Brandon Transit is, once again, asking the community to show its generosity in support the Brandon-Westman Christmas Cheer Registry during the 16th annual “Fill The Bus” campaign! This year, community members are encouraged to drop off donations of unwrapped toys or non-perishable food items, as well as any monetary contributions if preferred, at the Brandon Transit bus which will be set up in the parking lot at the below sponsored locations: Saturday, November 30th  – 10 a.m. at 5 p.m. at Sobeys West (Parking Lot) Saturday, December 7th – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Safeway Corral Centre (Parking Lot) Brandon Transit’s annual “Fill The Bus” Campaign is generously supported this year by Canada Safeway, Sobeys, Off The Wall Signs, and BellMedia outlets 96.1 BOB FM and Pure Country 101.

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release On Thursday evening at the Provincial Excellence in Law Enforcement Awards, three of our members were honored for their work and dedication to policing. All three have received specialized training in various policing areas, and have worked in a variety of sections within our service over the years. They each bring their own unique expertise and experience to our service. Constable Myran Hamm began his service with Brandon Police Service in 2003, after transferring from the RCMP. Most people will easily recognized Cst. Hamm, as he is currently a driving force behind our social media and communications team. He has been a strong advocate for building and maintaining multiple community partnerships within Brandon in both his current position in Community Policing Unit, and as a former High School Resource Officer. He has an infectious sense of humor that allows him to truly connect with the community and capture the human side of policing. Constable Michel Latreille has been an officer with Brandon Police Service since 2006. Cst. Latreille has a keen interest in combating impaired driving and has become one of our leading experts in this area. He has trained tirelessly to ensure that other members at BPS are kept current on the ever-changing Impaired Driving Laws and the recent changes with the legalization of Cannabis. Cst. Latreille is one of our current Traffic Re-constructionists, which entails having an eye for detail during very complicated and often traumatic scene investigations. Constable Shawn Haggarty began his career with Brandon Police Service in 2010. Cst. Haggarty currently serves in our dog unit with his partner Storm. His tenacious appetite to ensure that no stone goes unturned has resulted in significant arrests, and seizures of illicit drugs, weapons and other property obtained by crime. Cst. Haggarty has generated significant crime suppression success by working extensively with other agencies throughout Manitoba. He has worked hard to ensure that his knowledge and experience have had maximum impact by training other BPS members

Brandon, MB – November 20, 2019 The Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba is pleased to present Gala of Gifts, running from Saturday, November 30th (10:00 AM – 7:00 PM) to Sunday, December 1st (11:00 AM – 4:00 PM). First held in 1988, Gala of Gifts has become a premier holiday shopping experience in Westman, providing visitors with live entertainment, warm apple cider, food, a raffle, holiday café, and a free festive workshop for children. The outstanding hand-made and original work of over 29 Manitoban artists, makers, crafters, and creators will be featured. There are several new artists including Moe’s Bowls with beautifully handcrafted woodwork featuring birdhouses, bowls and earrings and Heidi Curr with her handmade confectionery delights and dessert. Several artists will be returning such as Kate Froese who creates modern ceramics, Patti Robinson with her handwoven items and Lanney Badham with her hand-bound journals. The popular Chili Bowl Sale will be returning, which will take place on Saturday, November 30th (11:30 AM – 6:30 PM) and Sunday, December 1st (11:30 AM – 4:00 PM). For only $20 guests will receive a steaming bowl of hot chili and will get to keep the one of a kind handmade bowl. So come for the gifts and stay for the chili! The Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba is located at 710 Rosser Avenue. It can be accessed either from the Town Centre parkade, or from the first floor of the Town Centre Mall through the elevators near the library. Parking in the Town Centre parkade is FREE for Gala of Gifts visitors all weekend.

The Manitoba government has introduced legislation that would amend The Planning Act and give the City of Brandon control over local decisions such as the approval of subdivisions, Municipal Relations Minister Rochelle Squires announced today. “We continue to make improvements, reduce red tape and allow qualified municipalities to take responsibility for decisions that are directly under their control,” Squires said. “These amendments will accomplish that, and clear the way for governments at different levels to operate more efficiently.” The current legislation allows the minister to delegate the approval of subdivisions to a local planning district, but not to a municipality. One of the key changes would allow Brandon to make its own decisions on subdivision applications within their boundaries, independent of its current membership in the Brandon and Area Planning District. The proposed legislation would also enable the minister to establish regulatory requirements under which other municipalities could be delegated this authority by the minister (Province of Manitoba News Release)

The Manitoba government has invested $10 million to purchase 65 replacement ambulances that modernize the province’s fleet, ensure paramedic safety and improve patient comfort, Health, Seniors and Active Living Minister Cameron Friesen announced today, as the first ambulance was entered into service. “We know the right equipment is needed to help paramedics respond quickly and provide quality care for Manitobans who experience a medical emergency,” said Friesen.  “These new ambulances will provide enhanced lighting and additional working space for paramedics so that we can continue to offer consistent, reliable care for patients right across the province.” The 65 new ambulances, which represent about one-third of the province’s overall fleet, were designed with enhanced patient care in mind.  New ambulances feature enhanced lighting, additional working space for paramedics to have better movement and access to patients and increased secure storage compartments for medical equipment. “Paramedics provide professional, quality care to Manitobans in pre-hospital, community, and inter-hospital settings.  For our staff, that means when caring for patients, their workplace is often on-board an ambulance, making the safety and comfort of that vehicle an important priority,” said Helen Clark, chief operating officer, emergency response services, Shared Health. Through a partnership with Heart & Stroke, all new ambulances will help raise awareness of the signs of stroke and the importance of acting quickly by displaying FAST decals on their back windows. “Stroke is a medical emergency,” says Christine Houde, director, government relations and health promotion with Heart & Stroke in Manitoba.  “Recognizing the FAST signs of stroke and acting quickly can mean the difference between life and death, or the difference between a full recovery and lasting disability.” The minister noted this investment builds upon the work underway to implement recommendations of the 2013 EMS System Review.  To build capacity throughout the system, the province has been investing in additional paramedic positions to enhance staffing levels and reduce reliance on on-call staffing to increase paramedic availability across the province. Other investments include capital projects that support the delivery of consistent, quality emergency medical services, such as new crew quarters for the Kinosota Trails station in Sandy Bay.  The new quarters were completed earlier this fall. “The 2013 EMS System Review undertook significant consultation with front-line care providers and the recommendations from this report are guiding our investments,” said Friesen.  “As part of Manitoba’s broader health system transformation, we are creating a consistent, integrated EMS and patient transport model to build capacity, equip staff and invest in skilled professionals across the province.” The minister reiterated that restructuring station locations as recommended in the review will not occur until new EMS and patient transport models are in place. For additional information on emergency response services in Manitoba, visit: https://sharedhealthmb.ca/services/emergency-response. (Province of Manitoba News Release)