Brandon, Manitoba
Encyclopedia
Brandon is the second largest city in Manitoba
, Canada
, and is located in the southwestern area of the province. Brandon is the largest city in the Westman region
of Manitoba. The city is located along the Assiniboine River
. Spruce Woods Provincial Park
and CFB Shilo
are a relatively short distance to the southeast of the city. Minnedosa Lake
is only half an hour to the north.
The city started as a major junction on the Canadian Pacific Railway
, and the Assiniboine River
and was then incorporated in 1882. Brandon is actually named after the Brandon Hills in the area which in turn are named after a hill in James Bay
. Brandon, the second largest city and service centre in Manitoba after Winnipeg
, is a major hub for the surrounding agricultural area. The population of its trading area is between 70,000 and 150,000 people, while the city has a metro population of over 46,000.
Brandon's industry reflects its agricultural history; its major industries are related to agriculture and include fertilizer and hog processing plants, as well as retail and government services for the surrounding area of Westman. Brandon is also home to Brandon University
and Assiniboine Community College
as well as the Brandon Wheat Kings
. Brandon's Army Reserve unit is the 26th Field Artillery Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery
, and the Canadian warship HMCS Brandon
was named after the city.
people, the Bungays, the Yellow Quills
, and the Bird Tails
. In the 1870s and early 1880s, the Plains Bison
were nearly completely wiped out by over-hunting. With the destruction of their staff of life, the buffalo, the nomadic Sioux people began to agree to settle in reservations such as the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation
, or left the area entirely.
French Canadians also passed through the area on river boats on their way to the Hudson Bay Post
, Fort Ellice
located near present day St. Lazare, Manitoba
. The city of Brandon gets its name from the Blue Hills south of the city, which got their name from a Hudson's Bay trading post known as Brandon House, which got its name from a hill on an island in James Bay where Captain James
had anchored his ship in 1631.
During the 1870s it was believed by most that the transcontinental railway would take a northwesterly direction from Portage la Prairie
. Many thought that the route would most likely go through either Minnedosa
or Rapid City, Manitoba
because they were both located at natural river crossings. Rapid City was the front runner for the site of the new railway and had prepared for the impending building boom accordingly. But suddenly, in 1881, the builders of the railway decided to take a more westerly route from Winnipeg, towards Grand Valley. Grand Valley was located on the northern side of the Assinboine, opposite the side of the river where present-day Brandon sits.
Grand Valley was originally settled by two brothers John and Dougal McVicar, and their families. With the expectation of the new railroad, settlers and prospectors now rushed to an area they had previously avoided. Around 1879 a few settlers led by Reverend George Roddick had begun to build their new homes about 10 miles south of Grand Valley, at the foot of the Brandon Hills.
Meanwhile in Grand Valley with expectation of the railway, the town began to boom. Regular voyages were made by steam sternwheelers
to the city, each bring more and more settlers. In the spring of 1881 General Rosser
, Chief Engineer of the Canadian Pacific Railway
arrived in Grand Valley. It was Rosser's job to choose the townsites for the railway. Rosser approached Dougald McVicar of Grand Valley and offered him $25,000 for the railway in Grand Valley. McVicar countered with $50,000 to which Rosser replied that “I’ll be damned if a town of any kind is ever built here". So instead Rosser crossed the Assiniboine river and built the site of the railway on the high sandy south of the River, two miles west of Grand Valley. So the site was then moved to a site just west of today's current first street bridge in Brandon. A shanty had been built there by a man named J.D. Adamson, and it was on this quarter section Adamson claimed that Rosser chose as the townsite for the CPR Railway and named Brandon.
After the location of the railway was once again changed, there was still hope that Grand Valley could become a rival neighbour to Brandon. But late in June 1881 it became clear that Grand Valley would not have lasted as a city long term. A flood hit in late June, and as the city was built on a low lying part of the river, flooded quickly and dramatically. Because Grand Valley was built on a low flood plain, and Brandon was built on the heights on the other side. It became apparent that Brandon was the best place for a city in the area.
Rosser had chosen Brandon as the townsite in May 1881, within a year settlers had flocked to Brandon in such numbers that it was incorporated as a city. Brandon never spent any time as a town or village but has only existed as a city.
In contemporary times, Brandon elected its first female mayor when Shari Decter Hirst
defeated incumbent Dave Burgess in the 2010 municipal election
.
and the resides in the aspen parkland
ecoregion of the prairies. The terrain is generally flat and rolling surrounding Brandon. The Brandon hills are located to the southeast, and the Manitoba Escarpment is located to the north. Duck Mountain Provincial Park
and Riding Mountain National Park
lie within the escarpment north of Brandon.
