An Air India passenger plane bound for London with more than 240 people on board crashed today in India’s northwestern city of Ahmedabad. Reports say there was one Canadian on board. This is the first crash ever of a Boeing 787 aircraft. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
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A 16-year-old boy accused of attacking another boy with a sword at Brandon’s Neelin High School faces several charges including attempted murder. Police say the suspect had plans for more victims, but was stopped by the swift actions of school officials and officers. The 15-year-old victim remains in stable condition, and police are still working to discover what motivated the attack.
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Residents of Cranberry-Portage, evacuated because of a nearby wildfire, could begin returning home this weekend. The Rural Municipality of Kelsey plans to allow re-entry Saturday morning saying hydro, phones and water are all working. The fire south of the community is still considered out-of-control.
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Roughly a thousand people are currently without power in Manitoba due to wildfires – half are in Pukatawagan…the other half in Nopiming Provincial Park. Manitoba Hydro says there has been significant damage to poles and power lines, with some areas still inaccessible to safely perform damage assessments.
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There’s a warning about a scam targeting wildfire evacuees. Some have received emails claiming to be from the Canadian Red Cross asking for banking details so payments can be processed. The Red Cross does not ask for bank account, social insurance or credit card numbers via email, and if you’ve received a message like this, contact police.
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More communities impacted by wildfires are now eligible for free mail forwarding by Canada Post. Cranberry Portage, Bissett, Snow Lake and Split Lake have been added – along with Cross Lake, Flin Flon, Lynn Lake, Norway House, Pukatawagan and Sherridon. Residents must register with Canada Post.
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In the first week of this month, there were seven confirmed cases of measles in the province. Health officials say there have been 98 cases so far this year, with 72 in May alone. Last week, Manitoba expanded eligibility for the measles vaccine – the only way to protect against the virus.
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The Brandon ‘Commuter Challenge’ wrapped up on June 7th, and the 125 people who took part saved over 671 kilos of greenhouse gases. The challenge promotes active transportation, and locally this year participants also helped save about 3,000 kilometres driven in a typical gas-powered car, and enough electricity to power an average home for 3 months.
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This will not make Brandon cyclists happy. The reconstruction of 26th Street, set to begin next month, will not include bike paths. Residents who provided feedback to the city rejected all four options. While bike paths are not in the plan now, the city says its open to future changes.
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Brandon city councillors approved subdividing 30 lots for single-family homes for Habitat for Humanity this week. The development for low-income families is located on 6th Street North, and construction is to begin next spring.
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Details will be announced soon about the federal government’s ‘Canada Strong Pass’. The tourism initiative, to take effect June 20th until the end of August, would give young people under 18 free seats on Via Rail when travelling with their parents. It’ll also offer discounted access to national galleries and museums, and free entry to national parks and historic sites.
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A new study by Fidelity Canada has found Canadians preparing to retire believe they need a million dollars or more to live comfortably which is double the amount 20 years ago. The study found many of us want to travel, have money for passion projects – and make sure the kids are secure before we pass. Also, because of concerns over Inflation, world politics and poor economic growth – almost half of pre-retirees might postpone retirement.
