Brandon Police Service Media Release At approximately 6:50 p.m., Police received a report that a male was attempting to steal a locked bicycle in the laneway of the 1400 Block Pacific Avenue. Officers attended and located the man in possession of the bicycle as well as a set of bolt cutters and a large knife. The intoxicated 35-year-old man from Brandon was arrested for Theft Under $5000, Possession of Break-in Instruments and Carry a Concealed Weapon. He was lodged at the Brandon Correctional Center and will be released when sober with a Court date in July.

Brandon Police Service Media Release At approximately 11:40 p.m. on Monday night, Police responded to two-vehicle accident at the intersection of 18th Street and Princess Avenue. A male driver from one of the vehicles fled the scene on foot but was apprehended a short distance away and displayed signs of impairment. The male was transported to the Police Service and provided breath samples that exceeded the legal limit. The investigation revealed that the suspect was driving a Chevrolet pickup truck southbound on 18th Street and did not stop at a red light. The second vehicle involved was a Chevrolet Equinox and was travelling west on Princess Avenue through a green light when struck on the driver’s side by the suspect vehicle. Both vehicles sustained extensive damage however there were no injuries reported. The 23-year-old male suspect from Brandon was arrested for Impaired Driving and Drive Over 80 mg%. He was lodged at the Brandon Correctional Center and will be released when sober on a Promise to Appear in Court later this month.

One of Noel Harding's worst nightmares happened.  Noel was about 2000 miles from home, preparing for the largest fight of his professional boxing career, when he learned that the weekend's devastating fires had all but wiped out his Brandon Boxing Club.   He was in Guadalajara, Mexico about to enter the ring when he got the news.  Noel has put his heart and soul into running the business for the last 17 years. “The promoter gave me the option not to fight but I came all that way I had to fight...this was the biggest fight of my life” Noel told bdnmb.ca. The Brandon Boxing Cub was one several local businesses effected by the fires on Saturday and Sunday.   “ I plan to rebuild and make it even better” said Harding. Local food truck (Smoked & Sauced Mobile BBQ) operator Jayson McCallum will be hosting a fundraising event on June 23rd in which 100 % of the proceeds will go towards the rebuild of the Brandon Boxing Club. https://www.facebook.com/events/185472402278861??ti=ia Plus, a GOFUNDME page has been created as well to get the Brandon Boxing Club back on it's feet. https://www.gofundme.com/rebuild-the-bbc  

At around 9:20 Sunday evening, fire and police responded to 940 Douglas St. for a reported vehicle fire. The vehicle was on fire in Accel Towing and Transport’s lot. This was the second vehicle fire of the day for fire crews. No neighbouring structures were affected and no injuries occurred. The fire was put out within minutes.  Photos by: Liam Pattison Photography.

Brandon, MB – The City of Brandon’s emergency response team wishes to provide an update on its continuing response after a series of significant structure fires broke out in downtown Brandon this afternoon. Members with Brandon Fire & Emergency Services responded to an initial fire at the Christie’s Office Plus building in the 700-block of Pacific Avenue during the noon hour. It is believed that embers from that structure fire drifted and started subsequent fires at two additional buildings on the 500-block of Pacific Avenue (Massey Manor and Collyer’s Sales and Service/Brandon Boxing Club/Kazic Kontracting), and later to a building on the corner of 5th Street and Rosser Avenue housing a beer vendor and vacant nightclub. Occupants of all impacted buildings were evacuated. The City of Brandon was assisted by The Salvation Army, Canadian Red Cross and the Province of Manitoba with the care and registration of in excess of 100 evacuees at a local hotel. With assistance from Manitoba Hydro, the Office of the Fire Commissioner and mutual aid from the Souris, Wawanesa and CFB Shilo Fire Departments, Brandon Fire & Emergency Services actively worked to extinguish the fires. The Christie’s Office Plus building was destroyed, as was the beer vendor and vacant nightclub structure, while the other impacted structures received substantial damage. As of late Saturday evening, Brandon Fire & Emergency Services crews remained on site at all fire locations and were still actively working to extinguish flare-ups at the Collyer’s Sales and Service/Brandon Boxing Club/Kazic Kontracting building. As of late Saturday evening, several dozen Manitoba Hydro customers in the immediate area of the fires remained without power, with Manitoba Hydro indicating power to those customers would only be restored when their crews could safely access the area. No fatalities or injuries have been reported relating to these fires or the response to these fires.  A preliminary investigation into the cause of the initial fire is underway, but a cause is unknown at this time. The City of Brandon’s Emergency Response Team wishes to extend its heartfelt gratitude to all authorities and organizations that have assisted with its fire response thus far and asks for the public’s understanding and cooperation as its response continues. Photos by Liam Pattison Photography.