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The Brandon Police Service station at 10th Street and Victoria Avenue. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun files)

Break and enter; impaired charges after vehicle crashes into fire hydrant

3 minute read Yesterday at 9:20 PM CDT

Break and enter

Police arrested a man on Saturday after receiving a report of a break and enter.

The affected property was on the 500 block of Louise Avenue, and the complainant identified a suspect, the Brandon Police Service said in a news release.

Officers found and arrested a 33-year-old man who was in the area and charged him with breaking and entering to commit mischief.

The Royal Manitoba Winter Fair

Slow start, strong finish for winter fair

By Abiola Odutola 3 minute read Preview

Slow start, strong finish for winter fair

By Abiola Odutola 3 minute read Yesterday at 9:10 PM CDT

The 2026 Royal Manitoba Winter Fair wrapped up in Brandon with organizers calling it a success.

The assessment comes despite early challenges and slightly lower overall attendance.

Fair co-chair Clint Swain, who is also past-president of the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba, said the week began slowly after a Monday snowstorm dampened turnout.

“Attendance rebounded as the week progressed, with the fair seeing record crowds over the holiday weekend,” he told the Sun. “By the end of the week, we were really happy with how things turned out.”

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Yesterday at 9:10 PM CDT

Royal Manitoba Winter Fair Grand Prix title winner Femke Courchaine stands with her horse, Lemonade, shortly after the Memorial Grand Prix in the Assiniboine Credit Union Place main arena on Saturday evening. (Abiola Odutola/The Brandon Sun)
Royal Manitoba Winter Fair Grand Prix title winner Femke Courchaine stands with her horse, Lemonade, shortly after the Memorial Grand Prix in the Assiniboine Credit Union Place main arena on Saturday evening. (Abiola Odutola/The Brandon Sun)

Firefighters hold last funding drive for rescue truck

By Tessa Adamski 3 minute read Preview

Firefighters hold last funding drive for rescue truck

By Tessa Adamski 3 minute read Yesterday at 9:17 PM CDT

A fire department in the Rural Municipality of Wallace-Woodworth is making its last fundraising push for a new rescue unit estimated to cost $110,000.

Community fundraising efforts are off to a “fantastic” start after tickets for the Woodworth Fire Department’s “Fired up Fundraiser” sold out within three hours on Feb. 1, said fire Chief Chris Routledge.

The aim is to raise up to $20,000 toward updating its aging piece of equipment.

“This community is amazing for supporting us and what we do here,” said Routledge, who’s worked as the fire chief for about 10 years.

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Yesterday at 9:17 PM CDT
Firefighters hold last funding drive for rescue truck

‘A banner year’ for Easter egg hunters

By Abiola Odutola 2 minute read Preview

‘A banner year’ for Easter egg hunters

By Abiola Odutola 2 minute read Yesterday at 9:16 PM CDT

Easter weekend was celebrated in Brandon and across Westman with egg hunts and community gatherings offering fun for all ages.

Leading the lineup was Assiniboine College’s ninth annual Easter Eggstravaganza on Saturday at its North Hill campus.

Jana Sproule, academic chair at the Peters School of Business, said the event has grown steadily over the years and saw one of its biggest turnouts yet.

“Each year I kind of take a guess as to how many chocolate bunnies I’m going to need, and this year I might have guessed low,” she said. “More than 500 children took part this year. This feels like a banner year.”

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Yesterday at 9:16 PM CDT

Parents and their children join the line to collect prizes after picking up eggs at Assiniboine College's North Hill campus during the annual Easter Eggstravaganza on Saturday afternoon. (Abiola Odutola/The Brandon Sun)
Parents and their children join the line to collect prizes after picking up eggs at Assiniboine College's North Hill campus during the annual Easter Eggstravaganza on Saturday afternoon. (Abiola Odutola/The Brandon Sun)

Dinosaurs a big hit at Springfest

By Abiola Odutola 2 minute read Preview

Dinosaurs a big hit at Springfest

By Abiola Odutola 2 minute read Yesterday at 9:18 PM CDT

CFB SHILO — Families from CFB Shilo and neighbouring areas gathered at the base on Saturday for Springfest, a lively community event celebrating the arrival of spring.

