Good News

Well, good news! To those few of you who read this blog, it's kaput. I just got TWO paying freelance gigs! I'm now a writer for http://www.demandstudios.com/ and for http://www.suite101.com/ !
Part of the contracts is that I don't post my work anywhere else, so this blog is donezo! Make sure you check those sights in the next couple months for my work!!

Special

This week, Bruce asked me to write a reflection on my time here for the paper. This is what I submitted to him.

My name is Chris Tataryn, and I’m new to this.

I am a student, just about to finish my work practicum and graduate from Media Production at ACC. As you may have guessed, I’m doing my practicum here at the Westman Journal, and this week I have been tasked with writing about my experience so far.

I started my practicum here in May, and it will be over before July. In just this short time, I have totally rekindled the desire I had for news media when I enrolled at ACC. I was worried that next year I was going to have to go get a ‘real’ education in something safe like business or accounting, but after having just a taste of how exciting a media career can be, I am sure this is for me.

This may be an unpaid practicum, but all the perks I have received more than make up for that. Perks like free-access to the Memorial Cup, much to the jealousy of some of my classmates.

When the cup was in town, I was floored to learn that Bruce Penton, the editor here at the Journal, had put my name down for a media pass at the Memorial Cup. That meant that I now had free access to anything going on in the Keystone Centre for that entire event. Free access to games, to players, even to Lord Stanley’s Cup (which, thanks to this practicum, I had the opportunity to touch without waiting in line for hours). Just the ability to walk around and learn or watch anything I wanted was an incredible feeling.

The Memorial Cup was an awesome experience for me, and it hasn’t slowed down since it ended.

Last Tuesday I had the opportunity to go check out the Summer Fair a day early and even got myself on some free rides. If you thought the Fireball was scary before, try doing it while clutching a camera worth more than all your possessions combined. Definitely more exciting than anything I could have expected when I started my time at the journal.

Experiencing actually being a part of the mainstream media has been awesome. I live to learn, and being in an industry that focuses around learning and uncovering new information is a dream come true. The best part so far? All these cool things I’ve done at the Westman Journal are just the start, I have no idea what I could be doing in five years, and thanks to my time here, that is the most exciting thing I could imagine.

Five Guys Burger and Fries Now Open!

Five Guys Burger and Fries opened the doors to its third Canadian outlet on Thursday, and even just hours after its grand opening, Brandonites are praising the new establishment located in the Shoppers Mall.

“This is hands-down the best burger I have ever tasted,” said Rory Graham, a grade 11 student at Vincent Massey, “It’s so good it’s obscene.”

Five Guys Burger and Fries is owned and operated by Phil Holmes and Vincent McAllister, with Ben Hernandez working as the GM.

“At Five Guys Burger and Fries we value our crew more than the burger itself. It’s the employees that make it all happen,” said Holmes, “They are a well-oiled burger-making army and the pride of the organization.”

When you walk in to FGBF, you are greeted by blaring rock music, the sounds of a bustling kitchen and the tantalizing scent of fresh meat being grilled. When you take your place in line, you can help yourself to a complimentary bag of peanuts while you wait. All the fries are cooked in healthier peanut oil as opposed to your typical fast food grease. After placing your order you have access to as many free drink refills as you can want, starting as soon as your burger hits the grill. The burgers are thick, fresh, and cooked to perfection every time, and all the toppings are free. You won’t be paying for

extra pickles here.

“All our employees have complete power to help anyone with any problems they may have. If you have a problem, you won’t have to wait for a manager to be called, anyone you talk to will help you and make sure you leave satisfied,” said Holmes.

“We picked Brandon to open this business because of the really good people in Brandon,” said McAllister, “This city has a very tight-knit community and an awesome small-town feel.”

The community involvement in Brandon is certainly going to help FGBF, as they don’t plan to spend a cent on any advertising, counting on word of mouth to spread their reputation.

“We aren’t fast food,” said Holmes, “We don’t have a drive-thru, we don’t have the food prepared ahead of time; we don’t even have a freezer in the back. All the ingredients are prepared the day of, and all burgers are cooked and put together right in front of your eyes.”

