Brandon Sun – Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada

Mark Frison, president and CEO of Assiniboine College, speaks during the naming of The Bob Simmons Studio at the Assiniboine College Centre for Creative Media at the Victoria East campus on Friday. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)

College names studio after former instructor

By Abiola Odutola 3 minute read Yesterday at 12:21 AM CDT

Assiniboine College officially named its audio recording space The Bob Simmons Studio on Friday afternoon at the Victoria East campus.

The naming was to honour the longtime instructor, “whose influence continues to resonate” with students, colleagues and the broader media industry, the college said.

Assiniboine president Mark Frison said the recognition was made possible through a grassroots effort led by Simmons’ former colleagues and alumni.

“Bob’s former colleagues felt that we should honour his legacy in some way,” Frison told the Sun. “They came together, raised more than $7,000 in donations to sponsor the naming of a studio within the college’s Centre for Creative Media.”

The Royal Manitoba Winter Fair

Fox brings inspiring message to Hamiota

By Alex Lambert 5 minute read Preview

Fox brings inspiring message to Hamiota

By Alex Lambert 5 minute read Yesterday at 12:21 AM CDT

HAMIOTA — Terry Fox would have never imagined the difference he has made in cancer research, his older brother told a crowd of students in Hamiota on Thursday.

Fred Fox made appearances at several Westman schools and communities during the last week, telling people about the brothers’ time growing up, Terry’s competitive spirit and the difference he made and continues to make today.

“After the Terry Fox runs started in 1981, Mom and Dad were told, ‘Expect this to only last three or four years. People will forget Terry,’ and that certainly hasn’t happened,” Fox told a crowd of about 125 students and staff at Hamiota Collegiate Institute.

Fox said when his brother was first diagnosed with cancer, they didn’t know what the disease was.

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Yesterday at 12:21 AM CDT

A crowd of students listens to Fred Fox speak during Thursday’s presentation. (Alex Lambert/The Brandon Sun)

First Nation blasts boat decision

By Connor McDowell, Local Journalism Initiative 4 minute read Preview

First Nation blasts boat decision

By Connor McDowell, Local Journalism Initiative 4 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 12:20 AM CDT

The chief of Keeseekoowenin Ojibway First Nation issued a statement this week saying he did not consent to the return of motorboats at Clear Lake.

Chief Dwayne Sonny Blackbird, responding Wednesday to Parks Canada’s boat policy announcement earlier in the day, said the decision did not reflect a collaborative or mutually supported outcome, even though engagement sessions took place.

“Our people have a sacred responsibility to protect these waters,” Blackbird said in a public letter. “Engagement without consent is not partnership, it is process without authority. We will not allow our rights to be interpreted as agreement where none has been given.”

He said the First Nation, which has land on the northwest shore of Clear Lake, would continue to assert its jurisdiction in all matters concerning the lake and surrounding lands.

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Updated: Yesterday at 12:20 AM CDT

Keeseekoowenin Ojibway First Nation chief Dwayne Sonny Blackbird in 2025 walks the shoreline at Clear Lake on land that belongs to his First Nation. (Connor McDowell/The Brandon Sun files)

Paws 4 Valour offers special kind of support

By Tessa Adamski 5 minute read Preview

Paws 4 Valour offers special kind of support

By Tessa Adamski 5 minute read Yesterday at 12:08 AM CDT

Veteran Joel Langley is raising awareness about a dog-training program in Westman that supports members of the Canadian Armed Forces, veterans, RCMP and emergency first responders struggling with mental-health issues.

Langley and his wife, Shauna, co-founded the non-profit Paws 4 Valour in May 2025 to help people experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression cope by bonding with their dog and others.

The six-week dog-training and peer-support program is offered at no cost to participants and is designed to reduce the stigma around mental health.

“I want to make sure people understand that you’re not alone,” said Langley, who lives in Minnedosa and is originally from London, Ont.

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Canadian Armed Forces veteran Joel Langley, co-founder of Paws 4 Valour, sits with his dog, Bandit, at Dinsdale Park in Brandon on Friday afternoon. The program’s upcoming session had an “overwhelming response,” Langley said. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)

No bail for man accused of having sawed-off rifle

By Skye Anderson 4 minute read Preview

No bail for man accused of having sawed-off rifle

By Skye Anderson 4 minute read Yesterday at 12:04 AM CDT

A man facing charges for being in possession of a loaded sawed-off rifle was denied bail in Brandon provincial court on Friday.

Sedrick Roulette, 42, is charged with several weapon-related offences, including possessing a loaded and prohibited firearm, along with assault and several counts of breaching his prohibition order.

The Crown opposed Roulette’s release, arguing he was likely to reoffend, wouldn’t show up to his court appearances and that his detention was necessary to maintain the public’s confidence in the administration of justice.

Easton Lacey, an articling student with the Crown attorney’s office, detailed the allegations, which haven’t been proven in court.

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Yesterday at 12:04 AM CDT

Chamber flags areas of concern in provincial budget

By Abiola Odutola 3 minute read Preview

Chamber flags areas of concern in provincial budget

By Abiola Odutola 3 minute read Yesterday at 12:01 AM CDT

The Brandon Chamber of Commerce says Manitoba’s 2026 provincial budget falls short in supporting business growth.

