Larry Maguire, Member of Parliament for Brandon-Souris hosted a marijuana town hall on Bill’s C-45 & C-46 at the West End Community Centre in Brandon today. Approximately 120 community members attended the meeting where information regarding the legislation was presented by Drew Ostash. Open forum discussion of aspects and particulars of the legislation shared views from the public that there was a need for further education, concerns of the complexities to enforce the legislation, and the practicality of some of the limitations that are currently set within the Bills. There was a general feeling of support and progressiveness in the room of marijuana use both medicinally and recreationally. This was the first town hall of five that are planned in the upcoming days across the riding.

Larry Maguire, Member of Parliament for Brandon-Souirs, will be holding a series of town hall meetings in the area looking for the public to come share their views on the governments plan to legalize recreational marijuana. The format will be designed so everyone will have the opportunity to share their views and information. From these series of meeting he is not only hoping to hear from the public but also the RCMP, BPS, and individuals from both the local education and medical communities. The first meeting takes place in Brandon on Sunday, August the 20th inside the West End Community Centre. The meeting gets underway at 7:00 pm. Subsequent gatherings will be held in Holland, Killarney, Deloraine, & Virden.

An announcement was made yesterday that a new arrangement had been reached to extend the contact for the Canadian Arabian and Half-Arabian Horse show for another 5-year period. The event is held annually inside Brandon's Keystone Centre. The show has been held in Brandon for the past 7-years and attracts participants from every corner of North America. The economic boost to the community is said to be approximately 4.5 million each year.  The agreement also includes an option for an additional 2-year extension.

Simplii Financial to meet the needs of Canadians who value straightforward, no-fee daily banking and great rates as CIBC and President's Choice Bank agree to wind-down their PC Financial® consumer banking offer TORONTO, Aug. 16, 2017 /CNW/ - CIBC (TSX: CM) (NYSE: CM) today announced plans to launch Simplii Financial™, a new direct banking brand for clients who want no-fee daily banking through online, mobile and telephone channels. "This is an exciting step as we continue to build a leading client-focused direct banking offer," said Mike Boluch, Executive Vice-President, Direct Banking, Innovation & Payments, CIBC. "Simplii will deliver straightforward, no-fee everyday banking and great rates for the growing number of Canadians who prefer to do their banking by telephone, online, or through mobile and other digital channels. For CIBC, innovating and adapting to our clients' needs is part of our DNA." In conjunction with this launch, CIBC and President's Choice Bank have agreed that they will wind-down their consumer banking offer, and clients with President's Choice Financial® products provided by CIBC will transition to Simplii Financial. As the bank behind the President's Choice Financial® consumer banking offer for nearly 20 years, CIBC already provides banking products and services to these clients, as well as mobile, online and telephone banking support. There are no changes to PC Financial® MasterCard® products as they are offered by President's Choice Bank. Added Mr. Boluch, "First and foremost, we are committed to ensuring a smooth transition for our clients.  We will continue to offer attractive rates, no-fee products, personalized advice and support clients' needs to help them achieve their financial goals. We look forward to a seamless transition as we continue providing great service to our clients through Simplii." The Simplii Financial brand will replace the President's Choice Financial® brand banking products and services issued by CIBC, effective November 1. Clients can continue to use their bank accounts without interruption and expect the same no-fee daily banking. No-fee daily banking and the same great interest savings rates Great mortgage and loan solutions Bank accounts will continue to function as they normally would No change to account numbers, registered bill payments, preauthorized debits or automatic payroll deposits No changes to the terms and conditions of mortgages Access to CIBC ATMs across Canada free of charge and Personal Banking Representatives by telephone at 1-888-723-8881 Clients can continue to earn PC® points on banking accounts until October 31. After that date, clients can continue to redeem PC® points through the points program operated by Loblaw Companies Limited and its affiliates. Banking services at in-store pavilions and ATMs operated by CIBC will be phased out of Loblaws and partner grocery stores between November 1, 2017 and March 31, 2018. Clients can continue to access CIBC bank machines free of charge and call 1-888-723-8881 for banking services and personalized advice. Related to this transaction, CIBC expects to incur fees and charges of approximately $100 million pre-tax in the current quarter, which will be reported as an item of note when CIBC releases its fourth quarter results. With the new Simplii Financial brand and ongoing investments in digital channels, and direct banking offer and platform, CIBC will continue to enhance its capabilities, value for clients, and add incremental growth over time. CIBC is a recognized leader in digital banking with numerous awards, including the highest score for mobile and online banking functionality in Canada from Forrester Research, and Financial Institution Innovator of the Year from the Digital Finance Institute. CIBC also has a long history of delivering innovative services to clients, such as, more recently, providing free credit scores via its mobile banking app and no-fee Global Money Transfer™ remittance service

Two vehicles have collided at the intersection of 18th Street and Victoria Ave resulting in some minor traffic delays. The accident happened Monday afternoon and alternative traffic routes have been setup.   Reports indicate that no-one was hurt in the accident.  BPS remained on site redirecting traffic, as shown below in the user submitted photos.