“What a great night. The only thing better than tonight in Manitoba is tomorrow. Tomorrow all Manitobans are going to walk out into a beautiful spring morning and they’re going to look up and the sky is going to be blue.”    — Brian Pallister’s victory speech in Winnipeg last night. That blue sky Progressive Conservative Premier-designate Brian Pallister was referring to could be a bit foggy, as today is 4/20, the annual celebration of the cannabis culture. It can draw hundreds of pot-smokers illegally (for now) lighting up on the front lawn of the Manitoba Legislature. But many Manitoba socialists — especially the 21 NDP MLAs who are now out of work — might be dazed and confused today anyway, as their 16-year high was harshed by a historic Tory landslide win of 40 seats. The seismic political shift has the NDP reduced to 14 seats, and the Liberals increasing from one to three seats. (Results as of 4:40 a.m.) The most seats the Tories ever had before was 36 back in 1962. The most any party claimed historically in Manitoba was 40, the Liberals in 1915. One of the hottest races in the province was Brandon East, with incumbent cabinet minister Drew Caldwell trying to hang on to the seat he won in 1999 and that has been represented by the NDP since it was created in 1969. Victor Len Isleifson ran a solid, clean campaign in Brandon East that was aided by volunteers from neighbouring safe PC Party seats, Spruce Woods, Arthur-Virden and Riding Mountain. A lot of people outside of Brandon East would say they didn’t really know much about Isleifson. He was a one-term city councillor, who chose not to run in the 2014 campaign to prepare for this provincial tilt. But when he was councillor for Riverview Ward on Brandon’s east side, he earned a reputation of answering calls and making sure residents’ concerns were taken care of. He was obviously well-liked in the constituency. And also he was a  Tory at a time when the NDP was out of favour. Before the Legislature was dissolved and the writ dropped on March 16, there were 35 New Dems, 19 Tories and one Liberal. There were also two vacant seats. “This PC majority government will be in power for decades to come, because we are going to do amazing things for this province,” Isleifson said to packed hall at Seniors for Seniors on Park Avenue East. “We’re going to move forward and form investments in education in health care in children and in families.” I asked Isleifson what Brandon projects he’ll be pushing for in the new Tory caucus. He said the new school in south Brandon is a definite priority, as is completing the move of Assiniboine Community College from Victoria Avenue to its new North Hill campus. Shortly after, the man Isleifson defeated entered the hall. Many there weren’t sure if he would show up. And also weren’t sure what his mood would be like after CKLQ 880 tweeted out a quote from him at NDP HQ:  “Just elected a man in Brandon East who made no commitments to Brandon.” But at Isleifson’s victory party, Caldwell was humble and wished the winner well. “Enjoy it, enjoy it,” he said as he shook Isleifson’s hand. Caldwell stayed around for quite a while in the room full of Tories, as he waited to do a live hit on CTV Winnipeg. “Hey James, how are you doing, man,” Caldwell said when he spotted me at the Isleifson victory party. “You called it.” In recent columns, and based on many polls, I had suggested the NDP was in for a huge shock and that voters in Brandon East had a very difficult decision to make: To have Tory Isleifson in a Pallister government, or to vote for the hard-working Caldwell, but have him sitting in Opposition. I chatted with my friend of 30-odd years and asked him what he would do now, after being in public service most of his adult life. Caldwell will receive a year’s salary as severance pay. He says he’s going to stay in Brandon after sorting out his second life in Winnipeg where he owns two houses. What if he had won? And be spending his days in Opposition? I suggested to Caldwell that it would drive him crazy. “Probably,” he said with a laugh. “But I would have a paycheque.” Caldwell said he will take his time to review any opportunities that come his way. I then drove across town to Brandon West Tory HQ, located in the former CKX-TV building. When I walked in, I came across victorious Tory Reg Helwer chatting with Mayor Rick Chrest. “Well,” I said to the pair, “you now truly have a real Team Brandon.” And they laughed. But agreed that it would be a positive for the city. I pulled Helwer aside and asked the man who had just won his second term — and took all of the polls in Brandon West — if he thought he would be asked to join the Pallister cabinet. I knew what he was going to say, but figured I’d ask anyway. “I’ll leave that to Brian Pallister, he’s the boss,” Helwer said. I then asked him what areas he would be championing in the Tory caucus. “I heard at the doors that people want to have jobs,” he said. “That’s what I’ve always delivered on for Brandon and Western Manitoba in my entire business career.” Sounds like he would make a good minister of jobs and the economy (or whatever Pallister will rename that