A hub for livestock marketing in Brandon, Heartland Livestock Services, is closing. The company has not yet shared reasons for the decision. There are other auction markets available to producers in Virden, Killarney, Gladstone and Ste. Rose, but Heartland’s operation in Brandon was considered the flagship site for cattle sales in Westman.
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The Canadian National Arabian Championship begins Thursday at Brandon’s Keystone Centre. More than 300 horses are in town from across Canada and the U-S to compete in events from August 7th to the 16th. It’s all free to attend.
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Brandon city councillors have approved rezoning land in the city’s southwest for a new K to 8 school. It’ll go up in the Brookwood South neighbourhood, and be ready for up to a thousand students in the 2027-28 school year. The development also includes 10 single family homes.
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Leo Ledohowski, the founder of the Canad Inns hotel chain, has died at the age of 81. In announcing his death, the Business Council of Manitoba hailed Ledohowski as a ‘pillar of leadership and service’. Canad Inns operates nine hotels in Manitoba including one in Brandon – and also has a location in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
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The 2025 wildfire season in Manitoba is now the worst in 30 years – more than 1.55 million hectares of area has burned. The fire danger remains high to very high across much of the province, and the state of emergency –
in effect until Friday – may be extended if necessary.
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Favourable winds have paused the evacuation of Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation – about 13-hundred people will remain. Other communities preparing to return home include Pimicikamak and Tataskweyak Cree Nations. There are currently 165 active wildfires in Manitoba.
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The federal government is coming to the aid of the lumber industry to shield it from the worst of American tariffs. The plan promises a safety net of loans, product-development grants and supports to help companies diversify export markets. Prime Minister Mark Carney says future projects in Canada will “prioritize” Canadian lumber.
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Canadian exporters did more business with the United States in June even as tariffs ramped up. Stats-Canada says exports rose 3.1%, but were still down 12.5% year-over-year.
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More than 99% of Air Canada flight attendants have voted in favour of strike action. If a deal isn’t reached, over 10,000 flight attendants could walk off the job as early as midnight August 16th. A work stoppage could lead to thousands of cancelled flights.
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Nine people have been hospitalized, and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported all linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products. Recalls have been issued for products from brands Habibi, Al Mokhtar Food Centre and Dubai. There has been one case in Manitoba.
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According to researchers in the U-K, far-right extremists are using video games for recruitment because such platforms are difficult to police. They say gaming-adjacent platforms offer extremists direct access to large, often young and impressionable audiences. The Canadian government is currently looking into this.
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The Titan submersible disaster in 2023 could have been prevented, this from the U-S Coast Guard. A report says OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush ignored safety warnings, design flaws and crucial oversight that may have resulted in criminal charges had he survived. Rush and four passengers were killed when the Titan imploded as it descended to the wreck of the Titanic.
