Shortly before 3:00 this afternoon, Whitehead Fire Department along with Brandon Fire and Emergency Services responded to Road 114W and Highway 1A just west of Brandon for a large grass fire. Firefighters from both departments worked to contain the large and rapidly spreading fire. High winds shifted fire quickly and made firefighting dangerous and difficult. Multiple small structures were also consumed by the fast moving fire. Massive plumes of smoke could be seen from all around Brandon. No injuries occurred.  Photos by: Liam Pattison Photography

The Manitoba government and City of Brandon are looking for unique ideas, concepts or specific proposals to create new affordable housing at 705 Lorne Ave., Families Minister Scott Fielding and Mayor Rick Chrest, City of Brandon, announced today.  Together, they issued a request for expression of interest (REOI). The REOI is directed at non-profit housing organizations interested in constructing affordable rental or co-operative rental housing at the Lorne Avenue site, a parcel of land currently owned by the City of Brandon.  Results from the REOI process will then inform a future request for proposals for the land’s development and, ultimately, the selection of a successful proponent. Once that process is complete, the city has committed to transfer property ownership to the successful proponent at a cost of one dollar, as well as provide a tax-offsetting grant.  The Manitoba government has also committed to contribute capital funding of up to 35 per cent of total eligible project costs, or up to $65,000 per unit, to the project through the Investment in Affordable Housing program. “We are looking to partner with non-profit organizations and the City of Brandon to find innovative ways to increase housing capacity and improve access to affordable housing for Manitobans,” said Fielding.  “We strongly encourage proponents to consider a mix of units that best serves and address the community’s needs.” The current REOI process for the land at 705 Lorne Ave. is the latest of a number of strategic affordable housing partnerships that have come to fruition in the City of Brandon in recent months. This week, the Western Manitoba Non-Profit Seniors Housing Co-operative Ltd.  handed over keys to tenants of its new multi-unit residential build at 2105 Brandon Ave., a project that saw 48 affordable housing units constructed as a partnership with Manitoba Housing and the City of Brandon, along with a further 15 market-value units. Affordable housing builds have been completed on city-donated land at 230 Rosser Ave. East (duplex) and 255 Frederick St. (single-family home), projects that were partnerships of the City of Brandon and the Canadian Mental Health Association and Habitat For Humanity, respectively. “The City of Brandon’s Affordable Housing strategy is one that leverages partnerships to create a blend of housing options for a wide range of demographics in our community, and we are proud of the strides made thus far,” said Chrest.  “With the expression of interest process now underway for the land at 705 Lorne Ave., it is yet another example of how partnerships have been an integral part of the City of Brandon’s work to create affordable housing in our community.  With this type of partnership, we provide the land and incentives, the Manitoba government provides capital assistance and the not-for-profit community will provide the vision, leadership and operational resources to build and operate new affordable housing units.” The REOI is posted on www.merx.com and the City of Brandon website https://purchasing.brandon.ca/.   The submission deadline is July 23.

