Community Wellness Collaborative Inc.

10/16/2026

We asked municipal council and school board candidates three questions about what wellness means to them.

1. What does it mean to be well as a community?
2. How would you as a councillor/mayor assist in moving forward CWC priorities?
3. Where does the mission of the CWC align with your own personal values?

From Brad Rusnak, school board candidate:

When I think of “wellness”, first thoughts of clinics and doctors come to mind, but the term goes so much deeper. It makes me think of family, friends, neighbours, and of course even further, co workers, team mates…students, educators, classrooms. I will admit, prior to the email this week, I was familiar with CWC, but not in depth. I took a couple extra days to respond as I realized how much it means, and how important wellness is in our community. For myself, I feel “community wellness” means contributions to building a supportive system where everyone, as mentioned above, has a chance for a positive outlook…today, tomorrow, and future. As I have referenced prior in forums, campaigning, and coaching, I have felt that parents lean towards isolating their children from many of the realities of the world today, which creates challenges. I feel there are fundamental connections with personal health, safety, mindset, acceptance, and success. As a Nationally Certified Coach, I can recall moments where performance is affected by something not related to the event being played. My wife, April, is a Registered Dietitian at the Brandon Hospital, and we often discuss hunger and how it affects wellness and performance, or functioning during an exam for example. We have had discussions about how instability in a home affects doing homework and self learning. We have had discussions about addressing the mental health of educators and students. Achieving wellness and success is very much a collective effort!

As I’m looking to join the board for the first time, I’ve come to find my general life beliefs align well with a desire to achieve positive wellness. My every day of career and coaching includes trying to create a supportive, reliable, connected network where my employees thrive, families are safe, and teaching accountability. Our educators, support staff, etc are the heartbeat of our education system, so I desire to advocate for realistic workloads and supportive workplace cultures. As mentioned, true learning isn’t achievable when basic needs aren’t met. I want to support stronger lunch initiatives, nutrition programs, and partnerships. Again, I bring a successful business resume to the Board if elected, one of transparency, fiscal responsibility, and leadership. I would put focus on our school grounds, community hubs, and common areas, and I have always believed strong partnerships help build bridges and close gaps. By putting focus on our workforce, securing basic needs, making light of accountability, building better spaces, and aligning stronger partnerships, we can build a well community together!

I have always been favorable of data, numbers and working together, and I see many connections between Board policy and community data. I am committed to an evidence-based approach in governance, using research to analyze social areas of health, wellbeing, food/nutrition, etc, that directly affects learning opportunities. I generally foster true organizational accountability and strong relationships. I feel there can be a great partnership where we share an equal responsibility and desire for building a healthy, connected community, both inside and outside the classroom.

10/16/2026

We asked municipal council and school board candidates three questions about what wellness means to them.

1. What does it mean to be well as a community?
2. How would you as a councillor/mayor assist in moving forward CWC priorities?
3. Where does the mission of the CWC align with your own personal values?

From Jaydeep Mahida, school board candidate:

1. For me, a healthy community means everyone feels welcomed, respected, safe and supported. Being an immigrant myself, who would understand better than me how important it is to feel welcomed and included in a new community? I came to Brandon almost 14 years ago and in Canada 15 years, and this community gave me opportunities and today I'm proud to call Brandon my new home. Many people may know me as Jay from Pizza Pizza. If you follow community groups like People of Brandon, Brandon Bear Clan or One at a Time Rescue, you may have heard stories about my involvement in helping others. I believe no one should go to bed hungry, and no child should feel left out.

2. I believe schools and community organizations need to work together.
Student and staff mental health, food security, inclusion and community partnerships are all important to me. How can we expect children to focus on learning if they come to school hungry or don't feel safe and supported? If elected, I would listen, bring community concerns to the board table and work with others to find practical solutions.

3. My personal belief has always been "Human First." Through my involvement at local volunteer organizations, I have learned that even small acts of kindness can make a difference. I believe in helping people regardless of their background, it is not about holding a position or title. It's about being there when someone needs help.

10/16/2026

We asked municipal council and school board candidates three questions about what wellness means to them.

1. What does it mean to be well as a community?
2. How would you as a councillor/mayor assist in moving forward CWC priorities?
3. Where does the mission of the CWC align with your own personal values?

From James McCrae, school board candidate:

1. Being well in a community means that everyone in the community is fed, clothed, housed, and respected. No one is left out in a well community. A well community’s citizens welcome and celebrate diversity.

2. I would assist by working to make sure all children in our school division are welcomed, included, and learning lessons that will prepare them for a healthy, happy future.

3. I support the CWC mission. Every person of goodwill should do so as well.

10/16/2026

We asked municipal council and school board candidates three questions about what wellness means to them.

1. What does it mean to be well as a community?
2. How would you as a councillor/mayor assist in moving forward CWC priorities?
3. Where does the mission of the CWC align with your own personal values?

From Sunday Frangi, candidate for Ward 2:

1. A well community is one where everyone feels safe, included, valued, and has access to the basic needs and opportunities to thrive. It means working together to ensure people have access to housing, nutritious food, meaningful employment, supportive services, and welcoming spaces where they can connect.

2. I would support collaboration between the city, community organizations, and local partners to address shared challenges, reduce service gaps, and make better use of available resources. I would also advocate for inclusive gathering spaces, food security, workforce wellbeing, and practical, accountable solutions that reflect the needs of our residents.

