Brandon Sun – Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada

Ryden Hargreaves of the Brandon Bobcats leaps to put the ball over the net during a match against the University of Winnipeg Wesmen at the Brandon University Healthy Living Centre on Friday afternoon. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)

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City unions call for third-party audit

By Rylee Gerrard 4 minute read Preview

City unions call for third-party audit

By Rylee Gerrard 4 minute read Updated: 12:19 AM CDT

Four unions representing more than 700 City of Brandon employees are calling for a third-party audit after experiencing 18 months of payroll, pension and wage deduction errors.

The four unions representing the employees — Canadian Union of Public Employees local 69, the Brandon Police Association, the Brandon Professional Firefighter Paramedics Association and the Amalgamated Transit Union local 1505 — rarely work together on a single issue.

It might be the first time in the city’s history, said Gage Wood, president of the union that represents firefighters and paramedics in the city.

Wood said the union’s members began experiencing payroll issues in mid-2025 after their contract was re-signed. Members had been either overpaid, undertaxed or charged higher union fees.

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Updated: 12:19 AM CDT

Local

A map showing the boundaries of Ward 1. (City of Brandon)

Shaluk challenges Karrouze for Ward 1 seat

By Alex Lambert 6 minute read Preview

Shaluk challenges Karrouze for Ward 1 seat

By Alex Lambert 6 minute read 12:14 AM CDT

Until election day, The Brandon Sun will be running profiles on each of the city’s 10 electoral wards, asking candidates to identify the most important problems facing their ward.

Incumbent Ward 1 Coun. Heather Karrouze — who faces Ron Shaluk in the Oct. 28 election — says she wants to see more traffic calming measures along Braecrest Avenue to improve pedestrian safety.

Karrouze, 65, said there has been a lot more development near the road in recent years but safety features haven’t kept pace, despite improved pedestrian crossings with flashing lights being installed.

“Although we have a path on the south side, it is human nature to take the easiest, quickest route home, and so we see a lot of pedestrians walking along the north side of Braecrest where there is no sidewalk,” she said.

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12:14 AM CDT

Local

Flowers bloom outside Brandon City Hall. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun files)

Five debates on tap for councillor, mayoral candidates

1 minute read Preview

Five debates on tap for councillor, mayoral candidates

1 minute read 12:09 AM CDT

Brandon residents hoping to hear from municipal candidates before the Oct. 28 election will have the opportunity during five upcoming debates.

The debates — set for Oct. 14 and 21 for councillor candidates and Oct. 16 for mayoral candidates — will be held at Lorne Watson Recital Hall inside Brandon University.

The public debates are being organized by The Brandon Sun, BU and WCGtv.

The first two debates on Wednesday, Oct. 14 will bring together councillor candidates from Ward 5, Ward 2, Ward 3 and Ward 8.

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12:09 AM CDT

Local

Canada Packers president Dennis Organ says the company’s first year was focused on building a successful standalone business while continuing to serve customers, communities and shareholders. (Supplied)

Canada Packers navigates challenging first year

By Abiola Odutola 3 minute read Preview

Canada Packers navigates challenging first year

By Abiola Odutola 3 minute read 2:00 AM CDT

Canada Packers has strengthened its business and laid the foundation for future growth during its first year as an independent company, president Dennis Organ told the Sun.

The Brandon-based pork producer, separated from Maple Leaf Foods in October 2025, established its own leadership, strategy, systems, culture and identity while continuing operations across its hog production farms and regional hog barns in southern and eastern Manitoba.

The company’s first year was focused on building a successful standalone business while continuing to serve customers, communities and shareholders, Organ said.

“Market conditions over the past year have been more challenging than we anticipated when we became a separate entity,” he said in an email. “Despite that, we continued to execute against our priorities, including increasing processing volumes, maintaining disciplined operations and strengthening the business.”

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2:00 AM CDT

Local

Veteran Progressive Conservative MLA Kelvin Goertzen said he’s seen both governing parties hit peaks and valleys. (Greg Vandermeule/The Carillon files)

Khan should’ve taken high road: Goertzen

By Carol Sanders 5 minute read Preview

Khan should’ve taken high road: Goertzen

By Carol Sanders 5 minute read Updated: 10:44 AM CDT

WINNIPEG — The veteran Progressive Conservative who championed Obby Khan’s leadership bid says the former Blue Bomber dropped the ball by dissing his Tory teammates before he stepped down.

“I wouldn’t recommend it, and I didn’t recommend it,” Kelvin Goertzen (Steinbach) said in an interview Friday.

Khan resigned as PC leader and quit the caucus Monday saying some members were secretly plotting his ouster, even after he won a confidence vote on Sept. 25.

On Tuesday, Khan lashed out in a CJOB interview, naming the alleged plotters, saying constituents deserved to know which of their elected representatives “lacked moral integrity.” Khan told the Winnipeg Free Press he was “deeply emotionally hurt,” and felt stabbed in the back.

