Santa will be making his annual visit to the Wheat City during the Brandon Santa Parade which is scheduled to take place on Saturday, November the 18th starting at 6:00 pm.  A variety of floats will be on-hand along the parade route which covers several blocks around Rosser and Princess Avenues   As one of the most exciting community events in Brandon each year the parade would not be possible without the assistance from numerous local businesses, charities, schools and sponsors along with volunteers from the community.  Parade spectators are encouraged to being a non perishable food item in support of Canada Post and their food drive.   Tim Hortons will be providing free hot chocolate and coffee during the parade. They will be set up in the front parking lot of the Town Centre ! Parade Route   (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Toys "R" Us News Release (TORONTO) October 26, 2017 -Attention moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas and holiday gift-givers! Today Toys“R”Us® Canada unveiled its 2017 “Holiplay” Hot Toy List - the most anticipated toy list of the year. As the authority on all things toy and baby, the Toys“R”Us team has travelled the world to uncover hot trends and toy phenomena so they can provide parents and gift-givers with the inside scoop on kids’ most-wanted playthings. The list features the hottest toys kids can’t wait to get their hands on, including exclusives such as furReal Roarin Ivory, the playful tiger and the new Hatchimals Surprise Puppadee. Each toy on the list corresponds to Toys“R”Us Canada’s Top Toy Trends: pet tech, DIY play, S.T.E.M and more. “As Canada’s toy authority, we’re on a mission to help kids of all ages Play More. Our teams are working diligently behind the scenes to ensure we deliver on our commitment to be Champions of Play. We are dedicated to bringing an incredible play experience to every kid, parent and gift-giver this holiday season,” said Clint Gaudry, Vice President, Marketing and Store Planning, Toys“R”Us Canada. “Our stores from coast to coast are filled with this year’s most sought-after toys – many that simply cannot be found anywhere else. We look forward to many events throughout the season to help Canadians deliver holiday happiness however they choose to shop. If you want to be a hero this holiday, there’s no reason to shop anywhere else.” Toys“R”Us, Canada’s Hot Toy List Each toy on the “Holiplay” Hot Toy List has been carefully selected by the toy experts at Toys“R”Us Canada and given the kid stamp of approval by Chief Play Officer, Émile Burbidge. The 2017 Toys“R”Us Canada Hot Toy List includes: Paw Patrol Sea Patroller Transforming Vehicle from Spin Master™ Imaginarium Express Power Rails Gold Mountain Train Set from Toys“R”Us (Toys“R”Us Exclusive) LEGO BOOST Creative Toolbox from LEGO™ Hatchimals Surprise Puppadee from Spin Master™ (Toys“R”Us Exclusive) L.O.L. Surprise! Big Surprise from MGA™ Fingerlings™ Baby Unicorn Gigi from WowWee (Toys“R”Us Exclusive) Nintendo Switch & Nintendo Switch - Super Mario Odyssey Nerf Modulus Regulator Baby So Sweet by You & Me - 16" Nursery Doll (Toys“R”Us Exclusive) furReal Roarin Ivory (Toys“R”Us Exclusive) & furReal Roarin Tyler from HASBRO™ Star Wars The Last Jedi Choose Your Path Bladebuilders Path of the Force Lightsaber from HASBRO™ Barbie Pink Passport Cruise Ship (Toys“R”Us Exclusive) “I love the toys on this year’s list; each toy is super fun to play with and there is something for everyone, no matter how kids play,” said Émile Burbidge, Toys“R”Us Canada’s Chief Play Officer.

A recent posting on Expedia.ca has Brandon's downtown ranked 5th among Canada's Coolest Downtowns. The article lists “cute coffee shops and boutiques” and the Global Market among the reasons why Brandon made the list. The Komfort Kitchen was identified as the “taste of the town” and the Dock on Princess was included as the place to be seen on a Friday night.   For the purposes of this article they searched high and low for innovative art scenes, top walk scores, and the the little je ne sais quoi that makes a city's downtown unforgettable. Other cities to make the list include Moose Jaw, Winnipeg, Toronto, and Vancouver.  