As of the 2006 Census
, 41,511 inhabitants in Brandon itself, and 48,256 inhabitants in the Brandon Census Agglomeration (CA). Brandon is Manitoba's second largest city, and the nations 64th largest CMA/CA.
The regional Municipality of Cornwallis
, including the unincorporated urban area of Shilo CFB-BFC, the Regional Municipalities of Whitehead
, and Elton
all make up the Brandon Census Agglomeration.
For Brandon, 47.4% of the city's population were male, and the remaining 52.6% were female. The average age of Brandonites in 2006 was 37.0, slightly below the provincial average of 38.1. Brandon's population increased by 4.5% above the average 2.6% for the province but below the 5.6% increase for the nation.
Some Brandonites identify as Canadian. The vast majority of Brandonites identify that they are of European descent. 9.8% of Brandon's citizens identify themselves as Aboriginal, and 4.0% of Brandon's citizens are part of a visible minority. Though English
is the dominant mother tongue for most people in Brandon (90%), some 600 citizens or 1.5% claim French
as some part of their first language. However 8.9% of people within the city claim some other language besides French or English as their mother tongue.
According to the 2001 census
76.6% of Brandonites belonged to a Christian
denomination. The census also revealed that 21.9% of the city's residents did not affiliate with any religion, this is on par with the largest city in Manitoba with 21.7% of Winnipeggers not following a religion. This is above the 18.7% of Manitobans as a whole that do not affiliate with a religion.
Brandon's demographics have been changing with an ever increasing immigrant population due to Maple Leaf importing immigrant workers from China, Ethiopia, Ukraine, China and Latin and South America. From 2004-2009 the plant brought in more than 1700 immigrants to work for the company.
, as well as Neelin High School's Off-Campus learning centre. Brandon is also home to four post-secondary institutions: Brandon University
, Assiniboine Community College
, Robertson College
, as well as the Manitoba Emergency Services College
.
, Rheostatics
, Fred Penner
, Buffy Sainte-Marie
and the Wailin' Jennys. The Brandon Folk Festival takes place every summer on the Keystone Centre
grounds. In addition to the music festivals the Brandon University School of Music hosts the annual 'Pro Series' which has included guests like Bob Brookmeyer, George Crumb, and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. In 2009 Brandon was host to the Western Canadian Music Awards
.
The "Words Alive" is an annual literary festival held in downtown Brandon. Authors to have participated in this festival include Robert J. Sawyer
, Maggie Siggins
, Fred Stenson
and Corey Redekop.
Some of the local arts venues include the Westman Centennial Auditorium, Lorne Watson Recital Hall, Evans Theatre, and the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba.
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and is located in the southwestern area of the province. Brandon is the largest city in the Westman region
Westman Region, Manitoba
Westman is the name given to the Southwestern area of the province of Manitoba, Canada. The area's major service center is the city of Brandon, and to some extent, the city of Winnipeg. Winnipeg is not part of Westman, but is to the east, and is the provincial capital of Manitoba. The region...
of Manitoba. The city is located along the Assiniboine River
Assiniboine River
The Assiniboine River is a river that runs through the prairies of Western Canada in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It is a tributary of the Red River. The Assiniboine is a typical meandering river with a single main channel embanked within a flat, shallow valley in some places and a steep valley in...
. Spruce Woods Provincial Park
Spruce Woods Provincial Park
Spruce Woods Provincial Park is located in south-central Manitoba, Canada. This park has large sand dunes and the Assiniboine River passes through it.-History:The park was established in 1970...
and CFB Shilo
CFB Shilo
Canadian Forces Base Shilo is an Operations and Training base of the Canadian Forces, located east of Brandon, Manitoba. During the 1990s, Canadian Forces Base Shilo was also designated as an Area Support Unit, which acts as a local base of operations for south-west Manitoba in times of military...
are a relatively short distance to the southeast of the city. Minnedosa Lake
Minnedosa Lake
Minnedosa Lake is a man-made lake in the Canadian province of Manitoba near Minnedosa, Manitoba, . It was created between 1910 and 1912 to serve as a reservoir for a hydro-electric dam. Today it is a popular recreation site, for both boating and swimming...
is only half an hour to the north.
