David K. Burgess (born c. 1959) is a politician in
Brandon
Brandon may refer to:
Names and people
*Brandon (given name), a male given name
*Brandon (surname), a surname with several different origins
Places
Australia
*Brandon, a farm and 19th century homestead in Seaham, New South Wales
*Brandon, Q ...
,
Manitoba
Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...
, Canada, who was
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
of the city from 2002 to 2010. His father, Ken Burgess, was Mayor of Brandon from 1979 to 1989.
Early life and career
Burgess was born as raised in Brandon. He has a
Bachelor of Commerce
A Bachelor of Commerce (abbreviated BComm or BCom; also, ''baccalaureates commercii'') is an undergraduate degree in business, usually awarded in Canada, Australia, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Ireland, New Zealand, Ghana, South Africa, Myanmar, ...
degree from the
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba.Angela Lovell, "A Mayor on a Mission", ''Manitoba Business'', 1 November 2005, p. 6. He was first elected to the Brandon City Council in 1998, easily defeating two other candidates in the city's sixth ward. He was appointed to the board of the centre Keystone Centre, and spearheaded a movement to upgrade the facility's services.
Burgess was initially an ally of Mayor
Reg Atkinson
Reginald C. Atkinson (born March 9, 1948) is a businessman and politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was the Mayor of Brandon, Manitoba, Brandon, Manitoba, from 1997 to 2002 and campaigned for the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in 2003 Manitoba gen ...
, although their political relationship deteriorated in early 2002. Burgess broke from Atkinson to support a
casino
A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...
for Brandon, and also opposed a municipal smoking ban that Atkinson favoured."Brandon mayor challenged", ''Winnipeg Free Press'', 22 July 2002, A9.
Mayor of Brandon
Burgess won a surprisingly easy victory over former provincial cabinet ministerJames McCrae in the 2002 municipal election to succeed Atkinson as Mayor of Brandon. After the election, Burgess announced that he would support a province-wide smoking ban to remove what he called an "unlevel playing field" between Brandon and the surrounding communities. He also tried to relax Brandon's strict anti-smoking law in early 2003, but was unsuccessful.
In March 2003, Burgess entered into negotiations with Maple Leaf Pork regarding the use of high-membrane technology to cut water pollution from the firm's large Brandon plant. He wrote a public letter in support of a second shift for Maple Leaf's facility in September of the same year, arguing that it would create good jobs and be beneficial to the city.
Burgess opposes the principle of
s, arguing that they create uneven market opportunities for business owners of different racial backgrounds. In 2004, Burgess presided over the arrival of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry to their new station in Brandon.
Burgess has presided over a period of economic growth for the City of Brandon. The 2001 Canadian census showed the city's population as 43,000; Burgess has argued that its population may grow to 50,000 by 2008. In 2005, he called for a more centralized coordination of services between he city and surrounding communities.
Burgess is a less charismatic and more conciliatory politician than Reg Atkinson, his predecessor as mayor.Bill Redekop, "Brandon Mayor may need to shed image as Mr. Nice Guy", ''Winnipeg Free Press'', 20 January 2003, B1. He was re-elected with around 60% support in
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
CKY-TV
CKY-DT (channel 7) is a television station in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, part of the CTV Television Network. The station is owned and operated by network parent Bell Media, and maintains studios on Graham Avenue (adjacent to the Canada Life Cen ...
, October 28, 2010.
Provincial politics
Burgess is a supporter of the
Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba (french: Parti progressiste-conservateur du Manitoba) is a centre-right political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is currently the governing party in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, after winnin ...