Air Canada has rocketed into the social scene today by launching their own crowdfunding vacation site "Embarq." You can find it at www.embarq.aircanada.com/ In a nutshell, whether you are a stressed out mom in need of a spa vacation, or you are a recent graduate looking for family to sponsor your gap year adventure, you can use their crowd funding site to have others pay for your vacation. Crowdfunding got its start and has primarily been used as a charitable fundraising option. However, there aren't restrictions placed on its uses. A small percentage is paid to the website as an administrative charge, but people have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars this way for individual causes. This begs the question.... is a vacation a luxury item or should you expect others to help you pay for it? Is crowdfunding a good idea for personal travel? Love to hear your thoughts on this topic. It's a hot one!

You know I get this question at least 15 times a year….. It happened to me twice in Toronto on Saturday.  So this article is not going to be all dazzling and glowing by any means but this is my personal thoughts. Now I have made Brandon home for the last 26 years and you know overall this place isn’t that bad.  The two biggest complaints I hear from my friends is: # 1 – property taxes are insane compared to other cities # 2 – lack of good clothing stores So let’s look at some of the positives. Crime & safety factor – maybe I have been lucky but only had my truck broken into once in 26 years and that was my fault for not locking the doors.  But when people talk about crime etc. you really have to think the Brandon Police Service does a good job. Education – for a city of this size to have BU and ACC and all the other secondary education opportunities that exist we have nothing to complain about. Quality of Life – Golf Courses – Curling Rinks – Baseball diamonds – Hockey Rinks – Walking trails and paths – Indoor pools – gyms once again you have to give the city a passing grade. Nightlife – Trends have shifted for sure over the past 5 years and it appears that people just don’t go out.  The other day a girl said people meet other people now online and back in the day the only place you could really meet someone was in a nightclub.  We have Houstons and various other pubs and lounges and really if you need to see a major concert you have to go to Winnipeg or Minneapolis.  Unless you are into ZZ Top then you don’t need to go to Winnipeg for shows. Arts & Culture – I perhaps the worst person to ask about this topic but from what I see on Facebook and Twitter it appears that we have a pretty active community. Dining Out – This has greatly improved over the years and places like East Side Mario’s etc coming to Brandon just adds to your options for lunch and suppers.  We have just about every franchise possible with the exception of a Red Lobster or Olive Garden. Cost of Living – House prices are perhaps considered high when you look at Winnipeg prices and all the time I hear our rental prices are crazy.  But it is all supply and demand and if someone can rent a condo for 2000 dollars a month and get it then so be it. Jobs and Opportunity – Good question because you hear people complain about no jobs and then you hear employers say they are so short staffed.  Tons of jobs for people with no training or education but then you are going to make 12 bucks an hour.  For the educated people expecting to make say 100k a year then those jobs are not as abundant. External Image – Wheat City image is perhaps outdated and needs a refresh.  Of course Agriculture is a major factor to overall economics of the city but those signs on the Trans Canada really tell you nothing about Brandon.  Not even sure what the sign is about.  But for sure the city does suffer from an identity crisis. Medical Services – Of course we are somewhat limited as to the doctors and specialists that say Winnipeg has but for all your basic medical requirements Brandon has you covered. Air Service – Huge leap forward and now with flights to Toronto this really does help people considering moving or doing business here that Westjet offers regular daily flights. Easy to be the armchair quarterback and bitch and complain about what the city does offer but for having roughly 50,000 people you have to set your expectations to a reasonable limit.  You won’t find a Gucci store or some huge outlet centre where you can buy a pair of Nikes for 30 bucks.  However we can cross the city normally in 10 minutes from point a to point b and not worry too much about crime and most people would agree a pretty good place to raise your kids.   Darryl Wolski  

