There has been such a great response from our last two mini-Manitoba road trip articles, we’ve decided to keep going. For this trip, pack the car with a few snacks and head south on the #10 highway out of Brandon. The highway is in excellent driving condition and before you know it you’ll be crossing the Souris River and enjoying the view of the valley. First stop is Boissevain. It’s located right on the highway.  Once you slow down for the school zone you’ll see signs directing you to turn left to start the Art Drive. There are numerous murals around town and they are bright and beautiful. You can’t miss them. Clearly a progressive town, Snap Chat picked up a filter for Choy’s Restaurant right away. Just down the street from Choy’s and across from the Community Theatre is a beautiful little park aptly named “Arts Park.” Definitely walk through and enjoy the eclectic displays! It’s a gem. If you’re ready for a coffee, do stop in at Sawmill Tea and Coffee company. Ask about their daily flavour of cheesecake, or pick up a bowl of their homemade soup. Once you’re back on #10 and heading south, you’ll come to a junction where you can choose to head east to Killarney or west for Deloraine. I picked west for Deloraine! Farm families are hard at work here in the harvest season. The golden fields of the area are as pretty as a picture.  The town of Deloraine isn’t far and the drive will go quickly but, I’m going to suggest a 3km detour off the highway at Turtlehead Creek Dam before you even get there. (It’s clearly marked by highway signs.) As you head towards the dam and the golf course you’ll see an intriguing sign that says “bank vault.”  This signals a gravel detour to an old field stone bank vault. One of only 2 left in western Canada, it’s an intriguing piece of history.  You see, Deloraine wasn’t always where it is today. In fact, it was first established in 1882 about 10km east of town. But in 1886 the Canadian Pacific Railway settled their line north and west, so nearly all the buildings were transferred over to the new site. Unfortunately the bank vault could not be moved, so it was left behind on what is now private property. One you get to Deloraine you can stretch your legs and walk about in the Flags of the World Park. It’s also next to their tourist booth. Over on Broadway Street I spied the post office building. It reminded me of the clock tower building in the movie Back to the Future. Actually, with all the great heritage buildings and wide open green spaces, Deloraine would be a great place to make a feature film. If you do plan to take a Manitoba road trip soon, take your mask and your hand sanitizer with you. Spread only kindness.

Let’s just go for a drive.  The weather’s nice, the fields are turning colours and we’re supposed to stay away from groups. Let’s just go for a drive. I’ll offer two options, for this article. Both are within an hour away. If you choose left (south) you’ll visit Souris. If you choose right (north) you’ll head to Hamiota. Souris is about 30 minutes from Brandon, and Hamiota is an hour. To start this adventure head west on the Trans Canada Highway #1. It won’t be long before you reach the turn at highway #250. This road will lead you right into the town of Souris. If you take a pass on Souris, and go 10 minutes further, you’ll see highway #21 to the north. It will take you on a few twists and turns, and through rolling hills, but soon enough, you’ll reach the beautiful town of Hamiota. In Souris you’ll find many outdoor attractions (Victoria Park, The Plum, the Rock Shop agate pit) but the must-see attraction is Canada’s longest swinging bridge (pictured above). This suspension bridge was originally built in 1904 and was rebuilt after the flood of 2011. It takes less than 10 minutes to walk across the bridge and is especially beautiful at sunset. While in Souris, expect to see wild peacocks roaming the town. If you are lucky enough to see them strutting around with their feathers on display, have your camera ready. Just be careful to keep your distance, and keep a watchful eye on traffic. If you hear the peacock whoop, and you are a fan of the Disney movie UP you’ll instantly think of Kevin. The peacock whoop, or screeching call sounds just like the bird from the movie. Your kids will love it! To see an online visitor’s guide and learn more about the attractions and businesses in Souris visit www.sourismanitoba.com. The town of Hamiota has a gorgeous mural that will catch your eye the minute you turn onto Maple Street. The heritage building and former bank, is officially known as the Heritage Arts Centre. Further along Maple Street you’ll see a small but beautiful public garden. A second bigger park, Millennium Park is along highway #21. If you want to do more than just stretch your legs, bring your golf clubs and play 9 holes at the Hamiota Golf Course. You’ll be pleased to see all this beautiful town has to offer. While I’ve yet to visit during bakery hours, I’m told that Country Crocus Bakeshop has THE best donuts in the region. I’m willing to go for a few more road trips and do some taste testing to prove this theory. More details and event information can be found at www.hamiota.com or on their Instagram page @hamiota_municipality If you do plan to take a drive, don’t forget to take your mask and your hand sanitizer. Spread only kindness.

