-It’s Day 2 of The 17th annual Multicultural festival in Brandon; celebrating countries and cultures from around the world. 11 pavilions on tap including: Colombia, Nigeria, Palestine and the Hispanic Association of Manitoba were added to the festival last year. For the latest information and locations: Go to globalpavillion.ca
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-Brandon is seeing a surge in new home construction. Developers are rushing to secure permits before development cost charges are expected to rise this year. The City of Brandon issued permits for 75 per cent more dwelling units last year, compared to the year before. New rates could take effect in 2 years time.
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-A new 24/7 public washroom will be built downtown at the site of the Transit Information Centre, soon. The Brandon Sun says the total cost of the vandal-proof facility is about $529 thousand dollars. It is being funded through city reserves and will not affect the budget increase of 6.7 per cent. The city will now prepare tender documents before a final review, presented to council, likely next month.
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-RCMP are still searching for a 39-year-old man they say is armed and dangerous, after he abducted a 20-year-old woman from Pimicikamak Cree Nation. RCMP used the Alert Ready system just after 11:00 AM Thursday, for Pimicikamak Cree Nation and surrounding areas, as they searched for 39-year-old Joshua Paupanekis. Police say Paupanekis is six feet tall, weighing about 185 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He is considered armed and dangerous, and should not be approached.
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-Prime Minister Mark Carney’s plan to boost defense spending by 5 per cent by 2035 could add $63 billion dollars to our deficit. This, according to the Parliamentary Budget Watchdog. A report released Thursday estimates meeting NATO’s target would cost an extra $33.5 billion dollars a year and put Canada significantly further into debt. The Liberal Government says higher defense spending is necessary to meet alliance commitments, as critics warn of long-term risks.
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-The world will be watching in a matter of hours, as the 2026 Winter Olympics kick off in Milano and Cortina. Mariah Carey will perform at the opening ceremonies at 1pm. 4 Manitoba athletes are competing, Jocelyn Larocque and Kati Tabin on the women’s hockey team, with Mark Stone and Travis Sanheim playing for the men’s hockey team. The U.S. will have the most athletes with 235 on Team USA, Canada is second with 211 athletes, followed by Italy with 195. Athletes will be competing in 116 events in 16 Olympic disciplines and there are eight new events debuting at the Winter Olympics.
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-The city of Brandon is creating its first comprehensive tourism strategy to attract more visitors and boost the economy. Council put $60 thousand dollars into funding research and planning, focusing on partnerships, experimental tourism, and accommodations for major events. Event organizers stress the need for more hotels and collaborations to support large-scale events like Manitoba Ag Days and Dakota Nation Winterfest.