The event, held in Building L25 and formerly known as EasterFest, featured a variety of activities designed for all ages. Attendees enjoyed an interactive dinosaur zone, mini putt, games, face painting and a free hot brunch, while a magic show drew a crowd of excited children and parents alike.

Springfest spokesperson Jolynn Carmichael said the event has continued to bring communities together for about two decades.

“This event is a combination of a celebration of spring and Easter. We run it every year, and it’s really for the CFB Shilo community and the surrounding area,” she said.

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Yesterday at 9:18 PM CDT

The dinosaur zone was a major attraction during Springfest at CFB Shilo on Saturday. (Abiola Odutola/The Brandon Sun)
The dinosaur zone was a major attraction during Springfest at CFB Shilo on Saturday. (Abiola Odutola/The Brandon Sun)

MPs back push to axe gas taxes

By Alex Lambert 7 minute read Preview

MPs back push to axe gas taxes

By Alex Lambert 7 minute read Yesterday at 9:09 PM CDT

Westman MPs are backing their party’s pitch for the federal government to axe gas taxes for the rest of the year to offset soaring fuel costs.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre last week called on the governing Liberals to remove the fuel excise tax, the clean fuel standard and the goods and services tax from fuel.

That would mean a savings of 25 cents per litre of fuel, the Conservatives said.

Riding Mountain MP Dan Mazier says he agrees with Poilievre’s request.

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Yesterday at 9:09 PM CDT
MPs back push to axe gas taxes

Camp Bridges earns heartfelt recommendations

By Connor McDowell, Local Journalism Initiative 3 minute read Preview

Camp Bridges earns heartfelt recommendations

By Connor McDowell, Local Journalism Initiative 3 minute read Friday, Apr. 3, 2026

As the deadline approaches to register for Camp Bridges this year, some parents are recommending Westman residents consider applying to send their kids to the weekend camp.

Children between the ages of seven and 15 who are grieving the death of someone significant in their lives can be signed up for Camp Bridges until April 7.

The camp in Austin, organized by Prairie Mountain Health, aims to give children a chance to explore the grieving process while participating in activities like zip lining, archery, horseback riding and hiking.

“I definitely, definitely recommend it,” said Taryn Stinson-Tuttle, a Brandon mother who sent her daughter in 2019.

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Friday, Apr. 3, 2026

Taryn Stinson-Tuttle’s daughter, 11, is seen at Camp Bridges during a flower release in 2019. (Supplied)
Taryn Stinson-Tuttle’s daughter, 11, is seen at Camp Bridges during a flower release in 2019. (Supplied)

Water management outlook improving

By Connor McDowell, Local Journalism Initiative 3 minute read Preview

Water management outlook improving

By Connor McDowell, Local Journalism Initiative 3 minute read Friday, Apr. 3, 2026

The future of water management between Manitoba and Saskatchewan is looking up thanks to a March 27 meeting in Virden, several officials told the Sun this week.

The neighbouring provinces are “repairing fences” that were damaged over the issue of water flows from Saskatchewan threatening infrastructure in Westman each spring, RM of Sifton Coun. Scott Phillips said.

“We are already talking to our neighbours to the west. Even today we’re asking, ‘How much snow you getting?’ And stuff like that. ‘How was the snowfall melt?’” Phillips said in a phone interview.

“Just little bits to, you know, open the door and get the warm and fuzzies back.”