President Jennifer Ludwig said Friday that the budget is “less business-friendly than previous budgets.”

While the provincial measures — including free child care for low-income families and the removal of sales tax on some groceries — are designed to ease household financial pressures, they do not directly address the pressures facing employers, she said.

“We do acknowledge affordability seems to be the priority, which is not a bad thing,” Ludwig told the Sun. “Healthy communities and healthy businesses rely on strong social supports, but business owners are also dealing with rising costs and trying to grow to support the Manitoba economy.”

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Yesterday at 12:01 AM CDT

Brandon Chamber of Commerce president Jennifer Ludwig says the 2026 Manitoba budget is “less business-
friendly than previous budgets.” (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun files)

Brandon, Melita locations linked to measles

2 minute read Preview

Brandon, Melita locations linked to measles

2 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 12:08 AM CDT

There’s a risk that people who were at two different locations in Westman last month — a liquor store and place of worship — may have been exposed to the measles virus.

Manitoba Health says a possible exposure occurred at the Brandon south Liquor Mart on March 31 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:40 p.m. People should watch for early symptoms such as a fever, runny nose, cough, drowsiness and red eyes until April 22.

The Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Melita had two possible exposures — on March 27 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and the following day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Anyone who was at this location during the specified dates and times should monitor for any signs until April 18 or 19, respectively.

There are a total of 429 confirmed cases and 63 probable ones across Manitoba this year, with 17 new cases reported in the first four days of April, provincial data current up to Friday show.

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Updated: Yesterday at 12:08 AM CDT

The Quebec government says thousands of people might have been exposed to measles at a shopping mall north of Montreal earlier this month, as an outbreak of the highly contagious disease continues to grow. This undated image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Feb. 4, 2015, shows an electron microscope image of a measles virus particle, centre. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Cynthia Goldsmith/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via AP

City applies to hike some development charges by nearly 800%

By Alex Lambert 4 minute read Preview

City applies to hike some development charges by nearly 800%

By Alex Lambert 4 minute read Friday, Apr. 10, 2026

Development charges for high-density buildings in Brandon related to water and wastewater could rise by nearly 800 per cent, a city application to the Public Utilities Board shows.

The application would see development charges increase from $1,614 to $12,863 for high-density units. For low-density units, the charges would rise from $2,496 to $17,407.

Evan Keller, president of Keller Developments in Brandon, said the charges align fairly closely with what was previously discussed and will have an adverse effect on development.

“I think it’s going to be crushing to development within the city,” Keller said.

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Friday, Apr. 10, 2026

Evan Keller, president of Keller Developments, is shown at the company’s office on Middleton Avenue in Brandon on Friday. Keller said the proposed new development charges, on top of increased property taxes and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation premiums, are making the local housing market “very unattractive.” (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)

Dynacare pauses medical tests during relocation

1 minute read Friday, Apr. 10, 2026

Medical tests at the Dynacare Laboratory and Health Services Centre at the Brandon Clinic will be paused for several days as operations transition to a different location.

The specimen collection site at 620 Dennis St. is temporarily moving to 144 Sixth St. as part of an approximate one-year relocation before a new permanent site opens, the health-care provider said in a news release on Friday.

Dynacare services will close at the Brandon Clinic at noon on April 24 and are anticipated to resume at the new location at 8 a.m. on April 28, pending required regulatory inspections, the release said.

People accessing services on April 24 are encouraged to arrive by 11:30 a.m. to ensure their samples can be processed.

Judge says stiff conditions ‘tantamount to denying bail’

By Skye Anderson 2 minute read Preview

Judge says stiff conditions ‘tantamount to denying bail’

By Skye Anderson 2 minute read Friday, Apr. 10, 2026

A man accused of setting a fire inside a house and being involved in a serious jailhouse assault has been granted bail on stiff conditions.

Melvin Mousseau, 27, is charged with aggravated assault, arson causing damage, breaking and entering into a home causing arson, possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose and mischief.

Judge Shauna Hewitt-Michta delivered her decision on Thursday in Brandon provincial court. She reserved her decision after a contested bail hearing on Tuesday.

She acknowledged that the security she required to release Mousseau — either a $2,500 surety or a $1,500 cash deposit — may be “tantamount to denying bail.”

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Friday, Apr. 10, 2026

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

Public washroom at Princess Park opens 24-7 starting today

By Alex Lambert 3 minute read Preview

Public washroom at Princess Park opens 24-7 starting today

By Alex Lambert 3 minute read Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026

The public-use washroom at Princess Park will start operating 24 hours a day for seven days a week as of today, a city official told the Sun.

Council agreed Tuesday to keep the washroom open 24-7 as part of a larger plan to explore opening a “hygiene hub.”

Todd Burton, the city’s general manager of operations, told the Sun on Wednesday that the washroom would be open 24-7 “within the month.” On Thursday, he said the security and cleaning staff needed were available right away, and the city decided to open the facility sooner than projected with the new information.

The facility, which has two washrooms — of which only one will be in use at a time — will be monitored by a security firm overnight and will be cleaned six times a day.

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Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026