According to the sign at the front of their property, the Shell gas station located at 1108-18th Street will be closing their doors on Monday, October the 9th. No word on what will become of the property going forward. Kickin' Axe Throwing will be Brandon's first axe throwing club playing host to birthday parties, stag/stagettes, corporate events and fundraisers.  They will be located at 3B-389 Park Ave East in Brandon.  No official word on an opening date yet, but check out their Facebook page for updated information.    

If you’re a manager or business owner, hiring is likely one of your top priorities. It often takes a lot of time to find just the right person to fill a position, especially when you’re looking for someone who is dedicated, reliable and safety conscious. To help with this process, more and more businesses and organizations are turning to Career Connections. Career Connections has a long history in western Manitoba as being one of the only employment agencies that specializes in finding employment for people living with a disability. They provide a number of different services to employers including on-the-job-training, job coaching and support, which is available on a short-term or ongoing basis. Tracy Williams, Executive Director of Career Connections, said that as October is Disability Employment Awareness Month, she wants to highlight the benefits of hiring a diversified workforce, which include lower turn over rates, higher productivity, well trained and safety conscious employees. “I believe that everybody deserves the right to work in their community, no matter what their abilities are. From an employers point of view, diversifying your workforce makes good business sense,” said Williams. As an example, in six Tim Hortons stores employing staff with disabilities, turn over was at 35 per cent compared to the 75 per cent industry average. In addition, absenteeism in 2011 of the employees with disabilities in these Tim Hortons locations was zero. Career Connections is a one-stop-shop for helping job seekers to find employment, to train prospective employees and perform evaluations. They provide two-day, full vocational assessments to determine what area their clients would be most successful in and determine what their barriers are to employment. Referrals come from a variety of different agencies such as the Society for Manitobans with Disabilities, Canadian National Institute for the Blind, Employment Support Programming through the Government of Manitoba such as Market Abilities and Job Connections, Correctional Services of Canada and the Samaritan House Training Centre. “We could potential service as many as 250 people in a year, which may be people who are looking for employment or are already working and being maintained,” said Williams. “With our caseload we assist people with physical disabilities, hearing impairment, vision impairment, mental health issues, learning disabilities, we’ve had clients who are ex Military members and ex RCMP officers. There are many barriers to employment, but it’s our job to help identify that barrier and put together a supportive vocational plan that works for both the client and eventually the employer.”

Frederickson Performance Centre located at 1212 – 18th Street has recently gone through an ownership change as the original owners Jim and Jill Frederickson have sold off their gym and Lulu Lemon franchise to Tyler Sanjenko. BDNMB.CA was afforded the opportunity to speak with several FPC clients who have experienced life altering changes to their lives while training and working out at FPC. BDNMB – Tyler, any thoughts to changing the name now? Tyler – "For now going forward we plan on keeping the name, not saying I am against it in the future, but we have built a strong culture and the name is a strong brand/reputation behind it." BDNMB – I must ask does Goodlife concern you at all? Tyler – "I try to give it no energy...our business models are totally different.  We focus on personal training, clothing sales, and athletic therapy." BDNMB – Explain your arrangement with Lulu Lemon. Tyler - "We are not able to directly advertise or market that we carry a full clothing line. We definitely have had our most success through word of mouth and referral business" BDNMB – First impressions are key to most businesses and it's safe to say that you have that covered. Tyler – "Yes, we feel customers are always #1 and our staff is always keeping everything clean and giving our customers that great first impression." BDNMB – Any changes coming up? Tyler – "Some small changes to lighting etc. and I am excited about our new website." BDNMB – Talk about the costs of personal training and what about if someone wants to come and try the gym for a day. Tyler – "Personal training is a part of your lifestyle and will cost a person about $45.00 per training session, if you buy 20 sessions.  And yes, for sure if you want to come down we will give you a free day pass." A couple of recent success stories at FPC include Garry and Kristie Hamm who have lost an amazing 200 pounds between the couple.  They used to stay home and order food in and now find FPC part of their lives. Kristie explain to our readers the journey of coming to FPC.  “I was at several gyms and for whatever reason I had no success."  “I felt that Tyler expected more out of me and I had to get serious about this." “Also FPC is a positive community that I find important." Do you feel Kristie that your life is totally changed?  “Yes, without a doubt every aspect of my life has been changed." Garry Hamm has seen huge changes in his wife not only physically but mentally as well.  “She is way more confident, and will go out with the girls and shop for clothes." Of note Garry is a champion 5 pin bowling champion. Another FPC client that has a huge transformation is Garry Raine, a former prosecutor.  Garry has lost an incredible 120 pounds and has even reversed his diabetes that he was diagnosed with in his early 40’s.  “My wife motivated me to do this, but my notions of a gym were young and in shape guys flexing in the mirror."  Any words of wisdom for people considering coming to a gym, and/or FPC?  “Get on a treadmill, walk, be consistent, and don’t kill yourself going to hard." Thank you to Tyler and his clients for the time they spent with BDNMB.CA today.

