Letters to the Editor – Brandon Sun

What change looks like

3 minute read Friday, Aug. 14, 2026

Never underestimate what a small group of committed women can do.

Her Seat at the Table grew from a simple premise: women are more likely to participate in political and civic life when they understand how the system works, can see a place for themselves within it and have access to the relationships and supports that make participation possible. Over the past year, we have had the privilege of helping carry that work forward.

One of our most visible goals is to encourage more women to consider municipal politics and put their names forward for elected office and there are encouraging signs. To date, four women have entered races for Brandon city council, and another is seeking election to the Brandon School Division board of trustees. No women have yet entered the mayoral race. With nominations still open, we sincerely hope more women will step forward.

Their decisions to run are entirely their own, and we make no claim to them as an outcome of our work. The current numbers simply tell us there is progress to recognize and considerable work still to do. All of this also reminds us that counting names on a ballot is an incomplete measure of success.

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Opinion

This 1904 picture shows the original residential school building in Brandon, then known as the “Indian Industrial School”. (SJ McKee Archives, Brandon University)

Letter to the editor — McCrae correct to question whether the term ‘genocide’ is applicable

By Michael Melanson 2 minute read Preview

Letter to the editor — McCrae correct to question whether the term ‘genocide’ is applicable

By Michael Melanson 2 minute read Friday, Jul. 31, 2026

Re: “No room on board for unchastened apologist (July 28).”

In an attempt to pejorate James McCrae in his campaign to be elected to the school board, the Editor questions “the wisdom of entrusting the continued education of our children to an individual who has gone to great lengths to downplay the harms caused by the Indian Residential School system.”

Why should we trust educating our children to people who want to convict Canada of IRS genocide without any presumption of innocence?

McCrae was correct to question the applicability of the term, “genocide,” to the IRS system. For one, the Rome Statute prohibits any prosecution for genocide to any events that occurred prior to July 1, 2002. This means that those accused of committing IRS genocide cannot either be convicted nor exonerated in any court of law.

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Friday, Jul. 31, 2026

Opinion

President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in the Oval Office at the White House, Tuesday, July 21, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Letter to the editor — U.S. doesn’t want fair trade

2 minute read Preview

Letter to the editor — U.S. doesn’t want fair trade

2 minute read Wednesday, Jul. 29, 2026

As stated previously by many, America is not interested in fair trade. It is interested in the vassal subservience of all nations wishing to have access to its vast market. It has stated that it considers itself the predatory nation of control and will exercise use of its perceived manifest destiny to achieve that end.

Canada is not the only country facing tariffs worldwide. If a country kisses the U.S. ring, then it will have access to that market. And it will be on American terms.

This means the only deal you can get with the U.S. under its current arrogance is a bad one, and that country will be humiliated on the world stage by President Donald Trump as having caved to the U.S.

Once a country decides to go down this path with the current U.S. administration instead of setting trade and diplomatic boundaries, it’s over.

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Wednesday, Jul. 29, 2026

Opinion

A mosquito plunges its sharp proboscis into a human arm. (Matt Goerzen/The Brandon Sun files)

Letter to the editor — City needs to boost larviciding

2 minute read Preview

Letter to the editor — City needs to boost larviciding

2 minute read Wednesday, Jul. 29, 2026

City council directed their administration to begin fogging for mosquitoes on Monday. While I disagree with their decision, I understand their reasons for it.

However, the consequence of this directive is that we may no longer have any more fogging chemical by the end of this year. Certainly, we’ll have about half of what we started with. And there’s no more coming. Per a CBC article from April 2024, the manufacturer of the chemical pulled out of what was apparently a niche market.

Perhaps the veteran members of council who know the machinations of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities can lobby higher levels of government to lower the barriers to that niche market, but don’t count on that happening fast.

With this in mind, the next council — in concert with their city manager — needs to take a hard and serious look at our practices, which attack mosquito populations while in their larval stages. The city’s website notes that just four staff are responsible for an area of 264 square kilometres.

