The first hole-in-one of the season was recorded at the Wheat City Golf Course of April 21 by former Wheat King Jayce Hawryluk. He hit a 7 iron from 187 yards on Hole 13. Later that same day, Tavish Quin also recorded a hole-in-one at the Wheat City Golf Course on the 6th hole (153 yards) with a pitching wedge. The Brandon Senior AA Baseball League will be losing at least two teams, as recently a post on the Brandon Young Guns Twitter page indicated that both the Young Guns and the RF Cardinals would be joining the South West Baseball League. Winnipeg’s CWE wrestling will be making a return appearance in Rivers on Friday May 24, featuring TNA Legend “Cowboy James Storm. Additional CWE stars scheduled to appear include CWE Champion "Chizzled" Chad Daniels, "The Zombie Killer" MENTALLO, "Red Hot" Sammy Peppers and CWE Central Canadian Champion "The Crazy MoFo" CAM!!ikaze. Registration for Brandon Youth Floorball is now open for the following age groups: Group 1 Birth Years 2020-2018, Group 2 Birth Years 2017-2015, and Group 3 Birth Years 2014-2011. Games will played at the Flynn Arena & Curling Club  on Thursdays starting in July. Brandon’s Zostrianos Giordani-Gross (Shilo Country Club / Miles College) carded rounds of 73-74-74 to finish 2nd at the SIAC Conference Championship at Houston Oaks Golf Course in Paris, Kentucky.

Week 2 of the 2025 Source for Sports AAA Hockey Challenge concluded earlier today with champions being crowned in three different divisions.. The tournament returns for it's final weekend of the season starting May 1, 2025 with all games taking in place in Brandon. 2014 Silver Division In the game of the tournament so far,  Griffin Whitfield scored with 4:07 remaining in overtime and Henry Borysuik scored a hat-trick and added an assist as the Prince Albert Jr. Raiders (pictured above) erased a five-goal deficit and edged the Dakota 2014 7-6 at J and G Homes Arena on Sunday. Capping off the scoring for the Prince Albert Jr. Raiders was Joren Wilson, Nixxon Boutin, Mitchell Anthony contributing with a goal each. Wilson and Carver Blanchard each added two assists. Goaltender Declan McShannock turned aside 25 shots for the Prince Albert Jr. Raiders in the win. Sniping for the Dakota 2014 was Kane Kristensen with two goals and Jaxon Gruelhke, Easton Irwin, Jack Neset and Ryker Hanson each tallying single markers. Gruelhke added two assists. Goaltender Kaiden Miller made 35 saves in the loss for the Dakota 2014. The setback halted the Dakota 2014's five-game winning streak. The Dakota 2014 jumped out to a 5-0 lead when Hanson scored his seventh of the tournament with 10:50 left in the second period but Wilson responded for the Prince Albert Jr. Raiders with his ninth of the tournament to start the rally. 2011 Silver Division Lachlan Vandall scored four goals and added two assists as the Prince Albert Jr Raiders (pictured below) extended its winning streak to five games with a 10-3 triumph over the Bakken Oilers 2011 at J and G Homes Arena on Sunday. Completing the scoring for for the Prince Albert Jr Raiders was Cole Hauber with two goals, Cole Johnston and Canden Olsen, Kashton Brahniuk and Kohen Stevens chipping in with a goal each. Johnston, Olsen, Will Kasner, James Cook, Cashton Choumont. Goaltender Brody Moe turned aside 17 shots for the Prince Albert Jr Raiders in the victory. Finding the twine for the Bakken Oilers 2011 was Tucker Solberg, Abram Wheeler and Will Nystuen chipping in with singles. Goaltender Chay Ekblad made 18 saves in the loss for the Bakken Oilers 2011. 2015 Silver Division Jensyn Wold scored two goals and added three assists as Dakota (pictured below) extended its winning streak to three games with a 9-4 triumph over the Brandon Ice Kings at J and G Homes Arena on Sunday. Completing the scoring for for the Dakota was Beckam Berdahl and Ethan Emard, Beckham Goetz, Tyson Strom, Miles Bekkdahl, Beckett Gunderson and Jayden Nelson chipping in with a goal each. Goaltender Archer Knetzger turned aside 19 shots for the Dakota in the victory. Finding the twine for the Brandon Ice Kings was Rally King, Leo King, Luke Kiirkup and Tucker Russell chipping in with singles. King added two assists. Goaltender Joey Peterson made 24 saves in the loss for the Brandon Ice Kings.