If you are looking for a family day trip that won't break the bank then you need to check out CJ's Snack Shack and Mini Golf.  Located at Rivers Provincial Park (beach and campground), CJ's has been in operation for approximately 25 years now. Lorne & Sue Green have operated the business since the summer of 2015. The couple told bdnmb.ca that one of the first things they did when taking over the business was to expand the menu. The burgers, perogies, and mozza sticks are all homemade and the fries are hand-cut daily. They recently added several flavors of wings to the menu. In addition to all the hot food, CJ's also offers a variety of ice cream treats like hard ice cream, floats, milkshakes, deep fried ice cream, and a funnel cake sundae. One of the first things you will notice about Cj's Snack Shack and Mini Golf, in addition to the outstanding customer service, is how reasonably priced everything is. The food portions are not only large but also very easy on the wallet. A round of mini golf is only $5 for adults and $3 for children. Cj's Snack Shack and Mini Golf has a number of activities for visitors to participate in including an 18-hole mini golf course. Kayak and paddle boat rentals (life-jackets provided) are also available for rent by the hour, for those looking to spend a relaxing afternoon on the lake. Hours of Operation: Daily from 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/cjssnackshack/ CJ’s Snack Shack and Mini Golf is open from mid-May to mid-September.

Unless you live in complete seclusion (if so, send us a pin drop, we want to join you!), you have likely seen or heard about the important changes businesses have implemented to ensure the safety of their team and customers due to COVID-19. As property managers provide an essential service, adapting to these changes while maintaining the ability to keep a roof over our customer’s heads has been a surprisingly easy transition for our company. In fact, it motivated us to implement service changes that have benefited our team, as well as our customers. Some of these changes have been so positive that we will continue to offer many of them even as social distancing guidelines and other restrictions are eased. One of the most popular initiatives has been to allow prospective tenants the opportunity to “rent remotely”. We adjusted our leasing process to give tenants virtual tours rather than in-person showings with our leasing agents. If you live far away from Brandon, this service is ideal to help determine which rental property is a good fit for your future relocation to the Wheat City. We are excited to continue to offer virtual tours indefinitely to help with the vetting process, specifically for the convenience of customers who don’t live within the city. Once apartment seekers have had a virtual tour and have given their stamp of approval on a particular unit, they can then take advantage of our online application process. Again, we have found this to be an excellent remote service for those who wish to social distance or for those who live outside of Brandon. While this isn’t a new service offered by VHP, it has been extremely beneficial during the pandemic. With the initial onset of strict social distancing guidelines, one change that we had to implement was a self-guided move in, but this service did not prove to be popular. As a result, it has dwindled from our leasing process with the easing of restrictions. We discovered that tenants prefer the guidance of our leasing agents and that we missed not being able to meet our new tenants! Our agents are still respecting and adhering to the two-meter rule, or as our CEO says, “Staying one hockey stick away at all times!” However, those with health concerns or those who prefer the added safety of social distancing can still request a self-guided move in. In the past, automatic payment options have always been a preference of our company through our automatic rent withdrawal service, however, as part of the changes we made due to COVID-19, we also implemented an e-transfer payment option for deposits. This is great for those who aren’t set up for automatic withdrawal, and it’s convenient for our customers as it saves them a trip to the bank or post office. Another great service that we plan to keep in the future. So while the circumstances of the 2020 pandemic have challenged and affected many of us (some positively, some negatively) we are proud to say that we have been able to adapt and the outcome of our changed business practices has been positive for our customers and our entire team. Vionell Holdings Partnership (VHP) provides rental housing and property management for an array of residential and commercial customers, including Condominium Management. VHP currently has over 4,000 units under management in Manitoba.  For more information please visit www.vhproperties.ca.

Lois C. Henderson, a Brandon resident and author, has launched a first novel entitled ‘Harley’s Bootstraps’. This work of fiction about loneliness, connection, and survival takes place in Brandon, Twin Lakes Beach and Winnipeg, and chronicles how three young women, wounded in different ways, form friendships, and become an unlikely family. Against all odds and their own inclinations, they help one another negotiate relationships, disappointments, losses, and brave reimaginings, and emerge as strong, independent, and loving women. “Writing Harley’s Bootstraps was a rewarding process, and I’m thrilled to announce that it is now available for purchase on Amazon,” said Henderson. “Any readers with a tie to Manitoba, whether they’ve visited or call the province home, may recognize many of the characters’ locations throughout the novel.” Kirkus Reviews describes this novel as a perceptive, tender, and affirmative tale about women repairing old hurts and forging new bonds. “Henderson’s poignant narrative is engrossing and optimistic, depicting the inner lives of her characters with savvy precision. Her language is incisively descriptive. The themes of healing and forgiveness are expanded to include the redemption of even the most unlikely characters.” –Kirkus Reviews A publication by Friesen Press, hard copies of the novel can be purchased on the Friesen Press website at: https://books.friesenpress.com/store/title/119734000132614826 Digital copies can be purchased for Kindle on Amazon.ca at: https://www.amazon.ca/Harleys-Bootstraps-Lois-C-Henderson-ebook/dp/B08BW3LPBG/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=lois+c.+henderson&qid=1594908531&sr=8-1 About Lois C. Henderson Lois Henderson expertly wields her life experience, from her career as a senior executive in the mining industry, volunteering in her community and agency mentorship programs, and as a mother to three daughters and four stepdaughters, to craft this first novel, Harley’s Bootstraps. Her intimate knowledge surrounding the importance and power of female relationships is evident throughout this powerful tale and convincingly informs the dominant themes of the narrative. In 2016, Ms. Henderson won a coveted, six-month Sheldon Oberman writing mentorship through the Manitoba Writer’s Guild, which allowed her to work with a successful Manitoba author. She lives in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada with her husband Dave, and her dog Archie. (submitted)