portfolio), and also be the de facto regional minister for Brandon and Westman. But I digress. “I think we have an opportunity now, with representatives from across the province, this is a government for Manitobans, not just a few people,” Helwer told me. “We’re thrilled with Brandon East, there was a lot of hard work there. We brought in volunteers from all the successful constituencies (to help out).” While I was in a side room talking with Helwer, a CBC reporter was interviewing the mayor. “I do have a relationship with our new premier and a relationship with both of our MLAs, so I think we'll have a very strong opportunity to continue informed partnerships," he said. Chrest said his relationship with premier-designate Pallister goes way back. “Pallister did go to Brandon University and played basketball for the Brandon University Bobcats,” Chrest told CBC. “Another fun fact — he was my student teacher.” And now, all of Manitoba will be schooled in Progressive Conservatism. As for that weedfest on the north lawn of the Legislature today, Pallister has scheduled a media conference on the south side of the building. In fact, he’ll even be south of Assiniboine Avenue, which is about as far away that you could get from the 4/20 crowd while still having the Manitoba Legislature building as a backdrop. Perhaps that’s a glimpse into Pallister’s view on the pot legalization issue. Something his new government will have to deal with as the feds push ahead with plans to legalize it.  

“If nothing else, Manitoba’s 41st election will be remembered for the desperate and often unseemly campaign tactics exhibited by NDP Premier Greg Selinger.”                                                                             — Globe and Mail, Sunday, April 17 “Scaring cancer patients? What's next for this soulless @mbndp mob? Face it Dippers, you're done. Just shut up and face the music. #mbelxn                                                                           — My Tweet on Saturday, April 16 After 17 very long years of socialist rule, the NDP and its load of bad budgets and beat-up Birkenstocks will be tossed from power after the ballots are counted tomorrow night. Some reliable observers predict the New Dems could be reduced to as few as eight seats in Opposition. With the Liberals lucky to get two, maybe three chairs. The Progressive Conservatives are primed to win a majority, one pollster coining it a “mega-majority.” The party is ready to govern. It has a strong leader, some veteran MLAs ready to assume cabinet portfolios, and a slate of eager candidates prepared to represent constituencies across the province that have been NDPville for many years, even decades. Instead of accepting their fate, the Damn Dirty Dippers are engaging in brutal personal attacks and in the worst type of speculative political fishing. Just slinging mud in every direction, hoping some will stick with the media and voters. This past weekend was a particularly nasty one in the political arena. I’ll sum up some lowlights here: •   NDP on Pallister’s second home in Costa Rica: “The public of Manitoba needs to know why he is so inconsistent,” said Dave Chomiak. “What he did not tell you was that he had two holding companies, a car and three other pieces of land. If that is not an outright lie, it is a deliberate attempt to mislead.” •   PC statement on the NDP’s allegations: Brian Pallister has always fully complied with his disclosure obligations as an MLA. In doing so, he acts on advice from the Conflict of Interest Commissioner. As publicly confirmed already, Mr. Pallister saved for 30 years to purchase a vacation property in Costa Rica. The property consists of four parcels of land. One contains his vacation home, the others are pasture and grass land. Mr. Pallister has two companies, the sole purpose of which is to own this land and two used vehicles. In Costa Rica, it is common practice for foreigners to own land and vehicles through companies. Mr. Pallister conducts no business activity in Costa Rica and owns no revenue-generating property. Greg Selinger and the NDP are desperate, and will resort to every possible smear tactic. Unfortunately, this includes ongoing attacks on Mr. Pallister’s private family life. •   NDP’s cancer scare: Will (the Conservatives) reduce parking fees at hospitals and support transport programs for patients of chronic diseases, as committed to by the NDP? Why is Pallister refusing to commit to the expansion of CancerCare Manitoba, which will offer diagnostics, treatment and research to help cancer patients and their families get the care they need? •   PC Party’s response:  Greg Selinger’s campaign of fear hit a new and shameful low today when he stated a new PC government would cut cancer care drugs for vulnerable patients and seniors. “Never before have Manitobans been exposed to such a desperate campaign of fear and lies from a sitting premier and his government,” said deputy PC leader and candidate for Tuxedo, Heather Stefanson. “Selinger is playing politics with sick peoples’ lives in a desperate attempt to get re-elected.” At no time has the PC Party ever said, suggested, or even hinted at reducing patient access to cancer care treatment. We did not and we will not.  