The system had operated in the city for over two decades, beginning in the summer of 1913. Citing a lack of public funds the city was left without public transportation for months until a private company would offer bus service.
The Tramcars of Brandon had traveled their routes on every weekday. The only exceptions were power disruptions, severe weather disturbances or human failure. In all this time, the utilities earnings never exceeded the operational costs and the revenues continually declined as automobiles increased in number.
Brandon’s Tramcars proved to be too great of a financial burden to the City by the early Thirties. Instead of being a City asset they had become a financial burden.
With this major drain on the City budget, cutbacks were forced in many other areas including the City employee wages. This led to labour discontent, which caused strikes, and more problems for the City administration.
The City Aldermen attributed the blame for the losses to high-energy rates imposed by the Canada Gas and Electric Corporation. Once an incentive for business and manufacturers to locate in Brandon, it was now possible to find cheaper sources of power elsewhere.
The City had been refused by the Legislature to build a publicly owned generating plant, which could provide cheaper electricity. In 1922, City Council began negotiations with the Manitoba Power Commission to erect hydroelectric lines from Portage la Prairie. Delegates also asked for a Parliamentary Appropriation and simultaneously sought anew the right to build and operate a Municipal Energy Producer.
Twelve months passed by before a government appointed Investigation Board denounced a one million dollar Brandon extension, that was recommended by Hydro authority Mr. J. Rocchetti, on the grounds it was economically unsound, and also the Provincial Cabinet members decreed that the Brandon overseers must first deal with the local power company.
In 1924 a re-organized Hydro Commission under administrator Mr. C. A. Clendenning raised some hope for energy development. A government proposition called for a twenty-year contract with a complete tax exemption and a fixed guarantee of one hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars annually.
Local council disagreed with this proposal and countered with a power rate schedule embracing domestic, commercial, and thoroughfare lighting, and domestic and street railway uses. It was a deadlock and a long wait ensued.
City Manager Mr. A. W. Ellison Fawkes now advised his superiors “the day of the Traction System, (Tramcar System) had passed in favour of a modern, flexible rubberized transportation system”. This was envisioned as an extensive corporation operated automotive utility, reaping passenger and express dollars from afar.
Soon after, an engineer arrived from Cleveland Ohio, to debate the advantages of motor coaches over light railways, and proposed a twenty-unit bus fleet franchise. Next was the turn of a Winnipeg based company who tentatively offered a proposition using only eight vehicles?
Finally the interested operators of some Minnesota coach lines studied the regional transportation possibilities and then informed the City Council that Brandon’s transportation problems were not attractive and further recommended against discontinuing or scrapping of the existing Tramcar system.
The former plant manager of the local Canada Gas and Electric Corporation, Mr. George A. Paterson had recently returned as organization head, now offered to take over and operate the Tramcar system if he was given exclusive transportation rights and thirty years of tax exemption. He also proposed a new electric power rate schedule.
On January 25th. 1925, the Canada Gas and Electric Corporation tendered fifty thousand dollars (an aldermanic salvage appraisal estimate), for the Tramcar system. Where upon City manager Mr. A. W. Ellison Fawkes said the system was only worth thirty five thousand dollars as scrap. Mayor Cater objected, he said the system was a going concern, others retorted that it was a gone concern.
Mayor Cater declared that the system initially cost nearly four hundred and fifty thousand dollars and was good for another twenty years, and was worth an approximate value of one hundred and eighty five thousand dollars. Mr. A. W. Ellison Fawkes retorted: “you don’t know what you’re talking about, and when you put your puny knowledge up against expert authority from all over North America, you are on dangerous ground!”
The franchise with transportation rights was favoured with a council majority, but preparation of the sale agreement caused many aldermanic clashes over public control of running schedules and a proposed clause calling for a “performance bond” which, His Worship the Mayor contended, should not be less than thirty five thousand dollars. After this, Mr. George A. Patterson the Power company manager sent a terse communication to City Council declining to further consider Brandon’s Tramcar problem.
