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.

The Westman Multicultural Festival (formerly the Lieutenant Governor’s Winter Festival) is pleased to announce that nine pavilions will be showcased in the 2018 event, which is two more than last year. The upcoming Festival will be held February 1-3, 2018. After taking a brief hiatus for one year, the Festival Society is pleased to welcome the Métis Pavilion back. This pavilion will be located at the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium. Two other new pavilions include India and Mexico. Carlos Munoz and Diana Brana will host a pavilion for Mexico, which hasn’t been part of the event for a number of years. “We’re very excited to share our culture again with our community. We will have all the great things that people love about Mexico and so that we’re as authentic as possible, our entertainers will be coming to Canada from Mexico specifically to perform at the Festival,” said Munoz. Gautam Srivastava, coordinator of the Indian Pavilion, said they are anticipating a lot of interest in the Indian culture as it hasn’t been showcased in this capacity before. “We’ve been taking part in smaller events throughout the year in Brandon with a very positive response, but hosting a pavilion for three days will allow us to share even more of our customs and traditions. We’re pleased to be part of this multicultural event that is 15 years in the running,” said Srivastava. The returning pavilions for 2018 include: England, Honduras, Ireland, Philippines, Scotland and Ukraine. As the various cultural groups plan to host thousands of visitors over the course of three days, event details are still being finalized. Up to date information will be added to the Festival website - gotothepavilions.com as it becomes available. The Westman Multicultural Festival is a celebration of the broad cultural diversity within the Westman region. This signature event in Brandon has become a welcome winter respite as festival goers enjoy warm friendship, food, beverages, entertainment, art and customs from around the world. The festival is entirely run by volunteers recruited by the various cultural societies and associations that host the pavilions. In the past, well over 1000 volunteers are needed to help make the Festival run smoothly. As in the past, admission is free. Details on the Westman Multicultural Festival can be at: www.gotothepavilions.com. Follow us on Twitter @wmmfest, on Instagram, Facebook & Snapchat /wmmfest. #gotothepavilions #pavilions2018

Local event organizers are pleased to announce that not only will Food Truck Warz continue in Brandon next year, the event is expanding and changing locations. The event, organized by Darryl Wolski and Jody Sass, is slated to run September 14-16, 2018 and will be held in Downtown Brandon at Princess Park. “Moving the event to downtown Brandon allows us to offer more to our guests and invite additional  vendors to participate,” said Jody Sass, co-organizer. “As such, we’re very pleased to announce that Wonder Shows will be part of Food Truck Warz 2. In working with the Brandon Downtown Development Corporation, we wanted to ensure that we have enough space for everyone to enjoy the amazing variety of food, as well as the fantastic entertainment.” Wonder Shows is based out of Winnipeg and has been in existence for over 54 years. They typically travel throughout the province to major fairs and festivals such as the Morden Corn & Apple Festival to provide family entertainment. With this being their debut appearance in Brandon, they are looking forward to entertaining people of all ages with a variety of rides and other attractions. “We’re really excited about coming to Brandon. It’s a great event and it will be a really good fit for us. There will be something for everyone, we’ll create a fun carnival atmosphere to complement the food vendors,” said Ken Kiernicki, Owner of Wonder Shows. Elisabeth Saftiuk, Executive Director of the Brandon Downtown Development Corporation, said that festivals and events like this have the ability to promote community pride and attract visitors, which benefits the local economy. “We will welcome thousands of visitors into the downtown for this event and we fully anticipate that these visitors will take advantage of downtown Brandon’s many unique amenities, including its specialty retail and trendy coffee shops. Truly, it is initiatives such as this that help to create positive change in our downtown and help to make our city’s core a more desirable place to live, shop, dine and visit. Vibrant downtowns create smart, healthy cities and I am thrilled that this event will be held downtown next year; it’s where it belongs,” said Saftiuk. In addition, due to the overwhelming response to the first-ever event held earlier this year, organizers will add seven more food trucks to help eliminate long wait times, they’ve added an extra day and they will have DJ’s performing all weekend long. The event will kick-off at 5 p.m. on Friday, September 14, 2018. To accommodate returning and new vendors, guests and to create a fun festival atmosphere various streets will be closed during the event. This includes Princess Avenue from 8th Street to 10th Street, 9th Street from Lorne Avenue to Rosser Avenue and 8th Street from Lorne Avenue to Princess Avenue. “The success of 2017 shocked nobody more than myself. The people of Brandon and Western Manitoba proved that they want these types of events and we hope to continue this for years to come. We can’t wait for Food Truck Warz 2,” said Darryl Wolski, co-organizer. Close to 20,000 people attended the two-day event in September, enjoying great eats from 18 different vendors. Facebook Event Page Food Truck Warz Web Site