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ER assault; mailboxes pried; Killarney drug bust

2 minute read Preview

ER assault; mailboxes pried; Killarney drug bust

2 minute read 3:00 AM CDT

Assault with a weapon in ER

A 50-year-old woman was arrested on Thursday after allegedly striking a 27-year-old in the back while in the emergency department of the Brandon Regional Health Centre.

Police went to the emergency department after security staff detained the woman, who allegedly used a metal object to strike the victim in the back. The two did not know each other, police say.

The victim did not report any injuries.

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3:00 AM CDT

Brandon Police Service.
Brandon Police Service.

Woman admits trying to kill former partner

By Geena Mortfield 3 minute read Preview

Woman admits trying to kill former partner

By Geena Mortfield 3 minute read 3:00 AM CDT

A 28-year-old Brandon woman has pleaded guilty to attempted murder for stabbing her former partner last year.

Andrea Solis Cordoba entered her plea in Brandon court earlier this week. Her lawyer, Tony Kavanagh, read an agreed statement of facts about the stabbing to the court.

On March 18, 2023, Cordoba’s former partner was picking her up at the address where she lived with her mother to take her to the mall, as they had an appointment for her children.

They were standing in the yard, where her children were present. Cordoba had concealed a kitchen knife in her clothing.

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The Brandon courthouse on 11th Street.
The Brandon courthouse on 11th Street.

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Graduates ham it up for photos after Brandon University’s convocation for the faculty of health studies at the BU Healthy Living Centre on Friday morning. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)

Nursing grads eager to enter public system

By Abiola Odutola 4 minute read 3:00 AM CDT

The final day of Brandon University’s 2024 convocation ceremonies saw a wave of excitement and anticipation as 113 faculty of health studies graduates received their degrees on Friday morning at the university’s Healthy Living Centre.

The afternoon ceremony had 134 graduates from the faculty of arts.

Amid the nursing shortage in Manitoba, which has about 3,000 vacant positions to fill, the graduates shared their thoughts on transitioning into the public system, their hopes and their future.

Oluchukwu Gladness Chijioke, a bachelor of nursing graduate, expressed enthusiasm and disbelief.

Comedian bringing new ‘Ostrich’ tour to Brandon

By Michele McDougall 4 minute read Preview

Comedian bringing new ‘Ostrich’ tour to Brandon

By Michele McDougall 4 minute read 3:00 AM CDT

Canadian comedian Derek Edwards says he appreciates people who can bury their head in the sand and carry on living — and that is why he called his new comedy tour “In Praise of the Ostrich.”

Edwards is bringing his hour-and-a-half show to the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium in Brandon next Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

“I admire people who can go on with the ignorance-is-bliss way of living,” said Edwards. “And ostriches are the prime example,” he added with a laugh.

“It will be comedy, an escape hatch from reality. You can forget all your cares and we’ll just have a great chuckle and move on a nice cathartic sigh. And afterwards, a good night’s snooze,” Edwards told the Sun from his home in Toronto.

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Canadian comedian Derek Edwards will be in Brandon next Thursday to kick off his 10-city cross-country “In Praise of the Ostrich” tour. (Submitted)
Canadian comedian Derek Edwards will be in Brandon next Thursday to kick off his 10-city cross-country “In Praise of the Ostrich” tour. (Submitted)

2024 graduates chart their paths to success

By Abiola Odutola 4 minute read Preview

2024 graduates chart their paths to success

By Abiola Odutola 4 minute read 3:00 AM CDT

Richard Waldner described his journey from a Hutterite colony to Brandon University and beyond as a testament to resilience and determination.

Leaving his colony with just $20, Waldner said he is the first Hutterite in Manitoba to earn a bachelor of arts with honours in political science.

“Politics is almost a forbidden topic in Hutterite communities,” Waldner told the Sun during the university’s annual convocation ceremony on Friday.

Pursuing education was not without its challenges, he said, relying on student aid and a flexible job at Birch Law, which helped pay his rent and was his saving grace.

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Enoch Ouskun walks into the convocation hall on Friday. (Photos by Abiola Odutola/The Brandon Sun)
Enoch Ouskun walks into the convocation hall on Friday. (Photos by Abiola Odutola/The Brandon Sun)

Dog owners face hurdles going to U.S.

By Matt Goerzen 8 minute read Preview

Dog owners face hurdles going to U.S.

By Matt Goerzen 8 minute read 3:00 AM CDT

New canine import regulations coming into force in the United States later this year are causing Westman dog owners, breeders and dog show competitors to rethink their travel plans south of the border.

