The Public Utilities Board (Board) approved the application of Centra Gas Manitoba Inc. (Centra) to increase the current Primary Gas rate from $0.1343/m3 to $0.2055/m3 effective May 1, 2022. Primary Gas is sold on a cost recovery basis, meaning that Centra charges customers only what Centra pays for Primary Gas and does not make a profit on its sale. The current Primary Gas rate increase is the result of increases in the North American natural gas market prices. The new rate is projected to increase the bill for a typical residential customer by approximately 20.5% or $150/year. Primary Gas rates will be reviewed again August 1, 2022. Primary Gas rates for customers that have signed fixed-term fixed-price contracts, with either Centra or a private broker, are not affected. The Board is an impartial tribunal and regulator, at arm’s length from government that acts in the public interest. Board Order 44/22, contains additional information on Centra’s Application and the Board’s decision. The Order is available on the Board’s website at www.pubmanitoba.ca, or through the Board’s Office. (PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD News Release)

Brandon University is committed to a safe and inclusive campus. Everyone has the right to an existence free of sexual assault, violence, and harassment. We have failed to live up to these ideals. We are sorry. Brandon University has received the final report from the external investigation into incidents of harassment and sexual violence within our women’s soccer program. The report confirmed allegations raised by our student athletes and Brandon University accepts the findings of the report. We regret the length of time it has taken to complete this process, and that they were asked to relive their experiences. To our student athletes: We are sorry, unreservedly, for what you endured while participating in our athletics program and since. We are sorry that harm was caused to you. We are also sorry for any of our public statements that have in any way called your integrity into question. To that end, we say unequivocally that we believe our athletes and we will aim to do better. Brandon University will robustly address these issues, and we will work towards ensuring that student athletes do not have similar experiences in future. As well as addressing necessary personnel issues and reviewing our policies and processes, we will do a thorough review of our entire Athletics program. This review will be undertaken by a panel of three external experts with experience in university athletics programs, student support, and sexual violence within an athletics setting. Brandon University is learning from this experience and we will continue to educate ourselves on best practices to protect our students from harassment and violence of any sort. We can and will do better. Source: Brandon University News

Source: BPS News Release On April 24, 2022, at approximately 9:00 pm, police responded to a report of a situation at a residence in which a male was forcibly confining a victim and her children to a residence while armed with a knife. As police arrived at the residence, the victim ran outside screaming.  Police were able to enter the residence and arrest the 35-year-old male without incident. Investigation revealed that the suspect assaulted and threatened the victim with a knife making it difficult for her to leave safely.  She was unable to call for help as he had tampered with the phone.  The victim and her children did not require medical attention. The suspect was lodged at Brandon Police Service and will appear in court today on charges of Forcible Confinement, Assault with a Weapon, and Uttering Threats.

The Kiwanis Club of Brandon will be holding their annual bike auction at the Keystone Centre (curling club) on the 30th of April. The Brandon Kiwanis Club has a contractual arrangement with the Brandon Police Service to sell bicycles that they collect through theft, and other means. Each year approximately 100-125 bikes are expected to be up for auction. Proceeds from the sale are used to support community projects. The auction starts at 10:00 AM. People interested in making a bid for a bike at the auction will have a chance to survey the bikes before the event starting at 9:00 AM. All sales are final and no reserve bids will be accepted. Professional auctioneers are used for the sale. There will be a second auction Saturday, July30th.

Assiniboine Community College instructor, Richard Little, has been named a regional recipient of the 2022 ACBSP Teaching Excellence Award. The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) recognizes individuals each year who exemplify teaching excellence in the classroom. “I have worked with Richard for roughly ten years and feel he is worthy of this award. Rich came from industry and with that background has brought a lot of real-life cases and expectations to his classes. He is a firm believer in experiential learning and has incorporated that philosophy in all his classes. Students aren't sitting around listening to him talk, they're up moving around, working in groups, taking part in engaging activities, and ultimately having fun," said Geoff Milne, Chairperson School of Business at Assiniboine. “Having fun doesn’t mean sacrificing academic rigor, but it does mean that students will have more engaging and fulfilling experiences,” said Little. “To me, excellence is a process requiring as much failure as it does success. Finding joy in the daily grind of what we do; developing courses, creating learning activities, giving feedback—that’s teaching excellence” Little will be honored, along with other regional recipients, at the ACBSP Conference 2022, June 17-20 in Washington, D.C. He will receive a crystal medallion and a $500 cheque. Two International Teaching Excellence Award recipients will be announced at the ACBSP Accreditation and Awards Gala, one from a baccalaureate/graduate degree-granting institution and one from an associate degree-granting institution. As a regional recipient, Little is now a candidate for the international award. “It is more important than ever for business programs to produce graduates who are ready to enter the global marketplace,” said Jeffrey Alderman, ACBSP President and CEO. “ACBSP has a mission to develop, promote and recognize best practices that contribute to continuous improvement of business education. Recognition of teaching excellence is one way we achieve this goal.” The ACBSP Associate Degree Commission established the International Teaching Excellence Award in 1995 to recognize outstanding classroom teachers. In 2002, the Baccalaureate Degree Commission created a similar award to recognize excellence in teaching at the baccalaureate/graduate degree level. ACBSP is the only specialized body for business schools that presents an award recognizing excellence in teaching, open to application by the entire membership. “The quest to find different ways to reach learners, or delivering a new learning activity, knowing it just might fail, that’s teaching excellence. When students use what they’ve learned to help make some sense out of their complex lives, or tell you how much they enjoyed your course, that’s teaching excellence. Excellence in teaching is all those things and more, but its not a destination, it’s a process,” said Little. (ACC News)