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Wednesday, Jul. 29, 2026

Opinion

The Dauphin Regional Health Centre could be closed for more than a year due to damage from severe flooding. (Mike Deal/Winnipeg Free Press)

Letter to the editor — An open letter about the Dauphin hospital

4 minute read Preview

Letter to the editor — An open letter about the Dauphin hospital

4 minute read Friday, Jul. 17, 2026

Minister Asagwara,

I am writing following my visit to Dauphin on Tuesday, July 14, where I met with community representatives, residents and health-care professionals regarding the closure of the Dauphin Regional Health Centre due to the devastating flooding affecting the region.

During that visit, I met with residents and health-care professionals affected by the closure. I also sought to visit the hospital to assess the damage firsthand and better understand what support may be required as I continue working with my federal counterparts.

Despite repeated efforts by myself and my office, Prairie Mountain Health failed to respond in a timely manner or facilitate a visit. Instead, they offered a Microsoft Teams meeting nearly two weeks later. Offering a virtual meeting weeks into the closure of a critical regional hospital is insulting to the seriousness of this situation and demonstrates an unacceptable lack of urgency.

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Friday, Jul. 17, 2026

Opinion

Technician Oleg Ryabtsev performs maintenance work on a clock in Minsk, Belarus, in March 2008 on the day before clocks moved an hour ahead for seven months of daylight-saving summer time. Reader Ron Toews has some issues with the recent EngageMB survey to gauge Manitobans’ opinions on changing their clocks twice a year. (The Associated Press files)

Letter to the editor — Survey aims for specific result

4 minute read Preview

Letter to the editor — Survey aims for specific result

4 minute read Wednesday, Jun. 3, 2026

I noted with bemusement the Winnipeg Free Press/Brandon Sun editorial comment (“Time-change survey tilts a particular way,” May 29) that the EngageMB survey was crafted to have “eight fingers on the keyboard and both thumbs on the scale” of public opinion.

The critique is both clever and valid, but much too gentle for what is actually transpiring. The drafters of the survey have no less than a ham-hand firmly mashed on the scale, employing a mix of shaming and condescension to engineer a particular result, i.e., an end to bi-annual time changes and a reversion to-year round Central Standard Time.

The first problem with the survey is that it doesn’t appear to limit the number of times it can be accessed. This opens it to be skewed by either bots or highly motivated individuals taking the survey multiple times to express their point of view. As a tool of measurement, this immediately disqualifies the survey as a scientifically reliable mechanism for ascertaining the views of Manitobans.

Secondly, while notionally trying to “educate” the survey taker, the survey questions are clearly framed to emotionally steer the responder to answer a particular way. To answer question 3, as an example, your four options are to acknowledge that you know seasonal time changes cause (1) strokes, (2) obesity, (3) injuries and traffic accidents, or (4) that you were unaware of these impacts. In conjunction with the next question, the first option of which is to acknowledge that you already knew about these effects, and then goes on to ask how this information affects your decision and answer.

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Wednesday, Jun. 3, 2026

Opinion

The Emergency Room entrance to the Brandon Regional Health Centre. Manitoba hospitals routinely operate at or above capacity. When no inpatient beds are available, admitted patients are kept in the ER, sometimes for days. (The Brandon Sun files)

A big bouquet for Souris, Brandon ERs

2 minute read Preview

A big bouquet for Souris, Brandon ERs

2 minute read Tuesday, Jun. 2, 2026

I had to go to an emergency room, so I picked Souris as I have been there before.

But this time I got to experience the new ER they have — what a beautiful place. Dr. Cram was on call, so the staff did the prep work and paperwork and got me into the room to be checked out. It was not an easy procedure, and he did everything he could, but had to send me to Brandon. But the staff and doctor were very helpful when I was there — very kind and patient. Thank you for that.

So on to Brandon’s ER. I was expecting a long wait there, but as soon as I entered the ER, I was led to triage right away. Did a little more paperwork and was in and out in an hour.

Dr. Goossen was on call, so they took me into the exam room and did the procedure right away. The staff and doctor were excellent. He explained everything he had to do and is very good at what he does.

