Brandon, MB – Fundraising for a major project at the Riverbank has recently kicked into high gear. With the support of community and corporate partners, work will soon begin on a legacy garden along the Assiniboine River Corridor. As part of the Riverbank’s master plan, world-renowned bronze sculptor Peter Sawatzky has chosen the Assiniboine Corridor to be the home of a sculpture garden, which will be incorporated into the rolling terrain north and west of the Riverbank Discovery Centre. Current fundraising efforts will go towards a sculpture similar to the one at Portage and Main in Winnipeg called “The Seal River Crossing.” This will be the centerpiece and one of the largest sculptures in the garden, says James Montgomery, GM of Brandon Riverbank Inc. “The garden will also eventually feature a series of braided walkways, which will weave between wildflower gardens and sculptures creating a trail of discovery and quiet appreciation of the artist’s talent,” Montgomery added. “Brandon Riverbank Inc. and the Assiniboine River Corridor is the perfect location for this project and I’m excited to get to work on the sculptures that will adorn this area,” Sawatzky said. Jeff Fawcett, a councillor for the City of Brandon and advocate for the project, says he couldn’t be more thrilled as well “The Seal River Crossing sculpture is the ideal way for Brandon to permanently celebrate Manitoba’s 150th anniversary since joining confederation, and will serve as a lasting legacy for Peter and be a cornerstone piece and priceless addition to Brandon Riverbank and to this area of Manitoba.” The public can already view some of Sawatzky’s work at Brandon Riverbank. In 2019, the deer and fawn sculpture that was previously at Eleanor Kidd Park was relocated to Festival Park. There is also a statue of great blue herons, donated by Westoba Credit Union, located outside the front doors of the Riverbank Discovery Centre Additionally, there are smaller pieces of Sawatzky’s work located inside the Riverbank Discovery Centre, such as a model of the Seal River Crossing, which is to scale and has the dimensions of the finished sculpture on display.

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release Recently, call takers at Brandon Police Service advise that they have received calls concerning a common fraud, in which fraudsters call victims, while pretending to represent government agencies. Some individuals who have received these calls are reporting that the fraudsters are now pretending to represent employees from Brandon Police Service, and the number that appears on call display mimics the official Brandon Police Service phone number. Please be advised that fraudsters use software that will display the number of the government agency or business they are fraudulently representing. Some individuals have been threatened by fraudsters with arrest warrants should they not comply with the financial demands. Brandon Police Service does not collect money for taxes, court fees or fines. If you are the recipient of a phone call, in which the individual is threatening arrest should you fail to comply with their demand for personal information and payment, simply hang up. Do not give personal information, such as your SIN, or financial information to anyone over the phone. If you have mistakenly provided this information to fraudsters, and have been the victim of fraud, please call 204-729-2345 to make a report.

Source:Brandon Police Service Media Release During the afternoon of January 21, 2020, suspects entered a vehicle on Silverbirch Drive and stole contents from within, including a gift card issued by a local business. The victim was able to alert the local business of the theft. Employees cancelled the gift card and flagged it should the suspects attempt to use it. Later that day, the suspects attended the business and attempted to use the gift card shortly before 7:00 pm.  Employees then called police. A 41-year-old male and a 37-year-old female were arrested at the business. In their possession was stolen property, a small quantity of Meth, Cocaine, and prescription pills. They also possessed drug packaging material and over $600 cash. The female suspect will appear in court on March 21, 2020 on a charge of Possess Property Obtained by Crime. The male suspect will appear in court on the same day on charges of Possess Property Obtained by Crime, Possession of Proceeds of Crime, and Possess for the Purpose of Trafficking X three.

The 4th Annual Matt Calvert Charity Shootout golf tournament has been scheduled for June 25/2020 at the Wheat City Golf Course. A banquet to follow the tournament will be held at the Victoria Inn. This year they have partnered with the Brandon Humane Society and 100% of the proceeds from the 2020 tournament will go directly to some special initiatives with the Brandon Humane Society. Over the past 3 years organizers have been able to donate over $150,000 to various local charities and scholarship programs! For more information on this year's event, you can checkout their new website here.

Calgary, Alberta has the Scotiabank Saddledome and a family farm in the RM of Whitehead has the Cattledome. Back in late fall of 2010 brothers Kyle and Darby Cochrane converted an old family cattle barn, that was no-longer in use, into a mini-hockey rink for their respective families to use. According to Kyle the family previously had an outdoor rink for two years but every time the kids went to use it there was either a foot of snow covering the ice surface or else it was -35 out. With five children between them (Kyle 3, Darby 2) the rink gets plenty of use in the winter months. The rink, located on Cochrane Stock Farms, has been used for team windups, New Years celebrations, and 4-H parties in the past. In the summer months the barn has many uses including reusing it as a cattle barn for 4-H or a place for the kids to practice their shot or toss a ball around. The section of the barn that now houses the locker room and warm-up area was originally built by their grandfather approximately 100 years ago. In the 70's their father built an addition to the barn which now serves as the family skating rink. The rink boards were purchased many years ago at a Keystone Cente auction. Each year the brothers tackle a different project (locker stalls, insulation) further enhancing the comfort and experience for their families. A family friend, Trevor Gompf nicknamed the rink the Cattledome many years ago and the name just kind of stuck.