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Updated: 10:44 AM CDT

Local

The municipality says some focus areas may be targeted at first to trap beavers, and then efforts will be guided by tips and complaints. (Mikaela MacKenzie/Winnipeg Free Press files)

Oakland-Wawanesa to hire trapper to cull beavers

By Connor McDowell Local Journalism Initiative 2 minute read Preview

Oakland-Wawanesa to hire trapper to cull beavers

By Connor McDowell Local Journalism Initiative 2 minute read 12:14 AM CDT

A licensed trapper is expected to start catching beavers in Oakland-Wawanesa this year to reduce the rodent population in the municipality.

Council voted at its Aug. 18 regular meeting to hire a beaver trapper for a set price per year. CAO Joni Swidnicki said the work is expected to cost about $2,500 per year and the municipality is currently working on an agreement with a trapper.

“It’s just a case that there are a number of areas where, even though you destroy the dam at one point, they’re right back at it again a day or two later,” Swidnicki said.

“So (there needs to be) somebody to actually do some extermination.”

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12:14 AM CDT

Local

Dennis Rome is seen in 2020 with an unrelated petition. Rome, a former councillor in Oakland-Wawanesa who opposed the bylaw earlier this year, said he is not surprised that the Manitoba Municipal Board sided with the municipality. (The Brandon Sun files)

Nesbitt public works shop to break ground this month

By Connor McDowell Local Journalism Initiative 4 minute read Preview

Nesbitt public works shop to break ground this month

By Connor McDowell Local Journalism Initiative 4 minute read 12:07 AM CDT

The Municipality of Oakland-Wawanesa will move forward with a new public works shop this year at a cost of $833,702 by introducing a temporary tax on properties.

The public works shop, a 60-by-100-foot structure planned for 54 Main St. in Nesbitt, is expected to break ground this month, CAO Joni Swidnicki said in an interview on Friday.

The project will be funded by a $76.83 special tax on each taxable parcel annually from 2026 to 2035.

The shop will be built through the winter and is anticipated to be completed in March 2027, Swidnicki said.

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12:07 AM CDT

Local

Police say one dead, one critical after crash north of Winnipeg

The Canadian Press 1 minute read Preview

Police say one dead, one critical after crash north of Winnipeg

The Canadian Press 1 minute read Updated: 10:44 AM CDT

GIMLI - Manitoba police say a 22-year-old man has died after a speeding vehicle crashed into his SUV north of Winnipeg.

The crash happened Thursday night north of Gimli on Highway 8, about 50 kilometres from where four teens died in a crash in early September.

RCMP say the 18-year-old driver of the other vehicle was airlifted to hospital with serious life-threatening injuries and is in critical condition.

A passenger in the SUV was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

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Updated: 10:44 AM CDT

Entertainment

People wait for speakers on the main stage at All-In 2026, an artificial intelligence (AI) conference in Montreal, on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

Byline or bot? AI-generated ‘journalists’ start to appear in Canada

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Preview

Byline or bot? AI-generated ‘journalists’ start to appear in Canada

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Updated: 10:44 AM CDT

OTTAWA - Quebec correspondent "Geneviève Tremblay" — who has been reporting on multiple news stories a day lately — seemed to be experiencing a glitch.

She wasn't the only one. All of We News’ reporters and editors seemed to be malfunctioning on Friday, sending out error messages whenever The Canadian Press tried to ask them questions via chat.

That can happen when your "journalists" are — like the virtual staffers at We News — just fake personas generated by artificial intelligence.

AI has infiltrated news media in Canada and around the world. In early September, Nunatsiaq News published a story about an AI persona posing as an Inuk journalist in Nunavut — one of many personas used to repurpose work from legitimate news sources, including The Canadian Press, for We News.

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Updated: 10:44 AM CDT

Business

Actor Michael J. Fox speaks during an interview after being invested as a companion of the Order of Canada at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle

Michael J. Fox laments Canada-U.S. trade war, says people-to-people ties still strong

Nick Murray, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Michael J. Fox laments Canada-U.S. trade war, says people-to-people ties still strong

Nick Murray, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Updated: 10:44 AM CDT

OTTAWA - Michael J. Fox says the state of the Canada-U.S. relationship is "sad" and "pointless" but he believes ties between Americans and Canadians on the "human level" remain strong.

"It's really sad. It's so pointless. And I have to tell you, it doesn't reflect the opinions or the attitudes of virtually any Americans I meet outside of this little cabal of political reactionaries," Fox told The Canadian Press.

"Americans and Canadians still have the same relationship they've always had, no matter how much you try to ratchet it up with the trade war and stuff. It's not filtering down to the human level."

The actor and activist joined 50 other people in Ottawa on Friday for an Order of Canada ceremony. Fox, who was invested as an officer of the Order of Canada in 2010, was promoted to the companion level.

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Updated: 10:44 AM CDT