Assiniboine’s Prairie Innovation Centre for Sustainable Agriculture is welcoming a $500,000 donation from a Westman-born agricultural staple, Mazergroup. "Mazergroup continues to have a long history of cooperation with the college for training our people, so this funding commitment just feels right,” said Bob Mazer, president and CEO of Mazergroup. “Assiniboine is a great school with great staff and facilities, and we are proud to be partners in working toward a better future in agriculture.” The Prairie Innovation Centre will enable more unique work-integrated learning opportunities, applied research projects and industry innovation. The Centre is Assiniboine’s vision for the future of agriculture in Manitoba, and will address industry and economic needs in this important sector. “Our college has a critical role in ensuring there are people trained and ready to step into careers in the growing agriculture sector. The Prairie Innovation Centre will answer the call, arming agriculture in Manitoba with a skilled labour force,” said Mark Frison, president of Assiniboine. "Industry support and partnership is key to advancing a project like this. Mazergroup is an important part of the agriculture industry and of the Westman community. I look forward to continuing to work with them toward common goals, and I thank them for this strong show of support." In Manitoba, it’s projected that one in five jobs in agriculture will go unfilled by 2025. For Mazergroup, the largest New Holland dealer group in North America, this is notable. The Prairie Innovation Centre is Assiniboine’s made-in-Manitoba solution. “Human resources are the most difficult piece, but also the backbone of a business like ours,” said Mazer, who is an honorary co-chair of the Prairie Innovation Centre campaign. "Most Mazergroup employees have some link to Assiniboine, and that’s a big reason why we decided to contribute to the Prairie Innovation Centre project. Dozens of our staff have made better lives for themselves and their families because of the training and education they received at Assiniboine." Mazer, a past chair of the college’s Board of Governors and recipient of an honorary diploma has a history of supporting college students and programs. Mazergroup provides an entrance award each year to students in both the Agriculture Equipment Technician and Heavy Duty Technician programs, and has loaned agricultural equipment to these programs for hands-on learning opportunities. “Agriculture is a crucial contributor to the Manitoba economy,” said Frison. "Working with local industry is key to ensuring this sector can reach its full potential." The Prairie Innovation Centre, which aims to expand seats in agriculture-related programming from 300 to more than 800, will be located at Assiniboine’s North Hill campus in Brandon. (ACC Media Release)

Manitoba is expanding the vaccine passport benefit for fully immunized individuals that will enable businesses, services and events to be available without capacity limits or public health restrictions as of Sept. 3, Health and Seniors Care Minister Audrey Gordon announced today. “The emergence of the delta variant has changed things significantly. Now, public health officials tell us the pandemic is one of the unimmunized and we must take these extra steps to protect the nearly 230,000 children who are not yet eligible for immunization,” said Gordon. “Manitoba’s vaccine passport benefit will help encourage greater vaccine uptake, which is necessary to protect our health-care system from the COVID-19 fourth wave.” Gordon also announced the new public health order requiring mask use in all indoor public spaces across the province will come into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Aug. 28. The province has developed new requirements for people to be fully immunized to participate in certain events and activities. These requirements will come into effect by public health order on Sept. 3 for all health regions and will include: • indoor and outdoor ticketed sporting events and concerts; • indoor theatre/dance/symphony events; • restaurants (indoor and patio dining); • nightclubs and all other licensed premises; • casinos, bingo halls and VLT lounges; • movie theatres; • fitness centres, gyms and indoor sporting and recreational facilities (excluding youth recreational sport); and • organized indoor group recreational classes and activities, and indoor recreational businesses. Children 11 and under who are not eligible to be immunized will be able to attend events and activities with a fully immunized adult. “Unless immediate and strong measures are taken, the fourth COVID-19 wave would likely lead to another round of business restrictions or closures. Such a scenario would be absolutely devastating to business and our community. The Winnipeg Chamber supports today’s actions to avert the human and economic turmoil being seen in other provinces,” said Loren Remillard, president and chief executive officer, the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce. “We will continue to work with our members to ensure they have the tools they need to support the province's public health orders.” The minister noted these new public health orders complement the mandatory vaccination steps taken earlier this week requiring all designated provincial public service workers who have ongoing contact with vulnerable populations, especially children, to be fully immunized. These individuals will need to receive their first dose by Sept. 7 and their second dose by Oct. 17 to be fully immunized by Oct. 31. Designated employees who are not fully immunized or cannot provide proof of vaccination will need to undergo regular COVID-19 testing, up to three times a week for full-time employees, and provide proof of a negative test result before they can resume working. “As the restaurant industry continues to put the health and safety of Manitobans as their top priority, we recognize the latest changes as a short-term measure that models a proactive approach to eliminate the requirement for more permanent restrictions that would cause further detriment to an industry that has faced monumental challenges over the last 16 months,” said Shaun Jeffrey, executive director and chief executive officer, Manitoba Restaurant and Foodservices Association. Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief provincial public health officer, said these public health orders will reduce the need for more stringent public health restrictions and lockdowns that would otherwise be necessary to combat the COVID-19 fourth wave and protect the province’s hospital and critical care capacities. “Ensuring that people are fully immunized before attending higher-risk events, activities and services will help reduce community spread of the virus,” said Roussin. “Already, we are seeing more of the newly identified cases are in people who have not yet been immunized, and we need to take these steps to protect them, others in their communities and the health-care system from the effects of the delta variant.” Manitoba released new COVID-19 case numbers today that show unvaccinated individuals are accounting for a significant proportion of all new cases. Of the 31 new cases identified today, 26 were in individuals who were unvaccinated. In the Southern Health–Santé Sud health region, 13 of the 14 cases identified today were in individuals who were unvaccinated. As of today, 76.2 per cent of Manitobans age 12 and up have received two doses of vaccine, and 81.7 per cent have received at least one dose. Roussin again noted that public health officials recommend that private businesses and organizations follow the province’s lead and consider mandating COVID-19 vaccination for their employees to protect their customers and staff, and to reduce the chance of an outbreak at their workplaces. For more information on how to book a vaccine appointment, visit www.protectmb.ca/. (Province of MB News Release)

