Welcome to the inaugural "Community Connection" feature on www.bdnmb.ca where every few weeks we will be asking a friendly Brandon resident 20 questions about themselves and their life in the area.  Questions will range from silly to serious in an effort to provide greater insight into the individual and their thoughts about living in Brandon.  Our first featured guest (Cam Toews) was a unanimous choice among bdnmb.ca staff and advisers when the topic of who we should interview first came up. Occupation: Real estate sales. First job: Grew up on a farm but first off farm job was carpentry. Nickname: I get a lot of Tazer from my last name, said the right way. Childhood celebrity crush: Wow! Long time ago but probably Tanya Tucker. Years lived in Brandon: Since 2002, 17 years. Hobbies: Golf, curling, music. If you were trying out for Canadian Idol what would be your go to song: Something classic country, Ghost in This House - Shenandoah or Don't Close Your Eyes - Keith Whitley. Chicken wings or lettuce wraps: Wings. Favorite city to visit: Nashville but want to visit New York & Boston. Favorite All-Time Wheat King: Ryan Craig was the man when I moved here and played a great all around game. Have to mention our current NHL local boys Matt Calvert and Michael Ferland. Good western Canada grit there. A new business you would like to see make an appearance in Brandon: Disc golf. A concert the Keystone Centre should bring to town: Something classic or retro country, either from the 1990's or a current act that plays that style. Sunny Sweeney and Wade Bowen from Texas are newer or Bellamy Brothers and Shenandoah are still touring. Dinner party dream guests (4): Merle Haggard, Nolan Ryan, Wayne Gretzky, & Patty Loveless. A movie you would watch again tonight:Bull Durham, Forrest Gump, or Old School. You've got friends visiting Brandon for the first time, where are you taking them: Joe Beeverz, Firehouse, Keystone Centre. A business from the past you would like to see return to Brandon: Arby's You have just won $100,000, what do you spend it on: $10,000 to Westman Dreams for Kids. Spend some on myself and family, and then invest the most of it (probably in real estate). Between a ski chalet and summer cottage I would rather have: Summer cottage Early riser or night owl: Night owl What do you enjoy most about living in Brandon: I describe Brandon as "a small town with big city clothes on".   Everybody knows everybody but we have most conveniences of a large city.

Condominium living essential means less stress and less to worry about especially when it comes to repair and maintenance, and it certainly is a preferred method of home ownership for many, especially snowbirds. Even though maintenance of exterior services continues to coast on autopilot while you’re down south (for the condo owner, not for the hustling property manager!), there are several things that condo owners must be aware of before packing the golf clubs, crocs, and sunscreen and leaving behind the cold Manitoba winter. The first task is to check your homeowners’ insurance. Make sure you understand what is required of your personal policy to maintain your insurance while you’re away. Most insurance companies require house checks to be carried out on a regular basis if you’re away from the premises for an extended period of time. Even if house checks aren’t required by your insurance company, your condo corporation may require them. Having some check your property on a regular basis may prevent damage that you could be liable for. For instance, they may discover a leak in the hot water tank and get it fixed before it leaks down to the unit below or next door. The interior of the condo is, as you know, your responsibility. It is important to maintain a comfortable temperature inside your unit to ensure that pipes and water lines do not freeze so shutting off your heat completely is not recommended. A common practice for snowbirds to avoid the hassle of a water leak or burst pipe is to shut the water off. However, before you reach for the off lever, make sure you don’t house the main line to your neighbours’ unit as well. Quite often, the main water shut off is shared between several units. If you’re unsure whether or not your valve will affect any other condo units, contact your property manager. If you rent out your unit or have house-sitters while you are away, make sure they are aware of the rules governing the use of the unit and common areas. Fines levied by the condominium corporation are ultimately the responsibility of the homeowner, not the tenant. And lastly, remember to leave emergency contact information with your property manager. The property managers of a condo corporation will not have a key to your individual unit, so if you’re out of town and need to gain access to your unit for an emergency, the property manager will need the name and phone number of someone in close vicinity. So, with all these tasks taken care of, enjoy the sunshine and be rest assured that you’ve done everything you need to in order to keep your home-sweet-home safe. Vionell Holdings Partnership (VHP) provides rental housing and property management for an array of residential and commercial customers, including Condominium Management. VHP currently has nearly 4,000 units under management in Manitoba. For more information please visit www.vhproperties.ca. VHP has committed to constructing 128 multifamily residential units in Portage la Prairie that will be ready for occupancy in fall of 2019

Vincent Massey High School is running a Fine Arts Show at the Shoppers Mall. The show features the works of Grade 9-11 students and will be running January 25-29, 2019, during regular mall hours. The students of Vincent Massey High School (Brandon, MB) have come together to create an exceptional art exhibit. Drawing on a vast array of inspiration from Greek sculptures to portraits, to surrealism. This collection relies on a variety of mediums, such as acrylic, watercolors, pastel, pencil, and ink. Please come to the mall and support these fantastic artists!

A group of local local community volunteers have come together to build something very unique in Onanole--a skating rink with a trail system.  This awesome winter attraction is open to the public and you are encouraged to bring a shovel with you to help with the upkeep of the trail.  A cool video, by Chris Pugh, can be viewed at the following link. Directions: "When driving south on #10 from Wasagaming take a left on 'Denoon Ave' in Onanole. Follow the street until you come to a dead end, you will see the Octopus Lake Pond Skating Rink and Trail System to your right".

The 11th annual Westman Wedding Expo is taking place at the Keystone Centre on Sunday, January 13th.  Brandon's biggest wedding show will be home for one day to many different wedding specialists, a custom fashion show, and the opportunity for two lucky brides to win amazing wedding packages. The Westman Wedding Expo has everything you will need to plan an extravagant wedding or a quiet destination wedding. Brides and their guests will have the opportunity to visit a wide variety of exhibitors for help in planning their special day.  This year's event includes a number of new exhibitors including Sightlines Photography, Hairistocracy, Brunette by Melodie, Karta House Cards & Stationary and more. The event runs from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.  The Facebook event page can be found here.