Reg Atkinson
Encyclopedia
Reginald C. Atkinson is a businessman and politician in Manitoba
, Canada
. He was the Mayor of Brandon, Manitoba
from 1997 to 2002, and campaigned for the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
in 2003
.
from 1981 to 1989, and owned a small farming implements business in this community before relocating to Brandon in 1994. He was elected as Mayor of Brandon in a by-election
on September 24, 1997 after the previous mayor, Rick Borotsik
, was elected to the Canadian House of Commons
. Atkinson was 49 years old.
In late 1999, the president of Maple Leaf Foods
announced that Brandon had been selected out of 42 possible communities for construction of a $112 million hog processing plant. Atkinson welcomed the decision, saying that it could increase the city's population by 10,000 (to 50,000) in a short period of time. Maple Leaf selected Brandon, in part, because it was known to be one of least expensive areas in Canada to raise hogs.
Atkinson spoke against a proposed Clean Environment Commission review of the Maple Leaf project in 1998, describing it as a stalling tactic, and supported provincial Environment Minister
Jim McCrae's conclusion that a formal review would not be necessary during the construction phase. He also opposed a request from councillors in the nearby Long Plain First Nation
for a federal environmental assessment. Construction of the plant began in April 1998, and operations began in August 1999.
Atkinson was easily re-elected in 1998
, defeating two minor challengers who criticized aspects of the Maple Leaf deal. The following year, he led council in approving a plan for the city to own and operate a wastewater treatment plant to serve the Maple Leaf facility. The project ultimately cost $13.5 million (some of which was paid by the province), and was derided by critics as "corporate welfare". The city administrator responded to this charge by arguing that most of the money went to improving Brandon's existing capacity for water and wastewater treatment.
Other issues
Atkinson helped coordinate other projects for the city. Simplot
opened a new Brandon facility in 1999, setting up a $230 million plant for liquid and granular fertilizers. The Dutch
firm Installatie Techniek Boxmeer set up a plant to manufacture livestock ventilation equipment in the same period.
Aktinson rejected at least two proposals from aboriginal groups to construct a casino
in Brandon. He opposes casinos on principle, arguing that they contribute to gambling addictions and provide few social benefits in return. He also opposes the separate taxation system for urban reserve lands, and believes that aboriginal Canadians should fall under the same tax apparatus as non-aboriginals. Notwithstanding his views on casinos, Atkinson supported using Video Lottery Terminal
s to raise revenues, and rejected calls for a plebiscite on the issue.
Atkinson was a prominent supporter of a plan to move the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
from Winnipeg
to the Canadian Forces Base Shilo in Brandon, and welcomed Defence Minister Art Eggleton
's decision to approve the transfer in early 2001.
Late in his term, Atkinson led council in approving a comprehensive by-law against indoor smoking, with no age limits or exemptions for bars.
Style
Atkinson promoted a "down-to-earth" and populist approach to politics. He wore a loud yellow shirt and happy face
tie to an all-candidates debate in 1998, and was quoted as saying, "I don't use a lot of big words because I don't know them". The journal Manitoba Business once described his political style as "gregarious".
Retirement from municipal politics
Atkinson unexpectedly announced that he would not seek re-election in 2002.
Atkinson is the current Reeve of the Rural Municipality of Cornwallis which surrounds Brandon on three sides.
nomination to contest Brandon—Souris
in the 2000 federal election
. He unexpectedly lost to Gary Nestibo.
He campaigned for the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
in 2003
as the Progressive Conservative
candidate in Brandon West, and lost to New Democratic Party
incumbent Scott Smith by a wide margin.
Atkinson was elected mayor of Hartney in either 1980 or 1981, and re-elected in 1983
and 1986
.
All provincial election information is taken from Elections Manitoba
. The 1998 mayoral results are taken from the Winnipeg Free Press, 29 October 1998, A13. The final results did not significantly change Atkinson's margin of victory.
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...
