[esquire]

^ It isn't that hard to imagine a scenario where a second major city evolved in Manitoba, at least partly at Winnipeg's expense. As you know, so many of the big early decisions were made by powerful business, railway, resource and government interests. One can easily conjure up a scenario where a powerful and well-connected "Sir Jebbediah Brandon" with lots of land in western Manitoba convinces the GTR to run its main line through town. Or convinces the Dominion government to establish a large and important something-or-other in town. Or establishes a large and dominant mercantile firm that positions Brandon as the hub of the prairies. Etcetera.

And if you think that's implausible, then recall that Selkirk was originally poised to be the Manitoba metropolis until certain Winnipeg interests persuaded the CPR to run through town even though Selkirk was in many was an objectively better site for a city... and the rest is history.