Makeshift machete; drunk driving stats; union, city reach deal

MASKED MAN WITH MAKESHIFT MACHETE

A 19-year-old man faces several weapons-related charges after allegedly running from Brandon police with a makeshift machete in his hand while wearing a ski mask on Tuesday evening.

Officers were called to the 400 block of 21st Street at 7:37 p.m. for a report of a man dressed in black who was wearing a ski mask and holding a machete.

The suspect ran away, but officers said they followed him and took him into custody at Rosser Avenue and 23rd Street.

Police say they found an open extendable baton, a can of bear spray and a long-handled spade modified to be a weapon, which had been reported as a machete.

The man was charged with assault with a weapon and three counts of possession of a weapon, with one of those charges from a previous incident that happened March 15. He was taken to Brandon Police Service headquarters, released to his mother and given a court date of May 27.

SUSPECT SHOVES POLICE OFFICER

A 31-year-old man was arrested Monday morning after police responded to report of an intoxicated person asleep in a business near Richmond Avenue and First Street.

When officers arrived at the business at 8:05 a.m., they said they found a man who was wanted in connection with an outstanding arrest warrant. When the man stood up, police said, he shoved an officer up against a wall. The officer was not injured.

Police say the man was in possession of two knives, two small baggies of methamphetamine and MDMA, which is commonly known as ecstasy. The man, who was under a probation order not to possess weapons, was taken to a BPS detention cell where he was held until his appearance in court.

BPS FINDS MAN WANTED BY RCMP

On Tuesday at about 3:48 p.m., Brandon police responded to a business on the 3300 block of Victoria Avenue for a report of a man who was passed out.

When officers arrived, they discovered that the man was the subject of an outstanding arrest warrant issued by RCMP.

The man was arrested, held in a BPS detention cell until sober and given a notice to appear in Minnedosa court on May 20.

SOBERING STATS FROM MPI

Manitoba Public Insurance is warning the motoring public to drive sober, as people continue to die needlessly on provincial highways.

“The message to drive sober has been out there for years, but people are still ignoring it and choosing to drive impaired,” said Maria Campos, MPI’s chief customer and product officer, in a press release as part of National Impaired Driving Prevention Week. “We need to be firm that we will not tolerate impaired driving of any kind so that we stop losing people to completely preventable tragedies.”

According to statistics released by MPI on Tuesday, 15 people died as a result of impaired driving collisions in Manitoba in 2024, and a further 118 people were injured.

MPI media and public relations lead Tara Seel said that of these fatalities, three of them took place at Langruth, northeast of Neepawa, and two in Sandy Bay First Nation.

In the previous five years, 91 people have died and more than 350 have sustained life-altering injuries.

MPI continues to work with police agencies across the province to tackle the problem of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs through education and enforcement.

In a 2022 roadside study completed by MPI, eight per cent of drivers tested positive for at least one drug, and 3.6 per cent of drivers tested positive for alcohol — a significant increase from 0.6 per cent in 2016. As of mid-December 2024, 2,164 drivers had committed an impaired driving offence in the province last year.

Manitoba continues to have among the toughest penalties in Canada for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Consequences include possible vehicle impoundment, licence suspension, mandatory ignition interlock, large fines, criminal charges, increased premiums and denial of third-party liability coverage, meaning drivers are individually responsible for all damages incurred in a collision.

CUPE INKS 4-YEAR DEAL WITH CITY

More than 300 City of Brandon workers who are members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) have signed a four-year agreement with their employer.

This agreement is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2024, and extends through to Dec. 31, 2027. It includes an annual wage increase of 2.5 per cent.

CUPE Local 69 members ratified the collective agreement on March 4, and Brandon City Council approved it during their regular meeting on March 17.

“This newly formed agreement is not solely about wages — it is about ensuring continued delivery of exceptional services to residents,” Lola Oyeladun, the city’s human resources director, said in a media release Wednesday. “An engaged workforce translates to higher service quality, improved efficiency and a stronger sense of community pride.”

CUPE Local 69 represents 233 permanent and 79 temporary inside and outside workers in Brandon.

According to CUPE’s website, the employees work in 16 different areas, locations and departments in the city, including Brandon Police Service, Brandon Fire and Emergency Services, the Keystone Centre, the Brandon Community Sportsplex, the water treatment and wastewater treatment plants, parks and recreation services, sanitation, and streets and roads.

» The Brandon Sun