The top stories of 2016

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This article was published 03/01/2017 (3418 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Brandon Sun ran the gamut this year with stories centred on tragedy, humour, crime and hope. As a reminder of the year that was, the newspaper’s editorial staff compiled the top 25 stories of 2016. You can also see the full list with direct links to our stories online at apps.brandonsun.com/2016-year-in-review. See tomorrow’s paper for our 2016 year-end quiz.

• Jan. 9 — Oak Lake family reeling from Cuba tragedy, death of mother

In one month, the Johnstons endured enough heartbreak to last a family a lifetime.

In the early hours of Dec. 29, Oak Lake’s Barbara Johnston, 54, died at the Brandon Regional Health Centre. While the exact cause of the fiercely proud mother’s death isn’t known, her last month was one fraught with frustration, anguish and stress.

On Nov. 20, Barbara and her husband John, like they had done so many times before, packed up their bags and flew to Cuba for a weeklong vacation.

Everything was going according to plan — sun, entertainment, food and drink —through the first five days. Then Barbara got sick.

• Jan. 20 — Mom, girl survive bitterly cold ordeal

Her body frozen and fractured, Kristen Hiebert clawed and fought her way through a snow-packed ditch and up a steep embankment to save her daughter’s life.

Hiebert would go on to lose the lower part of her legs due to frostbite after spending at least 10 hours in -20 C weather.

“She’s the strongest person I know because with broken arms she pulled herself up onto that guard rail and got herself up that steep hill,” said Tina Dubyts, who found Hiebert on the side of the road near where her vehicle crashed. “I have no idea how she did it. Pure adrenalin to save her kid’s life.”

• Feb. 13 — An unspoken bond

Picking up a pencil or typing on a laptop are tasks that many people may take for granted. But for 25-year-old Ryan Nelson, putting his thoughts down on paper is not such an easy task.

Nelson has cerebral palsy and is physically unable to move or speak.

However, where there’s a will, there’s a way.

The avid reader and budding author is able to communicate through blinking his eyes. With the help of direct support worker Matt Harrison, Nelson is in the process of writing his first novel, “The Crusades of Captain Rye and His Renegades.”

• March 1 — Plainsmen, football community mourning Boyd

There’s one less gigantic smile in Brandon and the city’s football community was feeling the effect of it.

Kevin Boyd, who has been involved in the Westman Youth Football Association and was the head coach of the Crocus Plainsmen high school football team, passed away after complications with stomach and liver issues. He was 46 years old.

“It’s devastating,” said Mike Steeves, the head coach of the Vincent Massey Vikings and a friend of Boyd. “Football is still fairly new to the city and the area. He’s been coaching at Crocus for a long time, close to 20 years, and a great coach with great character.

• March 11 — Team effort brings Syrian family to city

Memories of escaping their home country of Syria three years ago brings tears to Alia and Damran Alhmoud’s eyes as they recalled the harrowing experience.

“Nobody could leave, no food comes in. Nothing goes in, nothing goes out,” Damran said through Arabic interpreter Abdul Banuga. “They had to take … old roads and far away to escape from the area … For four hours, they were pulled in for questioning and stuff because they were trying to escape.”

Alia, 36, along with her husband Damran, 38, and their three children arrived in Brandon in March — the city’s first government-sponsored Syrian refugee family.

The family had been living in Lebanon for three years, where they were able to build their own camp and live away from the crowd.

• March 26 — ‘If someone has our son, please bring him home’

A massive search for toddler Chase Martens evolved from frantic to sustained as it entered into its fourth night.

Less than a week later, hundreds of people gathered in MacGregor to say goodbye to the little boy whose disappearance and tragic death united hearts across the country.

They gathered at the MacGregor Sommerfeld Mennonite Church to say goodbye to two-year-old Martens, whose body was found in a creek after he went missing from his nearby home, north of Austin.

“You have an angel in heaven waiting, for each and every one of us,” Pastor Abe Guenther told Chase’s mom, dad and two young sisters who were seated in the front pews of the church for the boy’s funeral.

