Dr. Linda Ross, Chair, Brandon School Division Board of Trustees today released a statement with regards to the results of the School Calendar Survey undertaken in December 2017. "Public feedback showed a strong preference for full-day vs. half-day professional development days.  The 2018-2019 school calendar is currently being prepared to reflect that preference.  This information will be brought to the Board for its approval at the Board meeting on Monday, February 12, 2018." Should you have any further questions or concerns, you are encouraged contact the BSD office by email:  info@bsd.ca

The Manitoba government has proclaimed The Efficiency Manitoba Act, allowing for the launch of a new stand-alone Crown corporation that will deliver demand-side management of electricity and natural gas programs and services, Crown Services Minister Cliff Cullen announced today. “Efficiency Manitoba will offer households and businesses expanded energy saving programs that will help minimize the impact of future rate increases,” said Cullen.  “It will also help to encourage reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions, which is important to all Manitobans and a priority of our government.” In addition to helping Manitobans save on their energy bills and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, Cullen said the work of Efficiency Manitoba will help defer costly new electricity generation far off into the future while creating new jobs in the energy-efficiency sector. On a year-to-year basis, Efficiency Manitoba will be required to meet annual savings targets in both electrical energy and natural gas.  At a minimum, those savings will be equal to: 1.5 per cent of the consumption of electrical energy in the preceding year, amounting to a targeted cumulative reduction of 22.5 per cent over 15 years; .75 per cent of the consumption of natural gas in the preceding year, amounting to a targeted cumulative reduction of 11.25 per cent over the same time period. “Efficiency Manitoba is well-placed to help Manitoba households and businesses reduce their energy costs and greenhouse-gas emissions, while also improving economic and infrastructure resilience,” said Brent Gilmour, executive director of Quality Urban Energy Systems of Tomorrow (QUEST).  “On behalf of QUEST, we congratulate the Manitoba government on taking this important step.” During the transition period, Manitoba Hydro will continue to deliver energy-efficiency initiatives to ensure Manitoba maintains its momentum in demand-side management, the minister noted.

Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada, RBC and Child and Family Services of Western Manitoba to provide local employment training program for former youth in care Vulnerable youth in Western Manitoba, as young as 16, will now have a lifechanging opportunity to learn essential skills and access resources necessary to enter the workforce through Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada’s Youth Works Program. The program is supported by RBC Future Launch, a 10-year, $500 million commitment to help Canadian youth prepare for the jobs of tomorrow. Offered to young people in Western Manitoba through Child and Family Services of Western Manitoba, the program will provide youth in and from permanent care with relevant skills training, internships, job placements and career mentorship support. The goal of the program is to help young people from care make the successful transition from receiving an education to obtaining sustainable employment. A key component of RBC’s $1 million donation is the hiring of trauma-informed employment counselors to assist in making this happen in four regions across Canada. “Child and Family Services of Western Manitoba is pleased to be selected as one of the four sites from across Canada to be involved in this pertinent initiative assisting youth in and from care with their employment and support needs," says Dave McGregor, CEO, Child and Family Services of Western Manitoba. "We know that after high school, as young people transition into adulthood, it can be a very challenging period and even more so for youth from care who do not always have natural supports. This program will be vital in helping to fill that need." Each year approximately 2,300 youth, as young as 16, age out of Canada’s child welfare system, and are no longer eligible for the type of support they have been receiving while in care. As they enter adulthood, they lack many things their peers take for granted such as a family home to return to while they look for a job, help with groceries and bills when times are tough, or someone to help them prepare for a job interview. Without the necessary supports to become self-sufficient, youth in Western Manitoba face a multitude of barriers when transitioning from care and can often face a future of poverty and homelessness. “Youth transitioning out of care face so many obstacles. When they exit the child welfare system, they are on their own. They have no family to lean on or a support system to help them navigate the challenges they face as independent adults. Many couch surf or access shelters and food banks to help them get by,” says Valerie McMurtry, President and CEO, Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada. “That’s why providing employability supports, such as skills training, career mentorship and job placements is so critical to ensuring that youth from care can achieve their own vision of success and avoid poverty.” Through Youth Works supported by RBC Future Launch - in partnership with Children's Aid Foundation of Canada, young people will be able to access: a trauma-informed employment counsellor, sensitive to their needs, who can help them assess their strengths, develop employability skills, and navigate their transition into the job market internship, job placement opportunities and mentorship from an employment counselor employment training to help youth fill the gaps in their skill set so that they can move to the next step in their employment plan. “Our goal is to ensure Canadian youth are more confident, better prepared and equipped for the future of work,” says Glenn Crook, Vice President, Commercial Financial Services, RBC. “This program provides a unique opportunity for RBC to support some of the most vulnerable youth in Western Manitoba, and we thank our partners for their work to make a measurable difference in the lives of youth transitioning from care."

The Manitoba government will be modernizing the regulations for manufactured homes and recreational vehicles (RVs), Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Blaine Pedersen, minister responsible for the Office of the Fire Commissioner (OFC), announced today. “The manufactured homes and RV industries have changed significantly over the past 40 years, and it is time for us to adapt as well,” said Pedersen.  “We heard this loud and clear in our public consultations.  By updating outdated permit and inspection requirements we are making progress in reducing the administrative burden on individuals and businesses.” Manufactured homes and RVs are both currently regulated under The Buildings and Mobile Homes Act.  Changes affecting manufactured homes will include updating the definitions and referenced standards under The Building and Mobile Homes Act, and removing the permit and inspection requirements for the sale of used ‘mobile homes’. “The Canadian Home Builders’ Association and its Modular Construction Council are pleased that the Manitoba government is updating the act and related regulations to recognize that manufactured homes should be treated no differently than site-constructed homes and other factory-constructed homes,” said Adaire Chown, special advisor, codes and standards, Canadian Home Builders Association.  “We look forward to seeing the changes and advising our members.” “These reforms will create a level playing field between mobile home owners and other home owners who do not require provincial inspections prior to the sale of their home,” said Pedersen. Recreational vehicles will be administered under a new separate regulation within the proposed technical safety act.  Changes will include recognizing modern definitions and standards for RVs as well as removing the requirement for a dealer to get a permit and have a used RV inspected by a provincial regulator before it can be sold.  RVs include camping trailers, fifth-wheel trailers, motor homes, slide-in campers, travel trailers and park model homes. The minister noted these changes are part of an ongoing initiative to reduce red tape across government and will take effect in the spring of 2018.

Brandon Police Service Media Release At approximately 10:15 a.m., a resident from Cornwallis Crescent reported that a male just attempted to Break into the residence. The caller reported that the suspect was on the deck at the back of the house and tried to break open the door. The homeowner scared the suspect away but he shot a BB gun at a window as he ran off. Police responded to the area and another resident on Cornwallis Crescent advised that a male suspect just broke into their residence and was in possession of a Black Hand Gun. The homeowner attempted to restrain the suspect but he pulled out the gun, pointed it at the homeowner and again fled.  Officers located the suspect hiding in a yard of another residence nearby. A 19-year-old man from Brandon was taken into custody without further incident. He was arrested for Break and Enter, Attempt Break and Enter, Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose and Assault with a Weapon. The suspect was lodged at the Brandon Correctional Center and is scheduled to appear in Court on Monday. Police recovered the black BB gun used by the suspect during these crimes. There are no reported physical injuries to the victims, suspect or Officers during this incident.