Seven candidates – Laura Armitage, Michael Grantham, Bonnie-Lynn Mills, Shawna Mozdzen, Eren Oleson, Himanshu Shah, and Henry Sieklicki – are on the slate in today’s Brandon School Board byelection. Polls are open until 8:00 pm. The six voting locations are – Monterey Estates Recreation Hall (40 Mockingbird Dr.), McDiarmid Drive Alliance Church (635 McDiarmid Dr.), East End Community Centre (405 Park St.), Victoria Inn’s private dining room (3550 Victoria Ave.), Brandon School Division administration office (1031 Sixth St.) and Brandon Shoppers Mall (Unit 9, 1570 18th St.).
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A fire in the 400 block of 16th Street in Brandon destroyed a garage and a vehicle Wednesday afternoon. There are no reports of any injuries, and the blaze is under investigation.
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The Consumers Association of Canada fears we’re in for a slew of rate increases at Manitoba Public Insurance. Hearings are now underway into a 2% rate hike, but the group says MPI also wants to change the minimum deductible from $750 to $1,000, and plans to collect 9% more in revenues from us next year.
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The province and Ottawa have announced $9-million in funding to repair 738 affordable rental homes across Manitoba. The money is being made available through several programs including the national ‘Affordable Housing Fund.’ It provides low-interest loans to partner organizations that help build and renovate affordable housing.
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Brandon’s Victoria Inn will be filled with the city’s business elite today at the Chamber of Commerce’s monthly luncheon. The theme is economic growth – and the guest speaker will be Jamie Moses, Manitoba’s Minister for Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation.
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Ottawa is spending $2.3 million to support artificial intelligence innovation in Manitoba. The money will reportedly help create 77 new digital media jobs, including 17 for young people. It’ll also aid in training up to 100 people to help 50 small and medium-sized businesses adopt AI technologies.
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Manitoba’s advocate for children and youth is urging the province to do more to reduce the harm caused to young people by wildfires. Sherry Gott wants the government to do a full assessment to ensure mental health, education and child protection supports are part of emergency planning. 32, 000 people were forced out of their homes by fires this year.
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Canada’s health ministers are in Calgary for two days of meetings. On the agenda – interprovincial credential recognition, funding agreements, mental health and addiction issues and vaccination programs. The federal minister hopes to build on renewed collaboration between Ottawa and the provinces to protect the health-care system.
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It’s not traditional – but could be a great way to get your steps in. Experts say if you’re bored with walking, try going backwards. Also known as ‘retro walking’ or ‘reverse walking’, it could add variety and value to an exercise routine, when done safely. Turning around not only provides a change of view, but also puts different demands on your body.
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We might not see a traditional La Nina winter this year. It typically brings cooler northerly air into Canada causing a colder and snowier winter, but a couple of factors could create milder conditions this year: climate change – which has made Canadian winters 3.7 degrees warmer since 1948 – and the ‘Pacific blob’ – a huge area of warm water across the northern Pacific Ocean.
