The City of Brandon wishes to inform the public that a municipal by-election for the City Council seat in Meadows-Waverly Ward #5 will be held on Wednesday, May 5th, 2021.  The by-election is being held to fill the Council position left vacant with the recent resignation of former Councillor John LoRegio. As per The Municipal Act, a municipality is required to hold a by-election when a municipal seat is vacated more than 12 months prior to the next general election. All candidates must adhere to the campaign finance rules in accordance with provisions of The Municipal Act and City of Brandon Campaign and Contributions By-law No. 6974.  These rules include the requirement for potential candidates to register with the Senior Election Official prior to beginning their campaign. The registration period begins on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2021 and ends on Tuesday, March 30th, 2021 - by appointment only.  Appointments can be made by emailing brandonvotes@brandon.ca. “To be a considered an eligible candidate, a person must first meet a number of criteria,” explains Brandon’s Senior Elections Official Danniele Carriere.  “They must be a Canadian citizen and a resident of Manitoba, 18 years of age or older on the day of the by-election, and they must have either owned property in or have resided in the Brandon municipality for a minimum of six months before the by-election date. They must also submit, prior to the nomination deadline, their completed nomination papers.  Nomination papers must be signed by the candidate themselves and must also include the verified signatures of a minimum of 25 electors of the specific ward.” Nomination papers will be accepted starting March 24, 2021 and ending March 31, 2021 – by appointment only.  Appointments can be made by emailing brandonvotes@brandon.ca.  Potential candidates who do not meet the above requirements will be disallowed from running. A map of the current Meadows-Waverly Ward #5 boundary can be found on the City of Brandon’s website here: brandon.ca/council-information/wards/ward-map . An advance voting opportunity will be held on Thursday, April 29th, 2021 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the main foyer of Brandon City Hall at 410 – 9th Street. Locations of polling stations on by-election day will be announced as soon as they are finalized. For all by-election information, residents can visit brandon.ca/2021-by-election. (City of Brandon PSA)

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release Aggravated Assault On February 28, 2021, police responded to a report of an assault, which occurred in a residence shortly after midnight.  Investigation revealed that a 20-year-old male suspect assaulted the victim, who later required medical treatment for several injuries, including fractures.  The male suspect turned himself in to police on the evening of February 28, 2021.  He was lodged at Brandon Police Service and will appear in court this morning on a charge of Aggravated Assault. Assault On February 13, 2021, police responded to a report of an assault, which occurred at a residence.  The victim received only minor injuries and did not require medical attention.  The suspect fled the residence and could not be located, so police obtained a warrant for his arrest.  On February 28, 2021, the 44-year-old suspect was located and arrested.  He was released to appear in court on May 10, 2021 on a charge of assault. Assault On February 28, 2021, police responded to a report of a fight which in a residence shortly before 7:00 pm.  Both individuals involved in the fight, a 20-year-old female, and a 50-year-old male were arrested.  Neither required medical treatment.  They were each released to appear in court on later dates on charges of assault.

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release At 9:15 a.m. Saturday, complaints were received of an erratic driver in the Kirkaldy Drive area. The driver of the vehicle, a 40-year-old male from Steinbach, became involved in an accident with a skid steer just west of Knowlton Drive on Kirkaldy Drive. Brandon Fire and Emergency Service personnel checked the skid steer operator on scene, and that person was uninjured. The suspected impaired driver provided samples of his breath, which showed that the accused did exceed the legal limit of alcohol allowed when operating a motor vehicle. The accused was released from custody and will appear in Brandon Provincial Court at the end of April, charged with impaired driving and driving over 80 mg%.

Brandon City Council is announcing the conclusion of the competition for City Manager and has named Mr. Ron Bowles of Campbell River, B.C. as the successful candidate.  Council’s Personnel Committee started with an applicant pool of over 55 candidates from across Canada and beyond. The finalists were interviewed by the entire City Council.  Ron Bowles is currently a General Manager for the City of Campbell River, B.C. He has previous experience at the City of Terrace, B.C., with several BC First Nations, and in the private sector environmental engineering business.  Ron was born in Winnipeg and has family connections in Brandon and is quite familiar with this community and Manitoba.  He is expected to commence in the role of City Manager approximately April 26th, taking into account COVID-19 protocols including self-isolation after arriving in Manitoba.  Dean Hammond will continue in the role of Acting City Manager until Mr. Bowles’ arrival, at which time Dean will continue in his position of General Manager of Corporate Services and City Treasurer.  “We are very pleased to bring this process to a conclusion,” noted Mayor Rick Chrest on behalf of City Council. “After some earlier delays posed by COVID-19, it is very positive to provide some certainty and stability to our administrative team.  Council welcomes Ron Bowles to our organization, and we thank Dean Hammond for fulfilling the Acting role these past many months.”  (City of Brandon PSA)

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release On February 26, 2021 at approximately 1:30 am, members of BPS Operational Support and Crime Suppression Unit (OSCSU) assisted by members of BPS Patrol Division conducted a search warrant on a residence on Alaska Bay following an investigation into the occupants. Officers located and seized 56 grams of Meth, 76 grams of Fentanyl, and 3.5 grams of Cocaine.  Also seized was a small quantity of MDMA and $4000 in cash.  The street or point level value of the drugs is estimated to be $50,000. Four male occupants of the residence were arrested and lodged at Brandon Police Service.  Their ages are 27, 40, 46, and 48.  Each male will appear in court today on charges of Possess for the Purpose of Trafficking Meth, Possess for the Purpose of Trafficking Fentanyl, Possess for the Purpose of Trafficking Cocaine, Possess Proceeds of Crime.  Several of the individuals also face charges for failing to comply with court orders.