Native Orchid Conservation Inc
P.O. Box 40057 Lagimodiere PO R2C 4P3 Winnipeg, MB, Canada

THE BIG COVER UP On Saturday April 24, 2021 a portion of the virgin prairie land within Brandon’s proposed Southeast Community Plan was plowed under. The plowing was on land adjacent to the property set aside for the urban orchid preserve. The plowing extended 1.5 acres into land owned by the City of Brandon which was to be incorporated into the orchid preserve because it has endangered orchids on it. NOTHING was said of the incident until after NOCI posted photos a week lat...er. The City of Brandon then issued a statement, CTV news did a story and finally the Brandon Sun followed with an article accompanied by a photo of Steve McMillan of VBJ Developments hugging an orchid. The explanation given by the City of Brandon as reported in the Brandon Sun was that some anonymous farmer was called to till vacant land (virgin prairie) of an anonymous neighbouring landowner, which they said is a routine occurrence and the anonymous farmer tilled someone else’s land (the planned ecological reserve) but it was all an accident. Yeah, we believe it. NOT. The Nature Conservancy of Canada has been silent on the issue. The Province has said little more than it would investigate (we won’t get back to you on it). The city of Brandon says it will sow its land with native seed before weeds take hold. NOCI obtained copy of the property title for the neighbouring landowner which turned out to be the RM of Cornwallis. In a phone call the RM of Cornwallis said they didn’t do it. So much for the City of Brandon story. If the anonymous neighbouring landowner didn’t do it, the who did? The incident occurred days after Brandon City Council gave first reading of its Southeast Brandon Secondary Plan bylaw, which occurred on April 19, 2021. Last year NOCI received an anonymous tip that VBJ Homes / Allen and Bolack Excavations (both subsidiaries of J&G Homes) were set to start excavating and laying pipe for a drainage system across the southeast property as soon as they could get clearance from the City. A visit to the site on April 29, 2021 across the road from the large torn up field was a bustling construction site with signage of Allen and Bolack Excavations and J&G Homes. Excavations were taking place and there was a large stockpile of drainage pipes. The construction site coincides with the location of a drainage system depicted in the unapproved Southeast Brandon Secondary Plan. We suspect that the clearing of the field was related to this construction site. In such a case, exemption or not, the responsible parties are in violation of the Endangered Species and Ecosystem Act and the Province needs to take legal action against them. We urge you to contact your MLA and your City Counsellor to tell them you want an open and honest investigation into the entire matter with all responsible parties identified.

This is not a NOCI event, but we thought our followers may want to participate. https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/native-plants-and-orchids-of-br

https://www.laconiadailysun.com//article_20f645be-ae8a-11e

Brandon SUN give a vague account of some people who say they didn't do it, sometime and someplace for no plausible purpose. How about some factual reporting? The land was not a vacant lot. I was virgin prairie that had been left intact for decades by its owner, the RM of Cornwallis, until a busy construction project started across the road. Maybe that beehive of construction workers saw something and they could be interviewed to fill in the blanks for the paper. https://www.brandonsun.com//part-of-orchid-habitat-damaged

Is it any wonder people no longer trust the news media or politicians? Once upon a time reporters had to answer who, what, where, when, why and how. Now all we get is: Somehow an orchid field got mysteriously plowed up for no apparent reason, but we are sure it was an accident. SAD. https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/an-unfortunate-mistake-section-

On April 24, the City of Brandon and their contractor plowed 50 metres into the proposed "preserve" dedicated to protecting the area's endangered small white lady's slippers. This was done despite assurances to Council that the orchids would be protected. Despite being notified, the Province of Manitoba DID NOTHING. This is despite the Province's heavy handed approach to fines and enforcement in any other situation. The Government of Canada DID NOTHING. NOT CONSEQUENCES. SH...AME!!! '