The countdown is on and the wait is nearly over.  The new 70-seat, 2650 sq foot Dairy Queen Grill & Chill restaurant and drive-thru in Brandon is slated to open Louis Riel Day (February 18, 2019).   BDNMB.CA first broke the news on June 6, 2018 and the story quickly created a major buzz (over 23,000 views to date) among our readers with comments on our official Facebook page like "This is super exciting!!", "Dad is going to be so happy LOL", "Yahooo! Super excited" and "This is awesome! We need something at the corral centre!!!!". Located at 915-18th Street North (Corral Centre) the restaurant is expected to employ 35-40 people.  Dairy Queen will continue to operate at its 18th Street location as well.

Heidi & Andrew Curr own and operate ‘Heart of a Sweet Current’ out of a cute and petite central space in the city of Brandon, Manitoba. The unique bake shop was renovated during the summer of 2018, and is fully licensed as a commercial kitchen. The shop operates by appointment & custom order only, rather than as a storefront. Additionally, they are taking on local pop-ups and vendor events. This unique business model allows the couple to fit their little shop in with Andrew's unpredictable military life as a Major in the Artillery, and of course with their 3 month old son, Kingston. Originally self-taught, Heidi has always had a love for creativity, and commitment to quality- this eventually translated into experimenting with recipes for all things sweet.  In 2011, she decided to pursue her new found passion and trained as a Cake Designer in Toronto at the Bonnie Gordon College of Confectionary Arts. Another dream was realized by earning her Pastry Chef designation in 2017 from The French Pastry School, located in Chicago, Illinois. The next logical step was actively pursuing a local space where she could create specialty and designer cakes, and confectionery. The gourmet items they are marketing are created using only real and high quality ingredients. Customer favourites include biscotti, salted caramels, marshmallows, pâtede fruit (fruit jellies), and of course, cupcakes. Every enticing element is hand-crafted by Heidi with great attention to detail resulting in delightful flavour and a lovely finished product. The debut for their unique business was at the AGSM Gala of Gifts December 2018, and less than month ago they were a vendor at the popular Westman Wedding Expo. Currently, their Valentine's Day menu is open for orders until Tuesday, February 12th. Next up will be a booth at the 2019 Royal Manitoba Winter Fair! Custom orders for weddings are already being booked throughout 2019 and additional vendor events are on the calendar for this little shop! Like and follow them on Facebook and Instagram to keep up to date with their sweet journey, and to book ‘exquisite flavour and finesse’ for your next event. Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/heartofasweetcurrent/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartofasweetcurrent/ Email: heartofasweetcurrent@hotmail.com

As of March 1, 2019, Progressive Westman will be the proud new owner of Wheelers Green Carpet Cleaning. As a company constantly striving to provide new and innovative ways to bring customers value in their industry, this acquisition seemed like a perfect fit. The Wheeler family has been serving the Westman area for over three decades. The Progressive team look forward to continuing to provide a high level of carpet cleaning excellence. Their staff have been working hard to learn all the best tips, tricks, & techniques under the Wheelers staff and other experts to ensure the same level of quality Wheelers customers have come to expect. They will be working diligently to ensure the transition is seamless! The name, phone number, website, email address and booking systems will all remain the same for the foreseeable future. The only change will be the business will be operated by Progressive and our kick ass staff!

Finding freedom from debt is easier than you think. Now open in Brandon, Manitoba, C. Buhler & Associates Ltd. offers free financial consultations to anyone struggling with debt. By explaining options such as consolidation, financial counselling, Consumer Proposals and Bankruptcies, Licensed Insolvency Trustee Crystal Buhler is hoping to provide a lasting solution to those stuck in the cycle of borrowing and debt. Buhler notes, “Too many people aren’t sure where to turn. There is a stigma about being in debt, and people find it hard to talk about money. It impacts relationships and mental health more than most people realize.” Licensed Insolvency Trustees are the only professionals in Canada permitted to administer Consumer Proposals and Bankruptcies.  With current levels of debt, many Canadian households find they are not able to get ahead on their obligations, turning instead to debt management plans, or credit counsellors. Buhler emphasizes her service is different, offering free no-obligation consultations, in person or by phone, to provide situation-specific, reliable, answers in a non-judgmental manner. Born and raised in Southwest Manitoba, Buhler is proud to open her office in Brandon, and is licensed to serve Manitoba and the Northwest Territories. To arrange a free consultation, call 1-855-352-FREE (3733), email crystal@debtfreenorth.com, or check out the website www.debtfreenorth.com.

The Batchery, a Brandon Food Truck specializing in ice cream, gelato and sorbetto made right on the truck, will have a new place to call home this summer.  They will be changing locations from the Healthy Living Centre to the grounds at the Brandon Riverbank. The announcement was made earlier today.