“This is Brandon’s first REAL burger joint,” said Sam Vopni, a grade 12 student from Vincent Massey, “and after tasting this burger? I know I’m coming back.”

Brandon Minor Baseball a Hit

Minor baseball in Brandon is a growing attraction to kids of all ages, and thanks to the hard work by Faron Asham, it should continue to grab interest.

Asham is the President of the Brandon Minor Baseball League and he and his wife, Deborah Asham, fill many of the other roles needed to keep the league active.

“We have over 400 kids aged 8-18 this year,” said Faron Asham, “And over half of our

membership is in the 8-10 division, giving us a strong young foundation to work with over the next few years.”

The BMBL acquired Simplot Park six years ago, and although it requires a lot of upkeep, Asham thinks it is worth it.

“It requires maintenance and upkeep from before the season starts until about August,” said

Asham, “but it’s entirely worth it. This facility allows us to have more teams in for tournaments. We even had a 30 team tournament once, and although that was pushing it a bit, we are still the only facility to be able to accommodate that many games.”

There are two students who are paid for their help maintaining the fields, but everything else is in the hands of volunteers.

“It’s not cheap to run this place, it costs us nearly $60 000 a year just to operate,” said Asham, “Most of the player fees go right towards that, and any extra we save and try to use for improvements.”

Asham hopes to add a few more upgrades to the field this year, including some professional-

calibre bullpens at 4 of the diamonds, as well as sod for the peewee infields. He also says they would love for a major sponsor to help them out with a sprinkler system, although that may be a little far-off.

Simplot Park and the BMBL are hosting a few big tournaments this summer like the Peewee National Tournament, a very prestigious 10 team tourney that they had to bid for, as well as the ‘Hit, Run, Throw’ competition, a provincial contest

for athletes to display their skills in the aforementioned categories. The top three athletes will be invited to Winnipeg for the next round of competition by CanWest Global, and they will receive tickets to a Goldeyes game.

The BMBL has helped kids grow in the sport of baseball, and boasts sending lots of

athletes to the Manitoba Youth Team, the highest level of competition in the province, as well as sending kids on to play in the Manitoba Senior Baseball League with teams like the Clover Leafs and Marlins.

“Baseball is a great sport, and I love seeing kids get into it at such a young age and stick around until they are adults playing at a higher level,” said Asham, “I love being a part of it.”

Roly Hollyoake, 92 Year old Man of Interest

Most people can’t even imagine making it to age 92, but bartender Roly Hollyoake is still healthier and more active than some people in their 30s.

Hollyoake, a resident at Victoria Landing, is allegedly the oldest licensed bartender in North America, and he doesn’t plan on stopping any time soon.

“I enjoy helping out at the bistro here for happy hours,” said Hollyoake, who volunteers twice a week serving drinks to residents, “It keeps me busy and gives me a chance to talk to people and share jokes.”

Hollyoake has been in the bartending business for over 40 years, but only got his license last year after Victoria Landing told him it was required to continue volunteering.

Hollyoake didn’t start bartending until around 1975, because before that he was too busy hanging out with movie-stars of his day. After three and a half years serving as a mechanic in the air force, station at Paulson Airport, Hollyoake hitchhiked all the way down to Hollywood.

“Movies really started to interest me after working at the theatre in Dauphin, so I wanted to see Hollywood,” said Hollyoake, “I got to tour all the movie lots and meet lots of stars; it really was something.”

Hollyoake was invited to “Little Mary” Pickford’s estate for a party, and met many movie stars at that time, including Roddy McDowall, whose home Hollyoake spent a weekend at.

After his time spent living it up in Hollywood, Hollyoake hitch hiked his way back up north and home, where he entered the hotel industry in Dauphin.

Around 1975 he moved with his family to run the Souris Motor Inn, where he put most of his time in behind the bar.

Hollyoake was born in England, just 50 miles from London, in a refurbished barn in 1918. He moved to Canada when he was 11 years old, and now has a large family, with five children of his own, and 13 grandchildren and great grandchildren. His wife passed away in 2002.

