“I think Manitoba can be that great province again … and I’d be more than thrilled to have Len Isleifson join me in the Legislature for Brandon East, I think that would be fabulous for Brandon.”                            — Reg Helwer, televised debate, April 14. I just switched on the televised all-candidates debate on WCGtv. Those were the final words from the Brandon West portion of the evening. And that’s all I needed to hear about that. PC Party’s Reg Helwer, the sitting MLA, was wrapping up his closing remarks. I didn’t need to hear from the NDP hopeful, Linda Ross, as Helwer will easily win a second term in the Manitoba Legislature. Ross is a school trustee who has consistently supported high taxes. Liberal candidate in-name-only Billy Moore was a no show at the debate. The smart, business-savvy Helwer will very likely be a cabinet minister in a Brian Pallister Progressive Conservative government. Yes, get ready folks, all the polls and tea leaves show the province is ready for change. Ready for change from a tired, corrupt, spendthrift NDP government that has had since 1999 to fix everything they promised to fix. But here we are with a weak premier in the form of Greg Selinger, some of the longest ER wait times in Canada, the worst level of child poverty in the country, and embarrassingly low academic results for children in schools. There are some 10,000 kids in government care — mostly from First Nations. Yes, the NDP has spent a lot of money — throwing the province into a stinking pit of debt — and Brandon has benefitted from a good deal of that spending. NDP incumbent Drew Caldwell has a laundry list of projects — including some very expensive flood protection — he enjoys detailing at every opportunity. But a lot of that money would have flowed upstream on the Assiniboine River regardless of which party was in power. Just heard in the background on the TV, Isleifson being grilled about his support of a horrible city budget under the last mayor, Shari Decter Hirst, which featured a substantial tax increase. It was supposed to be for infrastructure, but the mayor saw to it that much of it ended up going to city staff salaries. He deflects the question, turning it into an attack on the NDP’s broken promise of spending the PST increase on infrastructure. Isleifson has a tough job ahead of him. Caldwell is a very electable fellow, way back since his days as president of the Brandon University Students Union. He works hard for the city. He works hard for his constituents. And I’ve been friends with him since he was a founding director of the first Brandon Folk, Music and Art Festival in the mid-’80s. I’ve included a photo of Drew and myself at the bottom of this column enjoying a nice summer evening at the Dock on Princess. I know him well. I’ve asked him more than once what good would it be having him sitting on the Opposition benches. I asked him if he would be willing to work with a ‘Minister’ Reg Helwer. I could see the steam working up in his head. He has told me he would support projects the Tories brought forth that he thought were good for Brandon, and aggressively oppose those that were not. Problem is, if the Tories have a majority, Caldwell would be able stomp up and down all he wants. But he won’t be in any position to do anything about it. An interesting question I just heard from the TV debate came from moderator Kerry Auriat for Caldwell. Auriat noted that since his days on city council in the ’90s, right through to the present day, he has effectively been responsible for Brandon’s downtown. “Many in this audience would suggest the downtown is worse than it was 30 years ago,” Auriat said. This came after some awkward questions about the failed Strand Theatre redevelopment project on 10th Street. A project that Caldwell was intimately associated with, as his wife was leading the charge as head of the folk festival, proponents of the project. Caldwell pointed to downtown streetscaping, some progress on the new “upper storey” project for creating apartments, and he said he completely endorses the city’s HUB plan for development of the core. Isleifson, who was involved with the former Downtown BIA and Renaissance Brandon, said he looks at opportunities for continued growth downtown through building partnerships. “We just need to put a little bit more effort … we have tons of potential,” he said. The Liberal candidate in Brandon East noted that its not just politicians who are reviving downtown. “There are community members who have a vested interest in it,” the former city councillor for Riverview Ward said, listing off the new skate park, new YMCA and numerous small businesses that have opened. I drifted away from listening to the debate as my thoughts went to Hamilton. She’s another good friend of mine. The first time I saw Hamilton was during a debate at Brandon City Hall in 2010 when she made an unsuccessful run for school trustee. We eventually became friends and we go for lunch or to a movie now and then. The photo at the top of this column shows Isleifson, Caldwell and Hamilton at an earlier debate. I think Hamilton made a huge mistake by quitting city council less than half-way through her first term and I’ve told her so. She was doing quite well as councillor. Certainly far better than her critics thought she would. I think she would have had a bright future in civic politics. Hamilton, a former NDP organizer, switched her colours a while ago. I think later she was caught up with the Trudeaumania 2.0 of last fall and I also believe a poll taken late last year, showing the NDP in last place in Brandon East, with the Liberals in second, was the final push she needed. That, and the promise of a refreshed Liberal Party under the ambitious Rana Bokhari. However, rookie Liberal leader’s campaign quickly fell apart after the writ dropped March 16. In fact, after losing six candidates for various reasons, Bokhari has looked like a deer caught in the headlights, stumbling and bumbling through answers in scrums and debates. She’s