Brandon Sun – Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada

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Bullet fired into house came within 7 inches of sleeping child: Crown

By Skye Anderson 4 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 9:40 PM CDT

A provincial judge has denied bail for a Brandon man accused of firing a gun inside his home, resulting in a bullet going through his neighbour’s living room and into a bedroom where a child slept.

Elijah Fontaine, 29, faces several firearm-related charges, including reckless discharge of a firearm and using a firearm in a careless manner. Fontaine made his unsuccessful bid for bail in Brandon provincial court on Monday.

Crown attorney Nikki Boggs opposed Fontaine’s release on the grounds that he poses a risk to the public and his detention is necessary to maintain the public’s confidence in the justice system.

Boggs read the allegations that form the basis of the charges against Fontaine. The charges have not been proven in court and he remains innocent.

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Cpl. Emmie Clements of the Manitoba RCMP Internet Child Exploitation Unit announces the arrest of an Ohio man for the online luring of a 10-year-old Manitoba girl at a press conference in Winnipeg on Monday. (Mikaela MacKenzie/Winnipeg Free Press)

U.S. man charged with luring Manitoba girl, 10, online

By Scott Billeck 6 minute read Preview

U.S. man charged with luring Manitoba girl, 10, online

By Scott Billeck 6 minute read Yesterday at 9:36 PM CDT

WINNIPEG — A 32-year-old U.S. man has been accused of luring a 10-year-old Manitoba girl online and convincing her to send images of herself while he posed as a teenage boy.

Manitoba’s justice minister described the case as “absolutely horrific” Monday, emphasizing that it underscores the need to safeguard youth through a social media ban and increased accountability for social media platforms.

“Protecting kids is the most important job that we have here,” Matt Wiebe said. “It’s our sacred duty to protect kids in all ways, but especially from these kinds of horrific situations. And as a dad, it really hits close to home.”

On Monday, RCMP announced that U.S. law enforcement officials had charged Cortney Arden Wise III of Wadsworth, Ohio, with sexual exploitation of children, receipt of visual depictions of real minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and possession of child pornography.

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Yesterday at 9:36 PM CDT

Local

Barry Cullen, city councillor for Ward 3, sits in downtown Brandon on Monday. Cullen, who will not seek re-election after his third term ends in October, said he decided to leave politics to focus on family. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)

Cullen wants quicker action to restore yards

By Alex Lambert 5 minute read Preview

Cullen wants quicker action to restore yards

By Alex Lambert 5 minute read Yesterday at 9:32 PM CDT

An outgoing Brandon councillor said he hopes to start a process that would speed up the restoration of people’s disturbed properties before the end of his term in October.

Coun. Barry Cullen (Ward 3) confirmed in March that he would not seek re-election after serving his third term.

Before the next election, he hopes to initiate a policy change for how long it takes city crews to fix properties that have been torn up because of water-main breaks. Crews take too long to restore affected yards because of other commitments, he said.

“The resident can have his lawn dug up for two years. It just takes forever, and I’ve been working on that for years, trying to get that tightened up,” Cullen told the Sun on Monday in an interview about his departure from council.

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Yesterday at 9:32 PM CDT

Local

The emergency entrance to the Carberry Plains Health Centre. (Matt Goerzen/The Brandon Sun files)

Doctor sues over Carberry recruitment

By Tessa Adamski 5 minute read Preview

Doctor sues over Carberry recruitment

By Tessa Adamski 5 minute read Yesterday at 9:33 PM CDT

A doctor hired to work at the Carberry hospital is suing his recruiters and others, alleging they made “negligent misrepresentations” about his position and pay, and didn’t disclose they were being compensated to recruit doctors for the health centre.

Dr. Klevis Iliriani, who worked at the Carberry Plains Health Centre between May and August 2024, claims the recruiters made “inaccurate, incorrect and misleading” representations about his contract, according to a lawsuit filed in Manitoba Court of King’s Bench last Thursday.

The 20-page statement of claim names Dr. Dave Maharajh and Barry Banek as the recruiters, as well as Maharajh’s medical corporation. The Manitoba government, Prairie Mountain Health, Carberry hospital, the Town of Carberry, the Municipality of North Cypress-Langford and three unnamed people are also listed as defendants.

The lawsuit alleges Banek, who does medical billing services based in Winnipeg, contacted Iliriani about a locum opportunity at the Carberry hospital in March 2024.

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Yesterday at 9:33 PM CDT

Local

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

Charges laid in apartment break-ins, mail theft; concealed weapon

3 minute read Preview

Charges laid in apartment break-ins, mail theft; concealed weapon

3 minute read Yesterday at 9:37 PM CDT

Trio arrested for break-in

Police arrested three Brandon residents in connection with a break and enter into an apartment complex last week.

The Brandon Police Service received a report from the property manager that the apartment complex on McDiarmid Drive had been broken into at around 10:10 p.m. on Thursday.

During the break-in, an inside door was damaged, and a surveillance device was stolen, BPS said in a news release on Monday.

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Yesterday at 9:37 PM CDT

Local

RCMP Cpl. Emmie Clements speaks to media on Monday. (Mikaela MacKenize / Free Press)

Ohio man used social media to exploit 10-year-old in Manitoba, police say

The Canadian Press 1 minute read Preview

Ohio man used social media to exploit 10-year-old in Manitoba, police say

The Canadian Press 1 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 1:08 PM CDT

WINNIPEG - A man in the United States has been charged with sexual exploitation and possessing child pornography in relation to a 10-year-old girl in Manitoba.

