If you happen to be driving down 10th Street in the last day or so, I’m sure that you couldn’t help but take a second look at the big gaping hole in the front of one the buildings.   Contractor Ryan Lamont of Rylam Developments said the building at 122-10th Street is undergoing a complete facade renovation. It is a joint project by Brandon Downtown Development Corporation and the owner of the building, Brent Campbell.   “It’s getting a full facelift. We’re replacing the windows at street level, as well as up top. We’re painting the entire building, adding some modern siding, tin and such,” said Lamont.   Rylam Developments, operating in the Wheat City for over nine years, have worked on a variety of construction projects similar to this in downtown Brandon, plus they are also new home builders. Lamont said the improvements to this building will flow with the rest of the work that has been done in recent years in the 100 block of 10th Street.   “It’s going to be a cool mix of old with some new, modern touches. The look is taking more of an arts theme to highlight the businesses that are currently located within the building including the Brandon School of Dance, Empower Boxing and Kirin Martial Arts Club,” said Lamont.   Demolition started on May 1 and the project will continue for the next three to four weeks. The City of Brandon announced through the road closure notices that the sidewalk on the West side of the street (in and around the building) is closed for one month during construction.   The main level of the building is currently available for lease. For full details and complete information, contact Realtor Brad Hardy with Royal LePage.

Brandon, Manitoba - May 1st, 2018 - South End Lumber has announced that they have purchased North American Lumber in Carberry, Manitoba. The acquisition, along with a recently expanded lumber yard in Brandon, Manitoba, will allow the company to serve the community of Carberry and surrounding area. “The purchase of North American Lumber made a lot of sense to us," said Scott Norosky, owner of South End Lumber. "It was a well managed company with a long history in the Carberry region as well as strong contractor relations and a team of talented staff. The Carberry economy is robust and we can provide a lot of value to the community through employment, contractor services and a commitment to the region." About South End Lumber Founded in Brandon, Manitoba in 1954, South End Lumber is a third generation family owned business presently owned by brothers Scott and Tyler Norosky along with their dad, Wes. From its location at 1550 13th Street in Brandon, the company has grown significantly by serving clients with industry leading customer service and competitive prices. As one of the founding members of the Tim-BR Mart buying group, South End Lumber offers prices that compete with multi-national lumber yards while maintaining the familiarity and relationships that come along with small business. “Things will be business as usual in Carberry for the former North American Lumber store,” said Tyler Norosky. “We will be re-branding the Carberry business to South End Lumber but will be retaining all of the staff. We think we can continue the relationships built by North American and help grow the business while being a committed member of the community of Carberry.” While North American Lumber has been in business for over a century, the ownership group has come to a point where they are looking to transition out of their retail locations across Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Northwestern Ontario. "We’re proud to do business in every community that we operate and are committed to those regions," said Martha Konantz, owner of North American Lumber. "When selling the Carberry location it was important for us to find a community-minded buyer that had a vision to grow the business and help the community thrive. The Norosky family has a long history in the area and we felt this store was a natural accompaniment to the business that they were already doing in Westman." North American Lumber, located at 18 Simcoe Street , in Carberry will transition to South End Lumber on June 1st, 2018.

The Pelican Campground & Lounge will be reopening this summer thanks to Contractors Corner's Geoff Gregoire.  The campground/lounge had been closed for twelve years prior to Gregoire purchasing the property in May of 2017.   The Pelican Campground & Lounge is located in Ninette, Manitoba on the North Shore of Pelican Lake. The site features 28 full service campsites as well as an area for tents.  They also have a fully furnished rental cabin on the property that sleeps 6. The cabin has two bedrooms, a hide a bed, 1 full bath, and a kitchen with utensils. Last summer Geoff and his team spent a considerable amount of time cleaning up and preparing the campground for campers and their families.  Fast forward a year and Geoff and his team are excited to open the licensed restaurant & lounge to the public.  The restaurant & lounge also received a massive, modern face lift.   It seats 99 and features an old school jukebox and a shuffleboard table.  With the help of his girlfriend Coralee Pushka they have put together a food program with a wide array of menu items including pizza, burgers, wraps, appetizers, and sandwiches.  The bar menu includes both domestic & imported beer, a wide selection of wines, shooters, & mixed cocktails.  Opening date for the restaurant/lounge is Wednesday, May 2 at 4:00 pm.  They will also be offering a weekly Sunday buffet starting Mothers Day weekend. Additional future development on the property includes bathrooms, showers, and a coin-operated laundry.   They will also be installing a 80’ boat dock with 4 wings for customers who want to take a boat ride for dinner.

Sunrise Credit Union is pleased to announce they are in discussions to merge operations with Strathclair Credit Union, effective January 1st, 2019. The primary objective of the merger is to improve member service through an expanded geographic area, increase and improve product offerings, enhance career opportunities for employees, and drive greater operational efficiencies and cost savings through economies of scale. Both Strathclair and Sunrise Credit Unions are member-owned and community focused.  It is these foundational and co-operative philosophies that bring these two like-minded organizations together. Because merging with Strathclair accounts for less than a 10% increase in assets for Sunrise, the merger can be approved by the Sunrise Board of Directors without a full membership vote.  Strathclair Credit Union members, however, will have a chance to vote at an upcoming meeting, date to be announced. Strathclair Credit Union has 2,800 members and $94.7 million assets, bringing the amalgamated organization to 27,000 members strong with over $1.1 billion assets.  Following the merger, members of the combined organization will have access to personalized service from 20 communities in Southwestern Manitoba and staff will benefit from an expanded range of development opportunities.

Exactly ten years to the day of having purchased the Days Inn and Suites Brandon, owner-operators Melody and Dave Brooks, will hand the reigns over to new owners on May 1. The transaction also includes their second business in the Wheat City, Motel 6 Brandon.   “We weren’t actively seeking buyers, but we were approached by a local group of investors that own hotels in Dauphin, Virden and Headingley and we really liked them. They are local and really committed to being in the community, it felt like a good fit for us. You don’t get an offer like this every day so we decided it was the right time for us,” said Melody Brooks.   Brooks said that the new owners met with the companies 45 employees recently and assured them that it would be business as usual.   “We had a really positive meeting with the staff at both locations and the news was well received. The new owners are experienced in the industry and have confirmed that everything will remain the same including staffing and wages,” said Brooks.   “We came here 10 years ago and we love Brandon, we just absolutely have so loved being in this town and doing business in this town. We have a lot of mixed feelings, but sometimes a new broom sweeps clean. It’s time for somebody new, for different ideas and some new energy coming in.”   The Brooks moved to Brandon from British Columbia a decade ago to purchase the Days Inn from then owners Phil Hall and Claire Chudley. They built an addition to the hotel, taking it from 61 to 76 rooms. In addition, the local entrepreneurs also purchased Motel 6 Brandon almost three years ago.   The couple intends to stay in the hotel industry, however they weren’t quite ready to publicly share their future plans. bdnmb.ca wishes them well in their future endeavours.