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.

Engaged couples looking for a venue for their weddings have a new option starting in 2021. Located just 15 minutes South of Brandon, Oakland Estate features an elegant clear top tent surrounded by beautiful oak trees. Couples and their guests will enjoy the ceremony location, pathway with bistro lights, fire pit areas around the patio and a fully furnished bridal cottage! The venue rental includes tables and chairs, wheel chair accessible washrooms, a bar, caterer tent, clear tent, ceiling drapery with beautiful chandeliers and much more! "Building a wedding venue was always a dream of mine over the past four years, ever since I became a wedding photographer. My husband and I actually started planning and looking for the perfect property in summer of 2019".---owner, Janice Charriere The venue will have a maximum capacity of 200 people. Couples will have the option to hire a caterer of their choice. The transparent tent, with a cement floor for dancing, measures 50’x80’. Take a look at their website for more information, or to inquire about a booking. www.oaklandestate.ca. Facebook link.

After a national search, the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba is excited to announce the appointment of Lucie Lederhendler as the gallery’s new Curator. Lucie Lederhendler is a Montreal-based writer, curator, and artist. Her research pursues the question of what role an art practice can have in building mythologies that foster connections with the material and immaterial of the non-human world. “We are delighted to welcome Lucie to the AGSM and to the community here in Brandon (MB) said Deirdre Chisholm, Executive Director of the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba. “Lucie brings great insight and passion to the gallery, that I am confident -will build on our momentum to support the spirit of radical experimentation as set out in our Strategic Plan. She has a subtle and insightful understanding of community-based artistic practices and an accessible and open demeanour. I am very excited to collaborate with her and to see the direction it will take the gallery in the future” .Lucie Lederhendler is committed to a collaborative framework that expands the ways in which communities engage with contemporary art, most recently as the curator of Studio Beluga.Integral to Lederhendler's deeply local, community-based approach prioritizes voices from diverse and historically underrepresented audiences. Lederhendler has held education positions at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts, Concordia University's FOFA Gallery, and McGill University. She has also been involved in advisory boards for social enterprises and artist run centres, including for the Montreal International Fringe Festival, Mainline Theatre, Mainline Gallery, and the Suspicious Fish After School Literacy Programme. Lucie Lederhendler holds a BA, Art History, from McGill University (2005) and an MA, Art Education from Concordia University (2019). She has presented her transdisciplinary projects internationally, has been published in Canadian Art Teacherand Quebec Heritagemagazines, and her graduate research is included in the most recent issue of the journal Leonardo. "As much as I am looking forward to becoming a friend and collaborator with the AGSM, I am even more excited to get to know the communities that it serves. I am gratified to be joining a gallery with a radical vision of inclusion, and a willingness to experiment and evolve. Its deep connection to the land and its histories appeals to my love for the environment. My process is going to start with a dialogue with you, and so I am very eager to be a guest and a host in my new home." -Lucie Lederhendler Lederhendler will be welcomed to the community mid-January (2021) at the forthcoming opening reception for A Prairie Vernacular. (submitted)

BDNMB.CA loves to find people who we consider contribute to this city on a day to day basis. This can be said for Precision Toyota owner Scott Ball. After a recent rebuild of Precision Toyota (over the past 12 months) we wanted to check in with Scott to how he would do with some questions that the public are wanting to know. I have read that Toyota vehicles sell themselves and the salesperson is just really directing traffic in the showroom, would you agree with that statement: I do agree Toyota’s do sell themselves but my belief is our staff need to sell our guests on the experience they will have while purchasing a vehicle and I believe that’s why were successful. When you father Ron handed over the keys to the business that must have been one of the most exciting and yet scary days of your life: Well there really wasn’t any key handing ceremony at all. I’ve ran the dealership for many years prior to the transition so it was honestly just another day at the office for us. You started at Precision in 1998, what was your job: I started out in the wash bay for the first while, then moved to a service advisor role shortly after. COVID 19 has had for some businesses both short and long term financial strains, how has COVID effected Precision Toyota: Well I think in some capacity it has affected our business in the spring but other than that we have had a great year in our new facility. Did you and your family ever consider buying the Wheat Kings: No we didn’t, but I’m happy for Jared and his family, Kelly picked the right guy to keep the Wheaties in Brandon long-term On a scale of 1 – 100, what percentage of clients are good to deal with: 99% I would say. We rarely have any bad experiences Should the Winnipeg Jets trade Laine, and why: No that would be crazy! He’s what 22 years old and an elite scorer! He would be hard to replace You have been married for almost a decade, what is something you miss about being single: I honestly don’t miss anything about being single! Naydia and I have been together 18 years and married 15 with 3 great kids. She’s the reason I am where I am today Your wife Naydia and your sister Angie and others are the new driving force (bad cliché I know) behind Westman Dreams For Kids.  What kind of pride do you and your family feel from that project: Obviously we take a lot of pride on what WMDK has become over the years. It’s helped a lot of families in need. Would you say Scott Glennie is the best Wheat King of all time and Jordan Hale the worst: Scott would be top 10 for sure in my books but Provy to me was the best Wheatie of our era. One business Brandon needs: I’d really like to see a Drive Inn theatre make its way back. We did one in the summer as a fundraiser and it was very successful. Would you consider yourself a techy nerd: No, I wouldn’t at all Favorite family vacation spot: Hawaii, Naydia and I try to take the kids there every couple of years Why do you have a cabin in Sandy Lake and not Clear Lake: Well my parents have a cabin there and that’s where I spent my summers as a kid. We’ve had no desire to move to a different lake we really enjoy it up there. How big of a role model has your father been in your life: I could write a book on what he’s taught me over the years and I’m grateful for that. He’s the smartest man I know that’s for sure. Would you ever run for City Council: I do appreciate what they do for our city but I don’t think I could ever run. Favorite bag of chips: BBQ Pepsi or Coke: Either I’m not picky Worst business memory to date: Honestly don’t have one Rumor has it you golf with Scott Major (local real estate agent) a bit in the summer, is he really that bad at golf: Well I do poke fun at him often on Facebook and yeah he awful. Golfed with the guy 15 years and he just isn’t getting any better hopefully he reads this and get lessons this winter