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)

Thursday afternoon, Brandon Fire and Emergency Services and Blue Hills RCMP responded to the intersection of Highway #1 and Highway #110 for a two-vehicle crash. A crossover SUV and car collided in the intersection, sending the SUV into the median ditch, while the car stayed on the road. The driver of the crossover SUV had to be extricated from the vehicle, using tools commonly referred to as the Jaws of Life. The patient was brought up the side of the ditch onto a waiting stretcher, then loaded into an ambulance. The Trans-Canada was closed eastbound while emergency crews worked to extricate the patient. One lane was soon reopened to allow eastbound traffic through. Accel Towing & Transport was on scene, tasked with cleaning up the wrecked vehicles. Photos by Liam Pattison Photography.

Source: Brandon Police Service Media Release Three separate investigations into Theft Under $5000 from different retail businesses occurring on September 21, 22, and 23rd, has led to the arrest of a 25-year-old male. On September 25, 2019, he was located when police attended an unrelated matter. He was also found to be in breach of a condition not to attend one of the businesses he stole from. He will appear in court on November 18, 2019 on charges of theft under $5000 X 3, and Breach of Probation X 2.