A Brandon Update: Water, water and heritage buildings !

This weekend I went on a bit of a road trip. On the way home I stopped in for a quick twirl around Brandon.

Water Disaster

The big story, of course, is the mighty Assiniboine. Over the weekend an ice jam was sending the Assiniboine to record levels. The jam is gone today but the River is not expected to crest there until sometime between April 20 and 28.

Both of the main drags into town, 18th and 1st, are lined with kilometers of 'super-sandbags'.

On Saturday Grand Valley Road (which is what Kirkcaldy becomes west of 18th) was sealed off at 18th (see map below)

Just opened in the Autumn, the David Thompson (18th Street) Bridge is getting a workout.

From the 1st Street bridge: Dinsdale Park is looking a bit soggy.

Here's a view from the Riverbank Discovery Centre which has a lot less riverbank than usual.

Heritage Disaster

Keeping with disasters, I snapped some photos of the Brown Block which collapsed back in mid March. Engineers are figuring how best to take it down. It became a trickier than usual operation when it was found to share a retaining wall with another heritage building: The former Strand Theatre. In a few days they will know whether the Strand can remain standing.

CP Depot's New Life

Within sight of the Brown Block is the former CP Depot. It, too, has sat empty for a number of years.

A happier ending, though, as renovations are underway to make it the new home of Westman Immigrant Services, coming full circle in a way.

Stay tuned for more good news on the heritage front from Brandon !

Retro Fast Food

Is it safe to assume that KFC Inc (or PepsiCo or whoever owns it now) forgot about this this Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet on Princess when it re-branded a decade or so ago ?!