Mayor Shari Decter Hirst - 729-2202 Phyllis Miller, Executive Assistant - 729-2202 ______

In addition to a full schedule of meetings and other desk duties, I was honoured to be included at several events in the city.

On Tuesday, I was pleased to bring greetings to the Brandon school children attending the Enviro Expo. That afternoon, I attended former Councillor James McCrae’s robing ceremony and then took in Judge McCrae’s first Citizenship Court in . Unfortunately, there has been no tangible progress at having Brandon reinstated as a site for citizenship ceremonies and we will continue to push for this. Tuesday evening was a regular City Council meeting.

On Wednesday, the Enviro Expo held an Open House at City Hall with demonstration projects. Councillor Isleifson and I took a ride in CAA’s electric car, which was an interesting experience. I then attended Tourism Westman’s Tourism Awards Gala. Congratulations to all the nominees, including the Brandon Jazz Festival (winner), Brandon University Students Union Rock the Block, and the Provincial Ex for Marketing Excellence, the Brandon Global Market for Partnership, the Daly House Museum for Product Development, and the Brandon Folk Music and Art Festival for Event of the Year.

On Thursday, I attended the Chamber of Commerce’s Changeover Ceremony Luncheon. Later in the afternoon, I attended Public Insurance Stakeholder Reception, grabbed a Funky Burger at the opening of the Global Market, and then wandered down Rosser Avenue to admire the cars at Cruise Night.

On Friday, I brought greetings to the Central District Lutheran Women's Missionary League Canada Convention. Friday evening I will be attending MECCA’s production of The Government Inspector.

On Saturday, I will be riding in the Travellers’ Day Parade with Janelle Sparrow, Miss Teen Brandon who will be representing the City at the upcoming Miss Teen Canada-World Beauty Pageant. On Sunday, I will be serving at the Summer Fair’s Pancake Breakfast. Later that day, I will be participating at the rededication ceremony and ribbon cutting at the Dome Building, Brandon’s latest national heritage treasure.

Scott Hildebrand, City Manager - 729-2204 Kathy Vandale, Executive Assistant - 729-2204 ______

I attended the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA) annual conference last week.

The opportunity to meet and speak with City Managers from across Canada is very beneficial. We often contact other cities for information on best practices, etc., and it’s valuable to have made a face-to-face connection with colleagues. The professional development, engaging speakers, discussions and topics were all very relevant to Brandon, as many cities are facing the same challenges.

CONTACTS: Con Arvisais, City Clerk - 729-2206 Heather Ewasiuk, Deputy City Clerk - 729-2280 ______

76th Annual Conference – Federation of Canadian Municipalities

The City Clerk attended the above conference that was held in , BC from May 31 to June 3, 2013. His attendance included a study tour of the Port Metro Vancouver Operations Centre, a policy forum on Safety and Crime Prevention and another on Women in Municipal Government and a session on Innovations in Adaption – Can we “climate-proof” our communities?.

The keynote speakers at the conference included Rick Hansen, the Man in Motion, The Honourable Denis Lebel, Federal Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, The Honourable Tom Mulcair, Leader of the Official Opposition and Justin Trudeau, Leader of Liberal Party of Canada.

Along with the above sessions and speakers, the conference allowed several opportunities to network with many elected officials from various regions of our country.

CONTACTS: Sandy Trudel, Director of Economic Development - 729-2131 ______

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business May 2013 Business Barometer shows that Manitoba’s business barometer index has remained essentially unchanged at 61.0 slightly below the national average. In fact, almost all indicators registered approximately the same readings as in the previous month. Hiring plans remain quite strong compared to previous years—29 per cent plan to add full-time staff, and only 6 per cent plan to cut back. In addition, more than 40 per cent of owners report overall business performance as ‘good’, versus 10 per cent who say ‘bad’. Additional information can be found at http://www.cfib-fcei.ca/cfib-documents/Barometer-PROV-201305.pdf

Main Street Matters - Brandon is one of 100 communities competing for the opportunity to have a portion of our downtown painted at no cost through Benjamin Moore’s “Main Street Matters” initiative. Through this initiative, Benjamin Moore supplies all the required paint and supplies, the services of colour experts and hires professional painters to complete the painting. To ensure Brandon is one of the 20 communities selected for this revitalization initiative we need the communities support. Please visit http://www.paintwhatmatters.ca/ click on MB on the map and vote for Brandon. You can vote once a day, every day till June 30th. Please spread the word.

