To the regular person that will see B.O.B HQ on 18th street you would never know that 25 people are working full time behind the scenes to fulfill orders from all over North America. Welcome to Bob Ritchot’s world. After the very small humble start in the Unwinder of all places (former club at the Victoria Inn) where Bob would piece together interesting pieces of beadwork for bands such as Our Lady Peace, I Mother Earth and members of Blind Melon. It was a passion that would grow into making and selling candles. The business blew up as Bob says and he had to expand into a house and garage. His candle operation then went to the next level and he entered a chain of stores in malls across Canada. Ritchot quoted “ I was young and no knowledge and idea of really what I was doing”. Bob might be a tad bit humble because this is where he went to the next level. Opening a store on 416 – 10th where he would have a full line of smoking accessories and merchandise ….. But soon this would prove to be too small and it would be time to expand again. Senate Skate was on 18th Street and Bob purchased the buildings and land and sat on the property for about 5 years to execute the next stage in his business expansion. At 658 – 18th street he would build a mini strip mall with Smitten, Pita Pit plus the new B.O.B HQ. With the upcoming legalization of marijuana in Canada in March or April 2017 one would think this is a natural fit for Bob to expand into. According to Ritchot he will sell and do what they do best. Right now he isn’t interested in having a marijuana dispensary. B.O.B. HQ was given the Business Excellence Award from the Brandon Chamber of Commerce a few years ago and will plan to stay growing his business in Brandon. “ We could have moved to Winnipeg or Toronto but we have stayed here in Brandon where the city is great to deal with and we have faced no problems”.

The Westwood Ranch & Garden Centre (a 2014 Westman Tourism Award Winner) is not your typical greenhouse and garden centre that you would see anywhere else in the country. Yes they sell your standard trees, shrubs, bedding plants, and planters from their 7, soon to be 10 greenhouses, but what makes them unique is that they have manged to incorporate a petting zoo/exotic animal ranch on the property near Kola, MB for guests and visitors to see and interact with. The petting zoo features many animals including lemurs, zebras, walaroos, emu's, Llamas and ostrich's. There is also chickens, pigs, sheep, swans, goats, pheasants and more scattered throughout the property just waiting to have their photos taken. The garden centre and petting zoo are the workings of owner Mark Humphries and his wife Jill who moved to Canada 9 years ago from England to concentrate on some basic farming practices after years of running a large scale zoo in their home country. Several years after arriving in Canada the Humphries had the opportunity to purchase some area greenhouses to expand and diversify their farming operation and as a result the garden centre and greenhouse business was born. They later expanded to include a petting zoo with common farm animals in one small building which quickly grew to additional varieties of animals, and several fully insulated and gas heated buildings. By their estimation they receive appropriately 7,000-9,000 visitors a season. This year they played host to 40 school tours noting that school and educational tours are a big part of their business. These school tours are both hands on and interactive. In addition to the petting zoo and garden centre they also offer visitors the opportunity to take a tractor train ride to the Gold and Diamond Mines where one can do a little panning for gold at the Westwood Gold Mine. Lovers of Halloween should mark their calendars and check out their their Halloween Scare Nights featuring terrifying guided tours, a haunted train ride, and spooky tales. This special attraction runs evenings during the week of October 26th-30th and it is strongly recommended to call ahead to reserve your tickets today for this event. Admission is only $6.50 for children and adults while children under 3 are admitted FREE. They are located near Kola, MB on the Manitoba border with Saskatchewan on the Provincial Road 542.You can find them by turning south of the Trans Canada 1 on to the 542 .Follow the 542 for 10 miles until you see the sign to turn west at the correction line. They are one mile along this road on the south side. From Virden follow Road 257 to Kola, then turn north on the 542, after 3 miles turn west at the sign after the correction line bend. You will find them 1 mile along this road on the south side For additional information on this road side attraction please refer to their web site at : http://www.westwoodgardencentre.com or their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Westwood-Ranch-Garden-Centre/146678362110630

Are you dreaming of that relaxing cottage away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life? Nature's Hideaway, located just a few miles outside of the City of Brandon, can help make your dream a reality! Flanked by the Brandon Hills the two cabins offer amazing natural views of water, wildlife and mature forest. These rustic, year-round cabins are decorated and built with handcrafted wood, and feature kitchenettes, jet tubs, and satellite TV. The cabins were built by proprietor Melanie Granger, along with her husband and father, and they have been in operation for 8 years. The cabins, designed for couples only, are fully equipped with everything you need to enjoy your stay, just bring your food and drink. Boats are available for customers to take out on the adjacent pond as often as you like. Nature's Hideaway is located a mile from the Brandon Hills Trails which feature skiing, biking, and hiking allowing you to enjoy the great outdoors during the day with a cozy place to retreat for the evening. Whether you're seeking to reconnect with yourself, a loved one or just spend some time in a quiet, natural environment, you will LOVE a Nature's Hideaway getaway. Click here to access their web site. Directions From Brandon go South on 18th Street/Highway 10. Turn left on High Country Road (Carriage House Antiques) and proceed east 3.2 kms. Turn right, and from there you will travel south 3.5 kms and turn left.  

Four local Brandon businesses have been highlighted in Expedia's list of the “9 Best Saskatchewan and Manitoba Road Trip Stops” in a recent online article posted on the popular travel site. The series of articles from Expedia.ca covers the “Essential Road Trip Stops in Canada” this time focusing on the Provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The 5th stop listed on this tour was Brandon, MB where The Dock on Princess was mentioned as an ideal restaurant to stop for some hand-cut and battered onion rings after a morning spent on the highway getting to Brandon from Indian Head, Saskatchewan, the 4th stop on the list. Following lunch they suggest stopping by the Westman Reptile Gardens to see Canada's largest variety of reptiles under one roof before heading over to the  Assiniboine Riverbank Discovery Trial for some nature hiking. Prior to departing the Wheat City for the next stop on the tour the City of Possibilities, Portage la Prairie,  Expedia suggests heading down to Tastee's Ice Cream and Grill for some of their popular ice cream treats. Other cities featured on the list include Moose Jaw, Swift Current, Winnipeg and the Whiteshell Provincial Park. The full article form Expedia can be found here.

For people who own pets they realize that going to the vet for their dogs or cats can be stressful for them. This is where Brandon’s Petmobile and Dr. Liana Mawer comes to the rescue. BDNMB – Basically walk us through this. Do people call or Email to set up an appointment and you will come to their home with basically a Vet Clinic on wheels? Dr. Liana Mawer – Yes that is correct we can perform most routine tests and examinations. BDNMB – So would you look after or help anything other than cats or dogs? Dr. Liana Mawer – No just basically cats and dogs. BDNMB – How long has the Petmobile been in existence in Brandon? Dr. Liana Mawer – We have been in business now for over one year and many people do not know we exist. BDNMB – What makes you different? Dr. Liana Mawer – Low stress handling techniques using minimal restraint and trying to do things in a manner that will reduce pet stress. Plus we use Feliway sprays that are products that have a scent that smells like a lactating mom and has been shown to reduce stress. BDNMB – How can people reach you? Dr Liana Mawer – Cell 204 573 7266 or http://www.drlianamawer.ca/or https://www.facebook.com/Petmobile-Vet-Clinic-Inc-180692631987170