. He was the Mayor of Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon, Manitoba
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...
from 1997 to 2002, and campaigned for the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...
in 2003
Manitoba general election, 2003
The Manitoba general election held on June 3, 2003 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the New Democratic Party, which won 35 seats out of 57. The Progressive Conservative Party finished second with twenty seats...
.
Early life and career
Atkinson was mayor of Hartney, ManitobaHartney, Manitoba
Hartney, established as a town in 1882 in Cameron municipality along the Souris River, is a small town in the South-Western portion of the Canadian province of Manitoba, population 400 . It is named after the legendary Mr...
from 1981 to 1989, and owned a small farming implements business in this community before relocating to Brandon in 1994. He was elected as Mayor of Brandon in a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
on September 24, 1997 after the previous mayor, Rick Borotsik
Rick Borotsik
Rick Borotsik is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served as Mayor of Brandon from 1989 to 1997, was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2004, and was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in 2007...
, was elected to the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
. Atkinson was 49 years old.
Mayor of Brandon
Hog processingIn late 1999, the president of Maple Leaf Foods
Maple Leaf Foods
Maple Leaf Foods Inc. is a major Canadian food processing company, founded in 1927 as a merger of several major Toronto meat packers.-History:The company was originally known as Canada Packers...
announced that Brandon had been selected out of 42 possible communities for construction of a $112 million hog processing plant. Atkinson welcomed the decision, saying that it could increase the city's population by 10,000 (to 50,000) in a short period of time. Maple Leaf selected Brandon, in part, because it was known to be one of least expensive areas in Canada to raise hogs.
Atkinson spoke against a proposed Clean Environment Commission review of the Maple Leaf project in 1998, describing it as a stalling tactic, and supported provincial Environment Minister
Minister of Environment (Manitoba)
The Minister of Environment is a former cabinet portfolio in Manitoba, Manitoba. In 1999, it was merged with the responsibilities of the Minister of Natural Resources to create a new Minister of Conservation portfolio....
Jim McCrae's conclusion that a formal review would not be necessary during the construction phase. He also opposed a request from councillors in the nearby Long Plain First Nation
Long Plain First Nation
The Long Plain First Nation is an Ojibway First Nation located in the Central Plains region of Manitoba, Canada. It is located to the southwest of Portage la Prairie along the Assiniboine River. It lies between the Rural Municipality of Portage la Prairie and the Rural Municipality of South...
for a federal environmental assessment. Construction of the plant began in April 1998, and operations began in August 1999.
Atkinson was easily re-elected in 1998
Manitoba municipal elections, 1998
The 1998 Manitoba municipal elections were held on October 28, 1998 to elect mayors, councillors and school trustees in various communities throughout Manitoba, Canada.-Brandon:...
, defeating two minor challengers who criticized aspects of the Maple Leaf deal. The following year, he led council in approving a plan for the city to own and operate a wastewater treatment plant to serve the Maple Leaf facility. The project ultimately cost $13.5 million (some of which was paid by the province), and was derided by critics as "corporate welfare". The city administrator responded to this charge by arguing that most of the money went to improving Brandon's existing capacity for water and wastewater treatment.
Other issues
Atkinson helped coordinate other projects for the city. Simplot
Simplot
The J. R. Simplot Company, commonly referred to as Simplot, was founded in 1923 by 14-year-old J. R. Simplot near the small agricultural community of Declo in south central Idaho. J. R. Simplot led his company to tremendous growth in the period between its founding and World War II...
opened a new Brandon facility in 1999, setting up a $230 million plant for liquid and granular fertilizers. The Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
firm Installatie Techniek Boxmeer set up a plant to manufacture livestock ventilation equipment in the same period.