The city started as a major junction on the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
, and the Assiniboine River
Assiniboine River
The Assiniboine River is a river that runs through the prairies of Western Canada in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It is a tributary of the Red River. The Assiniboine is a typical meandering river with a single main channel embanked within a flat, shallow valley in some places and a steep valley in...
and was then incorporated in 1882. Brandon is actually named after the Brandon Hills in the area which in turn are named after a hill in James Bay
James Bay
James Bay is a large body of water on the southern end of Hudson Bay in Canada. Both bodies of water extend from the Arctic Ocean. James Bay borders the provinces of Quebec and Ontario; islands within the bay are part of Nunavut...
. Brandon, the second largest city and service centre in Manitoba after Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, is a major hub for the surrounding agricultural area. The population of its trading area is between 70,000 and 150,000 people, while the city has a metro population of over 46,000.
Brandon's industry reflects its agricultural history; its major industries are related to agriculture and include fertilizer and hog processing plants, as well as retail and government services for the surrounding area of Westman. Brandon is also home to Brandon University
Brandon University
Brandon University is a Canadian university located in the city of Brandon, Manitoba, with an enrolment of 3383 full-time and part-time students. The current location was founded on July 13, 1899, as Brandon College as a Baptist institution. It was chartered as a university by then President Dr....
and Assiniboine Community College
Assiniboine Community College
Assiniboine Community College is an accredited college with the Government of Manitoba Council on Post-Secondary Education. ACC offers over 30 programs in the fields of agriculture, environment, business, health and human services and trades and technology...
as well as the Brandon Wheat Kings
Brandon Wheat Kings
The Brandon Wheat Kings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Brandon, Manitoba. They compete in the Western Hockey League, and joined the league in the 1967–68 season. Prior to that they played in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and were known as the Brandon Elks for a short time in the...
. Brandon's Army Reserve unit is the 26th Field Artillery Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery
26th Field Artillery Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery
The 26th Field Artillery Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery is a Canadian Forces militia artillery regiment located in Brandon, Manitoba....
, and the Canadian warship HMCS Brandon
HMCS Brandon
Several Canadian naval units have been named HMCS Brandon. , a Flower class corvette that served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Battle of the Atlantic. , a Kingston class patrol vessel in the Canadian Forces, commissioned in 1999....
was named after the city.
History
Prior to the influx of people from Eastern Canada, the area around Brandon was primarily used by the SiouxSioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
people, the Bungays, the Yellow Quills
Yellow Quill First Nation
Yellow Quill First Nation is a Saulteaux First Nation located eight miles east of Rose Valley, Saskatchewan, Canada. The Yellow Quill First Nation is a signatory of Treaty No...
, and the Bird Tails
Birdtail Sioux First Nation
Birdtail Sioux First Nation are a Dakota, Sioux First Nation located approximately 50 km north of Virden, Manitoba. The first nation has a population of approximately 643 people on approximately of land. It is bordered by the Rural Municipality of Miniota and the Rural Municipality of Archie...
. In the 1870s and early 1880s, the Plains Bison
Plains Bison
The Plains Bison or Common bison is one of two subspecies/ecotypes of the American Bison, the other being the Wood Bison . Furthermore, it has been suggested that the Plains Bison consists of a northern and a southern subspecies, bringing the total to three...
were nearly completely wiped out by over-hunting. With the destruction of their staff of life, the buffalo, the nomadic Sioux people began to agree to settle in reservations such as the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation
Sioux Valley First Nation
Sioux Valley First Nation is a First Nation, they are the Dakota people of the Sioux that reside west of Brandon, Manitoba. The Sioux Valley First Nation has a total population of around 2,400...
, or left the area entirely.
French Canadians also passed through the area on river boats on their way to the Hudson Bay Post
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
, Fort Ellice
Fort Ellice
Fort Ellice was a Hudson's Bay Company trading post built in 1831 in Rupert's Land near the junction of the Assiniboine and Qu'Appelle rivers. The fort was located in what is now west-central Manitoba, Canada, just east of that province's border with Saskatchewan.It was an important fort, as it was...
located near present day St. Lazare, Manitoba
St. Lazare, Manitoba
St. Lazare is a small English and French-speaking village in western Manitoba, Canada. It is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Ellice. The village showed a population of 265 inhabitants in both the 2006 census and the 2001 census.-Radio:...
. The city of Brandon gets its name from the Blue Hills south of the city, which got their name from a Hudson's Bay trading post known as Brandon House, which got its name from a hill on an island in James Bay where Captain James
Thomas James (sea captain)
Captain Thomas James was an English sea captain, notable as a navigator and explorer, who set out to discover the Northwest Passage, the hoped for ocean route around the top of North America to Asia....
had anchored his ship in 1631.
During the 1870s it was believed by most that the transcontinental railway would take a northwesterly direction from Portage la Prairie
Portage la Prairie, Manitoba
-Transportation:Portage la Prairie railway station is served by Via Rail with both The Canadian and Winnipeg – Churchill trains calling at the station....
