Following an investigation into a robbery that occurred on May 18th, 2025, a 17-year-old male has been charged in connection with the incident. The robbery was reported to have occurred in the 1200 block of 10th Street, where a then 23-year-old male victim stated he was robbed at gunpoint. Through the course of the investigation, the youth was identified and is the final suspect to be charged in this matter; two other suspects have previously been arrested. At the time of the offence, the youth was in contact with three individuals, contrary to the conditions of his probation order. He was already in custody at the Brandon Correctional Centre on an unrelated matter when he was charged with Armed Robbery and Failure to Comply Probation x3. He will appear in court in the morning.

The Manitoba government begins construction this week on three schools in Winnipeg with site development underway in Brandon under the new Manitoba Jobs Agreement (MJA), with work starting less than one year after the projects were announced, Premier Wab Kinew announced today. “When you put in a hard day’s work, you should be able to earn a good wage and afford a good life, that’s what Manitoba Jobs Agreements are all about,” said Kinew. “With MJAs, we are making life more affordable for blue-collar workers and Manitobans in the skilled trades by delivering higher wages and good benefits, and making sure it’s Manitoba workers who are building up our province.” There was a significant competitive bidding process for these projects. To date, of the five contracts awarded as part of the schools project under the MJA, both open and closed shops were successful. Three of the companies are Manitoba companies, one is a Canadian company, and one has operated in Manitoba for more than 100 years. The four new schools will be located in Winnipeg’s Devonshire Park and Prairie Pointe neighbourhoods, West St. Paul’s Meadowlands neighbourhood, and southwest Brandon. In just a few months since the MJA was signed in September, preliminary construction has already begun. All four schools will be built simultaneously using a standardized design. “The MJA will ensure that construction’s skilled tradespersons working on any MJA project sites will receive appropriate Manitoba-based, market-driven wages, benefits, working conditions and safety packages, no different than what the Construction Labour Relations Association of Manitoba’s (CLRAM) construction employers provide to their employees,” said Peter Wightman, executive director, CLRAM. “It is satisfying to see that our provincial government has correctly recognized that construction tradespersons are highly skilled professionals who bring great value to any construction project and should be compensated and treated in a respectful fashion. CLRAM supports the MJA.” The MJA is a provincial policy that prioritizes Manitoba workers on major government infrastructure projects to deliver higher wages, good benefits and strong safety protections, and will boost local employment, workforce development through apprenticeships and project stability by setting consistent terms for union and non-union trades. All contractors can participate under the terms of the MJA, which include prioritizing local hires and meeting training targets. “For years, under the previous government, Manitoba had skilled tradespeople sitting on the out-of-work list while the few public projects failed to deliver stable, local employment,” said Tanya Palson, executive director, Manitoba Building Trades. “MJAs change that. By prioritizing Manitoba workers and apprenticeship opportunities, MJAs are turning public investment into real jobs, real training and long-term workforce capacity for this province.” The Manitoba government will utilize MJAs for a number of major projects, including the Victoria emergency room redevelopment.

A 14-year-old male was found intoxicated after a disturbance in the 1300 block of 8th street. The male was on orders not to consume alcohol. He was charged accordingly, lodged until sober when he will be released for a future court date. A 15-year-old male entered BPS highly intoxicated. The male had no one to turn him over to so he was lodged for his safety and will be released when sober. A 21-year-old male lodged cause disturbance license premise after fighting with a bouncer at an establishment in the 3100 block of Victoria Ave. When sober he will be issued a CON for being disorderly on or about a licensed premise. A 36-year-old male found highly intoxicated after arriving at BPS in a taxi. He was lodged for his safety and will be released when sober. A 44-year-old male found in the 200 block of 8th street intoxicated. The male was lodged for his safety and will be released when sober.

Police initiated a traffic stop in the 400 block of 6th street with a suspected impaired. The driver was a 26-year-old male who displayed signs of intoxication. A Mandatory Alcohol Screening device was used to which he failed on the roadside. The driver was also found to be on orders to abstain from the consumption and possession of alcohol. He was charged accordingly and was released to appear in court at a later time. A female passenger in this stop was also found to be intoxicated, uncooperative and lodged for her safety. At 2300 hrs. a vehicle was observed leaving a business in the 1900 block of Brandon Ave. The driver exhibited some questionable driving and was stopped shortly thereafter. A Mandatory Alcohol Screening Device was administered and the 19-year-old female failed. An Immediate Roadside Prohibition was administered and her vehicle was towed. A 37-year-old male was arrested for breaching his undertaking by contacted a person he was not to have communication with. He was released to appear in court at a later date.

At its regular meeting on Mon, Jan. 19, Brandon City Council discussed a range of initiatives and operational matters. Key highlights are summarized below. View the full agenda at brandon.ca/media/00ddorm5/agenda-january-19-2026.pdf. Pilot Sharps Enhancement Program Council received an update regarding the Pilot Sharps Enhancement Program. This initiative initially deployed several sharps containers primarily in the downtown area. Following community consultation, additional priority locations across several areas of the city have been identified and will be incorporated into the pilot program. Joint Use Agreement with Brandon School Division Council received a report regarding the Joint Use of Community Facilities Agreement with the Brandon School Division. The existing Memorandum of Understanding will be maintained while a task force is formed to review the agreement, assess the current facility booking system, evaluate the role of School Resource Officers, and review the shared-cost elections agreement. 2026 Pre-Budget Discussions – Additional Funding Requests Council received a report on additional funding requests from community organizations. Council will review these requests during budget deliberations on Jan. 30 – 31, 2026. 2026 Citizen Appointments to Council Committees Council appointed Andrew Lepp and Garry Miller to the Brandon Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee with the term of office from Jan. 20, 2026 to Dec. 31, 2027. Council appointed Aidan Punak Murphy to the Environment and Climate Change Committee with the term of office from Jan. 20, 2026 to Dec. 31, 2026. By-Laws: Council approved By-Law No. 7434 to amend Borrowing By-law No. 7295 to borrow funds for the purpose of constructing an outdoor sports field complex (known as the Canada Packers Sports Complex). Council approved By-Law No. 7439 to rezone the property located at 2202 Rosser Ave. from Residential Low Density (RLD) to Residential Moderate Density (RMD) for the development of a three-storey six-unit residential building. Council approved By-Law No. 7440 to rezone 215 – 12th St. N. from Industrial Restricted (IR) to Educational & Institutional (EI) to allow for the development of supportive housing. Reminder: Have Your Say on the Proposed 2026 Municipal Budget! The City of Brandon is inviting the public to provide feedback regarding the proposed 2026 municipal budget on Mon, Jan. 26, 2026. Residents are invited to join Mayor & Council and City administration for coffee in the City Hall Foyer from 6 - 6:45 p.m. Immediately following, a Special Council Meeting will be held in Council Chambers, beginning at 7 p.m., where public comments and feedback can be presented to City Council regarding the proposed budget. Individuals interested in registering as speakers for the Special Council Meeting are asked to contact Legislative Services by Fri, Jan. 23, 2026, at 4 p.m. by calling 204-729-2296 or emailing cityclerk@brandon.ca. Registered speakers will be allotted up to 10 minutes to present their feedback. The next regular City Council meeting will be held on Mon, Feb. 2, 2026, at 7 p.m. View all Council Agendas and Minutes on brandon.ca/city-hall/agendas-and-minutes. Watch all City Council Meetings on youtube.com/@CityofBrandonMB/streams.