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In 1881, when the CPR decided to route the transcontinental railroad through Winnipeg, it was clear that they would need a refuelling depot in the western part of the province. The ideal location was on the east bank of the Assiniboine River, opposite today's BRANDON , 160km from Winnipeg, but a certain Dugald McVicar was already established here. The sudden arrival of all sorts of speculators encouraged McVicar to overreach himself, and he attempted to sell his farm and sod hut to the CPR for around $60,000, prompting a railway negotiator to exclaim, "I'll be damned if a town of any kind is built here". It wasn't, and Brandon was founded 4km to the west. Nowadays, the city is a major agricultural centre, home to several research institutions, Manitoba's largest livestock show - the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair - in late March, the huge First Nations Winter Celebration in January, rodeo finals in November and the Brandon Film Festival in February. If you want to know what's going on in Brandon and the surrounding region, visit the brand new Brandon Tourism Centre on the Trans-Canada Highway (May-Sept Mon-Fri 8.30am-8.30pm, Sat & Sun 10.30am-8.30pm; Oct-April Mon-Fri 8.30am- 5pm; tel 729-2133 or 1-888/799-1111, www.bedb.brandon.mb.ca ). The bureau is part of the Riverbank Discovery Centre and the starting point of several newly laid out trails along the Assiniboine River. Construction of a botanical garden has been started nearby. The centre can provide leaflets on self-guided tours, including the one downtown that highlights the historic buildings for which the city is known, some of which are on the south side of Rosser Avenue. Here, a terrace in the Romanesque Revival style includes the former Mutter Brothers Grocery Store, whose interior has been removed to the Daly House Museum , 122 18th St (Wed-Sun 10am-noon & 1-5pm; $2), the restored home of Brandon's first mayor. The highlight of the house, however, is an illuminated, four-storey doll's house, in one of the upstairs bedrooms - complete with minuscule mice and mousetraps. Other imposing late nineteenth-century residences are located on the stretch of Louise Avenue as you walk west to Brandon University - note especially the yellow-brick house with the corner turret at no. 1036, and the Paterson-Matheson House directly across the street at no. 1039, with a spindle-and-spool carved wooden porch painted bright yellow and green. Moreland Manor , the low-slung, red-brick and brown-shingled house, on the corner of Louise Avenue and 14th Street, is as close to a Frank Lloyd Wright design as you'll get in Manitoba. The university itself has a small campus dotted with a mix of old and new buildings, most impressive of which is the original college building, with its ragged silhouette facing you to the right as you approach from Louise Avenue. The university also houses the B.J. Hales Museum of Natural History in McMaster Hall (Sept-March Mon, Wed & Fri 10am-noon & 1-4pm, Tues & Thurs 1-4pm; April-Aug closed Tues & Thurs; free), consisting of a large botanical and geological collection and interactive exhibits. The former courthouse topped by an octagonal cupola, at 11th Street and Princess Avenue, is Brandon's grandest building. The Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba , 638 Princess Ave (July & Aug Mon & Thurs 10am-9pm, Tues, Wed & Fri 10am-5pm; rest of year also open Sat 10am-5pm; free), has changing exhibitions concentrating on the work of Manitoba artists and craftspeople. The gallery, with plans for a splendid roof garden, is due to move to a new location on Rosser Avenue - check at the information centre for details. The city's bus terminal , located at 141 6th St (tel 727-0643 or 1-800/661-8747), handles Greyhound buses running to Winnipeg, Regina and Saskatoon, as well as smaller places in southwest Manitoba, and also Grey Goose Lines, which runs buses south on Hwy 10. VIA trains on the thrice-weekly Winnipeg to Vancouver run stop north of Brandon along Hwy 10 - it's a twenty-minute taxi ride into town ($15). Brandon has lots of good places to stay in all price ranges. The Super 8 Motel , 1570 Highland Ave, just off the Trans-Canada (tel 729-8024 or 1-800/800-8000, fax 728-3024; $40-60/$60-80), is perhaps the best value; a free continental breakfast is provided, and facilities include a pool and a hot tub. Other recommended places are the Royal Oak Inn , 3130 Victoria Ave (tel 728-5775, fax 726-5828; $80-100), the city's most reputable accommodation, with a 1930s-theme restaurant, and the Victoria Inn , 3550 Victoria Ave W (tel 725-1532 or 1-800/852-2710, fax 727-8282; $60-80), which has comfortable rooms, saunas, a hot tub and swimming pool. For a personalized touch, check out Casa Maley , 1605 Victoria Ave (tel 728-0812 or 1-877/729-2900, fax 728-6287; $40-60), a B&B in a 1912 Tudor-style home; the owners offer a baby-sitting service and will pick you up from the station. There are two campsites just outside town: Curran Park Campground (tel 729-2486; $15-25; May-Sept) on Grand Valley Road and the smaller Meadowlark Campground (tel 728-7205 or 1-800/363-6434; $20-21) on Meadowlark. Brandon's best-known restaurant is Kokonas , 1011 Rosser Ave, specializing in prime rib and Greek dishes. Other places along Rosser include the Green Olive , at no. 612, which serves cheap pasta and slightly more expensive chicken dishes, and the expensive but excellent Jerry's Bistro (tel 727-7781), at no. 926, which serves up such exotic fare as emu and ostrich. Also on Rosser is the favourite meeting place of Brandon's sophisticates, the Casteleyn , at no. 908, where you can sip cappuccinos in minimalist splendour - they also sell beautiful chocolates. Around the corner at 139 110th St, Timothy Beans has Internet access as well as coffees and great sandwiches. If you fancy hanging out in a bar , the Double Decker Tavern & Restaurant at 943 Rosser Ave is very popular with local music students, who often put on gigs here.
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