Residents of Brandon, and the Westman region, are invited to celebrate our national holiday for a full day of culture, arts, music and festivities at the Riverbank Discovery Centre. The day begins at 11:30 am with the 3rd Annual Canada Day Living Flag where participants create a Canadian Flag by wearing red and white t-shirts and creating a giant human maple leaf! The opening ceremonies follow at 1:00 pm and the day ends with a colorful display of fireworks to close out the night at around 11:00 pm. The event marks Canada’s 149th birthday and residents and visitors alike can anticipate popular features like the Brandon Riverbank Duck Race, the Sean Taylor Band, Evolution Entertainers, and a fire performance by Vince Champagne.   Entertainment on the Family Stage will be provided by the Freddy Fusion Science Magic Show and face painting for children will be available from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm.  For those a little more adventurous Prairie Helicopters will once again be offering a scenic ride over the City of Brandon. Throughout the day there will be numerous food vendors onsite as well as a Montana's Fund-raising BBQ.  Spray parks around the City will remain open from 12:00 noon to 6:00 pm and both the Kinsmen Pool and Kiwanis YMCA Keystone Pool are scheduled to remain open until 7:00 pm.  Pools open weather permitting. Schedule for the Canada Day Celebrations.

Children's Country Fair The Westman Dreams for Kids Children's Country Fair is coming up fast and they are looking for all the talented kids out there to be part of this years event. Do you dance, sing, play instruments?? Are you and acrobat or have a band?? They want you to come take center stage this year and show Brandon all the talent in our community! If you are or know someone who would love to take part in this exciting event call 204-729-1698 or 204-729-8898. Children's Country fair is June 5th at Kirkaldy Heights School, and they hope to see you all there. McHappy Day Please also keep in mind that on May 4th, $1 from every Big Mac. Happy Meal and Hot McCafe beverage will be donated to Westman Dreams for Kids! Please come by and visit them at all 4 Brandon locations and help them continue to grant dreams to children and their families who are dealing with serious illness and health concerns in the Westman area. King Louis will be handing out balloons and taking pictures with the kids from 11:am - 1:00pm at the Richmond location!

Hockey Hockey Hockey.  The Gold Rush continues as Seattle comes to Brandon May 6th and 7th for games one and two of the WHL Championship Series at Westman Communications Group Place.  The T-Birds are lead offensively by NY Islander first round draft pick Mattew Barzal.  The 6'0, 200 lb forward has 19 points in 13 playoff games. Defensemen Ethan Bear and Winnipeg product Keegan Kolesar are others to watch.  Nolan Patrick, Jayce Hawryluk, Reid Duke and John Quenneville will need to be at the top of their game to beat Seattle's netminder Landon Bow.  For more information www.wheatkings.com CWE Wrestling at ACC.  CWE management continues to roll out huge match signings for their card at ACC on May 25th.  Three of the most in demand and active stars across the entire continent will compete in a high octane, high intensity Triple Threat Match! Lio Rush, Jason Kincaid, and Chase Owens are main event stars everywhere they compete across the World and on May 25th in the Wheat City they will test their abilities against each other in a match to not only prove who the future of professional wrestling is but who is the best wrestler on the planet right NOW!  Also on the card is former ROH Star & TNA Alumni "The Physical Fascination" Kazarian & ROH Star "The Last Real Man" Silas Young.  Check it out www.cwewrestling.ca Comedy night at Blu featuring the comedy workings of Scott Belford and Neil Rhodes. The first show on May 10th sold out immediately and as of  press time there was still a few remaining tickets for the second show on May the 11th.  Scott Belford is a a comedian based out of Edmonton who has opened for the likes of Pauly Shore and Jay Mohr.  He has previously won funniest person in Edmonton at the West Edmonton Mall's Comic Strip.  Neil Rhodes has been a comedian since 2003 and has opened for major headliners like Bryan Callen and Nick Griffin. Bubble Boy Musical Diner Theatre at Westman Communications Group Place.  Four show times are scheduled inside the MNP room over three days from May 6th-8th.    Seating is restricted to 150 guests per show.  The story centers around Jimmy Livingston who was born without immunities and spent his entire life confined inside a plastic bubble room. Enter Chloe, the girl next door, who becomes his friend and steals his heart. When she leaves town to get married, Jimmy travels cross-country in a homemade bubble suit in order to stop the wedding and finally tell her how he feels. Along the laugh-filled journey he deals with a crazy cult, a biker gang, a dead cow, and a controlling mother who will stop at nothing to get him back in the bubble.  Tickets are only $35 and include a delectable three-course meal. Westman Baby & Family Fair inside the Keystone Centre Manitoba Room on Saturday, May 7th.  The one day event will play host to a wide variety of vendors showcasing everything from toys to photography.  Entertainment starts at 11:00 am with Karl Heinz the BubbleMan and is followed by the magic of Ryan Prince at 2:00 pm.  There will also be FREE face painting and a pottery activity centre for the kids. Systems Beauty College Students will be doing FREE Haircuts for children and Princess Manicures at the event! Remember to check our our Events Calendar for a more complete listing of what is going on in Brandon and area.

