Brandon City Council Tonight:
Will Electric Vehicles be the Future of Brandon’s Transit fleet? That’s a question on City council’s agenda tonight. The Brandon Sun reports that consulting firm BetterFleet will share it’s study into how the City of Brandon can reduce its use of fossil fuels in its fleet of vehicles. BetterFleet says there is enough electrical grid capacity to accommodate the rollout of an electric vehicle fleet-short term, stating it could start with a pilot project.
Brandon United Way Campaign
The Brandon United Way has set a fall fundraising goal of $700-thousand dollars. The organization’s chair Barry Cooper says 100-percent of the funds raised will stay in the community – none of it will go to operational expenses. A couple of the local programs the United Way supports include Coats for Kids and Tools for Schools.
2 Federal By-Elections today
Voters head to the polls today, in 2 federal By-elections that will have national implications. The Winnipeg-area riding of Elmwood-Transcona, has been held by the NDP for most of the last four decades, while the other, Montreal’s LaSalle-Emard-Verdun, has been solidly Liberals. In Manitoba, polls are open from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. central time.
No Air Canada Strike
An Air Canada pilots strike was averted on Sunday after the airline and the pilots’ association reached a tentative, 4-year contract. Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge will operate as normal while pilots vote on the agreement. The union says it made gains in compensation, retirement and work rules.
Local beneficiary-BACF
The Misericordia Health Centre Foundation’s 2nd lottery is adding a couple of Westman non-profits to its list of beneficiaries. The Brandon Area Community Foundation is one of them. This new partnership between the lottery and the B-A-C-F, came when a representative from the lottery reached out last month. After holding the first lottery earlier this year, organizers are making the effort to expand. Since 2020, The BACF has given out more than $1 million per year.
New Surgery Booking System
A new electronic booking system to cut down on surgery wait times is expected to be rolled out across the province in the next 6 months. The system, first introduced in Winnipeg hospitals in February, allows patients to be prioritized. Around 20-thousand people are currently waiting for surgery.
Yogurt Recall
Kirkland Signature Greek yogurt 24-packs are being recalled due to mold. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says the yogurt packs, a Costco house brand, have a best before date of August 10th. They were sold across Canada including in Manitoba.
