Brandon Sun – Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada

Stampede time in Austin!

1 minute read 12:13 AM CDT

» Photos by Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun

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Violent act at hospital blamed on ‘bad batch’ of fentanyl

By Tessa Adamski 4 minute read Preview

Violent act at hospital blamed on ‘bad batch’ of fentanyl

By Tessa Adamski 4 minute read 12:07 AM CDT

A 35-year-old man from The Pas was sentenced to 90 days in jail after he admitted to smashing a garage window in the ambulance bay of the Brandon hospital while intoxicated last week.

James Constant pleaded guilty in Brandon provincial court on Thursday to mischief under $5,000 and breaching a probation order that prohibited him from possessing any weapons. Two additional charges, involving failing to comply with a probation order and possessing a dangerous weapon, were stayed.

On July 15, Constant was taken to the Brandon Regional Health Centre by ambulance after he overdosed and became “aggressive” and “unco-operative” with paramedics, according to an agreed statement of facts read in court by Crown attorney Rich Lonstrup.

“He took a piece of wood and smashed the garage-door window within the ambulance bay,” Lonstrup said.

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12:07 AM CDT

Local

Former Manitoba cabinet minister Jim McCrae in front of his house in Brandon on Friday. McCrae joins the list of candidates seeking seats on the school board of trustees. (Abiola Odutola/The Brandon Sun)

McCrae enters school trustee race

By Abiola Odutola 4 minute read Preview

McCrae enters school trustee race

By Abiola Odutola 4 minute read 12:06 AM CDT

Veteran politician Jim McCrae has registered to run for a seat on the Brandon School Division board of trustees.

McCrae, a former provincial cabinet minister and Brandon city councillor, joins the list of candidates seeking seats on the board, including current vice-chair Duncan Ross, incumbent trustees Kirk Carr and Lorraine McConnell, and Community Futures Westman executive director Bill Hogan.

McCrae, 77, said his decades of public service and education experience have prepared him to contribute to the governance of the school division.

“My last cabinet position was as minister of education and training. I travelled extensively in Manitoba and met with many teachers and others involved with the education of our children,” McCrae told the Sun. “I gained a much greater appreciation of the challenges we all face in these rapidly changing times.”

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12:06 AM CDT

Local

Corbin Boczkowski of Lethbridge, Alta., tries to stay atop his horse while competing in the novice bareback event at the opening go-round of the 2026 Manitoba Threshermen’s Reunion & Stampede rodeo on Thursday evening. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)

Cowboys embrace the thrill of the ride

Connor McDowell Local Journalism Initiative 7 minute read Preview

Cowboys embrace the thrill of the ride

Connor McDowell Local Journalism Initiative 7 minute read 12:06 AM CDT

AUSTIN — For some cowboys it’s like drugs, for others it’s all in a day’s ride.

It’s early in the evening at the agricultural arena in Austin on the first night of the Manitoba Threshermen’s Reunion & Stampede. The sun is orange and low in the sky. Four paramedics walk through a group of cowboys and turn up a staircase, where they stand by. An enclosure of white metal corrals surrounds the group of cowboys.

One cowboy wraps his arm in sports tape, reserved and silent, his head down. The young man, Corbin Boczkowski, has not said a word to anybody, though he has been here for the better part of an hour. He remains to himself, putting on an elbow brace to prevent his bicep from tearing.

Two horses are herded into a maze of metal fences nearby. The animals are unruly, going too fast, or turning abruptly and bumping into fences. As they go deeper through the maze, the room they had to circle around and trot shrinks. They stop and attempt to turn around when facing a narrow corridor, but a rodeo hand pushes the gate behind them, and the rear horse has no time to come backwards before the gate is closed.

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12:06 AM CDT

Local

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

Sioux Valley man denied bail to ‘protect complainant’

By Tessa Adamski 4 minute read Preview

Sioux Valley man denied bail to ‘protect complainant’

By Tessa Adamski 4 minute read 12:05 AM CDT

A 40-year-old man from Sioux Valley Dakota Nation facing multiple charges — including assaulting his ex-girlfriend and violating an order not to communicate with her — was denied bail in Brandon provincial court on Thursday.

Judge Shauna Hewitt-Michta said Ryan Demas has shown a “persistent disregard” for protective conditions involving his former intimate partner since October 2025 when the first alleged assault took place.

“I’m concerned about protecting the complainant in this matter. And unfortunately, the record and the allegations that have accumulated point to a substantial likelihood that he will continue to commit offences if he’s released,” she said in court.

Georgia Steeves, an articling student with the Crown Attorney Office, detailed the facts of the case. None of the allegations has been tested in court.

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12:05 AM CDT

Local

Watermain replacement work to begin on First Street

1 minute read 12:03 AM CDT

Traffic will be impacted starting next week when construction starts on First Street in Brandon to replace a watermain between Louise Avenue and Van Horne Avenue.

Construction will require partial lane closures. Drivers should expect delays and are encouraged to plan different routes to avoid the area, the city said. The city said that access to homes and businesses will be maintained during the construction.

