Brandon, Manitoba facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brandon
City
City of Brandon
Skyline of Brandon Dominion Exhibition Display Building II Brandon Court House Brandon Central Fire Station building Downtown Brandon Assiniboine River Brandon University
Flag Coat of arms Logo
Nickname(s):  "Wheat City"
Motto(s):  "Vires Acquirit Eundo"  (Latin) "She acquires strength through progress"
Brandon Location in Canada Show map of Canada Brandon Location in Manitoba Show map of Manitoba
Country	Canada
Province	Manitoba
Region	Westman
Incorporated	30 May 1882
Area
• City	79.04 km2 (30.52 sq mi)
• Urban	76.89 km2 (29.69 sq mi)
• Metro	2,289.33 km2 (883.92 sq mi)
Elevation	409.40 m (1,343.18 ft)
Population  (2021)
• City	51,313 (2nd)
• Density	649.2/km2 (1,681/sq mi)
• Metro	54,268 (58th)
• Metro density	25.3/km2 (66/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC– 06:00 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC– 05:00 (CDT)
Forward sortation area	R7A – R7C
Area code(s)	204, 431
Demonym	Brandonite, Brandonian

Brandon is the second-largest city in Manitoba, Canada. It is in the southwest part of the province. The city sits on the banks of the Assiniboine River. It is about 214 kilometers (133 miles) west of Winnipeg, the capital of Manitoba. Brandon is also 120 kilometers (75 miles) east of the Saskatchewan border.

Brandon covers an area of about 77.41 square kilometers (29.89 sq mi). In 2021, its population was 51,313 people. The larger area around Brandon, called the census metropolitan area, had 54,268 people. Brandon is a major center for trade and business in the Westman Region. It also serves parts of southeastern Saskatchewan and northern North Dakota.

The City of Brandon became an official city in 1882. Its history is linked to the fur trade along the Assiniboine River. It was also an important stop on the Canadian Pacific Railway. Brandon is known as The Wheat City because farming is a big part of its economy. Other important industries include health care, making goods, food processing, education, and transportation.

Brandon has several places for higher education. These include Brandon University and Assiniboine Community College. Canadian Forces Base Shilo, a military base, is about 30 kilometers (19 miles) east of Brandon. It has strong connections with the city. The Keystone Centre in Brandon is a large place for entertainment, sports, and farming events. It is home to the Brandon Wheat Kings hockey team and the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair.

History of Brandon

Before many people came from Eastern Canada, the area around Brandon was home to Indigenous groups. These included the Sioux people, the Bungays, the Yellow Quills, and the Bird Tails. In the 1870s and early 1880s, the Plains Bison (buffalo) were almost completely hunted. The buffalo were a main food source for these groups. Because of this, many nomadic Sioux people began to settle in reservations, like the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation. Others left the area.

French Canadians also traveled through this area. They used river boats on their way to Fort Ellice, a Hudson Bay Post. This post was near what is now St. Lazare, Manitoba. The city of Brandon got its name from the Blue Hills south of the city. These hills were named after an old Hudson's Bay trading post called Brandon House. That post was named after a hill on an island in James Bay. Captain James had anchored his ship there in 1631.

In the 1870s, most people thought the main railway across Canada would go northwest from Portage la Prairie. Many believed it would pass through Minnedosa or Rapid City, Manitoba. These towns were good because they had natural river crossings. Rapid City was even getting ready for a building boom. But in 1881, the railway builders changed their minds. They decided to take a more westerly route from Winnipeg, towards Grand Valley. Grand Valley was on the north side of the Assiniboine River, across from where Brandon is today.

Grand Valley was first settled by two brothers, John and Dougal McVicar, and their families. With the railway expected, settlers rushed to the area. Around 1879, some settlers, led by Reverend George Roddick, began building homes about 10 kilometers (6 miles) south of Grand Valley. This was at the foot of the Brandon Hills.

Wagons loaded with bags of grain waiting to be delivered to elevators in Brandon, around 1888.

