Source: BPS News Release On May 25, 2022 at approximately 2:00 pm, members of the Organized Crime Section and the Crime Suppression Section conducted two search warrants at residences in the 600 block of 16th street, and in the 400 block of 5th street following an investigation into drug trafficking. Police seized cash, an ounce of meth, a .117-caliber BB rifle and drug trafficking paraphernalia from the residence on 16th street. A 24-year-old male was stopped in a vehicle and arrested as he left the residence.  He was later released to appear in court on charges of Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Meth, Possession of Proceeds of Property Obtained by Crime, Fail to Comply with Undertaking, and Fail to Comply with Release Order X3. Two other individuals were arrested in this residence and released without charges. From the second location, police located and seized a loaded .22 caliber rifle that had been reported stolen out of Ontario.  Also seized was several hundred opioid pills, a small amount of Meth, drug trafficking paraphernalia, cash, two conducted energy weapons, and a variety of ammunition. Arrested in connection with this residence was a 39-year-old female.  She was lodged at Brandon Police Service and will appear in court today on charges of Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Meth, and on outstanding warrant charges of Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking and Fail to Attend Court. A 59-year-old male was arrested and later released.  He will appear in court on July 18, 2022 on numerous firearm related offences. A 55-year-old male was also arrested and later released.  He will appear in court on July 21, 2022 on numerous firearm related offences and Fail to Comply with Release Order. A 30-year-old male who was also located in the residence was arrested on outstanding charges of Assault Cause Bodily Harm.  He was released to appear in court at a later date.

A provincial road that connects Seven Sisters Falls through Manitoba’s Whiteshell Provincial Park is the province’s Worst Road. Provincial Road 307 is the dubious “winner” of CAA Manitoba’s Worst Roads contest for 2022, says Heather Mack, Manager, Government and Community Services. “This is the first time a rural road has made the top of our list,” says Mack.“But it’s not a surprise – more rural roads have been making our Top 10 list as the annual contest goes on.” A resident who lives near Otter Falls, which is in the Whiteshell off of PR 307, tells CAA Manitoba that the road is even worse in the winter – thanks to how much the road heaves in the cold. “It just comes up and if you aren’t careful, you go flying,” he says, noting the province has erected warning signs, but has not fixed the heaving. Last week, the road was closed due to overland flooding, which should be a wake-up call to governments, says Mack. “Climate change affects our infrastructure as much as anything else,” she says. “We need to be pro-active in preparing our roads so these vital community links, especially in rural Manitoba, are not cut off.” Winnipeg’s Saskatchewan Avenue came in second due to its numerous patches and potholes – including one pothole that was so deep, a local man took a photo of himself standing waist- deep inside it. It’s not just potholes that CAA Manitoba asked Manitobans to think about when voting for their worst road. Lack of active transportation paths, lack of safe and accessible access, poor or no signage, bad design or poor maintenance all went into this year’s voting. This year’s Top 10 list for Manitoba: Provincial Road 307 Saskatchewan Avenue, Winnipeg Waller Avenue, Winnipeg Provincial Trunk Hwy 34, Pilot Mound/Crystal City 18th Street, Brandon Provincial Trunk Hwy 44, Lockport to Whiteshell Leila Avenue, Winnipeg Kenaston Boulevard, Winnipeg Dawson Road North, Winnipeg Goulet Street, Winnipeg Last year’s winner, Taylor Avenue, dropped off the provincial Top 10 list thanks to recent reconstruction efforts by the City of Winnipeg, but is still in the Top 10 list for Winnipeg. “This contest provides a snapshot of what Manitobans are experiencing out on our roads. We are pleased to see some of the usual roads on our list get moved down or fall off as local governments take action,” says Mack. “We are here to advocate for the safest roads possible for Manitobans – no matter whether they drive, bike, use transit or walk.

Celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, Easter Seals Canada is also set to celebrate its fourth annual Red Shirt Day, a national day of action for “AccessAbility” and inclusion of Canadians with disabilities. Manitoba Possible, the provincial arm of Easter Seals Canada, is excited to invite Manitobans to participate. Across the country on Red Shirt Day, Canadians everywhere join together and wear red in schools, workplaces, and community spaces. This visible show of support is a way for Canadians to acknowledge the achievements of people with disabilities and to pledge their commitment to helping create a fully accessible and inclusive society that honours and values the contributions of people of all abilities in all aspects of life. Red Shirt Day has quickly gained momentum, with more and more individuals and organizations sharing photos of themselves wearing red on their social media accounts each year. Established by Easter Seals in 2019 as a national initiative to increase awareness of the contributions that people with disabilities can and do make to Canadian society, Held each year on the Wednesday during National AccessAbility Week (NAAW) and Manitoba Access Awareness Week (MAAW), Red Shirt Day 2022 will take place on Wednesday, June 1st. National AccessAbility Week runs from Sunday, May 29th to Saturday, June 4th this year, while Manitoba Access Awareness Week runs May 30th through June 5th Easter Seals Manitoba / Manitoba Possible CEO, Dana Erickson (he/him), notes, “This Red Shirt Day, we recognize the more than 175,000 Manitobans with disabilities for their resilience, particularly in light of the pandemic. This year we also acknowledge that we still have much work to do in advocating for greater accessibility, inclusion, and equity in our communities for Manitobans with disabilities.” “We encourage all Manitobans to join in Red Shirt Day, demonstrating support for and celebrating achievements of peoples with disabilities,” says Erickson, noting that there are several ways to get involved: On Wednesday, June 1st, 2022, post a selfie or a group photo with friends, classmates or colleagues – all wearing red – on social media, using the hashtags: #RedShirtDay, #RedForAccessAbility, #RedShirtESMB, #MakeItPossible • Take and share your personal Red Shirt Day Pledge on social media. • Join the Red Shirt Day mailing list to receive updates on Red Shirt Day and free resources to help youmark National AccessAbility Week and Red Shirt Day. For more information and ideas, visit manitobapossible.ca/redshirtday or redshirtday.ca .

The Manitoba government has introduced legislation to extend the ability to sell liquor with takeout and delivery food orders and make it easier for service models such as wine bars, seasonal and pop-up businesses to obtain licenses, Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen announced today. “The existing framework for service licences, such as those for restaurants and bars, is complex and has many requirements unrelated to the safe and responsible service of liquor,” said Goertzen. “These amendments will allow us to reduce the number of licence categories and remove barriers to entry. Current licensed business will all remain licensed in a new framework, but more flexibility will expand eligibility for new service models, such as wine bars, seasonal or pop-up businesses, and local bars that don’t have to make costly investments in commercial kitchens or entertainment.” Manitoba’s regulatory framework for liquor has remained largely unchanged since the lifting of prohibition and this complicated framework creates challenges for the hospitality industry in meeting the evolving preferences of modern consumers, noted Goertzen. “Levelling the playing field creates a tremendous opportunity for the foodservice industry to recover and grow,” said Scot McTaggart, owner, Fusion Grill and Manitoba director, Restaurants Canada. “Restaurants Canada applauds the government for modernizing the licensing framework focusing on the safe service of alcohol and creating a market where the entrepreneurial spirit can thrive.” Bill 38 builds on previous legislative reform introduced to allow all liquor service licensees to sell liquor with takeout and delivery food orders, a service option that has been available to dining room licensees since 2020. This change, supported by industry and driven by changing consumer demand, became especially significant as the COVID-19 pandemic changed how Manitoba’s hospitality industry operates, noted the minister. (province of MB News Release)

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release On Thursday May 19, 2022, members of the Organized Crime Section and Crime Suppression Section conducted a search warrant on a residence in the 700 block of 6th street shortly after 7:00 pm. Following the search police seized approximately 176 grams of Cocaine (Approx. street value of $17,000), cash, and numerous drug trafficking paraphernalia. Also seized during the search were firearms including a 12 gauge Lakefield Mossberg shotgun, a .222 caliber Remington Model 7888 bolt-action rifle, and ammunition. Three individuals were arrested and face numerous charges. A 19-year-old male was lodged at Brandon Police Service and will appear in court today on charges of Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Cocaine, Possess Proceeds of Crime, Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm X2, Unsafe Storage of Firearm X2 and Fail to Comply with Undertaking. A 52-year-old male was lodged at Brandon Police Service and will appear in court today on charges of Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Cocaine, Possess Proceeds of Crime, Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm X2, Unsafe Storage of Firearm X2. A 23-year-old male was arrested and later released to appear in court on July 14, 2022 on a charge of Possession of Proceeds of Crime. A fourth individual who was found leaving the residence was also arrested on an outstanding charge of Fail to Attend Court.  The 16-year-old female was later released and will appear in court on June 14, 2022.