Tougher and more timely consequences for drinking and driving in Manitoba will come into effect Dec. 16 including new sanctions that will see drivers temporarily lose their vehicles for registering a ‘warn’ on an approved screening device, Justice Minister Cliff Cullen announced today. “Impaired drivers are still taking the lives of Manitobans and we need to do more to make sure people get the message that this is unacceptable,” said Cullen.  “Immediate roadside prohibition ensures on-the-spot consequences for making the poor decision to drink and drive.  The consequences are clear – impaired drivers will lose their licence, their vehicle and face significant financial penalties.” The new approach, called immediate roadside prohibition, increases sanctions for drivers who register a ‘warn’ level on an approved screening device.  It also provides a faster alternative to the breathalyzer test and resolves matters outside of the criminal justice system for drivers who refuse or fail an approved screening device test for the first time.  However, the immediate roadside prohibition approach is not intended to be used in cases where the impaired driver kills or injures another person or if there are other significant aggravating circumstances. The new sanctions for drivers who register a ‘warn’ on an approved screening device include a new monetary penalty of $400 for a first violation, escalating to $500 for a second violation and $600 for a third or subsequent violation.  The timeframe for vehicle impoundments also escalate, from three days for a first violation, seven days for a second, or 30 days for a third or subsequent violation. For first-time impaired drivers who register a ‘fail’ on an approved screening device and cause no bodily injury or death, police will have discretion to impose a $700 monetary penalty as well as a mandatory ignition interlock of one year rather than proceeding with a criminal charge.  The new sanctions would be comparable to those applied post-conviction and would be applied on top of the existing pre-conviction 90-day licence suspension, 30-day vehicle impoundment and mandatory remedial programming. Individuals who refuse the screening will face the same sanctions as a ‘fail’, with vehicle impoundment extending to 60 days.  In addition, a ‘warn’ reading will result in the driver receiving five demerits on their Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) driver safety rating scale, increasing to 10 demerits for either a ‘fail’ or refusal. The sanctions for first-time refusals or drunk drivers who register a ‘fail’ on an approved screening device, are only intended to apply where the case does not involve serious bodily injury or death, or other aggravating factors. Under the new approach, testing a suspected impaired driver can take as little as six minutes.  This is significantly less than the time required to administer a breathalyzer test and process an impaired driver for criminal charges, which is often up to four hours. “Collisions caused by impaired drivers continue to kill and cause significant injuries to far too many Manitobans.  These collisions are entirely preventable and it’s time we look at new ways of getting these dangerous drivers off our roads,” said Assistant Commissioner Jane MacLatchy, commanding officer of the Manitoba RCMP.  “Without a doubt, the immediate roadside suspensions will be a powerful tool that will help our officers to quickly remove impaired drivers from Manitoba roads, making our highways and roadways safer for all.” Adding up all the administrative sanctions and monetary penalties, the minimum cost for a ‘warn’ will range from $700 for a first violation to $3,420 for a third or subsequent violation.  The minimum cost for a ‘fail’ will be $3,520 and the minimum cost for refusal of the approved screening device will be $3,970.  A provincewide public education campaign by Manitoba Public Insurance, focused on impaired driving and immediate roadside prohibition approach, will be launched later this month. The immediate roadside prohibition approach was implemented in British Columbia in 2010.  It has been credited with helping to save 351 lives and reduced alcohol-related deaths by 50 per cent in that province.  It has had a similar impact on alcohol-related injuries and collisions.  This model is strongly supported by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Canada. “MADD Canada fully supports the expansion of immediate roadside prohibitions in Manitoba,” said Andrew Murie, chief executive officer, MADD Canada.  “Having quick, strong, short-term sanctions offers a powerful deterrent to those who might otherwise drive impaired.  We welcome these new provisions, and thank the government for its leadership in helping to reduce impaired driving and make roads safer.” The minister noted this legislation also supports the objectives of the recently released Public Safety and Policing Strategy by ensuring police can spend more time on policing and less on administration.  The strategy is online at www.gov.mb.ca/justice/pubs/police_publicsafety_strategy.pdf. “We strongly believe this approach will allow police officers to get back on the road sooner, allowing them to catch more impaired drivers and keep all of us safer,” said Cullen. In 2018, 70 people were killed and 437 were seriously injured in traffic collisions in Manitoba on public roadways.  Impaired driving accounted for 40 per cent of those killed.  Already this year, at least 10 people have lost their lives because of an impaired driver.' (Province of Manitoba News Release)