For the Selinger NDP to use the cancer battle as a last-minute fear tactic in an election campaign is beyond reprehensible. •   Even Brandon East MLA and cabinet minister Drew Caldwell stepped into the fray, as CBC reported: A Brandon family is joining those raising concerns about Progressive Conservative Leader Brian Pallister's travel schedule at the height of the 2014 flood. Joel and Jennifer Melcosky's home is about 15 metres away from the banks of the Assiniboine River in Brandon. Their property were threatened by high water in both 2011 and 2014. The family told reporters they received constant support from Caldwell during the floods. They claimed he even went as far as helping move furniture to higher ground. It was revealed last week that Pallister was in Costa Rica during the 2014 flood. •   PC Party’s response: “I think we've reached out to a lot of people during tough times,” said Stefanson. “We've talked to a lot of people, families, who are out of their homes for several years, and who are still out of their homes, because of this NDP government. So, to say they are the only ones helping, they are not helping those people that are still out of their homes.” Now I’m not sure exactly what Caldwell was expecting Pallister to do in 2014, even if he was in Manitoba as the Assiniboine River’s crest headed towards Winnipeg. Yes, I applaud Caldwell for his hard physical labour during flood preparations. He went above and beyond what is expected of an MLA. And he sure spammed Twitter with endless photos of himself doing all these great things for his constituents. For the record, Pallister travelled twice to western Manitoba before the flood in 2014 and once after. There were some other heated exchanges on the weekend about how the PC Party and NDP explained how they will pay for election promises, etc. (I’m not talking about the Liberals in this column because, well, they simply aren’t main players at this point.) One story that caught my attention above the rest of the noise was one that voters should pay real attention to. CBC reported that just days before the provincial election, OmniTrax Canada filed a lawsuit against the province, NDP Leader Greg Selinger and long-time NDP cabinet minister Steve Ashton alleging they interfered in the sale of the railway to Mathias Colomb Cree Nation by disclosing confidential information to another First Nation. Now if true, that’s pretty serious stuff. In the lawsuit dated April 15, 2016, OmniTrax Canada says it entered into a non-disclosure agreement with the province around March 17, 2015, CBC reported. OmniTrax provided Manitoba with confidential and proprietary financial and operating information. OmniTrax alleges in about December 2015, the government of Manitoba, Steve Ashton and Greg Selinger, disclosed confidential financial information about the company to consulting firm MNP LLP and Opaskwayak Cree Nation. OmniTrax Canada president, Merv Tweed, told CBC on Sunday he still expects the sale to go through and would not elaborate on how the disclosure of the financial information to another First Nation — Opaskwayak Cree Nation — affected the deal. Now to be fair and balanced, I must point out that Tweed is a former Progressive Conservative MLA and later was the Conservative MP for Brandon-Souris. So the timing of the lawsuit is a bit suspicious. As for the allegations? Well, we’ll see how the case works out in court. A Progressive Conservative news release states the OmniTrax lawsuit “raises new questions of serious misconduct.” “Manitobans should be very concerned when the highest elected official in the province is sued for alleged misconduct as part of a string of ethical violations,” the release states. In any event, this is the dirtiest campaign I can recall. And that dirt is under the fingernails of the NDP who just can’t accept the fact that voters have a desire for a change in government. Here’s an example of how bad the situation is for the Dippers. You’ll recall that Dave Chomiak was put up to speak on the latest bit of nonsense about Pallister’s Costa Rica home. Now I agree that Pallister has spent more time there — all when the Legislature wasn’t in session, by the way — than he probably should have. But the demands and duties of being premier will require him to stay locked in the Keystone Province a lot more than when he was Leader of the Opposition. And he has already acknowledged that. But I digress. The north Winnipeg constituency of Kildonan is generally regarded as safe for the NDP. Chomiak has been a prominent cabinet minister in both the Doer and Selinger governments. In the 2003 election, he won with 70% of the vote. In 2007 he won with about 60% of the vote. I obtained some PC Party internal polling numbers for the Kildonan constituency, which I have no reason to believe are cooked. As of April 15: PC - 42%; NDP - 23%; Green - 8%; Liberals - 6%; with 21% undecided. If that’s any indication of the erosion of NDP support, a “mega-majority” might not be hyperbole. It might be the new reality when the smoke clears on Wednesday morning.