Aktinson rejected at least two proposals from aboriginal groups to construct a casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
in Brandon. He opposes casinos on principle, arguing that they contribute to gambling addictions and provide few social benefits in return. He also opposes the separate taxation system for urban reserve lands, and believes that aboriginal Canadians should fall under the same tax apparatus as non-aboriginals. Notwithstanding his views on casinos, Atkinson supported using Video Lottery Terminal
Video Lottery Terminal
A Video Lottery Terminal or VLT is a gaming machine that allows gamblers to bet on the outcome of a video game.A VLT is similar to a slot machine, in that each terminal is a stand-alone device containing a random-number generator...
s to raise revenues, and rejected calls for a plebiscite on the issue.
Atkinson was a prominent supporter of a plan to move the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry is one of the three regular force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army. The regiment is composed of four battalions including a primary reserve battalion, for a total of 2,000 soldiers...
from 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...
to the Canadian Forces Base Shilo in Brandon, and welcomed Defence Minister Art Eggleton
Art Eggleton
Arthur "Art" C. Eggleton, PC is a former Canadian Cabinet minister and Mayor of Toronto, and is currently a Senator representing Ontario.-City council:...
's decision to approve the transfer in early 2001.
Late in his term, Atkinson led council in approving a comprehensive by-law against indoor smoking, with no age limits or exemptions for bars.
Style
Atkinson promoted a "down-to-earth" and populist approach to politics. He wore a loud yellow shirt and happy face
Smiley
A smiley, smiley face, or happy face, is a stylized representation of a smiling human face, commonly occurring in popular culture. It is commonly represented as a yellow circle with two black dots representing eyes and a black arc representing the mouth...
tie to an all-candidates debate in 1998, and was quoted as saying, "I don't use a lot of big words because I don't know them". The journal Manitoba Business once described his political style as "gregarious".
Retirement from municipal politics
Atkinson unexpectedly announced that he would not seek re-election in 2002.
Atkinson is the current Reeve of the Rural Municipality of Cornwallis which surrounds Brandon on three sides.
Federal and provincial politics
Atkinson sought the Canadian AllianceCanadian Alliance
The Canadian Alliance , formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance , was a Canadian conservative political party that existed from 2000 to 2003. The party was the successor to the Reform Party of Canada and inherited its position as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons and held...
nomination to contest Brandon—Souris
Brandon—Souris
Brandon—Souris is a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1953.-Demographics:-Geography:The district is in the southwestern corner of the Province of Manitoba...
in the 2000 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2000
The 2000 Canadian federal election was held on November 27, 2000, to elect 301 Members of Parliament of the Canadian House of Commons of the 37th Parliament of Canada....
. He unexpectedly lost to Gary Nestibo.
He campaigned for the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...
in 2003
Manitoba general election, 2003
The Manitoba general election held on June 3, 2003 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the New Democratic Party, which won 35 seats out of 57. The Progressive Conservative Party finished second with twenty seats...
as the Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba is the only right wing political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is also the official opposition party in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.-Origins and early years:...
candidate in Brandon West, and lost to New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party of Manitoba
The New Democratic Party of Manitoba is a social-democratic political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is the provincial wing of the federal New Democratic Party, and is a successor to the Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation...
incumbent Scott Smith by a wide margin.
Electoral record
113 of 121 polls reporting.Atkinson was elected mayor of Hartney in either 1980 or 1981, and re-elected in 1983
Manitoba municipal elections, 1983
The 1983 Manitoba municipal elections were held in October 1983 to elect mayors, councillors, and school trustees in various communities throughout Manitoba, Canada.-Hartney:...
and 1986
Manitoba municipal elections, 1986
The 1986 Manitoba municipal elections were held in October 1986 to elect mayors, councillors and school trustees in various communities throughout Manitoba, Canada.-Brandon:...
.
All provincial election information is taken from Elections Manitoba
Elections Manitoba
Elections Manitoba is the non-partisan agency of the Government of Manitoba, responsible for the conduct of provincial elections....
. The 1998 mayoral results are taken from the Winnipeg Free Press, 29 October 1998, A13. The final results did not significantly change Atkinson's margin of victory.