Reg Atkinson
| Reg Atkinson | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Brandon, Manitoba | |
|
In office 1997–2002 |
|
| Preceded by | Rick Borotsik |
| Succeeded by | Dave Burgess |
| Mayor of Hartney, Manitoba | |
|
In office 1981–1989 |
|
| Preceded by | Allan Lougheed |
| Succeeded by | Leo Peloquin |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
March 9, 1948 Hartney, Manitoba, Canada |
Reginald C. Atkinson (born March 9, 1948) is a businessman and politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was the Mayor of Brandon, Manitoba from 1997 to 2002, and campaigned for the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in 2003.
Atkinson was mayor of Hartney, Manitoba from 1981 to 1989, and owned a small farming implements business in this community before relocating to Brandon in 1994. He was elected as Mayor of Brandon in a by-election on September 24, 1997 after the previous mayor, Rick Borotsik, was elected to the House of Commons of Canada. Atkinson was 49 years old.
In late 1999, the president of Maple Leaf Foods announced that Brandon had been selected out of 42 possible communities for construction of a $112 million hog processing plant. Atkinson welcomed the decision, saying that it could increase the city's population by 10,000 (to 50,000) in a short period of time. Maple Leaf selected Brandon, in part, because it was known to be one of the least expensive areas in Canada to raise hogs.
Atkinson spoke against a proposed Clean Environment Commission review of the Maple Leaf project in 1998, describing it as a stalling tactic, and supported provincial Environment Minister Jim McCrae's conclusion that a formal review would not be necessary during the construction phase. He also opposed a request from councillors in the nearby Long Plain First Nation for a federal environmental assessment. Construction of the plant began in April 1998, and operations began in August 1999.
Atkinson was easily re-elected in 1998, defeating two minor challengers who criticized aspects of the Maple Leaf deal. The following year, he led council in approving a plan for the city to own and operate a wastewater treatment plant to serve the Maple Leaf facility. The project ultimately cost $13.5 million (some of which was paid by the province), and was derided by critics as "corporate welfare". The city administrator responded to this charge by arguing that most of the money went to improving Brandon's existing capacity for water and wastewater treatment.
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