Accessing and submitting bid opportunities has never been easier for those doing business with the City of Brandon, thanks to the recent launch of an updated Purchasing & Tenders web portal on Brandon.ca. Built in-house by the City of Brandon Information Technology Department and in consultation with City of Brandon Procurement Services, the augmented web portal provides functionality for bidders to easily download bid opportunity documents and directly submit bid packages via a secure online process, rather than the previously-required method of in-person or courier delivery. Posted bids are now listed by category and can also be searched by specific attributes such as an item’s name, file number, posting date or its current status. The updated site also offers a free subscription service that will email auto-notifications to interested bidders when new bid opportunities are posted in categories to which they subscribe. “Procurement Services is very excited to launch this new and improved purchasing and tenders web service, which is anticipated will make the bidding process much more user-friendly and time-efficient for all involved,” notes City of Brandon Procurement Manager Lindsay Loree. “With this augmented service, the City of Brandon has maintained its commitment to provide free, public access to bid opportunities, and now our publicly-advertised bids have the potential to reach a larger, more varied pool of bidders, which benefits bidders, municipal administration, and the Brandon community at-large.” Loree adds that implementing an online bid submission process, along with the addition of the email subscription service, aligns with the City of Brandon’s philosophy of integrating green procurement practices into day-to-day operations, as it reduces the need for physical paper printing, faxing and/or delivery. “One of the City of Brandon Information Technology Department’s guiding goals is to streamline processes that create efficiencies,” adds City of Brandon Manager of Information Technology Colin Craig. “This project was particularly exciting for the department, in that our programmers were able to deliver on the features that Procurement Services desired, without incurring the costs of purchasing additional software.” General information about conducting business with City of Brandon Procurement Services can be found at https://purchasing.brandon.ca/docs/Conducting_Business_with_Procurement_Services.pdf. (City of Brandon Media Release)

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release Break and Enters On August 3, 2020, police responded to a report of a Break and Enter to a business in the 4000 block of Victoria Ave. Three campers at the business had windows broken, and two of them had been entered. It is unknown if anything was stolen from the campers. Anyone with information regarding these Break and Enters is encouraged to contact Brandon Police Service. On August 3, 2020, police responded to a separate complaint of a Break and Enter to a business in the 2000 block of Brandon Ave. Suspects gained entry by cutting the fenced in compound, then cutting a lock to a shed. Stolen were two Trek 216WS bicycles, a shelf and golf balls. The bicycles are black and grey in colour, one a men’s style and the other a women’s’ style. Anyone with information regarding this break and enter is encouraged to contact Brandon Police Service.

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release At approximately 4:00 A.M. Saturday morning, Police conducted a traffic stop in the 1900 Block of Rosser Avenue. The male driver and female passenger were in possession of open liquor. Both were arrested and a search incidental to the arrest recovered a small quantity of crack cocaine and drug trafficking related paraphernalia including $790 cash. A 42-year-old male and 27-year-old female, both from Brandon were arrested for Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Crack Cocaine and Possession of Proceeds of Crime. The suspects have been released from custody and are scheduled to appear in Court in September.

Cyclists in Brandon are encouraged to check out a pop-up bike lane coming soon to Pacific Avenue as part of a larger City of Brandon project looking at how to improve the biking and walking connectivity and amenities along this particular downtown corridor. Beginning Monday, August 10th, the parking lane on the north side of Pacific Avenue from First Street to 18th Street will be turned into a temporary two-way bike lane, complete with traffic delineator posts and signage. This bicycle lane will be a dedicated part of the road for exclusive use by cyclists until early fall. Two-way vehicle traffic along Pacific Avenue will remain during this bike-lane pilot project and, as such, the City of Brandon would encourage all motorists and cyclists to use care and caution when travelling in the area. For businesses and patrons of the downtown, a reminder that the parking lane along the south side of Pacific Avenue will remain available for use, and the City of Brandon also provides access to FREE public parking on the north side of the street in the City-owned lot located at 1201 Pacific Avenue. Upon completion of the bike lane pilot project, it will be assessed as part of a larger Conceptual Design and Streetscape strategy for Pacific Avenue between First Street and 18th Street. This larger strategy will look at how to preserve the initiatives fostered within the City of Brandon’s Downtown Secondary Plan, while exploring ways to accommodate vehicle and active transportation as the City extends Pacific Avenue connecting First Street with 34th Street. Possible outcomes include potentially making the Pacific Avenue bike lane permanent, or implementing such bike lanes in other areas of the City. Once the Pacific Avenue pop-up bike lane is in use next month, public feedback on it will be welcomed through an online survey, which will remain open for comments until September 30th. Additional opportunities for the public to provide input into the larger Conceptual Design and Streetscape strategy for Pacific Avenue made available at www.brandon.ca in the weeks and months ahead. Specific questions or comments on the Pacific Avenue Pop-Up Bicycle Lane can be directed to the City of Brandon Development Services Division by calling 204-729-2214. (City of Brandon Media release)

