A ground-breaking ceremony was held Monday for a new indoor Pickleball facility in downtown Brandon – the $3-million Wheat City Tennis and Pickleball Hub is expected to be completed by the summer of 2025. The 40,000-square-foot building on Pacific Avenue will feature 14 pickleball courts, change rooms, showers, an exercise room, a hot tub and sauna – and a cold plunge.
———-
The union for striking Canada Post workers has reportedly dropped its wage demand to 19% over four years. It’s counter proposals also include a cost-of-living allowance, and more job protections, but Canada Post says the proposals don’t bring the two sides any closer together. The strike is now in its 4th week.
———-
Starting tomorrow for 48 hours, Purolator and UPS will temporarily suspend shipments from some courier companies, like eShipper, so they can catch up. The two companies say they face a backlog of deliveries because of the on-going Canada Post strike. Fedex is also affected and now has a 5 package drop-off limit in place.
———-
CN Rail has reportedly reached a tentative new contract with Unifor, the union representing nearly 3,300 mechanical, clerical, and intermodal workers. The four-year deal is expected to be ratified in the coming weeks.
———-
CN is investigating after eleven train cars left the tracks closing Highway 16 just northwest of Portage Monday morning. RCMP say the cars came completely off the tracks, but none were carrying dangerous goods – and no-one was hurt.
———-
Three people from Brandon were arrested during a traffic stop on Highway 16 outside Russell last Thursday. Mounties say they were arrested after drugs were seen in the vehicle. The driver, 34-year-old Kacey Packham along
with two male passengers, aged 29 and 50, were charged with trafficking.
———-
The deadline is today for Members of Parliament to approve a $21.6-billion government spending bill. Some of the money will fund the First Nations child and family services program, but it’s uncertain if the vote will even take place. Parliament has been paralyzed for months as the Conservatives press the Liberals to hand over documents relating to misspending on a green-tech fund.
———-
Google has released the top searches by Canadians in 2024 – and the solar eclipse was number one. Trending questions included “What time is the solar eclipse?” and “why can’t you look at a solar eclipse?” U.S. politics, the Euro Cup, various natural disasters, strikes and celebrities like Kate Middleton also made the list.