The governments of Canada and Manitoba recognize that strategic investments in public infrastructure are vital to building dynamic, healthy communities, fostering economic development and building the foundation for middle-class job creation. The Honourable Jim Carr, Minister of Natural Resources and Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South Centre, on behalf of the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, and the Honourable Eileen Clarke, Minister of Indigenous and Municipal Relations, today announced funding for 42 infrastructure projects in 37 communities under the federal government’s Small Communities Fund. The Government of Canada and the Government of Manitoba are each contributing over $10 million toward the estimated $34.6 million in total project costs. Among the wide-ranging projects receiving funding under this program are airport maintenance and shed replacement for the City of Brandon, important roadwork as part of the City of Selkirk’s Downtown Renewal Strategy, and the purchase of a generator to transform the Rural Municipality of East St. Paul’s arena into a fully equipped evacuation centre. This work, along with the many other projects receiving funding, will improve key municipal services for residents, help generate economic activity and boost regional development. “The benefits from today’s announcement will not stop at local borders. High quality public infrastructure is an essential part of the fabric that makes up not only communities, but entire regions all across Manitoba.  The AMM appreciates the opportunity to work together to prioritize the projects that will help our municipalities grow and thrive in today’s economy.” Chris Goertzen, President, Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) The Government of Canada will invest more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada’s rural and northern communities. The $1-billion Small Communities Fund supports priority public infrastructure projects in communities across the country with less than 100,000 residents. The Small Communities Fund allocation for Manitoba is $46.7 million.

Brandon – The Brandon Police Service is working with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection (Canadian Centre) to help keep kids safe by offering free online child sexual abuse awareness training to individuals who are completing criminal record checks in order to work or volunteer with children. Child sexual abuse is a much bigger problem than many people realize. In July 2017, Statistics Canada reported a 30% increase in sexual violations against children in one year[a]. One in 10 children will be sexually abused before they turn 18[b], and in the majority of cases, the victims know their offenders[c]. “The Brandon Police Service is proud to partner with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection on this very important initiative.” Said Ian Grant, Chief of Police, Brandon Police Service. “We are proud to be the first Police Service in Canada to offer this training to people interested in getting a criminal record check completed. Our youth are our future and we need to work together using a variety of means to help keep them safe and free from victimization”. The training is part of the Canadian Centre’s Commit to Kids program, which helps child-serving organizations create safe environments for children. This online training is essential for those working with children in a volunteer or professional capacity. “Brandon is the first police service in Canada to offer the training to people who are getting criminal record checks and we are very proud to work with them,” said Noni Classen, Director of Education at the Canadian Centre. “Criminal record checks are a great first step, but there is so much more that can be done. This training is an important part of learning how to play a key role in helping keep our kids safe.” Since the Canadian Centre launched this online training last summer, more than 6,000 people across the country have completed it. Through this professional development opportunity participants will learn about the importance of professional boundaries, child disclosure and reporting – building their capacity to help keep kids safe. In the time it takes to watch a movie, participants will learn information that could protect a child from abuse.

**UPDATE** The family is now reporting that the missing couple have been located. Gerald & Vera Barber of Neepawa, Manitoba have been missing since 2 PM, August 5, 2017 and the family is asking for assistance in locating the couple. Carol N Rick Bannerman posted earlier today on Facebook: "Mom picked my Dad up from the hospital yesterday afternoon to go for a drive and they haven't been seen since." If anyone has seen them or their green/grey Honda CRV licence # VAA 650 ANYWHERE please private message Carol N Rick Bannerman via Facebook or contact your local RCMP.  The family are hoping they just had vehicle problems and are unable to help themselves. This is NOT NORMAL for them to disappear without telling their family. Please share.

NEEPAWA—Students and families will soon benefit from a major addition to Neepawa Area Collegiate that includes a new child care centre, Education and Training Minister Ian Wishart and Indigenous and Municipal Relations Minister Eileen Clarke announced today. “School enrolment in the area has increased by 33 per cent over the last 10 years and further growth is anticipated,” said Wishart.  “Today’s announcement is exciting news for one of Manitoba’s fastest growing communities.” Wishart noted the significant 38,000-square-foot addition will create a middle years “school within a school” to accommodate up to 450 students in Grades 5 to 8.  Nine classrooms and a gymnasium, library, band room, art room and multipurpose room will be added, he said.  There are currently eight middle years classrooms. The middle years and high school buildings will be connected and have a campus setting, sharing the sports fields, bus loop and parking lots.  When complete, the addition will allow the school division to realign grades at the nearby Hazel M. Kellington School to create a kindergarten to Grade 4 school. Its existing modular classrooms will be removed. The province is also investing in a new stand-alone child-care centre on the high school grounds.  The new 6,000-square foot centre will accommodate 20 infants and 54 pre-school children, creating a total of 74 new spaces. “This region has been reinvigorated by families from around the world who have relocated here thanks in part to the success of Hylife’s pork processing plant,” said Clarke.  “I’m especially pleased to see the addition of an early learning centre which will help provide children in the community with a good start in life, while making the most of existing school infrastructure, such as gyms and playgrounds, year-round.” John McNeily, Beautiful Plains School Division board chair, welcomed today’s announcement. “This is an exciting day for the Beautiful Plains School Division and the communities and students we serve,” said McNeily. “With the announcement, we formally begin the exciting journey to provide additional quality learning space for our students and we are extremely appreciative of the government’s recognition of the space needs we have in our Neepawa schools.  We look forward to providing a new, uncrowded environment for learning in the middle years and we’re pleased the growing population of Neepawa will soon benefit from improved access to professional care for their children through the addition of the new, stand-alone child-care centre.” Wishart noted the project will be supported through more than $92.4 million in planned capital spending by the province in 2017-18 for public school infrastructure projects, prioritizing the health and safety of students and educators and accommodating growing student enrolment across Manitoba.  There are approximately 185,000 students enrolled in nearly 700 kindergarten to Grade 12 public schools in the province. The project is expected to be tendered for construction in early 2018 and the new school space and child-care centre is scheduled to open in September 2019.

A serious motor vehicle accident late this afternoon on the #10 highway, just north of Forrest. Two vehicles are said to have collided head on.   User submitted photos below show RCMP and emergency services on the scene.  The user has informed bdnmb.ca that a detour remains in effect. No other details available at this time.