Brandon mayor says he won’t seek re-election in 2022

Brandon’s mayor won’t be seeking re-election later this year.

Rick Chrest, who was first elected to the Wheat City’s top job in October 2014, had previously served more than a decade on council.

Chrest, who grew up in Brandon, said he wants to spend more time with family.

“This has certainly been the biggest honour of my life to be selected to serve the fabulous community where I was born and raised,” he said.

“However, after a combined 19 years on council, it is time for my wife and I to focus on the next chapter of our life which will devote even more time to family. Our daughter now resides in Kamloops, B.C., and we recently welcomed our first granddaughter.

“The mayor’s job is pretty confining, so we’ll look forward to getting to see them more often.”

Among other challenges in eight years as mayor, Chrest headed up Brandon’s battle with COVID-19 in recent years.

“When you’re mayor of a good-sized city like Brandon, you anticipate you’ll face emergencies such as floods and fires and storms, which we certainly have.

“However, most of us don’t dream of navigating the likes of a global pandemic. I can say that I’m extremely proud of our community and their general response. The loss of lives, the unfavourable impacts on business and livelihoods and citizens’ mental health, has been extremely tragic. … I’ve also witnessed the most profound display of the resiliency of the human spirit.”

The outgoing mayor said he encourages his fellow Brandon residents to consider running for office — whether for mayor, councillor or school trustee — in October’s election.

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