It’s Day Three of the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair in Brandon. Today is RBC Family Day which promises reduced gate admission – and some special performances. This evening features mounted-shooters – horseback riders firing at balloons. The Fair runs until Saturday at the Keystone Centre.
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CN Rail crews cleared the tracks near 6th Street in Brandon yesterday afternoon after a derailment on Monday. It affected 15 railcars; no dangerous goods were involved and no-one was hurt. The cause of the ‘upright’ derailment is still being investigated.
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It’s Distracted Driving Awareness Month – and it’s a dangerous problem on Manitoba roads. Manitoba Public Insurance says over 2,800 drivers received three-day suspensions last year – and distracted driving was responsible for 675 crashes. It’s also the number one cause of fatalities on the roads.
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Texting scams are costing Canadians million of dollars. Police and Equifax Canada say a majority of us are on phones and computers making it easy for scammers to target the vulnerable. Some common fake texts say you have an unpaid fine, or have a government benefit waiting for you. About 36-percent of us admit to accidentally clicking on fraudulent emails or texts.
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The Manitoba government is committed to searching a Winnipeg landfill for Ashlee Shingoose, one of the victims of a serial killer – but the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs says a search must also include recovery efforts for Tanya Nepinak, who went missing in 2011. Police believe the 31-year-old’s body was dumped in a garbage bin and taken to the city-run Brady Road landfill.
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Free entry into Manitoba’s provincial parks for a year kicked-off this week. No vehicle permit is needed, but camping reservation fees still apply. Campground bookings open next Monday for five days starting with cabins, yurts and group-use areas. The province has also increased spending on park infrastructure including adding electrical sites at Spruce Woods east of Brandon.
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U-S President Donald Trump is to unveil his so-called “liberation day” plan today hitting multiple countries with tariffs. It’s still not clear whether a temporary pause on separate economy-wide duties on Canada will be lifted. Out campaigning Tuesday, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh pledged support for public health-care, the Liberals’ Mark Carney highlighted measures to help families – and the Conservatives Pierre Poilievre promised to expand Canada’s energy sector.
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A U.K. bio-tech company has unveiled a new gene-edited banana that promises to remain yellow for longer. The bananas have the same taste, smell, and sweetness profile – but won’t brown as fast. Nearly one-third of bananas harvested are never consumed. The bananas have been approved for sale in Canada, and should be in stores soon.
