Brandon Colouring Cheer is a local initiative to ensure that all people living within seniors' homes will be greeted with a coloured drawing to welcome the Holiday Season. Established by Brandi Palmer of Brandon, Manitoba - Brandon Colouring Cheer was set-in-motion to fulfill her ambition to make this Christmas Season just a little brighter and spread the love one page at a time. Leaving no one behind, what could be better for those feeling a little trapped and missing loved ones, than to open a colourful envelope filled with a child’s fanciful hand-coloured drawing. This Christmas, Brandi is determined to do whatever it takes to spread her coloured love and she needs your help. Pages for colouring can be downloaded on facebook.com/brandoncolouringcheer under the files menu, or they can be picked up at Direct Traffic at 1535 Fredrick St. just off Richmond Ave. Direct Traffic has also been kind enough to have a “Blue Tub” outside for convenient and contact-less pickup and drop off. If you have completed your works of art - please drop them off (as quickly as possible) in the “blue tub” in front of Direct Traffic. All colouring pages must be finished and dropped off to Direct Traffic (1535 Fredrick St - just off Richmond ) by 5:00 PM this Friday (Dec 4, 2020), so that we may adhere to and follow strict Covid 19 packaging protocols to keep everyone safe. C’mon Brandon Kids, Budding Artists & Moms, and Pops - Please help us share the love one page at a time & let our Brandon Seniors know we care and want them to feel included. (submitted)

For almost 110 years the Kullberg's Warehouse on the corner of 18th Street and Pacific Ave has stood the test of time.   Now this historic building will be demolished within the next few months to make way for the new 4 lane bridge to be constructed. According to the Manitoba Historical Society In 1908, Brandon was selected as the Western Canadian headquarters of the International Harvester Company of America. The firm manufactured and sold agricultural equipment such as harvesting machines, tillage and seeding implements, gasoline engines, and threshers. J. F. Jones, the general manager of the Canadian division of the company visited the city in April 1910, and was quoted in the Brandon Weekly Sun as stating that “Brandon has advantages here for distributing houses possessed by no other city in Western Canada. Situated as it is in the very heart of one of the richest agricultural districts in the world and with railway connections to all parts of the west, Brandon has exceptional advantages.” A five-storey brick building at the intersection of Pacific Avenue and 18th Street was built in late 1911 by the Winnipeg-based construction firm of Carter Halls Aldinger. The company remained at the site until at least 1959. The building was later used in a succession of ways, including a wholesale distribution warehouse (circa 1959), cold storage plant (1962-1967), and goose- and duck-processing plant (1969-1980s). In 1999, a Winnipeg development company sold the building to a local retail furniture store for use as a warehouse, after abandoning an ambitious $4-million renovation plan that would have seen the building turned into 43 upscale condominiums. The building continues to be used for furniture storage. (Photos courtesy of Kristine Davison)

On December 1st 2020 YWCA Brandon will be kicking off our 5th annual Fusion Credit Union Keeping Spirits Bright Campaign to raise money and awareness for homelessness and domestic violence during the holiday season. Every year since 2016, a tree is placed in the front yard of Meredith Place with purple lights, and the more money we raise during the campaign the more lights get turned on. Addictions, homelessness and domestic violence are a daily struggle for many in our community, and the holiday season can be even harder on them. The Fusion Credit Union Keeping Spirits Bright Campaign will kick off with a cheque presentation and virtual tree lighting ceremony live on our event Facebook page December 1st 7pm at Meredith Place. This will kick off Giving Tuesday and our new for 2020 - month long walk/run challenge ending December 31st. Each registered walker/runner will keep track of the number of KM’s walked and the person with the most KM’s walked will win top prize. Registration for the challenge is $25. Also a number of schools in Westman will be competing to win $500! We have partnered with a number of schools in Westman with a Phys-Ed/fundraising challenge. The school to walk/run the most KM’s December 18th will win $500 cash for their school, plus any money they raise in fundraising we will give back 20% Register or donate at:  https://www.ywcabrandon.ca/events Facebook event page:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/ksbvirtualrun2020Sign up your school at:  https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/ywca-brandon/p2p/KSB/Or for more information email ywca2@wcgwave.ca

For the second time this year, Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) will be providing immediate financial relief to its policyholders, Crown Services Minister Jeff Wharton announced today. MPI customers will receive a total of $69 million, which is about $100 per policyholder. This is in addition to the previous rebate of $110 million in May of this year and the corporation’s recent request of an -8.8 per cent overall rate decrease in its General Rate Application to the Public Utilities Board (PUB). “As this pandemic progresses, Manitobans continue to be financially impacted by this crisis,” said Wharton. “This second rebate will assist Manitobans as we all work together in getting through this challenging time in our province.” Policyholders can expect a rebate cheque at the end of December or early January, said Wharton, adding it is estimated about 675,000 cheques will be issued. This second rebate was made possible by the combination of fewer collision claims, about 20 per cent lower from mid-March to the end of October compared to the previous year and MPI’s forecast of collision frequency remaining favorable into the spring. Rebates will be based on what policyholders paid during this period and is expected to be about six per cent of their annual Basic Autopac premium. “As a proud Manitoba corporation, we are pleased with what we can do to help during this unprecedented time,” said Satvir Jatana, acting CEO and president, Manitoba Public Insurance. “This rebate to our customers is combination of fewer claims and our continued focus on fiscal prudence. MPI continues to operate in a high efficient manner, aimed at delivering value to Manitobans. Our financial responsibility is reflected in our daily running of our operations and practices.” Jatana explained that this second rebate should not have an adverse effect on MPI’s financial outcomes moving forward and request for an overall -8.8 per cent rate decrease application to the PUB. If approved, customers will pay, on average, about $110 less in premium. The new rates will take effect April 1, 2021. Under existing legislation, this rebate requires the approval of the PUB. MPI will apply to the PUB in the coming days. Details of the second rebate will be made in the coming weeks and further details will be available at www.mpi.mb.ca/Pages/Home.aspx. (Manitoba Public Insurance  News Release)

Source: Brandon Police Service Media release At approximately 2 am, police attended a robbery at a convenience store in the west-end.  The store employee reported that a male entered the store and threatened the employee with a bottle.  The suspect then opened the cigarette and money drawers and took an undetermined amount of cash and cigarettes.  The suspect is described as wearing dark blue pants, a dark green coat, a dark blue hoodie, a facemask and gloves.  The suspect was not apprehended and the investigation is continuing.