“I have a good life,” said Hollyoake, “I enjoy good health, I love where I live and I keep myself busy. I’m amazed I’m as old as I am.”

Hollyoake has even more on his resume to keep himself busy; he is also a licensed Marriage Commissioner, and has been performing weddings for the last 17 years.

“Every wedding is entirely different; I enjoy being there to see them all.”

Hollyoake has performed marriages all over, from farms and historical buildings to Mexico and the Peace Gardens. He even performed two at the Victoria Landing facilities a few years ago.

If marrying people, pouring drinks, and hanging out with movie stars isn’t enough for a 92 year old man, Hollyoake was also honoured last February for 61 years of membership in the Lions Club.

Hollyoake spent 1984 as the District Governor in the Lions Club, and during that year he started 17 new clubs in the area, a huge number for only one year of work. He also took on the role of editor of the Lions Club newsletter for 10 years.

“My doctor says that keeping active like I do must help my health,” said Hollyoake, “He said ‘I don’t know what you are doing, but don’t stop, its working!’” Hollyoake enjoys his great health, and gives part of the thanks to never having smoked in his life, an impressive feat considering the past tolerance of cigarettes in bars. He also likes to have a few glasses of wine every week, and plans to continue that tradition for the rest of his days.

Roly Hollyoake is an active member of Victoria Landing, and an inspiration at his age for young people who hope to stay active and healthy into their golden years.

Donations needed to help Bowlby

Natasha Bowlby is hoping to paddle in support of breast cancer at the International Dragon Boat Festival in Peterborough, Ontario this month, but she needs help from the community to get there.

The festival in Peterborough is the world-wide festival, and will be hosting over 65 teams from all around the world, including South Africa, Italy, and America, as well as several Canadian teams.

Bowlby is the only support paddler going to the Festival from Manitoba, and because she is not a member of any team she will need financial support from the public to get there.

“I’m accepting any donations people can give, and anyone who donates gets to sign their name on my paddle to show their support for breast cancer,” said Bowlby.

Dragon boating is a 2000 year old sport that started in ancient China. It’s a competitive racing sport in long boats, usually holding 22-23 people; 20 paddlers, 1 drummer to keep the rhythm, and 1 caller or steersperson at the rear of the boat. Bowlby has been paddling for roughly five years, and travels to her home in Nova Scotia most summers to paddle competitively with the Bosom Buddies, the team her mother is a part of.

“Dragon boating is a lot of fun,” said Bowlby, “All sorts of people can do it, and it really is a great way to build new relationships with your team mates.”

Bowlby’s mother, Eileen Bowlby, is a 13 year survivor of breast cancer, and Natasha’s inspiration for paddling. Eileen started dragon boating after her friend recommended it to help strengthen muscles after breast cancer treatments, and it stuck with her since then.

Natasha enjoys the sport so much that she has been working to bring it to Brandon since earlier this year, and has a team of roughly 23 people organized which just had its first on the water practice. For more information about dragon boating, and how you can get involved, email Natasha at brandondragonboat@gmail.com or drop by the Brandon Paddling Club at Dinsdale Park.

Faders takes bite out of Apple

Faders Music & Recording, located at 2412 Victoria Ave, is looking to take a bite out of the ever-expanding Apple by mid-June.

Owned and operated by Chris Nylen, Faders is Brandon’s number one stop for musical technology, offering everything from the instruments themselves to all the equipment needed for a studio, as well as a recording studio of their own, and it now plans to add Apple products to the line up.

“Apple is a very fast-growing aggressive company, we think it will definitely bring us a lot of business,” said Nylen.

Faders was using PCs running windows in the recording studio until a switch to Mac nearly two years ago, and Kyle Shaw, a Faders employee, says it was a good change.

“Macs are far superior in the studio. More stability, no worries about viruses, the hardware peripherals work much nicer,” said Shaw, “it makes a big difference.”

Both Nylen and Shaw are Mac users in their personal lives, and both believe that because of that they will be able to offer more to customers than other retailers, like Future Shop.

