The last big event at every Manitoba Ag days is the 50/50 draw – and this year, ticket sales boosted the jackpot to $185, 370. A trio of winners, Faith Ken and Melissa, will share $92,685. Proceeds of the 50/50 benefit community projects – and agricultural education grants and scholarships funded through ‘Ag Days Gives Back’. This year’s event welcomed more than 37,000 visitors, and next year will mark the 49th edition of Manitoba Ag Days.
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Brandon city councillors get down to business today and tomorrow to discuss the proposed 2025 capital budget. It includes an 11.7% increase in property taxes to help beef-up financial reserves – and fund various infrastructure and maintenance projects. Last year property taxes jumped 9.4%.
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There’s been a rise in homelessness in Brandon. A report by the Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation says the number of unhoused people in the city, as of last October, was 229 – an almost 80% increase since 2021. The corporation says this underlines the continuing need for more sustainable and affordable housing.
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Manitobans are going to pay a bit more for natural gas as well as propane used for home heating. Centra Gas rates are going up an average of $15.00 a year – while propane for heating in northern areas will increase roughly $165 a year.
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Poppy, a six-year-old springer spaniel with floppy brown ears, is a very, very good dog. In a first-of-its-kind study – Poppy has done something even humans and machines find challenging – she was able to sniff out an oil spill submerged in water and trapped under ice. Dogs in Canada have been helping to find oil spills for at least a decade.
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The former CAO of Gilbert Plains has been arrested and charged with fraud and theft after a two-year police investigation. 40-year-old Amber Fisher allegedly stole more than half a million dollars from the municipality. The RM had sued her in 2023, accusing her of faking a cyber attack to cover it up.
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Six men were caught by Manitoba RCMP last week trying to illegally cross into Canada from the U-S. Police say the group, who were not dressed for the weather, was spotted from the air crossing the border on foot near Emerson on January 14th. The six were from Jordan, Sudan, Chad and Mauritania.
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The Manitoba government has undergone a cabinet shuffle following the death of education minister Nello Altomare. Tracy Schmidt, MLA for Rossmere, has moved to education from environment – and Riel MLA Mike Moyes will take over Schmidt’s old portfolio.
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If you feel airport security lines are getting longer, and you need to book a hotel further in advance – it’s because people are travelling again. Last year, 1.4-billion people travelled internationally, just shy of pre-pandemic numbers. A UN report also says $1.9-trillion was spent in the tourism industry – about a thousand dollars per person.
