Source:Brandon Police Service Media Release On June 20 of this year, police executed a search warrant at the home of a 55-year-old Brandon male, and seized computers and data storage devices. A forensic search of those devices resulted in the recovery of thousands of images of child pornography. He attended to the Brandon Police Service office on Friday; where police released him from custody on several conditions, including that he have no contact with children and is not to possess any electronic devices. He will appear in court in November.

The week of September 30 – October 4th has been proclaimed by the City of Brandon’s Mayor, Rick Chrest as Indigenous Awareness & Education Week. Throughout the week, staff and students in the Brandon School Division will be participating in various activities and learning opportunities to assist the division with their goals: *All staff and students will be introduced to and/or will re-visit the truth, history and impacts of Canada’s Residential School System; * All staff and students will recognize that we have a shared history and therefore, an opportunity and a responsibility to work together for our shared future; *All staff and students will be able to explain what reconciliation means and why it matters; and * Each school will take action by creating a symbol of our commitment to continuous learning and positive change on our shared journey to achieving reconciliation – Act of Reconciliation; and *All staff and students will have a clear understanding of the significance of Orange Shirt Day. A Tipi installation at the Administration Office will take place on Wednesday, October 2, 2019 at 1:30 pm. Senior Administration, Board of Trustees, Indigenous Language Instructors and staff and students from George Fitton School will be joined by members of the Brandon Urban Aboriginal Peoples Council for the official installation and unveiling of the first of three Tipis to be installed on Brandon School Division property. Date: Wednesday, October 2, 2019 at 1:30 pm Location: Brandon School Division Administration Office 1031 – 6th Street, Brandon (Submitted: Brandon School Division)

Brandon University is inviting the community to a “Mental Health on the Prairies Conference and Community Gathering” this spring where everyone will be welcome to discuss and learn about mental wellness and addiction. The conference and gathering will run from April 29 through May 1, 2020 and will bring together researchers, professionals working in health and social care, educators, community groups, and people with lived experience of mental health and addictions to discuss mental health needs and solutions. The first evening of the event will kick off with a public keynote by Jordin Tootoo, former Wheat King and the first Inuk player in history to be drafted by the NHL. Tootoo’s talk will focus on creating a culture of inclusivity to promote mental health. Tickets will go on sale at the Westman Centennial Auditorium on Oct. 15, 2019. The conference and community gathering aims to increase access and participation in information exchange about mental health. “We need to work together as a community to support mental health. That is why this is such an important gathering for Brandon and southwestern Manitoba” said BU’s Dr. Rachel Herron, conference co-chair and Canada Research Chair in Rural and Remote Mental Health. The event planning team includes community co-chair Chris Bromley, Manager of Child and Adolescent Mental Health as well as educators and researchers from across disciplines including education, nursing and science at Brandon University. “A whole community approach to promoting and maintaining positive mental health care is key. That is what we are trying to achieve with this conference,” Bromley said. “Everyone has a place and a role to play when it comes to mentally healthy communities.” Several leading researchers on mental health from across Canada will bring their expertise to the event. The meeting will include invited presentations by Dr. Michael Ungar, a Canada Research Chair in Child, Family and Community Resilience at Dalhousie University, as well as Dr. Caroline Tait Co-lead of First Peoples First Person, a national Indigenous research hub of the Canadian Depression Research and Intervention Network. Local presenters from non-profits, health care, and those with lived experience will round out the conference and gathering. Participants in the meeting will also have an opportunity to actively engage by ‘walking in others shoes’ during experiential activities, including a poverty simulation, a forced displacement exercise, blanket exercise, and a virtual dementia tour. Participants can choose one of the experiences to attend. The three-day meeting will conclude with a World Café lunch, where participants will discuss community challenges and solutions to mental health promotion and well-being on the Prairies. Ultimately, the event aims to draw together applied experts such as practitioners working in the front lines and people with lived experience along with academic experts across the country to share knowledge and engage in critical conversations about community-based mental health research and solutions. “I am excited about this conference and gathering and the positive impact it can have as a priority objective of our Centre for the Critical Studies of Rural Mental Health and our community,” said BU Dean of Health Studies Dr. John Moraros. “I anticipate that this event will act as a catalyst for ongoing dialogue and support for mental health issues, policies and action to improve the quality of life for people in Manitoba and across Canada.” Conference organizers encourage people to kindly consider participating, contributing and benefitting from the upcoming conference and community gathering. Please visit the conference website for more information at BrandonU.ca/MHP. (Source: Brandon University News)

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release On September 26, 2019, at approximately 3:00 pm, members of the Organized Crime Section conducted a search of a residence in the 200 block of 1st street. Located and seized was a 30.06 rifle and scope, a replica handgun, a pool cue with nails sticking out of it, and bear mace. Also seized was approximately 30 grams of Meth, 3.5 grams of cocaine, packaging material, and cash. A set of reportedly stolen Bose speakers was also located in the residence. A 28-year-old female was arrested and lodged at Brandon Correctional Centre. She will appear in court today on charges of Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Meth, Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Cocaine, Possession of Property Obtained By Crime, Possess Proceeds of Crime, Possession of Firearm Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized, Unsafe Storage of a Firearm, and Breach of Recognizance from an outstanding arrest warrant.

Brandon, MB – The first phase of a multi-year upgrade of the City of Brandon’s municipal water treatment facility is poised to begin next month, with the construction of a dedicated chemical building connected to the existing water treatment plant at 108-26th Street North. In this first phase of this important project, construction of a new building to the immediate northwest of the existing facility will consolidate the storage of chemicals and allow for a switch in the current disinfectant process from that of using gaseous chlorine to a safer one of using liquid chlorine sodium hypochlorite. In addition, the building has been designed with the capacity required to test the potential of orthophosphate dosing as a corrosion control method as it relates to the City of Brandon’s wider Lead Water Services Strategy. A new ring road providing access to the entire facility will also be constructed. “The construction of this new chemical storage and dosing building will bring existing chemicals into a single facility, which is undoubtedly safer for our staff, our citizens, and the environment,” says City of Brandon Director of Utilities Alexia Stangherlin. “We are excited to be starting the first phase of this very important project, that, once complete, will allow us to continue offering a supply of safe and high-quality drinking water to the community for decades to come.” Stangherlin says equipment and materials should be making their way onto the Water Treatment Facility site as early as next week, with construction to begin early next month. Completion and commissioning of the new chemical building is anticipated by May of 2021. Partial funding for this approximately $18.5 million dollar project phase was received through the Government of Canada’s Clean Water and Wastewater Fund. An application for additional funding through the Government of Canada’s Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program has been submitted for the upgrade project’s future phases, which would include the construction of a new membrane treatment facility, a new river intake, settling pond and yard piping, and upgrades to existing portions of the current treatment facility. Updates on the City of Brandon’s Municipal Water Treatment Plant Upgrade Project will be made available as the project progresses on the City of Brandon website at http://www.brandon.ca/current-projects/water-treatment-plant-upgrade. (Photo: City of Brandon Release)