Southwestern Manitoba community centre's fate uncertain after years of indecision

For Southwestern Manitoba musician Mitchell Mozdzen, community centres were the places to hit the stage as a young musician.

Mozdzen, who performs as Mitchell Makoons, played his first show at the now demolished Brandon's South End Community Centre. He worries underage musicians will lose another venue if The Park Community Centre faces the same fate.

"We've kind of gone through this already once and I hope it doesn't just disappear like this other community centre," Mozdzen said.

When he was underage it was a place he could hear musicians play, but also a venue to share his own music because it was open to all ages. He even hosted EP releases at the Park.

"We need somewhere for young musicians and young DJs … [to] kind of get their footing because that's what it was for me and like the generations before me and just a little bit after."

The Park Community Centre has faced an uncertain future for around five years since the creation of Brandon's Park and Recreation Plan, which outlined the need for either repairs or a new building. Brandon City Council was supposed to vote on its demolition or rebuilding on March 6, but opted to further study the issue and commission a fresh draft for a new building.

A request for proposal was already commissioned, but costs of a new building came in around $1.2 million — about $300,000 more than the city had budgeted for. Council voted to explore a design reducing its size and adding a daycare to see if a new building is financially feasible.

Preserving a landmark

Park Community Board President Ken Friedrich says seeing the curtains fall would be a loss for Brandon.

"All musicians I hung out with ... every single one of them had a story, had a passion about it," Friedrich said. 

However, for the last few years, it has been hard to book shows as they wait for council to decide on the community centre's future. There is also a reduced capacity of 40, down from 140, due to repairs needed in the building.

It's hard to book shows because the city's decision to replace or demolish the building has been looming over volunteers' heads, said Friedrich. They have been unable to rent the space out for more than two months in advance.

Building a cultural hub

An idea raised at the last council meeting Monday gives him hope, Friedrich said, one that could showcase Park's place as a music and cultural hub in Brandon. 

He says one of the biggest struggles when it comes to saving the Park has been communication between the board, council and city administration about what is needed in the community and why the centre matters.

This seems to be on the mend after the last council meeting, he said. 

"A lot of disconnects and a lot of miscommunication has been going on and that came out and but now there seems to be some discussion," Friedrich said. "It looks like it's going into a positive motion."

Ward 4 Rosser Councillor Kris Desjarlais agreed that the Park's future has "been a bit of a roller coaster rider."

"With something like the Park Community Centre, I don't think that it necessarily needs to be a recreation hub," Desjarlais said. "It's evolved into certainly a centre for culture and connection and activities and certainly some of that can be recreation."

He said his hope now is that over the next four to six months the Park board, council and city administration can come up with a feasible plan for the space, which could include adding a daycare and reducing its size.

"It's [Park] really become part of the fabric of that community," he said. "By us hitting the pause button again and looking to a more purpose-built design that could accommodate a space for gathering, for the community, for programming in partnership with the city and in partnership with other organizations and also having a daycare."

Venues needed for artists

Brandon solo musician Matt Cory is hoping to use the Park as a venue to share his new music with the community.

He grew up going to Park shows and would love to see a new community centre built in that spot that could host lots of bands — both local and from out of town. 

"It's hard to get that as a solo artist because, when there's only like X amount of places to go right," Cory said. "Community centres … get the word out as an artist."

Community centres are usually open to having any type of music from folk to death metal, he said, and the Park embodies this. It has a rich history in town, and he like many other musicians, has fond memories of its stage.

"We absolutely need places like the Park ... what I really loved about the Park, is that they want to put on shows. They're hungry for it, they want people to come out and see these events."