Brandon Police Service Media Release On March 20th at approximately 4:20 a.m., Police responded to a complaint of a snowmobile driving in a back lane in the area of 4th Street North. Police located and attempted to stop the snowmobile however, it sped off refusing to stop. Officers were able to establish a perimeter around the snowmobile and maintain visual contact as it continued attempts to evade officers. The suspect crossed residential yards, open fields and the Assiniboine River in attempts to escape. At one point, the suspect fell off the snowmobile near Dinsdale Park but managed to get back on and continue to drive away. The suspect then drove west on the river to 18th Street and eventually outside the city. At approximately 5:40 a.m., Police located the snowmobile north of the river and west of 50th Street however the suspect was gone. Police k-9 conducted a track and at 6:42 a.m., an officer observed the suspect hunkered down alongside Grand Valley Road. The suspect then again fled on foot back towards the river. Officers maintained the perimeter and the K-9 unit continued to track the suspect. The suspect eventually ran out onto the 3100 Block of McDonald Avenue and was taken into custody at approximately 7:30 a.m. The 29-year-old man from Killarney Manitoba was arrested for Theft Over $5000, Obstruct Police Officer and Flight from Police. The male was transported to hospital for injuries sustained as a result of falling off the snowmobile and crashing the machine. He is scheduled to appear in Court on Monday.  Investigation continues with respect to the details surrounding the theft of the snowmobile. On March 19th at approximately 8:15 p.m., Police attempted to stop a 1997 Ford Crown Victoria for driving with expired registration. The vehicle refused to stop and fled at a high rate of speed. Officers pursued the vehicle on 1st North however due to the extreme speeds and erratic driving of the suspect, Police abandoned the pursuit near the trans Canada Highway. The continued investigation revealed that this suspect was the same male arrested in relation to the stolen snowmobile incident.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Manitoba Facebook Late yesterday morning, RCMP Westman Traffic Services received a complaint from Manitoba Hydro workers regarding crews replacing hydro poles along Hwy #10 in the Minto area, approximately 50 km south of Brandon. Their complaint stated that semi-trucks were passing through the 60 km/h construction zone at such high speeds that the crews up the hydro poles were actually being shaken and the poles were swaying. RCMP sent an officer to the area and in 3 hours issued 14 tickets for speeding in a construction zone and one ticket for driving with no license. The worst offender was caught travelling 110 km/h in the 60 km/h construction zone and did not possess a valid license. The driver was fined $1,359 for the speeding and $298 for driving without a license, in addition to a serious offence notice, which requires the driver to appear before MPI within 5 days.

Brandon Police Service Media Release At approximately 6:00 p.m., Police responded to a residence on Cornell Bay after receiving a report that three males broke into the residence and one of the males had a small handgun. Police arrived and the residents were outside holding the door preventing one of the suspects from leaving. The other two suspects fled prior to Police arrival. Investigation determined that one of the suspects showed up at the residence and was known to at least one of the tenants. This suspect was allowed into the residence and pulled out the handgun. The other two suspects then forced their way in with both wearing masks. Once inside the residence, one of the other suspects brandished a hatchet and began damaging items including a television. The three suspects then began taking items including an Xbox, electronics, jewelry, cell phone and a guitar. The 20-year-old male suspect who was being held inside the residence was arrested for Robbery While Armed with an Offensive Weapon, Mischief to Property and Wear Disguise with Intent. Police then attended a residence in the 1500 Block of 22nd Street and located the male suspect who was originally allowed into the residence. A search recovered a loaded handgun and jewelry taken during the robbery. The 24-year-old man from Brandon was arrested for Robbery Using a Firearm, Pointing a Firearm and Possession of a Prohibited Firearm with Ammunition. Both arrested suspects were lodged at the Brandon Correctional Center and are scheduled to appear in Court on Wednesday. Investigation continues in order to identify and locate the third male suspect. There were three victims inside the residence with no injuries sustained.

