With new road condition cameras installed and a fleet of snow-clearing equipment prepared to move, Manitoba is prepared to rise to the annual challenge posed by winter to the province’s highways and roads, Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler announced today. “As every Manitoban knows, heading out on the highway in the winter poses some distinct challenges for motorists,” said Schuler.  “The addition of 25 road condition cameras throughout the province will help Manitobans see what conditions are like on many of the roads they’re planning to drive on before they put their keys in the ignition.” The additional cameras have been added to the Manitoba 511 system with images available on the Manitoba 511 website and mobile app, said Schuler. “A total of 33 camera locations around the province upload still images at regular intervals to provide a snapshot of current road conditions,” said Schuler.  “Winter driving in Manitoba can be challenging and change rapidly, so it’s a good idea to check the weather and road conditions before heading out.” The cameras are at strategic locations along provincial highways including: •    Trans-Canada Highway (PTH 1) at: - Oakville, Deacons Corner, Kirkella (being relocated), West Hawk, Hadashville, west of PTH 12, Austin, PR 332, Oak Lake and Brandon; •    PTH 2 at junction of PTH 2 and PR 83; •    PTH 5 at Ste. Rose south; •    PTH 6 at: - Williams River, Devils Lake, junction of PTH 6 and PR 236, St. Laurent, Fairford and Ponton, •    PTH 10 at: - Minnedosa, Souris River Valley, junction of PTH 10 and PTH 60, and Birch River; •    PTH 16 (Yellowhead Highway) at: - Shoal Lake, Russell – Assiniboine Valley West, and Arden; •    PTH 59/101 (North Perimeter Highway); and •    PTH 75 at: - Ste. Agathe, junction of PTH 14 and PTH 75 (Letellier), Morris (north side of town) and Emerson (at the border). “The cameras are strategically placed along roadways in the province to provide motorists and maintenance crews with a visual representation of road conditions,” said the minister.  “The number of cameras will be increased over time to bring more drivers another option to check road conditions.” In addition to the cameras, Manitoba Infrastructure operates a fleet of 205 plow trucks, 108 graders and 80 wheel loaders, with approximately 500 employees working together to clear 19,000 kilometres of provincial roads.  All provincial highways are inspected regularly during the winter to determine if action is needed and provide current information on road conditions for motorists. After a snowfall, the first priority is to clear the highway lanes to restore safe traffic flows as quickly as possible in the affected areas.  Removal of snow from areas adjacent to traffic lanes occurs during daylight hours once traffic flows are restored. As much as the province is doing to help ensure Manitoba’s highways and roads are safe to drive in the winter, there are still things motorists can do to help themselves.  For instance, Manitoba Public Insurance’s winter tire program helps Manitobans equip their vehicles with winter tires, with the ultimate goal being fewer winter collisions and safer roads.  But that’s just the start, said Schuler. “We all need to remember to slow down and drive to conditions.  It’s much less important that we get wherever we’re heading on time than it is to just get there,” he said.  “And sometimes, we need to realize that sometimes we’re better off staying home altogether when the weather is bad.” For information on road conditions or highway safety, visit www.manitoba511.ca, call 511 or follow the Twitter account for road closures at www.twitter.com/MBGovRoads.  A Manitoba 511 app is now available for download from the Manitoba residents’ portal at http://residents.gov.mb.ca/apps/511.html.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Manitoba Facebook On Wednesday, November 8, 2017, at approximately 6:10 pm, officers from the Shoal Lake RCMP Detachment received a report that a female attending Hamiota Collegiate had received inappropriate text messages from a male teacher at the school. Officers met with the victim and conducted an investigation. Based on the information obtained, RCMP have arrested and charged 25-year-old Dylan Woodcock of Hamiota, with Sexual Exploitation of a Young Person, and Indecent Communications. He was remanded into custody for a court appearance scheduled later today in Brandon. Shoal Lake RCMP continue to investigate. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Brandon, MB – Brandon Fire and Emergency Services wishes to encourage the public to check their fire extinguishers to ensure their device is not included in Health Canada’s recent extinguisher recall. The Government of Canada has recently expanded a recall of Kidde and Garrison brand fire extinguishers to cover 2.7 million of the devices sold across Canada within the last forty years. Health Canada says the fire extinguisher can become clogged or require excessive force to operate and may fail during a fire. The agency also warns the nozzle may come off with sufficient force to pose a hazard. The recall covers fire extinguishers with plastic handles and push-button pindicators. The 1.2 million plastic-handle extinguishers were sold between Jan. 1st, 1973, and Aug. 15th, 2017, while the push-button type were sold from Aug. 11th, 1995, to Sept. 22nd, 2017. The expanded recall involves fire extinguishers not included in previous recalls in March 2009 and February 2015. Consumers should immediately contact Kidde to request a free replacement fire extinguisher and for instructions on returning the recalled unit, as it may not work properly in a fire emergency. Consumers may contact Kidde toll-free at 855-233-2882 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday (excluding holidays), or between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekends. Customers can also visit http://www.kidde.com/fire-safety/en/ca/ and click on "Product Safety Notices" for more information. The model number is printed on the fire extinguisher label. The date of manufacture is a 10-digit date code printed on the side of the cylinder, near the bottom. Digits five through nine represent the day and year of manufacture in DD/YY format. The model numbers for the affected products can be found on the Government of Canada’s website at http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/recall-alert-rappel-avis/hc-sc/2017/65014r-eng.php?_ga=2.80338900.235770636.1509988132-1148154987.1509988132.

