Downtown efforts may be paying off

When it comes to downtown Brandon, it can be very easy to be skeptical of any new ideas and initiatives that local groups and authorities embark upon.

After all, the question of downtown degradation has been an ongoing issue since at least the mid-1960s, as the popular business shift away from Rosser, Princess and Pacific avenues to suburban shopping malls became more noticeable. That was to accelerate even faster when big box stores came knocking at the turn of the last century, with demands for large parking spaces and stand-alone structures.

By the 1980s, the deteriorating state of the downtown core was a hot topic, even as the bulldozer took down the old city hall building and the Prince Edward Hotel.

Over the decades, several well-meaning attempts at downtown revitalization have been made by elected officials and by organizations such as Renaissance Brandon, the Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation and the Brandon Downtown Development Corporation.

More recently, the Downtown Biz has taken up the mantle of downtown booster and defender of local business interests.

There have been demolition and building efforts, everything from the destruction of the former Beaubier and Brandon Inn hotels which had essentially become housing for the city’s less affluent and downtrodden residents to the construction of the new YMCA on Princess, the Kristopher Campbell Memorial Skateboard Plaza, the Global Market efforts, and several attempts to rebuild and reuse historic buildings on 10th Street and Rosser Avenue.

Of late, public discussions have turned to addressing rising crime and safety, with Brandon police having to put significant human resources into addressing a wave of drug and mental-health related issues that have become prevalent downtown.

But as former police chief Wayne Balcaen said some years back, Brandon will not arrest its way out of a worsening situation, so a better, more comprehensive plan was required.

That effort and insight has culminated into a recent initiative by Brandon police Chief Tyler Bates to bring together businesses, social services and other community partners, area residents and police operations in a Downtown Safety Strategy.

We may be seeing the fruits of these efforts in recent statistics from the police suggesting that commercial and residential break-ins are down by roughly 50 per cent from 2021, when the city recorded some of its highest numbers.

As we reported this week, BPS received 216 break-and-enter calls for service in 2025, down from 312 in 2024 and 449 calls for service in 2021.

In his comments to the Sun, Bates credited the cadet program as a meaningful contribution to community wellness, with the presences of cadets playing a large part in the “dramatic decline” in B&E calls.

“I think that the numbers being parallel to that investment in our cadet program are not by accident. They’re not coincidental,” Bates said. “I think this speaks to the value of not just reacting and responding to crime, but the value of proactive presence.”

The engagement with vulnerable people downtown as well as business people in the community by police cadets has provided an improved level of trust when it comes to downtown safety, as officers are highly visible as they walk the streets.

It’s the kind of turnaround we want to see.

And there are still other efforts downtown that could be beneficial for businesses and property owners that remain. The BDDC has recently expanded its Facade & Storefront Improvement Program funding. As of April 1, the program will cover 50 per cent of eligible project costs — an increase from the previous 25 per cent — as a means to encourage upgrades to the exterior of downtown buildings.

And you have to give the Downtown Biz an ‘A’ for effort when it comes to innovative attempts to rally downtown businesses and to hosting events meant to bring more people back to the area.

Downtown Biz executive director Emmy Sanderson is correct, of course, when she says that the downtown has “a long way to go.” This city has to do more to counter what has been a sustained and demoralizing downtown downturn for generations of Brandonites. And it takes a lot to change people’s minds.

But there is still a will in this city to turn things around.

We can see that by the ongoing efforts of elected officials, our police and local businesses and downtown boosters who refuse to give up. We hope these efforts will not only be bolstered by this bit of good news, but entice us all to redouble those efforts.

As Sanderson also told the Sun, when everyone is working together, it makes a difference.

Carry on.

» Matt Goerzen, managing editor