What started as a memorable celebration for their second-born daughter’s baptism has now become a small family business bringing joy and sweetness to events across Brandon. Inspired by their childhood memories of cotton candy in the Philippines, where the sweet treat was a staple at parks, churches, and street vendors, this husband-and-wife team saw an opportunity to introduce a nostalgic and fun addition to local celebrations. “Cotton candy has always been a big part of our childhood,” they shared. “Every time we had one, we shared it with our family and siblings. In the Philippines, it was common to have cotton candy, sweets, or ice cream stands at private celebrations, but here in Brandon, we noticed that no one included it in their events. That’s what gave us the idea to start our small business named "Colorful Sweet by JJ.” To balance out the sweetness, they decided to add popcorn to their offerings, catering to both kids and those who are kids at heart. Today, they provide rental services for popcorn and cotton candy machines, ensuring that every event they serve is filled with delicious treats and cherished memories. Currently, their business focuses on popcorn and cotton candy rentals, but they are looking to expand their offerings. “We’re looking forward to adding more sweetness that will cater to everyone’s preferences,” they said. Their rental service is comprehensive, providing not just the machines but also an operator for each booking, ensuring that guests can enjoy freshly made snacks without the hassle. They also offer a wide variety of flavors, giving clients plenty of options to make their events even more special. For popcorn lovers, the available flavors include: White Cheddar Jalapeño Cheese Cheddar Cheese Sour Cream For cotton candy enthusiasts, they offer: Blue Raspberry Green Apple Pink Vanilla Orange Grape Bubblegum The business has already served a variety of clients, catering to events such as business and store openings, birthdays, weddings, baptisms, family days, and graduations. “Whatever gathering you have—if you want to add some sweetness and crunch—we can always be there,” they said. By bringing these nostalgic treats to local events, this family-run business is not just serving snacks but also creating moments of joy, reminiscent of childhood memories. With plans to expand their offerings, they are excited to continue spreading sweetness to even more celebrations in the future.

The newest addition to the local culinary scene, Multi Cook, is now officially open for business, bringing fresh, handmade meals to the community. Located at (155-18th St. Unit B)  this innovative food shop prides itself on offering high-quality, locally made dishes prepared entirely in-store. The business, owned and operated by Oksana Golovka and Kateryna Doboshynska, has created 12 new jobs, providing opportunities for skilled workers and food enthusiasts alike. What sets Multi Cook, a Ukrainian franchise,  apart is its dedication to handcrafted, fresh food. Every meal is prepared on-site by a team of passionate employees who prioritize quality and taste. Unlike mass-produced frozen or pre-packaged meals, Multi Cook’s offerings are made with recipes from the Ukraine & Europe as well as fresh ingredients, guaranteeing a homemade touch in every bite. Visitors to the new location can expect popular dishes like borscht, pierogi, and cabbage rolls, as well as gourmet options inspired by diverse culinary traditions. Delivery service is also available. Stop by today  (155-18th St. Unit B) and experience the difference of locally made, handcrafted meals! a grand opening event has been scheduled for March 22.  