. Many thought that the route would most likely go through either Minnedosa
Minnedosa, Manitoba
Minnedosa is a town in the southwestern part of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Situated 50 kilometres north of Brandon, Manitoba on the Little Saskatchewan River, the name means "flowing water" in Sioux. The population of Minnedosa reported in the 2006 Statistics Canada Census was 2,474...
or Rapid City, Manitoba
Rapid City, Manitoba
Rapid City is a town in southwest Manitoba, Canada located about 30km north of Brandon, Manitoba. Rapid City is situated in the Rural Municipality of Saskatchewan and is built on the banks of the Little Saskatchewan River. The town is a small farming community with a population of about five...
because they were both located at natural river crossings. Rapid City was the front runner for the site of the new railway and had prepared for the impending building boom accordingly. But suddenly, in 1881, the builders of the railway decided to take a more westerly route from Winnipeg, towards Grand Valley. Grand Valley was located on the northern side of the Assinboine, opposite the side of the river where present-day Brandon sits.
Grand Valley was originally settled by two brothers John and Dougal McVicar, and their families. With the expectation of the new railroad, settlers and prospectors now rushed to an area they had previously avoided. Around 1879 a few settlers led by Reverend George Roddick had begun to build their new homes about 10 miles south of Grand Valley, at the foot of the Brandon Hills.
Meanwhile in Grand Valley with expectation of the railway, the town began to boom. Regular voyages were made by steam sternwheelers
Paddle steamer
A paddle steamer is a steamship or riverboat, powered by a steam engine, using paddle wheels to propel it through the water. In antiquity, Paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans...
to the city, each bring more and more settlers. In the spring of 1881 General Rosser
Thomas L. Rosser
Thomas Lafayette Rosser was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, and later an officer in the Spanish American War and railroad construction engineer. A favorite of J.E.B...
, Chief Engineer of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
arrived in Grand Valley. It was Rosser's job to choose the townsites for the railway. Rosser approached Dougald McVicar of Grand Valley and offered him $25,000 for the railway in Grand Valley. McVicar countered with $50,000 to which Rosser replied that “I’ll be damned if a town of any kind is ever built here". So instead Rosser crossed the Assiniboine river and built the site of the railway on the high sandy south of the River, two miles west of Grand Valley. So the site was then moved to a site just west of today's current first street bridge in Brandon. A shanty had been built there by a man named J.D. Adamson, and it was on this quarter section Adamson claimed that Rosser chose as the townsite for the CPR Railway and named Brandon.
After the location of the railway was once again changed, there was still hope that Grand Valley could become a rival neighbour to Brandon. But late in June 1881 it became clear that Grand Valley would not have lasted as a city long term. A flood hit in late June, and as the city was built on a low lying part of the river, flooded quickly and dramatically. Because Grand Valley was built on a low flood plain, and Brandon was built on the heights on the other side. It became apparent that Brandon was the best place for a city in the area.
Rosser had chosen Brandon as the townsite in May 1881, within a year settlers had flocked to Brandon in such numbers that it was incorporated as a city. Brandon never spent any time as a town or village but has only existed as a city.
In contemporary times, Brandon elected its first female mayor when Shari Decter Hirst
Shari Decter Hirst
Shari Decter Hirst is a Canadian politician, who was elected mayor of Brandon, Manitoba in the 2010 municipal election. She is the city's first female mayor.She was formally sworn into office on November 9, 2010....
defeated incumbent Dave Burgess in the 2010 municipal election
Manitoba municipal elections, 2010
The Canadian province of Manitoba held municipal elections on October 27, 2010. Election day was on July 23, 2010 for several beach resorts including Winnipeg Beach, Dunnottar and Victoria Beach. Mayors, councillors, and school board trustees were elected....
.
Geography
Brandon is located in western Manitoba, on the banks of the Assiniboine river. It is located in the Canadian PrairiesCanadian Prairies
The Canadian Prairies is a region of Canada, specifically in western Canada, which may correspond to several different definitions, natural or political. Notably, the Prairie provinces or simply the Prairies comprise the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, as they are largely covered...
and the resides in the aspen parkland
Aspen parkland
Aspen parkland refers to a very large area of transitional biome between prairie and boreal forest in two sections; the Peace River Country of northwestern Alberta crossing the border into British Columbia, and a much larger area stretching from central Alberta, all across central Saskatchewan to...
