Visitors to western Manitoba have come to recognize our region as one with many great attractions to visit. But organizers of the upcoming Valley Paradise Weekend Retreat (January 27-29) want people to know that we aren’t just home to great scenery, we’re also reach in hand on activities for an enriched visitor experience. Marlies Soltys, the curator of the Inspire Studio of Fine Art had the idea for a women’s weekend retreat here in Minnedosa which combines art, cuisine, yoga and an invigorating three days that focuses on women’s health and wellness. Partnering with Allison Burgess of the Corner Stone Grill, Heidi Rae Yogini Lifestyle and Kim Burgess from Valley Art Therapy, the quartet has assembled a weekend with plenty of activities to explore your creative side and treat your taste buds. The program is an example of an emerging trend in rural tourism, focusing on the visitor experience instead of the passive approach of simply marketing a destination. Increasingly, travelers are looking for an authentic experience that allows them to try their hand at a local custom and discover talents that they didn’t know they had. This new approach to visitation not only invites new people to the region, but also sends them home with a souvenir that they have created themselves. Eastman Tourism offers a slate of four programs of a similar nature. One, called “Jammin’ in the Heartland” invites guests for a weekend to pick berries in Grunthal in the morning and then turn your yield into jam in the afternoon that you can take home or enjoy on site. Other sessions include snowmobiling adventures, a paddling safari and a forest excursion through Bird’s Hill Park. Given our geography in Minnedosa, Soltys feels that there is a lot of potential to develop a similar package of activities for those that are interested to fully experience what the valley has to offer. For the Valley Paradise Retreat, the weekend begins on Friday evening with a wine and cheese reception at the Inspire Studio which will include a music appreciation “sound circle”. Saturday begins with a morning yoga session with Heidi Rae followed by a group art therapy session led by Kim Burgess. The afternoon includes an art class sponsored by Inspire Studio and the evening begins in the kitchen as Corner Stone Grill chef Allison Burgess leads the group in the creation of artisanal pizzas for supper. Sunday morning will include more activities hosted at the Inspire Studio with breakfast wraps and mimosas for all patrons. There will also be some open time throughout the weekend for patrons looking to engage in some retail therapy in downtown Minnedosa. “What we really want is for ladies to allow themselves the gift of time,” says Soltys. “Come for the weekend, and just let yourself be creative and explore new talents.” For more information or to register, interested attendees can contact Marlies at 204-210-1993 or by e-mail at inspirestudiooffineart@gmail.com   (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Image: Kempton/Flickr   Most of us lead very busy lives so anything that appears to make our lives easier, or saves time, we may as well try it. Today there are many app's geared towards making life easier for everyone. Some local examples of app’s that can make your day to day lives a bit more simple: Domino’s Pizza App Atom Movie App Starbucks App Subway App Booster Juice App Recently I have seen the ads for Superstore advertising for getting groceries. etc online. Off the start, I have been loyal to Safeway for decades, but if this idea of using a shopping app can save an hour a week by eliminating having to get a cart, searching for what you want, and all the stop n chats then why not at least explore the idea. The process is actually very simple and painless. You click on this link, and start to browse the items on your shopping list. Initially, I made some rookie mistakes, but once you have an idea of what you want you can basically search for anything from chewing gum to cupcakes. You fill up your online shopping cart, pay for your purchase, and then select a time when you want to come pick everything up. LOVE IT, so far. A huge bonus is that they keep a record of what you shopped for so you can always just re order what you have had in the past. When you arrive at Superstore you pull into the area for pick ups, call the number, and someone inside brings your order to your vehicle and you leave …. Simple. Local real estate agent Scott Rouire is married, with 3 kids, and loves what Superstore is doing.  "Having three kids I would never go back to the old way of shopping……once you save a profile and do one shop online, it saves what you ordered, and once you have done it a few times it becomes much easier". (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Like hockey? Then you already know that the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL are having a once-in-a-lifetime season. They are poised to break the all time NHL wins streak. And if you're a hockey fan, you already know that former Brandon Wheat King captain and hometown hero, Matt Calvert plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Wouldn't it be amazing to see Matt play and cheer on the Blue Jackets? Did you know that you can pick up a flight from Winnipeg, or Minot and six hours later be in Columbus? And prices are currently around $400 per round trip, depending on dates. The Columbus Blue Jackets play at the Nationwide Arena. The arena is 8 miles from the airport, so a taxi or Uber is pretty inexpensive ($20).The international airport code is CMH for the John Glen International Airport.   Lots of hotels right by the arena including a Marriott, Hyatt and a Hilton. Tickets? I'm a fan of Stubhub.com. Using the January 19th game as an example, (It's against Mark Stone and the Ottawa Senators) you can pick up tickets for as low as $20 each, upper deck, or $44 each for lower bowl. That's a pretty amazing price for any NHL game.     As a second example, you could take your valentine to Columbus and see two home games. Flights and hotel, tax included (expedia.ca) for $700 per person, plus tickets. The Blue Jackets play the Rangers on the 13th of February, and the Leafs (Auston Matthews) on the 15th.   So, to recap, once-in-a-lifetime season, Matt Calvert, Columbus, about $800 per person. You should go. ps. If you'd like to reduce the cost even further, and have some Air Miles to burn, click over to SheTalksTravel.com to learn more

The cold took care of the crowds, so all the kids had to worry about was staying warm and having fun. Bottineau Winter Park is just 150 kms south of Brandon, and only about 7 miles over the US/Canadian Border. My kids jumped at the chance to try a new destination even though they are regular customers and big fans of both Minnedosa and Assessippi ski areas. We were lured to Bottineau by their school break deal for Canadians. They are offering ski and snowboard passes and rentals, from January 2nd to 6th, for Canadian cash (no debit cards/credit cards.) In total, we paid $100 Canadian for 1 adult, 1 youth and 1 child's pass, plus one set of rentals. (Food and drinks are not available for Canadian at par) for the full day. The facilities themselves are fantastic. Lots of parking, a modern lodge, great equipment and well groomed runs. In addition to skiing and snowboarding they also offer tubing. Tube rentals are hourly. There is a magic carpet type lift that will pull you back up to the lodge area and it also serves the bunny hill. There are typical chair lifts and tow bars in the other areas. Plus, there is a designated terrain area for snowboarders. It has two rails, beginner to advanced jumps and was lots of fun. The ski hill itself is suitable for beginners, children and nervous skiers. In other words, perfect for prairie people. Kids raised in the Alberta mountains would not be challenged or satisfied with the short runs and limited elevation. My teen son, Riley, particularly liked the tree lined run that was in between the two main runs by the chair lift. The grader doesn't go down that stretch which left him with great powder and loose snow to blow through on a snowboard. He reports that the runs to the right of the chairlift are more advanced and offer a steeper decline and more of a challenge. The staff were really good and were especially helpful to our youngest son. Staff were interested and engaged, offering tips and asking about him and the equipment throughout the day. Riley was disappointed that his GoPro failed in the frigid temperatures. Otherwise we'd have video to share. Overall, he gives Bottineau Winter Park 4.5 out of 5 stars and would definitely recommend it and go back at that price. You can visit their website for more photos and details. http://skibwp.com          

List of some of the Top Local Stories that we at bdnmb.ca would like to cover in 2017. In no particular order. WestJet Re-Introduces Flights East to Toronto Casino Announced for Downtown Brandon: The Town Centre Micro Brewery Tapped to Occupy Vacant McKenzie Seeds Building Nolan Patrick Selected 1st Overall in NHL Entry Draft You Gotta Eat Here Coming to Joe Beeverz Low Income Residents Find Safe Affordable Housing Food Trucks Re-Energize Local Food Scene ACC/BU Students Graduate in Record Numbers Brandon Drivers Look-up “Merge” in the Dictionary Construction Begins on the Swiss Chalet, Harvey's, East Side Mario's & Fionn MaCool's Restaurants