In light of the ever increasingly difficult means to create and host events, United Way Brandon & District is moving ahead with it’s annual Holiday Tree Auction. The auction will take place December 3, 2020. Given the current Code Red restrictions evoked by the Province of Manitoba, this year’s Holiday Tree Auction is adapting so the event can go on in a safe manner. Instead of having an event to have the 12 donating businesses decorate the trees in person, the experience will be given to the families that receive the trees instead. “It makes it more of a family event, coming together, decorating their tree. For some, maybe for the first time ever,” commented Campaign Director, Areta Donnelly Complete with gifts, the trees will still be organized at the Victoria Inn on December 2. Businesses will be given a scheduled drop off time to be at the Imperial Ballroom, with two people from that business meeting a United Way volunteer to unload into the room. The following day, two United Way volunteers will pack all 12 of the trees and gifts into a moving truck and do some much welcomed curb side drop offs. Family names and addresses are given with permission by CFS, Big Brothers & Sisters, as well as the Community Hub. When asked why it was so important to ensure this event continued this year, United Way CEO, Cynamon Mychasiw, had this to say. “In a time when so many things are uncertain and people have lost so much, we wanted to attempt to keep a grasp of a little normalcy; even with safety modifications. The Holiday Tree Auction has always been a great fundraiser for us, but more importantly it has been the gift of the Holidays for 12 families in need. We can’t lose that too.” (submitted)

Updated public health orders will come into effect Nov. 20 to further limit residential gatherings and retail operations to help halt the spread of COVID-19 and protect Manitobans, Premier Brian Pallister and Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief provincial public health officer, announced today. “The public health orders introduced when Manitoba moved to Critical (red) on the #RestartMB Pandemic Response System were the most restrictive we had introduced since the beginning of this pandemic,” said Pallister. “However, despite those orders and strong recommendation from Dr. Roussin to ‘stay home’ at this critical point in our fight against COVID-19, too many Manitobans are gathering or shopping for non-essential purposes and creating a greater risk to public health. We are now at a point where even tighter restrictions are needed to significantly limit social contact in order to protect one another.” The updated orders will further restrict gatherings at private residences, including a home, cottage or other vacation property, with some exceptions to allow child-care, health-care and home care services, tutoring services, construction or repairs, or to respond to emergencies. In addition, exceptions will be made for those who live on their own to have one other person visit their home. In addition, people are prohibited from assembling in a gathering of more than five people at any indoor or outdoor public place including the common areas of a multi-unit residence, with the exception of a health-care facility or critical business that adheres to health protection measures. These measures are intended to allow for weddings, funerals and baptisms to take place with a capacity limit of five people. The province also recognizes the significant physical and mental health benefits from outdoor activities. A retail business may open but may only sell only essential items in person, and must ensure compliance with capacity limits (25 per cent the usual capacity of the premise or 250 people, whichever is lower) and implement measures to ensure physical distancing. Retailers can continue to sell essential or non-essential items online, by telephone or by remote means for delivery or curb-side pickup. A list of essential and non-essential items are set out in the orders and in the backgrounder attached. “The current trend of COVID-19 cases and wide-spread community transmission is unsustainable and causing significant strain on our health-care system,” said Roussin. “I can’t stress enough that Manitobans need to stay home in order to protect themselves and their loved ones, and halt the spread of this deadly virus. These new restrictions will help limit social contacts and the opportunity and motivation for Manitobans to leave their homes for non-essential purposes.” The province recently announced a number of increased enforcement measures that will help uphold these new orders including a contract with G4S Canada to boost COVID-19 enforcement efforts to help protect Manitobans and ensure there are consequences for those who disregard public health and emergency orders. Provincial employees are also dedicated to public health enforcement across the province including police, environment and conservation officers, public health and Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority inspectors, municipal bylaw officers, and security officers. In all, almost 3,300 personnel across various enforcement agencies are empowered to enforce public health orders including the RCMP, municipal police agencies, the Health Protection Unit, Manitoba Conservation and Climate, Workplace Safety and Health, and the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority. Manitobans are encouraged to contact the province’s enhanced tip line to voice their concerns and share information about possible breaches of public health orders. Manitobans can report compliance and enforcement issues by visiting www.manitoba.ca/COVID19 and completing the reporting form, or by calling 204-945-3744 or 1-866-626-4862 (toll-free) and pressing option three on the call menu. Since April 9, there have been more than 13,500 calls from citizens to report concerns. For up-to-date information on COVID-19 in Manitoba, visit www.manitoba.ca/COVID19. The orders and the list of items deemed essential will be posted on the province’s Pandemic Response System website at https://manitoba.ca/covid19/restartmb/prs/orders/index.html#current. (Province of MB News Release)

Source: Brandon Police Service Media release On November 17, 2020, shortly before 1:00 am, police responded to a disturbance at a residence. Suspects broke a window to the home, and sprayed bear mace before running away.  Police located two suspects nearby.  A 19-year-old male was arrested and lodged at Brandon Police Service until sober.  An 18-year-old male was arrested and lodged as well.  He will appear in court today on charges of Mischief to Property, Possess Weapon Dangerous, and Fail to Comply with Undertaking.

Brandon Fire and Emergency Services and Brandon Police Service responded to a structure fire in a home in the Brentwood Village trailer court on Monday morning. Smoke could be seen coming out of multiple broken windows as fire hoses snaked up the deck and into the home. Firefighter/Paramedics could be seen loading a person into an ambulance and leaving with lights and sirens. When asked for a press briefing and update on the person seen loaded into the ambulance, BFES said they cannot provide any information or updates relating to the fire at this time. It is unknown what condition the person was transported in. BFES investigators, Brandon Police Forensic Identification, and Office of the Fire Commissioner fire inspectors were at the fire. The home appears to have sustained significant damage on the interior.

Snow Angels Brandon, a good Samaritan-style community program overseen by the City of Brandon, is back for another winter season. It is currently looking to match up volunteers from the community willing to shovel for residents in their neighbourhoods requiring snow-shovelling assistance for the public sidewalks in front of their home. Through the program, volunteers are asked to help clear the municipally owned sidewalks around a resident’s property to keep Brandon’s neighbourhoods safer and more accessible. Individuals can register as either a person looking for shovelling assistance, or as someone willing to volunteer by visiting snowangels.brandon.ca, emailing snowangels@brandon.ca, or by calling the City of Brandon General Enquiry Phone Line at 204-729-2186. Each month, a list of addresses where residents have requested snow shovelling assistance will be shared with registered volunteers, who would then take it upon themselves to ensure the public sidewalk in front of those addresses are cleared of snow and ice following a snowfall. There is no cost to register to receive shovelling assistance, and the program does not allow for any payment for shovelling services provided. An important reminder that the program does not cover any volunteer shovelling that may occur on private property. Volunteers or persons who have signed up for shovelling assistance can opt out of the program at any time by contacting the City of Brandon in the same method they applied to participate. An important note that all program participants must re-register annually, even if they have been part of the program in previous years. The City of Brandon thanks all participants in advance for assistance in ensuring safe, accessible public walkways for all this winter season! (City of Brandon PSA)