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Local - NDP Education funding presser

Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Tracy Schmidt makes funding announcement in the Library at Earl Grey School Monday.
Other ministers were in attendance including finance Minister Adrien Sala, Seine River - Billie Cross, Kathy Heppner, board of trustees’ chair, Winnipeg School Division and others.

Feb 9th, 2026

BSD welcomes $5M provincial funding boost

By Abiola Odutola 4 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 9:39 PM CST

The Brandon School Division is set to receive a $5-million increase in provincial funding for the 2026-27 school year, according to a provincial backgrounder.

The backgrounder was released alongside Manitoba’s announcement of a $79.8-million increase in overall public school funding.

For BSD, the increase represents a 6.4 per cent jump from last year’s provincial allocation of $77.9 million. In the 2025-26 school year, the division received a four per cent increase, raising its total funding to that amount.

Only the Division scolaire franco-manitobaine, at nine per cent, and Portage la Prairie, at 6.8 per cent, will receive larger percentage increases than Brandon this year, with Winnipeg School Division receiving 3.8 per cent.

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Brandon ER linked to measles exposure

By Tessa Adamski 6 minute read Preview

Brandon ER linked to measles exposure

By Tessa Adamski 6 minute read Yesterday at 9:33 PM CST

Public health officials have identified the emergency department waiting room at the Brandon Regional Health Centre as the city’s latest possible measles exposure site.

People who went to the ER last Thursday, Feb. 5, from 10:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. and from 7:05 p.m. to 11:15 p.m. should monitor for symptoms until Feb. 27, a provincial media bulletin said on Monday.

Those who were in the ER last Friday, Feb. 6, from 8:15 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. and from 7:15 p.m. to 2:45 a.m. Saturday should watch for symptoms until Feb. 28 and March 1, respectively.

Monday’s bulletin comes after public health officials on Friday identified last month’s Manitoba Ag Days at the Keystone Centre and the Great Western Roadhouse as possible exposure sites.

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Yesterday at 9:33 PM CST

The emergency department entrance at the Brandon Regional Health Centre. Provincial health officials have identified the ER waiting room as the city’s latest possible measles exposure site. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun files)

Doctors warn against dangers of health misinformation from AI sources

Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Doctors warn against dangers of health misinformation from AI sources

Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Updated: 3:13 PM CST

OTTAWA - The Canadian Medical Association says doctors are worried that more of their patients are turning to artificial intelligence for health advice — and getting answers that put them in danger.

The national group, which represents physicians across the country, says the trend is especially alarming because so many people don't have access to a primary care provider, and many are turning to sources that are easily available and quick.

"It's alarming because a lot of that information is misinformation, disinformation and false information. And so that really undermines the trust between patients and their physicians," said Dr. Margot Burnell, the CMA's president.

In a new survey commissioned by the CMA and conducted by Abacus Data, 5,001 Canadians answered a series of questions about where they get their health information and which sources they consider reliable.

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Updated: 3:13 PM CST

FILE — Chat GPT app icon is seen on a smartphone screen, Aug. 4, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File)

Woman gets 9 months for biting other woman’s lip

By Skye Anderson 3 minute read Preview

Woman gets 9 months for biting other woman’s lip

By Skye Anderson 3 minute read Yesterday at 9:42 PM CST

A woman who pleaded guilty to assaulting another woman by repeatedly biting her lip was sentenced to nine months in custody in Brandon provincial court on Monday.

Roxanne Shingoose, 37, pleaded guilty to a single count of assault on Monday. She had initially been charged with sexual assault, but the Crown accepted a guilty plea to assault instead, in what the Crown described as a “true plea bargain.”

The Crown and defence jointly recommended a time-served sentence of nine months, followed by two years of unsupervised probation.

Crown attorney Nikki Boggs outlined the circumstances of the offence.

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Yesterday at 9:42 PM CST

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

Dinner theatre dishes up light comedy

By Tessa Adamski 2 minute read Preview

Dinner theatre dishes up light comedy

By Tessa Adamski 2 minute read Yesterday at 9:40 PM CST

A small cast from the Assiniboine Theatre Company is providing some comedy relief this week at the Ukrainian Reading Association Hall.

Director Lynn Andrews said “A Red Plaid Shirt” by Canadian playwright Michael G. Wilmot follows the antics of two recently retired couples.

The four cast members for the dinner theatre production are from Virden, Neepawa and Brandon and have been rehearsing for the show since November, Andrews said.

“When you have a small cast, they have a lot of lines, and so they’ve worked really hard, and they’ve … really brought these characters to life,” she said.

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Yesterday at 9:40 PM CST

Man fined for driving truck off bridge while impaired

By Skye Anderson 4 minute read Preview

Man fined for driving truck off bridge while impaired

By Skye Anderson 4 minute read Yesterday at 9:44 PM CST

A man who drove his pickup truck off a railway bridge and into a body of water near Erickson received a $2,000 fine and a one-year driving prohibition on Monday.

Jamine Hadley, 36, pleaded guilty to impaired driving in Brandon provincial court.

