Discussions

From a Brandon council meeting in 1912 we read from the minutes that Reverend Ferrier, Principal of the Indian Residential School, requested “that a map be made of that portion of the lands belonging to the school and the experimental farm which are to be turned over to the city”. Alderman J.B. Curran had envisioned a recreational Park for the city. In 1921 land was acquired under a 99-year lease from the Department of Indian Affairs, but it was not until the 1960’s that this popular camping and swimming place became a reality. This section of land abutting on the Assiniboine River was for a long time unused by its owner. During the economic depression, between 1931 and 1935, the city council gave its unemployed young men work, clearing part of the land. The area was named Curran Park after a prominent Alderman, J.B. Curran, who had performed good service on the Park’s Board and given his name to a city apartment block. This honour is bestowed on elected public officials to perpetuate their memory within the city of Brandon. Now seventy-five years later the present owners have chosen to erase these historical events of this piece of land, the vacation, sports and recreational area of the citizens of Brandon and tourists from far off lands. What was the great burning need to change the name of the park from the memory of a senior member of our past society to “Turtle Crossing”? It sounds like a road sign hidden some where in the wilds of the Turtle Mountains, or a ride at Disney World. This new name certainly does not give a hint of the valuable history connected to the site of Curran Park.