Reader’s choice of 2021

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/12/2021 (1486 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

From the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines making in-person events possible again, to high-profile trials at the Brandon courthouse, to a federal election, it was never a dull moment for news in Westman.

The Brandon Sun has compiled this list of the 25 stories most popular among our readers online over the past year.

 

July 5: Assault halts mail delivery to neighbourhood

By Tyler Clarke

An assault on two Canada Post employees is believed to have triggered the cessation of home delivery to an east end neighbourhood.

Although the assault reportedly involved one resident, home mail and parcel delivery to more than 40 properties on Alpine Bay and 13th Street East has stopped.

A May 13 Brandon Police Service news release reported that at 2:17 p.m. the previous day, a resident on Alpine Bay “became aggressive with two delivery employees, eventually spitting on one and putting one in a headlock.”

The man was arrested and released to appear in court on Aug. 5.

An area resident said she witnessed the assault, during which she recalled hearing the man “yelling and screaming” at the delivery employees before assaulting them.

 

Feb. 13: Woman critical of treatment at Russell hospital

By Michele LeTourneau

When Erin Lang attended the Russell Health Centre on Jan. 17, she expected help.

What the Oakburn resident received instead, she told the Sun, was the assumption she was a methamphetamine addict seeking drugs.

Now, she is at the end of her rope — she is feeling hopeless and scared.

Lang said since moving to the Rural Municipality of Yellowhead eight years ago, the health-care system there has created issue after issue for herself and her family of five, including her eldest child Ethan, her twins Damon and Cameron, and her husband.

 

March 10: New Winnipeg-Regina bus has Brandon stop

By Colin Slark

In nine days, a bus company will start making Winnipeg-to-Regina passenger trips with Brandon as a stop along the way.

As reported by the Winnipeg Free Press on Tuesday, Regina-founded company Rider Express is stepping up to fill one of the gaps left by Greyhound’s departure as of March 19.

The company previously ran a Regina-Winnipeg route, but cancelled it before the COVID-19 pandemic due to lack of business.

Now it’s giving the route another shot, adding on to its current routes going between Vancouver and Calgary, Calgary and Edmonton and Edmonton and Regina.

 

March 13: Ninette woman dead in suspected homicide

By Tyler Clarke

A second-degree murder charge has been laid in Ninette after a 61-year-old woman’s body was found Friday morning.

The suspect, 22-year-old Nicholas Mass, has been arrested, and neighbours say the victim was Catherine Mass, 61.

An RCMP spokesperson said the suspect and victim were known to each other.

Police have yet to identify the victim, but in addition to neighbours confirming her name, a canada411.ca search of 102 King St. in Ninette links the property to “C Mass.”

The small house, shaded by trees, was surrounded by police tape Saturday afternoon, and a few RCMP members were seen conducting their investigation, including one who flew a drone overhead.

 

May 22: Brandon man remembered as selfless, motocross fan

By Drew May

A Brandon man is being remembered as selfless and “tough as nails” after he died earlier this week.

Eric Fardoe died in a head-on collision while returning from northern Manitoba on Wednesday, friend Tyler Plante said. In response, Plante and other friends started a GoFundMe campaign for Eric’s family.

“Oftentimes when people pass away, you talk about how nice a person was and how good a person was, you’re thinking about all the best times. But when we say it about Eric, we really mean it,” he said.

“He was just a good person and I’ve said it 100 times. He was the guy I would call no matter what. He would drop what he was doing and he would come help and he wouldn’t want anything.”

Eric was a plumber by trade, but was also a big part of Brandon’s motocross community, Plante said. He was also a “farm boy” and was always eager to help someone in need.

 

Jan. 23: Common sense has taken a vacation: Nurse

By Michele LeTourneau

Who is in charge of the vaccine rollout in Manitoba? That’s a question many nurses in the province are asking, including in the Prairie Mountain Health (PMH) region.

The region put out an internal call for COVID vaccine program support intake for PMH employees only, about a month ago.

“As more COVID-19 vaccine is delivered in the coming weeks, teams of people will be needed throughout our region to make this historic immunization campaign a success,” PMH states.

One nurse, who spoke with the Sun on condition of anonymity, said that initially, the process was simple. The application is through the workplace intranet. The application asks all the basic questions, how the applicant is willing to help, employee number and EFT (equivalency to full-time).

The nurse is a casual nurse and their friends are also casual and part-time because they are retired.

 

Nov. 13: Brandonite arrested after stabbing death of Oak Lake Beach man

By The Brandon Sun

Westman and Blue Hills RCMP are investigating a homicide in which a 55-year-old man died after a reported stabbing in Oak Lake Beach.

RCMP received a report of the stabbing Friday at about 6:50 p.m. on Main Road in Oak Lake Beach.

