Trans Canada breaks ground for craft brewery

Trans Canada Brewing Co. hopes to open its new Brandon location as early as this December, the company’s president said.

Staff and dignitaries held a sod-turning event at the future site of the craft brewery, taproom and restaurant at 105 Middleton Ave., just off the Trans-Canada Highway.

“This has been in the works now for well over a year, and to finally break ground today is a pretty exciting opportunity for us. It’s going to be a good one,” Will Lisson said in an interview after the event.

Construction will cost upwards of $3 million and will be carried out by Crane Steel Structures, he said.

“It’s a big swing, but one we’re pretty excited about making.”

The company currently has one location in southwest Winnipeg, which first opened in 2017.

“We really want to be a household name in brewing in all of Manitoba, not just Winnipeg,” Lisson said.

“Brandon’s such a great beer-loving city. We can’t wait to be here.”

Lisson said the design concept for Brandon will be very similar to the Winnipeg operation. At more than 7,000 square feet, it will have room for somewhere between 120 to 150 people, including a 40- to 50-person function room. It will also include a small retail store and a production facility.

The production facility will brew all of its beer varieties on site, while the store will sell some varieties of beer that it doesn’t sell in third-party liquor stores.

“It’s a bit of a smaller production facility than our Kenaston (Boulevard) location is, but we still will have more than enough ample opportunity here to produce all the beer that’s going to be consumed here on site,” Lisson said.

He envisions between 16 and 20 taps of beer flowing on any night of the week, with “everything that you’re drinking here in the glass to be fresh coming out of those tanks right here.”

The new location will create about 30 jobs, he said, which will be a mix of full- and part-time positions.

He said the location of the restaurant on the highway is perfect for traffic, while still being a destination for Brandonites.

“It’s a big investment in both the infrastructure and the community here, and really trying to bring our best foot forward,” Lisson said.

“We think if we can bring our recipe of great beer, great pizza and just really great service and hospitality and experience, we think it’ll be worth the trip.”

Lisson said with a bit of luck and good fortune on the construction side, the Brandon location could be open at the end of the year.

The company had initially planned to open the facility this spring. But Lisson said with it being their first expansion, they “may have been shooting a little bit high” and there were delays with the original developer and pre-construction work.

Gerald Cathcart, the city’s director of economic development, said the city is excited to have Trans Canada Brewing choose Brandon and settle in a high-profile part of town.

“New investments, new jobs, part-time and full-time jobs are always important to a community. I’m sure the community is looking forward to tasting not only the craft beer, but the wonderful menu that Trans Canada has available,” Cathcart said.

He said new business is always welcome in Brandon, and especially so when it comes to Trans Canada’s track record in Winnipeg.

» alambert@brandonsun.com