City of Brandon Parks & Recreation Services will move forward with an overnight fogging program for nuisance mosquitoes on Saturday, July 3rd, and Sunday, July 4th, 2021. Mosquito trap counts from this past weekend exceeded the established thresholds for proceeding with adult mosquito control, which can be found on the City of Brandon website at brandon.ca/mosquito-abatement/mosquito-abatement-program. Residents will want to note that the City of Brandon uses different traps for its nuisance mosquito control program than those used by the City of Winnipeg; therefore, trap count thresholds which trigger fogging activity vary greatly between the two cities. Fogging will proceed overnight on Saturday, July 3rd and Sunday, July 4th beginning after 10 p.m. each evening - AS LONG AS weather conditions are suitable to proceed. It is very important for the public to note that fogging will NOT be undertaken if it is raining, if the temperature dips below 15 degrees Celsius, or if the wind speed is in excess of 16 kilometres/hour. In the event fogging is postponed due to weather conditions, the public will be notified, and fogging activity will be re-scheduled to the next suitable evening. In terms of the fogging schedule, all areas south of Victoria Avenue (from Victoria Avenue to 2 miles south of Patricia Avenue and from 66th Street to 49th Street East) will be fogged on Saturday, July 3rd , beginning at approximately 10 p.m. All areas north of Victoria Avenue (from Victoria Avenue to Sandison Road at the Brandon Municipal Airport and from 66th Street to 49th Street East) will be fogged on Sunday, July 4th , beginning at approximately 10 p.m. The insecticide to be used in this fogging program is DeltaGard 20EW. This product is approved for use by Health Canada and is a lower-risk product compared to the product used in past years’ City of Brandon fogging program. The exposure to bees, birds, mammals, fish and plants is expected to be minimal, given the reduced application rate, timing of application, and the minimal deposits in soil, water and plants that are anticipated from this application. Residents can take the following actions to minimize exposure during a fogging program: Whenever possible, stay indoors during and immediately after spraying; Close all windows and doors. Turn off air conditioning units and close vents to circulate indoor air, before the spraying begins; Bring laundry, toys and pets indoors before the spraying occurs; Cover swimming pool surfaces when possible; Wash homegrown fruit and vegetables with water before cooking or eating them; Rinse play equipment with water after the spraying is finished. More information about DeltaGard 20EW can be found on the City of Brandon website at brandon.ca/images/pdf/MosquitoAbatement/Mosquito_DeltaGard_Factsheet.pdf. The provision of a 90-metre buffer zone for residents who wish to be excluded from a fogging program is regulated by the Province of Manitoba and is a condition of the City of Brandon’s annual Pesticide Use Permit. As such, the City of Brandon will be accepting applications until 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 3rd from residents who wish to have a buffer zone applied to their property. A resident’s name, address, telephone number and proof of occupancy (drivers licence, utility bill, telephone bill, etc.) are all required for a buffer zone application to be accepted. The application form can be downloaded from the City of Brandon website here, filled out and returned by email to parks@brandon.ca or by fax at 204-726-4257. Residents should be aware they need register annually if they wish to be placed on a buffer zone list for Brandon’s mosquito fogging program. This means last year’s buffer zone lists are not applicable. More information about the buffer zone registration process can be obtained by calling City of Brandon Parks Services at 204-729-2148 during regular business hours (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). Due to the Parks Administration being closed on Canada Day and the quick turnaround to spray, city staff will not be able to answer enquiries from residents asking if they are in a buffer zone. Residents can also help reduce the impact of this year’s mosquito populations. Simple things like dumping out any containers of standing water, draining any eavestroughing, covering rainwater collection containers; filling in any low-lying areas, or treating problem areas with biological larvicide can minimize the number of mosquitoes. The annoyance of mosquitoes can also greatly be reduced by using repellants, wearing light-coloured clothing, limiting your time outside between the hours of dusk and dawn and using screened-in areas. More information about the City of Brandon’s Mosquito Surveillance and Abatement Program can be found at https://www.brandon.ca/mosquito-abatement/mosquito-abatement-program. (City of Brandon PSA)

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release On July 1, 2021, police located a stolen vehicle in the 900 block of Middleton Ave shortly before 9:00 am.  Investigation revealed that a 38-year-old male and a 34-year-old female, both from Ontario, were in possession of the vehicle, which had been stolen out of Wasaga Beach Ontario. The male suspect was found to be in breach of numerous release conditions.  They were both arrested and lodged at Brandon Police Service to appear in court today on charges of Possession of Property Obtained by Crime.

