Brandon Sun – Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada

Godswealth Roberts, a Grade 3 student in Angela Wilson’s Grade 2-3 class at Betty Gibson School, waters a freshly planted flower as he and classmates plant in the children’s garden bordering 18th Street at the Daly House Museum on Tuesday. Three groups of students from Betty Gibson are planting at the Daly House this week. Betty Gibson Building Student Success with Indigenous Parents (BSSIP) worker Vanessa Pascal organized the planting for the classes, which is in its fourth year. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)

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Foster parent gets 25 years for sex abuse

By Skye Anderson 5 minute read Preview

Foster parent gets 25 years for sex abuse

By Skye Anderson 5 minute read Updated: 9:04 AM CDT

A Brandon man who made and distributed videos of him sexually abusing two of his young foster children received a 25-year prison sentence on Tuesday.

Delivering the sentence in Brandon provincial court, Judge Patrick Sullivan said the offender’s actions gravely violated the safety, dignity and innocence of children in his care — a girl who was about one year old and a boy aged seven.

“The vulnerability of these children cannot be overstated. Their ages would have made it difficult, if not impossible, for them to understand, resist or speak out about what was happening to them,” Sullivan said.

“He took advantage of his position of trust as a foster parent. He abused and violated the most vulnerable victims imaginable in some of the most vile and intrusive ways.”

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Updated: 9:04 AM CDT

Local

First responders stand at the scene of last Wednesday's fatal crash at the intersection of Highway 110 and Richmond Avenue East in Brandon. (Alex Lambert/The Brandon Sun files)

Semi driver charged in fatal crash remains in custody

By Skye Anderson 2 minute read Preview

Semi driver charged in fatal crash remains in custody

By Skye Anderson 2 minute read Yesterday at 10:01 PM CDT

The truck driver allegedly involved in a multi-vehicle collision in Brandon last week that resulted in the death of a 49-year-old woman remains in custody.

Brijpal Panwar, 35, appeared Tuesday in Brandon provincial court, where defence lawyer Andrew Synyshyn asked for more time to craft a bail plan that could see the trucker reside out of province. Panwar is scheduled to appear in court again on Monday.

Police charged Panwar with dangerous driving causing death after he was allegedly travelling north on Highway 110 and failed to stop at a stop sign, which was affixed with a red flashing light, at Richmond Avenue East last Wednesday.

The semi-truck collided with an SUV at “highway speeds,” the Brandon Police Service said in a news release after the collision.

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Yesterday at 10:01 PM CDT

Local

A pedestrian tries to stay dry under an umbrella while walking along Princess Avenue in the rain on Tuesday afternoon. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)

Storm system brings hail, heavy rain to Westman

By Abiola Odutola 3 minute read Preview

Storm system brings hail, heavy rain to Westman

By Abiola Odutola 3 minute read Yesterday at 9:53 PM CDT

A storm system swept across Brandon and parts of Westman on Tuesday afternoon, bringing heavy rain and hail.

The system briefly disrupted power at Brandon Regional Health Centre and The Town Centre mall.

Prairie Mountain Health communications co-ordinator Blaine Kraushaar said the hospital experienced a short power outage during the storm.

“I can confirm that BRHC was affected briefly by a recent hydro outage in Brandon earlier today,” Kraushaar told the Sun. “The outage lasted about 25 minutes. Backup systems were activated.”

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Yesterday at 9:53 PM CDT

Local

Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School students Kayla DeCosse (front left), Nia Smith (front right), Parker Martin (back right) and Cody Johnson (centre) were recently awarded medals in the Skills Canada competition in Toronto. Landon Klassen (back left) finished fourth nationally in outdoor power and recreation. (Abiola Odutola/The Brandon Sun)

Crocus Plains brings home 5 medals

By Abiola Odutola 4 minute read Preview

Crocus Plains brings home 5 medals

By Abiola Odutola 4 minute read Updated: 8:37 AM CDT

Five out of eight students from Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School returned from the 2026 Skills Canada national competition with medals.

The students competed against some of the country’s top young skilled trades and technology students at the Enercare Centre in Toronto this past weekend.

The delegation brought home one gold, two silver and two bronze medals from the national event, with other students also posting strong performances.

Grade 11 student Kayla DeCosse struck gold in baking, improving on her sixth-place finish at last year’s national competition.

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Updated: 8:37 AM CDT

Local

Parking meters on Seventh Street in Brandon. (File)

City aims to introduce digital parking this year

By Alex Lambert 4 minute read Preview

City aims to introduce digital parking this year

By Alex Lambert 4 minute read Yesterday at 10:05 PM CDT

The City of Brandon hopes to implement digital street parking later this year, a city official said.

Council members on Monday approved final reading of a bylaw to implement digital street parking, but specific details on when people will be able to pay under the new system or how much it will cost the city are still being worked out.