ecoregion of the prairies. The terrain is generally flat and rolling surrounding Brandon. The Brandon hills are located to the southeast, and the Manitoba Escarpment is located to the north. Duck Mountain Provincial Park
Duck Mountain Provincial Park (Manitoba)
Duck Mountain Provincial Park is a 600 square kilometre forest in western Manitoba. It is not to be confused with Saskatchewan's Duck Mountain Provincial Park, located just across the Manitoba/Saskatchewan boundary....
and Riding Mountain National Park
Riding Mountain National Park
Riding Mountain National Park is a national park in Manitoba, Canada. The park sits atop the Manitoba Escarpment. Consisting of a protected area , the forested parkland stands in sharp contrast to the surrounding prairie farmland. The park is home to wolves, moose, elk, black bears, hundreds of...
lie within the escarpment north of Brandon.
Climate
Demographics
| Ethnic Origins | ||
|---|---|---|
| Population | Percentage | |
| English English people The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens... |
15,455 | 38.0 |
| Scottish Scottish people The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,... |
12,520 | 30.8 |
| Canadian Demographics of Canada This article about the demographic features of the population of Canada, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population, the People of Canada.... |
8,370 | 20.6 |
| Irish Irish people The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha... |
7,910 | 19.4 |
| German | 6,375 | 15.7 |
| Ukrainian Ukrainians Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens... |
5,885 | 14.5 |
| French French people The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups... |
4,520 | 11.1 |
| Polish | 2,865 | 7.0 |
| Census | Population |
|---|---|
| 1891 | 3,778 |
| 1901 | 5,620 |
| 1911 | 13,839 |
| 1921 | 15,397 |
| 1931 | 17,082 |
| 1941 | 17,172 |
| 1951 | 20,598 |
| 1961 | 28,166 |
| 1971 | 31,150 |
| 1981 | 36,242 |
| 1991 | 38,567 |
| 2001 | 39,716 |
| 2006 | 41,511 |
As of the 2006 Census
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
, 41,511 inhabitants in Brandon itself, and 48,256 inhabitants in the Brandon Census Agglomeration (CA). Brandon is Manitoba's second largest city, and the nations 64th largest CMA/CA.
The regional Municipality of Cornwallis
Cornwallis, Manitoba (rural municipality)
Cornwallis is a rural municipality located in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It surrounds the east, south and west sides of Brandon, Manitoba. Most of the land comprising the municipality is farmland, it does however contain a few settlements...
, including the unincorporated urban area of Shilo CFB-BFC, the Regional Municipalities of Whitehead
Whitehead, Manitoba
-External links:*...
, and Elton
Elton, Manitoba
Elton is a rural municipality in the Canadian province of Manitoba, located to the north of the city of Brandon. The community was incorporated in 1883, and its first officials took office the following year.Its population in 2001 was 1,321.-External links:...
all make up the Brandon Census Agglomeration.
For Brandon, 47.4% of the city's population were male, and the remaining 52.6% were female. The average age of Brandonites in 2006 was 37.0, slightly below the provincial average of 38.1. Brandon's population increased by 4.5% above the average 2.6% for the province but below the 5.6% increase for the nation.
Some Brandonites identify as Canadian. The vast majority of Brandonites identify that they are of European descent. 9.8% of Brandon's citizens identify themselves as Aboriginal, and 4.0% of Brandon's citizens are part of a visible minority. Though English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
is the dominant mother tongue for most people in Brandon (90%), some 600 citizens or 1.5% claim French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
as some part of their first language. However 8.9% of people within the city claim some other language besides French or English as their mother tongue.
According to the 2001 census
Canada 2001 Census
The Canada 2001 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 15, 2001. On that day, Statistics Canada attempted to count every person in Canada. The total population count of Canada was 30,007,094. This was a 4% increase over 1996 Census of 28,846,761. In...
76.6% of Brandonites belonged to a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
denomination. The census also revealed that 21.9% of the city's residents did not affiliate with any religion, this is on par with the largest city in Manitoba with 21.7% of Winnipeggers not following a religion. This is above the 18.7% of Manitobans as a whole that do not affiliate with a religion.
Brandon's demographics have been changing with an ever increasing immigrant population due to Maple Leaf importing immigrant workers from China, Ethiopia, Ukraine, China and Latin and South America. From 2004-2009 the plant brought in more than 1700 immigrants to work for the company.
Education
Public schools in Brandon are governed by the Brandon School Division #40. There are approximately 7200 students, 900 staff, 22 schools and a budget exceeding $50 million. There are three high schools: Vincent Massey High School, Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School, and Neelin High SchoolNeelin High School
Neelin High School is a high school in Brandon, Manitoba, west-central Canada.Neelin Composite High School opened in January 1957. The school was named after Thomas Addison Neelin, the Superintendent of the Brandon Schools from 1924 to 1950. Comp...