MBA Family of Festivals Celebrates 50 Years of Sharing Music with Expanded Level One Festival in Brandon and the Addition of a Free Band Celebration Concert Featuring the RCAF Band Next week in Brandon, MB, the Manitoba Band Association (MBA) Family of Festivals Level One Band Festival will welcome and celebrate over 1,200 students from 24 concert bands from across Southern and Western Manitoba. They will perform for panels comprising experienced clinicians from within Manitoba’s wonderful music education community. To meet growing demand in the Westman region, a second day of Festival performances has been added, as well as a Band Celebration Concert. Level One Festival The Level One Festival is a supportive, non-competitive festival that encourages Manitoba’s youngest band students who are often coming for their very first band festival experience. This is an opportunity for them to perform for their peers, hear performances by their peers from other school communities, and to receive feedback, encouragement, and next-steps from experienced music educators in a non-competitive festival format. In Brandon, this festival takes place at the beautiful Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium and the Brandon University School of Music. Westman Band Celebration Concert The MBA is very excited to announce a FREE Westman Band Celebration Concert featuring the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Band, the Brandon Community Band, and the Brandon Grade 8/9 Wind Ensemble. This is a new addition to the Level One Festival experience in Brandon next week. The concert will be 90-minutes (no intermission) and takes place at the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium on Tuesday evening, April 29 at 7:00pm as part of the MBA's expanded Level One Band Festival. This concert is being launched as a pilot this year thanks to funding from the Whitehead Foundation for Western Manitoba and through partnership with the RCAF Band. We are also excited to showcase some of Manitoba’s finest wind band musicians in the region from the Brandon Community Band and the Brandon Grade 8/9 Wind Ensemble as part of this concert. The concert features bands representing many age groups and will feature a variety of engaging repertoire, concluding with a massed band finale - an exciting addition to the Level One Band festival experience. Notably, one of the musicians in the RCAF Band, Kevin James, is originally from Virden, MB, where he participated in that community’s thriving band program. He then went on to study music at BU and won the audition with the RCAF Band as a full-time Air Force musician. The Westman Band Celebration is free to attend. A Silver Collection will be available at the door, and seating is general admission (doors open at 6:30pm). A poster is available to download and share. When: Tuesday, April 29, 2025, 7:00pm (doors at 6:00pm, seating at 6:30pm) Where: 2025 Band Celebration Concert Poster (11x17) Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium Who & How Much: Free for everyone to enjoy (silver collection at the door) Artists: Royal Canadian Air Force Band, Captain Devin Sloos, conductor Brandon Community Band, Anna Penno, conductor Brandon Grade 8/9 Wind Ensemble, Erin Dodds & Graydon Cramer, conductors Digital Festival Program To help reduce MBA’s environmental footprint, a digital program for the full Winnipeg and Brandon Level One Festivals as well as the Band Celebration Concert (with conductor and ensemble biographies, concert information, and more) is available here. Family of Festivals Overview The Manitoba Band Association (MBA) Family of Festivals (formerly the Optimist International Band Festival) has been a Manitoba tradition since 1976 and is growing this year to include the Concert Band Festival, Jazz Band Festival, the Level One Band Festivals in both Winnipeg and Brandon, and new for 2025 a Community Band Festival. These educational, non-competitive experiences are designed to celebrate music-making, community, and promote students’ and community members’ growth & development through a long-standing culture of positivity and encouragement. Bands come to share, learn, grow, and support each other and they leave these festival experiences inspired, energized and ready for more. Building on the success of our 2024 festivals, we are excited to be growing and adding several aspects to our family of festivals:   The Concert Band Festival experienced a nearly 30% growth in participation this year, necessitating the addition of a third performance stage at RBC Convention Centre. This year’s festival was even more exciting with more bands and performances.   To accommodate more bands at the Level One Festival in Winnipeg, and bands that have grown too large for the stage at our usual venue, My Church, we are adding a full additional day at a new venue to ensure all bands and students can have this experience.   