The latest long player from this fantastic folk rock unit originally from Westman is chock full of delightfully delicious ditties. On the intriguingly titled "Captain Tomorrow & the Dream Orphans" the band sounds as musically cohesive as ever. Plus their choices of a variety of instruments and enchanting effects on certain selections, not only bolsters their already solid sound and masterful musicianship but keeps things interesting throughout this ambitious 13 track disc. They’ve managed to broaden their sound to impressive lengths as they can go from whisper quiet forlorn folk tunes to rollickingly ballistic barroom stompers from one track to the next. The group made up of Blair Atkinson- (Rhythm Guitar, Piano, Vocals) Ian Russell- (Bass, Vocals) Glenn Radley- (Drums) Logan Mckillop- (Lead Guitar) Brent Waitt- (Mandolin) have truly found the next level on their music making journey. Blair Atkinson's song writing has grown in leaps and bounds over the years. He's always had the knack for a solid story teller approach but there are many tracks on the new album that display his keen ability to take the listener down many a memory lane. One such case in point is the poignant opening track “Golden Boy.” The track starts off innocently enough as a story about a son seeking his Father's approval. It eventually builds into a righteously raging retrospective rant that begs the question "why is not just being who I am ever good enough?"  Then there’s the touching track “Come the Morning” (track 3) which contains verses of interestingly intriguing introspection involving a past love. Anyone who’s ever endured a break up that periodically causes melancholy recall will relate to this one.  Happily this briefly depressing tale turns into somewhat of a triumphant track and you may be tempted to sing along with the catchy chorus before the conclusion (I’m drunk and I’m broke and I’m all out of smokes….) There are several other standout tracks that feature Atkinson at his lyrical best such as “Bucket List” and “The Ballad of Captain Tomorrow.” On those aforementioned compositions he is like a wordsmith wielding the power of the pen that can lead you into certain rooms of recollection located in your life's memory banks. He truly has shown significant growth with his song writing with the power to paint visceral pictures in the mind of the listener. As their catalogue continues to grow (2011’s Between the Foxes and the Wolves, 2012’s The Needle is Broken the Compass Spins, and 2014’s Nowhere in Particular) the group has also grown in leaps and bounds on this their fourth CD. The guys have truly found their sound which will without question help solidify their place on the folk scene. Fans and friends alike have the opportunity to join in on the celebration of the Owl’s newest creation this Friday night at the 40 during their CD Release party which features an opening set of special guests The Young Pixels. Cover charge at the door. There will also be copies of the new disc available at the merch table. Snag one! It will be the perfect addition to your music collection. "Captain Tomorrow & The Dream Orphans"  - Track Listing 1. Golden Boy  2. Another Breakup Song 3. Come The Morning 4. Bucket List 5. Only For Tonight 6. The Ballad of Captain Tomorrow 7. South Side of the Sun 8. When I Go 9. Dear Wendy 10. Down to Earth 11. Cocoon 12. Take Me Down Pt. 2 13. Ashes And Ashes

resilience [ri-zil-yuh ns] n. 1. the power or ability to return to the original form, position, etc., after being bent, compressed, or stretched. 2. ability to recover readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like; buoyancy. If you look up that word in the dictionary Mark Ross’s picture should be placed beside it. The first time I met Mark Ross he struck me as an upbeat person who always had a smile on his face and an unwavering desire to perform. Those characteristics mixed with his outstanding talent made him a pleasure to create music with. I’m pleased and proud to call him a friend and a former band mate. When I heard the news about “the incident” on February 19th I was shocked. I had a hard time wrapping my head around it. How could this happen to a guy who is this full of life and has such a love for live performance? My Facebook wall became flooded with messages, updates and different takes on “the incident” and I immediately checked in with another member of his band Misty Street to get a firsthand account of what happened.  Upon further research I found out that Mark almost died during a show. He had collapsed on stage during the second set of a three set gig. In fact it was mid song and it was one of his songs! Back when it happened I thought this would make for an amazing story but out of respect for Mark I held off until the right time arose. When I caught wind of the fundraiser gig I wanted to get the word out to help the cause. For those of you who don’t know Mark he is one of the most affable guys you’ll ever meet. He is the quintessential nice guy! In fact when I first approached him to set up the interview, here is what he had to say, “Before I answer the questions, I have to say I'm blown away at the response I'm receiving from the music community in Brandon. I've only been in the scene for almost 3 years now, but the love I'm getting from everyone is overwhelming. I feel like I'm part of a huge super talented dysfunctional family of misfits and weirdos. I love it!! I'll answer these questions the best that I can.” The 41 year old Ross works for Look Music Services as a DJ/emcee at various social functions. He spends most of his free time practicing music