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release On Wednesday morning, an employee of a business in the 900 Block of Victoria Avenue reported a shirtless male was in the business causing a disturbance and stole some items. The male suspect was located in the area of the business and found to be in possession of the stolen items as well as an expandable baton concealed on his person. The suspect was also found to be bound by a Release Order with a condition to not possess any weapons. The 45-year-old male was arrested for Theft Under $5000, Carrying a Concealed Weapon and Breach of Release Order. The highly intoxicated suspect was lodged at the Police Service and is scheduled to appear in Court later today.

Manitoba Public Insurance filed its provisional 2022/23 General Rate Application with the Public Utilities Board (PUB) today, requesting an average rate decrease of 2.8 per cent. As part of this application, MPI will be removing the Capital Release provision which previously has translated into a discount of five per cent as part of the overall rate. To offset this adjustment and return surplus capital to Manitobans, MPI is planning on filing a separate application with the PUB later this year with a rebate request currently estimated at $155 million. If approved, the rebate would be equivalent to a rate reduction of approximately 15 per cent and it would be returned to its customers through a one-time rebate cheque in early 2022. “MPI informed us of their intention to rebate its excess capital from the Basic line of business this spring and apply to PUB for the distribution of the special rebate later this year,” Crown Services Minister Jeff Wharton announced today. “Manitobans have been financially impacted by the pandemic,” said Wharton. “We are pleased that this rebate will be welcome news for our community as we all work together in getting through this challenging time in our province.” This will be the third year in a row MPI has requested a rate decrease in its annual General Rate Application and third rebate in little more than a year. To date, customers have received a total of $179 million in rebates. “I am pleased that our team continues to focus on putting the interest of Manitobans at the forefront and we are able to deliver on our promise of maintaining stable and predictable rates which remain among the most affordable in Canada while providing exceptional coverage and service to Manitobans,” explained Eric Herbelin, President & CEO, Manitoba Public Insurance. If both requests are approved by the PUB, MPI customers will benefit from receiving a rebate cheque of between approximately $150 to $200 per average policyholder. If approved, the average premium for a passenger vehicle will be about $1,130. “Combining the 2.8 per cent decrease in cost of break-even policies, in addition to other financial adjustments, the average net impact on customer premium for the 2022/23 insurance year would equal a total approximate average of 13 per cent reduction in Autopac premium,” said Herbelin. MPI’s request at the time of the filing is provisional, based on its fiscal-year end financials, current interest rates, and estimated COVID-based claims savings in 2021/22. The PUB hearings will begin in October, concluding later in the month. The PUB normally issues its order in December. “The financial strength of MPI has allowed us to make a request to give back to our customers in the form of a one-time rebate,” said Herbelin. “The benefit to customers is reflective of the strength of the public auto insurance model.” The proposed rates would be effective April 1, 2022, but because renewal dates are staggered, some vehicle owners won’t pay their new rates until March 31, 2023.

Brandon Fire & Emergency Services is reminding residents that Fireworks are not allowed to be set off within city limits. Pursuant to City of Brandon Fireworks By-law #7200 – P31, no person shall purchase fireworks, fire, set off, or otherwise ignite any fireworks in or above the City except under a permit issued by the Fire Chief. Additionally, if any fireworks are purchased at a retailer within the City of Brandon, the retailer must provide a waiver form for the purchaser to sign stating that the fireworks will not be set off within the City of Brandon. Individuals found to be in contravention of the Fireworks By-Law may face a fine of anywhere between $200 and $1,000. Permits are only authorized for special events on the authority of the Fire Chief who has approved the application after all necessary requirements have been met. (City of Brandon PSA)