Advance polls in the federal election will be open today for one final day. You can vote until 9:00 pm. The location of your poll can be found on your Voter Information Card – or at Elections Canada On-line – Élections Canada en ligne General election day is next Monday, April 28th.
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Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is in Toronto today to make an announcement following a weekend trip to BC. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is still in BC making campaign stops in Nanaimo, Comox and Port Moody – and Liberal Leader Mark Carney will start the final week of the campaign in Prince Edward Island.
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In a recent survey – the Liberals reportedly had a six-point advantage over the Conservatives. The Nanos poll was conducted on April 16th, 17th and 19th. The Liberals were at 43% voter support, the Tories at 37% – and
the NDP at 11%. Conservative support is the strongest in the Prairies.
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Brandon councillors will decide on Tuesday whether a 28-unit apartment building gets the go ahead on 26th Street. If the rezoning is approved, a three-storey building would go up beside Giant Tiger, and contain 12 one-bedroom suites, 12 three-bedroom units – and 4 two-bedroom apartments.
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Brandon police charged a 24-year-old woman with several offences on Saturday. Police say she allegedly stole a car from a friend, used it to try and pin another woman against a building – and also attempted to assault the woman with a knife. The suspect was also charged with impaired driving.
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It was an escalation in violence that forced the closure of Brandon’s Blue Door drop-in centre on 9th Street last week. Police say in the last two months, they responded to 25 calls for reports of assaults at the centre, including one that led to the death of a woman; also weapons-related offences and overdoses. The centre had provided laundry services, access to food, a public washroom and a shower for about 80 people daily.
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The province has issued a flood watch for the Assiniboine River from Shellmouth to Brandon. The Hydrologic Forecast Centre says spring runoff is either underway or nearly completed in most basins in southern Manitoba. The alert is expected to stay in place for one week.
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Many of us are banking on tax refunds to help pay down mounting debt. A new report says 55% of Canadians are carrying some form of financial debt. Last year, the CRA received more than 33 million tax returns, and issued more than 19 million refunds. The average was just under $2,300.
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Nearly 14,000 Ford and Lincoln vehicles are being recalled over potential brake-fluid leaks. The expanded recall affects 2017 Ford F-150s, 2017 and 2018 Ford Expeditions – and 2017 and 2018 Lincoln Navigators. Transport Canada says Ford will notify owners by mail.
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Pope Francis, history’s first Latin American pontiff, had died at the age of 88. He charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor – but alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change. His most lasting impact in Canada will likely be his apology for the legacy of residential schools. In the 2021 Census, nearly 11 million Canadians identified as Catholic – second only to those without a religious affiliation.
