The Manitoba government is delivering better primary and community health care to the town of Melita, Municipality of Two Borders and Canupawakpa Dakota Nation with new investments in front-line staffing for the Melita Medical Clinic, Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Uzoma Asagwara announced today. “Southwestern Manitoba is a growing region that deserves more access to primary care,” said Asagwara. “We’ve been working with leadership from the Municipality of Two Borders and the Town of Melita, who have long advocated for more investments in connected care models that serve the needs of families and seniors in the area. These investments will help to reduce the need for families to use emergency services, reduce chronic disease rates and support Manitobans with substance-use disorders. We’re happy to deliver more care to this part of the province to make Manitoba healthier.” The Manitoba government, in partnership with Prairie Mountain Health Authority, is investing operating funding to add three front-line staffing positions and extend hours of service at the Melita Health Centre. “We want to thank the minister and the provincial government for moving ahead with our proposal,” said Mayor Bill Holden, Town of Melita. “This is the result of advocacy from our communities and the regional health authority and is a direct response to the needs we see – an aging population, increasing chronic disease but also a growing, thriving place where young families want to build a life. These investments are a step forward on our journey to excellent care and a stronger municipality, with lots more work to do.” An additional nurse practitioner will be added to Melita, for a total complement of three nurse practitioners. The community will also add a licensed practical nurse and a mental health and addictions community support worker to help address primary care needs in Melita, Two Borders and the surrounding area including nearby First Nation communities. Government funding will also allow the Melita clinic to extend its hours into the evening, so families can access care after work or school. “Our communities are thriving places and we’ve worked hard to understand the needs of our residents and how health care needs to evolve to ensure they are healthy, safe and living positive lives,” said Sandra Clark, reeve, Municipality of Two Borders. “We’re happy to see progress on our proposals and we’re ready to continue working to boost health-care services in the municipality so that Two Borders continues to be a destination.” The investments are part of the government’s response to significant work undertaken by Melita and Two Borders to enhance primary care in the region after the emergency department in Melita was closed in 2022, noted the minister.

On August 14th, 2023, at approximately 3:28AM police responded to a fire at the rear of a home on Christie Bay. The fire was initially deemed non-suspicious; however, accusations were made of a possible suspect. Brandon Fire & Emergency Services was not able to determine any logical source of the fire. Information was later learned that the accused was present at the fire. The file was sent for Crown opinion, and they advised for the above charge to be laid. The 31-year-old female attended BPS voluntarily. She was later released via Undertaking with a court date of June 16th, 2025.

The Manitoba government, in partnership with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, is investing $2 million to expand Manitoba’s Operational Communications Centre to strengthen law enforcement’s ability to respond to violent crime and critical incidents, Justice Minister Matt Wiebe announced today. “Providing law enforcement with the tools they need to keep Manitobans safe and to get tough on crime is a priority for our government,” said Wiebe. “This investment of $2 million will help ensure our officers have the resources they need to respond to emergencies in the moments when it matters most to Manitobans.” Manitoba’s Operational Communications Centre is the intake and dispatch command centre for all incoming calls for Manitobans to report an emergency to RCMP. The $2 million in additional funding will add six new RCMP officers and ten public servant dispatchers to expand the Operational Communications Centre and allow 24-7 risk management operational support for law enforcement, allowing the RCMP to better connect with Manitobans and ensure their safety quickly, noted Wiebe. “The Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) welcomes the provincial government's investment to strengthen the RCMP's capacity and help ensure a more effective response to crime across Manitoba,” said Kathy Valentino, president, AMM. “With front-line officers dealing with repeat prolific offenders and expanded responsibilities that extend beyond traditional law enforcement, these additional resources are both timely and essential.” Adding the funding for six new sergeants will enable the Manitoba RCMP to create a 24-7 member operational support services (MOSS) unit. A member of the MOSS unit will be readily available to dispatchers and officers to provide expertise and guidance, and expanding the public servant dispatchers by ten new positions will ensure consistent support services can be provided to the public and officers, noted the minister. The expansion of the Operational Communications Centre builds on the government’s recent actions to address rural and northern crime in Manitoba including $3.3 million in funding for Manitoba's RCMP emergency response team to double its members, increasing the funding for the urban policing grant by 28 per cent, implementing a five-point plan to tackle repeat offenders and bail reform, creating a general investigate unit pilot project in Swan Valley, expanding the electronic monitoring program to rural Manitoba and building a new Centre for Justice in Dauphin.

On Mon, Apr. 7, City Council adopted By-Law No. 7397 to increase Development Charges (DC) for transportation and land drainage network infrastructure.  The updated DC rates will take effect on June 6, 2025. The City of Brandon has experienced exponential growth in recent years, thus making the requirement for additional municipal infrastructure necessary. DC contributions support essential infrastructure and equitably distribute development costs, aiding the city's growth over the next 20 years. Factors contributing to the increased rates include a transportation charge for road and intersection improvements in both emerging and established areas, higher capital costs, debt financing expenses, and costs associated with growth-related studies. The City of Brandon aims to balance growth, cost, and development, ensuring that Brandon remains one of the most livable cities in Canada. Other infrastructure supported by DC’s includes water and wastewater services. Adjustments to these rates are being implemented pursuant to By-Law No. 7406, which requires approval from the Public Utilities Board of Manitoba (PUB). At a future City Council Meeting, the City's Audit and Finance Committee will propose an amendment to By-Law No. 7406, recommending increased water and wastewater DC rates be phased in over a three-year period for high-density developments. If City Council approves the amended first reading of By-Law No. 7406, a new public hearing will be scheduled for late spring prior to it going to the PUB for approval An overview of all proposed and approved changes is available on brandon.ca/permits-applications/development-charges. Enquiries regarding DC rates can be sent to LandDevelopment@brandon.ca.

Photo: Brandon Police Service Between February 2025 and April 5th, 2025, BPS’ Organized Crime Section (OCS) conducted a drug trafficking investigation into Tia Vincent, a 45-year-old woman from Brandon, MB. On April 5th, OCS members arrested Vincent and located her with 1.2 kilograms of methamphetamine. A subsequent search warrant at a residence in the 1300 block of 1st Street North in Brandon that Vincent was believed to be utilizing to store her illicit drugs, recovered approximately 500 grams of Cocaine, 42 grams of methamphetamine, drug packaging materials, multiple digitals scales and multiple cell phones. Angela Sellars, a 47-year-old woman from Brandon, was arrested at the 1st Street North location and along with Vincent, faces charges of Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking Cocaine and Methamphetamine. Both Vincent and Sellars appeared in court on April 7th, 2025. The approximate street value of the drugs seized during this investigation is $110,000.