The Keystone Agricultural and Recreational Centre Inc. (Keystone Centre) Board of Directors are pleased to announce the promotion of Connie Lawrence to the position of CEO & general manager. Starting her journey with the Keystone Centre in 2015 as the assistant sales manager, Lawrence has exemplified strong leadership, and dedication to the continued success of the Keystone Centre. Her outstanding performance and tireless commitment saw her quickly rise to V.P. of sales, and assistant general manager, a position which she has held since 2019, overseeing all event operation at the Keystone Centre. Lawrence’s wealth of experience within the industry makes her the perfect candidate to guide the Keystone Centre to continued success. As CEO & general manager, Connie Lawrence, who has been the acting general manager since October of 2023, will continue to strengthen the Keystone Centre’s reputation as a premier destination for sports, entertainment, and events, driving the Centre’s growth and helping foster the Centre’s relationship with Brandon and the entire community of Western Manitoba. “I am excited to embark on this journey as the new CEO & GM of the Keystone Centre,” says Lawrence, Keystone Centre’s newly hired CEO and general manager. “This is an important organization that has been a cornerstone of this community, bringing people together and fostering economic growth for the region. I look forward to working closely with the talented team at the Keystone Centre, community partners, and stakeholders to build upon the Centre’s legacy to create a bright future for the facility.” Prior to joining the Keystone Centre, Lawrence was a small business owner, and assisted in the operation of her family farm in Fleming, Saskatchewan. In addition to her role as Keystone Centre CEO & general manager, Lawrence is a mother, and grandmother. “We feel very fortunate that we have somebody as qualified and well-experienced as Connie Lawrence elevated into the role of CEO/GM. She is well-qualified, has a wonderful resume, and has come up through our organization,” says Keystone Centre Board Chair Bruce Luebke. “Connie has shown great dedication to the Keystone Centre and its stakeholders during her tenure with us. She is a great fit to be our next CEO/GM and lead us through an important time as we navigate the financial stability of the Keystone Centre both short and long term.” In addition to a growing events calendar, the Keystone Centre currently has a lot of projects on its plate, including the Dehumidification/Cooling and seat replacement projects to be completed in the summer of 2024, as well as a Master Site Plan that will give insight into the long-term plans for the Keystone Centre grounds.

Transformational gift to propel the future of agricultural education in the Edwards School Manitoba Ag Days kicked off in a big way. A $10 million donation has just put the planned Prairie Innovation Centre for Sustainable Agriculture closer to reality. This donation, from a philanthropist who wishes to remain anonymous for the time being, plays a pivotal role in the next steps for the marquee project for the newly minted Russ Edwards School of Agriculture and Environment at Assiniboine Community College. The campaign started with a $10 million community fundraising goal in 2019, which the college increased to $15 million and then $20 million, inspired both by sector enthusiasm and a resulting expanded scope for the project. The Province of Manitoba has also made significant commitments, including $10 million for detailed final design last year at Ag Days, a much needed 216 seat early learning centre as part of the project, and a $60 million commitment in the election. The college continues to seek an investment from the Government of Canada to complete the funding package. The project is important to the vitality of Manitoba’s most important economic sector. “With one in three agriculture jobs expected to go unfilled by 2029, the time for the Prairie Innovation Centre is now, to ensure we can meet those needs as they emerge,” said Mark Frison, President at Assiniboine. “And there’s no time more fitting to announce this substantial donation than on the eve of Manitoba Ag Days, when the presence and important of the ag sector will be felt all week long here in Brandon.” Along with expanded programming and increased capacity for applied research, the Prairie Innovation Centre will provide a venue where producers, industry, researchers, government and students can come together, solve problems and share ideas. “Our government is thrilled to work with Assiniboine Community College to expand the delivery of high-quality education that will see students graduate into in-demand, family-supporting careers in agriculture, benefiting our entire province,” said Renée Cable, Minister of Advanced Education and Training. The Prairie Innovation Centre is a one-of-a-kind Canadian college project that will bring together collaborative learning spaces, applied research labs, multipurpose spaces and amenities that will serve both industry and the college community. By creating an enhanced agricultural training capacity, the Centre will enable the agriculture sector to continue to be a strong contributor to the Canadian and Manitoban economies. “The Prairie Innovation Centre campaign has seen strong, steady support, which has shown us at every turn that this community, region and province needs this project. We know it will be a game-changer for agricultural education and industry advancement,” said Tim Hore, Dean, Russ Edwards School. “A donation of this magnitude validates that important work of faculty and staff, and reflects how our graduates are viewed by the sector.”

