Home is where the heart is – that is the sentiment Travel Manitoba wants all Manitobans to embrace this summer with a new campaign and contest to create local tourism ambassadors. With the green light for Manitobans to travel safely between communities throughout the province and the reopening of parks, campgrounds, restaurants, museums and other attractions, Manitobans are in a great position to rediscover what they love about the province while supporting the local economy. “Manitoba’s experiences, whether they are wild, rural or urban, remind us that home is where the heart is,” said Travel Manitoba President and CEO, Colin Ferguson. “We are encouraging locals to show Manitoba some love this summer by safely exploring new – and returning to favourite – destinations around the province.” As part of the campaign, partly funded through a partnership with Destination Canada, Travel Manitoba is launching a contest that asks how locals are showing Manitoba some love. Entrants can tell Travel Manitoba where in the province they are travelling this summer and winners could receive up to $500 to offset their travel costs simply by sharing their experiences on their social networks – no need to be a professional photographer or influencer. See contest details and entry form (open until 5 pm CST Friday, June 26). “Manitobans have a great opportunity to safely explore their own province this summer,” said Honourable Ralph Eichler, Minister of Economic Development and Training. “I encourage all Manitobans to support local restaurants and businesses and become tourists in our own backyard. Experience first-hand that home is where the heart is.” Manitobans are reminded to explore their own province while being COVID Careful – maintain physical distancing, stay home when sick, wash hands frequently and opt for pick-up services when visiting local restaurants and businesses. This new campaign is a shift in focus for the organization that just last year was celebrating being named one of Lonely Planet’s top 10 regions in the world to visit in 2019. “Our international profile certainly got a boost,” said Ferguson of last year’s designation. “But Manitobans travelling within Manitoba have always been – and will continue to be – vital to Manitoba’s tourism industry.” Pre-pandemic, tourism contributed $1.6 billion to Manitoba’s economy, with 85% of visitation and 58% of expenditures coming from Manitobans travelling within the province. Estimates indicate that tourism spending will decrease between 25-60% in 2020, and between 6,800 to 11,600 jobs could be lost. The reopening of many tourism attractions, accommodations and parks means Manitobans can safely enjoy their summer by being COVID Careful while supporting the small and medium-sized businesses that make up the majority of the tourism industry. (submitted)

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release A 47-year-old Male has been charged with five counts of Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking. Police conducted a search of his residence and located a quantity of what is believed to be Meth, Fentanyl, Psilocybin and Morphine. He is also facing a charge of Possess Proceeds of Crime due to the cash that was found within his residence. A charge of Breach of Release Order has also been laid. He will be appearing in court today.

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release At 0330 hours, Brandon Police and Brandon Fire Department attended a structure fire in the 300 block of Percy Street. On arrival, a Ford F-150 was found fully engulfed in the driveway with some damage to the residence. The fire was extinguished with some damage to the residence; however, the vehicle was destroyed. A 41-year-old male located at the scene was arrested and has been charged with Arson with Disregard for Human Life and Arson causing damage to Property. He will appear in court in the morning.

A long awaited furniture renewal in McMaster Hall will benefit more than the students who move into the Brandon University (BU) residence. The old furniture that made generations of BU students feel at home will continue to be put to good use, helping hundreds of community members. McMaster Hall is getting 230 new sets of furniture, replacing beds, desks, dressers and night stands that in some cases have been in McMaster Hall since it opened in 1971. While the furniture is old, it was also extremely well built, meaning that a lot of it still has life and value left. To that end, Ancillary Services office is partnering with local charities, as well as BU staff and faculty, to find new homes for the furniture where it is greatly needed. The University is donating more than 175 pieces of furniture to the Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation (BNRC), nearly 100 items to the Community Health and Housing Association, 10 to the BU World University Service Club and at least a half-dozen items to Child and Family Services of Western Manitoba. Additionally, BU staff and faculty were given the offer to purchase pieces, raising $955 for the United Way Brandon & District. “This has been the best ‘feel-good’ project we have been able to do in a while. It has certainly lifted many spirits!” says Jackie Nichol, Ancillary Services Manager at BU. “Much credit goes to Cindy Sisson in our Ancillary Services office, who had a real passion for keeping things out of the landfill and came up with the charity sale for staff and faculty.” The furniture chosen by the CHHA will be sold in its Building Re-Fit Store in Brandon. The Building Re-Fit store has been in operation for 28 years, selling good, reusable furniture and building supplies while providing work training and employment for disadvantaged individuals. The store has been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic but is scheduled to reopen on June 16. “The Building Re-Fit Store is stocked entirely through donations, so the support of the community, including partners like Brandon University, is vital to what we do,” says Erin Coleman, Health and Housing Support Worker for the CHHA. “The store supports those in need and helps save the planet by collecting the used furniture and building materials and making them available to people of the Westman area at an affordable price. Every donation makes a difference in a lot of ways.” The BNRC will make its furniture available to individuals experiencing homelessness to support them as they move into housing. It will fit well with a mattress program that the organization already has in place with Sleep Country. “We will work with our partner agencies like the Manitoba Métis Federation’s Housing First Program, the CHHA and others to ensure that those who finally get a place don’t have to sleep on the floor because they don’t have furniture,” says BNRC Executive Director Carly Gasparini. “This is such a great re-use of this furniture and will have a major impact on the community.” Ancillary Services has been setting money aside for the project for years, and when the replacement furniture for McMaster Hall was ordered last fall no one could have predicted the impact that COVID-19 would have locally, closing the Brandon University campus and reshaping the way that transactions are made for the foreseeable future. Nichol says that has been taken into account, with staff at BU setting up contactless payment and curbside pickup from the parking lot outside McMaster Hall. “A huge thanks to our Ancillary Services and Building Services teams who have already moved out more than 100 pieces of furniture,” Nichol said. “They have been troopers, making sure that we can safely get the furniture out to where it will help the most.” (Brandon University News Release)

Early Saturday morning Brandon Fire and Emergency Services along with Brandon Police Service responded to the 300 block of Percy Street for reports of a vehicle on fire in a driveway, with fire threatening the house. The Ford truck was fully engulfed in flames upon arrival of fire crews, and was parked very close to the nearby garage. Firefighter/Paramedics managed to extinguish the fire before it was able to catch the garage on fire. Crews went inside the garage to check for extension of any fire, but  found none. The truck is a total loss, but thankfully no injuries occurred.