Brandon delegation back from Ottawa

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This article was published 29/10/2024 (585 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A first-of-its-kind delegation from Brandon visited Ottawa last week to raise the Wheat City’s profile on the national and international stage.

Participating in the delegation were Brandon East NDP MLA Glen Simard, Mayor Jeff Fawcett, Construction Association of Rural Manitoba executive director Shawn Wood and representatives from Assiniboine College, Westman Immigrant Services and the Brandon Chamber of Commerce. A Brandon University representative was supposed to attend, but had to back out at the last minute.

Speaking to the Sun on Monday, Fawcett said he wanted to make a return trip to Ottawa after visiting last year to advocate for Housing Accelerator Fund money and a low-interest loan from the Canadian Infrastructure Bank for upgrades to the municipal water treatment plant and the southwest lift station project.

“This year, we knew we needed to go back,” Fawcett said. “I’ve got some very specific things I was there for.”

That includes applications to federal grants like the federal Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Program to help pay for the proposed cultural hub redesign of the Library/Arts Building and an application to the Canadian Public Transit Fund to help revitalize Brandon’s bus fleet.

Among Fawcett’s highlights was a meeting with staff from Housing Minister Sean Fraser’s office, as well his parliamentary secretary, St. Catharines Liberal MP Chris Bittle.

“We laid out a little bit more on areas that we’ll be looking to (build) critical infrastructure,” Fawcett said. “We do know that there is some housing funding coming available for things.”

The mayor said word got out that he was going and the other organizations asked if they could tag along.

He said all organizations paid their own way for the trip. The cost for the city’s three representatives — Fawcett, his executive assistant Madison Fortin and economic development director Gerald Cathcart — was in the neighbourhood of $2,500.

While there aren’t any specific announcements stemming from the trip, Fawcett said the hope is that it will build toward future projects.

He said he wanted to send out future delegations, including ones to Winnipeg.

Next time around, the mayor said he would like to include representatives from social services in Brandon to speak about the challenges they’re experiencing, though they did their best to convey what has been learned by groups like the Action Research on Chronic Homelessness project.

Simard — also Manitoba’s minister of sport, culture and heritage — said Monday that the trip from Oct. 21-23 was his first time visiting Canada’s capital city since being elected as an MLA about a year ago.

“Brandon really was our focus, really raising the profile of our city and the needs of our city (to) show a united force. I think that was really important to me, to demonstrate that we are all in it together and we’re all pulling the rope in the same direction.”– Glen Simard

“It was the first time that this region, Brandon, has taken a united approach to being able to advocate for the region in the national scene,” Simard said.

“It was something that we had been discussing early on in my tenure here as the MLA for Brandon East, that in order to get things done, we need to raise the profile and really advocate for our city with the people in Ottawa.”

Simard said that some of the dignitaries and organizations the delegation met with included the Prime Minister’s Office, Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada Dan Vandal as well as Liberal, Conservative and NDP members of Parliament.

A reception hosted by the Brandon delegation had guests like Brandon-Souris Conservative MP Larry Maguire and various ambassadors.

On a personal level, Simard said he met with federal Sport Minister Carla Qualtrough and Mental Health and Addictions Minister Ya’ara Saks.

Other projects and causes the delegation advocated for, Simard said, included Assiniboine College’s Prairie Innovation Centre, a future eastbound flight from Brandon Municipal Airport and the resources needed to help locals struggling with addiction.

“Brandon really was our focus, really raising the profile of our city and the needs of our city (to) show a united force,” Simard said. “I think that was really important to me, to demonstrate that we are all in it together and we’re all pulling the rope in the same direction.”

Going forward, Simard said he’d like to see this kind of delegation be the rule, not the exception. In terms of reciprocal visits stemming from the Ottawa trip, Simard said the European Union will be sending its own delegation to Manitoba next year for which Brandon will be put on the itinerary.

Also reached on Monday, Wood said his organization was approached by the city to join the delegation. He said CARM, the college and Brandon University split the cost of the reception.

“We thought it would be a good plan just to support the city, to get awareness to Brandon and the Westman area,” Wood said.

“From our members’ perspective, (our plan) was to draw some attention to some of the infrastructure needs … whether that’s affordable house and what we require for that, as well as some other projects whether that be the cultural hub and proposals the city has in for money.”

While some of the participating organizations and industries represented in the delegation already send people to meet with the federal government on a yearly basis, he said it was the first time he’s aware of that Brandon advocated for itself like this.

Like Simard, Wood said it was his understanding that the intent is to hold more events like this going forward.

“It’s important not just for the construction industry, but that the business community and other industries within Brandon partake in something like this,” Wood said. “It’s not just the mayor, for example, putting a request in for our municipality. It shows a unity within the community and within Westman that we’re all invested in the betterment and future of Brandon.”

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