Richard "Rick" Borotsik was born on September 8, 1950 to a Ukrainian family in Brandon, Manitoba. He was raised in the city and graduated from Brandon University in 1971.
Borotsik was an employee of the shopping centre firm Bramalea Limited during the 1980's. 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. Rick was Mayor of Brandon from 1989 to 1997.
