Riding snowmobiles ‘a good rush’

Snowmobile sales across Canada last year were the highest in more than two decades, which is reflected in the number of riders buying passes to ride the trails in Manitoba, according to local organizations.

Neepawa hospital plans shared at community meeting

Neepawa and area residents got a glimpse at detailed architectural plans for the community’s new hospital, which is set to be completed in 2025.

Victims call on crash witnesses

Former Brandon city councillor and police officer Murray Blight is asking witnesses to a crash that severely injured his wife to step forward as he tries to piece together what happened.

‘Safety’s number 1:’ tiny home village for homeless opens in Winnipeg

WINNIPEG - Bundles of dried sage tied together with red ribbon hang from black fixtures connected to wood-panelled walls.

The space — in a building known simply as "the lodge" — may be small, but it is mighty in meaning.

Outside, nearly two dozen colourful apartment units form a circle. A sacred fire sits bull's-eye.

It's Winnipeg's first tiny home village for people experiencing homelessness, dubbed Astum Api Niikinaahk or "come sit at our home" in Michif, a language spoken by many Métis.

Convicted thief willing to ‘man up’

A Winnipeg resident will spend the next 18 months under house arrest after he admitted to breaking into four Brandon businesses in May 2021.

Local Roundup — Jan. 13, 2023

Man faces trafficking charges

Accused bank robber charged

WINNIPEG — RCMP have arrested a suspect in a two-month bank robbery spree across rural southern Manitoba.

Church fined $30K for flouting COVID rules

WINNIPEG — A Manitoba church that repeatedly flouted provincially imposed gathering limits at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic has been fined $30,000.

BU remembers Nicholson’s legacy

The Brandon University community is in mourning following news that longtime anthropology professor Bev Nicholson died Monday at age 86.

Months out from an election and low in polls, Manitoba premier makes changes

WINNIPEG - Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson is parting ways with two senior staff she brought in not long ago, with an election slated for October.

Philip Houde, who was hired as the premier's chief of staff in May, is leaving the post and no replacement has been named. Houde had served under previous Progressive Conservative premiers, including Stefanson's predecessor, Brian Pallister.

Stefanson brought Houde back last spring, months after she took over as premier.

The premier's office did not go into detail Thursday on the reasons for the change, other than to say it was part of a move to "refresh the Manitoba government’s administration and prepare it to better address the current priority concerns of Manitobans."

Fingerprint match credited with helping identify suspect in Manitoba kidnapping case

WINNIPEG - A recent fingerprint match has led to the arrest of a suspect in a kidnapping case from 2019, Manitoba RCMP said Thursday.

Police initially sought the public's help after a 16-year-old girl was abducted while out walking her dog near the community of Landmark, southeast of Winnipeg. They released a composite sketch of a man they said forced her into a pickup truck by threatening her with a knife.

The girl escaped when the vehicle slowed down and made her way to a house. A stolen truck was later found with fingerprints that could not be identified, police said.

The breakthrough in the case came when someone was arrested on an unrelated matter and their fingerprints were put in a national database, which turned up a match, Insp. Tim Arseneault said at a news conference in Winnipeg.

Sisson to run for PC nomination in Brandon West

Brandon resident Jordan Sisson has worn many hats within the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba — and now he’s looking to add one more.

He has been a local constituency assistant and director of regional cabinet operations here in Brandon. In the administration of former premier Brian Pallister, Sisson worked as director of stakeholder relations, before becoming the campaign manager and eventually chief of staff to current Premier Heather Stefanson. And in recent months, he became Stefanson’s senior strategic adviser, as he stepped away from his chief of staff role.

Sisson announced Thursday he would be seeking the PC nomination in Brandon West, a role that he said has been one of his career goals.

“It’s a super exciting time in my life right now,” Sisson said. “It’s obviously been a longtime goal of mine to make the attempt to run for provincial politics. I have the experience in both government and business. I know what it takes within government behind the scenes to move things.

Downhill in a winter wonderland

The past several weeks have been a veritable paradise for those of us who enjoy the beauty of winter landscapes across the province. But particularly in western Manitoba's parkland region, fluffy snow and hoar frost have turned forest greenery into white castles and winter wonderlands.

Earlier this month, Brandon Sun photographer Tim Smith took a trip out to the Asessippi Ski Area & Resort for a bit of a photoshoot on a sunny and crisp winter day. Located on the Manitoba Escarpment, Asessippi is the largest resort in Manitoba, and has become a popular destination for skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts who flock to the region every year.

Here are some photos from his time out on the slopes.

» The Brandon Sun

Proposed fee hike in RM of Cornwallis faces bumpy road

The relationship between local gravel pit owners and RM of Cornwallis council appears to be a little rocky as the municipality seeks a hefty hike to the annual fee paid to mine and haul gravel.