A death in Thompson being investigated by the Brandon Police Service involves a 19-year-old man who was found dead outside a residence where Thompson RCMP were responding to an emergency call.
Following a request from the RCMP, Manitoba Justice asked Brandon police to assume conduct of an independent investigation of the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Brandon Police Service spokesman Sgt. Kevin McLean said the death was described as an in-custody death. The man was found dead outside a residence in the early morning hours of Saturday, May 16.
Brandon Police Service members arrived in Thompson on May 16 and began their investigation, which is continuing.
A Brandon Police Service press release said further information would not be released while the investigation continues.
Under a protocol established by Manitoba Justice in 2004, which was signed by most police services in the province, police can request that an outside agency review the results of an investigation or conduct the primary investigation in cases where civilians die or are seriously injured following an interaction with a police officer.
The protocol can also be applied to other serious potential criminal offences or events involving a police officer if there is a public interest in activating it.
Man dies
A 52-year-old man died and a 26-year-old man was injured when they were ejected from a vehicle that flipped over about 32 km west of Moose Lake last Thursday, May 21.
Moose Lake RCMP arrived on the scene on Provincial Road 384 about 3:30 pm and found the men outside a minivan.
The minivan was in the ditch on the south side of the road and appeared to have flipped more than once, police said.
The older man was pronounced dead at the scene and the younger man was transported to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. At last report he remained in stable condition.
There were two other occupants in the vehicle at the time of the accident – a 24-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman – who had already been taken to hospital by a passing vehicle prior to police arrival.
The man has been released from hospital and the female, at last report, remained in hospital in stable condition.
All four occupants are residents of Moose Lake.
RCMP believe speed and alcohol were factors in the accident and at least two of the minivan’s occupants were not wearing seatbelts.
An RCMP forensic collision reconstructionist attended the scene and is involved in the ongoing investigation.
Mining honoured
Saskatchewan Mining Week was officially proclaimed Monday by Economy Minister Bill Boyd, highlighting the province as an attractive target for international investment.
Events this week are being organized by the Saskatchewan Mining Association, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary of encouraging the development of Saskatchewan’s mineral resources.
The theme for Mining Week is Mining: Fertile Ground for Saskatchewan, showcasing the industry’s varied career opportunities and economic benefits.
“As the world’s largest potash producer, second-largest uranium producer and a go-to destination for global mining investment dollars,” Boyd said, “we encourage people to take time to learn about what this industry does for them and for their communities.”
The value of Saskatchewan’s mineral production in 2014 was $7.3 billion.
The Fraser Institute’s 2014 Survey of Mining Companies, which measures the opinions of approximately 4,200 exploration, development and mining-related companies from around the globe, ranked Saskatchewan number one in Canada and number two in the world among jurisdictions attractive to mining investment.
Events scheduled during the week include career profiles, leadership panels, technical presentations and workshop and networking opportunities.
Transplant help
Saskatchewan is proud to be one of the first provinces in Canada to have joined a hard-to-match health program, which helps patients in need of kidney transplants.
Four Saskatchewan patients, who were reported to have likely rejected a donated kidney otherwise, have already received transplants through the Highly Sensitized Patient (HSP) program.
By increasing a larger donor pool, the HSP program will improve the chances of a kidney transplant for this patient group.
HSP was officially launched last week, but Saskatchewan and Manitoba first joined the program in October of 2013. All of Canada has officially been enrolled since November 2014.
Since then, the program has facilitated more than 110 transplants, including four in Saskatchewan.
The program takes advantage of high-quality laboratories to allocate kidneys with an accuracy and efficiency that is beyond compare.
An additional 16 Saskatchewan patients who would otherwise be unlikely to find a match for a transplant are registered with the program.
“The launch of the HSP program allows us to provide improved access to lifesaving transplants to Canadians waiting for kidney transplantation,” Canadian Blood Services Board Chair Leah Hollins said.