Tree Removal & Re-Planting Along the Assiniboine River Brandon Riverbank has been successful in securing a number of grants to assist with the purchase of trees and whips in an attempt to re-establish the river bottom forest that was lost as a result of the flood of 2011. More than $164,000 is available for 2013 from the following programs/donors:

EcoAction Community Funding Program; Environment Canada TD Green Streets Program Manitoba Hydro Forest Enhancement Program RBC Blue Water Project Wal-Mart Evergreen Green Program RBC Day of Service Grant Evergreen Valley Nursery

Now the challenge is to prepare Eleanor Kidd Park for planting by removing the dead trees to create a safe greenspace, ready for new plantings. Talks with the government to enable us to partner with the Brandon Correctional Institute to have inmates harvest the wood have stalled completely, making this option unviable. Private individuals have expressed an interest in harvesting the usable wood (elm trees must be disposed of properly to prevent the spread of Dutch Elm Disease). Brandon Riverbank Inc. is working with the City to prioritize next steps.

Funds have been secured to plant a significant number of trees; however hurdles remain to prepare the Park for this new vegetation. The goal is to have removal work completed in late summer and fall, with the re-planting scheduled for October and into November, weather permitting.

CONTACTS: Ross Robinson, Director of Emergency Communications - 729-2406 Karen Warren, Deputy Director of Emergency Communications - 729-2402 ______

Ross Robinson is presenting as a guest speaker on Friday, June 7th, in Virden, at the annual Manitoba

Association of Fire Chiefs (MAFC) conference. This will be the fourth consecutive year that E911 has been invited to deliver a presentation providing Fire departments from across the Province updated ______information about the Provincial E911 Center. The center currently dispatches for 195 Fire Departments, many of whom will be represented at the conference.

CONTACTS: Fire Chief Brent Dane - 729-2404 Deputy Fire Chief Garry Bell - 729-2401 Deputy Fire Chief Steve Romanik - 729-2452 ______

BFES staff was represented at the Westman Dream’s for Kids Country Fair on Sunday, June 2nd. With the help of Sparky the Fire Dog, firefighters helped those attending use a fire hose to spray water while paramedics lent a hand in the Dash tent to ensure that all injured Teddy Bears received emergency treatment. Mother Nature cooperated and a great time was had by the many who attended.

The Water/Ice Rescue Team had another training opportunity on the Assiniboine River on Tuesday.

Management personnel volunteered their lunch time on Wednesday to assist at Helping Hands.

From June 6th to 9th, Chief Dane, DC Bell, and DC Romanik are attending the MB Association of Fire Chiefs Conference in Virden, MB. This annual event is being hosted by the Oak Lake Mutual Aid District and will have over 100 representatives from around the province attending. The Department would like to congratulate Linda Poole. She will be receiving her Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for her role as Emergency Communications Centre Director.

CONTACTS: Rod Sage, General Manager – 729-2247 Ian Broome, Director of Public Works – 729-2292 Perry Roque, Director Community Services – 729-2170 Tim Sanderson, Director of Transportation – 729-2130 ______

A total of 261 people took part in the Saturday, June 1 st free swim which was sponsored by Healthy Brandon In Motion and the Brandon Teachers’ Association and which kicked off Parks and Recreation ______Month.

After a rainy end to May, racquetball Court 3 suffered some minor water damage to the floorboards. The court remains open to bookings for the time being. The staff are diligently working with contractors to determine the cause of the leak and to fix it in a timely fashion.

June 3-7 is Red Cross Water Safety Week. To help support and promote the Red Cross, several Lifeguard/Instructors from Brandon’s Community Sportsplex headed over to Kirkcaldy Heights School on Friday, June 7th during noon hour recess. The students took part in activities relating to boating safety, lifejacket use, and open water. Students also had the opportunity to play with the Red Cross mascot, Buckles the Lifejacket and enter their name in a draw for prizes, including one free session of Red Cross Swim Lessons at the Brandon’s Community Sportsplex. As Water Safety Week comes to a close, please be safe around water this summer! Here are some facts about drowning:

Drowning is the number 2 cause of accidental death in children, ages 15 and under. Generally speaking… - drowning people are physiologically unable to call out for help

- drowning people cannot wave for help

- drowning people’s bodies remain upright in the water, with no evidence of a supporting kick

- Dr. Pia, in an article in the Coast Guard’s On Scene magazine Know the signs of drowning!

