On Wednesday evening Brandon Fire and Emergency Services and Brandon Police Service responded to the 1000 block of Dennis Street for a structure fire. According to eyewitnesses, there was substantial smoke coming from the inside of the house, with flames licking out the front door. Fire crews made an aggressive attack which knocked down the fire. A fan was set up to clear the house of smoke and allow firefighters to continue extinguishing hotspots, using a thermal imaging camera to find heat. A police officer confirmed that there was nobody injured in the fire.

Sailor First Class (S1) Eric Vorspel grew up in Brandon, Manitoba and he has come a long way after joining the Canadian Armed Forces and travelling the world. He is currently deployed in the Canadian warship Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Calgary which just finished Operation (Op) ARTEMIS, a successful counter-terrorism and maritime security mission in the Middle East. S1 Vorspel is a Naval Electronics Sensor Operator on HMCS Calgary. On a normal day he’s using the ships sensors to scan the seas for information about other ships, aircraft, and anything above the waterline that is relevant to operations. During the ship’s maritime interdiction operations, S1 Vorspel will sometimes act as a lookout, using the ‘Big Eyes’ binoculars to watch suspicious vessels during boarding operations. S1 Vorspel went to Crocus Planes Regional Secondary School and while he was still attending high school he joined Brandon’s artillery Reserve Unit, the 26th Field Regiment. After high school he continued with the Reserve Forces and worked at Keystone Center, scanning tickets for Wheat Kings hockey games. In 2017 he was deployed to Poland with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry regiment on Operation REASSURANCE. “On that operation I travelled around Europe and saw so many countries. I got bit by the travel bug pretty hard and the navy seemed like the best option to do more travelling,” said S1 Vorspel. S1 Vorspel joined the Royal Canadian Navy in his current occupation in 2018 so he could get that travelling experience. His current deployment has taken him throughout Asia, the Middle East, and will continue on to Australia and New Zealand. “It’s really cool to be a prairie sailor. I find a lot of people on ship are originally from coastal areas like Victoria, British Columbia and have been around water their whole life. To come from a small prairie city with no water activities or big lakes means it’s really different for me and I am getting very unique experiences compared to a lot of other prairie folk,” he said. “Still there isn’t so much difference between the prairies and the middle of the ocean. Instead of rolling hills its rolling seas and instead of green and yellow, its blue and grey.” S1 Vorspel’s mom Heather, dad Michael, and brother Benjamin all still live in Brandon, and he enjoys going home to visit every Christmas. Submitted: Captain Jeff Klassen

The City of Brandon is excited to announce that we are partnering with the Central Assiniboine Watershed District to launch the Residential Rain Garden Pilot Program. This pilot program is seeking up to ten (10) single dwelling residential properties to install a rain garden in their yard this summer. A rain garden is a type of green infrastructure landscape that collects stormwater (rain and melted snow) that runs off your grass and impervious surfaces, such as rooftops and driveways. Rain gardens are designed to have a shallow depression that has deep, loose soil so that it absorbs and naturally filters stormwater. Although water is collected in rain gardens, they are not a breeding habitat for mosquitoes. Rain gardens are aesthetically pleasing with low maintenance requirements. A rain garden can also: reduce the amount of water that enters the local storm water system reduce flooding and mitigates drainage issues attract birds, butterflies, pollinators, and other beneficial insects “The success of this program will be a steppingstone to creating a long-term program for Brandon residents,” notes City of Brandon’s Environmental Initiatives Coordinator Lindsay Hargreaves. “It will incorporate green infrastructure into yards to help mitigate storm water runoff.” “We are excited to work with the City of Brandon on this program,” notes Neil Zalluski, Manager of Central Assiniboine Watershed District. “The City is the largest urban center that is a member of a local watershed district. We are always willing to work with our members and we hope that the program inspires residents to mitigate overland flooding on their property while adding curb appeal.” Basic eligibility requirements for the program include: Applicants must be a resident of Brandon and the rain garden must be installed on a property you own within city limits. The rain garden must be in a low-lying location on your property. The rain garden must be installed at least three (3) metres away from the foundation of your house. You must be able to redirect a downspout from your roof to the rain garden area. The proposed rain garden location must be clear of any trees or underground services. If residents are interested in applying to be a part of the pilot program, they should apply online at Residential Rain Garden Pilot Program. Once approved, a staff member from the Central Assiniboine Watershed District will contact the homeowner to assist with the design and installation of the rain garden.  There is a limited amount of funding available. Eligible applicants will be assessed on a first come, first-served basis. For more information about the program and eligibility, please visit Residential Rain Garden Pilot Program.