Meanwhile, Grand Valley started to grow quickly because of the railway promise. Steam sternwheelers regularly brought more settlers to the town. In the spring of 1881, General Thomas L. Rosser, the Chief Engineer for the Canadian Pacific Railway, arrived in Grand Valley. His job was to pick the townsites for the railway. Rosser offered Dougald McVicar of Grand Valley $25,000 for the railway land. McVicar asked for $50,000. Rosser then said he would not build a town there. Instead, Rosser crossed the Assiniboine River. He chose a spot on the high, sandy land south of the river, about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) west of Grand Valley. This new spot was just west of today's First Street bridge in Brandon. A man named J.D. Adamson had built a small shelter there. Rosser chose Adamson's land for the CPR Railway site and named it Brandon.

Even after the railway site moved, some hoped Grand Valley could still be a nearby rival to Brandon. But in late June 1881, Grand Valley flooded quickly and badly because it was built on low ground. Brandon, however, was built on higher land on the other side of the river. It became clear that Brandon was the better place for a city.

Rosser chose Brandon as the townsite in May 1881. Within a year, so many settlers came that Brandon became a city. It never existed as a town or village first.

A temporary camp was set up at the Exhibition Building in Brandon from September 1914 to July 1916. After World War II, Brandon had a small accident. An explosion at the Manitoba Power Commission's steam plant caused a 40-meter (130 ft) brick chimney to fall. Two workers sadly died.

More recently, Shari Decter Hirst became the first female mayor of Brandon. She won the election in 2010.

Geography of Brandon

View of Downtown Brandon and the Canadian Pacific Railway yards from the Daly overpass.

Brandon is in southwestern Manitoba, right on the Assiniboine River. It is part of the Canadian Prairies. The area around Brandon is mostly flat with gentle hills. There is also a large valley within the city itself. The Brandon Hills are to the southeast. These hills gave Brandon its name. Brandon is 214 kilometers (133 miles) west of Winnipeg. It is also 120 kilometers (75 miles) east of the Saskatchewan border.

Climate in Brandon

Brandon has a dry continental climate. This means it has warm, sometimes hot summers and cold, dry winters. In July, daytime temperatures are around 26.0°C (78.8°F). In January, they are about -10.5°C (13.1°F). Brandon is quite dry, getting about 462 millimeters (18.2 inches) of rain and snow each year. This is why it is in the Palliser's Triangle region.

It rains on about 56 days a year. Snow falls on about 38.8 days. Snow usually falls from October to April. However, it has snowed as late as May and as early as September. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Brandon was 43.3°C (109.9°F) on July 11, 1936. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -46.7°C (-52.1°F) on February 1, 1893.

General seasons

• Winter: November to March
• Spring: April to May
• Summer: June to August
• Fall: September to October

People and Population in Brandon

In the 2021 Canadian census, Brandon had a population of 51,313 people. This was a small increase from its 2016 population of 48,883. The city has a population density of about 649 people per square kilometer.

The average age in Brandon is 36.3 years old. This is younger than the national average in Canada, which is 41.2 years old. Most homes in Brandon are occupied, with a rate of 94.1%. The average cost of a home in Brandon is $264,781. This is lower than the national average of $341,556.

When it comes to education, many adults in Brandon have completed higher education. About 57.0% of people aged 25 to 64 have a degree after high school. Another 29.8% have a high school degree. Only 13.2% do not have any certificates or degrees. The unemployment rate in Brandon is 7.3%, which is a bit lower than the national average of 7.7%. The average household income before taxes is $65,960, and after taxes it is $57,008.

As of 2016, most of Brandon's residents (88.8%) are Canadian citizens. About 5.5% of residents are recent immigrants who moved to Canada between 2011 and 2016.

Different Backgrounds in Brandon

Brandon is a diverse city. About 70.1% of its people are white. About 16.3% are visible minorities, and 13.6% are Indigenous. The largest visible minority groups in Brandon are people from Latin America (5.0%), China (3.8%), South Asia (3.0%), Black (2.1%), and the Philippines (1.1%).

Languages Spoken in Brandon

In 2021, the census found that English was the main language spoken at home for 80.6% of the population. Other common first languages included Spanish (4.2%), Gujarati (2.8%), and Mandarin (2.0%). French was spoken by 1.4% of the population.

Education in Brandon

Brandon College building and Clark Hall building at Brandon University.