A Brandon, Manitoba author is excited to announce the release of “My Active Imagination”, a children’s picture book that aims to bring the values of an active lifestyle to family story time.    As a mother, operator of a popular online fitness group and former fitness instructor, Brandon’s Karlyn Rubeniuk saw an opportunity to further put her passions and experience to work.  Knowing the struggles parents face in getting their children to step away from “screentime” to go outside and play, turning a poem that she wrote primarily for her son into an engaging picture book seemed the natural way to support the kinds of conversations she feels parents and children can be having in the name of laying the foundation for an active life.    "I hope My Active Imagination will not only introduce young children to the concept of exercise but also  speak to the parent about all the reasons they should be making time to be physically active too., “ says Rubeniuk.    The book comes with a very relevant endorsement from someone that knows much about the topic of an active lifestyle in California-based Fitness Entrepreneur, Jillian Michaels.  Karlyn took the opportunity to share the book with Michaels on recent visit to Los Angeles and was thrilled when Michaels offered that the story “is the perfect tool for parents and teachers who want to introduce the concept of fitness to young children in an entertaining and whimsical way”.    “I was very honoured to be able to give Ms. Michaels a pre-print copy of this book since I was inspired by her to ‘step outside my comfort zone’ and self-publish it. An endorsement from someone whom I admire and who inspires millions of people around the world to get fit and live their best lives makes the project even more special to me,” said Rubeniuk.    The story has been released in support of KidSport, an organization which shares the same values of striving to create opportunity for youth to be active.  A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the books will be directed to the charity as part of its efforts to remove financial barriers that prevent kids from playing organized sports.    My Active Imagination is now available for purchase via Amazon.com as well as at the Eye Opener Book Store at 314 10th Street in Brandon. As part of its introduction within the community, a book signing will take place on October 28th at the Eye Opener Book Store in Brandon from 10am to 1pm.    The book is also available for any fundraising endeavours that promote physical activity such as those fundraising for playground equipment, organized sports fees/equipment, school gym equipment, sporting uniforms, etc. The first to come on board is Linden Lanes School in an effort help raise funds for their new playground project.

Being a property owner has its merits, however if you’re a hands-on owner, then you are also familiar with the challenges that come along with having investment property. There’s maintenance, odd requests from tenants (yes, we do mean ‘odd’), seasonal yard care, early morning/late night call and vacancies. In a perfect world, one tenant would move out and another would move in as soon as the property has been cleaned and inspected. Of course, that is not always the case. There are times when you may have a waiting list of approved tenants and then there are times when the phone doesn’t ring, especially when you’re eager to fill a vacancy. If you’re faced with this problem on an ongoing basis, consider these simple tips to ensure you fill all your vacancies immediately and continue to reap all the benefits of being a property owner. This may seem basic, but do you have the units priced competitively? Be realistic and consider the current marketplace and other units that are similar in age, size, amenities and location. People like stability and they like to get a bit of a deal when they can. Consider offering qualified tenants a discount or incentive for long-term occupancy, such as one year lease. Canadians love their animals. According to 2014 statistics from the Canadian Pet Market Outlook, almost 60 per cent of the Canadian population own pets. With that in mind, perhaps you should consider allowing pets within your property. You may have a good sized property at a good location, but if it’s not in great shape it can be a difficult sell. Consider making improvements such as updating the paint colour, changing the flooring or appliances, or even adding additional appliances (laundry or dishwasher) to make the unit more appealing to potential tenants. If a potential tenant has a limited rent history or bad credit history, perhaps you need to take a little extra risk with them if they can provide a qualified co-signer. They might prove to be your best tenants ever! Value the opinion of others. If you’ve shown the property several times, but weren’t successful in renting it - perhaps it is time to re-evaluate the situation. Call the prospects that did come to view your property to get their feedback on why they choose not to live there. If the feedback is consistent, be proactive and make the changes that people are looking for. Choose your advertising message carefully. If you’re targeting an ideal tenant for a particular location, then create your advertising messages based on that targeted audience. For instance, if you’re trying to attract students, mention the proximity to the local post-secondary institutions and other amenities that students might be attracted to i.e. nightlife! 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 2,500 units under management in Manitoba.