Brandon fire officials and police continue to investigate an arson fire at a boarded-up house in the 400 block of 8th Street on Sunday morning. Police say someone got in through a second floor window, and there were multiple points of ignition.
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B.C. Wildfire crews are expected to join Manitoba responders today in battling the province’s largest out-of-control blaze north of The Pas. The fire, one of two in the area, was first detected on May 3rd and has grown to over
20,000 hectares in size in just a few days. Dozens of people remain evacuated.
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Is there a fire ban in place in Brandon? The fire department says the city has a fire ban all year, regardless of the conditions. Open fires and fireworks are not allowed, unless you get a permit – and right now they’re not being issued. Fire pits are allowed, but must be approved by the fire department.
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The Brandon Police Service has been consulting with people who live and work in the downtown to create a safety strategy. The meetings were organized in response to rising incidents of violence. One idea is a ‘Safewalk’ program in which police cadets can be called to escort you to your vehicle, for example.
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A public hearing is scheduled for next month to discuss changes to the City of Brandon’s development cost charges. The city is looking to increase charges developers pay to help cover infrastructure costs. The construction association has warned the increases would push up rents in the city.
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For the second time this year, the Manitoba government has welcomed a child from Gaza in need of health care. The kindergarten-aged boy and some family members were flown to Winnipeg after being screened by international non-profit workers and the federal government. An 11-year-old Palestinian boy, who received medical-care in the province this past winter, is doing well.
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A new study has found that parenthood can protect your brain from some effects of aging – and with each additional child, the effect gets stronger. The benefits come from the experience of parenting rather than biological changes from pregnancy – so being a parent is good for dad as well.
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What do you think about the sound of kids playing in playgrounds? For some it’s joyous…for others: a nuisance. In Amsterdam, there’s a move to have bylaws changed so people CANNOT complain about the noise from playgrounds during regular hours – a sound that should be encouraged. In Canada recently, a Calgary family said their cranky neighbour installed an alarm that went off every time their kids played in the yard – and in Ottawa, bylaws officers cracked down on roadside basketball and hockey nets.
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Prime Minister Mark Carney will be sworn in and unveil his new cabinet on Tuesday. We’ll find out which Liberal rookies or high-profile Carney recruits snag cabinet posts – and if any Trudeau-era ministers will be shuffled out. Once everyone’s sworn in, they’ll have two weeks to get up to speed before Parliament convenes.
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‘Thunderbolts’ and ‘Sinners’ dominated the North American box office charts again this weekend. ‘Thunderbolts’ took first place bringing its global total to $272-million. In just two weekends, it’s already the fourth biggest movie of the year. The horror film ‘Sinners’ was second crossing the $200-million mark. Rounding out the Top 5 were ‘A Minecraft Movie’. ‘The Accountant 2’ and ‘Clown in a Cornfield’.