Brandon University will require faculty, staff, and students to provide either proof of full vaccination or proof of a recent negative Covid test before they are able to come to campus. Full vaccination will be required no later than Oct. 31, a date that permits members of our community to receive their first dose at our on-campus vaccination clinics Sept. 7–9. First dose requirements and/or proof of negative Covid test results will be phased in earlier. This is an interim administrative decision made in the interests of providing some clarity and fairness to students and faculty, as well as offering the safest possible educational experience for the Fall Term. Many students, as well as some faculty, will already be required to prove full vaccination or to undergo repeated testing as a result of Tuesday’s announcement of provincial vaccine requirements. We have heard from members of our university community who are on both sides of this issue and we thank all of those who have shared their input with us; we continue important dialogue with employee, faculty, and student groups, as well as our Board of Governors, and will ensure that our final policy is reflective of this dialogue. We are also continuing to work with Shared Health and with provincial public health authorities to establish testing parameters and access to testing resources. Many questions remain, and we will continue to consult with our community as we draft our full vaccine policy, which will be completed as soon as possible. The policy is expected to answer important questions around privacy, verification, applicability to campus visitors, as well as costs and access to rapid testing or other alternatives for the very small number of people who cannot receive a Covid-19 vaccine. The Fall Term at BU will also include a strict mask mandate, as well as very limited class sizes, physical distancing, and enhanced sanitization and ventilation that together with vaccination provide multiple layers of protection. The vaccines are safe and effective — we encourage everyone to get vaccinated at their earliest opportunity. Full vaccination dramatically reduces your chances of becoming ill, nearly eliminates your likelihood of being hospitalized or dying, and also reduces your chances of passing on the virus to anyone else. The more people who are fully vaccinated, the more we protect our entire community from the effects of Covid. Brandon University is also offering fully vaccinated students, faculty, and staff a chance at more than $10,000 in prizes, including tuition credits and more, through the Winning Shot initiative. In line with the new vaccine requirements, the deadline for entering the Winning Shot has been moved to Oct. 31 — and new weekly prizes will now be drawn. (Brandon University News Release)

Brandon Transit is excited to announce that all Conventional Transit and Brandon Access Transit buses now have an Active Air Purification system installed in the entire fleet. Active Air Purification technology eliminates more than 99% of bacteria, mold and viruses that may be travelling inside closed spaces. With this technology added to the already rigorous cleaning procedures, including having all buses cleaned and disinfected each morning, Brandon Transit is proving to be one of the best ways to travel to work, home, or your favorite shopping centre. Active Air utilizes safe levels of naturally occurring hydroperoxides, increases air quality, and is safe for all passengers. Active Air Purification is installed through the HVAC system to ensure the best air quality possible. To learn more about how Active Air Purification works, check out this video. Brandon Transit provides excellent service to all residents of Brandon. By taking transit, riders can quickly and easily get to their location, have a safe commute, and help lower greenhouse gas emissions. To learn more about Brandon Transit, visit brandontransit.ca. (City of Brandon PSA)

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release Brandon Police Service is investigating the severe Assault and Robbery of an elderly female in the Highland Trailer Court on August 14, 2021. Investigators are requesting that anybody who resides in the area of Highland and Glendale Trailer Courts with security video available from August 14 between 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM contact Police at 204-729-2345. Additionally, if anybody in these areas has been approached by a suspicious individual offering to do yard work, or has experienced a recent Theft or Break & Enter that has not yet been reported, please contact Police.