Brandon, MB – The City of Brandon Emergency Response Control Group is finalizing plans to remove the earthen dike plug at the intersection of 18th Street North and Grand Valley Road (PR #459). The plug was installed in early July of this year as a means of protecting the community against any surge of water related to flash flooding upstream in the Assiniboine River Valley, particularly from an unforeseen failure of the Rivers Dam. Updated hydrological forecast data provided by the Province of Manitoba this week suggests that the volume of water within the Rivers Reservoir upstream of Brandon is now at a manageable level should there be any unforeseen failure of the Rivers Dam structure. Mobilization of equipment on-site at the dike is anticipated prior to the weekend, with the intersection expected to be re-opened to traffic early next week. The City of Brandon Emergency Response Control Group also advises that the Province of Manitoba has confirmed it will provide disaster financial assistance for the heavy rain events that occurred between June 28th to July 5th in western and southern Manitoba. The City of Brandon would encourage impacted property owners that have yet to do so to submit their own DFA application directly to the Manitoba Government by visiting https://forms.gov.mb.ca/DFA_Application/. Property owners may also phone the Province of Manitoba toll-free at 1-888-267-8298 and have an application form mailed to them. More information about the Province of Manitoba’s Disaster Financial Assistance process can be found at https://www.gov.mb.ca/emo/recover/home/dfa_home.htm (City of Brandon Media Release)

On Wednesday afternoon Whitehead Fire Department from the town of Alexander, MB responded to reports of a combine on fire, approximately 4 miles south-west of Kemnay. The combine was nearly fully-involved with fire upon arrival of fire crews, and was producing large amounts of black smoke that could be seen for miles. Firefighters made quick work of stopping the fire, using multiple hose lines, and flowing water in conjunction with foam to help smother the fire. The combine appears to have suffered extensive damage, if not a total loss.

Manitoba Finance Taxation Special Investigations Unit and the Brandon Police Service Major Crimes Section recently concluded with the arrest of 4 males and the seizure of a significant quantity of illegal tobacco.  Through collaborative investigation, the involved agencies identified that a group of Manitoba residents were smuggling illegal tobacco into Manitoba from a First Nations community in Ontario. On September 9th, 2020, Members of the Brandon Police Service and the Manitoba Finance Taxation Special Investigations Unit conducted a traffic stop on a personal vehicle towing a large enclosed trailer and executed a search warrant which yielded the seizure of 173 Cases of unmarked contraband tobacco cigarettes.  4 adult males were taken into custody.  The following day, a second search warrant was executed at a local storage locker facility where an additional 183 Cases of unmarked contraband tobacco cigarettes were seized.  In total, 3,570,400 cigarettes were seized along with currency, vehicles and a transport trailer. The four males arrested were all found to be residents of Brandon, Manitoba, ranging in ages from 46 to 60 years old.  All four males have been charged under Section 121.1(1) of the Criminal Code; Possession of Unstamped Tobacco and Section 80(2)(a) of The Tax Administration and Miscellaneous Taxes Act; Possess greater than 25 Units of Unmarked Tobacco.  The males were released from custody to appear in court on November 12th.  The males also face significant fines under the Provincial Tax Acts. This tobacco represented a potential tax loss of over a million dollars to the Province of Manitoba ($1,071,120.00) For a first time offence under the provincial tax acts, if convicted, the individuals face fines between $1,000 and $10,000 and/or up to six months imprisonment. In addition, they face a triple tax penalty of over 3 million dollars and loss of assets to the Criminal Forfeiture Unit. (TTP of $3,213,360.00) Criminal Code conviction imprisonment could be 6 months to 5 years. In addition to the provincial agencies named, this investigation included the involvement of the Province of Manitoba Criminal Property Forfeiture Unit with support from the Manitoba Department of Justice. (Brandon Police Service Media Release)

Multi-Material Stewardship Manitoba Inc. (MMSM) and the City of Brandon have partnered on a new online tool called the Recyclepedia that will help residents properly dispose of different materials in their homes. Use the Recyclepedia to find out if a material can be reused, recycled, composted, or disposed. The tool can be found on the City of Brandon’s website and as a mobile app. Both are available in 13 different languages, help residents determine what’s accepted in their residential recycling bins, and also supports reduced contamination. Simply type the name of an item to get started! “With this new Recyclepedia resource, it has never been easier for Brandon residents to determine how to responsibly dispose of refuse, recycling, and other waste items,” noted City of Brandon Environmental Initiatives Coordinator Lindsay Hargreaves. “We’re happy to partner with MMSM to provide this web tool for our community to ensure everyone has access to up-to-date, relevant information on Brandon’s many waste diversion programs.” “The residents of Brandon already do a great job recycling, composting, and diverting waste from landfills," said Karen Melnychuk, Executive Director MMSM. "With the Recyclepedia and our new mobile app, it will be even easier for them to sort their waste properly ensuring that everything ends up in the right spot.” MMSM is Manitoba’s largest Producer Responsibility Organization and provides Manitoba municipalities with the funding and support required to run effective residential recycling programs. Since 2010, they have worked closely with the City of Brandon providing them with funding and technical support for their residential recycling program. The joint partnership on the Recyclepedia was an obvious next step. As the recycling industry evolves, both organizations will continue to focus on educating residents on best practices to ensure recyclables are recycled safely and efficiently. Click here to view the Brandon Recyclepedia online. Download the Recyclepedia mobile app, for Apple or Android smartphones. (submitted release)

A number of school divisions in the Westman area (Brandon, Mountain View, Park West, Rolling River, Southwest Horizon and Swan Valley) have been collaborating to provide remote learning for students in Kindergarten to Grade 8, who are immunocompromised or who have immunocompromised family members in their household and have been medically advised not to attend school. The partnership will have school divisions provide staff members or financial resources, so that students who have been medically advised not to attend school will be able to participate in remote learning during this COVID-19 experience. This new partnership between the school divisions will be called the Westman Consortia. The School Divisions are currently working with their schools and communities to identify students and families who would receive remote learning. The schools will then be contacting these families next week to formalize how this remote learning plan will look. Our anticipated start date will be September 17 and 18 as we will have a staggered start approach. If parents in the Brandon School Division have any questions about this new arrangement, they are encouraged to contact their school principal. (BSD Media Release)