The Crown asked the court to impose a $3,000 fine and a two-year driving prohibition, while defence argued for a fine in the range of $1,500 to $2,000 and a one-year driving prohibition.

Crown attorney Nikki Boggs detailed the facts behind Hadley’s guilty plea.

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Yesterday at 9:44 PM CST

Man, 29, dies at scene after vehicle rolls in RM of Norfolk

1 minute read Preview

Man, 29, dies at scene after vehicle rolls in RM of Norfolk

1 minute read Yesterday at 9:30 PM CST

A 29-year-old man died on Friday after a single-vehicle rollover in the Rural Municipality of Norfolk.

Portage la Prairie RCMP responded to the rollover on Tower Road just after 7:45 a.m. after someone driving by saw the vehicle in the ditch and reported it to police, Mounties said in a news release on Monday.

The driver was found outside of the vehicle and had died at the scene, RCMP said.

Mounties are investigating the cause of the crash.

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Yesterday at 9:30 PM CST

Survey highlights retirement concerns

By Abiola Odutola 4 minute read Preview

Survey highlights retirement concerns

By Abiola Odutola 4 minute read Yesterday at 9:29 PM CST

Residents across Manitoba and Saskatchewan need to start retirement planning earlier, review their savings strategies and seek professional advice, a BMO Private Wealth official told the Sun.

The bank’s senior private banker, Anthony Maros, who is based in Winnipeg, said a new BMO retirement survey found many Canadians believe their “golden years” may be becoming harder to achieve.

The survey found that two-thirds of Canadians — 67 per cent — believe saving for retirement is more difficult for them than it was for their parents. It also found 77 per cent worry that retirement will be even harder for the next generation. At the same time, nearly half said they plan to financially support their adult children, even if it negatively affects their own retirement plans.

Maros said the concerns raised in the survey are reflected in the Prairie provinces, where rising living costs, housing pressures and economic uncertainty are reshaping how people approach retirement savings.

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Yesterday at 9:29 PM CST

BMO Private Wealth senior private banker Anthony Maros says while investment opportunities are broadly similar across the country, residents in Manitoba and Saskatchewan may need to focus more on starting early and contributing consistently to retirement savings plans. (Supplied)

Ottawa plans to add 8,000 new electric vehicle charging ports in Canada

Nick Murray, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Ottawa plans to add 8,000 new electric vehicle charging ports in Canada

Nick Murray, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Updated: 2:15 PM CST

OTTAWA - The federal government is looking to increase the number of electric vehicle chargers across the country through its new automotive strategy — but is still well short of the number it was told it needs to support the transition to battery-powered cars.

Energy Minister Tim Hodson said Tuesday the government is planning to spend more than $84.4 million to add 8,000 electric vehicle charging ports to Canada's existing stock of more than 30,000.

The announcement did not cite a timeline for getting the charging ports in place. It's also not clear whether Ottawa will be footing the entire cost of the 122 projects to build more chargers, or just a portion of it.

Hodgson held a news conference on Parliament Hill alongside Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin and Transport Minister Steve MacKinnon, but the ministers took only a few questions from reporters.

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Updated: 2:15 PM CST

An electric vehicle charger is seen in Ottawa on June 27, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Canadian oilpatch expected to keep bulking up through mergers and acquisitions

Lauren Krugel, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Canadian oilpatch expected to keep bulking up through mergers and acquisitions

Lauren Krugel, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Updated: 8:49 AM CST

CALGARY - Oilpatch advisers are expecting the wave of consolidation to continue after last year's string of blockbuster Canadian deals, but whether foreign buyers are ready to jump into the fray remains an open question.

Companies have seen the merit in bulking up through mergers and acquisitions as oil prices hover around the lacklustre US$60 per barrel mark, shareholders demand better returns through dividends and buybacks and uncertainty continues to cloud the ability for producers to sell their output in lucrative global markets, said Grant Zawalsky, senior partner and vice-chair at law firm Burnet, Duckworth and Palmer LLP in Calgary.

"M&A is a way that you can grow when you don't want to invest in drilling, when you're not going to get the kind of returns you're expecting," he said.

"Until the fundamentals change, we'll likely see more of the same."

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Updated: 8:49 AM CST

A pumpjack draws out oil and gas from a well head with a Canola field in the background near Cremona, Alta., Tuesday, July 15, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Carney leaves Wednesday for Munich Security Conference

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press 1 minute read Preview

Carney leaves Wednesday for Munich Security Conference

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press 1 minute read Updated: 8:42 AM CST

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Mark Carney is heading to Germany later this week for the world’s top security conference, as Canada works to update its own defence policy.

Carney's office says he will leave for Munich Wednesday, and be in Germany until Sunday.

The Munich Security Conference involves heads of government who discuss major issues in defence, and they're meeting as U.S. President Donald Trump disrupts the global order.

Trump ordered the forced apprehension of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro at the start of this year, and his threats to acquire the Danish territory of Greenland by force put the NATO military alliance at risk.

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Updated: 8:42 AM CST