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Tuesday, Jun. 2, 2026

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Opinion

A man enters the hearing room as the Public Inquiry into Foreign Election Interference resumes in Ottawa, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Stay vigilant against foreign interference

4 minute read Preview

Stay vigilant against foreign interference

4 minute read Tuesday, Jun. 2, 2026

“Foreign interference” is defined by Public Safety Canada as “any covert, deceptive, or coercive activity by a foreign government, or by those acting on their behalf, that is directed at Canada, Canadians, or Canadian interests and is contrary to Canada’s national security.”

Foreign interference in Canadian affairs has increasingly become a concern, especially given new and evolving technologies that embolden malicious actors to meddle in Canadian politics for their own interests.

The art of foreign interference really bloomed during the Cold War; imagine the stereotypical image of a Soviet or American spy, competing to uncover some deeply held secret, an image that is clearly a symptom of Hollywood romanticism but, nonetheless, illustrates that past instances of interference were much more action-oriented or boots-on-the-ground.

The modern reality is hardly as exciting. Modern foreign interference is characterized by the swaying of public opinion through campaigns that target the information environment, focusing on creating divisions and mistrust, but can extend to threats of violence or physical suppression.

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Tuesday, Jun. 2, 2026

Opinion

Brandon Transit buses cue at the downtown terminal. Under a new transit plan adopted by council, increased evening buses for some routes and primary bus stop improvements could happen as soon as next spring. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun files)

Letter to the Editor — Free public transit worth considering

2 minute read Preview

Letter to the Editor — Free public transit worth considering

2 minute read Friday, May. 15, 2026

The Sun’s coverage of discussions about funding for public transit raises the possibility of Brandon implementing a more dramatic improvement for riders of its bus system.

The NDP government is committed to providing free public transit for youth, but why not provide free public transit for everyone living in or visiting Brandon? North Americans love their cars, trucks and SUVs, but now it has gotten to the point where there are more vehicles than people.

But many people in Brandon are too young, too old, disabled, can’t afford to own a vehicle or just never took the opportunity to learn how to drive. They rely on public transit to go to school or work or shop or attend medical appointments or recreational events.

Many cities in the U.S. and a few in Canada have implemented free public transit. Places like Orangeville, Ont., and Canmore, Alta., have adopted pilot projects or partially free public transit. Perhaps it is time for Brandon to do the same.

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Friday, May. 15, 2026

Opinion

A man is seen boarding a Brandon Transit bus at the downtown terminal between Rosser and Pacific avenues. (The Brandon Sun files)

Let’s have the transit system we deserve

3 minute read Preview

Let’s have the transit system we deserve

3 minute read Wednesday, May. 13, 2026

As a resident of Brandon and a worker, I read the article and opinion piece on 50-50 funding in Tuesday’s Brandon Sun, and I was struck and angered at our provincial government. Our public transit systems in Brandon and across Manitoba are being expected to do more and more with less and less supports. Our systems are buckling under the weight of this underfunding, yet we are seeing record use of the service right here in Brandon. This is an essential service that the working people and students of Brandon use every day to get to work and school.

I had the privilege of attending the rally in Winnipeg mentioned in the article, where I spoke alongside Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505 president James Van Gerwen at the climate action rally and campaign kickoff. Workers, advocates, and community members at the rally loudly and enthusiastically supported the call to return to 50-50 funding for transit. I attended the rally to ensure that the legislature and those attending would know that this isn’t just a “Winnipeg issue” — it is a Brandon issue, a worker’s issue and a Manitoban issue.

Workers are trying to get to their shifts on time and get home at a reasonable time afterward. Seniors are trying to reach medical appointments without paying for expensive cab rides. Students are trying to get to class. Families are trying to keep transportation affordable during our current inflationary crisis.

But since 2017, when the previous government dismantled the 50-50 funding agreement with Brandon, we’ve watched our transit infrastructure start to erode. Our city councillors are forced to raise property taxes just to keep our core services alive. We shouldn’t have to choose between fixing a pothole on Victoria Avenue and making sure a health-care worker or a grocery worker can get to their shift on time on our transit system.