3. The CWC’s mission aligns with my belief that strong communities are built through collaboration, inclusion, and shared responsibility. Through my work in housing and community leadership, I have seen the importance of bringing people and organizations together to address challenges and ensure everyone has the opportunity to live with dignity and thrive.

10/16/2026

We asked municipal council and school board candidates three questions about what wellness means to them.

1. What does it mean to be well as a community?
2. How would you as a councillor/mayor assist in moving forward CWC priorities?
3. Where does the mission of the CWC align with your own personal values?

From Shaun Cameron, candidate for Ward 4:

1. A well community for me means a holistically healthy community. To properly measure this, we must consider all sorts of elements like social connection, overall physical health, mental health, and levels of support available for all three. I feel as a community we are well served by the myriad of agencies that support wellness in our community. For us to be a community considered “healthy” though, we must measure this from the care available to all members of our community at any one time. This does meet with some challenges, and is not perfect, but the efforts of these groups and the CWC helps bend the curve of change.

2. The CWC has been well served by the members of our council along with the board members who sit in support of its mission and goals. As a council member, it is incumbent on me to be supportive of their work, and at every available opportunity learn from their efforts and feedback. Having CWC as an active member of our community, engaging with stakeholders and council, and raising the specter of need is paramount to ensuring the work of this organization is continued, funded, and supported.

3. I’m a firm believer in collaboration, and “big tent” style leadership. The more stakeholders we have involved, the more informed our decisions can be, and the outcomes and decisions they make can ultimately lead to success. The very construct of the CWC is built upon those same fundamental tenants of leadership. Let’s keep this initiative going, keep it properly supported, and doing good work in our community now and into the future!

10/15/2026

10/15/2026

We asked municipal council and school board candidates three questions about what wellness means to them.

1. What does it mean to be well as a community?
2. How would you as a councillor/mayor assist in moving forward CWC priorities?
3. Where does the mission of the CWC align with your own personal values?

From Tyson Tame, candidate for Ward 10:

1. For me, a community would be well if it had balance. Wellness in the community is gauged by people’s connectivity, their sense of purpose, the supports that are available to them, and all that with their safety in mind.

Wellness, in my opinion, will never be fulfilled in a community to 100%. There will always be a need to support others experiencing new challenges, people making their way through adversity, trauma, and sometimes just life in general.

Wellness is more prevalent throughout a community when the mental, physical, and social needs of all its residents are supported.

2. I've been a board member of the CWC for the last couple years and it's been valuable to connect with so many people both in community and those serving community in some way.

I've taken it to be the role of a councillor on the board to be one of advocacy to the rest of the council colleagues for the priorities of the CWC.

On the other hand, if I was a councillor and was not on the board; I would take it to be my job to wholeheartedly listen to presentations and to the needs of the CWC and to put my best foot forward where wellness is concerned. I'll also say, that I have exercised that in all of these last four years on council.

3. Any time a group comes together to collaborate on moving the community together, even inching it along; I'm in! I live my life in a putting others first framework. I try and practise that every day, and I'm nowhere near perfect, I care about it a lot though. I genuinely love all people and see value in every single one.

I had supports in my younger years that had seen me through numerous challenges. How could I not love to see networking in the spirit of wellness for the community? Easy stuff to love, be good to people.

10/15/2026

We asked municipal council and school board candidates three questions about what wellness means to them.

1. What does it mean to be well as a community?
2. How would you as a councillor/mayor assist in moving forward CWC priorities?
3. Where does the mission of the CWC align with your own personal values?

From Quentin Robinson, candidate for Ward 7:

1. To be well as a community means that a foundation is provided which allows for all members to thrive. There are many aspects to this. Key components of that foundation are opportunities for gainful employment and income assistance for those who face challenges in entering the workforce; opportunities for education and job training; access to adequate housing and food; access to timely health care; social and recreational opportunities to build connection and prevent isolation; care for the natural environment; ensuring that no-one is excluded due to cultural or gender identity, sexual orientation, ability or disability status or any other factors that have historically lead to marginalization of members of society.

2. As a councillor I would be open to ongoing consultation with CWC and its member groups to identify priorities and gaps in services so the City was well positioned to be part of collaboration toward wellness. How the City chooses to shape development directly impacts how easy, or how difficult, it is to access services that are critical for wellness. So in every development decision I would want to be asking “how does this decision effect our movement toward improving community wellness”. Some of CWC priorities overlap with areas of provincial and federal jurisdiction. Wherever possible I would want to be part of our City’s advocacy with other levels of government to access the resources needed to enhance wellness.

3. I think there is a high degree of alignment between CWC priorities and my personal values. I know that, in some quarters, there is a tendency to think that a city needs to run like a business. It is true that a city has to be run in a business-like way to be financially viable. But the end goal of a city should not be simply maximizing profit or revenue, or achieving some imagined ideal growth level.

I believe a city is more like a household. While remaining financially stable, the goal of a household is to create conditions for everyone who lives within to thrive. It aims to ensure the basics for physical health are provided to all household members. It aims to seek out opportunities for education and social connection that lead to a sense of purpose, competence and confidence, and enjoyment in life. It aims to ensure that household resources are employed in such a way that all members are supported, respected, valued and included. I believe our City should be like that kind of household. And, unless I am mistaken, that has a good measure of alignment with the CWC mission.

10/09/2026

Weekly calendar for food programs in Brandon - Updated!

10/07/2026

A great opportunity to learn about consent at work.