Downtown businesses raise security concerns

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This article was published 02/09/2023 (833 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Despite significant efforts by various stakeholders — including the Brandon Downtown Development Corporation, the Manitoba government, and local authorities — the heart of Brandon’s business community downtown is facing an ongoing battle with security and homelessness issues.

Business owners in the downtown area continue to voice their concerns about the challenges they face, from security threats to property vandalism. While some businesses are forging ahead with new branches and renovations, a considerable number are hesitant due to ongoing security concerns.

One of the business owners is Auto Parts Central branch lead Matthew Fehr, who highlighted some of the prevailing issues.

“The biggest problems we have downtown are the homelessness, the garbage, the drugs — needles,” he said. “It’s a sketchy place. You can’t even go to the bank by yourself. You’ve got to take someone with you.”

These concerns have real-world consequences for business owners, such as Shalom Auto Repair founder Kflom Haile.

“I started the business two years ago, and it has been good. On two occasions, valuables have been stolen from two of our vehicles in our garage,” Haile said. “They stole batteries and electric wires from vehicles. I am not aware of any programs introduced by the Brandon Downtown Development Corporation. All I want is a safe environment to operate.”

Guinness Tavern by the Double Decker co-owner Niral Patel also echoed these sentiments.

“The issue of security is our major challenge here,” Patel said. “(A) few weeks ago, some homeless people broke our windows. Security is a big concern, and we need a more secure environment here because we are trying to make our environment as safe as possible.”

Patel acknowledged that both the Brandon Downtown Development Corporation and the City of Brandon have made several efforts to make life easier for business operators in the area but more needs to be done.

“With these efforts, some homeless people still come into our restaurants, drink and then walk away without payment. They also harass our employees, and that is a big concern for people working with us,” he told the Sun.

These challenges have left no one untouched, including not-for-profit businesses like the MCC Thrift Shop. Despite its charitable mission, MCC Thrift Shop manager Shelly Burrows said that the store experienced vandalism and theft.

“We’ve had vandalism, we’ve had theft. So, there’s been that bit of a negative thing of being a part of downtown,” Burrows told the Sun. “And some of the people who don’t have a home and feel entitled because they say, ‘Well, you got it for free, so I should be able to take it for free.’ But we try to educate them. We may have got it for free, but the person who donated it wanted MCC to earn money to continue to do its work. They had a purpose in mind when they donated, not just to give it for free or for it to be found lying outside for anyone to take. But we’ve had to do some things like get cameras, put in alarm systems because insurance can’t keep paying out if somebody’s going to keep stealing or vandalizing the place.”

Amid these challenges, several downtown buildings are up for sale, ranging in price from $375,000 to $1.79 million.

Some of the buildings are 817 Rosser Ave. (currently housing Brandon Newcomers Centre); 829 Rosser Ave. (currently housing Ten Thousand Villages); 29 10th St.; and 118 10th St. (currently housing a hair salon), among other properties.

BDDC downtown program co-ordinator Emmanuel Ahaneku acknowledged the security concerns raised by business owners.

He emphasized a collaborative approach to address these issues, including working with local law enforcement to enhance police presence and implementing security camera systems to create a safer environment for businesses and their customers.

“We are looking at having a police station around, and we are also working with them in terms of escalation of some of these issues. Also, in our program, we plan to fix security cameras, for example, to make businesses safer for their customers,” he said.

Despite the challenges, there is a shared determination among stakeholders to revitalize downtown Brandon and create a safe and thriving business community.

“I still see a lot of good and a lot of potential with downtown,” Brandon Area Realtors president Zack Munn said. “It’s got a lot of great history and still a lot of great established businesses and a lot of great people in the area as well.”

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