“I think Manitoba can be that great province again … and I’d be more than thrilled to have Len Isleifson join me in the Legislature for Brandon East, I think that would be fabulous for Brandon.”                            — Reg Helwer, televised debate, April 14. I just switched on the televised all-candidates debate on WCGtv. Those were the final words from the Brandon West portion of the evening. And that’s all I needed to hear about that. PC Party’s Reg Helwer, the sitting MLA, was wrapping up his closing remarks. I didn’t need to hear from the NDP hopeful, Linda Ross, as Helwer will easily win a second term in the Manitoba Legislature. Ross is a school trustee who has consistently supported high taxes. Liberal candidate in-name-only Billy Moore was a no show at the debate. The smart, business-savvy Helwer will very likely be a cabinet minister in a Brian Pallister Progressive Conservative government. Yes, get ready folks, all the polls and tea leaves show the province is ready for change. Ready for change from a tired, corrupt, spendthrift NDP government that has had since 1999 to fix everything they promised to fix. But here we are with a weak premier in the form of Greg Selinger, some of the longest ER wait times in Canada, the worst level of child poverty in the country, and embarrassingly low academic results for children in schools. There are some 10,000 kids in government care — mostly from First Nations. Yes, the NDP has spent a lot of money — throwing the province into a stinking pit of debt — and Brandon has benefitted from a good deal of that spending. NDP incumbent Drew Caldwell has a laundry list of projects — including some very expensive flood protection — he enjoys detailing at every opportunity. But a lot of that money would have flowed upstream on the Assiniboine River regardless of which party was in power. Just heard in the background on the TV, Isleifson being grilled about his support of a horrible city budget under the last mayor, Shari Decter Hirst, which featured a substantial tax increase. It was supposed to be for infrastructure, but the mayor saw to it that much of it ended up going to city staff salaries. He deflects the question, turning it into an attack on the NDP’s broken promise of spending the PST increase on infrastructure. Isleifson has a tough job ahead of him. Caldwell is a very electable fellow, way back since his days as president of the Brandon University Students Union. He works hard for the city. He works hard for his constituents. And I’ve been friends with him since he was a founding director of the first Brandon Folk, Music and Art Festival in the mid-’80s. I’ve included a photo of Drew and myself at the bottom of this column enjoying a nice summer evening at the Dock on Princess. I know him well. I’ve asked him more than once what good would it be having him sitting on the Opposition benches. I asked him if he would be willing to work with a ‘Minister’ Reg Helwer. I could see the steam working up in his head. He has told me he would support projects the Tories brought forth that he thought were good for Brandon, and aggressively oppose those that were not. Problem is, if the Tories have a majority, Caldwell would be able stomp up and down all he wants. But he won’t be in any position to do anything about it. An interesting question I just heard from the TV debate came from moderator Kerry Auriat for Caldwell. Auriat noted that since his days on city council in the ’90s, right through to the present day, he has effectively been responsible for Brandon’s downtown. “Many in this audience would suggest the downtown is worse than it was 30 years ago,” Auriat said. This came after some awkward questions about the failed Strand Theatre redevelopment project on 10th Street. A project that Caldwell was intimately associated with, as his wife was leading the charge as head of the folk festival, proponents of the project. Caldwell pointed to downtown streetscaping, some progress on the new “upper storey” project for creating apartments, and he said he completely endorses the city’s HUB plan for development of the core. Isleifson, who was involved with the former Downtown BIA and Renaissance Brandon, said he looks at opportunities for continued growth downtown through building partnerships. “We just need to put a little bit more effort … we have tons of potential,” he said. The Liberal candidate in Brandon East noted that its not just politicians who are reviving downtown. “There are community members who have a vested interest in it,” the former city councillor for Riverview Ward said, listing off the new skate park, new YMCA and numerous small businesses that have opened. I drifted away from listening to the debate as my thoughts went to Hamilton. She’s another good friend of