Snow clearing and sanding efforts have been underway over the last several days by the City of Brandon’s Streets & Roads Section.   Crews have completed clearing snow on the P1A route and are now working in P1 routes, with special focus on addressing large snow drifts and ice-covered sections.    With the recent accumulation of 7 cm of snow, strong windy conditions have created several large snow drifts and ice-covered sections of the road, causing some areas to be impassable. Residents are asked to report any issues online at brandon.ca/report-an-issue or call 204-729-2285 to assist staff in locating the troubled areas.     During any snow event, the Streets & Roads Section appreciates your cooperation. Please respect the snow removal crews’ workspace and take an alternate route if possible.    If residents have any inquiries about snow clearing in their area, they can do the following:  Visit snowmap.brandon.ca for regular updates  Sign up for Text notifications at textme.brandon.ca*  Call 204-729-2285 during regular business hours or after hours if they have any emergent concerns    *Text notifications will be used to notify you of snow clearing occurring within the city, as well as events specific to your zone.   About Snow Removal    Snowfall amount, density of snow, humidity, rising or falling temperatures, wind velocity and direction along with the time of year, all play a part in how the City’s Public Works Department responds to any particular snow event. If a Citywide plowing program is implemented, it will be completed immediately after a snow event.    In the event of an emergency, snow plowing equipment will be diverted in order to assist police, fire or ambulance emergency vehicles as required.    Driveway approach clearing will be taking place as well but may not be completed immediately after plowing.    Snow plowing and/or snow removal are conducted according to a priority system. When storms are continuous, or closely follow one another, operations will be repeated or continued on the routes of the highest priority, before moving onto routes of a lesser priority. These route designations include the following:    Priority One "A" (P1A)  Include main routes to be plowed within 24 hours of the start of a snow event  Main arterial streets throughout the city to ensure ease of travel and plowed streets are evenly spread city wide  Once finished P1A route crews will move directly into P1 routes    Priority One (P1)  Include routes that primarily consist of arterial and collector streets, City bus routes and some selected residential streets.  The clearing of snow on these streets is the main emphasis of the snow clearing program following a snow event. City crews, however, may be clearing other streets while the P1 routes are being cleared.  Depending on the conditions, these streets are normally cleared in the first 24 to 72 hours (about 3 days) after plowing commences.    For more information on snow removal, please visit brandon.ca/snow-removal.

On January 14th at 09:39 a.m. Police were called for a structure fire to an abandoned detached garage in the 200 block of Lyndale Drive. The fire appeared suspicious, and police located a male hiding in the area. The 34-year-old male had black smoke on his hands and face. He was arrested for arson and held for court on January 15th, 2024.

At approx. 1:10 PM Friday, officers were called to an address in the 1200 block of 10th St (not the same address from previous entry), as there was a male in the residence on a Probation Order with a condition that he not communication with the caller.  Members attended and were met by a 17 year old female who was not cooperative.  The officers spoke to the original caller who stated the subject of her concern, 37 year old male, was still there and was hiding in another room. The 17 year old female then started to assault the caller and an officer stepped in.  The officer was struck several times in the face and throat by the 17 year old female. While this occurred the male was located hiding in a closet off the kitchen.  That male then attempted to obstruct the first officer’s ability in taking the 17 year old into custody.  Additional officers responded to the call as there were other people in the residence not yet controlled.  The 37 year old male was arrested for obstruct peace officer and two counts of failing to comply with a Probation Order.  The 17 year old female was arrested for assault, assault peace officer and resist arrest.  Both subjects are being held at the Brandon Police Service awaiting a court appearance later this morning.