-Head low in the water, mouth at water level -Head tilted back with mouth open -Eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus -Eyes closed -Hair over forehead or eyes -Not using legs—vertical -Hyperventilating or gasping -Trying to swim in a particular direction but not making headway -Trying to roll over on the back -Appear to be climbing an invisible ladder

www.slate.com “Drowning doesn’t look like drowning” * COMMUNITY SERVICES

Perry Roque, Director of Community Services attended 4 days of meeting last week in Fredericton, . Participaction Canada, Active Canada 20/20 held 2 days of meetings to discuss a physical activity strategy and change agenda for Canada, Creating the Culture of an Active Nation. The 2013 Active Healthy Kids Canada report card on physical activity for children and youth was presented, are we driving our kids to unhealthy habits?

The National Recreation Agenda round table discussion held two days of meeting to discuss the national recreation policy for Canada, to collaborate with the sport policy of Canada and Participaction Canada Active 20/20. They discussed topics around active transportation, music-culture-arts and the environment, physical activity guidelines, physical literacy, community sports and sports participation Just for Play. Some of the fundamental keys principles are co-ordination, access, community, partnership, investments. The National Recreation committee will make a presentation to the Federal, Provincial and Territorial ministers in Sherbrooke, in August, 2013.

2013 Water Season The YMCA of Brandon and the City of Brandon are pleased to announce that the community outdoor pools, spray parks and paddling pools are ready for another fun filed summer. The hours and locations are as follows:

* The spray parks and paddling pools are free of charge. If you have any questions please feel free to contact the YMCA at 727-5456.

Spray Park Locations and Hours Stanley Spray Park 1500 block of Princess and 15th Monday - Sunday 10:00-7:00 Street pm Kin Park Spray 3rd Street and Aberdeen Ave Monday - Sunday 10:00-7:00 Park pm Westridge Spray 61 Silverbirch Drive Monday - Sunday 10:00-7:00 Park pm

Spray parks will be open from July 2nd to September 2nd, 2013. As well, please note that all three spray parks will be open from 12-6pm on July 1st to celebrate Canada Day as well as August 5th from 12-6 pm.

Paddle Pool Locations and Hours Valleyview 77 Whiller Drive Monday - Friday 1:00 – 5:00 pm Riverheights Riverheights Drive(walk in through Monday - Thursday 1:00 – 5:00 path) pm Kirkcaldy 30 Knowlton Drive Tuesday - Thursday 1:00 – 5:00 pm

Paddle Pools will be open from July 2nd to August 25th, 2013.

Community Outdoor Pools The Kiwanis YMCA Keystone Pool located at 13th Street and Southern Avenue and the Kinsmen Centennial Pool located at 411 Park Street will be open for the summer June 24th, 2013. Hours of operation and admission fees are listed below. If you require further information please contact Courtney at 727-5456 or you can call the pools directly after June 24th, 2013, Kiwanis YMCA Keystone at 729-8394 and the Kinsmen Pool at 726-3344.

Month Weekdays Weekends June 4:00 – 8:00 pm 12:00 – 6:00 pm July 12:00 – 8:00 pm 12:00 – 8:00 pm August 12:00 – 8:00 pm 12:00 – 8:00 pm Admission Fees $3.00 Children $4.00 Adults $10.00/Family (Max 5)

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Communities in Bloom Weather held and the Spring Planting team has had three great days of gardening this week! Over 75 volunteers participated in planting at ten different locations around Brandon, including Princess Park, the Riverbank Discovery Centre, and others. We’ve begun receiving applications for our other programs, and have had a lot of excited feedback from long time program participants who are looking forward to the new garden season.

Music in the Parks Music in the Parks is off to a great start! Despite less than ideal weather, we had over 150 people attend our Tuesday night kick off concert! Larry Roulette and band were excellent as always and the audience was completely engaged, they could be heard laughing loudly as Larry told joke after joke! Star FM was on site doing live advertising and I handed out dozens of handbills to people eager to find out when they should come back next! We are excited to watch our audiences grow every week!

Youth Activity Centres Planning continues on the individual calendar of events for each centre. We are very happy to announce the Kiwanis Club of Brandon as a Gold level sponsor. The Kiwanis Club has generously agreed to support our Theatre day. We would also like to thank our Platinum sponsor Home Town Green Team for their financial support. Without their participation we would not be able to hire the creative, young, energetic, activity leaders that make these camps so much fun. Other new sponsors this week, Silver Level – Maple Leaf Foods, - Friends of YAC sponsors Leech Printing, Jiffy Foods, Cancer Care, Brandon University, and David’s Tea – thank you all. Watch the brandonyouth.ca websites for the completed calendar of events.

