The City of Brandon Grants Review Committee is now receiving grant applications for the 2024 fiscal year from non-profit organizations operating a service within city limits.   Organizations requesting grants must meet the following criteria: Be a non-profit organization Clearly demonstrate that the organization is fulfilling a need in our community which is in line with the City’s mandate to provide social support and recreational, cultural, and youth services Include fundraising efforts as an important part of the organization's financial efforts Clearly demonstrate a financial need for the funds requested   Applications are required to be submitted online through the Grant Application Form. The deadline to apply is Friday, June 30, 2023, at 4:00 p.m.   Grant applications will be reviewed in the fall of 2023 by the Grants Review Committee, with recommended grant funding to be provided for City Council approval prior to its 2023 budget deliberations.  Approved grant funds will be issued following final approval of the Financial Plan in the spring of 2024.   The City of Brandon Municipal Grants Fact Sheet can be found on the City of Brandon website.  For more information, organizations may contact the Grants Review Secretary at 204-729-2296 or cityclerk@brandon.ca.

Grade 11 student, Antoni entered a National short video competition called #SharetheShorts, a youth video creation competition intended to promote organ donation awareness in Canada. The competition is sponsored by the Ajmera Transplant Centre for Living Organ Donation at University Health Network (UHN) in Toronto. The Ajmera Transplant Centre will use the content created to not only help raise awareness but also to "engage students and educators in the creation of engaging and informative content that will appeal to younger and more diverse audience, and to build a library of innovative short-form video content public awareness messages for participating partners, social media influencers and youth to share on social media." Many of the young creators worked collaboratively but Antoni chose to take on the challenge by himself and ended up creative a very emotional and impressive video called "The Gift of Life". Antoni is one of three winners in Canada and the only winner outside of Ontario/Quebec. The winners were awarded prizes for their creativity and remarkable help in raising awareness for organ donation. When asked why he wanted to participate, Antoni's response was "Although filmmaking is certainly a hobby and passion of mine, my primary ambition in life is to enter the medical field as a doctor. As a result, when I learned about the contest focusing on the medical field, I thought it would be an excellent combination of my interests in both film and medicine. Initially I thought about making more of an informational, documentary-type film/short video to focus more on the scientific aspects (perhaps interviewing an actual doctor or two)—which would be more suitable given my interests in medicine— but due to timing, I ended up with the less informational (and more emotional) film submitted." Ian Goodall-George, the Manitoba committee member, said "His video is amazing considering he has no personal connection with organ donation and very powerful which impressed the judges." To view Antoni's submission “The Gift of Life”, please visit: https://youtu.be/RvE7CTnt0Uk #SharetheShorts invites submissions year-round with mentorship and up to $30K in prizes available for the winning submissions. The next submission deadline is June 16th, 2023. Students, teachers, and guardians are invited to visit the #SharetheShorts playlist on the @GiveLifeUHN YouTube channel or email livingorgandonation@uhn.ca to learn more about how they can get involved in the competition

Assiniboine Community College has announced the next community sites to host the college’s rural rotating Comprehensive Health Care Aide (CHCA) program: Reston, Manitoba Birtle Collegiate in Birtle, Manitoba Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School in Brandon, Manitoba The certificate program will commence in all three sites on September 11, each with capacity for 22 students. “We are pleased to work with these communities, schools and Prairie Mountain Health to deliver this important program to students who may benefit from the access to training close to home,” said Mark Frison, President at Assiniboine. “The demand for skilled health care aides is high. We know this program will be able to help support this need in the province, while providing terrific career pathways for individuals to pursue.” The college connects with community and Regional Health Authority stakeholders regularly regarding requests for CHCA programs. The community sites announced today are a result of these consultations. The CHCA program teaches graduates practical skills to care for patients and to communicate in a clinical setting, while also learning how to help patients with their well-being and managing their health care environment. The college has a proven track record of delivering highly successful CHCA programs in other communities through the use of rural rotating sites, such as Souris, Carberry, Glenboro, St Pierre, St Malo, Crystal City, Virden, and a variety of First Nation communities. There will be an in-person information session for interested applicants in Reston on May 30 at 6 p.m. at 143 3rd Ave, Reston. For more information and to register, visit assiniboine.net/infosessions. Visit assiniboine.net/chca to find out more about the Comprehensive Health Care Aide program. Interested students can apply online at assiniboine.net/apply. Those interested in the high school sites in Birtle and Crocus Plains should speak to their school officials before applying.