• April 5 — Brandon University president admits behavioural contract was ‘a mistake’

Brandon University president Gervan Fearon admitted that use of behavioural contract was “a mistake.”

The statement comes after a first-year student was forced to sign the document — which has been described as nothing more than a gag order that winds up disciplining the complainant — after reporting she’d been sexually assaulted in a residence.

“We learn from errors and we go forward with improvements,” said Fearon, who acknowledged repeatedly during a nearly hour-long press conference that it was “not appropriate” or “helpful to the survivors.”

• April 12 — Remington’s Seafood and Steakhouse to close, owner announces

After more than 13 years at The Town Centre in downtown Brandon, Remington’s Seafood and Steakhouse will close its doors at the end of May.

Ben Hernandez said he and his partner Bob Mazier had a difficult conversation about the future of the restaurant, but ultimately decided to close the 250-seat business that features a dining room, lounge and banquet facility.

“The main reason for closing is the uncertainty in the business,” Hernandez said from the second floor of the restaurant that overlooks Rosser Avenue. “I have seen the trend of the business change.”

• May 5 — ‘Flames were coming down the hills’ around Fort McMurray

Tales of chaos and compassion emerged as Fort McMurray, Alta., evacuees describe their harrowing escape from the catastrophic fire.

The scene south of the northern Alberta community saw gridlocked highways, dangerous drivers and stranded motorists as residents fled the area.

“I definitely could feel the heat, the smoke was thick everywhere,” said Mike Harms, an electrician from Killarney who works north of Fort McMurray. “A lot of buildings you couldn’t even see … flames were coming down the hills.”

As Harms left the city, he saw a Super 8 motel engulfed in flames, and a decimated campground. He said traffic was bumper to bumper almost the entire way to Edmonton. Harms drove all night — an eight-hour drive that normally would take five hours.

• June 6 — Knights of D-Day: Local veterans share their Second World War experiences

Five Westman veterans received France’s highest distinction for their involvement in the country’s liberation during the Second World War. The men — Jack Houston, Elmer Cole, John Carl Roseveare, Les Downing and Geoffrey Casson — join more than 1,000 other Canadian veterans who have become Knights of the French Legion of Honour.

In honour of the 72nd anniversary of D-Day, The Brandon Sun compiled the wartime stories of these five local veterans. We also produced a series of short documentaries, titled “Knights of D-Day,” which features the men sharing their memories first-hand.

• June 18 — Ex-CFS worker admits to human trafficking of Brandon sex worker

A former Child and Family Services worker has admitted to a rare human trafficking charge that saw a troubled young woman forced into the sex trade in Brandon.

Dale Richard Aymont, 45, pleaded guilty in Winnipeg.

Aymont fed the victim a steady diet of methamphetamine and constantly threatened her with physical violence while pocketing much of her proceeds, court was told.

“He controlled her movements and assumed much of the material benefits,” Chaput said. Most of this was occurring in the Brandon area between May 2014 and October 2014. The sex trade work was being run out of local motels in that city.

• June 22 — Trican abruptly closes Brandon location, roughly 40 jobs lost

Trican Well Service abruptly “suspended operations” at its Brandon shop, forcing roughly 40 employees to look for work elsewhere.

The international oil services company opened its Brandon location in January 2012 and moved into its current 23,000-sq.-ft. building on Limestone Road in September 2013.

Rob Cox, Trican’s vice-president, Canadian region, broke the news to the employees.

“I’d have to ask what the value in giving more notice is. When you tell somebody ‘Two weeks from now you’re not going to have a job’ where is the focus?” he said.

• June 25 — Impact of Manitoba oilpatch slowdown runs deep

Talking through a grizzled horseshoe moustache while leaning on his work truck, Bruce Hodgson said he’s one of the “lucky ones.”

“Everyone has scaled back since the price of a barrel of oil dropped,” Hodgson said through his rigger moustache, which looks like someone stapled a wire brush to his upper lip.

Manitoba was on pace for the lowest number of drilled wells in the province in more than a decade. Forty-one wells have been drilled up to June 6, according to Petroleum Branch director Keith Lowdon.

