Westman Communications Group (WCG) has appointed its 2025 Board of Directors. Announced at the WCG Annual General Meeting on November 30, 2024, the Board of Directors will consist of 10 members, including two new appointees. The Board of Directors is democratically elected by WCG members and consists of representatives from across the Westman region. This year’s new appointees include Terry McLenehan (Minnedosa) and Savaughn Peddle-Hastings (Souris) as Board Directors. Returning members include Mike Csversko as Board Chair, Dan Robertson as 1st Chair, Susan Brechmann as 2nd Chair, Lorne Zacharias as Treasurer, and Gail Janz as Secretary. Mike Brolund, Dave Mahoney, and Chris Sobchuk all return as Board Directors. “Our Board of Directors is imperative to our mission of serving the needs of our communities,” said WCG CEO Bud Keys. “These 10 individuals will help guide our cooperative forward.” Four of the 10 members of this year’s Board are made up of representatives from outside of Brandon – Mike Csversko (Dauphin), Lorne Zacharias (Elm Creek), Terry McLenehan (Minnedosa), Savaughn Peddle-Hastings (Souris). “As WCG continues growth into new areas of the province, I am pleased to see our Board of Directors reflect that,” said Keys. “Congratulations to our Board of Directors for 2025.” For more information on WCG’s Board of Directors, visit https://westmancom.com/about-us/company-profile/board-of-directors.

Drunk and Disorderly On December 15th at 2:07AM police responded to a report of a brawl at a pub in the 900 block of Rosser Avenue. A 27-year-old male was found to the primary cause of issues. He was arrested and held in BPS detention cells to be released once sober. Mischief Under $5000 On December 15th at 4:59AM a hotel in the 200 block of 18th Street North requested assistance in an eviction from a hotel room. The party in the room was shut down and the 35-year-old male who the room was registered to, was relocated and served a BPS Warrant for Mischief to Property Under $5000. A court date of March 3rd, 2025, has been set. Stolen Vehicle Recovered On December 14th at 9:24PM a BPS member was patrolling the parking lot of a hotel in the 900 block of Middleton Avenue when they located a 2013 Toyota Sienna van that was reported stolen January 3rd of 2024. The vehicle was covered in snow and appears to have been parked for some time. The vehicle was towed and further investigation will occur. Source: BPS News Release

On December 13, the Minister of Labour established a process with the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to assess the likelihood of Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) reaching agreements by the end of 2024. Employees to return to work on December 17 and the resumption of service to begin After two days of hearings, the CIRB has issued its ruling confirming the parties are at an impasse. As a result, the CIRB has ordered employees to return to work and postal operations to begin to resume at 8 am local time on Tuesday, December 17, 2024. We will share further details shortly, but want to remind employees and customers that our operations will remain closed on Monday, December 16. What this means for customers Given the timing and duration of the strike, when our operations resume we will need to begin processing the mail and parcels trapped in our network. It will take time to clear our network, so customers should expect delays in processing and delivery. Some limitations will apply for the first 48 hours after our operations resume – including for pickups and drop-offs. Because of this, we will not receive or pick up new product until Thursday, December 19. We’re committed to giving customers as much information as possible regarding specific timelines and capacity. This includes providing details on what to expect during the first few days and as we continue to stabilize operations. Look for more information later today and in the coming days. Retroactive pay increase to employees as process unfolds We look forward to welcoming our employees back to work and serving the millions of Canadians and businesses who rely on our services. While the terms of the existing collective agreements will be extended until May 22, 2025, we also put forward an offer to implement a wage increase of five per cent for employees, which was proposed in the company’s last global offer. With both parties in agreement, the wage increase will be retroactive to the day after each collective agreement expired. The increase will remain in effect going forward, and the retroactive portion will be paid out to current employees in two portions: An upfront payment before Christmas of $1,000 for all CUPW-represented regular employees (full-time and part-time) and $500 for temporary employees based on a minimum number of hours. The wage increase and retroactive payment will be made no later than January 31, 2025. Collective agreements between Canada Post and CUPW expired on December 31, 2023, for the RSMC (Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers) unit and on January 31, 2024, for the urban unit. Commitment to the negotiations process Our commitment has always been to reach negotiated agreements with CUPW that would help us better serve the changing needs of Canadians and provide good jobs to those who provide the service. We remain committed to doing so within this new process while also meeting the postal needs of Canadians. More details on our start-up plans will be made available at canadapost.ca when finalized. Source: Canada Post

During a walk-through of a licensed establishment in the downtown area officers observed a male known to have a curfew he was breaching. Once arrested and searched the 35 year old male was also found to be in possession of an extendable baton, a knife, an imitation firearm, and live rifle ammunition. This male was arrested along with another 38 year old male patron of the establishment that was wanted for breaching a court order and was also in breach of the same order for breaching his curfew and being at the establishment. Both were arrested and held for court in the morning when sober.

On July 5th, 2024, Brandon Correctional Centre advised the BPS that a 37-year-old male and a 21-year-old male were seriously assaulted by a group of five Brandon Correctional Centre inmates. At the time, the pair were transported to Brandon hospital for treatment of serious injuries. They remained in hospital for a few days and were later released back to Brandon Correctional Centre. A lengthy investigation was conducted by BPS members.  On December 10th, 2024, a 24-year-old male was arrested at Brandon Correctional Centre and will have a bail hearing December 11th, 2024, for the Aggravated Assault of the 37-year-old victim and the Assault Causing Bodily Harm of the 21-year-old victim. Police currently have Arrest Warrants for the four other males who are involved and are actively seeking their apprehension. Two of the males (30, 25) are currently incarcerated in two other institutions within the province and the other two (44, 23) are not currently residing in the city of Brandon. All four are charged with Aggravated Assault and Assault Causing Bodily Harm.