A 77-year-old Brandon woman died in a two-vehicle crash on Saturday. RCMP say a truck hit an SUV at the intersection of Highway 1 and Provincial Road 250 in the RM of Whitehead. A 78-year-old passenger in the SUV suffered critical injuries. Two women in the truck were not hurt.
———-
A Brandon company that had been providing daily road trips to Winnipeg has shutdown. In a social media post, the owners of Westman Shuttle say there was not enough demand. The company had offered one way and round trips to various Winnipeg locations including the airport and shopping centres.
———-
It’s getting tougher for small Canadian businesses as consumers cut back on spending. Equifax says more than 286,000 companies missed at least one credit payment in the last quarter – up 5.6%. Those in retail, food services, and arts and entertainment have been hit the hardest.
———-
Your Tim Hortons double-double might soon come with a side of Canadian Tire money. Under a new partnership launching sometime next year, customers who link their Triangle and Tims Rewards accounts will earn Canadian Tire money on eligible purchases at the restaurant chain. No word yet on what kinds of offers shoppers will see.
———-
A Carberry RCMP officer will not face charges after shooting and wounding a woman who had been walking in traffic on the Trans-Canada back in May. The Independent Investigation Unit has wrapped up its case. The woman, who was also carrying an edged weapon, was shot after resisting arrest.
———-
A housing development that dates back to the 1990’s is reportedly starting up again in Forrest just north of Brandon. Once infrastructure work is completed on the property this fall, it’s hoped construction of nine homes and 4 duplexes can begin next year.
———-
Most of Manitoba’s early childhood educators are satisfied with their jobs and have a high sense of accomplishment, but there are several areas that need improvement. A Manitoba Child Care Association survey found that while wage levels have gotten better, more needs to be done to improve staffing and job training.
———-
Parliament resumed on Monday, and Liberal and Conservative MP’s wasted little time in attacking each other over housing and the cost of living. The first ever Question Period between Prime Minister Mark Carney and Tory leader Pierre Poilievre started nicely before turning belligerent. This spring, the two parties showed they can work together when they passed the major projects bill.
———-
Prime minister Mark Carney has a busy day – he’s meeting with his cabinet, Saskatchewan premier Scott Moe and canola industry leaders. Moe and Carney’s parliamentary secretary were in China last week discussing that
country’s steep tariffs on Canadian canola products.
———-
Maybe we should be talking to strangers more often. A lonely grad student in Toronto says a ‘tiny micro-relationship’ she had with a woman who ran a hot dog stand led to her research on interacting with strangers. She says brief interactions with those we don’t know are beneficial to mental health and lead to feelings of belonging. There’s now a national campaign encouraging connectivity called ‘GenWell.’
———-
Actor and Oscar-winning director Robert Redford died early this morning at his home in Utah. He was 89. Some of his biggest films include ‘The Sting’, ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’, and ‘All the President’s Men’.
Younger audiences would know him from ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’ in which he played the villain ‘Pierce’.
