You would be hard-pressed to find someone that would argue the fact that it’s important to invest in young people and in our community. And that’s exactly why the YMCA Strong Kids program is so well received in Brandon. Not only does it support youth, it supports their families and the entire community. The YMCA Strong Kids program equals opportunity. It’s an opportunity for children, young adults, and families to be active, to be healthier. YMCA Board Member and Strong Kids Campaign Co-chair Jillian DeCosse said that although the campaign is national and runs at YMCAs across the country, the funds that are raised stay right here in our community and directly benefit Westman residents. “Last year, 600 families were impacted by the Strong Kids program. This is people who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to access some of the programs that are offered at the YMCA,” said DeCosse. The campaign provides funding for full YMCA memberships, summer day camps, child care, youth programs, swimming lessons, gymnastics and all other recreational options available at the YMCA when financial pressures make it difficult for families to be involved on their own. A small donation can go a long way, in fact, just $10 a month allows a child the opportunity to attend the popular YMCA day camps that kids just love to be a part of. “I’m a strong supporter of the YMCA and the Strong Kids program because I know that there is a good portion of children in our community who might not get the chance to participate in these type activities which help them to grow up to be productive members of our society,” said DeCosse. There are many ways to support the YMCA Strong Kids program - donate online (http://www.ymcabrandon.ca/strong-kids/) or visit the Member Services desk. You can also participate in the upcoming YMCA Spring Run on May 27 which supports the Strong Kids campaign.

f we build it, will they come? Many cities across the country like Vancouver and Toronto are accustomed to smaller living spaces or micro-apartments, especially when it comes to student or senior living accommodations. Locally, we don’t have a lot of options that would fall into this same category, especially when trying to meet affordable housing rental rates. The question is if we did have scaled back living arrangements with shared facilities would this be a popular choice? According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) or Manitoba Housing if you want new housing that is affordable it will have to be subsided by the provincial, federal or municipal governments (or all three). The notion of building 1,000+ square foot, two-bedroom units as affordable housing is not sustainable unless it is subsidized by more than one level of government. The reality is that the cost to produce these units is over $180,000 per unit and therefore the costs would not allow for the rent to be in the affordable range. This was supported by the recent report released by the University of Winnipeg Community Renewal Corporation. Building micro-apartments would help to reduce land and construction costs, which in essence would bring the rent on a new unit down to the affordable level as defined by CMHC for Brandon. In addition, having micro apartments would help to free up larger, slightly more expensive units for families and those who need the extra space. This is where property developers must take into consideration marketability and sustainability of proposed micro-apartments. Interestingly, some of the highest demand apartments within the Vionell Holdings’ portfolio are one-bedroom apartments (just 613 square feet) at Arbutus Place located in a residential area in the south end of Brandon. They rent for $975-1000 per month plus hydro. As the market is explored, we wonder if renters would be interested in ground level, one-bedroom apartments with shared washroom facilities (perhaps shared with four other units) for only $800 per month. Many of us are used to living in a fair bit of space. However, we have to ask ourselves, does a post-secondary student or independent, active senior need a 1000 square foot apartment or would they be willing to sacrifice space in order to achieve lower housing costs? 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.

It was a beautiful day to send these Brandon Firefighter Paramedics up onto the roof of 2 Hall to kickoff the 6th Annual Brandon Firefighter Rooftop Campout, which is raising money for muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy, along with raising money for the firefighter/paramedic’s charity fund. If you’re in the area, stop by 2 Hall (located at 13th St and Queens Ave), drop some money in the boot, and give them a big wave on your way by! Photos by: Liam Pattison Photography

Photographer Caley Brown has captured the beauty of Brandon and area in winter, giving you more reasons to head outdoors and experience for yourself.  Follow her photography page if you would like to see more incredible photos, or if you would like to order prints.

It is early March and college/university students are starting to think about where they are going to live and work during the summer. Of course, much of this is based on whether or not they are going to keep their apartment. With major project deadlines approaching and the need to prepare for final exams, it is a busy and stressful time. Having to make the major decision of whether or not to give up your apartment is not one to be taken lightly. Many students will choose to return to their hometown as the school year wraps up. After all, it’s appealing to have the comforts of home (aka less Kraft Dinner) and live rent free for a few months with mom and dad. However, there is a flip side and it is often best to weigh all the pros and cons of moving back home versus staying in the city. Even though you might be looking forward to free Internet and your mother doing your laundry for you, it often comes down to dollars and cents (and what truly makes sense!). Let’s assume, for example, that a student is living in a $1,200 per month apartment with a roommate, therefore between the two of them they are paying about $600 plus $50 for electricity in terms of housing costs. If the students give up their apartment for April 30, they would save on rent for three months, so the savings would equal approximately $1,950 ($650 x 3 months). The cost of moving is usually minimal as parents will often bring the horse trailer, cube van or pickup truck to move the furniture that needs to go home. Let’s assume there’s a minor cost of $200 for gas for the trip here and back. We will also work on the assumption that there is room at the parents’ home for the furniture and that it can be stored for free. We will also assume the cost to move back is the same, about $200. In this scenario, the student would be ahead by $1,550 ($1,950 - $400 for moving expenses), plus the cost of food for the three months without rent. In August, when it is time to find a new apartment, many students often decide to ditch the roommate and take on a place of their own. The cost of living on your own increases and the new apartment may be $975 plus hydro for a total of $1,100. This may seem great, however, when they return to school in the one bedroom unit they would actually be spending $450 more a month during the entire next year of school. From August through to April, this ends up being $4,050. So, if they had decided to keep the apartment (and the roommate) for the three summer months, it ends up being cheaper in the long run. There’s also a lot less hassle. Even if you’re just moving a couch, your bed, a dresser and your personal belongings, it can still be stressful and inconvenient (there’s only so many times that your buddies will lend a hand). Also, by keeping the apartment you don’t have to worry about looking for a new place to live or settling in. Instead, when September hits, you’ll be organized, refreshed and ready to hit the books. I only wish someone had mentioned all of this to me when I first started my post-secondary education. After my first year of university, I did the same thing. I packed up all of my stuff at the end of April and moved back home. After that year, I realized there was little to be saved by doing this. Now, I also see the panic in our prospective tenants that do this when they come back to the city in August. They quickly discover that there are few options remaining as many of the spaces that were vacated by students in April and May had been filled over the summer. It’s more important to be focused on getting back into the groove of studying, rather than worrying about where you’re going to live and how to make up for added costs. 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.