, as well as Neelin High School's Off-Campus learning centre. Brandon is also home to four post-secondary institutions: Brandon University
Brandon University
Brandon University is a Canadian university located in the city of Brandon, Manitoba, with an enrolment of 3383 full-time and part-time students. The current location was founded on July 13, 1899, as Brandon College as a Baptist institution. It was chartered as a university by then President Dr....
, Assiniboine Community College
Assiniboine Community College
Assiniboine Community College is an accredited college with the Government of Manitoba Council on Post-Secondary Education. ACC offers over 30 programs in the fields of agriculture, environment, business, health and human services and trades and technology...
, Robertson College
Robertson College
Robertson College’s vision began in 1911 after founder M.I. Robertson decided to emigrate from Scotland to live with her sister and brother-in-law in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. In Edinburgh, Scotland, Mrs. Robertson worked in the city hall. It was thought that Mrs. Robertson was married and had a...
, as well as the Manitoba Emergency Services College
Manitoba Emergency Services College
The Manitoba Emergency Services College is an emergency services training facility located in Brandon, Manitoba. It offers educational programs for current or potential firefighters and paramedics....
.
Sports
Local teams
- Brandon UniversityBrandon UniversityBrandon University is a Canadian university located in the city of Brandon, Manitoba, with an enrolment of 3383 full-time and part-time students. The current location was founded on July 13, 1899, as Brandon College as a Baptist institution. It was chartered as a university by then President Dr....
Bobcats (BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
/CWUAA) - Brandon UniversityBrandon UniversityBrandon University is a Canadian university located in the city of Brandon, Manitoba, with an enrolment of 3383 full-time and part-time students. The current location was founded on July 13, 1899, as Brandon College as a Baptist institution. It was chartered as a university by then President Dr....
Bobcats (VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
/CWUAA) - Brandon Wheat KingsBrandon Wheat KingsThe Brandon Wheat Kings are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Brandon, Manitoba. They compete in the Western Hockey League, and joined the league in the 1967–68 season. Prior to that they played in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and were known as the Brandon Elks for a short time in the...
(HockeyIce hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
/Western Hockey LeagueWestern Hockey LeagueThe Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
)
Past sporting events
- The Brier - Canadian Men's Curling Championship (1963, 1982)
- The Scott Tournament of Hearts - Canadian Women's Curling Championship (1993, 2002)
- World Curling Championship - Men's & Women's World Curling Championship (1995)
- Canadian Olympic Curling TrialsCanadian Olympic Curling TrialsThe Canadian Olympic Curling Trials, also known since 2005 as the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings, occur every four years, in the year preceding the Winter Olympic games. They are held to determine the men's and women's representative at the following Olympics. The system of qualification for the...
- Men's & Women's Olympic Curling Trials (1997) - Canada Winter Games - Canada Winter Games (1979)
- Canada Summer Games - Canada Summer Games (1997)
- Special Olympics CanadaSpecial Olympics CanadaSpecial Olympics Canada is a national organization founded in 1969 to help people with intellectual disabilities develop self-confidence and social skills through sports training and competition.-About:...
- Canada Special Olympics Summer Games (2006) - Memorial Cup2010 Memorial CupThe 2010 Memorial Cup was a 4-team round-robin format tournament played during May 14–23, 2010 in Brandon, Manitoba. It determined the 92nd major junior champions of the Canadian Hockey League . The Western Hockey League announced on October 15, 2008, that the Brandon Wheat Kings were chosen to...
- 2010 MasterCard Memorial Cup (2010)
Transportation
- Taxi service is available from numerous local taxi companies.
- The city of Brandon runs Brandon TransitBrandon TransitBrandon Transit is the municipally operated bus service in Brandon; the second largest city in the Province of Manitoba, Canada. Public transportation began in the city in 1913 when the Brandon Municipal Railway started their streetcar service, with bus operations being introduced in 1932 after the...
, which provides daily bus service throughout the city. The system comprises 10 routes that operate only six days a week. (Monday to Saturday) - Brandon is serviced by the Brandon AirportBrandon AirportBrandon Airport or Brandon Municipal Airport , also known as McGill Field, is a municipal airport located north of Brandon, Manitoba, Canada....
