A 46-year old Brandon woman is accused of prank calling Brandon Police following a series of calls early Tuesday morning. Police say the woman contacted them at 4:19 am saying a robbery was in progress at a neighboring apartment, in the 600 block of 11th Street. The call was found to be false, as were additional calls the accused reportedly made throughout the night. In order to stop the calls she was detained at the Brandon Correctional Center, and arrested for Breach of the Peace.

Province of Manitoba News Release The province of Manitoba, in collaboration with the Public Schools Finance Board (PSFB), today released a competitive request for proposals (RFP) to develop a Public Private Partnership (P3) business case and financial advisory services for constructing four new schools with a total value of over $100 million, Premier Brian Pallister announced today as he was joined by Education and Training Minister Ian Wishart. “The P3 model has proved to be very successful across Canada and in Saskatchewan in particular for such projects.  We have studied these approaches carefully and believe a similar innovative procurement delivery model could mean cost savings and better value for Manitobans,” said Pallister.  “We owe it to taxpayers to consider how we can deliver high-quality services more cost-effectively.  Today’s RFP is the first step in this fully transparent, competitive process.” The RFP will determine whether the project is suitable for P3 procurement by conducting the appropriate analyses and developing a business case and value-for-money, the premier said.  The RFP also includes building Manitoba’s internal P3 capacity and processes, which will be important to undertaking further such procurement, he added.  Once a business case has been developed, a request can be issued to potential private-sector consortiums to bid on the project to undertake the design and financial plan. Manitoba Education and Training and the PSFB have identified four new schools (one kindergarten to Grade 5, two kindergarten to Grade 8 and one grades 9 to 12) in four individual school divisions, as priorities based on the greatest need given higher enrolment pressures in these neighbourhoods.  The projects identified in the RFP are as follows: School Program Location Student capacity With core expandable to: Space Requirement (sq. ft.) Kindergarten to Grade 5 French Immersion Seven Oaks – Precinct E 450 600 56,662 Kindergarten to Grade 8 Dual Track Winnipeg – Waterford Green 600 825 78,938 Kindergarten to Grade 8 English Southeast Brandon 450 675 69,684 Grades 9 to 12 English Pembina Trails – Waverly West 1,000 1,200 125,087 Wishart confirmed that these schools will be operated by their respective school boards and will deliver education services just like all other schools within the boards’ jurisdictions. “We are taking a pragmatic approach to the procurement of new schools in order to deliverquality infrastructure on time and on budget,” said Wishart. Wishart noted that each of the school facilities will be designed to accommodate a child-care centre with 20 infant spaces and 54 preschool spaces, in accordance with the PSFB policy to integratechild-care facilities in all newly constructed schools.  The schools will also be built to top energy efficiency standards to save electricity use with a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold standard.  This builds upon the PSFB’s longstanding practice of constructing highly durable, energy efficient school buildings, the minister noted. “This new approach will not result in any delays for the construction of new schools and other capital projects,” said Wishart.  “Construction of new schools for Winkler and Niverville, our top priority projects based on high enrolment in these divisions, will be pursued through the traditional procurement model.” Manitoba has used the traditional procurement model (design-bid-build) to deliver infrastructure projects for government-supported and government-owned infrastructure.  Government has typically funded 100 per cent of facilities, either through capital grants or by making progress payments, and has also been responsible for virtually all of the project-related risks.  P3s, by comparison, are a performance-based approach to procuring public infrastructure where the private sector assumes a major share of the risks in terms of financing and construction, and ensuring effective performance of the infrastructure, from design and planning to long-term maintenance.  However, the public sector retains ownership of the infrastructure, operates it and remains accountable for the services provided to Manitobans. The PSFB is the provincial statutory agency established in 1967 with responsibility for financing major capital projects in Manitoba’s public schools.  The board will provide a co-ordinated point of access for the P3 business case analysis and for the collection, discussion and examination process similar to the current role the organization plays in liaising with school divisions on all aspects of school infrastructure needs. The deadline for submissions is June 15 with the contract to begin by Aug. 1.  The goal is for the four projects to break ground in the 2019 construction season, Wishart added.

Submitted: Vancouver Aquarium Brandon, Manitoba – As part of the celebrations for Canada’s 150th anniversary, Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre’s AquaVan 150: Connecting Communities to Coastlines program will be visiting schools in the city from May 2 - May 5. AquaVan 150 is the first-ever cross-Canada road trip for the mobile education program in its 22-year history. Over seven months, this signature project will celebrate Canada’s milestone year at 150 stops.  It will deliver fully interactive and immersive programming to Canadians of all ages, focusing on the impacts humans are having on our rivers, lakes and oceans and the role Canadians can play to ensure they are healthy and abundant for future generations. The AquaVan will visit the following locations on this tour: May 2:  Waverly Park School and École Harrison May 3:  Meadows School and Linden Lanes School May 5: Riding Mountain National Park, including a Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup The AquaVan features a 28-foot mobile aquarium, with resident creatures including sea stars, sea cucumbers, crabs and sea anemones, among other invertebrates from the Pacific Coast. These animals serve as ambassadors for aquatic life and help to bring the ocean to Canadians, regardless of where they live. In addition to getting hands-on at these touch tanks, programming will also cover topics such as local history and regional environmental issues. Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre and its AquaVan team is proud to be part of the Canada 150 celebrations and thanks the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Government of Canada for helping to fund the AquaVan 150: Connecting Communities to Coastlines tour. Regular updates on the tour will be posted on Vancouver Aquarium’s AquaBlog and Vancouver Aquarium’s Facebook page. You may support this signature journey through a donation here. Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre is a non-profit society dedicated to the conservation of aquatic life. www.vanaqua.org

Brandon University News Edward Snowden will speak live to a Brandon University (BU) audience on May 9, discussing the ethics of mass surveillance and the role of public institutions like universities. “This is an incredible opportunity for the people of Brandon and Westman to hear from one of the most provocative and thought-provoking individuals of recent years, in his own words” says Dr. Steve Robinson, BU’s Vice-President (Academic & Provost). “We leapt at the chance to arrange this opportunity for all BU students, faculty and staff as well as members of the Brandon area public to engage with Edward Snowden on this important topic, and we welcome everyone in all of the communities we are a part of to take part as well.” Snowden rose to international prominence in 2013 when he revealed the scope and scale of U.S. intelligence agency mass surveillance, fueling debates over privacy and security that continue to this day. From his current residence in Moscow, Snowden will give a live lecture to a Brandon University audience, and will take questions from Brandon about mass surveillance and the role that universities can play in ethical debates about surveillance. There is no charge to attend the BU event, although space is limited. The talk is a joint production between Brandon University, the University of Winnipeg and the University of Lethbridge. “Universities are built on collaboration,” Robinson says, “and we are pleased to work with our colleagues in Winnipeg and Lethbridge to bring this important discussion to a wider audience.” The Snowden lecture will be streamed live to BU’s Harvest Hall, which features two large screens and ample space for more than two hundred guests. Doors open at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 9, for the event, with Snowden expected to begin speaking at 6 p.m. Refreshments and a cash bar will be available. All are welcome to attend.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Manitoba Two people were taken to hospital following an accident early Friday morning at the intersection of Highway 5 and the Trans-Canada Highway. Blue Hills RCMP say a pickup truck northbound on Hwy 5, being driven buy a lone occupant, tried to cross the Trans-Canada when it collided with a westbound car.  Inside the car was a lone occupant from Holland. The accident happened at approximately 7:10 am. The 43-year old male driver of the pickup truck, from Wellwood, was charged with Fail to Yield. The injuries are not considered to be life-threatening.