In preparation for the federal legalization of recreational cannabis, the Manitoba government is moving forward with further legislative amendments that would responsibly regulate use of the drug in public places and on roads, Justice Minister Heather Stefanson and Health, Seniors and Active Living Minister Kelvin Goertzen announced today. “Our government is committed to protecting the public health and safety of Manitobans as we address the federal government’s decision to legalize recreational cannabis,” said Stefanson. “Manitobans of all ages deserve to be protected from people impaired by cannabis.” Changes to The Non-Smokers Health Protection and Vapour Products Act are consistent with the approach taken to alcohol consumption under The Liquor and Gaming Control Act. Once proclaimed, the bill would prohibit smoking and vaping cannabis in outdoor public places once recreational use of the drug is legalized, including: streets and sidewalks; parks and beaches; school grounds; restaurant patios and decks; the grounds of health-care facilities; and any additional places that may be specified by regulation. The changes build on The Cannabis Harm Prevention Act passed last year, which prohibits smoking or vaping of cannabis in enclosed public places, indoor workplaces and other areas, with the exception of designated rooms in a hospital’s palliative care unit or an end-of-life hospice. Those amendments will come into force on April 1, said Goertzen. “Ensuring the health and well-being of Manitobans is of utmost importance to our government in moving forward with this legislation,” said Goertzen.  “We also have concerns about ‘normalizing’ this activity in public places, as it could encourage children and youth to use cannabis.” Meanwhile, The Impaired Driving Offences Act responds to the impaired driving provisions in the federal government’s Bill C-46. It introduces new provincial sanctions for drivers who fail oral fluid drug screening devices and for drivers who commit one of the new Criminal Code offences outlined in Bill C-46. The Impaired Driving Offences Act would establish tough provincial sanctions meant to ensure no one gets behind the wheel of a vehicle after consuming cannabis, said Stefanson. The proposed amendments to The Drivers and Vehicles Act and The Highway Traffic Act would include new administrative driver’s licence suspensions for impaired driving. Novice drivers would also be prohibited from driving if they fail a roadside drug screening test, Stefanson said. Other changes include: updating the list of offences that must be reported to the Registrar of Motor Vehicles, along with the list of suspensions and disqualifications that can be appealed to the Licence Suspension Appeal Board; revising the list of offences for which a conviction reduces or cancels the entitlement to receive compensation underThe Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation Act; and making related amendments toThe Blood Test Act and The Provincial Offences Act. “Drugged driving is every bit as dangerous and potentially harmful as drunk driving,” said Stefanson. “These changes will allow our province to move in lockstep with other jurisdictions and ensure drugged drivers face stiff consequences for their actions.”

The Manitoba government is introducing legislation that would extend parental leave provisions and leave for individuals to care for a critically ill adult family member, Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Blaine Pedersen announced today. “We know that raising a family is one of life’s most rewarding challenges,” said Pedersen.  “We are pleased to introduce measures to provide additional flexibility for parents to care for their children, and make it easier for families to care for loved ones who are critically ill.” The minister noted the proposed legislation would make several changes to the Employment Standards Code, including: extending parental leave from 37 weeks to 63 weeks to care for a new child in the family; establishing a new 17-week leave to allow employees to care for an adult family member who is critically ill; raising the minimum age for employment from 12 to 13, to bring it in line with the United Nations’ International Labour Organization Minimum Age Convention 138, which came into force in Canada in June 2017 with unanimous support from all provinces and territories; eliminating the requirement for employers to obtain a permit before employing someone under the age of 16, instead requiring employers to ensure a young person between the ages of 13 and 16 has a certificate verifying they have completed an approved work readiness course online; introducing a new process to allow an employer and an employee or group of employees to enter into an agreement on averaging hours of work, without requiring approval from the director of employment standards; authorizing the director of employment standards to refuse frivolous or vexatious complaints; and clarifying unionized employees would no longer have the ability to file a complaint with the director of employment standards since collective agreements include grievance processes for handling disputes between employers and employees about wages or other terms of employment. “These additional measures include red tape reduction initiatives and opportunities to modernize departmental functions,” said Pedersen.  “From day one, our government has worked to repair the services we are entrusted to provide and ensure the regulatory system is fair, accountable and responsive to the needs of Manitobans today and into the future.” The coming into force date for changes to protected leaves is set at royal assent, while the remaining proposed changes would take effect upon proclamation.