Premier Brian Pallister wants a ‘Team Manitoba’ effort to make Winnipeg the home of Amazon’s second North American headquarters. On Thursday, the Seattle-based company disclosed that it is seeking proposals from throughout North America to be the site of what it calls ‘HQ2’.  The company says it will invest US$5 billion to develop the new site, which will house as many as 50,000 workers in more than eight million square feet of space within a decade.  The site will be a “full equal” to the company’s current Seattle headquarters. “Amazon HQ2 will bring billions of dollars in up-front and ongoing investments, and tens of thousands of high-paying jobs,” said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO. Today Pallister said he is aware of Amazon’s request for proposals and that Manitoba will be working hard to be the home of HQ2. “This is a tremendous opportunity for Winnipeg and Manitoba,” the premier said.  “With our central location in North America, our transportation infrastructure, our well-educated workforce, our plentiful green energy and the lowest cost of doing business in the continent, Winnipeg is the best choice to be the home of Amazon’s HQ2.  I have reached out to Mayor Brian Bowman and look forward to working with him, the business community and all other stakeholders to make this great opportunity a reality.” “Winnipeg’s geographic position in the centre of the country, history as a multi-modal hub, and advanced technology and manufacturing expertise makes it the perfect location for Amazon.  By partnering with the province and key stakeholders in the economic community, we will present a unified proposal for this significant opportunity,” said Mayor Brian Bowman, City of Winnipeg. “This will be a Team Manitoba effort!” said the premier.

Brandon, MB – Residents and visitors to Brandon can now easily view and register for the various recreational programs, courses, and facility bookings offered by the City of Brandon’s Community Services Department via a new central online portal located at http://mycommunity.brandon.ca/. Visitors to the My Community website can peruse the various scheduling, programs, and courses available at Brandon’s Community Sportsplex, as well as view all school gymnasium space available for after-hours bookings via the City of Brandon – Brandon School Division Joint Use of Schools program. Users can then sign in to the site to register for desired Sportsplex programming or use of Brandon School Division gym facilities. The site also allows users to purchase memberships or multi-use passes to Brandon’s Community Sportsplex. “Our new ‘My Community’ portal is mobile, tablet, and computer application-friendly, which means that you can search and register for a course at Brandon’s Community Sportsplex or submit your after-hours school gym booking request no matter where you are,” explains City of Brandon Director of Community Services Perry Roque. “We hope all of our current and future customers will appreciate the new ‘at-a-glance’ presentation for the recreational programming provided by the City of Brandon Community Services Department and will make good use of it.” Roque noted that the My Community Site has been developed by Innosoft Canada Inc. and implemented in partnership with the City of Brandon’s Information Technology Department, which will allow additional programming opportunities offered by the Community Services Department or other City of Brandon departments to be added to the site in the future. For more information on the recreation programming offered at Brandon’s Community Sportsplex, the public may call 204-729-2470. Questions about the City of Brandon – Brandon School Division Joint Use of Schools Agreement after-hours gym booking process may be directed to Sandy Jasper by calling 204-729-2150 or by emailing s.jasper@brandon.ca.

After 2 years Brown's Socialhouse in Brandon has closed effective this morning due to unforeseen circumstances. Sources close to BDNMB.CA have said they expect a new concept to open within 3 - 6 weeks. At this time this is all the information we have been able to acquire.  

The Brandon School Division Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the following appointments made at the Inaugural Meeting of the Board of Trustees, held on Tuesday, September 5, 2017:  Dr. Linda Ross, Chairperson; and  Ms. Sherilyn Bambridge, Vice-Chairperson. Senior Administration and Staff of Brandon School Division would like to congratulate Trustee Linda Ross and Trustee Sherilyn Bambridge on the appointment of Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson, and wish them a successful experience during the 2017-2018 School Year.

Changes under The Non-Smokers Health Protection Amendment Act (E-Cigarettes) to address the use of electronic cigarettes by minors will come into effect Oct. 1, Health, Seniors and Active Living Minister Kelvin Goertzen announced today. “Electronic cigarettes have been growing in popularity over the past number of years, particularly with youth and young adults.  But, there is little conclusive evidence about the potential harm of long-term e-cigarette use,” said Goertzen.  “That’s why we are amending The Non-Smokers Health Protection Act to limit access to youth and place reasonable restrictions on these products while allowing access for adults wishing to use e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid.” The Non-Smokers Health Protection Amendment Act (E-Cigarettes) received royal assent on Nov. 5, 2015.  The amendments will prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes and vapour products to minors. They will also prohibit the use of e-cigarettes in enclosed public spaces and other places where smoking is prohibited with exceptions similar to those currently allowed for smoking and place restrictions on the display, advertising and promotion of e-cigarettes and vapour products. “These restrictions are similar to those currently in place for tobacco and tobacco products,” said Goertzen. Businesses that meet the definition of a vapour product shop in the act will be permitted to continue to allow consumers to test and sample products in-store for the purpose of a sale and use elsewhere. For more information on the new measures, visit www.gov.mb.ca/health/tobacco/guide.html.