Winter Fair proof of value that Brandon delivers

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/04/2023 (1270 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It was a busy week in Brandon, thanks to the return of the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair. With thousands of people thronging the Keystone Centre, the city’s stores and restaurants were kept hopping, and there was a noticeable buzz everywhere you looked.

Kudos, of course, to the folks at the Provincial Exhibition, the Keystone, and the countless volunteers who kept everything running smoothly through fair week. I was going to offer kudos to the weather gurus who kept the annual fair storm away, but I’m not sure I preferred the week-long deep freeze either.

Setting aside the weather, the buzz in the city this past week reminded me of the one we feel on campus every fall when classes resume at Brandon University. Like the fair, every year BU brings thousands of people to our city — many from Brandon, many more from the Westman region, and many also from across Canada or even further.

Like fairgoers, those who choose Brandon University are looking for a great experience, a fun and supportive environment, mingling with friends and family, and tremendous opportunity.

Like BU, the Winter Fair also brings its fair share of Winnipeg visitors, and we here on campus benefit from some of the spillover effect.

For example, earlier this week we were pleased to welcome provincial NDP Leader Wab Kinew. I had a great time meeting with him, showing him briefly around campus, sharing details of our strategic plan with him, and showcasing BU’s essential role as a regional centre for academics, economic development, research, culture and athletics.

Best of all, he extended his time to speak with students in my political science class. It’s always wonderful when students can engage with the content of their lessons outside of the classroom, and this was no exception. They asked perceptive and insightful questions, followed up fearlessly, and gave me a hint that there might be a future MLA, opposition leader, or even premier among them.

Of course, MLA visits during fair week cross the political aisle. We were also pleased to welcome the Honourable Janice Morley-Lecomte, Manitoba’s minister of mental health and community wellness. Accompanied by Brandon West MLA Reg Helwer and Spruce Woods PC nominee Grant Jackson, the minister spent a significant amount of time touring BU’s expanded faculty of health studies facilities, including high-end simulation labs.

To help meet our province’s growing need for nurses and psychiatric nurses, we have added 32 new seats here in Brandon (plus 20 at our Winnipeg campus, which the minister toured earlier in the month).

While here, Minister Morley-Lecomte also met with representatives from our newest research centre, the Centre for Critical Studies of Rural Mental Health. This is an excellent example of the value that BU provides to Westman: tackling rural issues that wouldn’t necessarily be on the radar of people in larger urban centres.

One of the things the centre does is support policy recommendations so busy bureaucrats and politicians have clear and actionable strategies to support Manitobans — in this case, delivering better mental health resources to folks like farmers and rural health-care workers.

But enough bragging about BU’s value to the community. Can I complain a little bit, too?

The Royal Manitoba Winter Fair is so famous for its ability to attract political visits that Wednesday was known as “MLA Day.” That’s great. But I drive into Winnipeg a heck of a lot more often than once a year, and I don’t need a major event to draw me.

Why don’t more politicians visit Brandon more often? Couldn’t this week’s flurry of funding announcements have been more of a regular drumbeat?

Now, Brandon’s no slouch in the attractions department. Just here at BU, we’ve hosted two incredibly successful marches to support Ukraine. This year’s Louis Riel Day celebrations on campus were the best yet. The BU School of Music has assumed responsibility for the annual Jazz Fest. When the lieutenant-governor was looking for an appropriate place to bestow Queen’s Platinum Jubilee medals, the place chosen was BU.

Don’t forget the ongoing events like Bobcats matches, stargazing at the observatory, music concerts, public seminar series, even use of the campus grounds for gorgeous wedding and grad photos.

OK, I’m bragging again.

But my point, I think, is clear. Brandon University is just one of the many wonderful places we have in this city that can be, and should be, a draw. Tourism Manitoba is paying attention. Long criticized for focusing just inside the Perimeter, they pivoted during the pandemic to showcase Manitoba to Manitobans, a successful strategy that they’re continuing to double down on.

So I ask: What can Brandon do to ensure that we’re a must-visit destination for inside-the-Perimeter power brokers more often than once a year? I’m certain the Sun would welcome your letters. And I’d read them with interest.

Sorry, can I brag just one more time?

I’ve written about our wonderful Co-op program before. It’s growing leaps and bounds, and one of the things I love about it is the impact it has on our community. This impact is win-win-win.

Students get hands-on experience through work placements where they earn a paycheque while putting their lessons to immediate use. Co-op employers get eager and energetic employees with the latest insights (and a sneak peek at talent they often want to lock down more permanently). And, our faculty get students who return to class fired up about the applicability of their lessons and burning to learn more.

Imagine our pride, then, when the Brandon Chamber of Commerce announced the nominees for its Business Achievement Awards and the BU Co-op program was a finalist in the Community Impact Business category.

Congratulations to everyone who’s had a hand in the success of this program, especially those in the community who have helped so much by taking students into their workplaces and under their wing. This Community Impact nomination is yours to celebrate as well.

Thank you. Brandon University is committed to reinvesting in our community, and connections like Co-op are an essential way for us to continue to do this.

» President@BrandonU.ca