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Wednesday, May. 13, 2026

Opinion

Manitoba Métis Federation senior economic adviser Lorne Pelletier gestures at a preliminary map where wind turbines are proposed around Polonia during a recent open house in the community. The green squares represent properties where the owner has made an early agreement to possibly host a wind turbine on their land. The locations are subject to change over time. (Connor McDowell/The Brandon Sun files)

Hot air dominates wind debate

4 minute read Preview

Hot air dominates wind debate

4 minute read Tuesday, May. 12, 2026

A recent report in Westman This Week about an open house for a proposed wind farm near Polonia should trouble anyone who values fair public debate. What was meant to be an information session appears, by the story’s account, to have been overtaken by angry denunciations that created such a hostile atmosphere that residents who supported the project felt intimidated into silence. When the loudest voices seize the floor, communities are denied the very discussion they need to make informed decisions.

An open house is intended to be “information for all”: a place to ask questions, hear details and engage in respectful exchange. This one was organized by the Manitoba Métis Federation in response to Manitoba Hydro’s call for Indigenous-owned wind energy projects. Working with Renewable Energy Systems, the federation has proposed a wind farm near Polonia capable of generating up to 200 megawatts of electricity. Whether residents ultimately support or oppose the project, they deserve access to accurate information about the trade-offs involved and a setting where questions can be asked without intimidation.

That opportunity is especially important because public discussion of wind energy is often clouded by misinformation. As one farmer at the meeting put it, “There’s so much information on how bad they are.” Much of that “information” is generated by conspiracy theories and, all too often, interests with ties to the fossil fuel industry. The record from other jurisdictions tells a very different story: wind farms across North America have operated for decades, providing steady tax revenue to rural municipalities, lease payments to landowners, and generating thousands of jobs.

Consider Texas, which now has more than 230 utility-scale wind farms generating over 43,000 megawatts — supplying almost a third of the state’s electricity — while supporting more than 26,000 jobs and bringing in billions of dollars in revenue.

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Tuesday, May. 12, 2026

Opinion

MP Grant Jackson presented his petition outlining new rules to prevent overlong ballots in federal elections to the House of Commons last week. (The Brandon Sun files)

Debate not just about tone

3 minute read Preview

Debate not just about tone

3 minute read Wednesday, May. 6, 2026

I read Mr. Deveryn Ross’s May 2 Brandon Sun column, “Less partisanship, more consensus building,” with interest.

Mr. Ross took issue with the language used in my recent mailer on Bill C-9. Fair enough. Members of Parliament have a responsibility to explain legislation clearly, accurately and in a way that helps people understand why it matters. That balance is not always easy to strike, and I welcome constructive feedback from the people I represent.

I also appreciated Mr. Ross’s acknowledgment that Bill C-9 raises legitimate and serious concerns in its current form. On that point, we agree.

For more than 50 years, Canadian law has tried to preserve a careful balance between combating hatred and protecting freedom of conscience and expression. Removing a longstanding safeguard in the Criminal Code is not a minor technical adjustment. It is a significant shift in how the law interacts with religious belief, free expression and public debate.

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Wednesday, May. 6, 2026

Opinion

The exterior of the Manitoba Legislature is seen in Winnipeg, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods

Letter to the editor — MLAs should try choosing function over dysfunction

3 minute read Preview

Letter to the editor — MLAs should try choosing function over dysfunction

3 minute read Tuesday, Apr. 28, 2026

The concerns raised about the tone and conduct in Manitoba’s legislature are not only valid, they’re long overdue.

Question period is meant to be the central mechanism of accountability in our democracy. It should be where government is pressed for answers, where ministers demonstrate competence and where Manitobans can see serious issues debated with clarity and purpose. Instead, far too often, it has devolved into rehearsed talking points, deflections and cheap shots that generate more heat than light.

But this didn’t happen overnight, and it wasn’t always this way — even under NDP governments. There was a time when ministers took questions more seriously, when answers, even if imperfect, attempted to address the issue at hand, and when debate, while partisan, did not regularly cross into open hostility.