• July 18 — Seven new businesses coming to Shoppers Mall

A transformation will be underway at Shoppers Mall as the owners unveiled Monday that the mall will be getting six new businesses including Sobeys, GoodLife Fitness, Swiss Chalet, Harvey’s, East Side Mario’s, Fionn MacCool’s and Thai Express.

The new stores will join 90 other retailers at the mall, according to a release from owners Morguard Real Estate Investment Trust, who are hoping to attract new shoppers and make it the “dominant regional shopping centre” in Brandon.

Morguard confirmed that the mall will be getting a 62,500-square-foot Sobeys extra store, which is expected to open this winter at the former Target location. The store will also feature a community room for events such as cooking classes, in-store experts, a chef and well-being counsellors.

• July 21 — A celebration of love and marriage

It was a windy day in October 1952 when Ruth McConnell walked down the aisle in her beautiful lace wedding dress to marry Elgin (Red) McConnell.

“The wind blew… getting into the church I lost my veil,” McConnell recalled. “Well, we giggled out there outside of the church. You remember those kinds of things.”

In July, the 87-year-old donned the dress once again — nearly 65 years later — to take part in a special “Love and Marriage” day at Birch Lodge Personal Care Home.

It was a bittersweet moment for McConnell as her beloved husband Red passed away in January after a lifetime together.

“We had good years, we need to be thankful,” McConnell said.

• Aug. 19 — Singer Fergie steps up to aid Boissevain teen

A town-wide rally for Hunter Ferguson, the Boissevain teen who was paralyzed from the belly button down in a workplace accident, received a big boost from a celebrity who shares his last name.

On their way from Los Angeles is a pair of Fergie Footwear designer shoes — from the line by American signer, songwriter and actress Fergie (born Stacy Ann Ferguson) and a bottle of Ferguson Crest wine, from the California winery founded by Fergie’s father Pat.

Hunter was injured while working for a pole-shedding crew sub-contracted in Kisbey, Sask., when the board he was standing on split lengthwise and he fell 14 feet. Most of the fall was taken by his torso, and left his spine severed between the seventh and eighth vertebrae. In addition to a concussion and injured diaphragm, one of Ferguson’s ribs cracked and punctured his lung, subsequently flooding it.

• Sept. 19 — 2 men die in ATV crash near Shilo

Friends remembered two Brandon men who died in an ATV crash as the type of people who would go out of their way to help others.

Ron Ladouceur, 59, and Al Chalifoux, 51, died after the RZR side-by-side Ladouceur was driving hit an approach approximately eight kilometres south of Shilo.

Ladouceur spent more than 15 years working at Precision Toyota and owner Scott Ball said the news is hitting the dealership hard.

“Ron was a super happy guy,” Ball said on Sunday, reflecting on the time he had spent with Ladouceur. “He was liked by everyone in our store and everyone is really sad. He was a great guy.”

• Oct. 8 —Hapa’s impact felt coast to coast, dad says

The father of a young man killed during a hunting trip remembered his son for his infectious personality.

“Everyone is telling me I should be proud, and I said I am proud,” explained Darryl Hapa. “That’s what’s keeping me going the last few days, how proud I am to have raised Dylan to become who he was.”

Dylan Hapa, 24, succumbed to his injuries after being shot during a late-night hunting trip on Sept. 27 in the RM of Riverdale.

Hapa was rushed to Brandon Regional Health Centre before being sent to Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg, where he died four days later.

• Oct. 11 — Gunshots hit Brandon home near residence riddled with bullets just weeks ago

Bullets have hit another home in Brandon — two houses down from the Lorne Avenue East residence punctured by the spraying of 30 bullets last month.

A neighbour who did not want her name used said she was awoken by the sound of gunfire early in the morning. The bullets were aimed at a home that is for sale in the 300 block of Russell Street.

“I’ve been a longtime resident of this area, but I’m very scared,” she said. “I’m not comfortable at all, not with them carrying high-powered weapons.”

The sound she heard, first at 4:10 a.m. and again at approximately 5:20 p.m., was unmistakable. She heard it two weeks ago when a nearby home on Lorne Avenue East was riddled with bullets one afternoon.