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release  At approx. 9:30 PM Saturday, police conducted a traffic stop on Middleton Ave.  During the stop, officers located approx. 16 grams of Meth as well as a loaded sawed off .22 caliber firearm within the vehicle.  A 43-year-old female of Sandilands MB and a 26-year-old female from Richer MB were arrested and later released with a court date of September 9.  Both suspects are charged with possession of meth, unauthorized possession of a firearm, unauthorized possession of a firearm in a motor vehicle, possession a prohibited weapon, possession of a prohibited weapon with ammunition

The Manitoba government has launched its safe summer reopening path with more openings and fewer restrictions for Manitobans beginning by Canada Day, Premier Brian Pallister announced today. “Summer is coming and vaccines are here,” said Pallister. “Our ‘4-3-2-One Great Summer’ Reopening Path rewards Manitobans with greater freedoms and fewer restrictions on our lives and economy as more and more of us get vaccinated.” The 4-3-2-One Great Summer Reopening Path sets out a clear path for more openings and fewer restrictions as vaccination levels rise over the course of the summer. It focuses on the four reopening categories Manitobans value most, three summer holiday milestones for phasing out COVID-19 restrictions, and the two public health responsibilities Manitobans must continue to follow to ensure the province can reopen and stay open. These include: • four reopening categories – gathering and socializing, travel and tourism, shopping and services, and dining out and entertainment; • three holiday milestones – Canada Day, August Long Weekend and Labour Day; and • two public health responsibilities – getting vaccinated and following public health orders that lower the risk of COVID-19. Key to reopening safely is Manitoba's collective progress in getting vaccinated and reducing COVID-19 spread in communities and hospitals. Each holiday milestone for reopening will have a one-dose and two-dose immunization goal to guide progress in keeping Manitobans safe. The immunization targets are: • over 70 per cent of all Manitobans aged 12 and over have received their first dose and over 25 per have received their second dose by Canada Day; • 75 per cent or greater of all Manitobans aged 12 and over have received their first dose and over 50 per have received their second dose by the August long weekend; and • 80 per cent or greater of all Manitobans aged 12 and over have received their first dose and over 75 per have received their second dose by Labour Day. “This reopening path aligns with public health advice on phasing out restrictions as more Manitobans get vaccinated,” said Dr. Brent Roussin, chief provincial public health officer. “This path to reopen businesses, services and facilities and our ability to gather with each other relies on Manitobans getting that second dose while continuing to follow the public health orders, and I encourage everyone to book their first and second doses as soon as possible.” Reopening activity levels will be tied to the first and second dose immunization targets including: • meeting vaccine targets by Canada Day means businesses, services and facilities can open at 25 per cent capacity or greater levels; • meeting vaccine targets by the August long weekend means businesses, services and facilities can open at 50 per cent capacity or greater levels; and • meeting vaccine targets by Labour Day means businesses, services and facilities can open with limited restrictions. “The more of us who get vaccinated, the faster we can regain our freedoms and enjoy what we’ve lost this past year and a half,” said Pallister. “There are two ways to reopen safely – getting vaccinated as soon as you are able and continuing to follow the public health orders.” For more information on the 4-3-2-One Great Summer Reopening Path, visit: www.manitoba.ca/covid19/prs/reopening/index.html (Province of MB News Release)