Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release On March 12, 2021, police conducted a vehicle stop in the 1000 block of 34th street shortly after 2:00 am.  Officers observed a handgun in the vehicle.  All the occupants were then removed from the vehicle and arrested.  Police seized the Glock 9 mm pistol, which was found to be loaded.  A 49-year-old male, and 60-year-old male were released to appear in court on May 13, 2021 on charges of Possess Restricted Firearm with Ammunition.  The third individual, a 56-year-old male from Saskatchewan was lodged at Brandon Police Service and will appear in court today on the same charge.

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release On March 10, 2021, police responded to a report of a Break and Enter to a business in the 400 block of 8th street.  The suspect entered through an unlocked back door between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm that day and stole a Toshiba laptop, 2 cameras, a camera flash, a printer and a wallet. Anyone with information regarding this Break and Enter is encouraged to contact Brandon Police Service at 204-729-2345 or http://police.brandon.ca/contact-us.

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release On March 10, 2021, police responded to a report of the theft of a vehicle by a 15-year-old female at approximately 1:30 am.  The keys to the company owned vehicle were in the home of the youth when she took it.  Shortly after 3:00 am, police located the youth operating the vehicle near 18th street and Richmond Ave.  She was stopped and arrested.  The vehicle was returned to the employee responsible for the vehicle, and the female was released to appear in court on June 1, 2021 on a charge of Theft of Motor Vehicle.

Persistence has paid off for the United Way Brandon & District and their quest to raise their required amount of funding needed to meet their commitments to local agencies.   Issues due to the pandemic have made fund raising more difficult than ever, and with the support of the amazing Westman community, the number was just barely reached. A major issue with the group’s fundraising opportunities came from many local businesses having employees work from home, laid off, or furloughed which resulted in less revenue from employee workplace campaigns.  These campaigns result in an average 40% of the overall funds raised.  Justifiably, with the difficulties and added stress of alternative work schedules, United Way CEO Cynamon Mychasiw understands the choice to delay some fund raising efforts until things loosen up and staff can return to their workplaces.  “As much as raising the dollars necessary to provide stable and consistent funding to our partners is always a priority, this year we also realized the need to be sensitive to a very different economic climate.  So many individuals, families and businesses have been impacted by shut downs and reduced business capacity, and the last thing we wanted to do was to add pressure to an already stressful time.  However, this community always comes through for us.  Those who could give did, and did so generously.” Another major setback in the 2020 campaign is the lack of being able to have live events, which normally brings the feeling of community to the effort.  “Getting together for fun events such as the annual Bus Pull or the Lip Sync Battle energizes a group and gets them excited to be a part of the campaign.  We’ve tried to take those events and make them virtual, but just isn’t the same,” United Way Marketing Executive, Bryan Podworny, explains.  “We had to come up with fresh ideas and new ways to bring some energy.” Even with challenges, the group was still able to raise $624,149.00.  Like all United Way Brandon & District fund raising campaigns, 100% of undesignated revenues will be distributed to 29 agencies throughout Westman.  These agencies use these funds to provide front line services to individuals in need.  A new campaign will launch this coming September, and the organization announced its new Campaign Chair this morning. Jenn McMillan is the co-owner and a head coach at Rocked Community Fitness.  She and her husband Zack have put forth a business mission statement that exemplifies not only their training philosophy, but translates well into Jenn’s volunteer role with United Way - “Together we are building a community that unites and empowers people to become the strongest, healthiest, happiest versions of themselves.”  The Brandon office is optimistic about being able to return to holding events again this year, adjusting accordingly to meet any pandemic restrictions.  These will hopefully include a Goofy Golf tournament, three Summer Sports Markets, the Tools for School Program, the annual Holiday Tree auction and a revised Lip Sync Battle. For more information and other United Way Brandon & District news, please contact their office at 204-571-8929.  Emails can be sent to office@brandonuw.ca. (submitted)

Assiniboine Community College’s Prairie Innovation Centre for Sustainable Agriculture has received a generous contribution of $100,000 from Wawanesa Insurance. The campaign to build this state-of-the-art facility on the college’s North Hill campus is Assiniboine’s largest philanthropic undertaking, and aims to address the growing needs of the agriculture sector. “Looking after one another is at the heart of who we are at Wawanesa Insurance. That’s why we’re proud to support the college, its students and the Prairie Innovation Centre. Together with Assiniboine, we share a commitment to making our community a better place to live and learn, and at Wawanesa, we know all of the Westman region will benefit from the new Centre,” said Kevin Bailey, Regional Vice President – Central Region, Wawanesa Insurance. This one-of-a-kind Canadian college project will bring together collaborative learning spaces, applied research labs, multipurpose spaces and amenities that will serve both industry and the college community. Creating an enhanced agricultural training capacity, the Centre will enable the agriculture sector to continue to be an economic driver in the Canadian and Manitoban economy. “The Prairie Innovation Centre will not only address the current and developing gaps in the labour market in Manitoba agriculture, it will also be a hub for agricultural innovation, encouraging engagement and collaboration with industry partners to address emerging situations and issues,” said Derrick Turner, Director of Advancement and External Relations at Assiniboine. The college looks forward to building upon the relationships we have with partners, like Wawanesa Insurance, while creating a meaningful impact on the future of agriculture. This partnership comes as Wawanesa Insurance marks its 125th anniversary while Assiniboine celebrates the 60th anniversary of the college—notable milestones for two organizations with longstanding roots in the Westman community and in agriculture. (ACC News)