2021 is proving to be yet another long economic roller coaster ride

As a service centre for some 180,000 residents, a notable portion of Brandon's economy was hit hard and fast by the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo by Sandy Black.

In early 2020, indications were that Brandon’s economy was on a moderate growth path. Despite ongoing challenging global dynamics, businesses were optimistic with many local manufacturers projecting strong growth. Unemployment rates were creeping downward returning to low historical norms and event sector momentum was strong. The newly launched Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot brought renewed confidence that chronic employment vacancies would finally be addressed. The recently updated Downtown Secondary Plan moved to implementation phase. WestJet buoyed by strong flight bookings, announced an expanded schedule for the Brandon airport. Without a doubt, we were perched at the top of what would soon become an economic rollercoaster ride.

Fastforward 18 months and the rollercoaster ride continues, though in the last few months the trajectory of the ups and downs has decreased. The resiliency and adaptability of our local businesses continues to be unshakeable, despite changing public health orders, supply chain constraints, labour force woes, and changing customer spending habits. Processing Brandon Economic Restart Program (BERP) grant applications has been both a heartwrenching and heartwarming experience. The application review process provides greater insight into the farreaching impacts of the COVID pandemic on business and the unwavering optimism that continues to drive business owners forward. The program intake is ongoing with grants approved on a firstcome firstserve basis. Additional information can be found at economicdevelopmentbrandon.com/berp. As a service centre for some 180,000 residents, a notable portion of Brandon’s economy was hit hard and fast by the COVID19 pandemic. Once again, economic diversity served the community well as many sectors of the economy were able to continue to operate at normal operational levels, albeit under new safety protocols. The decimated tourism sector is slowly starting to open up, but the return to preCOVID spending levels is not expected until 2024, according to Travel Manitoba. However, we are seeing positive signals such as new Event Hosting grant applications being submitted, hospitality service businesses actively hiring, and the hotel occupancy rates very slowly improving. Brandon’s first modernday brewery, Black Wheat Brewing, opened in August offering a brandnew tourism destination. The downtown operation brews beer onsite and offers beer lovers a must visit taproom. Thankfully, many of Brandon’s manufacturers are reporting solid business outlooks which bolsters Brandon’s economic outlook for the next 12 months.

With twothirds of Manitoba’s farmland located within a 100kilometre radius of Brandon, there tends to be a strong correlation between the local economy and the farming outlook. Brandon area farmers have not had an easy two years with significant rainfall challenges in 2020 and extreme drought conditions in 2021. There is no doubt the ripple effects of a second challenging farming season that will be felt in the local economy, however the degree to which the impacts will be felt remain to be seen. Despite the ups and downs of the local economy amidst the COVID pandemic, labour force challenges continue to be a pressing concern for local businesses. In the hardhit hospitality sector, where most of the labour force was laid off or faced significantly fewer hours of work, it is proving challenging to upsize the labour force in pace with consumer demand. With an extended period away from the workforce, fewer international students arriving in the community, older workers who have opted to transition out of the workforce amidst health concerns, and the unpredictability of employment in the hospitality sector resulting from frequently changing public health orders, the labour pool available today looks quite different than it did preCOVID. Skilled labour shortages continue to impact local businesses, however the Rural Northern Immigration Pilot has proven to be a breath of fresh air in the search for a solution to chronic skilled labour shortages in Brandon. With the federal government entrusting the determination of labour needs to the municipality, the program has been embraced by businesses of all types and sizes as it provides employers with another tool to meet their chronic labour needs. To date, the program has enabled local businesses to extend job offers for a variety of positions, including but not limited to, a podiatrist, real estate law clerk, pharmacy aide, physician, religious education worker, traditional medical practitioner, heavyduty ag technician, logistics coordinator, retail and wholesale buyer, electronic service technician, industrial meat cutter, and pork production technician. Employers experiencing challenges finding employees are encouraged to contact the Economic Development Brandon office at Immigration@Brandon.ca or 204.729.2127 to discuss whether the Rural and Northern Immigrations Pilot can help to address labour challenges. With economic growth top of mind, the Economic Development Department will be updating the City’s Economic Incentive program and the Economic Development Strategic Plan in 2022. Department resources will continue to be devoted to business retention and expansion initiatives, attracting new industry to the city, optimizing the availability of industrial land for development, and advocating for increased infrastructure investments required to facilitate ongoing industrial investments in Brandon. While the COVID pandemic continues to result in economic uncertainty, all indications are that the local and global economy is rebounding, and despite the long rollercoaster ride we’ve all been experiencing, business optimism remains firmly intact and there exists pentup consumer demand. For more information, contact Sandy Trudel, director of economic development for the City of Brandon, at s.trudel@brandon.ca. Visit them online at www.economicdevelopmentbrandon.com. ¢

Above: Brandon's first modern-day brewery, Black Wheat Brewing, opened in August offering a brand-new tourism destination. The downtown operation brews on-site and offers beer lovers a must-visit taproom. Left: With economic growth top of mind, the Economic Development Department will be updating the City's Economic Incentive program and the Economic Strategic Plan in 2022. Photos by Sandy Black.