Rick Borotsik (born September 8, 1950) is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served as Mayor of Brandon from 1989 to 1997, was a member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1997 to 2004, and was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in 2007. Borotsik is a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba. Early life and career Borotsik was born to a Ukrainian family in Brandon, was raised in that city, and graduated from Brandon University in 1971. He was elected to the Brandon City Council in 1977 and served for three terms before standing down in 1985. He joined the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 1978. Borotsik sought the provincial PC party's nomination for Brandon West in the buildup to the 1986 provincial election, but lost to Jim McCrae. Borotsik was an employee of the shopping centre firm Bramalea Limited during the 1980s. He was transferred from Brandon to Calgary in 1985, and again to the firm's head office in Toronto one year later. He remained the city for three years, and became director of 32 centres. Finding it difficult to adjust to life in Toronto, he returned to Brandon in 1989. He ran for mayor in that year's municipal election, and won an upset victory over four-term incumbent Ken Burgess. Mayor of Brandon A colourful and bombastic figure, Borotsik was elected on a platform of aggressive municipal development and became known for his efforts to promote the city. He brought the Canada Games and the World Curling Championships to Brandon, and presided over a period of significant agribusiness expansion. He was also given credit for saving the city's airport. He supported the introduction of Video Lottery Terminals into Brandon, and pressured the provincial government to turn over VLT revenues to the municipalities. He also called for a casino to be set up in the city, and endorsed unrestricted Sunday shopping. In 1992, he supported the Charlottetown Accord on constitutional reform. Member of Parliament First term (1997–2000) Borotsik sought and won the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada's nomination for Brandon-Souris in the 1997 federal election. The party had been reduced to only two seats in the previous election, and was trying to rebuild its support base. Borotsik was a strong supporter of party leader Jean Charest, and was considered a star candidate. He indicated that he opposed the ideology of the rival, right-wing