On Tuesday, January 23rd at 6:00 pm, our tenth annual “Jazz @ the 40” evening will take place in collaboration with Jazz Groups from: Vincent Massey High School; Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School; École secondaire Neelin High School; Brandon West Middle School Band Program (Grade 8 Students); and Brandon East Side Band Program (Grade 8 Students); Special Guests, the "Allbums" Community Jazz Ensemble This is a very special event for our Jazz musicians as they will have the opportunity to perform in an exciting and more “authentic” venue for this style of music. This evening of great food and music will happen at “The 40”, attached to the Trails West Inn (210 18th Street North). The club will be shut down and closed to regular customers for the evening so that minors can be allowed inside as either performers or audience members; alcoholic drinks will not be served for this evening. This is a great opportunity to hear BSD students perform in a more informal and relaxed atmosphere! A buffet dinner is included as part of the ticket price. Tickets are $20 (in advance only) which covers admission and the meal (fountain drinks are available for an extra charge). Tickets are now available and can be obtained by sending cash or cheque (made to “BWMSB”). Tickets are available in advance at the following locations: Vincent Massey High School 715 McDiarmid Drive, Brandon, MB R7B 2H7 Phone: 204-729-3170 Meaghan Walker – walker.meaghan@bsd.ca Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School 1930 - 1st Street, Brandon, MB R7A 6Y6 Phone: 204-729-3900 Anna Penno – penno.anna@bsd.ca Earl Oxford School 540 - 18th Street, Brandon, MB R7A 5B2 Phone: 204-729-3270 Jarrett Fuller – fuller.jarrett@bsd.ca Waverly Park School 3800 Park Avenue, Brandon, MB R7B 3X2 Phone: 204-729-3250 Graydon Cramer – cramer.graydon@bsd.ca

Prairie Joe, will be at the Brandon Shoppers Mall tonight at 6:30pm performing their trending parody hit "Cold In Canada". Join everyone today at the Kia Court to hear this popular song live, plus other hits. Tap your toes to some tunes and meet the band too. Fun for the whole family!

January 8, 2018 (Winnipeg, Manitoba) -- Sam Karney left his small western Manitoba town to pursue an education and career in the city. Little did he know the road would one day circle back, return him to his rural roots, and reveal the secrets of one of Canada’s oldest professions. A Life on the Life is the story of a young man returning to the fur-trapping life he turned his back on. The one-hour documentary premieres on APTN this month: Ø  January 14 @ 7:00pm Eastern Ø  January 16 @ 11:00am Eastern (rebroadcast) Ø  January 19 @ 5:00pm Eastern (rebroadcast) Watch the trailer here:  www.alifeontheline.com ABOUT THE IDEA Even though Canada today has largely forgotten about the fur trade, there are still men and women dedicated to preserving this way of life, and passing it down to the next generation. A Life on the Line explores this important part of Canadian history, set against the stunning backdrop of Manitoba’s rugged boreal forest. “For as long as I can remember, fur trapping has been in my life,” says Karney, a Métis filmmaker from Roblin, Manitoba, who is making his feature documentary debut with A Life on the Line. “My dad Chuck started working on a trapline when I was very young, so to me, the sights and smells became everyday things. But as I got older and moved away for school and work, the trapline got further and further away.” “A few years ago, through my work at a TV station, I was given the opportunity to produce short documentaries. I pitched the idea of spending a weekend on my dad’s trapline, documenting the activities, and exploring the challenges in a modernized world. After that, I began thinking there was something bigger here.” And he was right. What turned out to be ‘something bigger’ was the story of Sam returning to his roots, and reconnecting with his father. The idea eventually turned into A Life on the Line, Sam’s first full-length documentary as a filmmaker, and the first time turning the camera on himself. “Never have I had any desire to be in front of the camera, but with my father as the subject, I figured the best way to give this film the life it deserved was to immerse myself fully and actually learn what it takes to maintain the line. Needless to say, it was not easy.” ABOUT THE STORY Chuck Karney is a fur trapper with over 20 years of experience. Though not Indigenous himself, he married a Métis woman and spent the better part of his life living a traditional “on the land” existence. Growing up, Chuck’s son Sam had little interest in trapping. In fact, like many typical teens, he had little interest in most things his father tried to teach him. So he left behind his rural home to seek an education and career. After a decade of living in cities, Sam felt compelled to return to the wilderness. In particular, he felt drawn to his father’s trapline. Throughout the 2016-2017 trapping season, Sam spent time with Chuck, learning what it takes to run a trapline. From bone chilling cold to the gruesome realities of the job, Sam went hands on – and all in – every step of the way. For the successes, and failures. “No matter how macho you think you are living in the city, there are things that happen on the trapline that make even the strongest men wilt,” says Sam. Often humorous and occasionally heartwarming, A Life on the Line shows a father’s desire to teach his son a dying way of life, and passing on traditional knowledge that would otherwise be lost. The documentary also takes a look at Sam’s Métis roots, on his mother’s side. “It’s kind of funny actually,” says Sam. “Here’s my dad, a full-fledged Ukrainian, living a traditional Métis lifestyle. It’s quite something.” ABOUT THE PRODUCTION A Life on the Line is co-produced by Winnipeg-based production companies Ice River Films (www.iceriverfilms.com) and Wookey Films (www.wookeyfilms.com). It is directed by Sam Karney, produced by Andrew Wiens and Jérémie Wookey, and executive produced by Janelle Wookey, with Rudy Gauer as director of photography. The documentary has been produced with support from APTN, Canada Media Fund, Manitoba Film & Music, and the Canadian Film or Video Tax Credit Program.

Brandon's Victoria Inn will play host on Friday, February the 23rd to KidSport West’s 10th Annual For the Love of Chocolate with a Brazilian Carnivale! Cocktails start at 6:00 pm, dinner at 7:00 pm with comedian Kelly Taylor headlining the entertainment. Also, included in the evening's activities are fabulous cultural dancers, fantastic prizes, a live auction, and of course…chocolate. All proceeds go directly to KidSport West, so all kids can play. For the Love of Chocolate tickets can now be purchased individually, in groups of 4, or tables or 8! Select your seats during check out at the following link.  Funds raised during the event go directly to children in need.  KidSport™ is national charity administered by Sport Manitoba that helps to remove barriers and assist less fortunate children participate in sport - so all kids can play.

Preparations for the 2nd annual Food Truck Warz in Brandon are well underway as we have spent the last several days confirming the list of trucks who will be participating downtown in September 2018. Those who attended the first event will be happy to hear many of your favourite tucks will be returning including: The Churro Stop, Smoked & Sauced, Mikey D's BBQ, Tot Wheels & KYU Grill. With additional space to work with, and with a desire to offer our guests more selection, we are also pleased to announce that we have at least 8 new vendors making their first appearance at Food Truck Warz. Over the next several months we will be introducing these additional acquisitions to our roster on our website at www.foodtruckwarz.com. Below is just a small sampling of photos of some of the food you can expect to be served from the new vendors at Food Truck Warz 2. The offical Facebook event page for Food Truck Warz 2018 can be found here.