After 15 + successful years in criminal mediation WestMan Mediation Services (WMS) is expanding into Civil Mediation.  Their civil mediation practice will focus on: Cohabitation and Pre-nuptial agreements Child Custody arrangements Separation agreements With Manitoba’s Family Law Modernization Act people are to resolve issues outside of the traditional court system (mediation) as it is viewed to be more fair, more economical and expeditious. The WMS team brings both formal mediation education and years of experience.  They have spoken nationally and internationally in mediation and restorative justice practices. This combination of theory and practice is unique to WestMan and makes Travis and Michelle fully qualified to get to a resolution quickly.  Their process is completely transparent to both parties in dispute and allows for open, fair, and respectful resolutions. What is mediation? Travis - Simply put, mediation is a negotiation between parties, assisted by a neutral. While the mediator is not empowered to impose a settlement, the mediator's presence alters the dynamics of the negotiation and often helps shape the final settlement. Why not just go to court and get it done? Michelle - Conducted properly, mediation can allow all parties involved to move away from legal concepts such as fault or blame and instead, allow for a sharing of people's perceptions and experiences and a determination of each party's actual needs and interests. What should I expect in mediation? Travis- During a mediation, both the parties and the mediator have certain responsibilities. The parties must attend, as requested, all mediation sessions and participate in the process in good faith. The mediator should remain dispassionate and avoid becoming partial to one party or view. Everyone should feel safe and all statements and disclosures made and information and documents provided to the mediator are confidential, subject to application of the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act. What makes WestMan Mediation different from others in WestMan? Michelle- We are proud to announce we are now accredited through the Alternate Dispute Resolution Institute of Manitoba Inc.  Further, we are the only accredited agency in WestMan that focuses on separation and child custody arrangements. If you have any questions Travis and Michelle encourage you to check with them to determine you rights and best way forward for your dispute. www.westmanmediation.ca or call Travis (204.724.4460) or Michelle (204.901.4901)

Assiniboine Community College is presenting Rick and Karen Chrest each with an honorary diploma in Community Development at the college’s graduation ceremony in Brandon on June 16, 2023. The Chrest family have long been well-known faces in the community—Rick served as Mayor of the City of Brandon for eight years and Karen was the face of the CKX Noon Hour show for a number of years. Their family roots in Brandon date back to 1912, and their passion for the city can be seen through their community involvement serving on countless boards, commitees and organizations in the sectors of business, arts and charitable endeavours. “The Chrest’s dedication to the City of Brandon and their efforts to make the community an incredible place for people to call home has been remarkable for years,” said Assiniboine President, Mark Frison. “These two have been a dynamic team bettering our community for decades. They have been integral in supporting worthwhile causes that help move the city forward, and I have no doubt we will see continued contributions to the community going forward. We are honoured to present them with this well-deserved recognition.” As the former host of the CKX Noon Hour show, Karen was instrumental in telling the stories of those in the community, and provided a platform for many charities and events she became involved in. After leaving television, she would go on to be an emcee and volunteer for many worthwhile causes, while leading a fundraising charge for Murray House, a cancer care housing facility serving as a “home away from home” for patients in the Western Manitoba region. Other notable awards Karen has received include the District 64 Toastmasters International Communication and Leadership Award for "outstanding achievement, contribution and service to community, corporate and region, through communication and leadership excellence", which she received in 2016. “To be recognized as someone who may have played a part in supporting and celebrating this wonderful community is very humbling and moving, and to receive this from the exceptional institution that is our Assiniboine Community College is a true honour,” said Karen Chrest. “Having both Rick and I receive honorary diplomas is quite amazing, and while the recognition is unexpected, it is a good feeling to think that we can all make a difference in our communities in many different ways.” Rick was born and raised in Brandon’s East End. His service to the city of Brandon started when he served three terms as Councillor for University Ward from 1995 to 2006. Eight of those years were served as Deputy Mayor. On October 22, 2014, Rick was elected as the 32nd Mayor of the City of Brandon, and was acclaimed to a second term in October 2018. Rick retired from civic leadership in October of 2022. Rick and Karen have also been long-time co-owners of Leon’s Furniture in Brandon. As Mayor, he embodied his desire to embrace fiscal responsibility and took a “back to basics” approach to civic operations. He was proactive when it came to economic development to make Brandon a city of opportunity and diversity for its residents and newcomers. He brought to the job a strong background in management, business and community affairs, not only as a business owner, but also as the former General Manager of both the Brandon Chamber of Commerce and the Keystone Centre. “It is such a great honour to be granted this honorary diploma by Assiniboine Community College and a special joy to receive it alongside my wife Karen receiving hers as well,” said Rick Chrest. “ACC continues to have a long and profound impact on our community and on the education and training of thousands of lives. It is a great privilege to be included among their honorary recipients.” The Chrests remain active in the community and enjoy spending time with their three children and one grandchild. Assiniboine awards honorary diplomas to individuals who demonstrate high standards of excellence in their personal and professional achievements and whose involvement in the community is widely recognized.   List of past honorary diploma recipients: 2023 Dori Gingera-Beauchemin 2022 Leah LaPlante 2019 Kelly McCrimmon 2018 Ron Helwer 2017 Phil Fontaine 2016 Beverly Bunn 2016 Ian Grant 2016 Jason Yates 2016 Rick Borotsik 2015 Mildred Murray 2014 Jim Treliving 2014 Harvey Armstrong 2013 Dave Baxter 2012 Carmel Olson 2012 Allen Dowhan 2011 Dennis Hunt 2010 Bob Mazer 2009 Gord Peters (ACC News Release)