-11 Westman emergency departments will have limited hours over Christmas. The Brandon sun is reporting that from December 22nd to the 28th, only 7 Er’s are open 24/7. That includes Brandon, Dauphin, Minnedosa, Neepawa, Russell, Swan River and Virden. Why? Staff are taking time off for holidays translating to limited E/R hours. Check your local health authority’s website for E/R schedules.
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-Prairie Parents are feeling more financial pressures than families anywhere else in Canada. This, according to a recent poll from Royal Bank of Canada. The survey found that 65 per cent of respondents in the Prairie provinces (Manitoba and Saskatchewan) say their household budgets have never been stretched so thin, this compared with 60 per cent nationally. This survey also revealed our growing reliance on debt. 38 per cent of Prairie parents say they are taking on more debt to meet their families’ current needs. This pressure extends even beyond basic needs.
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-The city of Brandon has received 1 million dollars from the federal government. That money will go towards a new storm-water pond. More than $5.2 Million dollars has already been put into the pond, to prevent flooding in the area. A walking path and green space will also be added around the pond, completion expected fall 2026.
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-Charities in Brandon, Winnipeg and Thompson are 2.6 million dollars richer. That’s thanks to The Manitoba government selling off American made liquor pulled off the shelves earlier this year, because of U/S tariffs. Where is the money going? Half of the proceeds are being donated to hamper and food programs in Manitoba. The booze is only available for 3 more days.
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-Assiniboine college unveiled the new “Auriat Family Broadcast Studio” on Friday. The family has donated $25,000 to support media education and community broadcasting. The broadcast studio houses CJ106-FM, the college-community radio station, and includes both on-air and production studios. An ACC spokesman say this space will give students and community members real-world broadcasting experience.
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-The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is recalling Pillsbury Pizza Pops due to possible E. coli contamination.
Pepperoni and Bacon pizza snacks with best before dates of June 9th and 10th 2026 are affected, as well as Extreme pepperoni with best before dates between June 10th and 12th, and Frank’s RedHot with a date of June 14th.
For full details, check our website.
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-A successful first ever family fun day courtesy of The Keystone Centre and the Keystone Centre Foundation. The free event on Saturday has plenty of activities for families while educating and engaging the community, at the same time.
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-Premier Wab Kinew wants to make groceries more affordable for Manitobans. The Government is looking at cracking down on so-called “differential pricing” on groceries. And further implementing controls on milk. Kinew didn’t provide local examples. But, Manitoba’s inflation rate was the highest among the provinces in November, driven partly by transportation costs and property taxes.
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-The Salvation Army is inching closer to reaching it’s Kettle campaign in Westman. Jamie Rand says the new total is now a little over $95,000 following this weekend’s donations. With 3 days to go, The annual Kettle campaign is hoping to reach $110,000.