“Other retailers focus on a wide range of products with no real specialization. We hope to be able to offer a focus and wider knowledge base. We will be able to help with installs, peripherals, troubleshooting, and other kinds of ‘Apple Education’,” said Nylen.

Faders will be selling the full catalogue of Apple products (except the iPod, due to licensing issues) and will be offering Apple Education with their already offered services, including music lessons, instrument repair and maintenance, and music recording.

Nylen hopes to get their first shipment of Apple product in stock for mid-June.

Lululemon Open in Brandon!

Fredrickson Performance Center, located at 1212 18 Street, has added to its gym facility with a

much awaited addition to Brandon clothing stores.

As of May 15, FPC has partnered with Canadian Lululemon clothing, and is selling the entire catalogue of goods out of their fitness center. The grand opening of this addition is set for sometime early June.

“We thought it was a good fit for Brandon and our gym organization,” said Jill Fredrickson, co-founder of FPC.

Lululemon is a popular brand of clothing, selling men’s and women’s exercise apparel and casual clothing. There have been

rumours for over the last year of a Lululemon coming to the Wheat City, and now that it has happened, not many people know.

“Because we are partners with Lululemon in this venture, and it’s not a franchise outlet, we can’t do any advertising for it,” said Fredrickson, “we can’t even have the logos outside the building.”

This means that many people won’t know about the new addition unless customers and gym members spread the word, but with such an anticipated product arriving, that shouldn’t take long.

“We know that a lot of people in Brandon like wearing Lululemon clothing, and we hope to have a lot of success bringing it closer to them,” said Fredrickson.

Previously, customers had to drive to Polo Park in Winnipeg to buy their Lululemon clothing, but with this closer location Fredrickson hopes to add to what the city has to offer, and hopefully attract more members to the gym.

“People will come in and buy their clothes while they can see the gym area,” said Fredrickson, “hopefully they will see the great equipment we have to offer and sign up.”

Fredrickson Performance Center is located at 1212 18 Street, right next to the Vanguard Credit Union.

Hockey Hall of Fame

The Hockey Hall of Fame has brought its gold package to the Keystone Center to help celebrate the Memorial Cup, and it’s attracting more attention every day.

“We like to try and make the displays focus on more local and relevant topics, like most of these are related to the WHL or World Juniors,” said Howie Borrow, one of the men in charge of the displays.

The Hockey Hall of Fame set up contains 20 different displays, featuring old sporting artifacts as well as newer more recent additions, such as the jersey that Brayden Schenn wore during the most recent World Junior tournament. This is their gold package, the biggest and best one they offer.

“The best part about this,” said Bill Wellman, another man in charge of the displays, “is when you occasionally have someone find something in our displays from an old friend or relative. They get very excited to see that we even have things as old as the jerseys some of these guys wore as kids.”

The Hockey Hall of Fame has teamed up with Top Shot Hockey, a company that brings hockey-related games with the displays to add an extra level of interactivity.

“Top Shot Hockey is great to have along; it really helps us give the most where ever we are set up. The tickets for an event like the Memorial Cup aren’t cheap, so we like to give as much as possible to make everyone feel like they are getting what they paid for,” said Borrow.

The Hockey Hall of Fame has toured all over North America, from the World Juniors right to the Olympics, but the men say Brandon is one of the best stops yet.

“We are really enjoying this Memorial Cup in Brandon,” said Borrow, “the people here are very friendly, and always doing their best to accommodate us in every way. It’s been a very fun environment.”

The Stanley Cup comes to Brandon

The Stanley Cup has come to Brandon for today only. It is being placed on display in the Hockey Hall of Fame area of the Keystone Center, and is open for the public to come touch and take pictures with.
I may not be getting paid for this practicum, but things like this make it totally worth full time work with no wage.


EDIT: Pictures were submitted and used on www.chrisd.ca. You can find it here! http://www.chrisd.ca/blog/24163/stanley-cup-brandon-keystone-centre-hockey-photos/

Helping Hands Soup Kitchen

The Loft, a ragged looking building in downtown Brandon, doesn’t look like a sanctuary for those in need, but open the doors and go up the narrow flight of stairs, and your eyes will be opened.