“The intent would be to start having some digital options here in 2026, but that’s still to be defined,” the city’s acting general manager of development services, Ryan Nickel, said on Tuesday.

A city request for proposals closed last month, with eight companies bidding to operate the digital payment system.

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Yesterday at 10:05 PM CDT

Local

Brandon city council approves road closure

2 minute read Preview

Brandon city council approves road closure

2 minute read Yesterday at 10:03 PM CDT

The city plans to permanently close one block of 11th Street East later this year.

City council approved the closure on Monday. The land will be sold to a nearby property owner.

The block — situated between McTavish and Van Horne avenues in the industrial section of the city — is technically a public roadway but appears to be part of the lot for Gardewine, a trucking company.

The gravel strip is fully connected to Gardewine’s property and is only differentiated by a yield sign at the intersection with Van Horne Avenue.

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Yesterday at 10:03 PM CDT

Local

Rachael Proden said a quarter mile worth of copper was stripped from an irrigation pivot and only discovered in early May when farm operations were getting underway at their family farm north of Portage la Prairie. (Supplied)

Thieves steal kilometres of copper wire from farms

By Tyler Searle 4 minute read Preview

Thieves steal kilometres of copper wire from farms

By Tyler Searle 4 minute read Yesterday at 9:54 PM CDT

WINNIPEG — Manitoba producers say thieves have stripped kilometres worth of copper wire from irrigation equipment, rendering it inoperable, from farms near Portage la Prairie.

“We’re extremely frustrated,” said Rachael Proden, whose family discovered they had fallen victim to theft on their land north of Portage in early May.

“We were getting ready for the season and noticed the copper wire had been cut and pulled off of an entire irrigation pivot. We found that out like one week before we were supposed to be seeding that field, so it was kind of like a punch to the gut,” Proden said.

Irrigation pivots are large wheeled implements that have sprayer nozzles. They are typically around 400 metres long and allow farmers to water large swaths of land to improve yield.

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Yesterday at 9:54 PM CDT

Local

People gather on paddleboards in shallow water as cargo and service vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Monday, June 1, 2026. (Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP)

Iran strikes Kuwait’s main airport and kills 1 as ceasefire is tested again

Jon Gambrell And Samy Magdy, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Iran strikes Kuwait’s main airport and kills 1 as ceasefire is tested again

Jon Gambrell And Samy Magdy, The Associated Press 5 minute read Updated: 10:30 AM CDT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Kuwait briefly shut its main airport Wednesday after Iranian drones heavily damaged a passenger terminal, killed one person and wounded dozens — the latest in back-and-forth attacks by Iran and the U.S. that test a fragile ceasefire.

The strike reinforced the risks to residents and travelers in Gulf countries that had considered themselves relative havens before the war, now in its fourth month.

Talks have dragged on for weeks as mediators seek a more enduring truce in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. They are increasingly strained by Israel’s broadening war with Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

A regional official said Iran wanted a separate ceasefire in Lebanon enforced before returning to talks. U.S. President Donald Trump said negotiations continue.

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Updated: 10:30 AM CDT

Business

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer arrives for the G7 trade meeting in Paris, Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard, Pool)

Canada looking to beef up forced labour laws as U.S. imposes new tariffs

Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Preview

Canada looking to beef up forced labour laws as U.S. imposes new tariffs

Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press 4 minute read Updated: 11:40 AM CDT

WASHINGTON - Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday his Liberal government will soon introduce legislation on forced labour in supply chains after the Trump administration proposed a 10 per cent additional tariff on Canada and other countries following an investigation into the issue.

"Canada has a very strong legislative regime against forced labour in supply chains," Carney told reporters in Ottawa.

"We don't want any element of forced labour coming in goods and services, and we want to use our influence to eliminate this practice of forced labour and child labour."

The office of United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer released a report late Tuesday saying Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom and some other countries should be hit with the duties because they are not doing enough to enforce bans on forced labour.

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Updated: 11:40 AM CDT

Lifestyles

A doctor wears a lab coat and stethoscope in an exam room on Friday, July 14, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Canadian pancreatic cancer specialist expects to open clinical trials on pill that doubled survival time

Nicole Ireland, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Canadian pancreatic cancer specialist expects to open clinical trials on pill that doubled survival time

Nicole Ireland, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Updated: 8:50 AM CDT

TORONTO - The head of pancreatic cancer at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre says she hopes clinical trials for a pill that could double survival time will soon be open to Canadian patients.

Medical oncologist Dr. Jennifer Knox independently reviewed a U.S.-led study of the experimental drug daraxonrasib and calls the results "amazing."

The randomized Phase 3 clinical trial of 500 pancreatic cancer patients found those who took the daily pill survived for more than a year compared to just over six months for patients who had chemotherapy alone.

Manufacturer Revolution Medicines has applied to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to license the drug.

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Updated: 8:50 AM CDT