Classroom learning will resume on Sept. 8 for all students in kindergarten through Grade 12 at schools across Manitoba following last spring’s suspension caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Education Minister Kelvin Goertzen announced today. “The province is welcoming students back to classrooms for the new school year, while working closely with school divisions and Public Health,” said Goertzen. “The best place for students is in class, giving them the full benefits of the tremendous work of Manitoba teachers and providing parents and caregivers with certainty that their children are receiving the best education possible.” The Welcoming Our Students Back: Restoring Safe Schools guidelines have been developed in collaboration with the province’s kindergarten to Grade 12 COVID-19 response planning team, as well as with school divisions and public health officials. Manitoba school divisions and schools will follow these provincial guidelines to finalize and post division plans by mid-August. Accessible and transparent information is important as students, staff and families will have questions about COVID-19 and returning to in-class learning. Learning in classrooms will be full-time for students in kindergarten through Grade 8 and for special-needs students in all grades, with five days of instruction per week. Some remote learning may be required for students in grades 9 to 12, based on the ability of high schools to implement necessary public health measures including physical distancing and the use of cohorts (designated groups of students) to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission, and to support contact tracing. Three response levels have been developed to ensure that school divisions and schools are prepared to roll back from in-class learning based on public health advice. Divisions must ensure that all students learning remotely have access to technology. “Manitoba Education and Public Health are working with divisions and individual schools to ensure that as many students as possible return to classroom learning full-time,” said Goertzen. “Divisions have been working diligently this summer on their individual plans for September, and are refining details for communication, screening, hand hygiene, physical distancing, the use of cohorts and outbreak management to be followed at every one of their schools.” A total of $48 million in savings is available to ensure that schools are COVID-ready in September, the minister noted, adding the province is monitoring resource implications closely as part of its planning to ensure the safe return to classroom instruction in the upcoming school year. “The need for child care is top of mind. The departments of Education and Families are working with school divisions and the child-care sector to ensure that families can continue to access child care within schools,” said Goertzen. “Both departments are working together to develop learning guidelines for children with special needs, as well as students at risk.” Welcoming Our Students Back: Restoring Safe Schools is based on feedback provided by parents, caregivers, students and education stakeholders through an EngageMB survey that began in June. The minister noted tens of thousands of Manitobans have completed the survey, and the government will continue to collect and use this information in adapting plans while the public health situation evolves. Manitobans can visit https://engagemb.ca to share thoughts or ask questions. In a joint statement, the Manitoba School Boards Association, the Manitoba Teachers’ Society, Manitoba Federation of Independent Schools, Manitoba Association of School Business Officials and the Manitoba Association of School Superintendents said, “We believe that collaborative planning is in the best interests of students, parents, and school staff. The goal is to have as many students as possible learning in classrooms this fall and throughout the coming school year. Maintaining a strong focus on the health, safety and well-being of students, staff, families and communities, we all agree the emphasis needs to be on getting students the in-person teaching and learning they need while making sure that safety is the top priority for everyone.” For up-to-date information on COVID-19 in Manitoba, visit www.manitoba.ca/COVID19. Source: Province of MB News Feed