It’s up those stairs that Doug Orr and Helping Hands have been helping people who need it the most for nearly the last 15 years.

“We stick to our mandate; Feed without Judgement,” said Orr, “it’s just a great way of giving back and trying to help people turn their lives around.”

Looking at the buffet-style serving table set up, you will see a big variety of food, all of it made entirely from donated goods from citizens of Brandon. Most donations are collected at all the grocery stores around town, or from the congregation at the Calvary Temple, who, led by Pastor Gary Jennings, collects and donates

specific food items whenever The Loft, which is open Monday to Friday from 12 till two, is running low.

“If each church donated the way Pastor Gary does, we would never be short on food,” said Sharon Ballingall, a volunteer at The Loft.

The volunteer staff at The Loft do the best they can possibly do with what they have, but sometimes there is not enough food to go around. For example, they get so few donations of milk, they only allow children to have one glass, and adults never get any. There have been days they have had to turn people away because they had no food at all. “This organization is bigger than most people realize,” said Orr, “we need all donations we receive.” Thankfully, with such little food, few people are abusing the system said Orr.

“I’d say less than 1% of people coming through us are using the service when they don’t need it. Waiting in line with the people who actually need our help opens your eyes to the conditions some people live in,” said Orr, “and not many people are willing to stand around and take from these people that already have nothing.”

Helping Hands have had rough patches over the years, nearly going bankrupt at one point. The only direct fundraising they do is a Membership Drive every December. The organization asks for donations starting at $5, which is enough to buy two meals for someone. “We get huge support for the Membership Drive,” said Orr, “And not just in Brandon, but the entire Westman area does an excellent job at helping out.”

Despite community help, The Loft is often short-staffed, especially in the summer months. “Normally we get around 150-160 people a day, but when the summer months come around, that number goes up to around 230, so our staffing demands go up,” said Orr.

Helping Hands and The Loft do their best to help people find their feet and turn their lives around, and Orr shared one of his favourite success stories about a woman who turned her life around thanks to the help offered.

A woman was married and doing very well financially, but unfortunately suffered a divorce and lost everything. Orr suggested volunteering to her, because “The best way to make yourself feel better is to help other people feel better,” Orr believes. The lady followed the suggestion and started volunteering at The Loft, while receiving assistance at the same time. Eventually, from the hard work she put in, the lady got the job as a Co-ordinator for Helping Hands, and made enough money doing that to move to Winnipeg and get her feet under her.

Orr tells the story of the woman as one of their biggest successes, but says he has many more to tell.

Helping Hands doesn’t directly offer services to people seeking additional aid, such as housing for the homeless, but does point people in the right direction. “We don’t have our hand in any other help organizations, but we are pleased to be able to point people towards the help they need. We are useful in helping people find help,” said Orr.

Volunteering time at The Loft is a real eye-opener for many people to the situations that less fortunate people live in, and in some cases it inspires people to do more. Lynne White is one of those cases.

White had been volunteering for a number of years at The Loft when her husband, Ian White, and her decided to try something different. The Whites moved to Kenya, Africa, and started an orphanage called Pentecostal Evangelical Fellowship of Africa Rehema Children’s Home. PEFA has been running on entirely donations for the last five years, and now holds 42 children, but White still comes back to Canada once in a while to continue volunteering at The Loft.

Orr hopes that over the summer people keep remembering to donate what food they can, and donate some of their time to help prepare and serve the food being donated.

“Every little big helps,” said Orr, “and what is a more effective way of giving back to the community than helping the less fortunate?”

Brandon School Defibrillators

With the recent death of Roblin Principal David Degroot, the topic of Automatic External Defibrillators in schools is gaining popularity. Dwight Kearns, the Brandon School Division’s Physical and Health Specialist, says that the division is working diligently to implement an AED in every school.

“We already have one in all of the high schools, as well as George Fitten School. It’s our priority to outfit every school, starting with schools that allow their gyms to be used by the public,” said Kearns.