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Friday, Apr. 3, 2026

A road in the Rural Municipality of Riding Mountain West is seen demolished by water flows in this 2024 photo. The ongoing issue of water flows into Manitoba each spring was discussed during a collaborative meeting between officials from the two provinces in Virden last week. (The Brandon Sun files)
A road in the Rural Municipality of Riding Mountain West is seen demolished by water flows in this 2024 photo. The ongoing issue of water flows into Manitoba each spring was discussed during a collaborative meeting between officials from the two provinces in Virden last week. (The Brandon Sun files)

Vaccine booth a first for winter fair

By Tessa Adamski 4 minute read Preview

Vaccine booth a first for winter fair

By Tessa Adamski 4 minute read Friday, Apr. 3, 2026

A booth set up at the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair to administer the measles vaccine saw “a few” takers, including infants, public officials said this week.

This is the first time a booth providing public health information on vaccines and immunizations has been established at the winter fair in Brandon, said Janice Loe, the public health services director with Prairie Mountain Health.

“Public health staff have administered a few vaccinations, provided education around measles as well as answered questions about vaccine eligibility,” Loe said in a statement.

Staff also checked people who were unsure about the status of their immunization records, she said.

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Friday, Apr. 3, 2026

Crowds fill the concourse at Keystone Centre during the Royal Winter Fair on Thursday. Officials are concerned the winter fair could become another measles superspreader event with thousands of people attending the event daily. (Weichen Zhang/The Brandon Sun)
Crowds fill the concourse at Keystone Centre during the Royal Winter Fair on Thursday. Officials are concerned the winter fair could become another measles superspreader event with thousands of people attending the event daily. (Weichen Zhang/The Brandon Sun)

Feds put up $7.1M to boost Brandon economy

By Alex Lambert 6 minute read Preview

Feds put up $7.1M to boost Brandon economy

By Alex Lambert 6 minute read Friday, Apr. 3, 2026

Ottawa is providing five Brandon businesses and institutions with a combined $7.1 million to help grow the local economy.

The announcement Thursday morning at Assiniboine College’s North Hill campus included more than $4 million in direct funding and nearly $3 million in no-interest loans for six projects aimed to “build on Brandon’s strengths.”

“These are smart, practical investments,” Ginette Lavack, the Liberal MP for St. Boniface-St. Vital, told a crowd of about 40 college staff, business reps and municipal leaders.

“They strengthen supply chain, they support innovation, they help local companies grow and they’re going to create really good paying jobs, too,” Lavack said.

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Friday, Apr. 3, 2026

Scotlin Priestley, a first-year mechatronic student, uses a controller to demonstrate his robotic dog, Otto, to Andriy Hoydalo, sales manager from Greenstone Building Products, during the PrairiesCan announcement at Assiniboine College’s North Hill Campus on Thursday. (Weichen Zhang/The Brandon Sun)
Scotlin Priestley, a first-year mechatronic student, uses a controller to demonstrate his robotic dog, Otto, to Andriy Hoydalo, sales manager from Greenstone Building Products, during the PrairiesCan announcement at Assiniboine College’s North Hill Campus on Thursday. (Weichen Zhang/The Brandon Sun)

Judge denies bail to woman accused of assault, threats

By Skye Anderson 5 minute read Preview

Judge denies bail to woman accused of assault, threats

By Skye Anderson 5 minute read Friday, Apr. 3, 2026

A woman who allegedly assaulted her mother with a toilet plunger and threatened to kill everyone in the residence was denied bail in Brandon provincial court on Thursday.

The 38-year-old woman, who is from a First Nation community in southwestern Manitoba, is charged with assault and assault with a weapon, along with six counts of uttering threats and several counts of breaching her release order.

The Crown opposed the woman’s release, citing concerns over her willingness to follow court orders and her risk to the public.

Crown attorney Sarah Kok detailed the allegations, which haven’t been proven in court.

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Friday, Apr. 3, 2026

The Brandon courthouse entrance on 11th Street. (Matt Goerzen/The Brandon Sun files)
The front doors of the Brandon courthouse on 11th Street. (Matt Goerzen/The Brandon Sun)

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