mine. The first time I saw Hamilton was during a debate at Brandon City Hall in 2010 when she made an unsuccessful run for school trustee. We eventually became friends and we go for lunch or to a movie now and then. The photo at the top of this column shows Isleifson, Caldwell and Hamilton at an earlier debate. I think Hamilton made a huge mistake by quitting city council less than half-way through her first term and I’ve told her so. She was doing quite well as councillor. Certainly far better than her critics thought she would. I think she would have had a bright future in civic politics. Hamilton, a former NDP organizer, switched her colours a while ago. I think later she was caught up with the Trudeaumania 2.0 of last fall and I also believe a poll taken late last year, showing the NDP in last place in Brandon East, with the Liberals in second, was the final push she needed. That, and the promise of a refreshed Liberal Party under the ambitious Rana Bokhari. However, rookie Liberal leader’s campaign quickly fell apart after the writ dropped March 16. In fact, after losing six candidates for various reasons, Bokhari has looked like a deer caught in the headlights, stumbling and bumbling through answers in scrums and debates. She’s been disorganized, has few support staff behind her, and she has come across as someone who is not ready for the big leagues. That not only will mean the Grits will be lucky to maybe gain one more seat in the Legislature — veteran MLA and former party leader Jon Gerrard has held the only Liberal seat and should win again — and it might not be Bokhari’s Fort Rouge spot. As for Hamilton, despite the promise of the December poll, will finish in third place in Brandon East. I believe the hard campaigner and reasonably steady debater will receive a higher number of votes than previous Liberal hopefuls, but a lot of them will be angry NDPers or some federal Liberals who hold a torch for Justin. Am I also friends with Isleifson, you might wonder? We’re friendly, and I enjoy talking with him about politics, but I don’t know him personally very well. He has been extremely competent in the debates I’ve seen and has never appeared flustered or at a loss for words in front of the media. I’d say he would be a very competent rookie MLA. Oops, what was that? Back to the TV debate. Hamilton just referred to the NDP boss as “Selinger” as she started to answer a question. Caldwell interrupted her: “that’s ‘Premier’ to you.” Moderator Auriat asks Caldwell to direct his comments to the audience. Yes, there is some bad blood between Caldwell and Hamilton. Personally and politically. So who’s going to win Brandon East on April 19? Caldwell has a mean machine backing him up. He has at least one city councillor, Lonnie Patterson (South Centre) actively working for him. He has another, Kris Desjarlais (Rosser) who tweeted out his support for Caldwell with a photo of the pair hammering in an orange lawn sign. There are union supporters who will work hard for their man in the Selinger labour friendly government. Caldwell has been a major force in Brandon: His refusals to compromise his personal beliefs even if they clash with the party policy of the day; his tireless work to promote Brandon to the cabinet table and to promote himself to the media; and his grinning mug comforting the bottoms of hundreds of bus riders with his famous bench ads. But Caldwell’s support for Selinger — the country’s most unpopular premier, who faced an unprecedented cabinet revolt — will drag him down. In fact, the NDP’s slide down the polls will have to have some effect on Caldwell’s chances. Drew is Drew. You really can’t help but like the guy. But I wouldn’t be surprised if a local poll came out in coming days showing him and Isleifson in a real horse race. The Tories also have developed a strong backing team for Isleifson for this election. They smell blood in the water. Or maybe that’s just some odours from the Maple Leaf kill floor at the city’s eastern industrial park. That was a joke, enjoy. I think a lot of Brandon East voters will vote for Caldwell the man, rather than Caldwell the NDPer. But given the fact that polls are clearly indicating a potential Tory majority government, wouldn’t it be better for Brandon if Reg Helwer’s words at the top of this column rang true? Then we would finally have a true Team Brandon in the Legislature. The dullish debate just ended on TV. But despite my background as a Tory staffer, and the fact I write this column from a right-leaning perspective, I’m not going make a prediction of who will win Brandon East. Sure I want Isleifson to win, for the good of Brandon under a Tory government. But then there’s my 30-year friendship with Drew… I bet that’s a conundrum many Brandon East voters are facing.  

