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Brandon University now has a new leader. Dr. David Docherty is the new President and Vice-Chancellor at BU.
"It means an awful lot to me and it's an incredible honour to do so," said Dr. Docherty. "I think BU is a great university with a fantastic past and a wonderful future and it's a real treat to be leading it. My wife and I look forward to spending the next number of years in Manitoba."
Dr. Docherty started his new role last Wednesday and BU is the third university he's been at. He was the President at Mount Royal University from 2011 up until he accepted the position at BU. Prior to that, he was at Wilfrid Laurier University.
He holds a PhD in political science. Despite being in Brandon for a very short period of time, Dr. Docherty has immersed himself right into the community.
"I had a couple of meetings and I spent the first afternoon at the bar on campus and I let everyone know I was going to be there," added Dr. Docherty. "I was able to open up my computer once but I didn't have the chance to check my emails because there was a constant stream of people coming to visit and introduce themselves. It was a very, very warm welcome."
With a couple of days now under his belt, Dr. Docherty is ready to get things going.
"BU is a very mature university in terms of its research profile and it's course offerings," added Dr. Docherty. "I certainly welcome the opportunity to engage and increase our offerings and I look forward to leading the university in some exciting directions,"
Spending time at the university and leading BU isn't the only thing Dr. Docherty will enjoy doing during his time in Brandon. His wife and he have two 75-85 pound dogs that they walk every single morning.
"That's something that I certainly enjoy doing every single morning, it's a fantastic way to start the day," said Dr. Docherty. "We are also avid sports fans so I think the community can expect us to be at a lot of Bobcat games. I also like to curl up with a good book, so that's a few of the things we enjoy doing during our free time."
David takes over for Dr. Gervan Fearon after he left BU in 2017. Dr. Steve Robinson has been the Interim President since that time.
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- Contributed by Darnell Duff
The Brandon Police scored their third drug bust in a week on Saturday night.
They were notified of a vehicle belonging to a woman who is banned from the city.
During an investigation of the car, 30 grams of meth was seized.
The 36-year-old woman from Woodworth was in court Sunday morning facing multiple charges.
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- Contributed by Josh Sigurdson
The devastating Bond Building fire in February caused the Dauphin HERO Club to lose the space they had been in for many years.
HERO Club navigator Jim Price says one of the great things about their new spot, the Youth Centre, is that it’s central.
“It’s a really bright, spacious location with lots of amenities, and it’s an integral part of the community. I think in keeping with the spirit of the HERO Club, which stands for helping everyone reach out, our new location will help us be seamlessly integrated with the community.”
Price says they’ll be holding a grand re-opening event in their new space at the Youth Centre at 10 in the morning this Thursday.
“We’re like a phoenix, we’re rising from the ashes.”
At the event, they are planning some opening remarks, a cake cutting ceremony, and Price asks that anyone with pictures from the past 25 years of the HERO Club bring them for a memory book.
The HERO Club is still working to get back to where they were before the fire, items wise.
With a permanent location, they are open to receiving non-monetary donations as long as they will be able to put them to good use.
Price is thankful to the people in the community who extended phone calls, offered to bring in snacks, the friendship centre for allowing them to use their board room for a couple of months, as well as the Dauphin and Gilbert Plains Fire Departments, RCMP and PMH.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
This Wednesday, May 8th at 1:55 in the afternoon, an Alert Ready public awareness text message is scheduled to take place.
The test alerts will be sent out as part of Emergency Preparedness Week.
Not all Manitobans will receive a test alert for a few different reasons, including device compatibility, connection to an LTE network, cell tower coverage, and individual device software and settings.
It is asked that Manitobans who receive the alert while operating a vehicle should remain calm and safely pull over at the earliest opportunity to view the alert.
By testing the Alert Ready system regularly, it builds awareness of what the alerts look and sound like.
Manitobans don’t have the option to opt-out of the service.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
The choice of either a brand new John Deere Gator or $10,000 is up to Larry and Debbie Fischer of Plumas. They are the winners of the early bird draw for the Neepawa and District Medical Committee's Farm & Leisure Lotto.
Next up are the final draws which will take place on Sunday, June 2nd. Tickets are $100 each, and 50-50 tickets are $20, or you can get 5 for $50.
To order tickets, call 1-877-876-8555. You can also purchase them from their website, where you can see a full list of prizes.
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- Contributed by Alec Woolston
UPDATE:
After a lengthy search, the RCMP have arrested two people involved in the fatal stabbing in Gilbert Plains yesterday.
A 39-year-old man and a 25-year-old female are in custody as the homicide investigation continues.
No names will be released at this point as no charges have been laid.
The RCMP would like to thank the media and public for their assistance.
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Police are looking for two suspects after a stabbing in Gilbert Plains.
Just before 10 pm on May 4th, Dauphin RCMP responded to a report of a stabbing at a residence.
In the residence, officers located a 36-year-old man who had been stabbed.
EMS personnel provided medical care but the man succumbed to his injuries, dying on scene.
Dauphin RCMP, Major Crime Services and Forensic Identification Services are continuing the investigation.
It is believed that two suspects are at large and actively evading police. The suspects have attempted to steal vehicles in an effort to flee the area. Additional police resources have been sent in an effort to locate and safely arrest the suspects.
