Discussions

I Was Looking At A Video From The - Brandon Boys Luncheon In Vancouver - 2016 -  
I Was Saddened To See What The Leaders Of Our City Had Destroyed, I Won'y Elaborate , All You Have To Do Is Drive Down Rosser Avenue An Look At The Devastation That Is Left Behind , If This Is Progress Please Don't i:nclude Me , No Amount Of Money Will Ever Change This , Happy Easter

Does anyone remember pickle days down town. What a time to be alive

Why not elaborate?

I'm a little confused at who you're blaming. The same thing has happened to most downtowns in North America as business moved to the suburbs. Many cities, including Brandon, tried to revitalize downtown to no avail. In 1980 the Brandon Gallery (Town Centre) opened and was an okay mall until the next recession, but long-term it was just a band-aid solution... and an expensive one.  
 
The problem with most downtowns is that people want them to be "what they were" which is never going to happen again. Shopping moved to the suburbs because of plentiful parking. In Brandon, first to the Shopper's Mall and then to the Corral Centre.  
 
The only hope for revitalization is to concentrate on downtown being a residential neighborhood, with enough basic services to serve that population. I don't blame politicians for what happened to downtown, I blame them for spending too much money trying to keep it from changing, instead of guiding it to whatever it is destined to be. That past is not coming back.

what the area needs is to be pedestrianised along a section of Rosser, it always seems derelict and dirty to me, too much traffic and niche shopping only.  
Pacific and Princess could be used for parking facilities as well as the centre car park.  
Deliveries to be made after or before a certain time, bus transport to stick to a designated lane or not allowed within the walking zone.  
Planters and seating could be set out and would encourage street cafes, especially in summer. Perhaps a small rink in winter.  
Stallholder market could be more than one day a week. (not sure how many days it is there currently)  
Busking and street performers could be encouraged and licensed, I'm sure there are lots of other possibilities that can be thought through.  
At the least it would stop Rosser being used as a rat run.

// The problem with most downtowns is that people want them to be "what they were" //  
 
I agree.  
 
Far too much emphasis is being put on the past. Even I hear from people about how the town center wrecked so much of the character that downtown once had.  
Enough of that. It's just the evolution of retail.  
 
It used to be all about downtown. Then suburbia brought us into the era of the mall. Then further sprawl brought us into the era of the big box store. And now cyberspace is threatening all of the above.  
 
Times have changed. As such, if we can not bring people to shop downtown, I think it's time to focus on turning it into a residential neighbourhood. Ideally, with quality fresh food shops, deli's, restaurants and other amenities that both cyber AND big box have trouble accommodating.  
It strikes me as a great way to help inspire the local food movement into being something more than an annoying buzzword.  
 
In terms of obsolescence, both of our malls have faired well in spite of the state of many others (consider the Portage Mall!). The town center seems to be transitioning towards a more office oriented use base . . . so be it. Wire the place up with gigabit fiber and turn it into a hub for . . . whatever the future brings. Jobs for people who live close by!  
 
As for the mall and the big boxes . . . our status as a hub city for a large region will likely ensure their health for a fairly long time. But even afterward . . . housing is always a necessity.  
 
When it comes to downtown, I think it can be repurposed. But the issue then becomes how to avoid falling into the gentrification trap.  
 
Edited by Simonwalcal, 2021-03-30 16:24:29

A RAT RUN?!?! Do you have ANY idea what it’s like to be homeless? Wait. Don’t answer that, because I’m sure you’re an expert on that topic too. Where do you think the homeless are going to go if you drive them out? Away!?! No. They may come to your neighbourhood, they may come to mine. Then what? We drive them away some more? Because that’s the right thing to do. No one cares about the homeless because, “they made their bed”. *eyeroll* Forget trying to gentrify downtown. This city needs to build more access for homeless people and people struggling with addictions and mental illness and all of the other crap no one wants to talk about (I’m sure you’re a fountain of knowledge on those topics too). I’m not a scholar or an expert on any of this stuff either, but i’m smart enough to recognize that’s there is an issue going on. A rat run. That is one of the lowest things someone can say.

Who mentioned anything about homeless people?  
A rat run is a road or highway that is used as a short cut by traffic to get from one area to another, normally having no intention of actually stopping in between and certainly not for shopping.  
 
Edited by vegimite, 2021-03-30 16:45:46

I’m sure the Wikipedia definition is what you meant. Sorry.

You make a good point. How to balance the needs of homelessness with reviving the core.  
 
In truth, I don't know the answer. Because if the change is primarily pushed by developers, then gentrification will be the result. So . . . tax incentives for developments that manage to strike a balance between both extremes?  
 
Ideally, the solution would be to get at what is driving the homeless problem to begin with. Addiction, mental health, poverty . . .  
 
This is bigger than just a downtown revitalization story. But it is certainly a part of it not be left out.

Thank you. I agree. There is no “winner”. But I think people need stop thinking about their needs, and start thinking about other people’s needs. Too much emphasis on, “we need to do this” or, “ we need to do that”. What we NEED to focus on is what we SHOULD do. There are enough things in this town to keep people happy. There aren’t enough PEOPLE in this town keeping other people happy.

i miss pickle days

Firstly, capitalizing every word in a sentence makes it hard to read.  
 
Downtown isn't that bad. Currently it looks a little icky as most of Brandon does after the our snow melting and exposing all the garbage. Give it some time and the city will have a trash pick up event organized (if not cancelled again due to Covid) and all the summer planters out. Yes there's a lot of vacant buildings but also A LOT of businesses- it's like the business hub of our City and many neat and cute specialty shops. There has been lots of things done to the area to revive the place over the last few years. Brandon Best Clan crosswalks, I heart Brandon Cross walks, at least 4 beautifully painted new fun murals in different locations and so much more. Yoga classes is offered free in the park during the summer and different cool events happen again when covid isn't shutting them down. Global market also puts on farmers markets and neat events. There is another event that happens every summer called Brandon doors open that allows you to go into these historic buildings and learn about them. So so so many things have been and continue to be done.  
 
It's easy to complain and blame but I suggest looking into getting involved in organizations to make a difference if you feel differently than myself. My first suggestion is Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation. Check it out! Their entire organization is essentially about what your talking about.