A sad day for residents of Virden, and area, as the clubhouse at the Virden Wellview Golf Course was destroyed by a mid-afternoon fire Tuesday. Reports indicate the fire department got the call at around 3:30 this afternoon. All staff and patrons got out ok. No word on a cause of the blaze yet. The Virden Wellview Golf Course is a 9-hole course, located just west of Virden on highway #83 and PR #257. Virden Wellness Golf Coure fire destroys clubhouse.

A large quantity of bacon was reportedly taken from a Grandview, MB business Saturday night, May 7th, 2017. The Friendly Corner Bakeshop recently posted on their Facebook page that as a result of the break-in they lost a lot of product and inventory. It is important to note that usually this type of bacon can only be purchased through a restaurant supplier, Sysco. Some equipment was also damaged limiting their ability to fulfill food orders. Anyone with information is asked to please forward it onto the RCMP.

BRANDON—The governments of Canada and Manitoba have a launched a new two-year pilot project to help people who are at risk of becoming homeless find stable and safe housing. The announcement was made by Manitoba Families Minister Scott Fielding and Terry Duguid, on behalf of Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and minister responsible for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. “This pilot project recognizes that many people can face challenges finding suitable housing, even though it is often the first step for many people to stabilize their lives, feel safe and become a part of a community,” said Fielding. “This rent supplement program provides financial support, while also connecting participants with other resources to improve their futures over the longer term. This is the first time the Manitoba government has partnered with a community agency on this type of program and we look forward to learning more about how it affects recipients and their overall success.” The Housing First Rent Supplement program will provide up to $250 per month in a rental subsidy for at least 48 vulnerable families and individuals in Brandon who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. In total, more than $307,000 will be invested in this initiative over the next two years through the federal-provincial Investment in Affordable Housing (IAH) agreement. “Our government is committed to providing communities the support they need to build capacity to develop local solutions to homelessness,” said Duguid, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South. “Access to adequate, affordable housing is the foundation for socio-economic success. It supports better education and health outcomes, better employment prospects and better community engagement and cohesion, not to mention economic growth and financial security.” The program will be delivered by the Manitoba Metis Federation Southwest Region Inc. It will select eligible recipients and connect them with other needed community supports, with the goal of helping participants become successful tenants and move toward greater independence. “We are thrilled Brandon was chosen as a test site to deliver the Housing First Rent Supplement program,” said Leah LaPlante, vice-president, Manitoba Metis Federation Southwest Region Inc. “This additional funding increases our capacity to connect individuals and families experiencing homelessness with affordable housing options, along with the supports they need to achieve housing stability. We are committed to working with our partners to ensure successful implementation of the program.  This funding announcement is in large part a recognition of our community’s commitment to effective collaboration and service co-ordination and we are confident this investment will pay huge dividends through improved health and socio-economic outcomes, along with a reduction in the use of emergency services.” The Canada and Manitoba governments recently announced an expanded commitment to the IAH agreement, representing almost $90 million over the next two years. The new funding is in addition to approximately $166 million in joint eight-year funding to help create more affordable housing options in Manitoba. For more information about the Manitoba Metis Federation Southwest Region Inc., visit www.southwestmmf.ca. For more information about housing programs in Manitoba, visit www.gov.mb.ca/housing/. The Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation (CMHC) has been helping Canadians meet their housing needs for more than 70 years. As Canada’s authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to Canadian governments, consumers and the housing industry. Prudent risk management, strong corporate governance and transparency are cornerstones of CMHC’s operations. For more information, call (toll-free) 1-800-668-2642 or visit www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/.

May 5, 2017 Utility requests 7.9 per cent increase in each of the next two years Manitoba Hydro today filed a Letter of Application for its 2017-18 General Rate Application (GRA) with the Public Utilities Board (PUB). The rate application includes a request to: confirm the previous 3.36 per cent rate increase approved by the PUB on an interim basis in 2016; an interim 7.9 per cent rate increase effective August 1, 2017; and an additional 7.9 per cent increase effective April 1, 2018. The utility’s long-term financial plan includes a total of five years of 7.9 per cent rate increases starting in 2017 after which it projects much lower increases of two per cent annually. For the average residential consumer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month, the 7.9 per cent increase in 2017 will result in a monthly increase of $6.88 in their electricity bill. The 7.9 per cent in 2018 will result a further increase of $7.43 per month for the same customer. Kelvin Shepherd, President and CEO of Manitoba Hydro, said the rate increases are absolutely necessary to protect the financial sustainability of Manitoba Hydro. Specifically, the rate increases will help address the corporation’s large debt and cash flow issues during this critical period of major capital project investment. “Without question, developing two major projects, the Keeyask Generating Station and Bipole III transmission line at the same time, has resulted in Manitoba Hydro taking on a significant amount of debt to finance the construction of those projects,” Shepherd said. “The rates we are proposing today will help ensure that Manitoba Hydro’s debt will continue to be self-supporting. This is critical as it protects both Manitoba Hydro and the province from the risk of higher borrowing costs and reduced access to capital. “In addition, the best way to protect customers from even higher rates is to ensure we are financially strong enough to weather known risks such as a severe drought, rising interest rates or other scenarios that could have a major impact on our operations and our financial stability,” Shepherd said. The proposed rate increases, coupled with an enhanced and accelerated cost-reduction program, form the core of a 10-year plan to restore Manitoba Hydro to a minimum level of financial strength, Shepherd added. In its complete filing of supporting documents on May 12, the utility will explain how its business outlook has deteriorated since the last GRA in January 2015. In addition to the impact of developing two major projects concurrently, Manitoba Hydro has seen both projects increase in cost. As well, the utility is experiencing lower growth in Manitoba’s demand for electricity and continued lower prices on the export market. Without any rate increases, the utility will have negative cash flows in its core operations, which is unsustainable, Shepherd said. “As part of our balanced approach to restore the financial health of the company and to protect our customers from more significant rate increases in the future, Manitoba Hydro is also accelerating cost-containment measures, including reducing our staffing by 900 and looking for additional efficiencies in our operations, such as improved asset management measures and new ways to streamline processes,” Shepherd said. “Our plan to become a leaner, more customer-focused organization is underway and forms an integral part of our efforts to address Manitoba Hydro’s finances.” Shepherd said that the PUB will ultimately determine the final level of rate increase Manitoba Hydro customers will see. The PUB is an independent tribunal that has broad oversight in balancing various stakeholder perspectives to determine rates for Manitoba Hydro customers. “When you consider Manitoba has amongst the lowest electricity rates in Canada — as well as potential rate increases that other jurisdictions will have to meet the needs of their customers, renew their infrastructure and move away from carbon-based generation — Manitoba Hydro will continue to offer excellent value for our customers’ energy dollar by providing renewable, safe and reliable electricity for years to come,” he said. For more information or interviews with Kelvin Shepherd please contact: Scott Powell — Corporate Communications T: 204-360-4417 SPowell@hydro.mb.ca

The Brandon Police Service is asking for the public assistance in location a missing teenager. Erin Mini, 15, was last seen on April 29th and anyone with information is asked to get in contact with the BPS at 729-2345. She was last seen wearing red sandals, black pants, and a grey hoodie.