The suspects are believed to be travelling together. The first suspect is described as a male, Indigenous in appearance, approximately 40 years old, Medium build, brown hair, brown eyes, tall in appearance, approximately 5'11, wearing a black t-shirt, blue jeans and black framed prescription glasses. The second suspect is described as a female, Indigenous in appearance with brown hair. They are considered dangerous and should not be approached.
Residents in the Gilbert Plains and Dauphin area are advised to immediately contact police should they see anything or anyone suspicious.
You can call Dauphin RCMP at 204-622-5020 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477, or submit a secure tip online at www.manitobacrimestoppers.com.
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- Contributed by With Files From Darnell Duff
22 motorcyclist deaths and 700 injuries over the past 5 years, has lead MPI to name May, Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.
This is an extension of MPI’s Save The 100 campaign.
A key to reducing deaths and injuries to motorcyclists is mutual respect because a high number of the deaths were preventable and directly attributed to high-risk driving behaviour between the motorist and motorcyclist.
Safety tips for motorcyclists are, wear the right gear, try to be highly visible, and ride with your headlight on and in a position on the roadway where you’re visible and aren’t in a blind spot.
For drivers, MPI’s safety tips are always look twice when changing lanes and at intersections, watch for signals, because it can be hard to see a motorcycle’s turning signal pay attention to if they are shoulder checking because that can indicate they are planning to change lanes or turn, and keep your distance, motorcycles may stop faster than other vehicles.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
Indigenous role models were brought to Whitmore School for Red Shirt Day.
Rainbow Chartrand feels honoured to have been asked to go.
“I’m always honoured and humbled to do it, it’s always nerve-racking because I never know what to expect. I’m honoured to be able to do this kind of work.”
Her message to the students is that things can get tough, but you can get through it.
Desiree Dorion shares her message to the kids.
“Whatever it is that’s happening in your life, at the moment, it’s just a moment and the moment will pass. If you work hard, really apply yourself, sticking to going to school and staying in school, this moment will pass and you will be able to empower yourself to do whatever it is that you want to do and be whoever you want to be.”
She also performed a song, called Pretty Poor Pretty Proud, that will be on her upcoming album for the very first time.
Dorion wants to shout out the Whitmore staff.
“The community is buzzing about the work that they’re doing and it’s really important work. So kudos to them.”
Ashley Blaise was the third woman to talk to the Whitmore School students.
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- Contributed by Isaac Wihak
The date has been set for the selection process for the second phase of Manitoba’s cannabis retail rollout.
Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Blaine Pedersen announced today that the selection progress will start on May 15th. Pedersen added that it is the government’s goal to ensure that 90% of Manitobans have access to a cannabis store within 30-minutes of their home within two years.
In July 2018, the province released a Request for Pre-Qualification (RFPQ) seeking potential retailers interested in a future opportunity to operate cannabis retail stores in Manitoba. The RFPQ directed respondents to name communities where they would be prepared to open a store and nearly 100 applicants pre-qualified as part of this process.
The selection process will consist of a random draw, called the Cannabis Retail Opportunities Draw, where each pre-qualified retailer will receive one ballot per community of interest and one winning ballot will be drawn for each community. Successful applicants can go ahead and start the agreement and licensing process.
A second ballot will be drawn to determine a standby retailer meaning that retailer will be called upon if the winning retailer fails to open a store in the designated community.
Seven Manitoba communities will be included in the draw.
- Altona
- Flin Flon
- Lac du Bonnet
- Niverville
- RM of Russel-Binscarth
- Swan River, and
- Virden
The winning retailer will be announced following the draw.
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- Contributed by Josh Sigurdson
Parks Canada is conducting prescribed fires in Riding Mountain National Park as part of an effort to curb the chances of a wildfire. So far, 20 hectares have been successfully burned.
On Thursday night, a fire was lit just east of Wasagaming which caused Highway 10 to be closed due to poor visibility for around 2 hours. The prescribed fire was a success and extra resources have been called into the park to provide support as a precautionary measure.
Riding Mountain will remain open to the public during the prescribed fires. Just be mindful that some smoke will be present and visible. Staff members are monitoring wind conditions and are trying to make sure that smoke will not affect anyone in the park when possible. Some areas of the park will be closed temporarily to ensure safety for both the public and the staff.
The prescribed fires are only conducted when favourable conditions exist, and the safety of everyone involved can be assured.
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- Contributed by Josh Sigurdson
Manitoba is going to continue its challenge of the federal carbon tax even as Saskatchewan lost theirs.
Saskatchewan courts ruled in favour of the tax 3-2 citing it is constitutionally sound and is within the legislative authority of Parliament.
Saskatchewan lawyers argued that the tax is unfair also adding that the province introduced its own carbon plan, but did not put a tax on it.
Manitoba announced its legal challenge on April 3rd, two days after the carbon tax was imposed on the four provinces –Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and New Brunswick- that didn’t meet Ottawa’s standards for a sufficient carbon pricing system.
The tax applies to 21 different kinds of fuel, including gasoline, at a rate of $20 per tonne of greenhouse emissions. By 2022, the tax will rise to $50 per tonne.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said he will appeal the decision.
Manitoba’s Premier Brian Pallister has said that the province has a strong case and stated the province will continue its respective challenge. Manitoba had originally proposed a flat carbon tax, but in a surprise move, Pallister withdrew the proposition after he said it didn’t go far enough.
The Manitoba Liberals unveiled their own carbon plan Friday.
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- Contributed by Josh Sigurdson
