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THE BRANDON SUN • WESTMAN BUSINESS • OCTOBER 26, 2023
Brandon’s economic growth, outlook remain strong
BY ABIOLA ODUTOLA
cities in Canada and demonstrates the opportunities available for individuals, families, and businesses to grow and succeed.” Cathcart underlined the historical strength of Brandon’s labour force, which he said has been relatively “tight”, hovering around five per cent or less unemployment for over two decades. He added that the workforce participation rate also remains strong at 68.3 per cent vs. the long-term Man- itoba average of 65.6 per cent. The construction sector in particu- lar, which has been a focus of Pugh’s ef- forts, has been a major contributor to Brandon’s economic growth. As larger construction jobs involve more trades, she explained that this in- creases the cash flow and jobs that are available in Brandon, adding that as cash flow increases, it flows out to the economy through consumer consump- tion. Pugh also highlighted the expected boost in tourism dollars as people start travelling again. “With people being back into their routines, we will start to see an in- crease in the tourism of Brandon through hockey tournaments, Ag Days, etc., which benefits our local hotels, restaurants, and shopping. Continuing to shop local
Despite facing pressing challenges, experts say the economic outlook of Brandon — a city known for its resil- ience, and agricultural heritage — re- mains positive. “The current economic outlook for Brandon remains strong. The higher interest rates and inflation have put a strain on business; however, they are surviving,” Brandon Chamber of Com- merce president Jaime Pugh told the Sun. “From our discussions with many of our members, they have been able to fill their job positions, and the strain on the lack of skilled employees has decreased slightly. Businesses are con- tinuing to sell, which shows even with the current interest rates our entrepre- neurial spirit is still thriving.” But what makes the city remains strong? City of Brandon’s Economic Development director Gerald Cathcart attributed its success to its remarkable population growth and the historic strength of the labour force. “The City of Brandon’s population in the 2021 Census was 51,313, just over a five per cent increase from the 2016 Census,” he said. “Brandon’s growth has kept pace with the fastest-growing
The city of Brandon seen from the air over Rideau Park. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)
and support our local businesses al- lows for Brandon to continue to flour- ish,” she said. Pugh explained that the planned Prairie Innovation Center will be ben- eficial to Brandon in so many ways. It will not only boost local trades, but also help current and future students fill the jobs in the city’s Agriculture industry. As mentioned in the Chamber lead- er’s debate, she said the provincial gov- ernment has agreed to work with ACC to get the project off the ground. “The expansion to the Brandon Re- gional Health Centre has created rev- enue to our construction groups. The addition to Maryland School and the building of two future schools will also help the construction indus- try which will in turn put money
back into our other areas through con- sumer spending,” she added. Cathcart said that the city’s key eco- nomic drivers include agriculture and manufacturing. “Traditionally agriculture has and continues to be a major economic driv- er,” he said. “Manufacturing remains Brandon’s largest economic driver, em- ploying 11 per cent of our labour force. Food processing, chemical production, and metal fabrication are the larg- est of the sectors that drive Brandon’s growth.”
A group look out over the downtown Brandon skyline from Hanbury Hill on a hot summer evening (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)
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