Demolition on Valley View Condominiums (1400 Pacific Ave) started yesterday and is expected to last several days. Shortly before 9:00pm on September 21 (2021) Brandon Firefighter Paramedics and Brandon Police Service responded to a large apartment building in the 1400 block of Pacific Avenue for a structure fire. Upon arrival of emergency services, flames could be seen pounding out of the roof and upper floor area of the multi-story apartment building. Police officers went inside the building, banged on doors, and evacuated residents while Brandon Fire was arriving. Thankfully no human lives were lost, however people lost their home and their belongings in the blaze. Following an investigation into the 47-unit building, members of the Office of the Fire Commissioner and Brandon Fire & Emergency Services determined the cause of the fire to be accidental.

Saturday, March 5, 2022 March begins at 5 p.m. at Brandon University (by the flagpoles on 18th Street) March heads to Brandon City Hall along Victoria Avenue Locals are invited to show their support for Ukraine in a march from Brandon University to Brandon City Hall this Saturday, starting at 5 p.m. There is ample free parking at Brandon University. March participants should arrive a few minutes early and meet by the flagpoles at 18th Street and Lorne Avenue. The University raised the flag of Ukraine earlier this week to show support. After brief directions and rallying, the march will proceed south from Brandon University along 18th Street to Victoria Avenue. On Victoria Avenue, marchers will head east to Ninth Street and then north to Brandon City Hall. At City Hall, the flag of Ukraine will be raised, a number of dignitaries will address the gathering, and the anthems of both Canada and Ukraine will be played. You are encouraged to bring candles, Ukrainian flags, and signs of support. The purpose of the march is to show support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, to share fundraising and aid information, and to keep up political pressure for an end to the invasion. Everyone is invited to come together in solidarity with Ukraine and with the many residents of Brandon and Westman who share Ukrainian heritage and Ukrainian ancestry. A list of registered charities currently accepting donations for Ukraine is available at https://uccmanitoba.ca/helpukraine. (Brandon University Release)

Source: BPS Media Release On February 10, 2022, police received a report of a road rage incident in which the suspect go out of his vehicle and damaged the drivers’ side panel of the victim’s vehicle by hitting it with his fist.  Following an investigation into the incident, the suspect, a 67-year-old male was located and arrested on March 1, 2022.  He was later released to appear in court on a charge of Mischief to Property.

New agriculture extension programs at Assiniboine—Pesticide Certification and Drone Flight School—are bringing training opportunities to industry. With 40-hours of online training followed by a two-day flight school, the Drone Flight School program runs from March 15 to May 31, and will prepare students for their special Flight Operations Certificate. Those who apply pesticide professionally in Manitoba must be certified and licensed in the province. The Pesticide Certification program prepares students for this certification exam. Assiniboine is the only institution in Manitoba to offer this preparatory course, with a monthly intake for the online program. “Assiniboine is a leader in providing quality agriculture programming and one of the main goals of the college is developing focused training opportunities that meet industry needs. Agriculture is constantly changing and responsive training for those already working in the industry is critical to staying current with new technologies and agronomy,” said Tim Hore, Dean, School of Agriculture and Environment at Assiniboine. “Both of these programs are a prime example of how Assiniboine is working with industry to identify needs and answering that call. These are opportunities to build skills that are necessary to keep up with the advancements in agriculture.” Agriculture extension is an integral piece of Assiniboine’s vision for agriculture training and micro-credentials to be offered through the Prairie Innovation Centre. This one-of-a-kind Canadian college project will bring together collaborative learning spaces, applied research labs and multipurpose spaces that will enhance the college’s ability to work with industry partners to expand extension programming and address emerging situations and issues. “The Centre will be recognized as a go-to problem solver for ag-related practical challenges and provide a space for industry and academia to seize new training opportunities,” said Hore. “We look forward to extending and transferring knowledge to enhance the competitiveness of the industry and primary agriculture producers in Manitoba.” For more information about Drone Flight School, Pesticide Certification or other ag extension opportunities, visit assiniboine.net/agextension.

Following the provincial government public health orders, the City of Brandon is announcing that effective March 1, 2022, the Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination And Testing Policy for all City of Brandon employees will be rescinded*. This policy initially came into effect on November 1st, 2021 for employees working with vulnerable populations and was then expanded on January 11th, 2022 to include all employees. “I am proud to report that 95.5% of our workforce is fully vaccinated, and this higher-than-average uptake has contributed to offering safe municipal services in Brandon,” says city manager Ron Bowles. “Following the Province’s lead, it is now time to focus on testing for those that have COVID-19 symptoms.” As it has since the outset of its response to this global pandemic, the City of Brandon adheres to a high level of COVID-19 prevention protocols in its workplaces and public spaces, including, but not limited to: mandatory handwashing/sanitizing upon entrance to all civic facilities, the installation of plexiglass barriers at all public service counters, the establishment of safe physical distancing protocols in its facilities, mandatory face coverings, and extra cleaning of commonly-touched surfaces. More information on the City of Brandon’s COVID-19 response can be found at brandon.ca/covid-19-updates. *Brandon Municipal Airport employees fall under Federal jurisdiction and are required to follow the Federal vaccine mandate. (City of Brandon PSA)