In partnership with Assiniboine Food Forest Inc., Brandon Riverbank Inc. would like to officially proclaim itself as the swallow capital of Manitoba! The proclamation comes after an in-depth swallow bird count of the Riverbank area recently, where Riverbank officials anticipate approximately 1,000 young swallows will be fledging this summer – a number that Dave Barnes, a local nature enthusiast and outdoorsman who is the chairperson and founding member of the Assiniboine Food Forest, believes is accurate. “The reasoning was because the habitat is absolutely ideal for swallows at the Riverbank,” said Barnes. “I believe there are more nesting pairs of swallows there than on any other similar-sized land area in Manitoba.” There are four species of swallows breeding at the Riverbank. In order of population size, they are as follows: cliff swallow, purple martin, tree swallow and barn swallow. The Riverbank grounds feature four thriving purple martin castles near the Discovery Centre patio, built and managed by Barnes himself. Swallows live in a wide range of habitats. They are dependent on flying insects and can be found in any open habitat including grasslands, open woodland, savanna, marshes, mangroves and scrubland, from sea level to high alpine areas. (submitted)

Source: Brandon Police Service Medias Release On July 12, 2021, police responded to a report of a single vehicle collision near 6th street N and Assiniboine Ave at approximately 3:30 am.  When officers arrived on scene, both the individual in the driver’s seat and the passenger were passed out due to alcohol consumption.  The vehicle had struck a tree; however, neither occupants were injured, as the collision was not significant. The 26-year-old male driver was arrested for Care and Control While Impaired and provided two samples of his breath, which were over the legal limit.  He was later released to a sober relative and will appear in court on September 28, 2021.

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release On 2021/07/10 a report was of a male passed out in a cab in the 400 block 18th Street.  Upon police arrival the male was identified and checked on CPIC.  He was found to be in Breach of his Undertaking by consuming alcohol and not living at the place of residence he is supposed to.  A search of the subject found him in possession of a weapon.  A 16 year old male from Brandon will appear in court on 2021/09/28.

The Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba Board of Directors would like to announce the immediate appointment of Rick Dillabough as Manager of Operations and Sponsorship Lead. “Brighter days are ahead, and our board of directors realizes that rick is the ideal candidate to lead our organization into our next chapter.” Said Greg Crisanti, President of the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba “We are excited to have rick join our leadership team and are looking forward to the success and growth he will bring to our organization as we work on rebuilding, celebrating, and reconnecting with in-person events for our community.” “Sense of community has always been important to me. This past 18 months has presented a significant challenge to the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba and the community and I look forward to being a part of it’s recovery.” Said Rick Dillabough “The fairs have been and always will be an outstanding education tool. I see that as being more critical than ever during this rebuilding time.” Rick brings to the Provincial Exhibition over 30 years of business operations, sales, and sponsorship experience. Rick has a good understanding of our community, having lived the majority of his life in Westman. His enthusiasm for the industry and leadership will be a great asset for our organization. (submitted)

The Manitoba government plans to add close to 400 new nursing education seats across the province and to launch a new initiative that will provide financial and process support for internationally educated nurses (IENs) looking to become licensed in Manitoba, Health and Seniors Care Minister Heather Stefanson, Advanced Education, Skills and Immigration Minister Wayne Ewasko, and Economic Development and Jobs Minister Ralph Eichler announced today. “Our government is committed to ensuring Manitoba has a strong nursing workforce now and into the future,” said Stefanson. “Increasing the number of nursing seats and supporting IENs’ pathway to licensing will accelerate the entry of students and internationally educated nurses into nursing professions, and will increase the number of nurses in Manitoba who can staff our hospitals and health-care clinics.” There are currently more than 800 nursing seats in Manitoba, offered at six publicly funded post-secondary institutions across the province. The province plans to create close to 400 new seats over the next few years, starting with intake as early as 2021-22. The government will work with post-secondary institutions to identify what steps are needed to ensure they can increase their seat capacity in a sustainable way. “We know that educating more nurses is key,” said Ewasko. “We look forward to working with our partners and welcoming more nurses into the professions in the years to come.” The ministers also noted the province is launching a separate initiative to help provide IENs already in Manitoba with financial assistance for assessment and training costs to support their goal of working in the nursing field. “There are many internationally educated nurses in Manitoba who may have faced challenges in getting a license to practice,” said Eichler. “These are people who live in Manitoba and work in Manitoba, and we need to support them by easing financial and other barriers to getting licensed in this province.” The Manitoba government will provide up to $23,000 per IEN to help cover a variety of costs that come with obtaining licensure in Manitoba. This includes funding for clinical competence assessments and bridge training, as well as other related expenses such as living allowance, transportation and child care. Supports will be tailored to each individual’s needs. The province plans to work with key partners and various community organizations to identify and guide IENs already in Manitoba through the appropriate steps. Those IENs who wish to begin the process of accessing financial support can do so through the new online portal. Through the portal, individuals will be asked to provide information on their education and experience to help them plan their steps to be licensed in Manitoba, as well as determine what financial supports may be available to complete these requirements. Internationally educated nurses who wish to apply for these supports can visit: https://forms.gov.mb.ca/iens-in-manitoba/. (Province of MB News Release)