Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release At approx. 9:50 Saturday morning, officers were called to a home invasion in the 200 block of Princess Ave East. The residents reported that three males broke into the residence while armed with a sawed off shotgun and stole a quantity of money and two purses. During the robbery, one of the suspects used the butt end of the shotgun to strike one of the victims in the face.  Further investigation allowed police to obtain a search warrant for a residence in the 400 block of 2nd St. While awaiting the warrant to be signed officers observed a 27-year-old male exit the target location.  He was checked and found to be in possession of one of the stolen purses.  He was arrested and charged with possession of property obtained by crime.  He has been released from custody with a court date of August 26. Once the warrant was authorized, Police entered the target residence and located the sawed off pump action shotgun used in the robbery.  The 26-year-old male of that address was arrested for armed robbery, and break enter and commit robbery.  He will appear in court later today.

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release Three recent residential break and enters to garages occurred in the city, all in the southwest area.  Two of those incidents occurred overnight Thursday, and one overnight on Friday. A bike and attached children’s tow carrier was stolen during one incident, and sets of keys left inside vehicles were stolen in other incidents. These all occurred overnight and in one incident, a grainy surveillance video identified a suspect outside a residence at approximately 5: 10 a.m.  Homeowners are encouraged to remove hand held garage door openers from the interior of vehicles parked outside, lock their car doors in vehicles equipped with programmable garage door openers, and to ensure walk in doors are also secure. In none of these occurrences did the suspect(s) have to force entry into any of the garages that they entered.  

To mitigate the transmission of COVID-19, all kindergarten to Grade 12 schools in Winnipeg and Brandon, as well as the Garden Valley and Red River Valley school divisions, will remain in remote learning until the end of the school year, with the ability to reopen to small groups as of June 14, Education Minister Cliff Cullen announced today. “Extending remote learning as recommended by public health will protect students, families, teachers and staff as our COVID-19 case counts remain high and our health-care system is still under tremendous strain,” said Cullen. “We know the value of face-to-face instruction, and limited use for small groups of students will allow students and teachers to end the year on a stronger footing.” The minister noted that unless otherwise directed by public health, kindergarten to Grade 12 schools in remote learning in these communities and divisions will be able to schedule opportunities for teachers to meet in person with small groups of five to six students. Beginning June 14, kindergarten to Grade 12 students learning remotely from home can be invited to schools during scheduled times for in-person support, clinical support, assessments and transition planning. Schools will be required to follow public health guidance including:• determining capacity limits to ensure two metres of physical distancing;• maintaining cohorts;• where possible, limiting the amount of time students spend in the facility;• maintaining physical distancing of at least two metres;• wearing masks, except while seated; and• limiting gatherings between students. “While our case counts are starting to move in the right direction, test positivity rates and the number of cases in hospital and ICU are still too high to broadly reopen schools in certain parts of the province,” said Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief provincial public health officer. “These changes will allow schools in remote learning to work with students and assess their progress while ensuring large numbers of people aren’t gathering.” All other schools that have moved to remote learning based on individual assessment by public health officials will be assessed by public health before they reopen. For schools remaining open in other parts of Manitoba, the following public health measures remain in place:• schools with multiple cases (outside of same household cases) will be moved proactively to remote learning as per existing guidance;• school officials can require students and/or staff who are showing symptoms to stay home for 10 days and encourage them to seek testing and household members without symptoms should also self-isolate (quarantine) until the sick individual’s test result is received;• all extra-curricular activities, organized sports and off-site activities are suspended, except for physically distanced walks/runs in the local community;• no indoor singing and no indoor use of wind instruments are allowed; and• all other public health measures remain in effect. The minister noted that schools wishing to host modified graduation ceremonies must adhere to the public health orders and guidelines in effect at the time the ceremonies take place. For more information on the current public health orders and COVID-19 in Manitoba, visit www.manitoba.ca/COVID19.

Brandon, MB – City of Brandon Parks & Recreation Services is advising residents that the City of Brandon Outdoor Aquatic Facilities are scheduled to open as follows:  ·       Kinsmen Pool on Tuesday, June 15, 2021  ·       Spray Parks on Monday, June 21, 2021  City of Brandon Parks & Recreation staff are in the process of hiring and training staff for these areas, as well as ensuring all facilities are operational for the opening dates.  Extreme Heat Prevention Tips   With the warmer temperatures this weekend, the City of Brandon is reminding residents to stay aware, stay cool, and take care of yourself and others.  Stay Aware And Be Prepared    ·       Keep up to date with our local weather forecast and alerts so you know when to take extra care  ·       Stay hydrated – drink plenty of cool liquids, especially water. If you are hungry, fruits and vegetable are a great option with high water content  Stay Cool And Keep Out Of The Sun   ·       Plan outdoor activities for cooler parts of the day   ·       If you are outdoors during the hottest part of the day, shade yourself from the sun with an umbrella or a wide-brimmed hat with lots of ventilation (to allow the sweat on your head to evaporate)  ·       Wear loose-fitting, breathable, light-coloured clothing, and remember to wear sunscreen to limit ultra-violet (UV) ray exposure  ·       If there is no air-conditioning available, spend time in cool places like shaded areas.   ·       Take a cool bath or shower  ·       Avoid using your oven or other appliances that could heat your home more  ·       Limit physical activities during the hotter parts of the day or exercise in an air-conditioned place   Take Care Of Yourself And Others  ·       Check on family members, neighbours, and friends—especially older adults and those with chronic conditions. Consider regular virtual visits due to the current COVID-19 Public Health Orders.   ·       Never leave pets alone in a closed vehicle  For more tips, please visit the following websites:  ·       City of Brandon - Emergency Preparedness  ·       Emergency Measures Organization | Province of Manitoba  ·       Extreme heat: heat waves - Canada.ca 

Brandon Riverbank Inc. is pleased to announce the organization will once again be selling rain barrels, in partnership with Rainbarrel.ca. Orders are being accepted from now until June 12 with the pick-up day scheduled for June 22 at the Riverbank Discovery Centre from 11 am-7 pm. The barrels are being sold for $85 each ($10 from each sale will go towards Brandon Riverbank Inc. in an effort to raise funds for the Assiniboine River Corridor Master Plan.) Rain barrels capture and store rain water collected from roofs through downspouts. They provide chlorine-free and fluoride-free water which is ideal for flowers, vegetables, lawns, shrubs and trees. Collected water has a number of other uses including washing cars, cleaning floors, laundry and more. These many uses can provide cost savings and conservation opportunities for every homeowner, especially those who pay to have water trucked in, use a well or have a water meter installed. Purchasers have a choice of colours and each rain barrel available through Brandon Riverbank Inc. comes equipped with all the parts you need to set up your barrel. These environmentally-friendly products were once used to transport fruits and vegetables and have been refurbished and repurposed to offer years of reliable service as rain barrels. Brandon Riverbank Inc. is a non-profit, charitable organization that is responsible for the care and development of the Assiniboine River Corridor throughout our community. In June 2016, Brandon Riverbank Inc. and the City of Brandon approved the ‘Back to the River’ Master Plan – a 20-year document that guides the use and planning of this special greenspace that winds its way through our city. Many projects, large and small, will come to fruition as a result of the Master Plan and significant funding and community support will be required as we recreate Brandon’s ‘Central Park’. This is a perfect initiative for our organization to pursue, as it promotes water conservation, healthy river systems and environmental stewardship. Orders are now being accepted until JUNE 12th at https://rainbarrel.ca/riverbank/.