by Transport Canada in accordance to CARS - Canadian Aviation Regulation Standards, for
certified Airport Fire Fighters. The training includes tire and engine fires; 400 and 5,000 square foot firefighting
using up to 2,000 litres of fuel.
Hazardous Waste Day
Sanitation, along with the Rotary Club, will be hosting Household Hazardous Waste day on October 13th at the rear of the Civic
Services Complex, 900 Richmond Ave East from 10 am to 2 pm. This is the final event for this year.
As a reminder, the City of Brandon requests NO HAZARDOUS WASTE be deposited in the residential refuse containers.
Fall Clean-up
Fall Clean up is scheduled for October 6 - October 21. NO tipping charges at the Landfill for Brandon residents with loads under
500 kg’s. This opportunity is for residents to dispose of their summer yard waste.
PLEASE NOTE: Sanitation does not offer larger item pick-up (as in the Spring) during this event.
REMEMBER:
- tree branches should be tied and bundled in THREE FOOT lengths;
- place into refuse container or take to the Landfill;
- tree branches are NOT to be dropped off at neighbourhood depots;
- garden and yard waste CAN be deposited at neighbourhood depots or taken directly to the Landfill for composting.
October is Women's History Month
Thursday, October 4, 2007 National Day of Remembrance - “Sisters in the Spirit” vigil with a movie called “Finding Dawn” – at Knox United
Church at 7:00 p.m. The movie is about 500 missing/murdered Aboriginal women. For more information please contact Debby Coombs at
dcoombs@wcgwave.ca or Esther Bryan at e.bryan@brandon.ca
Saturday, October 13, 2007 - YWCA Young Women’s Conference – at Neelin High School. Brandon’s YWCA first held the conference in
2004 and due to their success YWCA’s across the country are now parachuting in the concept to their communities. Of the 35 YWCA’s
in Canada, 14 of them held a Young Women’s Conference in 2006. For more information on this year’s conference please contact the
YWCA at ywca2@westman.wave.ca or Esther Bryan at e.bryan@brandon.ca
October Calendar of Events
Click on the following link: October Events to see what is happening in Brandon in October.
Request for a Casino Plebiscite
At the September 24th meeting of City Council, Councillor Black proposed that the city of Brandon conduct a prebiscite prior to June 30, 2008, whereby the question to appear on the ballot would be: Do you support the establishment of a casino in the City of Brandon? Yes Or No
After considerable discussion, it was decided that council would hold off on passing this until it received more detailed information about the
requirements of a casino from the provincial Government. The motion that was passed stated 'That the request to hold a plebiscite with respect
to the casino issue be referred to the first meeting of City Council following receipt of information from the Province of Manitoba on the
requirements to establish and operate a casino, inclusive of possible funding allocations, or the first meeting of City Council in
2008, whichever is sooner.
Once we receive more information from the province I will forward it.
Financial Support for Remembrance Day Ceremony
At the September 24th meeting of City Council, it was agreed upon that the City of Brandon enter into a five year agreement with the Royal Canadian
Legion Branch #3 to cost share the Remembrance Day Ceremony on a 50/50 basis, up to a maximum of $1,000 annually.
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