or learning and even writing new songs. When it comes to performing music, he spends most of his time playing with popular local group Misty Street, “the band practices ( or tries to ) twice a week, at least once a week for sure. If there's a gig coming up we try to get together as much as we can to make it tight. Myself I practice a minimum of 2 hours a day.” Another surprising part of this whole story is Mark was really serious about improving his health before the ultimate health scare occurred, “I was actually feeling really good, I had lost 20 pounds, I was working out and on a strict diet. That night I had a few adult beverages and was feeling great.” Ross says they were doing an uptempo original of his when it happened and he gave us this account of how it all went down, “It's funny now, but we were playing my own song Back Seat when all this happened. During the song Back Seat I was struggling to sing it. It's a fast paced song as you know and I thought the band was playing it extra fast. Then I realized the band was fine, it was me who couldn't keep up. After the song was done I was supposed to start the next song and I couldn't think of the right chords and couldn't catch my breath. The next thing I remember is waking up with Kelly Jones on top of me trying to keep me awake. I felt so tired. I just wanted to sleep. Kelly I believe has training in CPR so she was doing what she could until paramedics got there. Thank God for them, I was conscience the entire time so I remember everything. The poor guys had to carry me down the decker stairs. They got me into the ambulance and had to give me the paddles to stabilize my heart rate. I wouldn't have made it much longer with a heartbeat of 230bpm. It's called a V Tach or Ventricular Tachycardia.” Ross says the crowd reaction was a bit of a blur, “I don't remember anyone’s reaction personally but I know Mariah and Matt caught me so I didn't fall into my keyboards.” I for one believe it was Mark’s general upbeat disposition and love of offbeat humor that helped him through the ordeal. This recollection from punctuates that thought, “I heard I was still trying to make jokes even while I was dying (laughs). I think everyone was just in shock because it happened so fast. I think half of the Decker called 911 all at once. (laughs)” It was Mark’s penchant for quick quips that lead to the band coming up with the fundraiser idea, “The fundraiser came about when I received my ambulance bill in the mail. $675.00!! I made a joke about doing a fundraiser to help with the bill and Mariah thought it was a great plan. Any help right now is much appreciated. It's almost been 3 months without working, and that ambulance bill almost gave me another V Tach.” Bassists Greg Gibson was as shocked as everyone was, “there were no warning signs at all. Mark and I were having a great conversation between the first and Second set discussing the show and discussing important worldly matters, such as the Deadpool movie.” Then moments later the unthinkable happened. It’s something no band ever wants to deal with but Gibson says they did the best they could considering the shocking situation, “We just finished Backseat, which is a fast Ska styled song that Mark wrote and sings, and then we started playing higher and higher and I looked over and Mark was sinking lower and lower. When it happened I think the entire band went into automatic pilot mode we just wanted to get him the help that he needed we were beside him talking to him until the paramedics arrived.” Gibson says the crowd reaction was somewhat reassuring, there was some confusion but they very concerned and very helpful. A few people appeared to have medical training which was very welcomed at that time.” Thankfully resuscitation wasn’t necessary but it was nip tuck, “Mark was groggy and extremely tired, kind of going in and out of consciousness, but he didn't completely lose consciousness at any time. When we were asking him his name and other quick mini mental status questions, he was the consummate comedian. We asked "can you tell us who you are? He answered by singing Snoop Doggy Dogg". That's when I knew he was going to be OK.”  So will they be playing Backseat during the fundraiser gig? Gibson offers this take on it, “We may save backseat for the next gig. Who knows? Maybe we will play backseat as a slow waltz. (Laughs). But we will be playing higher and higher.” Ross being his ever energetic self, had this to say, “At the fundraiser I'll be doing as much as I can. I'll be doing the classics like Michael Jackson and Elvis and of course Back Seat, the song that started this all.” The show which is billed as “The Mark is Alive Ambulance Fundraiser Gig” is set for Saturday, April 30th at the Double Decker (10th & Rosser) in downtown Brandon. In lieu of cover charge there will be a cash collection at the door so bring whatever you can afford. I’m sure Mark and the band will be more than appreciative and respond with an amazing show! Mark is getting closer and closer to feeling 100% again but he says it has been a long and tough recuperation, “I've been on antibiotics every day for 6 weeks. It's tough because I had a PICC line from my arm to my heart, so my daily activities were pretty limited. I just finished my last trip to the hospital yesterday so I'm free to recover and can't wait to get back on the stage.” Local singer songwriter & keyboardist Mark Ross (middle) with Misty Street band mates Cy Arthurson (pictured at left) and Matt Cory (Right). Catch them in action Saturday, April 30th at the Double Decker. They’ll be playing a full show this time.