Locally, about 12,750 voters cast their ballots at advance polls in the Brandon-Souris riding this federal election. Riding Mountain saw just over 12,000. Election Day is Monday, April 28th. We’ll have updates starting at 7:30 pm.
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Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is campaigning in Tory-safe ridings today, he’ll be in Saskatoon and in the Nanaimo B.C. area. Liberal Leader Mark Carney has a busy day in Ontario, beginning with a press conference and visiting a small business in Sault Ste. Marie – and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh will be campaigning in Liberal-leaning ridings in Toronto, Hamilton and London.
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A new poll has found Canadians believe relations with the U.S. are as bad as ties with Russia. Just 16% said Canada has a good relationship with America compared to 15% with Russia. The survey also found we like the idea of improving links with China and Mexico.
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Brandon airport is reportedly considering direct flights to Toronto. Right now, WestJet offers daily flights to and from Calgary. The Brandon Chamber of Commerce has a survey on their website asking about our travel habits and what we would need in a direct connection to Toronto.
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Your natural gas bill is set to rise by about 12% or an average of $73.00 a year starting on May 1st. The Public Utilities Board says the increase is due to several market factors including higher demand, and reduced natural gas storage levels in North America following a colder winter.
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Plans for a nine unit apartment building across from Stanley Park in Brandon passed first reading at City Council this week. The building would sit on vacant land at the corner of 14th Street and Lorne Avenue, and contain one and three bedroom units. The next step is a public hearing.
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Brandon’s recycling and organic waste collection will move to a bi-weekly schedule starting on June 17th. Garbage collection will continue on a weekly basis. The city says the change will allow for the extension of evening hours at the Eastview Landfill.
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Several programs offered by the Men’s Resource Centre in downtown Brandon have been paused because of security concerns. The John Howard Society told The Brandon Sun the move is temporary until they can figure out how to manage an increased demand for services. The Men’s Resource Centre is located on 8th Street.
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Hudson’s Bay has been granted court permission to auction off thousands of pieces of art and artifacts as it liquidates assets – but the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs wants a halt to the sale of items that may be linked to First Nations people. Grand Chief Kyra Wilson says Hudson’s Bay took many sacred items without consent.
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A Manitoba legislative committee heard from dozens of people Thursday night opposed to a government plan to add gender expression to the human rights code, including protections for preferred pronouns. Some said
the move would force them to go against their beliefs – while proponents said the bill would apply to employment, housing and other services, and would not police someone’s beliefs.
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If you had planned to watch the funeral for Pope Francis live tomorrow – it’ll begin at 10:00 am in St. Peter’s Square in Rome, which is 3:00 am Manitoba time. Governor General Mary Simon will represent Canada at the ceremony. The Pope died Monday at the age of 88.
