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The Brandon Police Service(BPS) has wrapped up an investigation that lasted more than a year and led to the arrest of 10 people in the city.
The BPS Special Release states that the group of drug traffickers would import large amounts of cocaine into Brandon from Ontario and British Columbia. The BPS investigation, named Project Banish, started in September 2021 and involved a number of units across law enforcement agencies.
Last week, the BPS executed eleven search warrants; six at residences in Brandon, one at a residence in Meadowbrook Village, one at a Brandon business, and three on vehicles. The following was seized as a result of the warrants.
- In excess of 9 kilograms of cocaine –Street value over $900,000
- Over $450,000 in cash
- 2 stolen handguns and a .30-06 rifle
- A ballistic vest and multiple other prohibited weapons
- A 2011 Lincoln MKS
- A 2003 Harley Davison motorcycle
- A 2003 Victory motorcycle.
The BPS Arrested the following individuals, and they have all appeared in court on the charges, although no charges have been proven at this time.
- Logan Bickerton (male age 27) Possession of Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking, Trafficking Cocaine, Possession of Proceeds of Property Obtained by Crime, Conspiracy to Traffic a Schedule 1 Substance and to Possess Proceeds of Crime over $5000, Possession of a Firearm Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized X2, Possession of Restricted Firearm Obtained by Crime.
- Scott Bickerton (male age 29) Possession of Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking, Possession of Proceeds of Property Obtained by Crime, and Conspiracy to Traffic a Schedule 1 Substance and to Possess Proceeds of Crime over $5000.
- Troy Bickerton (male age 32) Possession of Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking, Possession of Proceeds of Property Obtained by Crime Exceeding $5000.
- Barry Bickerton (male age 58) Possession of Proceeds of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5000.
- Angela Bickerton (female age 54) Possession of Proceeds of Property Obtained by Crime Over $5000, Conspiracy to Possess Proceeds of Crime Over $5000.
- James Reid (male age 30) Possession of Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking, Possession of Proceeds of Property Obtained by Crime, Conspiracy to Traffic a Schedule 1 Substance and to Possess Proceeds of Crime over $5000.
- Calvin Vermette (FLEURY Male age 52) Conspiracy to Possess Proceeds of Crime Over $5000, Possession of Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking, Conspiracy to Traffic a Schedule 1 Substance.
- Mitchell Brownlee (Male age 34) Conspiracy to Possess Proceeds of Crime Over $5000, Conspiracy to Traffic a Schedule 1 Substance.
- Tyler Henderson (Male age 40) Possession of Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking, Possession of Proceeds of Property Obtained by Crime, Conspiracy to Traffic a Schedule 1 Substance and to Possess Proceeds of Crime over $5000.
- Craig Crofton (Male age 55) Possession of Cocaine for the Purpose of Trafficking and Conspiracy to Traffic a Schedule 1 Substance.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
The Manitoba Farmer Wellness program has only been around since March, but it already started to see an uptick in use.
The program offers six free counseling sessions to farmers across the province and their family members. The program has four councilors with a background in agriculture, which Vice Chair Roberta Galbraith says is a very important aspect.
"Farmers in other jurisdictions, and here, have said it just makes such a difference not having to retell your story over and over again when you say, I'm a Farmer, they get it. They understand the sort of cyclical nature of farming, and some of the isolation that might go on with living where you work, and being out in the country. Long hours, high prices, low prices, whatever, they just kind of get it, and you don't have to try and teach this councilor about what it is you have to do."
Galbraith says that this year was a good time for the program to start, as there was a lot of uncertainty with the growing season.
"This year was a very challenging year. Being a farmer myself, the spring was very stressful, and then it gets more stressful in the fall because you're running up against fall weather, short growing season, and short days."
The program's website, manitobafarmerwellness.ca, makes it really easy to choose a counselor and get connected.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
A group of Dauphin Students is using their love of Minecraft to help others learn about the game.
Judith Cooper is a teacher at Ecole MacNeill and during the pandemic, she got certified as an official Minecraft International Coach. That inspired a group of her students to complete a boot camp and get certified as Student Ambassadors.
Harris McMaster, Connor Shanowsky, Riley Karpiak, Lael Kang, Andrew Bereza-Moss, Jack Yakimishen, and Tega Poast are the Ambassadors. Even though many have since moved on to Mackenzie Middle School, the group still returns to Ecole MacNeill to help teach others.
