Following a 2 year COVID cancelation hiatus, Touch-A-Truck Brandon returns to the grounds at the Keystone Centre on June 4, 2022. Touch-A-Truck Brandon is a unique fundraiser that is an interactive, outdoor, family friendly experience, allowing kids to “touch”, climb, explore and discover all kinds of vehicles in a safe environment. A large variety of trucks are on-hand every year including construction, farm, heavy-duty, and emergency vehicles. Once again there will be a QUIET HOUR from 9am-10am, free of sirens, music and honking for those who need it. The cost is only $5 per person and payable in cash at the gate. Facebook event page. Date/time: Saturday, June 4, 2022 at 9 AM – 4 PM.

For the first time in history, PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Canada’s elite Cup Series, presented by Wrangler, will travel to Brandon, Manitoba, debuting inside Westoba Place on Saturday, June 18 with the PBR Mazergroup Chute Out. PBR Canada’s Cup Series regularly features Canada’s best riders alongside some of the league’s top international athletes, squaring off against the rankest bucking bulls from across the nation. The PBR Mazergroup Chute Out will mark the third event of the 2022 season for the PBR Canada Cup Series, presented by Wrangler. The tour will launch on April 23 in Winnipeg, Manitoba and travel across Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan prior to the 2022 PBR Canada National Finals in Edmonton, Alberta, on Nov. 11-12. The debut of the elite PBR Canada Cup Series, presented by Wrangler, in Brandon comes on the spurs of one of the most exciting, and historic, battles for the PBR Canada Championship in history. After a dominant season, including four event wins across all levels of competition and a victory in one of the division’s special 5/5 Bucking Battles, Dakota Buttar (Kindersley, Saskatchewan) entered the 2021 PBR Canada National Finals with a firm grip on the No. 1 ranking in the race for the 2021 PBR Canada Championship, and accompanying $50,000 bonus. However, a groin injury initially sustained at the final regular-season event of the year proved too much for Buttar to battle, inevitably sidelining him from competition the last day of the campaign. With the title decided on the final outs of the year, 2018 PBR Canada Champion Cody Coverchuk (Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan) mounted an incredible come-from-behind surge, erasing Buttar’s 53.66-point lead, to conclude the year No. 1 in the nation, capturing his second career national championship. The Saskatchewan contender clinched the title, and his share of the record $175,000 purse paid out at the year-end event, with an impressive 89.5-point ride aboard annual PBR Canada Bull of the Year contender Finning Lil Shorty (Flying Four Bucking Bulls). Coverchuk is now one of just three riders to have won the coveted PBR Canada Championship in multiple seasons, joining the likes of two-time title holder Lambert and three-time Champion Aaron Roy (Yellow Grass, Saskatchewan). The bull riding action for PBR Canada Cup Series’ Mazergroup Chute Out begins at 7:00 p.m. CDT on Saturday, June 18. Tickets for the event go on sale Friday, March 25 at 10:00 a.m. CST, and start at $25, standard fees may apply, and can be purchased online at tickets.keystonecentre.com, and at the Keystone Centre box office. (submitted)

Good grief! After being sidelined by Covid for a year, Vincent Massey High School is excited to announce their comeback musical “You're a Good Man Charlie Brown”. The two-time Broadway hit, “You're a Good Man Charlie Brown” is a tribute to the Charles M. Schulz Peanuts cartoon gang. It follows a day with Charlie Brown as he ponders the meaning of life between kite flying, a baseball game, glee club practice, and winning the heart of the little red headed girl. This heart-warming musical has a singable score, and a plot full of innocence and laughter that the whole family will enjoy. The cast of 41-students from grades nine through twelve are each a memorable character from the classic cartoon series. The entire cast highlights some of childhood's simple joys as they, many for the first time, tread the boards. Led by newcomers Derek You as Charlie Brown, Ryan DeGroot as Snoopy, and Manu Tarubal as Schroeder, and joined by veterans Ava Acevedo as Sally, Alison Gray as Lucy, and Aaron Pasaporte as Linus. The whole cast and crew feel privileged to be able to perform again for the Westman region audiences. Working with acclaimed soprano Naomi Forman as our vocal director, and the owner/ instructor of Dance Images Linda Kearns as our choreographer, students are thrilled to be busy rehearsing again. Gabriela Milla, a second-year performer says, “It's exciting, I've missed human interaction.” Newcomer to the production Chelsea Nnamani said, “I've really been into acting, singing, and art so it's great to be able to do that again this year.” The whole cast feels fortunate that they can do what they love again, and hope that audiences will support them. “You're a Good Man Charlie Brown” will take place March 23’d, 24'h, and 25'h and tickets are on sale now! (submitted)

