The 42 annual PrairieCon is taking place this weekend in the Lower Curling Club Lounge, the Upper Curling Club Lounge, and the Curling Club Ice Surface inside the Keystone Centre. PrairieCon is a weekend-long gaming convention held in Brandon, MB featuring games, tournaments, workshops, vendors, contests, and prizes. Facebook link. PrairieCon dates: Friday, May 26 – Sunday, May 28 Event hours: Friday doors open 12 noon, gaming starts 1pm, facility closes midnight. Saturday doors open 8am, gaming starts 9am, facility closes midnight. Sunday doors open 8am, gaming starts 9am, facility closes at 6pm.

It’s the season for lemonade stands and this summer CancerCare Manitoba Foundation is asking Manitobans to host a stand for a good cause. Lemonade Stands for Hope is the perfect opportunity for kids, teens, and anyone young at heart to create hope and raise important funds for CancerCare Manitoba. Families, friends, businesses, community teams, leagues or groups can all host a lemonade stand! Upon registering, stand holders will receive supplies to host their stand including a free starter kit, online donation page, and tools to help them promote their stand. “My daughters and nephew hold their lemonade stand on our driveway each year and seeing all of our family, friends, and neighbours coming together to support the kids is so special,” said Nikki Phaneuf. “A couple of years ago a young girl we know was diagnosed with Leukemia and the kids wanted to do something to help…so we held a lemonade stand and have been doing it every year since.”  Getting started is easy! Register your stand online at LemonadeForHope.ca Pick up your free starter kit from the Foundation at 825 Sherbrook Street (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.) Host your Lemonade Stand for Hope anytime over the weekend of July 14-16, or anytime this summer Manitobans are encouraged to rally their community to support their lemonade stand while they raise funds for crucial research, patient care, and support services at CancerCare Manitoba. All funds raised from Lemonade Stands for Hope stay in Manitoba and help cancer patients and their families.

A number of provincial parks in southern Manitoba will welcome campers this weekend, officially kicking off the 2023 season, Natural Resources and Northern Development Minister Greg Nesbitt announced today. “With the slow start to spring this year, many Manitobans might be more eager than usual to get outside and enjoy our beautiful provincial parks,” said Nesbitt. “Manitoba Parks staff can’t wait to welcome everyone for the 2023 season and the Manitoba government hopes everyone has the chance to visit their favourite parks and explore somewhere new.” All other provincial park campgrounds will open for the May long weekend. Manitobans can make a reservation for campsites, cabins, yurts and group-use areas by using the recently launched Parks Reservation Service, online at www.manitobaparks.com or by calling (toll-free) 1-888-482-2267. The Manitoba government will be evaluating the new service through the camping season for future enhancements, the minister added. Campers will notice improvements in several provincial campgrounds this season including a new picnic shelter in the Birds Hill group-use area, new playgrounds at Asessippi, Beaver Creek, Paint Lake and White Lake, and a new amphitheatre at Hecla-Gull Harbour. Mobility access mats are also being added to beaches at Clearwater Lake (Camper’s Beach), Hecla/Grindstone (Little Grindstone and Black’s Point), Rivers, Paint Lake, Wekusko Falls and Whiteshell (Brereton Lake). Some campgrounds remain closed including Otter Falls Campground in Whiteshell Provincial Park, Tulabi Falls walk-in backcountry sites in Nopiming Provincial Park and the Birch Point Provincial Park Campground. These campgrounds will be under construction for flood-related repairs this spring and the minister added opening dates are undetermined at this time. The Manitoba government will be announcing a larger park renewal strategy plan and infrastructure projects in the coming weeks, the minister noted. Tips for visitors and campers at Manitoba provincial parks include: check the Manitoba Parks website at www.manitobaparks.com for advisories before travelling; buy and print provincial park vehicle permits online before leaving home at www.manitobaelicensing.ca; all campers must check in at campground offices upon arrival to receive camping permits; have reservation confirmation and personal identification ready for check-in; be ‘Wildlife Smart’ by maintaining a clean campsite, keeping all food, trash, toiletries and cooking utensils locked in a vehicle or trailer, and pack out trash and recyclables before leaving; keep all pets on leash; and keep all campfires in approved pits such as those found in campsites and check with the campground office for any campfire restrictions. Campers are reminded that because the emerald ash borer has been confirmed in Winnipeg, no firewood can be transported outside the city. Transportation violations can result in charges and fines of up to $1,300 for individuals or $15,000 for businesses. Firewood is available for purchase from local retailers at most campgrounds. Several provincial parks are continuing to hire seasonal staff for the camping season including campground attendants, maintenance staff and tradespersons. Provincial parks are also hiring youth to join the Parks Green Team program. These seasonal positions are valuable work experience for careers in parks and natural resource management, trades and tourism. To find available opportunities, visit www.manitobaparks.com. Manitobans can stay up to date with provincial parks news, activities and events by following @MBGovParks on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MBGovParks or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MBGovParks.

The Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba is offering spring classes for all ages. Classes run from April 8th to May 27th for children, teens and adults. Kids will have lots of creative projects to choose from when they check out the line-up for Art Saturdays 4 Kids. Every Saturday brings forth new creative exploration for those enrolled, from utilizing found objects to creating kinetic sculptures in Earth Day Extravaganza to painting masterpieces in Colour Pop Painting. The popular Teens Studio class, Spring Swirl, will take place on Thursdays in the Spring session with a new selection of creative projects designed specifically for ages 11 to 17. Adult art classes for the true beginner and for those with experience are also available! Whether it is in clay, drawing, painting or printmaking, there is a creative class for you no matter your skill level. Last but not least for those who want to try something new and creative, Zen Doodling, a new two evening therapeutic workshop open for ages 9-99 yrs. Learn a new drawing method which is relaxing and enjoyable, and will help you unwind after a busy day. The AGSM would like to thank Christie’s Office Plus for the sponsorship of select materials for the Children’s and Teens’ art program.

Manitoba Natural Resources and Northern Development is encouraging Manitoba Parks customers to plan ahead for the launch of the new Parks Reservation Service on March 27. Manitoba Parks is reminding campers the existing service at www.manitobaparks.com will be available until March 24 at 4 p.m. to access and take note of any favourite sites from previous reservations. Account information will not be transferred from the old reservation service to the new site. All users will need to create a new account starting on March 27 and are encouraged to browse the site to become familiar with the new service in advance of reservation opening days. Reservations for the 2023 season will occur over six days in April. Reservations will open at 7 a.m. each day for the following campsites and facilities: April 3 - All cabins, yurts and group use areas (including Hecla and Camp Morton recreation halls); April 5 - Campsite reservations for all western and northern region parks including Asessippi, Bakers Narrows, Clearwater (Campers Cove and Pioneer Bay), Duck Mountain (Blue Lakes, Childs Lake, Wellman Lake), Manipogo, Paint Lake, Rainbow Beach, Rivers, Spruce Woods (Kiche Manitou), Turtle Mountain (Adam Lake), William Lake and Wekusko Falls; April 11 - Campsite reservations for Birds Hill and Winnipeg Beach; April 12 - Campsite reservations for south Whiteshell including Caddy Lake, Falcon Beach, Falcon Lakeshore and West Hawk Lake; April 13 - Campsite reservations for Nopiming (Tulabi Falls main campground, Bird Lake, Black Lake, Shoe Lake, Beresford Lake) and north Whiteshell (Big Whiteshell, Brereton Lake, Nutimik Lake, Opapiskaw, Betula Lake and White Lake); and April 14 - All remaining locations including Camp Morton, Grand Beach, Hecla, Hnausa Beach, Lundar Beach, Moose Lake, St. Malo, Stephenfield and Watchorn. Otter Falls Campground in Whiteshell Provincial Park, Tulabi Falls walk-in backcountry sites in Nopiming Provincial Park, and Birch Point Provincial Park Campground will not open for reservations, as the campgrounds are under construction for flood-related repairs this spring. Opening dates for these campgrounds are undetermined at this time. Campers should continue to check www.manitobaparks.com for additional information and updates prior to the opening of the reservation service. - 30 -