BRANDON – Drones are taking off at Brandon University (BU) this fall. Students and members of the public who are fascinated by the unmanned aerial vehicles can register for a university-credit course that will teach them everything they need to know to safely and legally fly the popular and useful airborne vehicles. “Drones are really fun to fly, and a lot of hobbyists fly them for pure enjoyment,” said BU Geography professor Dr. Dion Wiseman. “For geographers and for many others, they are also important tools that can capture photos and other data to provide incredibly detailed information that’s difficult or impossible to gather in any other way.” The new course, Applied Topics in Geography: UAV Ground School, offers students a novel opportunity to learn about drones, their applications, safety considerations, how they work, and the regulations and procedures to operate them. Students will have the chance to become certified drone pilots, able to fly drones commercially or for research at the university. “Drones have become a vital tool for collecting aerial photography used to generate land cover maps and create 3D models of the natural terrain and built landscape. They are used extensively across a variety of traditional academic disciplines including archaeology, environmental science, biology, geography, and geology; as well as in numerous applied fields such as architecture, civil engineering, surveying, and many more,” Wiseman said. “This course, and resulting Transport Canada certification, will provide students in a variety of college and university programs with a competitive edge is today’s job market by providing them with highly marketable skills and training.” The course will also prepare drone pilots for stiff new Transport Canada regulations. Existing rules exempt people who fly drones recreationally, while the proposed new rules will require everyone at the controls of a drone to have completed a ground school course like the one being offered at BU. “This is an industry that is getting huge. Real estate, photography and videography are some of the more obvious applications, but all of the major industries including mining, construction and agriculture are turning to drones, and they’re all around us here on the Prairies,” said Matthew Johnson, president of M3 Aerial Productions and the instructor of the course. He said he expects every farmer will soon own a drone. “Agriculture is huge. Within three to five years, drones will be a tool that everyone uses. The trend is growing right now, and the ability to get an aerial photo of their field is so important.” To help meet expected wide demand for the training, the course will be fully available online. The first portion of the course is self-directed online study that must be completed by Nov. 17. The second portion includes three Saturday sessions (Nov. 18, 25, and Dec. 2) that are offered either in-class or through online videoconferencing. The course cost is $600, and includes BU tuition, the university admissions fee, and a course fee of $60 for the manual and textbook. There is no prerequisite, and no need to already own a drone, as the course is completely ground-based with no actual flying. “Brandon University is one of the first in Canada to offer a UAV pilot ground school,” Wiseman said. “Pilot training schools have begun to offer programs that result in similar certification meeting Transport Canada regulations, but they are not for university course credit.” Johnson says people are realizing that drone education is necessary. With the ever-increasing popularity of drones, people need to be aware of the hazards before they start flying around overhead. “It’s like driving a car. Driver’s Ed is extremely valuable to public safety as a whole in the same way as UAV Ground School,” he said. But just as a driver’s license can open up new destinations, he says that flying a drone can help launch a career. “For students, it’s a huge opportunity to get in in the early stages. There’s already a shortage of qualified drone pilots, and now with just one course you can tap into a whole new industry.” Brandon University, founded in 1899, promotes excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship, and educates students so that they can make a meaningful difference as engaged citizens and leaders.

The City of Brandon is inviting residents to attend an open house to further discuss expanding the community to the South.  Earlier this year, the City of Brandon started a proposal on behalf of a land owner to bring a large parcel of land (170-acre) in the RM of Cornwallis into Brandon boundaries.  The developer is seeking to develop the land for regional retail and residential developments, aimed at serving Brandon’s south end.  If you are looking to have your say on Brandon’s development to the south, you can attend the open house being held inside A.R. McDiarmid Civic Complex (638 Princess Ave) starting at 5:00 pm on Wednesday, August the 9th.  This is the second "South Brandon Annexation" open house and is the last piece in the public consultation process.

A 40 year old man has been arrested on multiple charges following an incident in Brandon on Monday evening, the 24th of July.  Police were initially called to a residence in the 400 block of Louise Avenue for a weapons complaint, after a male said that another man had threatened him with a firearm.  The male suspect was taken into custody at approximately 4:00 am by the Tactical Response Unit.  Police searched the building and found a firearm and a subsequent investigation lead to the following charges for the alleged suspect: Robbery with a Weapon Point a Firearm Uttering Threats to Cause Death Use Firearm Commit Offence Possession of Weapon for Dangerous Purpose to the Public, Careless Use of Firearm Unauthorized Possession of Firearm Knowledge of Unauthorized Possession of Firearm Possession Firearm while Prohibited x2. The suspect is being lodged at BCC until a court date at the end of July.  

Province of Manitoba News Release Brandon allocation/projects: Victoria Avenue East Rehabilitation - Park Street to Douglas Street (Contract A); Durum Drive Reconstruction - Prelude to Garnet (Contract A) The Manitoba government is investing $12 million for municipal roads, Indigenous and Municipal Relations Minister Eileen Clarke announced today, along with Chris Goertzen, president, Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM), and Reeve Jim Campbell, RM of Rockwood. “Investments in our road and transportation infrastructure ensure that both goods and services continue to flow efficiently throughout our province,” said Minister Clarke.  “Our government recognizes the importance of investing in our municipal infrastructure, which helps foster long-term, sustainable growth for our communities.” The Municipal Road Improvement Program was developed in partnership with the AMM and provides 50/50 cost-shared funding for municipal road projects including the cost of new road construction and road renewal projects to extend the useful life of a road.  A total of 188 projects were approved in 2017 in 99 municipalities, the minister noted. “The AMM is pleased to be a partner with the Province of Manitoba in selecting these critical infrastructure projects under the Municipal Road Improvement Program,” said Goertzen.  “While the projects range from main streets to back lanes, and from campground roads to industrial park corridors, all have one thing in common – they will positively impact the citizens in their respective communities.” “Rockwood is a large municipality with numerous infrastructure challenges,” said Campbell.  “Thanks to financial assistance from our provincial government, the RM of Rockwood will be able to attain some of these challenges.” Projects were evaluated against key outcomes that address increased economic activity, extended asset life, improved public safety, and regional or community impact, added Clarke. This funding is in addition to the $747 million that Manitoba Infrastructure has budgeted for roads, highways, bridges and flood protection outside of Winnipeg for capital maintenance and the preservation of provincial infrastructure assets, the minister said.

A 41 year old male has been arrested for Impaired Operation by Alcohol following a bizarre incident in the RM of Headingley on July 22, 2017. Police say that at 1:52 am they spotted a John Deere Riding Mower heading northbound towards HWY 1. The 41 year old male driver allegedly told police he was giving his 39-year old passenger a lift to get cigarettes and that he felt he was being “responsible” by not driving a car. He was released on a promise to appear in Winnipeg for court later in August and charges are pending. In their Facebook post regarding the incident the RCMP stated “In Canada it is illegal to operate any motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol or drug”.