Upon arriving at the scene, RCMP located a 55-year-old man from Oak Lake Beach suffering from very serious injuries. He was later declared dead at the scene.

RCMP identified a suspect and a 27-year-old man from Brandon was arrested a short time later in Souris.

 

June 1: Internal investigation underway at Brandon hospital

By Kyle Darbyson

Andrea Playter is looking for answers from Prairie Mountain Health after witnessing the treatment her elderly father received after he was admitted to the Brandon Regional Health Centre last summer.

Playter first brought this issue to the Sun’s attention in late 2020, saying that her dad Ross Playter, at the age of 77, sustained some grievous injuries to his legs during his stay on the second floor of the Assiniboine Centre for a couple of weeks.

“I think his legs will probably be scarred forever, but functionally he can walk,” she said in a followup interview in March.

The Sun reached out to Prairie Mountain Health in April for a comment on this issue and received the following statement from a spokesperson: “PMH is aware of the concerns expressed by the family and have been in active investigation. Followup will continue directly with the family.”

 

June 12: COVID-19 survivor taking baby steps to recover

By Kimberley Kielley

Kris Isford is a mountain of a man.

The Treherne resident’s Facebook photos show him smiling with his family and two Rottweilers, all dwarfed by his size.

At six-foot-seven and just over 440 pounds, the 35-year-old Isford could be a little imposing if he chose.

But on April 23, Isford’s world turned upside down when he was exposed to the COVID virus at work.

He was just a couple of days shy of receiving his vaccine.

“I started my shift out of town,” he told the Sun in a recent telephone interview. “I was provided with a ride with a contractor we use on a regular basis. We spent about a half-hour in the vehicle, with myself, my co-worker and the contractor. We drove to the site, did what we needed to do, and started the trek back to Winnipeg.”

Everyone was wearing masks.

Arriving in Winnipeg, he made the 90-minute drive home to the tiny bubble he shared with his wife and infant son.

Four days later, Isford’s supervisor called to tell him the contracted driver had tested positive for COVID-19.

 

Sept. 24: Careless smoking caused Pacific Avenue fire

By The Brandon Sun

The Office of the Fire Commissioner has concluded that the cause of the fire that tore through Valley View Condominiums at 1400 Pacific Ave. on Tuesday was accidental and caused by careless disposal of smoking materials.

The damage is estimated at $11 million.

The fire started at approximately 8:45 p.m. on Tuesday. There were 48 units impacted by the fire, forcing just over 100 people from their condos. Many left with the clothes on their backs. No injuries were reported.

 

Jan. 30: Casavant resigns from Brandon Police Board

By Drew May

Marc Casavant has resigned from his role as chair of the Brandon Police Board.

“Mr. Casavant has tendered his resignation from the Police Board. The Vice Chair — Mrs. Deb Arpin, will take over as acting chair until a new citizen representative is appointed to the Board and a new Chair selected,” City of Brandon director of legislative services Heather Ewasiuk wrote in an email.

Casavant was first appointed to the role just over a year ago, in January 2020. His one-year term as chair of the police oversight body was scheduled to expire on Dec. 31, 2020.

The Brandon Police Board is next scheduled to meet on March 5, when the appointment of a new chair is set to be addressed, Ewasiuk said.

The Sun reported Thursday that Casavant had also stepped aside from his role as superintendent of the Brandon School Division and Mathew Gustafson would be acting in the role.

 

Sept. 14: Brandon University coach on leave after sexually suggestive behaviour alleged

By Maggie Macintosh, Winnipeg Free Press

The head coach of women’s soccer at Brandon University remained on the job for months despite a school investigation that concluded he acted inappropriately with student athletes.

Last fall, a female student approached BU’s athletic director with allegations about Jesse Roziere, who became assistant coach of the Bobcats women’s team in 2019-20 and — until he went on leave this week — was heading into his second year as head coach.

The complainant, who spoke to the Winnipeg Free Press on the condition of anonymity, claimed Roziere made sexual advances on players, asked them to be his designated driver home from the bar when he was out, and often sent messages of a suggestive nature, including shirtless photos via Snapchat.

In one instance, he sent a player a video of himself being sexually suggestive with a banana.

Roziere, 29, did not respond to repeated requests for comment this week.

 

Aug. 18: Midway Madness coming back to Brandon 

By The Brandon Sun

After being forced to cancel last summer’s event due to COVID-19, the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba is bringing Midway Madness back to the Keystone Centre Sept. 2-6.

According to Provincial Exhibition president Greg Crisanti, this event has been in the works for a long time and was made possible thanks to the loosening of public health restrictions over the past couple months.

“We are hoping this event brings our community together and provides a fun and exciting weekend for people of all ages!” Crisanti said in a Wednesday morning news release.

