Barry Lamb

The World Percheron Congress has been taking place throughout this week at the Keystone Centre in Brandon with many of the top breeders and exhibitors from across North America are competing in the various classes.

Robert Sparrow came all the way from central Missouri to act as ring man for the 2022 Congress. “I work to facilitate the show and the safety in the ring. Whatever the judge and ring announcer need that falls under my category.

The past four years in municipal politics have been especially challenging because of the pandemic and its impact on communities.

It’s anticipated that could result in fewer of the incumbents seeking re-election this October.

Kam Blight is President of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities and he says for the most part rural areas are holding their own and councils are finding ways to do more with less.

“The pandemic really hurt due to public health orders causing recreation facilities to shut down and the loss of revenue.”

The past four years in municipal politics has been especially challenging because of the pandemic and its impact on communities.

It’s anticipated that could result in fewer of the incumbents seeking re-election this October.

Kam Blight is President of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities and he says for the most part rural areas are holding their own and councils are finding ways to do more with less. “The pandemic really hurt due to public health orders causing recreation facilities to shut down and the loss of revenue.”

It was was a big day for Assiniboine Community College in Brandon June 23rd as they picked up a $1 million donation toward the Prairie Innovation for Sustainable Agriculture from Brandon-founded, national professional services firm, MNP.

The donation, made in honour of the late Don Penny, who co-founded the firm in 1958, will help to create space for collaboration among farmers, industry, students and government.

Turtle Mountain MLA Doyle Piwniuk has been quite busy over the past few months due to the excess moisture and the flooding that has happened in Manitoba in 2022.

Piwniuk is Manitoba’s Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.

He spent time last week in Minto at the AMM district meeting to hear what area municipal leaders had on their mind. “We’re going to work with municipalities especially when it comes to infrastructure, health care, education or any other services we provide.”

The Association of Manitoba Municipalities holds district meetings every year to find out from members how things are going across the province.

This year's series of seven meetings wrapped up Friday with the last stop in Minto.

About 80 elected officials from across the southwest part of Manitoba attended the day-long meeting.

AMM President Kam Blight says all the meetings had some similar topics that were raised by civic leaders. 

The Conservative leadership race is expected to be hotly contested and Brandon University Associate Professor Dr. Kelly Saunders points out this is a critical race for the party.

Six candidates are running to become the party’s next leader.

“We’re seeing some infighting happening between some of the candidates which is to be expected and that’s only going to heat up. Everyone is trying to establish themselves from their opponents.”