been disorganized, has few support staff behind her, and she has come across as someone who is not ready for the big leagues. That not only will mean the Grits will be lucky to maybe gain one more seat in the Legislature — veteran MLA and former party leader Jon Gerrard has held the only Liberal seat and should win again — and it might not be Bokhari’s Fort Rouge spot. As for Hamilton, despite the promise of the December poll, will finish in third place in Brandon East. I believe the hard campaigner and reasonably steady debater will receive a higher number of votes than previous Liberal hopefuls, but a lot of them will be angry NDPers or some federal Liberals who hold a torch for Justin. Am I also friends with Isleifson, you might wonder? We’re friendly, and I enjoy talking with him about politics, but I don’t know him personally very well. He has been extremely competent in the debates I’ve seen and has never appeared flustered or at a loss for words in front of the media. I’d say he would be a very competent rookie MLA. Oops, what was that? Back to the TV debate. Hamilton just referred to the NDP boss as “Selinger” as she started to answer a question. Caldwell interrupted her: “that’s ‘Premier’ to you.” Moderator Auriat asks Caldwell to direct his comments to the audience. Yes, there is some bad blood between Caldwell and Hamilton. Personally and politically. So who’s going to win Brandon East on April 19? Caldwell has a mean machine backing him up. He has at least one city councillor, Lonnie Patterson (South Centre) actively working for him. He has another, Kris Desjarlais (Rosser) who tweeted out his support for Caldwell with a photo of the pair hammering in an orange lawn sign. There are union supporters who will work hard for their man in the Selinger labour friendly government. Caldwell has been a major force in Brandon: His refusals to compromise his personal beliefs even if they clash with the party policy of the day; his tireless work to promote Brandon to the cabinet table and to promote himself to the media; and his grinning mug comforting the bottoms of hundreds of bus riders with his famous bench ads. But Caldwell’s support for Selinger — the country’s most unpopular premier, who faced an unprecedented cabinet revolt — will drag him down. In fact, the NDP’s slide down the polls will have to have some effect on Caldwell’s chances. Drew is Drew. You really can’t help but like the guy. But I wouldn’t be surprised if a local poll came out in coming days showing him and Isleifson in a real horse race. The Tories also have developed a strong backing team for Isleifson for this election. They smell blood in the water. Or maybe that’s just some odours from the Maple Leaf kill floor at the city’s eastern industrial park. That was a joke, enjoy. I think a lot of Brandon East voters will vote for Caldwell the man, rather than Caldwell the NDPer. But given the fact that polls are clearly indicating a potential Tory majority government, wouldn’t it be better for Brandon if Reg Helwer’s words at the top of this column rang true? Then we would finally have a true Team Brandon in the Legislature. The dullish debate just ended on TV. But despite my background as a Tory staffer, and the fact I write this column from a right-leaning perspective, I’m not going make a prediction of who will win Brandon East. Sure I want Isleifson to win, for the good of Brandon under a Tory government. But then there’s my 30-year friendship with Drew… I bet that’s a conundrum many Brandon East voters are facing.  

On the first really warm day of spring, dozens of trained volunteers fanned out through city streets, alleys and places that I wouldn’t want to be in after dark. It was the second Point-in-Time (PiT) Homelessness Count, which provides a snapshot of the number of homeless people in the Wheat City. Now it might come as a surprise to many residents — those who don’t often stray from their pretty neighborhoods in the outlying areas of the city — that there is a real homeless problem here. I sure didn’t believe it when I moved back to Brandon in 2004. In fact, in my weekly column in the Brandon Sun, I bluntly dismissed those groups who were trying to get the word out that there were homeless people. All they were doing was trying to raise the profile of the growing problem in order to get some help. But I had just moved here from Winnipeg. I had been a journalist there for years and saw what a real homeless problem looked like. It was in your face, it was on street corners. It was a blight on the downtown. There were aggressive panhandlers which kept people away from businesses, with some of them closing as a result. So to prove I was right, I even assigned reporters to search out homeless people. They found a couple of folks camping out near the Eighth Street Bridge. But they said they were from neighbouring communities, just partying as the weather was warm. They found no ‘real’ homeless people. I felt my position had been justified. My dismissive attitude towards homeless advocates — especially Youth for Christ — in my column eventually resulted in a standoff of sorts in the fall of 2011. A group of homeless people, or those in shelters, led by some mental health workers, demanded a meeting with me. I invited them to the Sun’s offices on Rosser Avenue and met with a dozen or so people who wanted to tell me their stories. I made coffee for them. I wasn’t feeling very comfortable at the start of the meeting. I was wearing my managing editor’s uniform of freshly dry cleaned shirt, tie and dress pants. The people around the table were wearing worn clothes. They didn’t remove their coats. Them seemed to enjoy the warmth. The group looked tired, some to the point of nodding off in the warm boardroom But after an hour, my eyes were opened. I learned that there are several different categories of being homeless. Some were couch surfing with friends. Some used shelters. Some did live on the street, but in such hard-to-find places, they went unnoticed. They couldn’t find work. And they certainly couldn’t find a decent place to live. Sadly, several of the people in the photo accompanying this piece have passed away. That haunts me. But after that 2011 meeting, I wanted to further investigate the issue and asked to meet with someone in an emergency shelter. I spent a half-hour with a woman who spilled out her painful story about a medical issue that led to drug dependency. That led to a loss of employment and increased drug use. Then a loss of shelter. She was clean and sober when we talked, but she only had a few more days to be sheltered in the small, spartan room before she had to return to the streets. