A somewhat typical story I often hear is that people have a hard time leaving Brandon and if they do they seem to return...kind of like the new marketing sell line for the city “ Brandon Brings You Back”. 27 year old Tia Smith (pictured above-L) from Brandon took a huge leap of faith several years ago and moved to Vancouver to study Interior Design.  Tia has always been on the cutting edge and now has the ability to use her skills in Vancouver and abroad.When did you leave Brandon and why did you choose Vancouver? I left Brandon in 2012 and moved to Vancouver to get my Bachelor of Interior Design. I had always been a fan of the west coast growing up so after graduating high school I selected a school here to pursue my career as a designer. Let’s talk about Jute Design. First of all why that name, and is this your business or do you have partners? My business partner, Jill Propoerzi and I started Jute Design & Management in 2016 when we saw an opportunity to create a design-build firm here in Vancouver. Offering both these services allows us to provide a cohesive package with seamless execution. We find that having one point of contact benefits our clients and has aided in our success. Our business model led us to choosing the name Jute. Jute is composed of multiple different natural fibers, once combined they create a strong, versatile material.   When you click on your website the list of services you offer is very impressive and one would assume that Vancouver is a competitive market in your industry. Do you find this to be true?  Yes, Vancouver's design industry is relatively competitive - We believe that the key is to find your niche and build strong relationships within it. There are plenty of very talented firms in Vancouver, and we are excited to be a part of the growing industry here.  Does your age give you an advantage when bidding on jobs and projects? Vancouver has a lot of young entrepreneurs and professionals who we believe see the value in working together. The design and construction industry is still very male dominated, and with our female team we strive to break boundaries, hire more female trades and continue to make a name for ourselves here.  On your social media I notice some very cool, trendy couches etc. Are you able to source those products and then ship them anywhere? Yes we can. We love to keep updated on the local and global trends for furniture and lighting. We have a team with extensive experience in furniture and textile selection and are always excited when we can show off our knowledge.  For anyone that is looking to hire you what is the best way to contact your firm? You can reach us through our website www.jutedesign.ca or send us an email info@jutedesign.ca

Come out and enjoy this night with your family at our Drive-in Service on New Year's Eve!Let’s end 2020 strong with faith and joy as we gather (in our vehicles) to celebrate the goodness of God. You will enjoy songs of worship and hear an inspiring message from Pastor Ben Karuhije, that will send you into 2021 with hope. And best of all, we’ll be together! This is event is free and open to all. *Due to the current public health orders, each vehicle can only contain people from one household. Thank you! -Quote from Pastor Ben Karuhije:“As a church, we love being part of the community of the city of Brandon. Like everyone else in our city, we have felt the burdens of 2020, and we want to help people start 2021 with hope and faith. Typically we host one or two public events every year, outside of our regular services, to contribute to the welfare and progress of our city. Last year we hosted an event for business leaders called “Leadercast", as well as our annual "Christmas at the Centennial” production. Even though we couldn’t hold large events this year, we are grateful for the opportunity to gather in vehicles- and hopefully our New Year’s Drive-In Service will be a source of joy and optimism for our city. No matter what you believe, I believe this event will fill you with hope!"

Brandonites are eager to get outdoors and stay active in this mild weather but the shortage of available ice rinks in the City has left people scrambling. While the City run skating oval is not officially open, dozens of skaters are beyond the barricade each day and night, navigating the cracked and rough ice. The uneven surface, with exposed rocks and bubbles is not ideal for pleasure skating. The area itself, however, is a very popular attraction thanks to the beautiful holiday light display hosted by Manitoba Hydro each year.  Some Community Centres including Valleyview (on Whillier Drive) did recently open for public skating and are quite busy. Warm up shacks and washroom facilities are not open due to Covid-19 restrictions. Others centres, like Green Acres, have not yet opened. Posted today on the Green Acres Community Centre Facebook page was an update on the delay citing recent vandalism and equipment breakdown as the reasons for not yet being open to the public.  With few alternatives for public skating, and all indoor hockey leagues on pause, homeowners have turned to building backyard rinks for their own personal use.  Local builder, Rona, and the Brandon Wheat Kings have co-hosted and sponsored a contest for backyard rinks. Dozens of entries can be seen on their social media pages. The contest hashtag is #ronarink.  The local East Side Mario’s franchise is also hosting a backyard rink contest. Entries can be submitted to their Facebook page by December 31st.

The images below show some of the best Christmas light displays in Brandon for 2020. All photos by Liam Pattison Photography. Memorial Cres Lyndale Drive Sycamore Drive Applewood Bay Cottonwood Cres Garwood Drive 400 block of 4th St Linden Blvd Poplar Drive Christie Bay Almond Cres Imperial Cres 300 block of 26th 239 Princess Ave E 2201 Lyndale Drive

Starting in January 2021, the duo that found success together as morning show co-hosts of the Q Country 91.5 FM (Q Country) Coffee Crew will officially fly solo. Trent B. will return to his roots on air with 94.7 Star FM (Star FM) as the new morning show host on January 4, while Leanne Doty will take Q Country's reins on January 11. The talented Doty looks forward to hosting her own morning show in the new year, "I'm thrilled and excited and very much looking forward to this next new chapter." With Tyler Glen moving away from the microphone and taking on a leadership role as the Program Director of the radio stations, both morning shows will undergo a rebrand for a fresh look and feel in 2021. "As I step away from the microphone, I want to congratulate both Trent B. and Leanne Doty on their new shows," said Program Director, Tyler Glen. "Trent B. will soon be the host of the newly re-named and branded Star Morning Show. Trent B. started his post-college career on Star back in 2006, so it's a bit of a homecoming for him. After four decades working in radio, Leanne has reached the top of her game on-air, and we can't wait to share her talents. 2021 is going to be an exciting year for radio in Westman!" Q Country will be freshly rebranded to "The Q Country Kickstart with Leanne Doty", while Star FM will see itself as "The Star FM Morning Mix with Trent B." Full details below: The Q Country KICKSTART with Leanne Doty (Weekdays 6a-9a) • Q Country Kickstart Good Stuff 6:40 weekdays - Inspiring stories to start your day. • Q Country Kickstart Hollywood Hot Dish 7:10 weekdays - hot entertainment gossip! • Q Country Kickstart Pet's Sake 7:40 Friday - Weekly pet from Funds for Furry Friends • Q The Music with Leanne Doty 8:20 weekdays presented by Super Thrifty • Q Country Kickstart Homegrown 8:40 Tuesday & Thursday - Made in MB Country! • Q Country Kickstart Classic-cut 8:40 Mon-Wed-Fri-Only the best are CLASSICS! The STARFM Morning Mix with Trent B (Weekdays 6a-9a) • Morning Mix Good Start 7:10 weekdays-Only the GOOD NEWS of the Day! • Morning Mix Daily Scoop 6:40 and 7:40 weekdays-Music & entertainment news • Morning Mix Furry Friend of the Week 7:20 Fridays-Morning fur baby adoptable • Morning Mix in the Tube 8:10 weekdays-what listeners are streaming! Hot stuff! • Morning Mix Way Back Play Dat 8:40 Mon-Wed-Fri-80's or 90's? Tune in to GO BACK! Q Country and Star FM look forward to bringing you hot new morning shows in 2021! Be sure to head to Qcountryfm.ca and Starfm.ca to keep up to date with all things Westman and listen live.