Provincial Exhibition officials host Midway Madness every five years, and this fall they are teaming up with North American Midway Entertainment to provide a variety of rides, food vendors, and games.

 

June 14: Family fined more than $10K after trip into U.S. 

By Tyler Clarke

A Virden family faces “injustice,” Brandon-Souris Conservative MP Larry Maguire told the House of Commons last week, urging intervention.

The Duncan family, represented by patriarch Marshall, have been hit with fines of more than $10,000 after crossing into the U.S. earlier this month.

“This is absurd, given that the prime minister has just exempted NHL players but is willing to fine a mom and a dad $10,000 for taking their son to a medical appointment,” Maguire told the House of Commons.

Health Minister Patty Hajdu responded by saying her office would look into it.

“In general, though, the measures at the border are there to protect Canadians from the importation of the virus, and we encourage all Canadians to follow the rules.”

During the weekend, Marshall joined his family by nearing the end of their two-week quarantine after crossing into North Dakota on June 1.

 

Nov. 20: Man killed in Westman remembered as athlete, caring

By Drew May

A man who died near Oak Lake Beach last week is being remembered as a great outdoorsman and an extremely caring person.

Scott Preston, 55, was a hockey goalie for senior teams around the region and huge animal lover. The Sun spoke with a number of his friends, who confirmed he was the man killed in the Westman town on Nov. 12.

“He was a very happy gentleman, a happy guy,” said Nicki Hack, his partner of six years. She said they met at Leon’s, while Preston was buying furniture for his Oak Lake Beach home, which he built much of himself.

He was also a mountain climber, Hack said. He climbed to Mt. Everest base camp a few years ago and summited Island Peak, a nearby mountain in the Himalayas.

Preston was very into hockey and other sports, she said, and played goalie for senior teams around Westman, including in Pipestone. He was competitive and loved to go biking and hike around the Brandon Hills with his dog, Oggie.

 

Jan. 1: Brandon welcomes first baby of 2021 

By Drew May

Zoey April Rose Roulette is Brandon’s first baby of 2021.

Zoey was born at 6:25 a.m. Friday to proud parents Misty Brown and Les Paul Roulette at the Brandon Regional Health Centre.

According to a press release from Prairie Mountain Health, Zoey weighed approximately seven pounds and 14 ounces and was approximately 20 inches long.

Zoey has a 12-year-old sister, Bella.

 

Sept. 3: New health orders frustrate businesses 

By Kimberley Kielley

There’s a problem with the new public health orders that come into effect today.

While patrons wishing to dine at their favourite restaurant, work out in a fitness centre, attend a hockey game or go to a movie are required to prove they are double vaccinated by the province in order to enter the facility, staff are not required, as they don’t fall under the government’s mandatory vaccination program for public servants.

“These orders do not require employees to provide proof of vaccine status. Mask use is required,” Dr. Brent Roussin, the province’s chief public health officer, said at a press conference Thursday, one day ahead of the latest set of public health orders.

“There’s going to be a high level of vaccine uptake just because all patrons will be required to show proof of vaccination. We still encourage all employers to consider requiring their employees to prove their vaccine status, but it’s not required under these orders,” he said.

 

Oct. 18: One person dead after collision

By Drew May

One person is dead after a three-vehicle collision that took place at the intersection of Richmond Avenue East and Provincial Trunk Highway 110 this morning.

Brandon Police Service Sgt. Kirby Sararas told the Sun first responders were called to the scene of the accident around 9:45 a.m.

When first responders arrived on the scene, they discovered that the crash involved a car, a truck and a semi-trailer, she said. The semi was engulfed in flames.

The driver of the semi, a 22-year-old man, was uninjured, while the 63-year-old male driver of the truck was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

 

March 30: Bridges makes push for parole

By Drew May

A man who has spent the last 17 years in prison for killing a woman and burying her in another person’s grave was back in court on Monday asking to be allowed to apply for parole.

Michael Bridges was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of 18-year-old Erin Chorney in 2005, when he was 24 years old. He was sentenced to spend 25 years in prison without parole, but is applying to be allowed to ask for parole earlier under a now-repealed section of the Criminal Code.

The murder was a cold case for nearly two years before the RCMP arrested him in a sting operation.

Monday marked the first day of Bridges’ faint hope clause hearing in the Court of Queen’s Bench, which determines whether he is allowed to apply for parole after serving 15 years of his sentence, Justice John Menzies said in his opening statement to the jury.

Bridges appeared in court wearing a mask, glasses and a blue dress shirt. He sat in the accused’s box flanked by two Manitoba Sheriffs officers.

 

Feb. 16: Equestrian riders push back against government

By Tyler Clarke

A group of equestrian riders is channeling its outrage into a letter-writing campaign targeted at the province.

