Scare Away Hungers sees surge in visitors and donations

The Scare Away Hunger, Cedar Hollow Halloween tradition, has surpassed last year’s totals in all three categories.

The event, which is the fifth in Brandon, attracted 1,833 people this year, up from 1,608 in 2025, while food donations increased to 3,703 items from 3,013.

It also raised $748.25 in cash donations, compared with $603 last year. The donations will go to Samaritan House to support people in need in the community.

The event also benefited from increased community involvement, including a larger volunteer force and donations of equipment and decorations that allowed the haunted house to expand, co-organizer Mike Mitchell said.

Manitoba Ag Ex tagged ‘huge success’

The Manitoba Ag Ex wrapped up its four-day run Saturday with organizers calling this year’s version of the province’s largest all-breeds cattle show a “huge success.”

The annual event, held Oct. 28 to 31 at the Assiniboine Credit Union Agricultural Centre, featured the Limousin National Show, sheep competitions, livestock judging and a range of agricultural and commercial exhibitors.

Trade show was well received, with visitors moving through the halls throughout the event, The Manitoba Ag Ex co-chair Tracey Wilcox said.

“We had over 500 head entered this year with the national Limousin show, which went off without a hitch” Wilcox told the Sun after the show on Saturday.

Tricked out for Halloween

» Photos by Abiola Odutola/The Brandon Sun

Manitoba presses Ottawa on international student decline

Manitoba has asked the federal government to reconsider immigration policies affecting international students coming to Canada.

The province needs international students because of the province’s labour-market demands and the contribution newcomers make to communities, Advanced Education Minister Renee Cable said.

“I am hopeful that the new Carney government will reconsider a number of the decisions that they’ve made around immigration,” Cable said during Assiniboine College’s fall graduation ceremony in Brandon.

“Specifically in the post-secondary space for folks who are coming here for skilled trades graduate programs, we know that our labour market needs them. We know that our communities need them, and we know that our communities are richer when we have a more diverse community of folks in them.”

Commonwealth meeting offers Carney a chance to boost diplomatic ties, experts say

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Mark Carney is heading to Antigua and Barbuda on Monday, where he will have a chance to engage with heads of government from other Commonwealth countries — and with King Charles.

Much of the meetings taking place this week will focus on trade and investment. But the gathering also offers a chance for Carney to meet with representatives from a wide variety of countries he might not otherwise visit, said retired Canadian diplomat Patricia Fortier.

“Fifty-six countries, Caribbean, Europe, Africa, North America, Indo-Pacific — this is like a diplomatic feast,” she said.

Commonwealth members include large countries like the United Kingdom, Australia, India and Nigeria, and many of the world’s smallest countries — such as Tuvalu, a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean with a population of about 10,000.

Veteran who lost daughter in military training exercise named Silver Cross Mother

A veteran whose daughter died during a military training exercise in 2002 has been named the 2026 National Silver Cross Mother.

The Royal Canadian Legion says Virginia Hicks will place a wreath at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on Nov. 11, an annual tradition on behalf of Canadian mothers who have lost a child serving in the Canadian military.

Hicks’ daughter Mariebeth Short died on Sept. 23, 2002 during a training exercise in Petawawa, Ont., when the light armoured vehicle she was training in rolled over.

The Royal Canadian Legion says Hicks’ family has a long history of military service and she served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 29 years, working in supply and logistics.

Liberals out-fundraise Conservatives by almost $1M in third quarter of 2026

OTTAWA - The Liberal Party surpassed the Conservatives in fundraising by almost $1 million in the third quarter of 2026, says Elections Canada.

Records published by Elections Canada show the Conservatives raised $3.9 million, while the Liberals raised $4.9 million.

In the second quarter of the year, the Conservatives raised $5 million, while the Liberals raised $4.3 million.

When asked at a press conference Sunday about being surpassed by the Liberals in fundraising, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre accused Prime Minister Mark Carney of "using the corporate powerbrokers that he's paying off" with tax dollars.

Prime Minister Mark Carney calls six federal byelections for December

OTTAWA - Voters in six federal ridings in Quebec, Ontario and Saskatchewan will be heading to the polls Dec. 7, after Prime Minister Mark Carney called byelections Sunday.

A press release from the Prime Minister’s Office says byelections will take place in three Quebec ridings, including Laurier—Sainte-Marie, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie and Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton, where seats were previously held by the Liberals, the NDP and the Bloc Québécois respectively. 

The remaining byelections are for Ontario ridings Brantford—Brant South and Scarborough North, along with Saskatchewan riding Yorkton—Melville.

The Conservatives held seats in Yorkton—Melville and Brantford—Brant South, while the seat in Scarborough North belonged to the Liberals.

Trump says U.S., Canada have the ‘concept of a very good deal’

OTTAWA - U.S. President Donald Trump says Canada and the United States have "the concept of a very good deal."

Speaking to reporters in Iowa on Sunday, Trump said the countries were "very close" to reaching a trade deal.

"We've been losing money for many years with Canada," he said. "We have the concept of a deal that's going to be great for our farmers, great for our country and it'll be fine for Canada too."

Prime Minister Mark Carney said on social media Sunday that he had a "good conversation" with Trump on the future of trade between the two countries.

Political betrayal, Canada trade war: Why Michigan is a Senate race to watch

DETROIT - Michelle Taylor gasped and shook her head in disbelief.

Outside a church where she was waiting to hear Democrat Abdul El-Sayed speak on Sunday, the longtime Detroit resident watched an unimaginable party fracture in a race that could ultimately decide who controls power on Capitol Hill.

El-Sayed's former opponent in the U.S. Senate primary, Haley Stevens, endorsed Republican Mike Rogers with just less than 48 hours to go before election day.

"It's all about being bigger than your ego," Taylor said shaking her head, looking at Stevens' social media endorsement minutes after it was posted. "And for her to do that is really a slap in the face to the Democrats."