The Brandon Wheat Kings are excited to bring hockey fans a night to remember with the highly anticipated Legends Game on March 12th at Westoba Place. The evening kicks off with a WHL showdown between the Brandon Wheat Kings and the Saskatoon Blades at 6:00 PM, followed by an unforgettable exhibition featuring NHL greats. One ticket grants access to both games, making this a must-see event for fans of all ages. Confirmed legends include: Bryan Trottier, Bernie Nicholls, Brian Propp, Kevin Stevens, Cliff Ronning, Duane Sutter, Dave Ellett, and Billy Smith, Tickets can be purchased here. Canadian Wrestling's Elite will be holding shows in Rivers (Sat May 24) and Sioux Valley (Sun May 25). Headlining the card will be TNA Wrestling Legend "Cowboy" James Storm! For tour detail and information as it becomes available visit www.cwecanada.ca. The Brandon AAA U18 Wheat Kings opened up their 2024-2025 playoffs against the Eastman Selects at the J&G Homes Arena with a 4-3 OT victory to take a 1-0 lead in the 1st round of the best of 5 playoffs in the Manitoba AAA U18 Hockey League. Cole Dupuis notched the OT winner. Game 2 goes Monday evening in Beausejour. The Brandon Female AAA U18 Wheat Kings inaugural season in the MFHLU concluded Saturday night as the team dropped a thrilling 3-2 OT loss to the Yellowhead Chiefs in their best of 5 series. Stick Fix Brandon specializes in Hockey Stick Shaft Repairs, using HockeyStickMan's tried and true SRS technology. They also carry Pro Blackout sticks and come in Junior, Intermediate, and Senior sizes, with any different curves available. BU Bobat basketball player Sultan Haider Bhatti was named a Canada West First Team All-Star. Philipp Lauter, volleyball, is a Canada West Second Team All-Star. The U SPORTS Men's Volleyball Championship will be held in Brandon, at the Healthy Living Centre, from March 14–16, 2025. Trevor Winter is looking to start a senior men's basketball league in Brandon starting on April 6, 2025. A 9 game season with year end single elimination tournament is being proposed. Interested party's are asked to message him for details trwinter@icloud.com  

Over the next two days the Manitoba Band Association (MBA) Family of Festivals Jazz Band Festival will welcome more than 1,000 students from 47 jazz bands from across southern Manitoba to the Centre cultural franco-manitobain (340 Provencher Blvd) to perform for panels comprising experienced and celebrated adjudicators and clinicians of national and international acclaim. The MBA Family of Festivals, which began last week 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 in April with Level One Festivals for younger band students in both Winnipeg and Brandon where a combined 103 Level One concert bands and nearly 5,300 students will perform. The Family of Festivals concludes in early June with a non-competitive and non-adjudicated Community Band Festival June 6 - 8 at beautiful Coronation Park in Winnipeg. JAZZ BAND PROGRAM & SCHEDULE The full digital program & festival schedule can be viewed online here. JAZZ BAND FESTIVAL ADJUDICATORS & CLINICIANS 2025 Jazz Festival Beginner Class Clinicians Greg Crowe, guitar Darryl Ferguson, trumpet Sean Irvine, saxophone & woodwinds Alexis Silver, piano Allan Suban, percussion Lauren Teterenko, saxophone 2025 Jazz Festival Adjudicators (Junior Class and up) Claire Devlin, saxophone (Montreal, QC) Greg Gatien, saxophone (Brandon, MB) Jodi Proznick, bass (Vancouver, BC) Kathy Van Lare, trumpet (Calgary, AB) FAMILY OF FESTIVALS OVERVIEW The Manitoba Band Association (MBA) Family of Festivals (formerly the Optimist International Band Festival) have 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 the result being that this year’s festival was be even more exciting with more bands and performances. The two-day Jazz Band Festival is full this year, and includes a beginner jazz component for younger players.   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: 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 & NEW: April 25, 2025 at École Regent Park 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

Westman Communications Group (WCG) recently announced the return of its Connecting Westman Tour initiative for 2025. WCG will visit the communities of Rivers, Deloraine, Shoal Lake, and Virden throughout the summer and host charity barbecues to raise funds for local causes. WCG initially launched the Connecting Westman Tour in 2019 to support communities it serves throughout Manitoba. Residents are invited to attend a charity barbecue in Rivers, Deloraine, Shoal Lake, and Virden. Pricing is donation-based, allowing attendees to support the chosen cause as much as they are able. In addition to providing a hot lunch for the area, the Tour is a great opportunity for members to meet key figures of WCG’s Board of Directors. “The Connecting Westman Tour has proven to be a resounding success for local community enrichment,” said WCG Marketing Manager Brandi Crowe. “Our 2024 Tour was our most successful year yet, raising over $26,000 for local communities and the causes that matter most to them. We plan to keep this momentum going to more areas in 2025.” The 2025 Connecting Westman Tour will occur on May 29 in Rivers, June 19 in Deloraine, July 24 in Shoal Lake, and will wrap up in Virden on August 28. For more information about Westman Communications Group and its services, visit https://westmancom.com.