At issue is the proposed welcoming of motorized vehicles such as ATVs to the Souris Bend Wildlife Management Area’s southern trails.

A phone call from a “power that be” from the province Thursday made it sound like it was a done deal, said Myna Margetts, who has managed the area’s equestrian trails for the past few decades.

“He made it sound like there was no input on our side at all and that this was going to happen,” she said, adding this was the first time she’d heard of the proposal. “This is without any consultation.”

The Sun reached out to government spokespeople for comment during the long weekend, but no response came by Monday.

The “done deal” attitude floored Margetts, who in addition to managing the trails, sits on the board of an area conservation district.

 

June 17: Walk-in vaccines begin at supersites

By The Brandon Sun

Manitoba has expanded eligibility for second doses in the general population to anyone who received a first dose on or before May 14.

Health officials said at a press conference on Wednesday that as of 11:45 a.m. today, people who received their first dose on or before May 18 can book their second dose appointment.

All Indigenous Manitobans over the age of 12 and persons with certain underlying medical conditions can already book second doses.

Manitoba is hoping to have everyone aged 12 and up eligible for second doses of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of next week.

Health officials say two large shipments of Moderna vaccine, expected this week and next, will allow the province to administer more than 20,000 doses per day.

 

Aug. 27: Former DJ, 22, running for People’s Party to fight for personal freedoms

By Colin Slark

Brandon-Souris’ People’s Party of Canada candidate is warning the riding’s other candidates not to take him lightly because of his age.

The same weekend the election was called, 22-year-old Tylor Baer was acclaimed as his party’s candidate.

“After looking at the platform and comparing it to what the [Conservatives] were offering, I felt like it was the right direction for me to go,” he said of choosing to run for the PPC.

“The number one message I’m getting from people about the [Conservative] party right now is they’re wishy-washy. They flip-flop. I don’t think it’s done on purpose or out of any sort of ill intent. I think that the party is trying too broadly to appeal to everybody and in trying to appease everybody, they’re appeasing nobody.”

Originally from Edmonton, Baer lived in Portage la Prairie for the last few years before moving to Brandon at the beginning of 2021.

 

April 19: Fake news hampers COVID fight

 By Tyler Clarke

How do you convince people to take measures against the spread of COVID-19 when they dismiss it as “just a flu”?

What about convincing them to accept a vaccine they believe is redundant, dangerous or both?

Fake news is proving a serious barrier between government messaging about the COVID-19 pandemic and Manitobans taking action.

It’s something the government has dealt without throughout the pandemic, said Dr. Jazz Atwal, the province’s acting deputy chief provincial public health officer, during Friday’s media briefing.

“I think people should open their eyes,” he said, encouraging Manitobans to “seek out really important, good information from trusted individuals.”

“Go to health professionals who trained for years and years to learn what they are telling you about COVID-19,” he said. “Seek out the truth, seek out that information.”

 

June 7: Bills pile up for Whiskey Jacks

By Thomas Friesen

Two years after the Wheat City Whiskey Jacks made their debut, some local business owners are finding it difficult to get paid money the club owes them.

The Expedition League baseball club arrived in Brandon as an expansion team in 2019 with overwhelming optimism. The wood-bat, college summer league featuring players from junior college to NCAA Division I ranks would be the highest-calibre ball in town since the Manitoba Senior Baseball League folded in 2017.

Brandon and the ball club appeared to be a terrific pairing. But it didn’t take long, business owners say, before unpaid bills began to sour the relationship with Steve Wagner, owner of both the league and the Whiskey Jacks.

Brandon Source for Sports co-owner Joel Whiteside said the Whiskey Jacks still owe nearly $7,000 for the pants, belts, three sets of uniforms and warmup shirts they ordered ahead of the inaugural season. The original total was just north of $17,000 after knocking off $2,500 in a sponsorship agreement.

 

Dec. 3: Brandon mom wants changes after vaccine mixup

By Colin Slark

A Brandon woman is calling for procedures to be changed at the province’s vaccination supersites after she and her three-year-old daughter were given COVID-19 vaccine doses instead of flu shots last week at the Keystone Centre.

As first reported by the CBC, Jenna Bardarson and her daughter Dali went to the vaccination supersite on Nov. 24 for an appointment, but were accidentally given adult doses of COVID-19 vaccine instead of influenza vaccine.

In the days that followed, both of them suffered from side-effects like headaches, sore arms and in Dali’s case, vomiting and loss of appetite.

Since Jenna is not eligible for a COVID-19 booster shot until January and Dali is below the approved age for kids to receive doses of COVID vaccines, she is now hoping steps are taken so that this doesn’t happen again.

» The Brandon Sun