Under new requirements announced by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month, dogs entering the United States as of Aug. 1, 2024 will have to be at least six months old, appear healthy, have an implanted International Organization for Standardization (ISO)-compatible microchip, and have a completed CDC Dog Import form receipt.

As well, dog owners who have spent the last six months prior to crossing the border into the U.S. in only rabies-free or low-risk countries, such as Canada, will still need an additional form proving the dog is arriving from a DMRVV-free or low-risk country, and have it certified by their regular veterinarian as well as a veterinarian with the Canadian Food and Inspection Agency.

Currently dog owners are only required to have an up-to-date rabies vaccination certification at the border crossing when travelling into the U.S.

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Brandon dog show competitor Julie Ross with her Brittany spaniel Fergus, after a dog field test trial in Alberta. (Courtesy Julie Ross)
Brandon dog show competitor Julie Ross with her Brittany spaniel Fergus, after a dog field test trial in Alberta. (Courtesy Julie Ross)

Agriculture takes centre stage at career fair

By Michele McDougall 4 minute read Preview

Agriculture takes centre stage at career fair

By Michele McDougall 4 minute read 3:00 AM CDT

Maitri Patel, a Grade 11 student at Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School, has been to career fairs before, but she said the one held in her school’s gymnasium on Friday was “definitely different.”

“It wasn’t like the one where you just stand around and pick up brochures. This is a brand-new initiative with Agriculture in the Classroom,” Patel said. “They have hands-on activities for the students to get them interested in things like showing grains through microscopes and explaining a strawberry’s DNA. It’s pretty cool.”

Patel was one of about 1,200 students who experienced the EngAGed Career Fair held at Crocus Plains, hosted by Agriculture in the Classroom-Manitoba, a non-profit, charitable organization.

AITC-M develops programs linked to school curriculums — and distributes resources and activities for teachers and students — focused on the importance of agriculture in Manitoba.

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Students from Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School take part in a career fair hosted by Agriculture in the Classroom-Manitoba in the school’s gymnasium on Friday. The career fair was designed to let students know about the diverse career opportunities available in the agriculture and supporting food industries. From left: Ayomide Buhari (Grade 11), Nivedita Joseph (Grade 10), Maitri Patel (Grade 11) and Inara Innes (Grade 12). (Michele McDougall/The Brandon Sun)
Students from Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School take part in a career fair hosted by Agriculture in the Classroom-Manitoba in the school’s gymnasium on Friday. The career fair was designed to let students know about the diverse career opportunities available in the agriculture and supporting food industries. From left: Ayomide Buhari (Grade 11), Nivedita Joseph (Grade 10), Maitri Patel (Grade 11) and Inara Innes (Grade 12). (Michele McDougall/The Brandon Sun)

Berlin lets Ukraine use German weapons against targets in Russia after the US also eases its stance

Illia Novikov, Matthew Lee And Karel Janicek, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Berlin lets Ukraine use German weapons against targets in Russia after the US also eases its stance

Illia Novikov, Matthew Lee And Karel Janicek, The Associated Press 5 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 8:35 AM CDT

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Germany joined the United States on Friday in authorizing Ukraine to hit some targets on Russian soil with the long-range weapons they are supplying — a significant policy change that comes as depleted Ukrainian troops are losing ground in the war.

Ukrainian officials have expressed frustration over restrictions on the use of Western weapons — especially as the border region of Kharkiv has endured a Russian onslaught this month that has stretched Kyiv's outgunned and outmanned forces.

Both Germany and the U.S. specifically authorized the use of weapons to defend Kharkiv, whose capital city of the same name lies only 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Russia. Russian ballistic missiles slammed into an apartment building in the city overnight, Ukrainian officials said, killing at least five people.

Beyond offering Ukraine a chance of better protecting Kharkiv by targeting Russian capabilities in the region, it’s not clear what effect the easing of restrictions might have on the direction of the conflict in what is proving to be a critical period. But it drew a furious response from Moscow and warnings it could draw Russia into war with NATO.

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Updated: Yesterday at 8:35 AM CDT

Firefighters put out a fire an apartment building damaged in the Russian missile attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Friday, May, 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrii Marienko)
Firefighters put out a fire an apartment building damaged in the Russian missile attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Friday, May, 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrii Marienko)

Joyride in Bobcat nets 9-month sentence

By Geena Mortfield 3 minute read Preview

Joyride in Bobcat nets 9-month sentence

By Geena Mortfield 3 minute read Yesterday at 3:00 AM CDT

A Brandon man will spend nine months behind bars after taking a Bobcat vehicle from the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba for a joyride to the golf course last month.

