**July 27, 2020 Update: Here is the link to purchase tickets and obtain more show information. Coming Friday August 14th to the Keystone Centre parking lot will be a first of its kind for the city. Precision Toyota is pleased to present Reels and Wheels a Drive Inn movie theatre experience. A yet to be determined movie will be shown on a giant inflatable movie screen in the Keystone Centre parking lot. Limited to the first 350 vehicles due to space requirements. On Monday July 27th a website will be made public on BDNMB.CA where you can purchase a vehicle pass, along with additional information on the event. 100% of all funds generated will be donated to Dreams for Kids.  A minimum donation of $20.00 per vehicle is required to attend to this event. Additionally, five food trucks will be on-site to handle food and beverage requirements. BDNMB.CA would like to thank Precision Toyota for allowing us to be the media partner for this event.

Brandon, MB – While Manitoba’s ongoing COVID-19-related public health orders have paused the presentation of live musical performances in Brandon’s parks this summer, City of Brandon Parks & Recreation Services is pleased to announce a unique partnership with Westman Communications Group’s WCGTV to bring a modified version of its popular Music in the Parks program into the homes of Westman TV subscribers this summer! Beginning this evening (Tuesday, July 7th) and continuing weekly through July and August, WCGTV will be airing recorded studio performances by the many talented local musicians and ensembles that would normally grace the stage during a normal Music in the Park performance season. A new performances will air on Westman Cable’s Channel 1012 (HD) and Channel 12 (SD) each Tuesday at 7 p.m. and will then be re-broadcast on Thursdays at 10 a.m. and Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. Each week’s performance debut will also be available to be viewed online as a livestream each Tuesday at 7 p.m. on Westman Communication Group’s website at https://westmancom.com/personal/wcgtv/watch-live. Kicking off this modified music program this evening at 7 p.m. is a broadcast of a performance by Neepawa-based foursome, Lunch Money, whose repertoire features everything from country classics to folk to rock tunes from the 1950’s onward. Band members are Greg Fleck on lead guitar, Hughie McLaughlin on bass and vocals, Ron Nordstrom on rhythm guitar and vocals, and Dave Zeke on drums and vocals. Upcoming studio performances to be featured on WCGTV’s Channels 1012 and 12 include those by Until It’s No Fun, Lucky Ned, The Badd Brothers, Darth’s Brother Jeff and the Lazy Creek Express, plus more to be announced in the coming weeks! Music enthusiasts will want to watch City of Brandon Parks & Recreation Services Facebook Page for additional details on these great performances by some of Westman’s most talented and entertaining musicians! (City of Brandon PSA)

Update from the City of Brandon regarding the opening of the Kinsmen Pool. The opening date for Kinsmen Pool (located in Rideau Park) will be Friday, July 10th. The opening date had initially been set for today, Parks & Recreation Services crews require just a few extra days to prepare the pool for the season. More information on pool hours of operation and entry fees can be found on the City of Brandon website at https://www.brandon.ca/summer-recreation/spray-parks-paddle-pools.

Canada’s longest running country music festival announced their 2021 festival roster (July 1-4) earlier today on their YouTube channel. Among the artists scheduled to hit stage for the all Canadian lineup are Paul Brandt, Johnny Reid, Dean Brody, Dallas Smith, Chad Brownlee, Emerson Drive, Terri Clark, Alan Doyle, Charlie Major, Washboard Union, Corb Lund, Aaron Pritchett, and The Reklaws. For more information on Dauphin's Countryfest, or for the complete lineup, please visit their web site.

Local web based radio station The Spark signs on familiar names to on air staff. “In the midst of the COVID lockdown I wanted to do something creative and positive to occupy my time,” said Frank McGwire former radio veteran who spent the bulk of his 30 year career in Brandon with stints in Red Deer, Alberta and Dauphin, Manitoba. His most recent radio gig was for Westman Communications Group as morning news anchor for CKLQ and STAR FM. The idea for his concept was sparked from years of having so many listeners ask him why radio stations seem to only play limited amounts of songs or often only 2 or 3 hits from iconic artists when their catalog offers so much more. “I kept hearing people say, “Classic rock covers 30 – 40 years so there has to be more than the 400 songs radio stations always seem to play over and over, and I really wanted to do something about it. The Spark was made available to the general public on June 1st. Since then, not only has the listenership and social media following grown, so has the talent roster on the station. McGwire hosts the morning show which runs weekdays from 7 – 9 a.m. Holding down the afternoon slot is Tim Donovan a radio veteran who got his start doing all nights on KX96 in 1989. Donovan also made stops in Vancouver and Chilliwack B.C. As well as London, Ontario in his 30+ year radio career. The station also offers exclusive specialty programs such as The Excellence of the 80s show Hosted by Paul Devo. Devo aka Gillespie also got his start in Brandon doing wheat kings play by play on Access 12 before moving on the CKX Sports. He eventually moved west to take on the role of Sports Director at two more CBC affiliates in the 90's with CJFB Television in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, before moving on to CFTK Radio and Television in Terrace, British Columbia. Paul still has a passion for 80s music which he proudly features on his Excellence of the 80s show which runs Saturday night from 6 – 8 p.m. Fans of Psychedelic rock will enjoy Psychedelic Sundays from noon – 3 p.m. With replays Sunday and Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. The program features the more eclectic sounds from bands in the rock and roll pantheon between the mid 60s and the late 70s. The show is hosted by Paul Derringer (aka McMullen) who also got his start in Brandon at KX96 in 1991. McMullen's radio career spanned 20 years with stops in Winnipeg, Calgary and Yellowknife. Metal fans will enjoy the Monday Night Metal Shop presented Monday evenings from 7 until 8 p.m. Hosted by Darryl “Beef” Wolski, the show includes personal selections from Beef that run the gamut from the early days of metal (late 70s / early 80s) right up to the current metal scene.  Beef started radio back in the late 80s doing a similar show on 92 CITI FM, his radio career also included a stop at KX 96 a job that lasted a few years until he was let go back in 1999. But as Beef says, “He moved on to bigger and better things” All of these former radio show hosts have a few things in common, they all once worked in Brandon where they worked together and became colleagues and long time friends, they also never lost the passion to perform through radio. Rounding out the Spark team is Manitoba Sports legend Peter Young. Young has just agreed to bring back his “Just a Minute” Sports feature. The former CKY sports anchor and ESPN sports contributor is semi retired while working part time as a Marketing Executive for Northerners Entertainment Group LLC. Among Young's many achievements in the sports world is something nobody can claim, he is the only broadcaster to do play by play of the WHA and NHL Jets, Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Goldeyes. He's also managed pro baseball and hockey teams. His Sports feature will start this Friday, July 3rd. Listeners of The Spark can hear Young's sharp opinion on the Just a Minute Sports feature at 7:50 a.m, 11:50 a.m. and 4:50 p.m. Weekdays. http://www.sparkwebradio.com/ https://www.facebook.com/The-Spark-105936474481406/