Doors to historic Brandon homes flung open
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If you’ve ever walked or driven around the city and found yourself wondering what’s behind door No. 1 … or 2, or 3 … then Doors Open Brandon is for you.
Doors Open is a chance to satisfy curiosity about heritage and other notable buildings in Brandon. The free event takes place Aug. 15 from noon to 4 p.m. and includes both guided and self-guided tours of buildings — including some not normally open to the public.
“Doors Open Brandon is in many ways a sister program to the Open Gardens program,” said Brady Dane, recreation co-ordinator at Parks and Recreation Services in Brandon.
The Daly House Museum is on the list of notable and historic buildings to visit during Doors Open on Saturday. (Submitted)
“The idea is people get access to some buildings of either historical or general interest that aren’t usually open to the public. We also partner with a lot of the local museums in the Westman region to offer free entry and a little bit of enhancement to their offerings.”
The event has satisfied curiosity for some 24 years.
“It’s just a neat opportunity for people to check those buildings out, learn a little bit about the history that we have here in Brandon and see some of the old architecture,” Dane said.
In an era where architecture has more to do with utility than esthetics, Doors Open is a chance to appreciate the “bones” that give the city its character and appeal.
“I’m always very impressed with a lot of these buildings, the effort and the design, and really the art that these buildings represent — the care and the craftsmanship that went into a lot of these sites is so impressive and so interesting. And then you also get some interesting stories of the who, what, when, where, and why of some of these buildings.”
Doors Open offers “passports” that feature locations, times, brief descriptions and maps. Digital passports are available online at the City of Brandon website (brandon.ca). Physical passports will be distributed at the Sportsplex, the Riverbank Discovery Centre and other outlets (see City of Brandon Parks and Recreation social media for updates).
Some fully guided tours will be offered, others will be self-guided and some may have a volunteer or ambassador who can offer some basic information or printed materials. Dane said the city has partnered with some businesses and active government buildings to help provide more context. Some sites will have refreshments and water available to help keep things cool if the day is hot.
Dane said some regular participants are standouts, such as the Brandon General Museum and Archives, Daly House Museum, the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum near the airport, the 26th Field Regiment Royal Canadian Artillery/XII Manitoba Dragoons Museum at the Brandon Armoury and the CFB Shilo Royal Canadian Military Museum.
The current 30,000-square-foot Brandon Fire and Emergency Services Building is also on the tour.
“We have quite a range, you know, from the Assiniboine College North Campus — which is really one of the highlights of the tour to a lot of the downtown locations,” he said.
“The downtown walking tours, which cover the Brandon General Museum and Daly House, are centrally located. Brandon’s most historical area is downtown, where there is a concentration of locations.”
Dane said Doors Open has changed over the years. It used to include many historical homes where people were living but, since the COVID-19 pandemic, homeowners are more reluctant to have people walk through their residences. So, the event has shifted focus to government buildings and other options.
As with Open Gardens, there are some restricted areas to respect at Doors Open locations, but Dane said photo-taking is generally welcome.
“It’s always very exciting to get a glimpse into some of Brandon’s history and see some of the really impressive locations and architecture that we’ve got in our city.”
Doors Open runs Saturday, from noon to 4 p.m. Two guided walking tours: Former Brandon Mental Health Centre Grounds, 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m.; Downtown Architecture Guided Walking Tour, 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Go to brandon.ca for digital passports, locations for physical passports and links to social media for updates.
» wendyjbking@gmail.co