In 1881, when the CPR decided to route the transcontinental railroad
through Winnipeg, it was clear that they would need a refuelling depot
in the western part of the province. The ideal location was on the east
bank of the Assiniboine River, opposite today's BRANDON , 160km from
Winnipeg, but a certain Dugald McVicar was already established here. The
sudden arrival of all sorts of speculators encouraged McVicar to
overreach himself, and he attempted to sell his farm and sod hut to the
CPR for around $60,000, prompting a railway negotiator to exclaim, "I'll
be damned if a town of any kind is built here". It wasn't, and Brandon
was founded 4km to the west. Nowadays, the city is a major agricultural
centre, home to several research institutions, Manitoba's largest
livestock show - the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair - in late March, the
huge First Nations Winter Celebration in January, rodeo finals in
November and the Brandon Film Festival in February.
If you want to know what's going on in Brandon and the surrounding
region, visit the brand new Brandon Tourism Centre on the Trans-Canada
Highway (May-Sept Mon-Fri 8.30am-8.30pm, Sat & Sun 10.30am-8.30pm; Oct-April
Mon-Fri 8.30am- 5pm; tel 729-2133 or 1-888/799-1111,
www.bedb.brandon.mb.ca ). The bureau is part of the Riverbank Discovery
Centre and the starting point of several newly laid out trails along the
Assiniboine River. Construction of a botanical garden has been started
nearby. The centre can provide leaflets on self-guided tours, including
the one downtown that highlights the historic buildings for which the
city is known, some of which are on the south side of Rosser Avenue.
Here, a terrace in the Romanesque Revival style includes the former
Mutter Brothers Grocery Store, whose interior has been removed to the
Daly House Museum , 122 18th St (Wed-Sun 10am-noon & 1-5pm; $2), the
restored home of Brandon's first mayor. The highlight of the house,
however, is an illuminated, four-storey doll's house, in one of the
upstairs bedrooms - complete with minuscule mice and mousetraps.
Other imposing late nineteenth-century residences are located on the
stretch of Louise Avenue as you walk west to Brandon University - note
especially the yellow-brick house with the corner turret at no. 1036,
and the Paterson-Matheson House directly across the street at no. 1039,
with a spindle-and-spool carved wooden porch painted bright yellow and
green. Moreland Manor , the low-slung, red-brick and brown-shingled
house, on the corner of Louise Avenue and 14th Street, is as close to a
Frank Lloyd Wright design as you'll get in Manitoba. The university
itself has a small campus dotted with a mix of old and new buildings,
most impressive of which is the original college building, with its
ragged silhouette facing you to the right as you approach from Louise
Avenue. The university also houses the B.J. Hales Museum of Natural
History in McMaster Hall (Sept-March Mon, Wed & Fri 10am-noon & 1-4pm,
Tues & Thurs 1-4pm; April-Aug closed Tues & Thurs; free), consisting of
a large botanical and geological collection and interactive exhibits.
The former courthouse topped by an octagonal cupola, at 11th Street and
Princess Avenue, is Brandon's grandest building.
The Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba , 638 Princess Ave (July & Aug
Mon & Thurs 10am-9pm, Tues, Wed & Fri 10am-5pm; rest of year also open
Sat 10am-5pm; free), has changing exhibitions concentrating on the work
of Manitoba artists and craftspeople. The gallery, with plans for a
splendid roof garden, is due to move to a new location on Rosser Avenue
- check at the information centre for details.
The city's bus terminal , located at 141 6th St (tel 727-0643 or
1-800/661-8747), handles Greyhound buses running to Winnipeg, Regina and
Saskatoon, as well as smaller places in southwest Manitoba, and also
Grey Goose Lines, which runs buses south on Hwy 10. VIA trains on the
thrice-weekly Winnipeg to Vancouver run stop north of Brandon along Hwy
10 - it's a twenty-minute taxi ride into town ($15).
Brandon has lots of good places to stay in all price ranges. The Super 8
Motel , 1570 Highland Ave, just off the Trans-Canada (tel 729-8024 or
1-800/800-8000, fax 728-3024; $40-60/$60-80), is perhaps the best value;
a free continental breakfast is provided, and facilities include a pool
and a hot tub. Other recommended places are the Royal Oak Inn , 3130
Victoria Ave (tel 728-5775, fax 726-5828; $80-100), the city's most
reputable accommodation, with a 1930s-theme restaurant, and the Victoria
Inn , 3550 Victoria Ave W (tel 725-1532 or 1-800/852-2710, fax 727-8282;
$60-80), which has comfortable rooms, saunas, a hot tub and swimming
pool. For a personalized touch, check out Casa Maley , 1605 Victoria Ave
(tel 728-0812 or 1-877/729-2900, fax 728-6287; $40-60), a B&B in a 1912
Tudor-style home; the owners offer a baby-sitting service and will pick
you up from the station. There are two campsites just outside town:
Curran Park Campground (tel 729-2486; $15-25; May-Sept) on Grand Valley
Road and the smaller Meadowlark Campground (tel 728-7205 or
1-800/363-6434; $20-21) on Meadowlark.
Brandon's best-known restaurant is Kokonas , 1011 Rosser Ave,
specializing in prime rib and Greek dishes. Other places along Rosser
include the Green Olive , at no. 612, which serves cheap pasta and
slightly more expensive chicken dishes, and the expensive but excellent
Jerry's Bistro (tel 727-7781), at no. 926, which serves up such exotic
fare as emu and ostrich. Also on Rosser is the favourite meeting place
of Brandon's sophisticates, the Casteleyn , at no. 908, where you can
sip cappuccinos in minimalist splendour - they also sell beautiful
chocolates. Around the corner at 139 110th St, Timothy Beans has
Internet access as well as coffees and great sandwiches. If you fancy
hanging out in a bar , the Double Decker Tavern & Restaurant at 943
Rosser Ave is very popular with local music students, who often put on
gigs here.
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