Brandon, MB – The City of Brandon’s Community Services Department and the Brandon Environment Committee are joining forces and challenging businesses and residents of Brandon to “step up and tidy up!” Beginning May 15th, the City of Brandon and the Brandon Environment Committee will champion a 16-week community clean-up campaign called “Tidy Up Tuesdays”. The idea behind “Tidy Up Tuesdays” is a simple one – at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays, workplaces, organizations and individual residents alike are encouraged to take 10 minutes and spruce up the City through simple tasks like sweeping the sidewalk, picking up litter, pulling weeds, or tidying up the alleyways and parking lots in their neighbourhood. All types of community groups are encouraged to register with the City of Brandon on or before May 15th, whether it be a school or church organization, a corporate business or workplace team of employees, or even a collection of like-minded residents in their own neighbourhood. “A clean community is a healthy community, and a clean community feels safe and welcoming to spend time in and makes you proud and want to live there,” notes City of Brandon Community Development Programmer Kevin Bertram.  “It makes visitors want to come to our City and it makes people want to do business here, so we encourage all businesses and residents of Brandon to take just a few minutes of their time each week and help bolster our collective community pride – many hands make light work!” A limited quantity of free “Tidy Up Tuesdays” kits sponsored by Home Hardware and Guardian Fencing are available for corporate groups who register with the City of Brandon, by calling the City of Brandon Community Development section at 204-729-2257. The kits include gloves, garbage bags, information on safe litter collection, and a window decal. Community groups and individuals can also register for the challenge and receive complementary “Tidy Up Tuesdays” supplies by contacting the Community Development section or by attending the campaign’s kick-off clean-up event set on Tuesday, May 15th, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Princess Park (818 Princess Avenue). The kick-off clean-up event is being presented by the Brandon Environment Committee and features a FREE BBQ for clean-up participants and a friendly City Councillor challenge to register the most ward participants. Registered groups are then encouraged to let the City know how they are contributing each week of the campaign via the “Tidy Up Tuesdays” social media challenge. Participants can post pictures or videos of their groups tidying up on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram using the tag, #TidyUpTuesdays. Each week, those that have participated in the social media challenge will be entered into a draw to win a “Fair Trade Coffee Break”, courtesy of the City of Brandon. More information about the “Tidy Up Tuesdays” campaign is available by calling the City of Brandon Community Development Section at 204-729-2257 or by visiting the Brandon Environment Committee website at www.brandonenvironment.ca.

Brandon Police Service Media Release As a result of continued investigation, Police arrested the 43-year-man involved in the Emergency Response incident that began on May 1st and carried over to May 2nd. The man barricaded himself in a residence in the 1500 Block of Louise Avenue while Police were investigating a complaint of Uttering Threats. The man threatened officers while holding a knife and also threatened to use a chainsaw. After lengthy negotiations, the uninjured man was taken into Police custody and transported to hospital. Upon release from hospital on Thursday afternoon, the man was arrested for Uttering Threats and Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose. He was lodged at the Brandon Correctional Center and is scheduled to appear in Court on Friday.

Brandon, MB – The City of Brandon is inviting the community to view conceptual designs for an active transportation/pedestrian corridor proposed to take the place of the former 8th Street vehicle bridge at a public open house later this month. Running parallel to the recent demolition process of Brandon’s age-expired 8th Street bridge structure has been work by the City of Brandon’s Development Services Division on the development of conceptual design options for an active transportation/pedestrian corridor to connect the City of Brandon’s north end and downtown across the busy CP Rail corridor. After careful consideration of the feedback garnered at community meetings held the spring of 2017, and with the expertise of Winnipeg-based Dillon Consulting, City administration has now finalized a conceptual design option that is felt best represents the safe, accessible, and attractive connection sought by the community. Members of the public are invited to attend a public open house on Thursday, May 17th at the North End Community Centre (1313 Stickney Avenue) to learn more about the proposed conceptual design options. Individuals can choose to attend either a 3 p.m. or a 5:30 p.m. open house and ask any questions they may have about the conceptual designs presented and the associated costs. “Last year’s public feedback process signaled the community’s desire for a simple, yet functional and visually-pleasing design that also allowed for an accessible, safe, and well-lit user experience,” says City of Brandon Director of Engineering Services Patrick Pulak. “In addition to these community needs, the location of the former 8th Street bridge has previously been identified as an essential pedestrian connection in both the City of Brandon’s Greenspace Master Plan and the Assiniboine River Corridor Master Plan. Taking all of these priorities into consideration, we’ve brought forward a conceptual design that we feel will serve the needs of the community well into the future.” Following this month’s final round of public feedback, a recommendation to proceed to preliminary design phase on the active transportation/pedestrian corridor project will be presented to Brandon City Council for approval later this summer. Pulak notes that funding for preliminary design has been provided for within the City of Brandon’s 2018 operating budget, but funding for detailed design or eventual construction have not. More information about Brandon’s active transportation/pedestrian corridor project, including 3D renderings of the proposed conceptual design, is available on the City of Brandon website at http://www.brandon.ca/what-is-happening-in-your-neighbourhood/active-projects/1263-bridge.