RCMP say they received a report in December that the girl had been lured online and had been convinced to send explicit photos of herself via a social media platform.

They say the male had also sent explicit photos to the girl.

Authorities in the United States were alerted, searched a home in Wadsworth, Ohio, and in February arrested a 32-year-old suspect who remains in custody there.

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Updated: Yesterday at 1:08 PM CDT

Local

The RAAM clinic at the Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre in Winnipeg in 2023. The number of patients entering RAAM clinics in Manitoba more than tripled between 2020 and 2025 — from 8,496 to 28,476. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press Files)

Visits to addictions clinics spike

Gabrielle Piché 5 minute read Preview

Visits to addictions clinics spike

Gabrielle Piché 5 minute read Yesterday at 8:37 AM CDT

The number of patients entering RAAM clinics in Manitoba has spiked as the drug crisis escalates, even as strained resources have kept the number from ballooning even further.

The number of visits to the clinics more than tripled from 2020 to 2025 — to 28,476 from 8,496. The number of RAAM clinics has also increased by one to seven.

There was a slight decrease in overall visits to the addictions treatment centres from 2024 to 2025. Provincewide, the number dropped to 28,476 from 28,523.

In Winnipeg, visit counts declined to 13,707 from 14,147.

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Yesterday at 8:37 AM CDT

Local

131 Queen, a 14-storey office tower in downtown Ottawa, is shown on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Several federal departments short of space as public servants return to the office

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

Several federal departments short of space as public servants return to the office

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press 2 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 1:02 PM CDT

OTTAWA - Several federal departments have delayed or are considering delaying having their staff to return to the office four days a week this summer due to a lack of space.

Treasury Board announced earlier this year that public service executives are expected to work on-site five days per week starting May 4, and all other federal employees must be in the office four days a week starting July 6.

But Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said in a message to staff last week that it's delaying the requirement until it finds more office space.

For now, the department says, only managers will have to be on site four days a week as of July, while other employees are being asked to keep the existing schedule of being in the office three days per week.

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Updated: Yesterday at 1:02 PM CDT

Local

The U.S. Capitol is seen on Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

MPs, senators set to cut back U.S. exchange travel, despite pressure on trade file

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

MPs, senators set to cut back U.S. exchange travel, despite pressure on trade file

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 3:16 PM CDT

OTTAWA - Members of Parliament and senators are set to drastically reduce interparliamentary exchanges with the U.S. Senate and Congress, despite multi-party efforts to save a crucial trade deal with Washington.

Interparliamentary associations exist to allow MPs and senators to host colleagues from abroad and make official visits to advance bilateral ties and Canadian interests. These allow legislators to exchange ideas on legislative issues and diplomatic topics.

These 13 official associations receive funding from Parliament, unlike dozens of less formal friendship groups.

The budget for intergovernmental legislative exchanges has been flat for years, yet fees have been rising for participation in some multilateral groups. Canada is a member of such groupings through the Commonwealth, NATO, the Francophonie and ParlAmericas.

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Updated: Yesterday at 3:16 PM CDT

Local

Fire trucks are parked by a trailer in Meadowbrook Village on Spruce Street on Saturday evening where a deck was on fire. (Photos by Alex Lambert/The Brandon Sun)

Deck fire at trailer home quickly contained

By Abiola Odutola 2 minute read Preview

Deck fire at trailer home quickly contained

By Abiola Odutola 2 minute read Sunday, May. 10, 2026

A deck fire at a trailer on Spruce Street in Meadowbrook Village was quickly brought under control Saturday evening.

Brandon Fire and Emergency Services acting Capt. Michael Hole said there were no injuries and minimal damage to the structure.

“Our crews responded to the report of a structure fire at approximately 7:25 p.m. at the trailer park north of Glen Lea Golf Course,” he told the Sun. “The first vehicle arrived on scene at 7:41 p.m.”

Firefighters found that the blaze had started on a deck attached to the trailer but had not spread into the home itself.

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Sunday, May. 10, 2026

Local

Backyard on Aberdeen owner Aida Harrison holds a tray of a variety of homemade menu items, including crepes with sausage, scones, chocolate pancakes, quiche, fruit and mini cucumber sandwiches with cream cheese at the event centre on Sunday afternoon. (Photos by Abiola Odutola/The Brandon Sun)

Mothers celebrated through tea, trivia

By Abiola Odutola 3 minute read Preview

Mothers celebrated through tea, trivia

By Abiola Odutola 3 minute read Sunday, May. 10, 2026

Mothers and families across Brandon marked Mother’s Day Sunday with special events, ranging from elegant high tea gatherings to a themed trivia competition.

At Backyard on Aberdeen, owner Aida Harrison welcomed guests for the restaurant’s annual Mother’s Day high tea event, featuring homemade treats, specialty teas and a relaxed atmosphere.

“We have a classic nice arrangement, nice flowers with nice music and homemade high tea,” Harrison told the Sun.

The event, now in its third year, drew both returning and first-time customers.

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Sunday, May. 10, 2026