New negotiations were opened with the Canada Gas and Electric Corporation of Brandon. As the first step towards an electoral vote, Council by resolution, accepted an offer of new electricity rates and granted the company permission to retain the pole’s and wiring on all City thoroughfares for a thirty year period.
Mayor Cater thought that by purchasing the Tramcar system, the Canada Gas and Electric Corporation might use it for exploitation purposes and deplored aldermanic foolishness in agreeing to sell “for a paltry fifty thousand dollars” a street railway worth one hundred and eighty five thousand dollars.
On May 19th, the civic authorities were advised that the Canada Gas and Electric Corporation of Brandon had neither the desire to take advantage of the City of Brandon nor any interest in its conveyance medium. The Canada Gas and Electric Corporation of Brandon was formed with the consolidation of the Brandon Electric Light Company Limited and the Brandon Gas and Power Company Limited, (the latter was established by Mr. Cyrus Eaton of the Abbot-Eaton Company). Ten years later this company was taken over by the Manitoba Power commission.
In 1931, preparations proceeded to discontinue the Street Railway system in response to the ratepayers expressed wishes, and at the same time secure alternative transportation with a bus service. The bus service was still unsettled when the Tramcars were garaged in the barns on Saturday, August 15th.
The Tramcar service had lasted for more than twenty years, and was replaced by a Jitney Service. (“Jitney” comes from an old English word meaning “nickel” and is a vehicle that carries many passengers for public transportation and is not subsidized by public funds).
On August 25th. Mr. H. J. Varcoe offered to supply rubberized vehicles on the east and west routs, but during the first two weeks operating costs exceeded patronage. The citizens of Brandon had second thoughts about their decision to discontinue their Tramcar service. West End passengers suddenly became interested in the ex-Tramcar employees proposals to revive the Street Railway. Even residents beyond Eighteenth Street asked that the tracks be extended thereabouts.
The City Council listened to the contemplating suggestions of the former Tramcar workers. The workers suggested that they would run the system if the City paid the power costs, handed over all the revenues and insured the men under the Compensation Act rules during the winter months. The City decided to guarantee half time employment and resumed the Tramcar service on October 1st. 1931.
A three-month trial period had passed when the civic governors ordered complete abandonment. They notified all employees of the Tramcar system that their services would not be required after March 31st, 1932 and called for Tenders. It was April 30th, 1932 that the last Tramcar entered the Barns.
This left the Transit cares to a growing transportation medium named Macarthur & Son Limited. This company proposed a seven-cent fare which the Municipal and Public Utility Board officials deemed “too low for a successful operation.” Nonetheless, the Legislature approved the franchise that finally became effective on July 4th. 1932.
MacArthur and Sons started the first bus service Franchise in July 1932 and operated it until 1952. Their logo was MTCo.
In 1932 work was started to rip up the tracks, they started along Victoria Avenue and the removal of steel and railway ties continued so that by mid September, workers had completed along College Avenue and were preparing to tackle Eighteenth Street between College and Victoria Avenues.
The taxpayers of Brandon continued to pay for its Tramcar system for another twenty years, until 1952, even though it no longer existed.
After the demise of the Tramcar service some of the rolling stock was put to service in the tourist park between Hill and Queens Avenues and Ninth and Tenth Streets.
This was where the Twin Pines Motel was built, the first Motel in Brandon and later named the Red Fox. This building is now demolished and four 4-Plexes stand in this location. The Tramcars were used as cooking and eating shelters. Other Tramcars were located on the south side of Victoria Avenue near Twenty Fifth Street to be used as a coffee bar and ice cream stand. It was known as “The Train Drive In”, Brandon’s first hamburger stand.
Source: Brandon a city by G. F. Barker
http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~wyatt/alltime/brandon-mb.html
Note: the last remaing Brandon Streetcar is in Edmonton awaiting restoration.
http://www.edmonton-radial-railway.ab.ca/streetcars/future_projects/