Around 55,000 Canadian postal workers are on strike. The union says a year of bargaining failed to produce real solutions. CUPW says outstanding issues include fair wages, safe working conditions, the right to retire with dignity, and the expansion of services at the public post office. Canada Post says mail and parcels will not be processed or delivered during the strike – and some post offices will be closed.
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The Manitoba government is investing $47 million to continue work on Rivers Dam upstream from Brandon. After heavy rainfall in 2020, the dam hit capacity causing evacuations. The province says work to raise the dam embankment and rehabilitation of the concrete spillway is underway. The project is expected to be completed in 2027.
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To address skilled labour shortages, the City of Brandon and the provincial government, have launched a new immigration initiative. Specifically, the program aims to attract skilled workers in areas such as health-care, construction and manufacturing. Another goal is to bring in more business investment.
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The Manitoba government has unveiled a new safety strategy it says will address violent crime and retail theft across the province. It includes more money for police officers and hiring 100 new mental health workers – and for
Westman residents, a new Centre for Justice in Dauphin.
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Brandon has seen a decrease in the number of crimes this year. A Brandon Police report says Criminal Code violations were down 2%. The most commonly reported types of crimes were thefts and break-ins followed by weapons offences, breaching probation and assaults.
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It’s amazing how far some people will go to get an insurance payout. Four guys were busted in California for reportedly dressing up in a bear costume and damaging several high-end cars. They shared videos with the insurance company, which hired a wildfire expert who said it was ‘clearly a human in a bear suit’. Police later found the bear costume in the suspects’ home, complete with a bear head, a full fur suit, paws and metal hand tools designed to simulate claws.
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A lack of vaccine coverage in some of the world’s poorest countries, and those dealing with conflict, has led to a 20% increase in measles last year – about 10.3-million cases. Health experts say vaccine hesitancy, which has risen since the pandemic, has also played a role.
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Here’s a story about another priceless doorstop. A sculpture of an early 18th century Scottish land-owner, purchased for just $6 and being used to keep a shed door open, could sell for more than $3.2-million. Back in 2018, a rock that was used as a doorstop at Central Michigan University for three decades turned out to be a meteorite. It later sold for $75,000.