Robert Bylo pleaded guilty in court on Thursday to theft over $5,000 for taking the Bobcat machine from the Provincial Ex grounds. He also pleaded guilty to mischief for smashing a window at The Town Centre mall and failing to comply with his probation. Both the Crown and defence agreed on a nine-month sentence for the theft.

Crown attorney Ron Toews read the evidence for the charges in court.

In April, police received a report of a theft from the general manager of the Provincial Ex. Sometime between April 5 and the morning of April 6, a Bobcat side-by-side utility vehicle was stolen from the Keystone Centre grounds.

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Yesterday at 3:00 AM CDT

The Brandon courthouse on 11th Street.
The Brandon courthouse on 11th Street.

Byelection blackout won’t stop the party

By Matt Goerzen 3 minute read Preview

Byelection blackout won’t stop the party

By Matt Goerzen 3 minute read Yesterday at 3:00 AM CDT

A byelection blackout may have prevented any provincial funding announcement for the Park Community Centre project this weekend — if there was to be one — but that won’t stop the party when the community comes together for Concert at the Park tomorrow afternoon.

While on the campaign trail last summer, NDP Leader Wab Kinew promised to rebuild the Park Community Centre with a new child-care facility, should he win government. The then-Opposition leader pledged to invest up to $1 million to demolish and rebuild the centre.

As part of the Manitoba NDP’s first budget this past April following the 2023 provincial election, the Kinew government showed it intended to fulfil that million-dollar campaign promise as part of an increase of $4 million in new annual funding for sport and cultural organizations.

The bottom of the poster for the Concert at the Park event notes that the Park Community Centre has “just received provincial funding for the new community centre and daycare,” and suggested the concert would be a celebratory event.

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Yesterday at 3:00 AM CDT

A byelection blackout may have postponed a provincial funding announcement for a new centre, but a concert at the Park Community Centre Saturday afternoon is going ahead. (File)

A byelection blackout may have postponed a provincial funding announcement for a new centre, but a concert at the Park Community Centre Saturday afternoon is going ahead. (File)

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BU graduates ready for ‘great things’

By Abiola Odutola 5 minute read Preview

BU graduates ready for ‘great things’

By Abiola Odutola 5 minute read Yesterday at 3:00 AM CDT

Brandon University celebrated the graduation of 316 students during the first day of its annual convocation ceremonies on Thursday at the Healthy Living Centre.

The morning ceremony for the Faculty of Science and School of Music was filled with joy and applause as parents, families and friends honoured the achievements of the Class of 2024.

BU president David Docherty expressed his delight at the success of the graduates, adding it is also a time to recognize the people who helped them achieve this milestone.

“I believe our graduates will do great things because they are very dedicated individuals,” he told the Sun. “We have graduates in science who will help address critical issues, and we have graduates in music who will inspire us emotionally and intellectually. We also have educators, those in health care, followed by graduates in the humanities and social sciences graduating.”

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Yesterday at 3:00 AM CDT

Graduates enter the BU Healthy Living Centre for Brandon University’s convocation for the Faculty of Education on Thursday. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)
Graduates enter the BU Healthy Living Centre for Brandon University’s convocation for the Faculty of Education on Thursday. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)

‘Unprecedented’: Human smuggling from B.C. to U.S. soars, using train, Uber and foot

Darryl Greer, The Canadian Press 7 minute read Preview

‘Unprecedented’: Human smuggling from B.C. to U.S. soars, using train, Uber and foot

Darryl Greer, The Canadian Press 7 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 12:03 PM CDT

VANCOUVER - In November last year, American border agents ordered that a freight train crossing into the U.S. be halted.

Homeland Security agent David Spitzer said in an affidavit that 13 Mexican nationals were discovered and many "attempted to abscond after the train was ordered to stop."

But the scene didn't take place on the U.S. border with Mexico — it unfolded just south of Vancouver, where American prosecutors and law enforcement officers say they're dealing with a huge increase in human smuggling from British Columbia.

American officials say organized crime groups have employed a variety of methods to move their human cargo, such as hiding people among plastic pellets in freight trains or having them cross the border on foot, as well as racking up tens of thousands of dollars in Uber bills to transport them once across the border.