The group has also teamed up with the Dauphin Public Library, to offer Minecraft University to others who don't have the opportunity to learn about it at school. Cooper says that Minecraft University is a great opportunity for students to learn about the game.
"Minecraft University is sort of just mini-lessons, mini sessions, showing kids who may or may not have the ability to do it at home, or at school, and just giving them tips, and the ambassadors are in charge of that."
The group held its first Minecraft University session at the Dauphin Public Library on Friday with students from Barker, Smith Jackson, Henderson, and a student from Grandview says, Cooper.
"We are the second cohort within Canada, the other cohort that I know of is in Toronto. So these kids, my ambassadors, they are official representatives of Minecraft education."
Library Director Alison Moss says she hopes this leads to more technological opportunities at the library.
"I believe libraries should be a technological hub in our communities. We are interested in hearing about what people want to learn and experience at the library. We have been experimenting with a 3D printer and plan to run workshops. We are also applying for grants to bring Virtual Reality to the library – I hope that one day you will be able to experience these cutting-edge technologies during a visit to the library."
Anyone looking for more information on the program can reach out to Judith Cooper at Ecole MacNeill, or Alison Moss at the Dauphin Public Library.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
UPDATE:
The RCMP have located and arrested Wayne William Joseph Becks of Dauphin.
They're thanking the public for your assistance.
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The RCMP is looking for Wayne William Joseph Becks of Dauphin.
The 39-year-old may be in possession of firearms and he is considered armed and dangerous.
On November 22, a female victim was assaulted and the victim suffered severe and life-altering injuries.
Becks is charged with the following:
- Aggravated Assault;
- Assault with a Weapon x2;
- Assault While Choking;
- Possession of a Firearm While Prohibited;
- and Uttering Threats to Cause Death
The RCMP believes Becks could be on the run to avoid arrest. If you spot Becks, do not approach him, call 911 immediately.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
A low-pressure system is tracking across the prairies and is expected to bring up to 25 cm of snow to areas around Duck Mountain and into the Swan Valley.
The following areas are affected by the Snowfall Warning:
- Duck Mountain Prov. Park and Prov. Forest
- Mun. of Minitonas-Bowsman incl. Renwer
- Mun. of Swan Valley West incl. Benito
- Pelican Rapids and Shoal River First Nations
- Porcupine Prov. Forest
- R.M. of Mountain including Cowan and Camperville
- R.M. of Mountain including Mafeking and Birch River
- Westgate Red Deer Lake and Barrows
The snow will gradually taper off from west to east overnight through Tuesday. Storm total amounts will be in the 20 to 25 cm range. Before you head out on the road, check out the Parkview Autoglass Road Conditions tab.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
Average retail gas prices in Manitoba have fallen 7.8 c/L in the past week, averaging 158.08 c/L yesterday, according to GasBuddy.com. This compares with the national average which has fallen 5.0 c/L in the last week to 152.81 c/L.
Prices yesterday were 21.1 c/L higher than the same day one year ago and 20.4 c/L lower than a month ago. The national average has decreased by 20.6 c/L during the last month and stands at 10.8 c/L higher than this day one year ago.
According to GasBuddy historical data, gasoline prices on November 28 in Manitoba have ranged widely over the last five years; 137.01 c/L in 2021, 96.09 c/L in 2020, 112.03 c/L in 2019, 101.04 c/L in 2018 and 106.60 c/L in 2017.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
Members of the City of Dauphin Council, along with some city staff, were in Winnipeg this past week at the Association of Manitoba Municipalities Convention.
Elected officials from across the province were in attendance at the convention, to discuss common issues, and learn what it means to represent their communities. Dauphin Mayor David Bosiak says it was great timing for the convention, as many people are new to their positions.
"We were made aware that 46 percent of people that were elected, either head of council or councilors are new, and so that's a pretty high proportion of new people. When we were attending the Major Cities Caucus, of the 10 members of that group, six of us have new heads of council, so quite a turnover. I think that in some cases that's a little bit of a challenge, in that there's a lot to learn with a lot of people, but there was also a sense of energy, and willingness to get to work and get things done, so I thought it was a great experience overall."
Bosiak says that it gave him a good opportunity to meet with other heads of council in similar cities to Dauphin, and gain some perspective on what's happening around the province.