It's that time of year again! Summer has arrived and what better way to enjoy the sunshine and warm weather than a backyard gathering with friends and family? Whether you are having a casual barbecue or a posh party, there is always a lot of work to do before your guests arrive; the following 10 tips will help you prepare (to have fun!). Clean up the Yard Appearance is everything! Mow the lawn in advance to give it a nice clean look. Turn and aerate the soil and check that there are no visible weeds. If you have a pool or pond don't forget to clean them a few days ahead.  Front Yard and Entry Always remember that the first thing your friends and family see when they arrive is the front yard and entry way. To make sure that all of your guests have a good first impression, use a spare closet or room to hold shoes and coats to keep the entry from becoming disorganized. Seating Areas Have ample seating for your guests by making use of any patio furniture you have, whether it's a swing, bench, camping chairs or patio couch. If you don't have enough, you might want to look into renting chairs through your local party supply store. Also, don't forget that you can bring the party indoors as to increase seating space, accommodate guests who may prefer to stay cool, or set up a kids table. Select the Food When planning your menu, take your guests' food into account; are any of your guests' vegetarian, gluten free, lactose intolerant or diabetic? An excellent host will ensure that every guest has options available, whether it's the appetizer or main course.  Prep in Advance  Depending on the dishes you are planning to serve, you may be able to do most of the prep work in advance (think: salads, veggies and food that requires marinating, etc.). On the day of the party you want to have everything ready to go at least one hour before your guests arrive to ensure you can focus on hosting, not cooking!  Lighting & Heat  Keep your guests comfortable long after the sun goes down with help from lighting and heat. Clear light strands or bamboo torches set up around your patio will improve the ambience and increase visibility as the party winds down. If you have portable heaters, it's a good idea to bring them out in advance, just in case you need them. Based on how your heaters are operated, you'll also want to make sure that you have gas, propane or an extension cord. If you have a fire pit, ensure you have enough wood chopped and ready - and s'mores (lots of s'mores!).  Barbecue Prepping the barbecue for action should be a top priority. Double check to make sure you have enough propane, gas or charcoal to last the entire party, scrape and clean the grill before your guests arrive and place any required grilling tools such as a spatula, tongs or marinating brush by the barbecue.  Chilling the Beverages Knowing that you will have a full fridge of food, decide in advance where you will keep your guests' drinks cool, or where you'll keep pop and juices for kids. You can use coolers filled with ice or try out a Pinterest-inspired DIY project! Yard Games Games that you can set up and play in the yard will add fun and excitement to your party or simply work to keep the kids entertained. Have the games set up and ready for guests to use, whether its croquet, badminton or a bean bag toss. You can even create some friendly competition with a round robin tournament complete with prizes and party favours! Last but not least, don't forget to relax and have fun with your friends and family.

What happens if your only day off is a Tuesday? No car or no interest in driving to Clear Lake for the day? Well, what ARE you going to do in Brandon that feels like a vacation? May I suggest day drinking!  Finish your chores or that morning round of golf and head straight for your favourite patio. Like Jimmy Buffet used to sing, "it's 5 o'clock somewhere!" Use that as your excuse if you need one. Choose to hide away at the fenced patio at The Dock and you might soon forget you're drinking downtown across from the Court House or around the corner from the old bus depot. But in all seriousness, The Dock is a great choice for two reasons. 1) They always have  a bartender on duty.  2) You can get a peach margarita for about $6. They don't stock Patron tequila, but after your 2nd or 3rd Sauza Gold peach margarita, Brandon starts to feel like a tropical paradise and who really cares about brand names anyway.  If you're meeting the girls for a 'be seen on the scene' lunch date, you have to visit the patio at Prairie Firehouse on Princess! Their newly opened patio is gorgeous! It's also comfortable and offers high visibility. So whether you're watching for gym members lapping the block from nearby Crossfit Rocked, or you're hoping to see someone you know get a parking ticket on Princess Ave, this is the place to hang out.  One of the things I like best about the Prairie Firehouse is that they have a summer sipping drink menu. From sangrias to customized mojitos, you'll find something cool and trendy. My favourite on this list has to be the blackberry mojito, but I think this requires additional research just to be sure.  My third suggestion for day drinking in Brandon is good ol' BP. Boston Pizza on Richmond has an out of the way, cozy, fenced, discreet patio. Perfect for having a drink with your old high school buddies or your side chick. Maybe split a jug of draft or spice things up here with a caesar. But of course the franchise has many signature drinks on the menu and a daytime bartender on staff, so you really can't go wrong. Well, unless of course you wife sees your truck in the parking lot and you were supposed to be at work. But that's just a whole separate category of wrong.  To summarize... day drinking: It's a perfect way to forget that our city doesn't have a Red Lobster and probably isn't getting a Costco either.   (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});  

Planning a day trip, a scavenger hunt or road rally? Why not add "Selfie with Sara" to your list.  Who's Sara? Well, I'm talking about Sara the statue, the camel statue of Glenboro, Manitoba. She's their giant mascot, their roadside landmark and their signature art piece. You'll find her less than 45 minutes south east of Brandon on Highway 2. Roadside attractions are a town's key to getting on the map, it seems. They are everywhere!  Giant statutes or mascots began to pop up on American highways in the late 1930s. Typically built or placed by hotels and restaurants they existed to get a driver's attention with the expectation that they would stop and spend their money.  Over the years, statues got bigger and more eclectic. Anything to be the biggest or most talked about. By the 1960s they were such a common sight on the American landscape, they were as much a symbol of family road trips as the station wagon. Canada wasn't to be left out and signature art pieces were commissioned by forward thinking towns and municipalities.  In Gimli, Manitoba the Viking statue was a product of Centennial celebrations in 1967. Designed by Gissur Eliasson, and constructed at a cost of $15,000 it was meant to recognize and honour the Icelandic heritage and settlers of the region. It was constructed by George Barone (Barone Sculptures Inc) who also notably built the white horse at Headingly and Tommy the Turtle (1974) in Boissevain. I can't imagine all the thousands or even hundreds of thousands of photos taken with these statues every year. I know I have both Viking and Tommy the Turtle photos in my childhood album.  If you'd like to learn more or plan your own Manitoba statue road trip, start your planning at Roadsideattractions.ca