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do. From then on, I changed my attitude towards the issue of affordable housing, homelessness, and mental health issues. It’s a hard thing to admit when you’re wrong. It’s even harder when you’re doing so in a mainstream newspaper read by tens of thousands of people. But I was heartened when this Letter to the Editor arrived. “O'Connor to be Commended for his Compassion” James O’Connor, managing editor of the Brandon Sun, is to be commended for his article on the homeless in Brandon (Editor’s Notebook, Oct. 22). The article was written with compassion and understanding of the conditions in which some of our citizens live. It takes a lot of courage to write about a situation which most of us would prefer to ignore and about which one has some preconceived notions. It takes even more courage to change one’s opinion, as Mr. O’Connor has done publicly, when presented with information contrary to one’s beliefs. CHESTER LETKEMAN Brandon Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition Oct. 27, 2011 Now let’s get back to that beautiful day in Princess Park last Wednesday. The PiT Count, funded by the Government of Canada’s Homelessness Partnering Strategy, provides various agencies with a snapshot of sheltered and unsheltered homeless people in the community. The data helps to guide programs and services in the city and allows those organizations to measure progress towards the ultimate goal of ending homelessness in Brandon. The first PiT Count in Brandon was done on Jan. 21, 2015. The data collected revealed that 117 people were found to be homeless and nearly half of the respondents (47 per cent) were under the age of 30 on the day of the count. Those 117 were a mix of sheltered and unsheltered. Many who were “sheltered” were in emergency shelters who were a few days from being homeless. “In Manitoba, it’s seasonal,” said Mark Anderson, PiT project coordinator, pictured in this column with Brandon Police Service Chief Ian Grant. “In the summer, they could be under a bridge, in a park, behind a warehouse. In winter they are stacking up wherever they can find shelter. “There is also another category — episodic homelessness. They might couch surf for a week, or two weeks, but then that all goes to pieces, then they are on the street for a couple of days  until the find somebody else to bunk with.” He mentioned one fellow, dressed quite nicely, who was living in his vehicle. I asked Anderson what he thought is the root cause of homelessness. He said it can be economic, the high cost of living, low vacancy rates, the high cost of rent. It can be mental or physical health related. “With a large part of the (homeless) population … there is a significant prevalence of trauma. Historical background trauma. People who have gone through hard things in life,” Anderson said. “That leads to disassociation, they have to disconnect to cope. Then chemical dependencies can kick in.” Getting homeless people off the streets and into some form of housing is the key. The No. 1 factor in Brandon’s homelessness is the lack of affordable housing, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Brandon chapter. “A couple of groups work with folks who (could be) reasonably good tenants,” Anderson said, noting another stage called transitional housing can be had for four months to a year. “And the day they move in, the goal is to have them move out with a job and some stability in their lives.” This year’s survey featured a new element called The PiT Stop. Anderson said a community event would provide a great forum to celebrate together as well as draw people together to assist in conducting surveys. The project was hosted by Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation, he said. The PiT Stop, which attracted a large crowd, featured local talent on stage, and wellness opportunities for people who don’t always have those types of chances. Wellness opportunities were prioritized towards homeless individuals first. Services offered included: Free hair cuts and styling; manicures; vision reviews; and heart health. Food sponsors included: Wolf’s Den; Robins Donuts; Wildflower Cafe; Prairie Firehouse; Sabor Latino; Blue Moon Water; Komfort Kitchen; Subway; and Forbidden Flavours. I spoke with BPS Chief Grant, who was walking around, chatting with people. “Homelessness is a concern right across the entire country,” he told me. “Our role is evolving, from patrol and enforcement to working with the community resources to try and get shelter for people who are homeless. “During the winter, we work with Samaritan Health for the Safe and Warm Shelter program. For those who would benefit from a good night’s sleep indoors rather than outside. “In the summer months, it’s a little more difficult because there isn’t the Safe and Warm program. But our members are becoming more and more aware of the different agencies involved who are trying to address the issue of homelessness. “We try to channel people in that direction, we can’t force people, but we can say ‘Here’s a resource you might want to take advantage of.’ “Housing is the key.” (The full report of the 2016 Point-in-Time (PiT) Homelessness Count will be available in six weeks at iMatter-bdn.ca. You can also follow the project on Twitter: @iMatterbdn and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BrandonPiTCount.)