On the first really warm day of spring, dozens of trained volunteers fanned out through city streets, alleys and places that I wouldn’t want to be in after dark. It was the second Point-in-Time (PiT) Homelessness Count, which provides a snapshot of the number of homeless people in the Wheat City. Now it might come as a surprise to many residents — those who don’t often stray from their pretty neighborhoods in the outlying areas of the city — that there is a real homeless problem here. I sure didn’t believe it when I moved back to Brandon in 2004. In fact, in my weekly column in the Brandon Sun, I bluntly dismissed those groups who were trying to get the word out that there were homeless people. All they were doing was trying to raise the profile of the growing problem in order to get some help. But I had just moved here from Winnipeg. I had been a journalist there for years and saw what a real homeless problem looked like. It was in your face, it was on street corners. It was a blight on the downtown. There were aggressive panhandlers which kept people away from businesses, with some of them closing as a result. So to prove I was right, I even assigned reporters to search out homeless people. They found a couple of folks camping out near the Eighth Street Bridge. But they said they were from neighbouring communities, just partying as the weather was warm. They found no ‘real’ homeless people. I felt my position had been justified. My dismissive attitude towards homeless advocates — especially Youth for Christ — in my column eventually resulted in a standoff of sorts in the fall of 2011. A group of homeless people, or those in shelters, led by some mental health workers, demanded a meeting with me. I invited them to the Sun’s offices on Rosser Avenue and met with a dozen or so people who wanted to tell me their stories. I made coffee for them. I wasn’t feeling very comfortable at the start of the meeting. I was wearing my managing editor’s uniform of freshly dry cleaned shirt, tie and dress pants. The people around the table were wearing worn clothes. They didn’t remove their coats. Them seemed to enjoy the warmth. The group looked tired, some to the point of nodding off in the warm boardroom But after an hour, my eyes were opened. I learned that there are several different categories of being homeless. Some were couch surfing with friends. Some used shelters. Some did live on the street, but in such hard-to-find places, they went unnoticed. They couldn’t find work. And they certainly couldn’t find a decent place to live. Sadly, several of the people in the photo accompanying this piece have passed away. That haunts me. But after that 2011 meeting, I wanted to further investigate the issue and asked to meet with someone in an emergency shelter. I spent a half-hour with a woman who spilled out her painful story about a medical issue that led to drug dependency. That led to a loss of employment and increased drug use. Then a loss of shelter. She was clean and sober when we talked, but she only had a few more days to be sheltered in the small, spartan room before she had to return to the streets. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do. From then on, I changed my attitude towards the issue of affordable housing, homelessness, and mental health issues. It’s a hard thing to admit when you’re wrong. It’s even harder when you’re doing so in a mainstream newspaper read by tens of thousands of people. But I was heartened when this Letter to the Editor arrived. “O'Connor to be Commended for his Compassion” James O’Connor, managing editor of the Brandon Sun, is to be commended for his article on the homeless in Brandon (Editor’s Notebook, Oct. 22). The article was written with compassion and understanding of the conditions in which some of our citizens live. It takes a lot of courage to write about a situation which most of us would prefer to ignore and about which one has some preconceived notions. It takes even more courage to change one’s opinion, as Mr. O’Connor has done publicly, when presented with information contrary to one’s beliefs. CHESTER LETKEMAN Brandon Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition Oct. 27, 2011 Now let’s get back to that beautiful day in Princess Park last Wednesday. The PiT Count, funded by the Government of Canada’s Homelessness Partnering Strategy, provides various agencies with a snapshot of sheltered and unsheltered homeless people in the community. The data helps to guide programs and services in the city and allows those organizations to measure progress towards the ultimate goal of ending homelessness in Brandon. The first PiT Count in Brandon was done on Jan. 21, 2015. The data collected revealed that 117 people were found to be homeless and nearly half of the respondents (47 per cent) were under the age of 30 on the day of the count. Those 117 were a mix of sheltered and unsheltered. Many who were “sheltered” were in emergency