To accommodate growth in participation at the Brandon-based Level One Festival, we are adding a second festival day, as well as a Band Celebration concert featuring the RCAF Band and two student/community bands from the Brandon Area, all taking place at the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium and made possible in part thanks to funding from the Whitehead Foundation for Western Manitoba.   We are adding a Community Band Festival at beautiful Coronation Park in Winnipeg to celebrate lifelong music-making and encourage students to continue making music after high school.   These additions and expansions will ensure that no one is left behind and that hundreds more students, educators, and community musicians can have an MBA Family of Festivals experience in 2025 that will stay with them for a lifetime. Full Festival Dates & Locations: The MBA Family of Festivals, which began with the Concert Band and Jazz Band Festivals in February, and runs over a total of 15 days through June 8, 2025, is one of the largest of its kind in Canada. The Family of Festivals continues next week with the Level One Festival in Brandon. The Family of Festivals concludes in early June with the non-competitive and non-adjudicated Community Band Festival. Concert Band Festival: February 18 - 21, 2025 at the RBC Convention Centre and NEW: featuring the addition of a third performance stage to accommodate nearly 30% increase in participation. Jazz Band Festival: February 27 - 28, 2025 at Centre culturel franco-manitobain Level One Winnipeg Festival: April 22 - 24, 2025 at My Church Winnipeg & EXPANDED: April 25, 2025 at École Regent Park EXPANDED Level One Brandon Festival: April 29 - 30, 2025 at Brandon University & Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium NEW: Community Band Festival: June 6 - 8, 2025 at Coronation Park in Winnipeg

As of May 1, 2025, people 19 and older can grow cannabis in their home in Manitoba. The Cannabis Regulation outlines this new cannabis law in detail. Below are the key things to know if you want to grow cannabis at home. A person 19 or older may grow up to four plants at home. One household can only have a maximum of four plants, even if two or more people over 19 live there. A person cannot grow cannabis plants in multiple places. Cannabis must be grown indoors in a room, container, or enclosure that’s not accessible to people under 19. A person cannot possess more than the equivalent 30 grams of dried cannabis, which could include their home-grown cannabis, in public.  All starter materials (seeds or plants) must be bought from a licensed Manitoba store. A full list of licensed stores can be found here. It’s important to note other laws may apply (e.g., The Landlord and Tenant Act, The Condominium Act). If you rent your home, your property manager may have rules about growing cannabis in your unit. If you live in a condominium, there may be rules in place that restrict home grow. Ensure you know and follow the rules specific to your residence about cannabis use and home grow. Home Grow Complaints The Manitoba government and the federal government share the responsibility of regulating non-medical cannabis in Canada. Contact Health Canada about issues with cannabis bought from a licensed retailer (e.g. quality issue with seeds or plants). Contact law enforcement for issues about illegal home grow practices (e.g., too many plants in one residence, selling home-grown cannabis). For complaints about home grow in an apartment, condo or rental property, contact the appropriate landlord, property management company, or condominium board. Source: LGCA News

The Philadelphia Flyers have assigned Brandon Wheat Kings goaltender Carson Bjarnason to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, their AHL affiliate. A number of local golf courses have opened for the season including: Wheat City Golf Course (April 19), Shilo Golf & Country Club (April 17), Deer Ridge Golf Course (April 19), and the Glen Lea Golf Course (April 19).     Speaking of the Shilo Golf & Country Club, the course was recently rated at the 3rd best best public golf course and hidden gems in Canada by golfpass.com. The Wheat City Golf Course found themselves 4th on the list. Hockey Manitoba announced their 2025 U18 POE Top 40 camp roster and the roster features a number of selections with ties to Brandon; Reese Shutte (Westman Wildcats), Shayla Scinocca (RHA Winnipeg), Sydney Sass (Brandon Wheat Kings), Chloe Kachur (Brandon Wheat Kings), and Danica Averil (Brandon Wheat Kings). The camp will be held in Brandon at the J&G arena from June 6 – 8, 2025. Week 2 of the Source for Sports AAA Summer Hockey Challenge takes place this weekend in Brandon. Teams from Regina, Prince Albert, Winnipeg, Bismark, and many more will travel to the Wheat City to take part in the 4-day event. Games are free to attend. Brandon's Burke Hood was named to Team Canada’s National Men’s Under-18 Team pre-tournament camp roster taking place April 12-15 in Oakville, Ontario. Hood suited up for the Vancouver Giants this past season and recorded an impressive .910 save % in 42-games.