, a municipal airport. - Brandon has a GreyhoundGreyhoundThe Greyhound is a breed of sighthound that has been primarily bred for coursing game and racing, and the breed has also recently seen a resurgence in its popularity as a pedigree show dog and family pet. It is a gentle and intelligent breed...
bus station downtown that has daily service to WinnipegWinnipegWinnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
and to other communities in Western Canada. - Brandon has a system of walking / bike trails throughout the city.
Music and the arts
Brandon hosts numerous arts festivals every year, such as the Brandon Festival of the Arts, Brandon Jazz Festival, and the Brandon Folk Festival which has seen performers such as Crash Test DummiesCrash Test Dummies
The Crash Test Dummies is a Canadian folk rock/alternative rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, widely known for their 1993 single "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm".The band is most identifiable through Brad Roberts and his distinctive bass-baritone voice...
, Rheostatics
Rheostatics
Rheostatics was a Genie Award-winning Canadian indie rock band, active from 1980 to 2007.Although they had only one Top 40 hit, "Claire" in 1995, they were simultaneously one of Canada's most influential and unconventional rock bands, a band whose eclectic take on pop and rock music has been...
, Fred Penner
Fred Penner
Frederick Ralph Cornelius Penner, is a Canadian children's entertainer who gives appearances throughout North America. His television show, Fred Penner's Place, aired on CBC in Canada from 1985 to 1997. It was co-produced by Nickelodeon in 1989 and 1990.Penner was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba...
, Buffy Sainte-Marie
Buffy Sainte-Marie
Buffy Sainte-Marie, OC is a Canadian Cree singer-songwriter, musician, composer, visual artist, educator, pacifist, and social activist. Throughout her career in all of these areas, her work has focused on issues of Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Her singing and writing repertoire includes...
and the Wailin' Jennys. The Brandon Folk Festival takes place every summer on the Keystone Centre
Keystone Centre
The Keystone Centre is a multi-purpose facility located in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. It has of multi-use space under one roof. The main 6,042-seat arena, previously known as the Keystone Arena, is now known as Westman Communications Group Place. On May 1, 2007, Westman Communications Group...
grounds. In addition to the music festivals the Brandon University School of Music hosts the annual 'Pro Series' which has included guests like Bob Brookmeyer, George Crumb, and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. In 2009 Brandon was host to the Western Canadian Music Awards
Western Canadian Music Awards
The Western Canadian Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony for music in the western portion of Canada, that originated in its current form in 2003...
.
The "Words Alive" is an annual literary festival held in downtown Brandon. Authors to have participated in this festival include Robert J. Sawyer
Robert J. Sawyer
Robert James Sawyer is a Canadian science fiction writer. He has had 20 novels published, and his short fiction has appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Amazing Stories, On Spec, Nature, and many anthologies. Sawyer has won over forty awards for his fiction, including the Nebula Award ,...
, Maggie Siggins
Maggie Siggins
Maggie Siggins is a Canadian journalist and writer. She was a recipient of the 1992 Governor General's Award for Literary Merit for her non-fiction work Revenge of the Land: A Century of Greed, Tragedy and Murder on a Saskatchewan Farm...
, Fred Stenson
Fred Stenson (writer)
Frederick Stenson is a Canadian writer of historical fiction and non-fiction relating to the Canadian West.In addition to his published work, Stenson has been a faculty member at The Banff Centre, where he has directed the Wired Writing Studio for eleven years. He is also a documentary film...
and Corey Redekop.
Some of the local arts venues include the Westman Centennial Auditorium, Lorne Watson Recital Hall, Evans Theatre, and the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba.
Events and exhibitions
- The Provincial Exhibition of ManitobaProvincial Exhibition of ManitobaThe Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba is a non-profit organization and an agricultural society in Brandon, Manitoba that produces several fairs and events in the city, creating a significant economic impact in the region...
is a non-profit organization established in 1872, which is now housed at the city's extensive Keystone CentreKeystone CentreThe Keystone Centre is a multi-purpose facility located in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. It has of multi-use space under one roof. The main 6,042-seat arena, previously known as the Keystone Arena, is now known as Westman Communications Group Place. On May 1, 2007, Westman Communications Group...
complex. It hosts the- Royal Manitoba Winter Fair (March)
- Manitoba Summer Fair (June)
- Manitoba Livestock Expo (November)
- AgDays - Canada's largest indoor Agricultural Trade Show and Program, and one of the premier shows of its kind in North America. Held in mid January each year at Brandon's Keystone Centre.
- Brandon Folk Music and Arts Festival is a weekend event held annually in late July. The festival is held outdoors on the grounds of the Keystone Centre.
