The four Brandon spray parks will start their 7-day operation on Friday, June 29th.  Additionally, there will be special weekend hours of operation at the spray parks in June (June 16th & 17th and June 23rd & 24th from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.).   The city's lone paddle pool will be open Monday, July 2nd. The Kiwanis YMCA Keystone Pool located at 13th Street and Southern Avenue, and the Kinsmen Centennial Pool located at 411 Park Street, will be open on June 18th with limited weekday hours for the month of June. The hours of operation and admission fees are listed on the document listed below.

If you play online casino games, it’s obvious that you’d want to be at your peak performance level at all times. Winning at these games, that too consistently, requires plenty of concentration, patience and focus.   With the future of Canada’s online gambling industry looking very bright, you should be doing everything possible within your means to bank on its expected success. There are several different factors that might affect your performance while playing online casino games. Let’s acquaint you with the most important of them. Time of the day Not given its due importance by a lot of online casino gamers, the time of the day when you play these games can have a significant impact on your wins, and losses. Not only because you might be tired if you play at odd hours, doing so can also have a negative impact on your ability to make sound decisions. In fact, there’s a peak time for everything.   Even science has proven that an individual can have different frames of mind at different times of the day/night. For instance, some people are more focused and aware during the sunlight hours, while some feel more active in the evenings.   In general, most people have a tendency to switch off and get into relaxation mode post sunset, as evenings are usually reserved for unwinding. They have a laid-back attitude at these hours and might not be able to give their best at tasks involving mental skills.   So, if you’re keen on playing millionaire maker online casino games like Mega Moolah, you must do it only during the hours when you’re most active and aware. Comfort level How comfortable you are feeling during the gameplay would also have a major impact on your performance at online casinos. Although it’s something obvious that everyone might be expected to consider, you’d be surprised how many people can be seen playing casino games in the most uncomfortable environments!   It’s important to be seated at a comfortable place, in a comfortable air-conditioned environment, having eaten properly, wear comfortable clothes and to overall ensure that you're at ease while gambling on the internet.   If you’re constantly worried about where your next meal will come from, or have people pushing you while you’re commuting in public transport, you won’t be able to pay proper attention to the game at hand.   Betting limit Many times people like to bet big and wager large sums of money on a single round. Staying within reasonable betting limits is something very important and is often overlooked while playing online casino games. If you’re constantly stressed about the money at stake, just because you’ve gone overboard, it can be a huge distraction and might lead to sub-par play.   Please keep in mind, online casino games are meant to be fun and it’s only when you enjoy these games that you’d be able to give your best. Hence always stick to the betting limit you’ve set for yourself and never put your bankroll at risk.

Westman ROCKS! is an online Facebook group about creativity, community and brightening someone's day.  A simple but unusual hobby is spreading across the Westman region. Residents are picking up and passing along colorful stones to share random acts of kindness.  The trend started in America and has spread to many different countries, including Canada. The concept is quite simple: You first need to gather a few supplies (flat, paintable rocks, acrylic paint, sealer, paint brushes) to decorate your rock.  You can get as creative as you like when decorating your rock.  Write instructions on the bottom of the rock that tell the finder which Facebook group (Westman ROCKS!) to post a photo to once it's found. Then, hide the rock in a place of your choice.  Popular hiding spots include playgrounds, garden centres, beaches, gravel pits, & parking lots.  Some people may elect to post clues on social media about where rocks are hidden. If you find an art rock, take a picture, share it with Wesman ROCKS! on their Facebook page.  You then have the option to either keep it or re-hide the rock. For more information, or to join in the fun, please checkout their Facebook page.

Affordable housing is a hot topic and it seems to be in the news all time. You often hear or read about politicians congratulating themselves on recently developed affordable housing projects, but is the model that currently exists the most efficient or effective way to handle affordable housing projects? Affordable Housing is defined as modest housing (based on floor area and amenities) that is priced at or below average market rental rates compared to other housing in the same community. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation works with each province to set affordable housing rates based on total household income. The overall goal is to improve access to affordable, sound and suitable housing no matter where you live in Canada. In Manitoba, the Affordable Housing Rental Program is for lower-moderate income households that are below the income limit ($56,694 for households without children). In Brandon, that means affordable housing rental rates are set at (not including hydro): $640 1 Bedroom $850  2 Bedroom $954  3 Bedroom For the most part, affordable housing units are built by non-profit organizations and encompass an entire building. The question that many developers and investors are left wondering is: could funding be made available for profit companies to allow a portion of their units to be designated as affordable housing units instead of centralizing all the units within one community/building? From an investment point-of-view, government partnerships would be needed in order to successfully make the project work. When you take into consideration new building codes landlords would have to charge $1,250 per month plus hydro for a two-bedroom unit. This means that the monthly subsidy (or property tax incentive) would be approximately $400 per month or a contribution up front in terms of cash or land or servicing (in lieu of cash). From a social perspective, those that don’t earn enough to live without government subsidies on rent may appreciate not being stigmatized by living in the projects or in ‘Manitoba Housing’. Living in a community surrounded by people of various income levels might help to boost their confidence and drive people to do better for themselves. The subsidy may be viewed as a hand up, rather than a handout. While there are pros and cons to both approaches, it may be worth exploring a new model to better meet the demands of affordable housing. 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 3,500 units under management in Manitoba. For more information please visit www.vhproperties.ca.

The inaugural Red Dress Gala event will be held at the Clarion Hotel & Suites inside the Regency Ballroom on Saturday June 9th, 2018.  The evening will feature a five course dinner, fashion show, auction, 50/50 and entertainment.   Formal attire (red dress or red tie) is required and net proceeds will be donated to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.  Music by Expressions Entertainment. Tickets are available at the Heart and Stroke Foundation Brandon office (2430 Victoria Avenue, Unit 3, R7B 0M5) as well as at the Clarion Hotel for $100.00 each (rushed seating) or $800.00 for a table of 8 (VIP reserved table).