A wedding dress sale, Opportunity Bridal, which travels to cities throughout Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatoon and Alberta is going to be setting up a one day pop-up store in Brandon. The sale is slated to take place at the Keystone Centre on Sunday, May the 7th. Hundreds of wedding dresses, from some of the best international designers, will be on sale with prices ranging from $199-$899. Dresses (600+) are stocked in a wide array of sizes (from 2-28) and will be available on a first come, first served basis. Organizers tell bdnmb.ca “Brides often arrive early and line ups for when the doors open at 9am is normal.” All dresses are new, and unworn. with designer styles up to 90% off the original MSRP. In addition to a wide selection of wedding dresses, Opportunity Bridal also has a selection of veils, tiaras and other unique accessories to complete your wedding look. For your shopping convenience change rooms will be provided and Interac, cash and major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex) will be accepted. Admission is free. Facebook Event (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});      

On June 3rd, 2017, the Canadian Cancer Society will hold it's annual Westman Relay for Life Fundraiser event at the Keystone Center grounds from 2-11pm. Come on out and show you support for friends and family who have been affected by cancer. There will be LOTS of local businesses and entertainment involved with the event, providing family fun for everyone! Music, children's games, and local vendors galore! The Relay for Life is the flagship fundraiser for the CCS, and needs your help supporting vital, groundbreaking cancer treatment research, support and care programs, and many other assistance efforts. Walk, jog, or run, and show your support! Please register your team at www.relayforlife.ca, or contact Deanna Danielson at the CCS office at 204 571 2800, and start fund-raising with your team today.  

Valentine's Day is around the corner. Like it or love it, it's a warm and fuzzy holiday that dominates an otherwise cold and frosty February in Manitoba Regardless of your marital or financial status you can find ways to enjoy the holiday with those around you. Here's a couple ideas to get your creativity flowing, for whichever category you see yourself in For kids: Heart shaped pizza from your favourite pizza place or grocery store. At home, use a heart shaped cookie cutter to theme everything from eggs and pancakes at breakfast to sandwiches in their packed lunch. For your co-workers: Bring cupcakes to the office, or put a bowl of cinnamon hearts on your desk. For singles and friends: Pick up a great bottle of wine and some chocolates for a rom-com movie night at home. For your girlfriend: You've got dinner reservations booked already, right? Seriously, you're already late calling your favourite restaurant if you think you're getting in on the 14th. So, stop reading & call now!Flowers, of course! For extra mileage send the flowers to her workplace, you'll have her co-workers fawning over her and make her feel extra special. For your boyfriend: Your turn to treat to a movie night out. Or there's always lingerie. He'd probably like lingerie. For your wife: A weekend away. Somewhere with no dishes or laundry or responsibilities. It's even better if there's a spa or breakfast in bed included. And roses, of course. She's your classic beauty. For your husband: His favourite dinner and cocktail, with dessert in front the Jets' game on TV or by the radio to listen to the Wheat Kings while these teams are on the road. Just treating yourself? Do what you love! Eat what you love! Be joyful! Hate the day? Well, grin and do your own thing. It's just a blip in time. One Tuesday in February         .    

Recently engaged? Grand Valley Park is a beautiful outdoor wedding venue with dates still available for 2017 & 2018. The park is an excellent location for both ceremonies and receptions, is located only minutes from Brandon, just off the Trans-Canada Highway. This outdoor chapel, nestled in the midst of 50 acres of beautiful oak forest, will provide a breathtaking experience for you and your guests. Owners, Katherine Jeroski and Jordan Ross, took over the lease on the park last spring, and have focused in on using the park as a wedding rental venue for both ceremonies and receptions. Jordan tells bdnmb.ca “ We have received a great response as the park is a beautiful setting with nice amenities, and an easily accessible location only minutes from Brandon. We can accommodate small to large ceremonies, and receptions, at affordable rates.  Prices are based on guest numbers and needs, so people are encouraged to contact them for quotes, at the contact information below. They will also have a booth at the up-coming Westman Wedding Expo on February 5th.     In addition to having an on-site wedding chapel, Grand Valley Provincial Park has a nicely treed campground set in the beautiful Assiniboine River Valley. Their campground has 22 electrical sites and 20 un-serviced sites. The campground has washroom facilities with showers, and water is available at different spots throughout the park. There is also a large cook shack that can be rented for group functions. The cook shack seats up to 80 people and is equipped with a fire place, stove, fridges, freezer and a BBQ.  Depending on the weather, they usually like to get the campground facilities open by May long weekend. Grand Valley Park also has a long First Nation History, and some information signs, explaining some of the history, can be found on the self guided interpretive trail with a look out tower. The park covers nearly 50 acres of beautiful oak forest, which has many summer and winter recreation opportunities. “We are open to discuss all types of usage of the park facilities this summer, including camps, retreats, reunions or any other group functions. Please email or call for more information!” Their plans for the near future are to continue to clean up the property, and invest in some of the facilities that exist already. They hope to work with the Parks Department to develop some plans for existing and possibly new trails throughout the park. Katherine Jeroski & Jordan Ross Grand Valley Provincial Park 204 573-3798 grandvalleyprovincialpark@gmail.com www.facebook.com/grandvalleypark     Owners, Katherine Jeroski and Jordan Ross      

When do you think I took these pictures? If you said "not today Caley" you'd be correct. I'll tell you what did happen today. Ok yesterday or the day before. I finally got stuck.  In the snow. In my car. And it was -50 with the  windchill. Where? At the cemetery. Unbelievable. You'd be surprised how well you can dig with an ice scraper. I don't know what was worse actually. The people watching me from the street (who go straight to work like normal humans thereby avoiding getting stuck in the cemetery) or my frozen hands. It hurt. So. BAD. Who drives through the cemetery on a Wednesday morning, in semi-blizzard conditions when there's a severe cold warning issued? Me. The girl who wanted to see the big orange sun, glowing through the ice fog and evergreens. Which happen to be conveniently located in the cemetery. Great big beautiful evergreens. On the way to work. I will no longer secretly mock other drivers, shake my head in smug "bad driver disapproval", or drive through a cemetery in winter on the coldest day of the year on my way to work. Until I have a 4x4. Here's a few summer pictures to enjoy, and a few winter ones to bring back a touch of reality. Even though it's cold, the sights to see are just as beautiful as the summer. Ok not quite.