Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release At approx. 9:15 Friday evening police conducted a traffic stop in the 400 block of 11th St.  The 29 year old female driver was found to be suspended from driving.  During interaction with the driver officers detected signs of impairment and a breath demand was made.  The driver failed to provide a sample for analysis of her breath and was arrested for that offense.  She has since been released with a court date of January 17, charged with refuse approved screening device, as well as drive suspended and driving an unregistered vehicle.

All current COVID-19 prevention orders will be extended for three weeks while the province continues to gather data and monitor the impacts of the omicron variant, Health and Seniors Care Minister Audrey Gordon announced today. “Ongoing restrictions are a challenge for many Manitobans, but remain necessary to help slow the spread of the virus and protect our health-care system,” said Gordon. “While these orders remain in place, we continue to take steps to improve supply and access to testing and other important initiatives that support our pandemic response and protect our health system. Nothing is off the table and we will act swiftly in the weeks ahead if further action is required to protect Manitobans.” The current public health orders were set to expire on Tuesday, Jan. 11 and will be extended until 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 1. ICU numbers remain relatively stable and the province will continue to monitor omicron cases, their impact on the health system and outcomes here and in other jurisdictions. Manitoba continues to have some of the strictest public health orders in place in the country to help respond to and mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the minister noted. Manitoba remains at the Restricted (Orange) level on the Pandemic Response System. For more information about COVID-19 and the pandemic response in Manitoba, visit https://manitoba.ca/covid19/.

Assiniboine Community College is announcing a new partnership with the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP) to deliver a tuition-free Agriculture Equipment Operator program to meet a labour market need. The 13-week program starts February 2022 at the college’s North Hill campus in Brandon and is open to Indigenous people living off-reserve. “This partnership is an important step in helping to meet an industry need and in providing learners, who may otherwise not have had the opportunity, with a chance to enrol in a program that offers a gateway to great job potential,” said Kevin Poirier, Dean, School of Trades at Assiniboine. “I’m pleased to welcome the support of CAP to help ensure that there are trained people who can step into areas of need so that the growing agricultural sector can reach its full potential.” The program, funded by CAP, will provide a foundation for students who wish to pursue careers in a rapidly changing and dynamic agricultural sector focused on primary production. “The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples’ Indigenous Skills and Employment Training (ISET) Program is a proud sponsor of Assiniboine’s Agricultural Equipment Operator (AEO) Program. A key objective of the ISET program is to provide skills training to off-reserve Indigenous people that address gaps in the labour market,” said Sarah Mitchell with CAP. “Projected labour market shortages in this sector overall are significant, and CAP is happy to support an industry that is in need of skilled workers. CAP wishes every client in the AEO program the best of luck and a long and fulfilling career!” The program begins with a one-week preparatory course and ends with an 80-hour paid work placement. Students training with skilled staff from Assiniboine will learn safe farming practices and the operational skills necessary to manage multiple enterprises found on Canadian farms. “Producers across Manitoba are facing serious labour challenges and struggle to hire employees with the necessary skills to work on a farm,” said Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) president Bill Campbell. “The Agricultural Equipment Operator program will train participants with the knowledge and skills they need to be successful. KAP was pleased to help develop the program and provide industry input to align the curriculum with agricultural labour needs.” Students will have the opportunity to build ongoing industry contacts and meet potential employers as they take part in the regular tours, workshops, and events held nearby commercial operations and graduate with an industry-recognized credential. “Removing the cost of training, a significant obstacle to employment, allows students to gain the skills and knowledge required for entry into the job market, without worrying about funding,” said Assiniboine’s Director, Indigenous Education, Kris Desjarlais. “With this, learners are free to focus on their training in this hands-on learning environment.” The program has capacity for 15 students. Those interested in enrolling must first attend a free program information session as part of their admissions process into this program. For more program details and to register for an info session, visit assiniboine.net/agequipTF. (Assiniboine Community College Release)

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release On January 4, 2022, police responded to a report of a male attempting to steal merchandise from a business in the 900 block of Victoria Ave shortly after 10:00 am.  Employees also had to confront the male as he took his mask off to smoke a cigarette while in the business, and he would not leave when they asked him too.  The male was located and arrested at the business, and the merchandise was recovered.  The 29-year-old male was later released to appear in court on March 7, 2022 on a charge of Theft Under $5000.

As of January 1st, 2022 Juggernaut Computers has been acquired by IntriTech Digital Marketing, a leading local provider of digital marketing services such as Website Design/Development, Graphic Design, and Social Media Marketing. This means there will be new resources and technical capabilities available all under one roof.   All Juggernaut Computers staff are now a part of the IntriTech family and the IntriTech staff will join the Juggernaut team at Unit C-1417 Rosser Ave (the current Juggarnaut Computers location).