David Degroot died early May of a severe aortic valve stenosis, a severe narrowing of the aortic valve in the heart. Although an AED would not have solved the problem, there is a chance it could have helped until professional medical help arrived.

“It may not have helped, but in a situation like that, it certainly could not have made it any worse,” said a BU nursing student, who asked not to be named. “Best case scenario would be saving a life, worst case scenario would be making no difference.”

The AEDs in Brandon schools are located in high traffic areas, usually right outside of the gym. Although AEDs come with very straight forward instructions on their use, Kearns said the division sends several teachers from each school for first aid training.

“We try and send a few teachers from each school for Canadian First Aid Training from each school so they can form a sort of First Aid Committee for their school. We usually send about 50 teachers a year.”

Brett Nohr, a physical education teacher at Vincent Massey, is one of the teachers who has been trained in the use of an AED.

“All 5 of the physical education teachers at Vincent Massey have taken the one day course offered by Heart and Stroke Foundation,” said Nohr, “and the plans right now are to get an instructor to come in and start teaching AED use in the grade 10 health classes to make sure all the students are informed.”

AEDs are starting to become more and more publicly accessible, with stations popping up in malls, workplaces and schools all across the province.

Brandon Kozun

Brandon Kozun and the Calgary Hitmen are in town for the Memorial Cup, and the future prospect of the LA Kings is excited to play.

“It’s a huge atmosphere, very exciting to be here right now with such outstanding competition.”

Kozun has been with the Hitmen since ’07, leading the league in scoring this year with 107 points and earning himself the Bob Clarke Trophy. But Kozun is taking some time off ice to nurse a leg injury, but he is certain he will be ready to play.

“It will be a game time decision, but I will probably play,” said Kozun, “It’s going to take a lot to stop me from playing.”

Kozun is a familiar face to some of the Wheat Kings, specifically Brayden Schenn. Schenn and Kozun played together on the 2010 National Junior Team, and have both been drafted to play with the LA Kings.

“Brayden and I have played together before, and we get along pretty well. He is a great calibre player and I look forward to playing with him again in the NHL.”

The Hitmen face off against Brandon’s Wheat Kings on May 19, and all parties are looking forward to it. “It’s going to be tough,” said Kozun, “last time we played them we got a few lucky breaks, they definitely aren’t an easy team to beat, and with the competition at the level it’s expected to be at here, it will definitely be a great game to play and watch.”

Memorial Cup

It's the week of the Memorial Cup here in Brandon, the biggest event to come to the city. I'm lucky enough to have a media pass through my practicum, so I'm going to be checking out as much of the action as possible, and hopefully getting a few interviews with players to put up here. Check back frequently for Memorial Cup stories you won't see anywhere else!
Graphic by Chris Tataryn

Canada's BIGgest Online radio station moving to Souris

Selkirk’s BIG FM, Canada’s biggest online-only radio station boasting 300,000 listeners, is set to move to Souris in August.

“I had been on Brandon radio between September 1988 and September 1998, and this kind of feels like a little bit of a homecoming,” said Ray Walker, BIG FM President.

Walker will be moving to be married, and bringing the station with him.

BIG FM started off primarily focusing on getting Selkirk Steelers junior hockey games broadcast over the internet. Since getting on the internet airwaves, BIG FM has grown in popularity, broadcasting from many big events, such as the 2007 RBC National Junior Hockey Championship, the 2008 Western Canadian Junior B Hockey Championship, and the 2009 Telus Cup National Midget Hockey Championship. The hockey broadcasts of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and the Keystone Junior Hockey League were very well received and are a big part of why the radio station is so successful. BIG FM will hope to continue that in broadcasts of the Southwest Cougars and Brandon Midget Wheat Kings of the Manitoba Major Hockey League, the Souris Elks of the Tiger Hills Hockey League, Sabres and Vipers high school sports, and hopefully some summer sports like football and Cardinals baseball.

“More and more people are following professional hockey and other sports through the internet, why not make the smaller leagues accessible the same way?” asks Souris Mayor Darryl Jackson, “it’s definitely a good thing, and new businesses are always welcome.”

