Other Manitoba and Saskatchewan Developments

[DavefromSt.Vital]

$30M redevelopment of the Brandon Shoppers Mall now substantially complete:

https://ebrandon.ca/buzzpost.aspx?buzz_id=316

I had my doubts about the mall when the Corral Centre opened in the valley and they lost both Safeway and Target as anchors, however they seem to have done quite well.

Of course there is another "big box" development proposed a little bit to the south with a building that resembles a Costco that may cut into their busines...

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by DavefromSt.Vital

$30M redevelopment of the Brandon Shoppers Mall now substantially complete:

https://ebrandon.ca/buzzpost.aspx?buzz_id=316

I had my doubts about the mall when the Corral Centre opened in the valley and they lost both Safeway and Target as anchors, however they seem to have done quite well.

Of course there is another "big box" development proposed a little bit to the south with a building that resembles a Costco that may cut into their busines...

I remember when the mall first opened. There has certainly been a lot of changes ever since. It's too bad that the old downtown seems to be abandoned by the city's residents though.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

I remember when the mall first opened. There has certainly been a lot of changes ever since. It's too bad that the old downtown seems to be abandoned by the city's residents though.

Brandon goes beyond mere abandonment and into outright hostility towards their downtown. It's a small miracle that there are still so many buildings standing there...

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by esquire

Brandon goes beyond mere abandonment and into outright hostility towards their downtown. It's a small miracle that there are still so many buildings standing there...

You got that right.

[esquire]

^ It's sad, because with a modicum of effort they could easily have a wonderful downtown. The bones are there for one of the best small city downtowns in Western Canada. But everyone I know in Brandon seems to hold it in contempt. It's like a little city full of Riverman types. I don't get it.

[pspeid]

^^ I just saw a Facebook video post a day or two ago promoting Brandon's downtown, so maybe they are trying to turn this around. I also like Brandon's downtown area. Last time I was there was mid-winter, but I could easily see it becoming a popular summer destination.

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by pspeid

^^ I just saw a Facebook video post a day or two ago promoting Brandon's downtown, so maybe they are trying to turn this around. I also like Brandon's downtown area. Last time I was there was mid-winter, but I could easily see it becoming a popular summer destination.

Do you have a link?

I like that the city kept the old fire hall, it's a fine gathering place now. I still lament the tearing down of the Prince Edward Hotel which would have been just up the street from the Fire Hall (IIRC). It could have been a great place like the Grant Hall Hotel in Moose Jaw (http://www.granthall.ca/). These two place would have been great bookends for a vibrant downtown.

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

Do you have a link?

It's on the Travel Manitoba Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/TravelManitoba/videos/434639277352261/

I am guessing it's on their website too?

P.

[blueandgoldguy]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ It's sad, because with a modicum of effort they could easily have a wonderful downtown. The bones are there for one of the best small city downtowns in Western Canada. But everyone I know in Brandon seems to hold it in contempt. It's like a little city full of Riverman types. I don't get it.

[DavefromSt.Vital]

I think at least some of the aversion to Brandon's downtown comes from a lack of perspective. Friends in Brandon speak of dealing with "traffic". However, for fun I have shown people Google Maps Traffic and watched the tiny results of a train going through on the non-grade-separated CN line and virtually no other problems in the city.

Back in the day when downtown malls were a sure-fire way to restore downtowns Brandon built the Brandon Gallery. A couple of blocks of central cohesive streetscape was bulldozed to do this. However, it was relatively tiny and really did not give people a reason to go downtown and (OMG) pay for parking in their garage. The stores and restaurants in that "mall" are now almost all gone.

Back in the day it was decided to convert virtually every street in or around downtown to one way as efficiency was important. The two main streets became four lanes each way in one direction which really detracted from their environment. Of course the built up area of downtown was only a few blocks long but that was irrlelvant. Bizarrely, a few years ago when things like pedestrianising places like Times Square in NYC became news Brandon tried pedestrianising Rosser Avenue, the main street through downtown, by blocking all vehicles. Oddly, pedestrians did not appear out of nowhere.

There are homeless poeple (at least a few), there used to be a couple of really bad bars (the patrons may still be in the vicinity), etc. You name it, there are reasons to feel bad about downtown.

Civic pride seems to be an issue as well. The TD Bank location downtown has a gigantic clock outside that has been missing its arms for years. The Esso near the long-time abandoned nightclub and now burned down beer vendor has been closed so long the painted over Esso signs have re-emerged (along with new graffiti on the old station). The Knight's Inn sign has holes in it and still advertises the now burned down nightclub.

To me, Brandon's downtown needs to give a reason for people to go there. Independent local businesses like shown in the video are a great reason to go. The Firehall and things like it are great for the area as well.

Sorry for the long rant...

[buzzg]

Winnipeg needs to take a note from Brandon (and pretty much any other place on earth) and make street signs that actually look nice and reflect the character of an area, not Dollarama.

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by buzzg

Winnipeg needs to take a note from Brandon (and pretty much any other place on earth) and make street signs that actually look nice and reflect the character of an area, not Dollarama.

Now THIS is fine tuning one's self-loathing.....even the street signs cause me shame!!

[buzzg]

It's true though, areas that used to have nice decorative street signs and lights are slowly being replaced by the cheapest, most utilitarian — there is. I have no problems in ordinary residential neighbourhoods, suburbs, side streets – but our "showcase" areas and streets like Academy, Osborne, Exchange, Main, Portage, Graham, Selkirk (holding hope), etc. deserve much better than unpainted modular steel lights and the most basic signage known to man.

The "Honorary" street signs are downright offensive – where the hell did they dig that horrific font up from?

[Spocket]

Originally Posted by buzzg

Winnipeg needs to take a note from Brandon (and pretty much any other place on earth) and make street signs that actually look nice and reflect the character of an area, not Dollarama.

I agree with this provided it's not too steep to do every street sign in the city. I think every street sign should have some sort of flair. Yeah, it's a really minor thing but I actually do find that it adds something, strange though that may seem.

[SaskE30]

First confirmed Tesla supercharger under construction in Saskatchewan is located in Moose Jaw!

https://youtu.be/u3tpv9wQhPo

[Pinus]

Bravo Pallister, you — tool.

It's issues like this that make me hate the Tories.

https://www.wildernesscommittee.org/news/earth-wont-survive-leaders-premier-brian-pallister

[optimusREIM]

Originally Posted by Pinus

Bravo Pallister, you — tool.

It's issues like this that make me hate the Tories.

https://www.wildernesscommittee.org/news/earth-wont-survive-leaders-premier-brian-pallister

Lol dude that "article" just says a bunch of nothing essentially. I'm not a huge fan of how the Tories govern either but this obviously contains a lot of political animus

[buzzg]

That news released is obviously biased, but I have to agree I don't quite understand (and didn't know) why we would be allowing logging and mining in parks. It's not like we're short on space in this province.

[Authentic_City]

^Thats a press release from the Wilderness Committee and for sure I agree that we shouldn’t allow resource extraction in Provincial parks, but this is nothing new, it’s been happening for years under previous governments too. I don’t understand why we bother calling them parks. We should just call them timber reserves if they’re going to allow logging and mining. This is why the province isn’t very supportive of establishing new national parks because those are truly protected areas.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by Pinus

Bravo Pallister, you — tool.

It's issues like this that make me hate the Tories.

https://www.wildernesscommittee.org/news/earth-wont-survive-leaders-premier-brian-pallister

Right, because the speNDP didn't such a bang up job managing (sarcasm) this province for 17 years!