Brandon city council is scheduled to deliberate the proposed 2025 municipal budget later this month – January 24th and 25th. The budget is calling for an average property tax increase of 11.7-percent. Some major capital projects this year include expanding the water treatment plant and improving wastewater infrastructure – also upgrades to the Transit fleet and the Sportsplex. Next Thursday (Jan 16), a public open house is scheduled to begin at 4:30 pm at City Hall.
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If you’ve been complaining about slow snow-clearing in your neighbourhood this winter there are several reasons why. Brandon’s maintenance manager told council this week that two of those reasons were snowstorms
in December, two weeks in-a-row – and they’ve also got some new operators on the job. The city has been averaging 4 days to clear priority routes – up from 3 last winter.
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We’ll soon be paying more for basic auto insurance. Manitoba Public Insurance will raise overall rates by 5.7% as of April 1st – about $50.00 for the average vehicle owner. The annual cost of a driver’s license is also increasing by $10.00. The public insurer posted a $130-million loss last year.
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After a string of fires in Winnipeg last weekend fire officials are advising to make sure your vehicle’s block heater cord and extension cord are in good condition. If they’re damaged, they say that creates a lot of heat which melts wires that can cause a fire. Another tip is to never plug-in vehicles parked inside garages.
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An investigation is underway after a patient waiting 8 hours for care died in the waiting room at a Winnipeg hospital Tuesday morning. Health Sciences Centre says the emergency department had roughly 100 patients at the time, and staffing was near baseline levels.
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Liberal MPs are meeting in Ottawa today for the first time since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced he will step down. The focus will be on the next steps for the party as it begins a national search for a leader. Some caucus members, including cabinet ministers Jonathan Wilkinson, Steven MacKinnon and Karina Gould, are reportedly fielding calls from other party members, and are seriously considering leadership bids.
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Coffee has got to be the most studied beverage on earth – and here’s another report. It’s been linked to better heart health and longer life, but it now depends on when you drink it. New research says limiting coffee intake
to the morning may be best, and that’s regardless of how much you drink.