The radio station plays a unique blend of pop, rock, and country music.

“A number of former Brandon radio personalities have touched base with us and have indicated an interest in helping out with the radio station once it is back on-line. Our intention for BIG FM is to be a community portal from Souris with the world checking in on us from time to time,” said Walker.

There is no plan in place for BIG FM to become an over-the-air radio station, as Walker says Brandon has many radio stations that already provide that service to Westman.

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Hockey Town in for Memorial Cup

‘Hockey Town’ is an art exhibit that has come to the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba from the Maclaren Art Gallery in keeping with Memorial Cup Festivities until June 19.

“It’s really fun. It attracts sports fans and art fans, it really does a great job of blending the two activities,” said Amber Andersen, Curator of Exhibitions and Education.

‘Hockey Town’ is comprised of art by Liz Pead, Liss Platt, and Leah Modigliana, and is centered on using hockey to make art. Plead has re-interpreted the landscape with discarded hockey equipment found in trash bins outside rinks and curb sides around Toronto. Modigliani’s contribution takes a pointed look at the commoditisation of the body; the marketing of the star athlete and the cult of celebrity that surrounds professional

sports. Her installation is a basement rec-room, filled with memorabilia for the fictitious women’s hockey team, the Windsor Beavers. The visitor is invited to sit on the comfortable couches and watch the TV, playing a loop of Wayne Gretzky’s famous retirement speech, as played by the artist.

Platt worked with a different idea, making her art on a plank of white wood by firing slap-shots with painted pucks at the canvas. The gallery liked that concept, and will be bringing it with them to the Memorial Cup Village this week, on Wednesday at noon till two, Thursday 20 at noon till two, and Friday 21 from noon till six. They will have a hands on display set up for anyone and everyone to take a shot at the canvas and help create community artwork. “We want to bring our own version of this slap-shot art to the village and walk away with something the entire community contributed to,” said Andersen.

Hanna Bordewijk - Woman Entrepreneur Nominee

Hanna Bordewijk is in the running for her second entrepreneurship award of the year.

Bordewijk, owner and operator of ‘All Things Beautiful’ is one of the two Brandon finalists for the Women’s Business Organization of Manitoba ‘Woman Entrepreneur of the Year for Manitoba’ award. Earlier this year, she was the recipient of the Entrepreneur of the Year for Brandon sponsored by the city.

The winner will be announced next Thursday, May 20, at The Fairmont in Winnipeg.

The modest Bordewijk nearly rejected the nomination. “I called the organization saying it was just too much praise, I couldn’t do it. But they talked to me and convinced me to accept the nomination.”

‘All Things Beautiful’ is a charming home decor / ladies, girls, and babies clothing store that Bordewijk opened in April 2005 after moving to Brandon from Rapid City in 2002. In Rapid City she focused more on Home Decor after a tragic assault left her with back, neck, head, and brain trauma that caused her to be unable to continue her previous physiotherapy career.

“My sister, mother, and uncle all had (their own) stores, so that definitely influenced my decision to start my own.”

Bordewijk says she is a strong believer in inner beauty, believing that it is what’s inside that makes a person attractive. This belief was the influence behind one of the store’s biggest and most successful advertising campaigns, the Top Model Competition, which is a contest for any person who has bought clothing from ‘All Things Beautiful’. The contestants only have to take a picture of themselves in clothing from the store, and finalists get professional photography sessions, while winners are chosen to model for store displays. The contest had over 4000 voters the first year, and that number has gone up over the years.

“It really felt like more of a personal success than a business success to be nominated for such an award,” she said.

‘All Things Beautiful’ is located at 457 9^th Ninth Street.

Cheryl Baynton - Woman Entrepreneur Nominee

Cheryl Baynton is in the running for her first ever Entrepreneurship award on May 20^th, having been nominated for the Women’s Business Organization of Manitoba ‘Lifetime Achievement’ award.

“I was totally flattered to be put in the same category as all these other successful business women.”

