Prairie Rovers tours will showcase Brandon

A Brandon tourism business is set to put the city’s downtown and other attractions in the spotlight this week.

Founded by longtime tour guide Alison Dawson in August, Prairie Rovers will offer its “Brandon in Brief” tour Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., giving members of the public an opportunity to explore some of the city’s landmarks, businesses and history aboard a 20-seat bus.

The tour will travel through the downtown core, including Rosser and Princess avenues, with stops and points of interest including the Green Spot, Assiniboine College’s North Campus, Hanbury Hill, the Brandon Riverbank Discovery Centre, Daly Museum and the Keystone Centre’s Dome Building.

“The tours are intended to showcase parts of Brandon that residents and visitors may overlook,” Dawson said. “There are lots of history and stories down in the downtown core and other parts of the city.”

Dawson brings more than 20 years of experience in tourism, having worked for tourism agencies and companies in British Columbia, Yukon and Nova Scotia.

She said the idea for Prairie Rovers came from seeing an opportunity to provide more things for people to do in Brandon.

“We’re really lacking when it comes to tours,” she said. “We’re lacking throughout the winter, year-round tourism and other things to do as well.”

Unlike traditional private charter services, Dawson said Prairie Rovers is making its tours available for individual members of the public to book.

The company is currently renting a 20-seat bus while Dawson tests the market and determines what type of vehicle would best suit the business.

“We plan to eventually purchase shuttle buses and hire additional drivers and tour guides as demand grows,” she said.

Prairie Rovers is also being built around partnerships with local businesses and attractions.

Dawson said the company has partnered with the Green Spot, Crow’s General Store, Brandon Riverbank Inc. and Daly Museum, while about 10 businesses are prepared to participate in another planned tour called “Sample Brandon.”

“That tour will take participants to several restaurants to sample different foods and drinks,” she said. “Visitors on Sample Brandon could hear directly from restaurant owners and staff about the food being served.”

Dawson said she wants Prairie Rovers to offer more than transportation, giving participants access to experiences they might not otherwise have.

The company has already taken groups on tours outside Brandon. One recent excursion was an “Autumn Spectacular” to Souris, which included Scarecrow Days, local shops, the Souris Swinging Bridge, museums and a pumpkin patch.

Dawson said Prairie Rovers plans to operate within about a 160-kilometre radius of Brandon, with future excursions planned for communities such as Souris, Minnedosa, Neepawa, Boissevain and Carberry.

“We hope to eventually expand tours to Riding Mountain National Park and incorporate Indigenous tourism experiences,” she said.

In addition to public tours, Prairie Rovers will offer private charter services for groups of up to 20 people. A Christmas lights tour around Brandon is among the private experiences already being planned.

Dawson said the business has received positive feedback since beginning operations, with people expressing interest in having more tours and activities that showcase Brandon and the surrounding region.

The biggest challenge for the new business, she said, is getting the word out.

“I’ve had people come up and say that they were sorry to miss the tour, that they didn’t know about it.”

For now, Dawson is focused on introducing Prairie Rovers to Brandon residents and building the business one tour at a time.

“The plan is to expand,” she said. “I really want Brandon residents to be involved in creating their tours — so, to take their ideas of what they want to tour, what they want to showcase and expand it.”

» aodutola@brandonsun.com

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