Brandon Minute: Wood Waste, Tree Funding, and Roof Replacement Requests

Brandon Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Brandon politics

This Week In Brandon:

• There will be a meeting of City Council today at 7:00 pm. The agenda includes presentations regarding the Brandon Downtown Development Corporation's annual update, and the Brandon Transit Route Planning and Long Term Strategy. Council will also consider making an application from the Growing Canada's Community Canopies Fund to support tree planting. The City plans to plant 470 trees at a total estimated cost of $150,000. If the grant application is successful, it will fund 50% of the costs, with the City’s Parks Reserve covering the remainder.
  
  
• Brandon Fire and Emergency Services is launching a recruitment drive. A promotional video highlighting the opportunities is available on the City’s YouTube channel. The department serves a population of approximately 53,230 within Brandon and surrounding areas. With a staff of 96, the department provides both fire protection and ambulance services across a 1,255-square-kilometre area.
  
  
• Starting today, the Eastview Landfill in Brandon will implement a new sorting system for wood waste, designating a separate area for "clean" wood. Clean wood is defined as untreated, unpainted, and free of engineered materials like chipboard or plywood. Any wood mixed with other items will be classified as refuse and charged accordingly.

Last Week In Brandon:

• The Brandon School Division has submitted a request for roof replacements for ten schools, including Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School, but none have received provincial approval despite the request having been made in May. Opposition Education Critic Grant Jackson has criticized the provincial government's lack of response.
  
  
• The Province has indicated that some aspects of the $9.7 million 18th Street reconstruction project may be postponed until 2025. While the project, which aims to rebuild approximately 2.9 kilometers of 18th Street between Rosser and Aberdeen avenues, is progressing, completion may be affected by weather conditions. Originally expected to finish in October, construction is currently limited to one lane in each direction, with width and speed restrictions in place. The project was expedited this year due to public safety concerns and the deteriorating condition of the road, which was ranked the worst in Manitoba by CAA.
  
  
• An unidentified soldier from the First World War buried in Belgium has been confirmed as Manitoban Cpl. William Benjamin Cunningham. Cunningham, who died at age 21 during the Third Battle of Ypres on October 27th, 1917, was buried in Tyne Cot Cemetery in 1920 after being killed in action. His identity was verified through extensive historical research, and his family is now receiving support from the Canadian Armed Forces. Cunningham served in the 44th Canadian Infantry Battalion and was promoted to corporal before his death amid intense shelling. His remains were relocated in 1920, and he is now commemorated at both the Ypres Memorial and his family headstone in Brandon Municipal Cemetery.