“The city recognizes that construction may cause temporary disruptions and appreciates the patience of residents and business owners,” the city said in a news release Friday.

The infrastructure work is meant to ensure reliable drinking water service and to support continued growth in the community, the city said. The replacement project targets a section that was installed in 1910, and has a high number of recorded breaks.

Local

Police seize long guns in Riverheights

1 minute read 12:03 AM CDT

The Manitoba Integrated Law Enforcement Team (MILET) seized three long guns after executing a firearms search warrant at a residence on the 3700 block of Centennial Boulevard in Riverheights on Thursday.

A 45-year-old man was arrested and has pending charges, including three counts of unauthorized possession of a firearm and three counts of unsafe storage of a firearm, Brandon police said in a news release on Friday.

Police said the man did not have a valid possession and acquisition license. He was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 24.

Four other individuals arrested at the scene were released without charges after police interviewed them, the release said.

Local

The Dauphin Regional Health Centre in Dauphin, Man., which is closed due to flood damge. (Mike Deal/Winnipeg Free Press files)

Town hall to provide update on Dauphin hospital

2 minute read Preview

Town hall to provide update on Dauphin hospital

2 minute read 12:02 AM CDT

Manitobans are invited to attend a virtual town hall meeting next week for an update on the Dauphin Regional Health Centre after it closed due to severe flooding in the basement.

The town hall will take place on Thursday, July 30 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Prairie Mountain Health said in a social media post.

Officials from the province, the regional health authority and Shared Health will be available to answer questions and provide information on the progress of restoring health services in Dauphin.

The flooding was caused by heavy rainfall that spilled over the Vermillion River last month, which resulted in significant damage to the hospital HVAC system.

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12:02 AM CDT

Lifestyles

The Gordie Howe International Bridge is seen from River Rouge, Mich., connecting Detroit with Windsor, Ontario, Tuesday, July 14, 2026, (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Canada-only event held to mark Gordie Howe bridge opening as questions linger on deal

The Canadian Press staff, The Canadian Press 7 minute read Preview

Canada-only event held to mark Gordie Howe bridge opening as questions linger on deal

The Canadian Press staff, The Canadian Press 7 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 4:43 PM CDT

WINDSOR - A Canada-only ceremony took place Friday to mark the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge as the Liberal government faced more questions about a new revenue-sharing deal with the United States.

A joint event with the U.S. to open the bridge connecting Ontario and Michigan was cancelled earlier this week. U.S. President Donald Trump said on social media Friday that Canada "disinvited" the United States of America from the event, which he said is "fine, considering they are paying substantial TARIFFS to the United States."

" … The original Deal on the Bridge, which was terribly negotiated by a previous Administration, no longer stands," he posted. "We changed the terms of the Deal so that the United States of America now gets 50% of the Profit."

The federal government said Tuesday that in light of Trump's latest tariff threats, Canada would not be celebrating the opening of the bridge in a joint event.

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Updated: Yesterday at 4:43 PM CDT

Business

Canada Post mail trucks are seen parked in their distribution centre in Montreal, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

‘Existential’: Community papers struggling to survive amid Canada Post flyer delivery

Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

‘Existential’: Community papers struggling to survive amid Canada Post flyer delivery

Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 8:23 PM CDT

MONTREAL - Community newspaper owners claim Canada Post is helping to drive some of them out of business thanks to an expanded partnership it forged with the country's largest printing firm.

Last month, the Crown corporation launched the countrywide rollout of a joint venture with Transcontinental Inc. known as Raddar, which saw Canada Post start delivering discount-deal leaflets in all 10 provinces.

Community newspapers have traditionally relied on flyer bundles to fund their publications, which are delivered free to millions of readers in urban and rural communities.

Paul Deegan, CEO of News Media Canada, which represents scores of community papers among the 550 news titles it advocates for, says those outlets are now losing ad clients after being undercut by a government-backed enterprise. The revenue loss threatens to shutter news outlets and leave residents less informed about their communities, he said.

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Updated: Yesterday at 8:23 PM CDT

Business

International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu rises during question period on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Friday, April 24, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Critics accuse Ottawa of ignoring human rights as it signs trade deal with Ecuador

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Critics accuse Ottawa of ignoring human rights as it signs trade deal with Ecuador

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 4:44 PM CDT

OTTAWA - Critics are accusing Ottawa of prioritizing trade over human rights by signing a free trade deal with Ecuador.

International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu and Ecuador's minister of production, foreign trade and investment Luis Alberto Jaramillo took part in a signing event in Ottawa on Friday.

A Global Affairs Canada news release issued Friday said the event marks an "important milestone in Canada's efforts to diversify trade and create new opportunities for Canadian businesses."

"It also reflects Canada and Ecuador’s shared commitment to strengthening their trade and investment relationship and bringing the agreement into force as soon as possible," said the release.

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Updated: Yesterday at 4:44 PM CDT