Brandon,
Manitoba is the hometown of a number of Calgary Hitmen players,
including forwards Ryan
White and Carson
McMillan. Ryan and Carson both grew up in Brandon, a city of
approximately 40,000 people located on the Assiniboine River in
“south western Manitoba" (click
here for a map) Brandon is either a “10 hour drive” or an “11
hour drive from Calgary” depending on who you ask (apparently Carson
drives faster than Ryan). The nearest large city to Brandon is
Winnipeg, which is about “2 hours” away. Carson describes the
climate in his hometown as “cold” whereas Ryan admits that although
the weather is “cold in the winter” it is also “warm in the
summer”. Both Ryan and Carson have most of their extended family
living in Brandon as well, although Ryan also has “some (family) in
Souris, 30 minutes away”. When asked what they miss the most about
their hometown when they’re away playing for the Hitmen Ryan
responded that he misses his “friends, family and mom’s home
cooking” while Carson said that he misses “hanging out with friends”
the most.
There are many fun
things for kids growing up in Brandon to do, and both players say
that a common pastime when they were younger was “street hockey”.
Kids in Brandon
also
spend their free time playing “baseball” and “hockey (at the)
outdoor rink.” These days when they head back to their hometown
Carson and Ryan both like to hit the ice.
Carson’s favourite
thing to do in Brandon is to “play hockey” and Ryan enjoys
“skat(ing) at (his) best
friend’s outdoor
rink
on Lake Percy.” Ryan also suggests that tourists
visiting his
hometown take some time to visit the “Green Acres Community Centre,
where (he) skated when (he) was young.”
Brandon is a great
hockey city, and is home to the Hitmen’s WHL rivals, the Brandon
Wheat Kings, who play at the Keystone Centre. The arena also hosts
numerous other great hockey events including the Maple Leaf
Tournament of Champions and the Source for Sports Excellence AAA
Hockey Challenge.
There
are many other fun and interesting things to see and do in the city
of Brandon. One must-see attraction is the beautiful Assiniboine
River. The Riverbank Discovery Centre is located right on the river
and is a great place to go to learn more about the city of Brandon
and the Assiniboine. It also provides a starting point for the
Assiniboine Riverbank trail system, which is a great way to see and
enjoy the city of Brandon. The trail system connects 17 km of parks
and pathways throughout the heart of the city. Brandon has many
parks and recreational areas including the beautiful Eleanor Kidd
Gardens, Princess Park and Stanley Park.
The
city of Brandon is also home to a number of fascinating historical
buildings, many of which have been designated as heritage sites.
These sites include a number of churches, the court house, Central
Fire Station No. 1 and buildings at the Brandon University. The
Commonwealth Air Training Museum in Brandon is another interesting
attraction that is also a heritage site.
The city of
Brandon, Manitoba has a great deal to offer, whether you’re looking
to play some hockey, take a relaxing walk, or check out a museum.
Brandon is a friendly and vibrant city and is a wonderful place to
live and grow up.
Thank-you for
reading about Ryan White and Carson McMillan’s hometown! If you
would like to learn more about Brandon, Manitoba visit
http://www.econdev.brandon.mb.ca/ or
http://www.brandon.com/tourism/.
Also, a big thanks to Ryan and Carson for taking the
time to tell us about their hometown and to
Economic
Development Brandon for the pictures used in this article!
Return to
"My
Hometown"