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Updated: Yesterday at 12:03 PM CDT

Motorists wait at U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspection booths at the Peace Arch border crossing in Blaine, Wash., across the Canada-U.S. border from Surrey, B.C., on Monday, November 8, 2021. A U.S. crackdown on foot crossings is taking place at Peace Arch Park, the unfenced park that straddles the border, in response to the increased operations of what U.S. Customs and Border Protection called "transnational criminal organizations." THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Motorists wait at U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspection booths at the Peace Arch border crossing in Blaine, Wash., across the Canada-U.S. border from Surrey, B.C., on Monday, November 8, 2021. A U.S. crackdown on foot crossings is taking place at Peace Arch Park, the unfenced park that straddles the border, in response to the increased operations of what U.S. Customs and Border Protection called

‘Blessing of the Wheels’ for good cause

1 minute read Preview

‘Blessing of the Wheels’ for good cause

1 minute read Yesterday at 3:00 AM CDT

The Road Rebels held their annual Blessing of the Wheels car show on Thursday, getting their cars blessed while contributing to a good cause.

The car show and barbecue that followed the blessing was held to raise money for the Anglican Memorial Camp.

Bishop Rachel Parker said the funding will go toward sending kids to camp for the summer and general improvements.

“It’s a camp that allows kids who couldn’t otherwise go to camp in the summer to have an experience of being on the lake,” she said.

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Yesterday at 3:00 AM CDT
‘Blessing of the Wheels’ for good cause

Liberal government’s own polling said Canadians worried about drug decriminalization

Stephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Preview

Liberal government’s own polling said Canadians worried about drug decriminalization

Stephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 2:22 PM CDT

OTTAWA - Months before British Columbia sought to scale back its drug decriminalization pilot project, the federal government's own polling suggested to officials that a majority of Canadians believed the policy would lead to an increase in overdoses.

The results of the 11-page survey by the Privy Council Office, the wing of the federal bureaucracy that supports the Prime Minister's Office, also suggests Canadians were split over whether decriminalization would make their community any less safe.

"I guess what people are thinking is that (decriminalization) will somehow enable drug use," said Thomas Kerr, a professor and head of the division of social medicine at the University of British Columbia and the director of research at the B.C. Centre on Substance Use.

Similar opinions were expressed over supervised drug consumption sites and even needle exchanges, Kerr says, adding that fears they would lead to increased use didn't play out "in reality."

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Updated: Yesterday at 2:22 PM CDT

Months before British Columbia sought to scale back its drug decriminalization pilot, the federal government's own polling suggested to officials that a majority of Canadians believed the policy would lead to an increase in overdoses. Photographs of overdose victims are displayed as members of Moms Stop the Harm mark International Overdose Awareness Day, in Vancouver, B.C., Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Months before British Columbia sought to scale back its drug decriminalization pilot, the federal government's own polling suggested to officials that a majority of Canadians believed the policy would lead to an increase in overdoses. Photographs of overdose victims are displayed as members of Moms Stop the Harm mark International Overdose Awareness Day, in Vancouver, B.C., Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Teen with machete; theft; traffic stop

By Geena Mortfield 2 minute read Preview

Teen with machete; theft; traffic stop

By Geena Mortfield 2 minute read Yesterday at 3:00 AM CDT

Possession of weapon for a dangerous purpose

Three teens were arrested for allegedly possessing a machete in the Meadows area on Wednesday evening.

Around 5:40 p.m., police received a report that multiple individuals were chasing a person with a machete in Buttercup Bay. Police located four male teens in the area matching the description.

Police say one of the teens was not involved in the incident and the person who was being chased refused to co-operate with officers.

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Yesterday at 3:00 AM CDT

Brandon Police Service
Brandon Police Service

WestJet Encore pilots reach tentative agreement

By Abiola Odutola 2 minute read Preview

WestJet Encore pilots reach tentative agreement

By Abiola Odutola 2 minute read Yesterday at 3:00 AM CDT

WestJet Encore and the union representing its pilots reached a new tentative agreement on Thursday, averting possible job action as early as this weekend.

The move came one day after the pilots issued a 72-hour strike notice after they rejected an earlier tentative agreement.

Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) master executive council chair Carin Kenny said the agreement successfully averts a work stoppage and both parties await the second ratification vote to be put forward to membership.

“After our pilots rejected the tentative agreement presented to them last month, citing the WestJet Group’s failure to address issues of central importance to the pilot group, we are very pleased to announce we have reached a new tentative agreement with management which addresses those issues,” Kenny said.

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WestJet Encore WestJet Encore and the union representing its pilots have reached a new tentative agreement. (FILE)
WestJet Encore WestJet Encore and the union representing its pilots have reached a new tentative agreement. (FILE)

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