BRANDON TRANSIT

Carla Richardson, Manager of Transit recently attended the Canadian Urban Transit Association spring conference from June 1st through the 5th. CUTA, the collective voice of public transportation in Canada, holds two conferences annually, allowing Transit professionals an opportunity to network with others in similar positions as well as discuss opportunities and challenges within the industry. Some of the highlights from this conference included a Transit Leaders seminar where keynote speaker Dave Jensen shared the eXpansive Leadership Profile tool and practical application for managers within the Transit sector. As well, a new Canadian Code of Practice for determining eligibility for Handi Transit was unveiled in a step toward achieving Canada-wide implementation.

ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES

On Tuesday evening City Council adopted the updated Environmental Strategic Plan. This document is intended to provide a framework for priorities and to identify how the City as a corporation can assist the community in moving towards sustainability.

This is a living document that will be updated and reported on as changes in technology, funding and programming is made available to the community.

The newly updated plan can be viewed at www.brandonenvironment.ca and on the City’s website.

This week was National Environment Week and the Environmental Initiatives Section was busy with the following events:

Community Clean Up Day

Last Saturday (June 1st) there were over 200 non-profit groups cleaning up our City’s streets and boulevards as part of UCT’s join hands Day. This event was spear headed by UCT and Enactus.

UCT is providing a generous donation to each youth service group and organizations that cleaned up a designated section of the City. The volunteer groups picked up a total of 970 kilograms of litter from our streets and boulevards.

Thank you to all who participated and helped make our City clean and green!!

Brandon Enviro Expo

The City of Brandon in partnership with the Brandon Environment Committee hosted the first ever Brandon Enviro Expo! The purpose of the event was to engage and empower youth through learning environmental issues and create the connection of what they learn in the classroom to environmental initiatives in the classroom.

On June 4th students grades 1-6 from the Waste Reduction Challenge participated in interactive workshops at ACC East Campus. Workshops included:  Where does it all go?- tour of EastView Landfill  Bringing Back the Electric Car-CAA  Meet Bruce the Spruce-MB Forestry  What is an Ecosystem?-Assiniboine Hills Conservation District  Sustainable Greenhouse tour-ACC Instructors  Green Kids on the Loose-Juno Award Winner Peter Puffin The day was well received by all involved and everyone looks forward to next year. Student and community projects were on display at city hall throughout the week.

A video highlighting the Enviro Expo will become available at www.brandonenvironment.ca in the near future.

Thank you to our sponsors who helped in making this event possible:

 Assiniboine Community College  City of Brandon  Brandon Environment Committee  Cando Contracting Ltd.  Investors Group  Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation  CAA Manitoba  The Green Spot  Brandon Transit

CONTACTS: Chief of Police Ian Grant - 729-2305 Inspector Shane Corley – 729-2302 Inspector Doug Thompson – 729-2304 ______

On Monday, June 3rd, 2013 Chief Grant and Inspector Thompson travelled to Winnipeg to attend several meetings including the Manitoba Association of Chiefs of Police Strategic Issues Committee Meeting and the Criminal Intelligence Service of Manitoba Meeting.

Several Members of the Police Service participated in Tim Horton’s Camp Day on Wednesday, June 5th, 2013. This annual event helps raise money to send kids from the community on a camping adventure of a lifetime. Every penny from coffee sales during the 24 hour period as well as money raised through special events and activities is donated to the Tim Horton’s Children’s Foundation !! Wonderful event !!! On Thursday, June 6th, 2013 the Executive and a number of Members attended the Westman Justice Conference held at Elkhorn Ranch in Clear Lake.

Chief Grant, Inspector Corley and Inspector Thompson then attended the MPI Board of Directors Get Together held at the Grey Owl Dining Room at the Culinary Arts Building.

On Friday, Chief Grant wrapped up the week by attending the Brandon Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron 71st Anniversary Annual Inspection. This inspection was held at 7:00 PM at the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum.

CONTACTS: Dean Hammond, General Manager of Corporate Services & City Treasurer – 729-2244 Val Rochelle, Director of Finance - 729-2223 ______

Treasury

Collections Clerk

Meagan______Warken______has recently joined Treasury in the role of Collections Clerk, a position left vacant wh en Topasannah Heuchert transferred to the Property division. Meagan is a great team player as was evident when she received the 2012 Chatters Canada Retail Manager of the Year Award. Meagan’s organizational and Excel skills made her a standout during the selection process; please join us in welcoming Meagan to the Treasury Team!