- The Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba is pleased to announce the start of their membership giveaway campaign, Make Yourself Part of the Picture, from February 1st to March 5th, 2022. Thanks to the generosity of the Manitoba Arts Council, the membership campaign will run for five weeks and give away over three hundred and fifty family or group and individual memberships to residents of the southwestern Manitoba region. The membership campaign is to encourage Westman residents to take part in the revitalizing of Brandon’s downtown area and renew support for the arts. A membership to the AGSM gives early access to class registrations, discounts at the gallery’s gift shop and ticketed workshops or events, facility rental discounts as well as discounts at select business locations in the Westman region. Members also have the unique opportunity to showcase their artwork at the end of year exhibition Annual Member’s Show, a tradition that just passed its 17th year anniversary. "Choosing to be a member of this wonderful arts community organization means that you get the opportunity to explore a variety of visual arts, photography, ceramics and writing classes on offer at a discounted rate. It’s a fantastic way for families to connect and enjoy a prairie-focus exhibition roster as well!” says Monica Joshi, the Gallery Service Coordinator. “We hope that these subsidized memberships will help us to reach the creative members of the community who have been thinking about getting involved with the gallery, but just need a little push.” The Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba is the oldest public art gallery in the Province, boasting a history that dates back to 1907, and the largest outside of Winnipeg. In addition to its ongoing exhibition program, it features three full terms of art classes for youth and adults, an additional summer option for youth and children, as well as intensive specialized workshops, each year. When the Manitoba Arts Council offered us funds to rebuild after the devastating effects of the pandemic on the arts and culture scene in Brandon, we chose to use the funds to rebuild our arts family. We encourage those seeking a membership to call us at 204.727.1036 or email us at info@agsm.ca.

The Manitoba government will again allow free entry to provincial parks for the entire month of February so Manitobans and visitors can take advantage of the many winter activities they offer, Environment, Climate and Parks Minister Jeff Wharton announced today. “Free park entry gives everyone more opportunities to enjoy nature and the great outdoors,” said Wharton. “People across our province love Manitoba’s parks and our government is pleased to make it easier to explore them and to experience all that they offer.” Vehicle permits will not be required at any provincial park in Manitoba in February, though Snopasses will be needed for snowmobilers using groomed trails in parks. Entrance fees will continue to apply at national parks. Provincial parks have groomed trails for a variety of activities, including cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, fat biking, snowshoeing and hiking. Paint Lake, Spruce Woods and Turtle Mountain provincial parks also offer outdoor skating areas, hockey rinks and toboggan hills. Trails province-wide are in excellent condition with a good snow base, the minister noted. Manitobans are encouraged to check trail conditions and weather forecasts before visiting parks to properly plan their outdoor adventures. An online interactive trails map is updated regularly with grooming and condition reports at www.manitobaparks.com. Trail users are reminded to use only trails that are designated for their activities, to keep dogs on leashes and to practise the principles of Leave No Trace by not littering. While being outdoors and active in nature is important for physical and mental health, COVID-19 public health orders must be followed, including for physical distancing and group size restrictions. Warming shelters are open with reduced capacity limits and masks are required indoors. Park visitors are reminded to observe capacity signs and to kindly limit their time in shelters to share with others. Information on COVID-19 guidelines in provincial parks is available at www.manitobaparks.com. Park interpreters offer numerous guided experiences to help Manitobans learn and discover natural and cultural heritage at Birds Hill, Spruce Woods and Whiteshell provincial parks. Highlights in February will include wolf howl hikes, snowshoe treks, quinzhee building and ice fishing. Event details and registration information can be found under the events tab on the Manitoba Parks Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MBGovParks and at www.manitobaparks.com. Teachers can also book free guided field trips to Birds Hill, Spruce Woods and Whiteshell provincial parks, along with virtual programs to bring park interpreters into their classrooms. For more information on winter activities and interpretive programs in provincial parks, email ParkInterpretation@gov.mb.ca or visit www.manitobaparks.com. Annual park vehicle permits will be available for purchase beginning on March 1. Manitobans can stay up to date with provincial parks news, activities and events by following Manitoba Parks on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MBGovParks and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MBGovParks.