- The Commonwealth Air Training Plan MuseumCommonwealth Air Training Plan MuseumThe Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum is an aviation museum located at Brandon Municipal Airport, Brandon, Manitoba. It is dedicated to the memory of the airmen from the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, who trained at World War II air stations across Canada...
, located at the Brandon Municipal Airport.
Notable residents and former residents
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James Ehnes James Ehnes, CM is a Canadian concert violinist.The son of Alan Ehnes, trumpet professor at Brandon University and Barbara Ehnes, former director of the Brandon School of Dance, James Ehnes began his violin studies at the age of four... - Musician Dan Halldorson Daniel Albert Halldorson is a Canadian professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Canadian Tour.Halldorson was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and raised in Brandon, Manitoba. He did not attend college and turned pro in 1971. He joined the Canadian Tour in 1973 and the PGA Tour in... - Golfer Glen Hanlon Glen A. Hanlon is a retired Canadian National Hockey League goaltender and a former head coach of the Washington Capitals of the NHL, Dynamo Minsk of the Kontinental Hockey League , and the Belarusian national ice hockey team. He was a goaltender scout for the Vancouver Canucks... - NHL Goalie/Coach Ron Hextall Ronald Jeffrey Hextall is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 13 National Hockey League seasons for the Philadelphia Flyers, Quebec Nordiques, and New York Islanders... - NHL Goalie Israel Idonije Israel Idonije is a Nigerian-Canadian defensive end for the National Football League's Chicago Bears. He was signed as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Manitoba... - NFL Player Grant MacEwan John Walter Grant MacEwan, best known as Grant MacEwan was a farmer, Professor at the University of Saskatchewan, Dean of Agriculture at the University of Manitoba, the 28th Mayor of Calgary and both a Member of the Legislative Assembly and the ninth Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, Canada... - Professor Elaine McCoy Elaine McCoy, QC, BA, LL.B is a Canadian senator from Alberta. She has been the last remaining member of the Canadian Senate to sit as a Progressive Conservative since the retirement of Senator Lowell Murray on September 26, 2011.-Senate of Canada:Senator McCoy was appointed to the Senate by... - Senator |
Mike McEwen (curler) Michael "Mike" McEwen is a Canadian curler from Winnipeg, Manitoba, who grew up in Brandon, Manitoba. The McEwen team curls out of the Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club in Winnipeg.-Career:... - Curling Martha Ostenso Martha Ostenso was a Canadian novelist and screenwriter.-Background:Ostenso was born in Haukeland , in Hordaland County, Norway. Her parents were Sigurd and Olina Ostenso. She emigrated with her family to the United States in 1902... - Author Bryce Salvador Bryce Chad Salvador is a professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the New Jersey Devils of the NHL. Salvador was drafted in the sixth round, 138th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. Salvador was traded from the St. Louis Blues to the Devils for Cam... - NHL Player Karl Schroeder Karl Schroeder is an award-winning Canadian science fiction author. His novels present far-future speculations on topics such as nanotechnology, terraforming, augmented reality and interstellar travel, and have a deeply philosophical streak... - Author Amanda Stott Amanda Stott is a Canadian pop singer from Brandon, Manitoba, Canada.-Biography:Amanda grew up on her family farm but her father was a saxophonist and pianist. She started singing in her church choir when she was just three years old and first gained prominence as a country singer at the 1994... - Singer Alicia Thorgrimsson Alicia Thorgrimsson is a Canadian actress born in Brandon, Manitoba to an Icelandic/Scottish father, and a Guyanese mother. A graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada's Acting program , Alicia has appeared in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Stargate SG-1, Da Vinci's Inquest,... - Actress Ryan White (ice hockey) Ryan White is a Canadian professional ice hockey center currently with the Montreal Canadiens organization of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :... - NHL Player (Montreal Canadiens) Ken Wregget Kenneth Wregget is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He won the Stanley Cup in 1992 with the Pittsburgh Penguins.-Playing career:... - NHL Goalie |
See also
- 26th Field Artillery Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery26th Field Artillery Regiment, Royal Canadian ArtilleryThe 26th Field Artillery Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery is a Canadian Forces militia artillery regiment located in Brandon, Manitoba....
- St. Matthew's Anglican Cathedral, BrandonSt. Matthew's Anglican Cathedral, BrandonSt. Matthew's Cathedral, is the Anglican cathedral in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. The cathedral is located in a residential neighbourhood on 13th Street near Victoria Avenue.Built in between 1912 and 1913 to designs by Brandon architect W.A...
Further reading
- MB.ca, Special issue of Manitoba History (October 2007) on history of Brandon
External links
- Brandon.ca, City of Brandon
- Brandon Mental Health Center