Public schools in Brandon are managed by the Brandon School Division. This division has about 7,200 students and 900 staff members. There are 22 schools in total. Brandon has four high schools: Vincent Massey High School, Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School, Neelin High School, and Prairie Hope High School.

Brandon is also home to four places for higher education. These are Brandon University, Assiniboine Community College, Robertson College, and the Manitoba Emergency Services College.

Sports in Brandon

Keystone Centre

Local Sports Teams

• Brandon University Bobcats (Basketball/CWUAA)
• Brandon University Bobcats (Volleyball/CWUAA)
• Brandon Wheat Kings (Ice Hockey/Western Hockey League)
• Wheat City Whiskey Jacks (Baseball/Expedition League)

Major Sporting Events Hosted in Brandon

• The Brier – Canadian Men's Curling Championship (1963, 1982, 2019)
• U-18 Baseball World Cup – International U-18 Baseball Competition (1991, 1994)
• 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 Trials – Men's & Women's Olympic Curling Trials (1997)
• Canada Winter Games – Canada Winter Games (1979)
• Canada Summer Games – Canada Summer Games (1997)
• Special Olympics Canada – Canada Special Olympics Summer Games (2006)
• Memorial Cup – MasterCard Memorial Cup (2010)

Sports Venues in Brandon

• Keystone Centre
• Brandon Community Sportsplex
• Andrews Field
• Ashley Neufeld Softball Complex

Infrastructure in Brandon

Transportation in Brandon

Brandon Municipal Airport passenger terminal building.

Brandon has its own airport, the Brandon Municipal Airport. For bus travel, Rider Express offers service from Regina and Winnipeg once a week. Brandon Air Shuttle also provides bus service from Winnipeg Airport several times a day. You can also find taxi services from local companies.

The city of Brandon has its own bus system called Brandon Transit. It offers daily bus service throughout the city with 10 routes, seven days a week. Brandon also has a network of walking and bike trails. The Canadian Pacific Railway runs through Brandon, and its station is a historic landmark. Cando Rail & Terminals, a railway company, has its main office in Brandon.

Hospitals in Brandon

The city is served by the Brandon Regional Health Centre. This hospital has 300 beds and is the largest in the Westman Region.

Utilities in Brandon

The City of Brandon provides water and sewage services. The city gets its water from the Assiniboine River. The water is treated at a plant on McDonald Avenue. The Shellmouth Dam helps control the river's flow to make sure there's enough water for communities. Brandon also has two emergency groundwater wells. These can provide water if there's a problem with the main water supply. Like most places in Manitoba, Brandon gets almost all its electricity from Manitoba Hydro, which uses hydro (water) power. The Brandon Generating Station used to be a coal-powered plant. Now, it uses natural gas and helps regulate electricity in southwest Manitoba.

Media in Brandon

The Brandon Sun is a local newspaper that publishes daily.

Music and the Arts in Brandon

Merchants Bank Building on Rosser Avenue, built in 1907.

Brandon hosts many art festivals each year. These include the Brandon Festival of the Arts, Brandon Jazz Festival, and the Brandon Folk Music Festival. The Brandon University School of Music also has an annual 'Pro Series' with famous guest performers. In 2009, Brandon hosted the Western Canadian Music Awards.

"Words Alive" was a yearly festival for writers held in downtown Brandon from 2007 to 2010. Some local art places include the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium, Lorne Watson Recital Hall, Evans Theatre, and the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba.

Events and Exhibitions in Brandon

• The Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba is an organization that started in 1872. It now holds events at the city's large Keystone Centre complex. These events include:
  • Royal Manitoba Winter Fair (March)
  • Manitoba Summer Fair (June)
  • Manitoba Livestock Expo (November)
• AgDays – This is Canada's largest indoor farming trade show. It is one of the top shows of its kind in North America. It happens in mid-January each year at Brandon's Keystone Centre.
• Brandon Folk Music and Arts Festival – This is a weekend event held every year in late July. The festival takes place outdoors on the grounds of the Keystone Centre.
• The Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum – This museum is located at the Brandon Municipal Airport.

Notable People from Brandon

See also

In Spanish: Brandon (Manitoba) para niños