shelters who were a few days from being homeless. “In Manitoba, it’s seasonal,” said Mark Anderson, PiT project coordinator, pictured in this column with Brandon Police Service Chief Ian Grant. “In the summer, they could be under a bridge, in a park, behind a warehouse. In winter they are stacking up wherever they can find shelter. “There is also another category — episodic homelessness. They might couch surf for a week, or two weeks, but then that all goes to pieces, then they are on the street for a couple of days  until the find somebody else to bunk with.” He mentioned one fellow, dressed quite nicely, who was living in his vehicle. I asked Anderson what he thought is the root cause of homelessness. He said it can be economic, the high cost of living, low vacancy rates, the high cost of rent. It can be mental or physical health related. “With a large part of the (homeless) population … there is a significant prevalence of trauma. Historical background trauma. People who have gone through hard things in life,” Anderson said. “That leads to disassociation, they have to disconnect to cope. Then chemical dependencies can kick in.” Getting homeless people off the streets and into some form of housing is the key. The No. 1 factor in Brandon’s homelessness is the lack of affordable housing, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Brandon chapter. “A couple of groups work with folks who (could be) reasonably good tenants,” Anderson said, noting another stage called transitional housing can be had for four months to a year. “And the day they move in, the goal is to have them move out with a job and some stability in their lives.” This year’s survey featured a new element called The PiT Stop. Anderson said a community event would provide a great forum to celebrate together as well as draw people together to assist in conducting surveys. The project was hosted by Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation, he said. The PiT Stop, which attracted a large crowd, featured local talent on stage, and wellness opportunities for people who don’t always have those types of chances. Wellness opportunities were prioritized towards homeless individuals first. Services offered included: Free hair cuts and styling; manicures; vision reviews; and heart health. Food sponsors included: Wolf’s Den; Robins Donuts; Wildflower Cafe; Prairie Firehouse; Sabor Latino; Blue Moon Water; Komfort Kitchen; Subway; and Forbidden Flavours. I spoke with BPS Chief Grant, who was walking around, chatting with people. “Homelessness is a concern right across the entire country,” he told me. “Our role is evolving, from patrol and enforcement to working with the community resources to try and get shelter for people who are homeless. “During the winter, we work with Samaritan Health for the Safe and Warm Shelter program. For those who would benefit from a good night’s sleep indoors rather than outside. “In the summer months, it’s a little more difficult because there isn’t the Safe and Warm program. But our members are becoming more and more aware of the different agencies involved who are trying to address the issue of homelessness. “We try to channel people in that direction, we can’t force people, but we can say ‘Here’s a resource you might want to take advantage of.’ “Housing is the key.” (The full report of the 2016 Point-in-Time (PiT) Homelessness Count will be available in six weeks at iMatter-bdn.ca. You can also follow the project on Twitter: @iMatterbdn and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BrandonPiTCount.)

Let's talk Toronto. It won't be much longer now, before Westjet starts flying directly from our airport, (YBR) to Toronto (YYZ).  I think that it's wise to book this route early, for two reasons. Firstly, with the vast number of connections to cities around the world that you can make from Toronto, I think our connector flight will be in high demand.  The second reason is to prove to Westjet that this is an in-demand flight. If the planes are full and people are using this service, then we might hold onto it past the trial period. If Toronto flights continue through this winter, there is an incredible number of hot destinations we can conveniently fly to.  Think about it, if you could fly from Brandon and be in Jamaica 7 hours later, wouldn't you do it? Yes, yes, I would. (Yes, now vacation packages almost anywhere are available from Brandon!) Just imagine NOT having to drive to Winnipeg in a blizzard and pay $100 to park at the Winnipeg airport. It would be a new found independence for Westman residents. So, act now and pave the way for winter freedom.  The first bargain I see, is a return fare, taxes included at $359. Leaving July 6th, returning July 12th. That's just YBR to YYZ. Big city bargain! I couldn't find a route schedule off Westjet.com but by my observations, your direct Brandon to Toronto flights just leave Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.