Let's talk Toronto. It won't be much longer now, before Westjet starts flying directly from our airport, (YBR) to Toronto (YYZ).  I think that it's wise to book this route early, for two reasons. Firstly, with the vast number of connections to cities around the world that you can make from Toronto, I think our connector flight will be in high demand.  The second reason is to prove to Westjet that this is an in-demand flight. If the planes are full and people are using this service, then we might hold onto it past the trial period. If Toronto flights continue through this winter, there is an incredible number of hot destinations we can conveniently fly to.  Think about it, if you could fly from Brandon and be in Jamaica 7 hours later, wouldn't you do it? Yes, yes, I would. (Yes, now vacation packages almost anywhere are available from Brandon!) Just imagine NOT having to drive to Winnipeg in a blizzard and pay $100 to park at the Winnipeg airport. It would be a new found independence for Westman residents. So, act now and pave the way for winter freedom.  The first bargain I see, is a return fare, taxes included at $359. Leaving July 6th, returning July 12th. That's just YBR to YYZ. Big city bargain! I couldn't find a route schedule off Westjet.com but by my observations, your direct Brandon to Toronto flights just leave Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.  

The Brandon Sun, Westman Communications Group and the Brandon Chamber of Commerce invite you to attend the MLA Candidates’ Debate on the issues facing Brandon in the upcoming provincial election on Thurs April 14th. The debate will be broadcast live from the Keystone Centre Amphitheatre on WCG-TV and CKLQ Radio.  Kerry Auriat will serve as moderator. The panel will consist of:  Brandon Sun Chief Political Reporter Jillian Austin; CKLQ STAR FM News Director Clay Young; Brandon University Associate Professor - Department of Political Science, Dr. Kell Saunders; and a Brandon Chamber of Commerce representative. Brandon Sun Editor Matt Goerzen will co-ordinate questions from the audience. EVENT DETAILS: Name:             2016 MLA Candidate Debates Date:               Thursday, April 14, 2016  Time:               6:00 PM - 9:00 PM CDT                          6:00 pm Brandon West debate                          7:35 pm Brandon East debate Location:         Keystone Centre Amphitheatre, 1175 - 18th Street

Is there any doubt that Manitoba is a beautiful and friendly place to live?  We have beauty and tranquility right outside our doorstep: lush green rolling hills, big skies on long summer days, cozy communities full of friendly people, and gorgeous seasons rich with diverse colors and activities.  Even when the weather seems to be a bit confused (like it has been lately), we have much of interest to be thankful for! Then what could be more perfect than to view this diverse beauty through the eyes of real Manitobans - our friends and neighbors that live and work right here in rural Manitoba.  The Our Manitoba Photo Contest has provided a unique opportunity to do just that. This photo contest was created out of the true spirit of partnership.  Since its inception, Sunrise Credit Union, Keywest Photo image by design inc, and The Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba have come together to create a great experience for hobbyists and enthusiasts of photography.  Sunrise Credit Union facilitates an easy-to-use online submission for digital images, Keywest Photo image by design inc. produces archival canvas prints as prizes for top winners of the contest (14 in all), and a gala reception is held at the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba where the winning canvas prints are proudly displayed for several weeks.  The top winners, which are chosen in a public vote, are also featured in a calendar for the following year. The first Our Manitoba Photo Contest was held in 2013, and since then over 900 photos have been submitted online with over 400 people attending the grand unveiling at the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba.  This year, submissions for the contest will be accepted up until April 21st. It all begins with a photograph.  It could be of geese on a river, or a beautiful sunset at harvest, or children playing in the water in the spring, a field of fresh flowers, or a frost-covered tree in winter.  The smallest everyday occurrence, while seemingly ordinary, contains a moment of clarity and beauty.   As people, we all have the potential of being uniquely creative, of seeing and communicating our world in interesting and different ways.  And as residents of Manitoba, we have incredible subject matter that we can bring to life!   To take a glimpse into our Manitoba and see this year’s contest entries so far, visit the following link: http://www.sunrisecu.mb.ca/photo-contest-entry/ Do you have a beautiful image that personifies Manitoba?  Visit here to learn more and submit to the contest! http://www.sunrisecu.mb.ca/photo-contest/