Candidates share their visions for downtown

Candidates from three mainly residential wards discussed what downtown could be like if growth and development continued.

Sparked by Ward 4 incumbent Shaun Cameron’s recent call to add an additional 2,000 people to the city’s downtown, candidates from wards 1, 4 and 9 shared their visions for downtown to an audience of roughly 50 people during Wednesday night’s debate in Lorne Watson Recital Hall at Brandon University.

Cameron, who was first elected to the ward in 2018, said it’s “absolutely realistic” to grow the downtown area by 2,000 people.

“One of the things that I think that turns the corner comes from creating critical mass downtown,” Cameron said.

He said the current council has done some work through the federal housing accelerator fund, but wants to see that work continue if he’s re-elected.

“To create housing across the sector, and not just housing at a certain level, whether it be affordable housing, or entry-level housing or high-end housing,” Cameron said.

“I wanted to put that out there and have that feedback from residents, to hear whether they feel that’s achievable,” he said.

Incumbent Ward 1 candidate Heather Karrouze said she wanted to “piggyback” on what Cameron said “about increasing housing.”

She said affordable and market housing “will mean that additionally, we are able to attract entrepreneurs downtown. The more people that are downtown, the more people are likely to come downtown to provide shops and services and restaurants.”

James Epp, the only candidate running against Cameron in Ward 4, said he’s a “little bit of a downtown skeptic when it comes to the various issues by the council,” adding: “I’m a little skeptical on how realistic it is.”

Epp cited a residential and commercial development on Princess Avenue and Ninth Street and a public forum that had been held for it almost two years ago.

“It’s been 18 (to) 24 months and we haven’t seen it,” Epp said.

Epp, who said he doesn’t want to win the election and is only running to block another acclamation, said he was there “if for no other reasons than to keep Shaun (Cameron) on his toes.”

Ward 1 candidate Ron Shaluk, chair of the Brandon Downtown Development Corporation, said the development on Princess and Ninth is “taking longer than we thought,” but it’s still in progress.

Ward 9 candidate Keith Waterfield said he believes “people are focusing on downtown having a safety issue.”

“I work downtown, I often walk to work and I feel it to be safe. I think there’s a perception issue,” he said.

“I think that bringing housing in downtown will solve it a little, but one thing I’m always talking about is if we have more people downtown, walking around, out, doing activities, it just feels safer,” Waterfield said.

“People are avoiding (downtown), but once they get down there, they love it,” he said.

Norah Woychyshyn, who is running in Ward 9, said she doesn’t “always feel safe” while in the downtown.

“I’ll ask other folks if they want to come down with me to, say, the market in the afternoon, and they wouldn’t come downtown because they wouldn’t feel safe going down there,” Woychyshyn said.

She said she would like to see more residential housing developed, but “not just in the downtown area.”

Scott Pedlow, who is also vying to represent Ward 9, said “as far as residential housing developments, we have to keep in mind that the majority of the land, and the downtown area, is all owned by private individuals.”

Pedlow said the city can help with “the accelerator fund, or grants, or properties they own.”

Taxes were also discussed during the debate.

Shaluk said the city needs to “generate new revenue streams for the city” and not rely on tax increases.

“There’s ways cities can generate new revenues, which I don’t think Brandon has,” Shaluk said.

“I’d like to think if I’m elected that these ideas could get pushed to a committee,” he said.

Shaluk said the budget is “stretched as thin as you can get” and “good ideas don’t go anywhere unless you can figure out how to pay for them.”

The debate also covered pedestrian safety and improving roads and sidewalks.

Election day is Oct. 28.

» rgerrard@brandonsun.com