Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release On December 25, at approx. 8:45 pm, police received a report of a stabbing on Willowdale Cr. The victim, a 39 year old male from Brandon, had suffered a single stab wound to his lower abdomen. He was transported to BRHC and was treated there. The victim and another person were outside having a smoke when a male and female came walking up and asked them for a smoke. The male and female were invited inside the residence. The suspect and the victim were in the kitchen when the suspect demand the victim give him everything. When the victim refused, he was stabbed. A struggle ensued when the witness grabbed a chair to get in between the victim and the suspect. The female attacked the witness while he was defending the stabbing victim. The suspects then left, stealing a pink Samsung cell phone and battery charging case. Police attended and the Police Service Dog(PSDU) was called out to track the suspects. The PSDU tracked the female suspect to a business on Brandon Ave. She was arrested and the stolen cell phone was found on her. The 21 year old female was lodged to appear in the morning on charges of Possession of Stolen Property, Possession of a Weapon, Robbery with Violence, Aggravated Assault with a Weapon. The male suspect was identified by the victims. Attempts were made to locate him but were not successful. A warrant will be requested for the 25 year old male suspect, on charges of Robbery with Violence, Aggravated Assault with a Weapon, Fail to Comply with a Release Order.

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release On December 22, 2021, police responded to a report of an assault at an apartment building shortly after 10:00 am.  Investigation revealed that a maintenance employee working at the building was assaulted by two individuals following a confrontation.  The suspects were not tenants of the building.  One of the suspects shoved the employee while the other used a frozen pop bottle to strike them. The suspects left the building on foot, but were located and arrested following a track with police K-9.  The victim did not require medical attention. The 38-year-old male suspect was later released to appear in court on February 17, 2022 on a charge of Assault.  The 23-year-old female suspect was later released to appear in court on February 17, 2022 on a charge of Assault with a Weapon.

Manitoba will delay the return to school for students following the winter break to Jan. 10, 2022, to give public health officials additional time to assess the risk of the omicron variant in Manitoba and what changes might be needed on the return to school in early January, Education Minister Cliff Cullen announced today. “As we begin the holiday break across Manitoba schools, the Manitoba government would like to thank students, teachers, school staff, school leaders, school divisions, parents and caregivers for ensuring schools have been safe and open for in-class learning since September,” said Cullen. “But right now, things are changing rapidly and public health has recommended a slight delay to the return to school. This will give them more time to better assess the risk and look at options for the new year.” Most students were scheduled to return to school on Jan. 6. The change means school staff will return on Jan. 6 for professional learning and to prepare for the continuation of learning, and students will return on Jan. 10. Many childcare centres will remain open for children under the age of 12 to ensure families can continue to access needed childcare services. The minister noted the delayed return to school would also provide more time for the distribution of rapid tests to schools provincewide. In addition to vaccination, staying home when one is sick, using masks and reducing contacts, the minister noted rapid tests are another tool that can be used to help screen for cases and provide peace of mind to parents and caregivers. “We appreciate your understanding and will share any additional information about the return to school as we learn more about the variant and what this means for schools,” said Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief provincial public health officer. “We have recommended this delay to a return to school in addition to the restrictions under the public health orders and I want to remind Manitobans of the importance of keeping gathering sizes small to allow a safer return to school in the new year.” Roussin noted those eligible to receive a booster vaccine for COVID-19 are encouraged to make appointments or visit a walk-in clinic during the break to better protect themselves and others. “Again, we extend our thanks to everyone for their efforts over the last several months,” said Cullen. “I encourage everyone to do their part to keep schools safe as students head back to class in January by getting vaccinated, minimizing contacts over the holiday break, monitoring for symptoms and, of course, getting tested and staying home when sick.” Manitobans showing signs and symptoms of COVID-19 should use the online COVID-19 screening tool at https://sharedhealthmb.ca/covid19/screening-tool/ and visit a provincial testing site. For a list of provincial testing locations, visit www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/testing/locations.html#map.

Effective Tuesday, January 4, 2022, the City of Brandon will be reducing the speed limit on Durum Drive between 26th Street and Aberdeen Avenue from 50 to 40 Kilometers per hour. This speed limit reduction will be in place for a one-year pilot project. Durum Drive is the first street in the city to have a speed reduction under the authority of the City of Brandon. Previously, any speed reductions on city streets needed to be approved by the Province of Manitoba. Speeding through residential neighborhoods has been a consistent concern that the City has heard from residents. By implementing this pilot project, the City can effectively study the results of lowering the speed limit in a neighborhood. During this pilot project, a variety of techniques will be used to collect data in order to understand: Driver behaviour Speed Number of vehicles Trip selection by motorists when speed signs and/or radar is used The goal of this pilot project will be to determine if the City should consider further reductions of speed limits in residential neighbourhoods as a way of reducing collisions that could result in serious injury or fatality. Many other cities and municipalities are field testing similar pilot projects, such as Calgary and Toronto, which have already made larger scale changes to speed limits based on their findings. Over the coming year, the City’s Engineering Department will use the collected data to make recommendations to City Council about strategically expanding this pilot to other areas of the city to ensure a well-rounded approach. Through the course of this pilot project, there will be opportunities for residents to share their feedback on this initiative. In the meantime, residents can contact the Engineering Department by emailing engineering@brandon.ca or calling 204-729-2214. (City of Brandon PSA)

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release On December 20, 2021, at approximately 8:30 pm, police responded with members of BFES to a structure fire in the 100 block of 6th street.  The fire was extinguished by 9:23 pm, and there were no reported injuries. The building is currently vacant with no tenants.  The building appears to have been recently used by unauthorized individuals seeking shelter.  Investigators believe the fire may have started by someone who was attempting to stay warm. Anyone with information regarding this structure fire is encouraged to contact Brandon Police Service at 204-729-2345 or https://www.brandon.ca/police-contact/police-contact.