An estimated 6ft high hole was left in the wall of Vincent Massey High School after a vehicle plowed into it on the west side of the building Wednesday evening. Student's lockers could be seen through the opening in the wall. Workers were seen clearing brick and other debris from the hallway inside the school, as well as from the grass outside. The vehicle had already been removed from the scene when the workers were present. Photos by Liam Pattison Photography.

November 7, 2019: The Manitoba Metis Federation is joining Dynacare, Diabetes Canada and local dignitaries today in Brandon for a free A1C (blood sugar) test clinic. The event will run from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Manitoba Metis Federation facility (656-6thStreet, Branson MB) as part of #Dynacare4Diabetes, Manitoba’s largest-ever diabetes wellness initiative. Dynacare is aiming to get 55,000 Manitobans – particularly those most at risk – to take the A1C (blood sugar) test. The organization will also be making a 50-cent donation to Diabetes Canada for every test completed at a Dynacare location in Manitoba between Oct. 21 and Nov. 30, up to a total of $25,000. Coinciding with Diabetes Awareness Month in November, the initiative is meant to encourage Manitobans to assess their risk for the disease by getting tested at any Dynacare location throughout the campaign period. This initiative comes at no cost to Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living as it is fully funded by Dynacare, including the cost of all additional A1C tests ordered. Diabetesis a serious public health issue, with over 27 per cent of Manitoba’s population having undiagnosed or diagnosed diabetes or prediabetes, according to data from Diabetes Canada. Recognizing the significance of this issue, last November Dynacare and Diabetes Canada launched this campaign for the first time to spread awareness of the risk factors for diabetes and encourage Manitobans to get tested. Dynacare and Diabetes Canada encourage Manitobans that have never been tested for diabetes to start the process by assessing their risk factors. If they have one or more risk factors, or are experiencing symptoms, they are encouraged to consult with their doctor and request a requisition for an A1C test.The test can be taken free of charge at any Dynacare location in Manitoba. Doctors who receive test results with blood sugar levels above the normal range typically contact their patients directly to arrange a consultation and discuss a treatment plan. This year, Dynacare is also reinforcing its commitment to Manitoba’s at-risk communities living in rural and remote areas by organizing mobile clinic locations throughout the province. The goal is to provideaccess to testing for those most at-risk for this all-too-common disease, so they can be better informed about their health and, if necessary, get on a pathway to care. Please visit https://www.dynacare.ca/news/dynacare4diabetes-manitoba-s-largest-diabetes-w.aspx for more information about the campaign.

We are very proud to finally present to you our brand new City of Brandon Pound webpage and Facebook page dedicated to domestic animals in Brandon! You can find the Pound webpage link through our Brandon Police Service webpage, under the Animal Control tab. There you can also find more information on animal by-laws, licensing requirements, fees, and other useful pet information. As soon as an animal arrives at the pound, a photo will be taken. That photo will then be uploaded to the new Pound Webpage, and Facebook page. Descriptors of the animal, and the location it was found will be added as well. Our goal has always been to reunite pets with their owners, and to have strays adopted; having an online presence should expedite that process. We invite you to follow our pages, which can be found here: http://police.brandon.ca/pound https://facebook.com/BrandonCityPound

Late Tuesday afternoon, Brandon Fire and Emergency Services and police responded to the 000 block of 10th St for a two-vehicle crash. It appears that a dark SUV and a grey sedan collided near the entrance to a parking lot along 10th St. Although there was damage to both vehicles, thankfully nobody was injured.   Firefighter/paramedics deployed sand underneath the vehicles to help soak up leaking fluids. Accel Towing and Transport was on scene to removed the wrecked vehicles. Photos by Liam Pattison Photography.