BRANDON – Brandon University (BU) Sociology professor Dr. Christopher J. Schneider has received national recognition for his efforts in public education. Schneider is this year’s recipient of the Public Education Award, given by the Canadian Criminal Justice Association (CCJA), presented in recognition of his “longstanding commitment and contribution to criminal justice public education.” The award specifically recognizes “persons who significantly advance public understanding in Canada of the need for, and elements of, a humane, effective criminal justice system.” Founded in 1919, the CCJA is a national independent organization working for an improved justice system in Canada. Hirsch Greenberg, President of the Association, presented Schneider with the award recently at the CCJA biennial Congress in Toronto. “It is an honour to be selected to receive this prestigious award,” says Schneider. “To be recognized for my modest public outreach efforts by an organization that has made it its purpose to develop and promote humane responses to criminal justice is so meaningful.” Schneider’s public education endeavours are multifaceted and extensive in reach across diverse groups. Schneider has provided numerous public lectures, sat on public panels, and has given educational presentations for criminal justice professionals across Canada. He regularly engages with media and has given more than 450 interviews in the last eight years with media, including the New York Times, Globe and Mail, CBC’s The National, and SiriusXM Satellite Radio. More than three-dozen of these interviews were in the aftermath of the 2011 Vancouver riots, during which Schneider urged restraint and the importance of due process in response to calls for swift justice, as well as for caution in response to social media materials, which might appear to incriminate people. Schneider’s research also is regularly spotlighted in news media; including his published work on the 2011 Vancouver riots, and, more recently, discussions of his latest and well-received book Policing and Social Media: Social Control in an Era of New Media (2016, Lexington Books | Rowman & Littlefield). The book was recently featured in a one-hour CBC Documentary “Enforcing the Message: How Police Are Communicating with the Public.” The book has also been reviewed in Maclean’s, the Vancouver Sun, and profiled extensively on talk radio stations across the country, including in 22 nationally syndicated interviews on CBC Radio. “Through his research, Dr. Schneider has provided us with a new lens for viewing modern police work and the criminal justice system, in particular their use of technology and social media,” says Dr. Demetres Tryphonopoulos, Dean of Arts at BU. “His commitment to analyzing and interpreting the social outcomes of these new approaches is of great public value, and our students benefit tremendously from his critical thinking and shared insight. I congratulate Dr. Schneider on another significant accomplishment, and I look forward to seeing his work in this area continue.” Consistent with his outreach efforts, Schneider has directly engaged the public in the areas of  sociology and criminology. For instance, he pioneered a course that encouraged members of the public to attend class with students. The course design – published in a co-edited book on public sociology — has been replicated across Canada. Schneider also actively encourages and educates others on how to share their research, having published a few “how-to” guide papers for scholars, students, and practitioners who wish to promote their research in media.

Brandon, MB – The City of Brandon’s Streets and Roads Section would like to remind all Brandon residents and motorists that the provision for overnight parking restrictions on all signed seasonal snow clearing routes will soon come into effect. As per the City of Brandon Traffic By-law, overnight parking along such identified routes between the dates of November 15th and March 31st annually is prohibited if a snow plowing/removal notice has been issued for the specific route by the City of Brandon. These routes are as follows: Rosser Avenue, from 1st Street to 18th Street (Midnight to 7 a.m.) Rosser Avenue, from 18th Street to 34th Street (Midnight to 8 a.m.) Rosser Avenue East, from 1st Street to 13th Street East (Midnight to 8 a.m.) Princess Avenue, from 1st Street to 18th Street (Midnight to 7 a.m.) Princess Avenue, from 18th Street to Whillier Drive (Midnight to 8 a.m.) Princess Avenue East, from 1st Street to 13th Street East (Midnight to 8 a.m.) Ninth Street, extending from Pacific Avenue to Princess Avenue (Midnight to 7 a.m.) Tenth Street, extending from Princess Avenue to Pacific Avenue (Midnight to 7 a.m.) Louise Avenue, extending from 13th Street to 18th Street (Midnight to 8 a.m.) Snow plowing/removal notices are issued by the City of Brandon to its website and through its social media platforms, and notification is also provided to Brandon’s local media outlets. However, residents who wish to receive direct email notifications prior to the implementation of such parking bans can sign up for this service by visiting www.brandon.ca/snow-routes. Residents are also reminded that the best way to stay up-to-date on all regular snow plowing activity on City of Brandon streets is by regularly visiting snowmap.brandon.ca. The City of Brandon’s interactive snow clearing website map is updated after a snowfall to show when snow plowing or snow removal activity is scheduled along a snow route, along a priority route, within various residential zones, or in a back lane. All residents are encouraged to visit snowmap.brandon.ca and “Know Your Zone” ahead of a snow-plowing event. You can also access the map on your Apple device via our “My City” app, available for FREE download via the Apple App Store. For further information on City of Brandon Snow Routes or its snow-clearing procedure, contact the City of Brandon Streets and Roads Section at 204-729-2285.