Baynton is the owner and mind behind Pantages Salon & Spa, as well as the new Pantages Eco-Friendly hair product line. Pantages is a classy, new-aged hair salon that also offers many different beauty and spa treatments, from pedicures to facials. Baynton got the idea for starting Pantages after she had been working in the industry for a few years already. “I didn’t realize how attracted I was to this until I was actually working in the industry,” said Baynton, “this industry and I share a lot in common, we both are built around changing and staying new and exciting.”

Pantages was formed 25 years ago, and recently celebrated it’s anniversary with a big outdoor barbeque on May 8^th. It has been located on Park Avenue for 8 years now, and before that was on Currie Boulevard for 17 years before needing to expand to new property. Baynton is proud of the continuous growth of the company, and already has adjacent lots purchased for more future expansion.

Baynton is also proud of her very professional staff who are helping her make her dreams reality. “I really want to bring a metropolitan feel to our little wheat city,” Baynton said, as is apparent the moment you open the doors of the salon, which can hold up to 23 clients at a time. The decor of the salon, combined with the attitudes of the staff, make for a very refreshing ‘big-city’ feel, right in the middle of Brandon’s prairie landscape.

Baynton will find out if she managed to come away with the award on May 20^th, at a special Dinner presentation at the Fairmont in Winnipeg.

Chris McConnell puts on show with BCO

On May 15 the Brandon Community Orchestra showed off their musical prowess, led by Chris McConnell, at the Victoria Inn Imperial Ballroom.

Music has always been a big part of McConnell’s life; he trained at the Brandon University School of Music prior to teaching music at Hartney / Souris schools for 27 years, and is married to an elementary school music teacher.

After 27 years, McConnell was approached to help Souris School purchase new tools for the woodworking class, as woodworking is a hobby of his, and then later asked to teach the course full time. One year after he had said goodbye to the Band program, McConnell felt the longing for music.

“I love woodworking, and was happy with my job teaching it, but I was starting to really miss music.”

McConnell was approached by a Souris resident later that year about the opening conducting the BCO, and the opportunity to get re-involved with music was too great to say no to.

The Brandon Community Orchestra is currently home to 46 musicians, and is always open to new members. There is no audition necessary, as McConnell believes that a community orchestra should involve the community as much as possible, regardless of skill levels.

“We are always open to new members, no need to audition; instead we prefer that you come try us out. If you feel comfortable playing with our group, we are happy to have you.”

The orchestra features musicians of every calibre, including Concert Master and Vincent Massey student Jacob Toth.

“Jacob is an incredibly gifted young musician. I swear he has musical ESP. It’s like he understands exactly what I want done with any given piece of music, and he makes it happen beautifully.”

McConnell, Toth, and the rest of the Brandon Community Orchestra performed a diverse program on May 15 in the Victoria Inn Imperial Ballroom, featuring everything from operatic pieces to concerto movements, with a memorial tribute and some belly dancers thrown in for good measure.

Students Sow Seeds of Peace

‘Seeds for Peace’ is an innovative educational program designed to teach compassion, hope, and a love of gardening to elementary school children around the world, and Kircaldy Heights School decided to take part last week.

“This seeds for peace program really promotes feelings of peace and kindness amongst the students, and it really helps open their eyes to how lucky they are,” said grade 3-4 teacherKaren Tilley.

The students at Kircaldy spent time on May 7 decorating seed pouches to be sent away to a foreign embassy, in this case Iraq, and the embassy will distribute these seed packages to school-aged children in their country, with hopes of spreading a message of kindness and hope.

“We decided on Iraq because of the current turmoil in the country, the students have a general idea already, and this has helped open their eyes wider to what is going on.”

“I think this program is a great idea, it really gets the kids actively involved and helps them learn about what’s going on in the world,” said Mayor Dave Burgess, who made an appearance to show his support for the program, “I hope some of the other schools adopt this program and give it a shot, it really helps broaden the student’s perspective.”

‘Seeds for Peace’ was designed by Jeff Arsenault from Winchester Public School near Ottawa, and according to Tilley, is doing exactly what he intended for it to do.

“The kids are starting to think about what peace means to them, and how they can maintain it for the future.”