“From hearing what I heard the Sunday before, I knew exactly what it was and I hit the floor.”

• Oct. 26 — BPS linked 10th Street shooting to ordered hit dispute

A shooting that sent a man to hospital with a bullet wound to his torso stemmed from a dispute over the ordering of a contract killing, the victim told police.

Police were also warned more violence may follow — after the shooting there was concern that the life of one of the men involved in the confrontation was still at risk.

Details of the Brandon Police Service’s investigation into a string of shootings in the Wheat City are provided in publicly available search warrant documents obtained by The Brandon Sun.

They provide details of the investigation that haven’t been released by police, and describe how police connected the 10th Street incident in which the man was shot to further incidents the next day — a home invasion and shots fired into a Lorne Avenue East home.

• Oct. 29 —Escaped BCC inmate quickly back in custody

An escaped inmate was seen fleeing through the Assiniboine Community College grounds and after an extensive search, the inmate — who had escaped without pants and shoes — was found but ran.

There was a brief chase, but he was caught near the intersection of First Street North and Kirkham Crescent after a police dog tracked him to the area.

Police said that — 76 minutes after they were notified of the inmate’s escape — he was returned to BCC.

• Oct. 31 — Soldier saves choking baby in Brandon store

Within a span of maybe 15 seconds, an army reserve member in Brandon noticed a baby choking, placed the child on his knee and slapped the baby’s back until a candy was coughed up.

It all happened so fast that it didn’t take Jim Clark any more time to walk out of the Brandon store like nothing happened.

“The mother and father thanked me, and I don’t even recall saying, ‘You’re welcome.’ I just nodded, went back and paid for my sugar,” said the 36-year-old soldier who lives in Carberry. “Then I got the heck out of there as quick as I could without drawing attention.”

• Nov. 1 — Brandonite killed in crash remembered for positivity, devotion to family AND Immigrant killed in crash near MacGregor was a beloved father, husband

Two separate crashes on the Trans-Canada Highway east of Brandon, occurring within 75 minutes of each other, resulted in the deaths of three men from Westman.

First, an immigrant from El Salvador was killed in a head-on collision on the Trans-Canada Highway. In 2012, Hassin Ventura moved to Canada to find a better life for his family, who only joined him in Canada last year.

“He was a honest man. He was very full of love for his family and a very kind guy,” said co-worker and friend Orlando Alas. “When you talked to him, it was like talking to a brother.”

The driver of the other vehicle was a 63-year-old man who also resided in MacGregor. He was identified as John Penner. He died at the scene.

Then, less than two hours later, Philip Wurtz was killed when his westbound pickup truck slammed into the back of a semi-trailer that had turned west onto the Trans-Canada Highway from Provincial Road 101 West.

His family was the pride of Wurtz’s life, said his uncle and boss for eight and a half years, Ed Dornn.

“I’ve never seen anyone more in love with his family than he was,” he said.

• Nov. 9 — Trafficking probe led to drugs stashed at local church

Illegal drugs including cocaine — brought to Manitoba for distribution as part of a large-scale drug trafficking network — were stashed in an abandoned church just down the block from the Brandon courthouse.

Those allegations and others are detailed in publicly available court documents filed in an effort to freeze the primary suspect’s assets.

They describe how police used tactics such as tracers, bugs and sneak peeks into homes during an investigation into a drug operation that brought kilograms of illegal drugs into the Brandon area for distribution.

• Dec. 13 — BU buys Strand Theatre

The Strand Theatre, which has sat vacant since closing in 2005, has a revitalized future thanks to Brandon University.

Landmark Cinemas sold the former movie theatre, which is turning 100 years old in 2017, to BU for a bargain price of $1.

“It really represents Landmark Cinemas’s commitment to the community, as well as their willingness to engage with the university and be a partner,” BU president Gervan Fearon said. “It’s a really positive development for the university to get a footprint in downtown Brandon … to be a part of the downtown revitalization initiative that’s been spearheaded by the city and Renaissance Brandon.”

» The Brandon Sun