Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release On Thursday night, Police became aware that an individual was advertising cocaine for sale on a social media site. Officers arranged a meet with the male suspect and upon arriving at the agreed location, the suspect attempted to flee on foot. He was apprehended after a short foot chase and Police recovered approximately 3 grams of cocaine prepared for sale. The 22-year-old male suspect was arrested for Possession of Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking. He was released from Police custody and is scheduled to appear in Court in September.

Brandon, MB – With Phase Two of the Province of Manitoba’s Restoring Safe Services Roadmap for Recovery set to come into effect on Monday, June 1st, the City of Brandon’s Emergency Response Control Group and Parks & Recreation Services staff are currently examining how it may deliver modified summer parks & recreation programming in a way that ensures the safety of the public and municipal staff.  As per the Manitoba Government’s Phase Two list of allowable services and amenities, City of Brandon Parks & Recreation staff are currently working out plans to be able to: Ø  offer pre-registration day camps for youth; Ø  allow for outdoor sport fields to be booked by sports organizations that can operate in accordance with Sport Manitoba-approved Return To Play protocols; Ø  provide a modified outdoor aquatics program in the community; Ø  re-establish use of the Sportsplex’s ice arena for bookings that can operate in accordance with Sport Manitoba-approved Return To Play protocols Details and timelines on the roll-out of the above noted programming will be communicated in the coming weeks. Operation of the Sportsplex pool and the Brandon Youth Centre program are not being considered as part of the City’s Phase Two implementation, but will be re-assessed for re-opening at a later date. However, due to the continued provincial restrictions and identified staffing constraints, the City of Brandon can confirm it is unable to offer the following summer programs in 2020: Ø  Youth Activity Centres (YAC) programming; Ø  Music in the Parks outdoor concert series; Ø  Brandon in Bloom programming/Open Garden tours; Ø  Heritage Brandon Doors Open tours Parks & Recreation Services remains committed to the maintenance of City greenspaces, parks and trees; however, lower than normal staffing levels and budget constraints have necessitated the need for a modified schedule for such that may not be as prompt or as frequent as the community has become accustomed to. As such, management and staff ask for the public’s patience as it works to safely undertake these seasonal responsibilities. For more information on Parks & Recreation Services modified summer programming and service delivery, please call 204-729-2148 or email parks@brandon.ca or recreation@brandon.ca. (City of Brandon News Release)

The Manitoba government has launched Student Jobs MB, a new and exciting online tool dedicated to matching students looking for job opportunities to employers with workforce needs throughout the province, Premier Brian Pallister announced today. “Summer jobs are important for youth in not only helping pay for an education, but for building life skills and developing future career interests,” said Pallister. “Employers also benefit from hiring students, who can bring energy and new perspectives to their operations and assist them greatly in rebounding from the COVID-19 pandemic. This new tool will help bring them together.” Student Jobs MB is simple and free to use, allowing students to be matched with and to apply for multiple jobs with the click of a button. The technology is safe and secure, and designed to protect user privacy. Private-sector employers, not-for-profit organizations and governments are able to post jobs and connect directly with students. This tool expedites the hiring process and will encourage student summer employment. Student Jobs MB will be the primary source used by the province to connect students with government employment opportunities offered through the Student Temporary Employment Program, the Conservation Green Team and Urban/Hometown Green Team partners. This new tool will complement the Summer Student Recovery Jobs Program, which was launched on April 24 as a key response to the economic impact of the pandemic. The Summer Student Recovery Jobs Program supports employers in hiring high school and post-secondary students by making $120 million available for an hourly $7 wage subsidy, up to a maximum of $5,000 per student. The program is open to students aged 15 to 29, with an employment period from May 1 to Sept. 4. Employers can be subsidized to hire up to five students. To date, 793 employers offering 1,841 student jobs have responded to the program. “As Manitoba restores services safely during the COVID-19 pandemic, students can be an important resource to help employers reopen,” said Economic Development and Training Minister Ralph Eichler. “This easy-to-use online tool will allow students to find jobs in their communities and will help employers connect with quality applicants.” More information on student and youth employment opportunities can be found at www.studentjobsmb.ca. A comprehensive list of Manitoba government COVID-19 measures can be found at: https://manitoba.ca/bg/2020/04/covid19.html. (Source: Province of MB News Release)

Source: Parks Canada Bulletin Starting June 1, 2020 Riding Mountain National Park will offer limited visitor access and basic services. Visitors will be able to access as the following services and facilities: day-use trails, including cycling and horse back riding access on designated trails and pathways; day-use areas, including green spaces, picnic areas, and beach areas; public toilets and other visitor facilities; the townsite of Wasagaming, and; the bison enclosure at Lake Audy Until June 1, these facilities remain closed and we ask that visitors respect these closures in order to allow park staff to do the necessary work to prepare for opening. The large parking lot in Wasagaming will be open as will the smaller parking lots along Wasagaming Drive. The parking lot beside the Visitor Centre as well as the parking lot on the corner of Columbine and Ta-Wa-Pit will be under construction throughout June. All boating, including motorboats, canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, etc. is prohibited on all park waters until our aquatic invasive species prevention program is fully operational. We are aiming to resume this service by June 12, 2020. Visiting Riding Mountain National Park will be different than it has been in the past. Visitors are asked to plan ahead by checking the Riding Mountain National Park website before they travel to find out: what is open what they can expect how to prepare for their visit The health and safety of visitors and employees is of utmost importance to the Government of Canada. Parks Canada is following the advice of public health experts and continues to make every effort to limit the spread of COVID-19. Visitors should follow the advice of public health experts, including necessary hygiene practices and physical distancing of two metres from others. Parks Canada is asking Canadians to be cautious and conservative in their use of these places, to observe any regional or provincial travel restrictions and to respect any closures that are in place. Anyone participating in recreational activities should be extra cautious to avoid injury and/or getting lost to help minimize the demands placed on search and rescue teams and on the health care system. All camping facilities remain closed until at least June 21, 2020, while Parks Canada assesses whether and how these services might resume. Group activities and public events are suspended until further notice. Detailed information on Parks Canada places and the measures the Agency is taking to limit the spread of COVID-19 can be found on the Parks Canada website: https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/mb/riding/visit/covid-19-info. Please check regularly for updates.

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release At approx. 1:00 PM on Tuesday, officers were alerted to a female who appeared to be sleeping in a vehicle in the 600 block of Percy St. The information provided was that she had been there for approx. 2 hours with the vehicle running. Members attended and found her passed out inside. It appeared that the 34 year old female may be under the influence of a drug, therefore she was arrested for being in care and control of a motor vehicle while impaired. A search incident to arrest resulted in the discovery of approx. 38 grams of individually packaged meth as well as scales. The accused has been released with a court date of September 10, charged with Possession of Meth for the Purpose of Trafficking. The investigation to determine what if any drug she was under the influence of is continuing. She could still be charged for being in care and control while impaired at a later date.