Today, the legislature has turned into a toxic environment where very little of substance actually gets accomplished during question period. When the focus shifts from answering questions to scoring political points and hurling personal insults, accountability suffers. When ministers treat scrutiny as an inconvenience rather than a responsibility, Manitobans are left without the clarity they deserve.

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Tuesday, Apr. 28, 2026

Opinion

Manitoba Finance Minister Adrien Sala delivers Budget 2026 at the legislature in Winnipeg on Tuesday. (The Canadian Press)

Letter to the editor — Westman families need relief, delivery and results

3 minute read Preview

Letter to the editor — Westman families need relief, delivery and results

3 minute read Wednesday, Apr. 22, 2026

Glen Simard’s recent letter paints an optimistic picture of Budget 2026, but a closer look tells a very different story for families in Westman. At a time when groceries, fuel and housing costs remain high, this budget does very little to meaningfully improve affordability.

Take the government’s decision to remove the PST from certain food and beverages. While that may sound helpful, the reality is that it amounts to roughly $8 a month in savings for a typical family. The minister of finance said so himself just days ago that Manitobans would be able to expect this pitiful amount of savings.

Inflation in Manitoba has risen by three per cent since this time last year, which is the highest rate in the entire country. The inflation is largely driven by food inflation, which is at 4.9 per cent and still climbing — the highest in the country. Manitobans are paying more for basic necessities than Canadians in any other province.

By contrast, our Progressive Conservative plan to increase the basic personal tax exemption would save Manitoba families up to $3,000 per year. That is the kind of structural tax relief that actually changes household budgets.

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Wednesday, Apr. 22, 2026

Opinion

Manitoba Municipal Minister Glen Simard made the unusual move of ordering the Rural Municipality of Lakeshore to borrow funds from the province to replenish its accounts following years of deficits. (Matt Goerzen/The Brandon Sun files)

Investing in Brandon’s future

4 minute read Preview

Investing in Brandon’s future

4 minute read Thursday, Apr. 16, 2026

As the MLA for Brandon East, I encourage Westman families to ignore the false claims of the opposition that Manitoba’s Budget 2026 has nothing for Brandon. Since 2023, the Manitoba government has reversed the cuts of the previous Progressive Conservative government and for the third year in a row is making historic investments in Westman.

The previous government never fulfilled its commitment to build new schools. Budget 2026, on the other hand, contains $118 million to build four schools, including a new school in southwest Brandon. There is also funding for a new Division Scolaire Franco-Manitobaine school in Brandon.

The new minor injury clinic in Brandon that our government opened has seen 12,648 visits between September 2024 and January of this year, but that’s just the beginning.

In 2026, we are continuing to reverse the PC cuts that devastated the health-care system. Budget 2026 includes $16.5 million for upgrades to the Brandon Regional Health Centre. This will expand critical care capacity through the addition of 30 new medicine beds, five enhanced critical care spaces and construction of a neonatal intensive care unit. Let’s not forget that the budget also includes $44.1 million for the Neepawa Regional Health Centre, ensuring that Westman families have more options for urgent care. We are backing up our plan with action.

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Thursday, Apr. 16, 2026

Opinion

Ending ward system a big step backwards

By Dr. James A. McAllister 4 minute read Tuesday, Mar. 24, 2026

For once I must agree with Deveryn Ross in his March 20 column and encourage the citizens of Brandon: “Don’t rush changes to city council.” In fact, I would argue that the citizens of Brandon should not make such important changes to city council.

I am mystified why any changes are being proposed, except that certain members of council want to be paid more money for doing their job. Perhaps someone should be willing to remind those councillors that if they don’t think they are paid enough money they should resign and find employment elsewhere.

I am also mystified as to why certain members of the administration are supporting these changes, except that fewer councillors mean less work for administration staff. It appears that they are unaware of how Brandon came to have wards and have not done their homework.

In 1971, the Manitoba government appointed a special commission led by Dr. A.L. Dulmage, president of Brandon University, called the Brandon Boundaries Commission. The commission called for public submissions on whether the then boundaries of the City of Brandon should be extended and what other changes should be made to the electoral process in Brandon.

August 16, 2026

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