Vancouver, B.C. – One of Canada’s largest grocers, Sobeys Inc., has joined the Ocean Wise Seafood program as a new partner, adding more than 250 partner locations in Western Canada as the sustainable seafood movement continues to gain momentum. Customers at all Sobeys and Safeway stores in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia can now look for the Ocean Wise symbol for assurance they’re buying ocean-friendly seafood. “From day one of working together, Sobeys has demonstrated incredible commitment to the program, ensuring that their customers have a wide range of sustainable choices when shopping for seafood in their stores. We’re proud to call this storied Canadian company a partner, and continue to grow the Ocean Wise Seafood program into new communities from British Columbia to Manitoba,” said Ann-Marie Copping, Ocean Wise Seafood program manager. “Choosing sustainable seafood is vital to preserving healthy oceans, rivers, and lakes, whether you live on the coast or in a landlocked city. Ocean Wise and its valuable partners continue to make it easy for seafood lovers everywhere to make that choice.” Ocean Wise recommended seafood is now available at the fresh counter and in the frozen section at both retailers, and includes a wide range of ocean-friendly items; Alaskan Pollock, pole-caught Ahi tuna, farmed shellfish as well as B.C. lingcod and sockeye salmon are among the sustainable choices that shoppers can find in store. In total, there are nearly 700 Ocean Wise items, varying across locations. “Seafood is an important component in our offering and we’re committed to responsible sourcing practices to ensure sustainable seafood options are always available for our customers so they can Eat Better, Feel Better and Do Better,” said Jason Bater, Director of Category Management, Seafood of Sobeys Inc. “When our customers see the Ocean Wise Seafood symbol in our stores in Western Canada, they can feel confident they’re making an ocean-friendly seafood choice.” Sobeys and Safeway, which includes 185 Safeway locations and 85 Sobeys locations in its Western Canada region, have been proud sustainability advocates for years. Whether it’s lessening electric consumption or diverting waste from landfills, their efforts are rooted in ensuring the health of our planet and oceans for generations to come. The Ocean Wise seafood program continues to partner with like-minded restaurants, retailers and suppliers from coast to coast to coast. With this recent partnership, the Ocean Wise seafood program now has 279 retail partner locations in addition to 873 restaurant locations in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, and Alberta.

Reservations to Assiniboine Community College’s much-anticipated annual Grey Owl Restaurant are a hot commodity. So much so that the college has helped the Brandon Regional Health Centre (BRHC) Foundation net $13,800 through auctioning off a single table of eight over each of the previous five years. In the past, the college has provided a complimentary table to the BRHC Foundation to use in its fundraising activities. This marks the sixth year that the BRHC Foundation will auction off a table to the 2018 Grey Owl at their annual fundraising gala on September 30. It’s likely the total amount raised in the six years will surpass $17,000. "ACC's incredible donation has helped us make a difference in the healthcare provided at the Brandon Regional Health Centre,” said Cindy Buizer, Executive Director of the BRHC Foundation. “Gala proceeds over the past five years have purchased a transport unit and transport ventilator, an infant ventilator, a Bipap respiratory unit, hysterscopes, and supported our fundraising projects.” “We are so very grateful to have been the recipient of this donation for a total of six years and extend our heartfelt thank you to the Assiniboine Community College for their generosity," she added. Assiniboine is now inviting other non-profit organizations and community groups to submit their proposals for a complimentary reservation at the 2019 Grey Owl restaurant. The organization selected by the college will be able to use the donated table for eight inside the private dining room to support their own fundraising efforts. “We’re constantly reminded of the support Assiniboine receives from the public,” said president Mark Frison. “And with our own Foundation, we know first-hand how much of a difference donations make towards realizing our goals and supporting students.” “We expect this Grey Owl experience will help a non-profit organization make good strides towards their own fundraising objectives and we’re keen to support the community in this way as we have for the hospital foundation. Those organizations and groups interested in submitting a proposal to the college may visit assiniboine.net/GreyOwl for details on submission requirements, allowed use and deadlines for proposals. Reservations to the 2018 Grey Owl are expected to open in December 2017. Details will be updated on the college’s website as they become available.