"I talked to the mayor of Brandon and then talked with the mayor of Portage and Selkirk. So I had some opportunities to talk to communities similar to us in terms of status, but also had a chance to discuss some issues of common concern. We had an opportunity to meet with the RCMP and met with some of the other municipal leaders about their issues related to the retroactive pay that municipalities are on the hook for, and other things that are impacting all of us."
Bosiak says that there was a focus on the conduct of councils, and ensuring that councils get along and learn how to communicate. The RM of Dauphin was also in attendance, and the two councils had a good opportunity to meet and discuss common interests as well.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
Staffing shortages in healthcare continue to cause issues across the province.
The E.M. Crowe Memorial Hospital in Eriksdale will be without a doctor in their emergency department until at least December 15th. A schedule posted to the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authorities website shows the shortage.
Patients in need of service will be directed to either Ashern, which is 39 km away, or Arborg, which is 62 km away, but has a very limited number of days with a doctor in the department.
Doctors Manitoba said earlier this week that the province is 405 doctors short of the national average, leaving Manitoba with the third-lowest number of Doctors per capita of any province. Dr. Candace Bradshaw, President of Doctors Manitoba, says the shortage is now the biggest it's ever been.
“The doctor shortage affects all Manitoba families, whether you’re trying to find a family doctor, waiting to see a specialist, worried about overwhelmed ERs, or stuck in the surgery and testing backlog.“
Dr. Bradshaw says the shortage is likely going to continue getting worse before it gets better.
“Without a big change, the physician shortage is projected to get even worse in the short term, with 43% of physicians planning on retiring, leaving Manitoba, or reducing their clinical hours.”
Doctors Manitoba says over the past 20 years, Manitoba has struggled to keep up with other provinces, with the smallest increase in physicians per capita in the nation.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
The Dauphin Citizens on Patrol Program (COPP) is ready to hit the streets and start patrolling, and they'll be able to go further thanks to a donation from the Dauphin Co-op.
Co-op has been a big supporter of the COPP program since its inception, and yesterday they donated $1000 to help get the program going. Richard Ives, the program's organizer, says the money will go towards gas for their volunteers.
"We've got 12 trained volunteers, and we have three or four more in the midst of getting trained, so we're hoping to start our patrols in the middle of December."
Ives says anyone interested in the program is welcome to join, and they'll have another training session in January for new members. Anyone interested in joining can stop by Co-op and ask for Richard.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
As a result of the late harvest in the province, the Canadian Grain Commission has extended the deadline for their Harvest Sample Program. The new deadline to submit a sample is December 30th, 2022, and producers have until December 12th to register.
The program is free to participate in, and producers will receive the following results to use when marketing and delivering grain:
- Unofficial grade*
- Dockage assessment on canola and mustard
- Protein content on barley, beans, chickpeas, lentils, oats, peas, and wheat
- Oil, protein, and chlorophyll content for canola
- Oil and protein content and iodine value for flaxseed
- Oil and protein for mustard seed and soybeans
- Falling number for wheat and rye
- Vomitoxin (deoxynivalenol or DON) levels for wheat, corn, and barley
*All grade, dockage, and quality results are assessed by the Canadian Grain Commission. The grade provided through the Harvest Sample Program is unofficial because samples aren’t collected by a Canadian Grain Commission inspector.
You can register online for the program here.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
The pork industry in Manitoba is still working to keep feral pigs at bay in the province.
Manitoba Pork General Manager Cam Dahl says their Squeal on Pigs Campaign has been very successful so far, thanks to public engagement. He says that partnerships with other agencies have also helped push the campaign.
"Municipalities for example, that are running the squeal on pigs on their websites. Working closely with Parks Canada around Riding Mountain National Park to keep feral pigs out of the park. We're really seeing that level of cooperation across the province, and from various sectors, so that's something that's very positive to see."
Feral pigs can destroy the pork industry in an area, and that's why the province is working so hard to track them, says Dahl.
"In Germany, African Swine Fever moved from wild animals into the commercial heads through contacts with small farmers. The first one had four pigs and the second farm had six pigs, and that has decimated Europe's largest pork producers, or what used to be Europe's largest pork producers."
The province is still asking that people report any sightings or signs of feral pigs, so they can track them. They also ask that people not hunt the animals, as it disperses them, and makes them impossible to track.
For more information on feral pigs or to report a sighting, go to squealonpigsmb.org.
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- Contributed by Sam Brownell
