At first when you look at these photos, you think is this in Norway or Finland. Well no, this is actually only 20 minutes south of Brandon, towards Wawanesa. The Oak Haven Oasis has just opened for business with a truly cool and unique business. The general idea is for a couple to go and relax and "unplug" and enjoy peace and quiet in one of the three luxury domes. Domes include private deck - bbq - hot tub - fire table and sitting area. Each dome has board games and free coffee.  Plus high speed internet as well. Contact Taylor Penner 204 380 2980 https://oakhavenoasis.ca/

The Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba is pleased to announce the return of their annual arts and crafts sale. Now in its 34th year, The Gala of Gifts, a unique holiday market, will feature creators from all across the Westman region on Friday, November 25th and Saturday, 26th. New this year is a SoupArt Bowl fundraiser event, where participants will have the opportunity to sample soups from local vendors like Komfort Kitchen, Benny’s Restaurant, and The Dock on Princess, and to take home a one-of-a-kind ceramic bowl, handmade by members of the AGSM community. Tickets are currently being sold on the AGSM website or via phone for $45 each, perfect for staff appreciation closer to the holidays. This year’s event will showcase 17 Westman-based artists and artisans in the Main Gallery. Returning patrons and first-timers alike will be delighted to find a wide variety of items for sale, including honey and bee products from Raven Creek Farm, stylish handmade moccasins and mukluks from Dianna’s Creations, one-of-a-kind oil paintings and pencil drawings by Marin Curtis Fine Arts, and much more! Visitors will be welcomed into the AGSM, which will be transformed into a decorated Winter Forest, by a keen group of volunteers. The youngest family members can satisfy their creativity in the children’s studio during two clay classes on Friday evening starting at either 4:00 or 5:45PM, and Saturday morning at 10:00 or 11:30AM. The Gala of Gifts would not be complete without the return of our raffle, where every ticket purchased is a chance to win one of many items donated from our vendors, as well as other exciting prizes! Admission is just $2, and children 5 & under are free. The Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba is located at 710 Rosser Avenue. It can be accessed either from the Town Centre parkade, or from the first floor of the Town Centre Mall through the elevators near the library. Parking in the Town Centre is FREE for AGSM visitors and on the weekends.

Frederickson Performance Centre (FPC) has changed hands to three well known local business people. Former NHL & Wheat King player & Player Agent Matt Calvert, also former Pro and Wheat King player and now real estate mogul Tyler Plante and saving the best for last real estate legend Brian Baker have decided to take on a new venture. The wives Raquelle Baker, Jordana Plante, and Courtney Calvert will also play big roles for the upcoming changes at FPC. Frederickson Performance Centre will be now known at Fit Performance Centre at 1212 - 18th Street. "We will shut down November 11th and 12th for re branding and signage and new equipment.  We hope to bring some new life to the place" said new owner Brian Baker. Tyler Plante felt the opportunity was a good one and overall a great fit. We want to help it grow. Matt Calvert local legend " the biggest reason for us is my wife wants to be involved and personally it has been part of my daily routine and we are excited to build a business together and looking forward to it" Hours of operation will change slightly Baker also told BDNMB.CA. Grand opening will be November 25th.

Following several months of renovations, Little Chief's Place (2025 Lyndale Dr) is finally looking forward to opening their doors to the public. Ownership told bdnmb.ca they are unsure of the exact time the store will open tomorrow, however they were aiming for early afternoon. The popular convenience store/gas station/laundromat was damaged the first week of June when a truck backed inside the store with the front door/glass completely out. The truck exited the building and was dragging the ATM behind it which broke free as the vehicle turned south. The total extent of the damage is not yet known, however during today's visit all new shelving and counters were immediately visible. The convenience store stocks a range of everyday items for people on the go such as snack foods, confectionery, lottery tickets, soft drinks, coffee, tobacco products, and more. Little Chief's Place also is a Chester's Fried Chicken location as well as an M&M Food Market Express location.

Today BDNMB.CA traveled to 1625 – 1st Street to the home of a new local business; Weddings & Events by Crafty Abby.  We had the opportunity to speak with the owner Abby Wenger to get a better understanding of her business. She made a huge leap and turned her passion into a dream job. BDNMB.CA - How long have you been in business and in the location you are in now? Abby - We started the business last year, operating at home. as a part time business, as I just enjoy making arrangements. But we grew faster than expected and rented a small space on 18th street as a front showroom, but we outgrew the space in 2 months, and we are now in a bigger and better location 1625 1st street, more space for showroom, parking for clients and trailers for storage. We moved in our new location in Mid August. BDNMB.CA - What is your background ? Abby - I have the Personal Financial Planner designation, worked for a bank for 14 yrs, as Sr. Financial Advisor for Business. But I've always loved making pretty things, doing decorations, making flower arrangements, and planning an event. I was the President of the Filipino Community for 2 terms. Then I was planning on opening a flower shop when I retire from the bank. But fate had brought me to where I am, I'm so happy that I took the leap and made my passion into a real job, my dream job. BDNMB.CA - Do you have lots of local competition if so how is your business different than your competitors? Abby - I'd say there are few in town that have some decors, but majority of them are complimentary to what we have, and we worked well together. What separates us apart from others were that we are the very first that introduced several decors and arrangements like Flower Towers, Boho Towers, Head Table arrangements and Backdrop Florals, we are also known for our Boho Centrepieces, and bouquets.  Aside from decor rentals, we also make customizable bouquets and all kinds of flower decors using real pampas grass, and high quality silk flowers. Brides can rent floral bouquets for their bridesmaids if budget is tight. We've also introduced the Diamond Arch and flower wall which are very popular. Everything is customizable, basically we make the bride's vision come to life. We also offer decorations by request, if we don't have them we will make them or order them. We offer different kinds and colours of flowers, centrepieces, we also personalized Sign boards. Our prices are very reasonable, we get orders from other provinces as well. BDNMB.CA - Have you embraced technology to make your business more accessible to new and old customers. Abby - We have a website where clients can reach us, we use IG and FB for all of our marketing exposures, and majority of our clients came from word of mouth. Happy clients that have referred us to their friends. BDNMB.CA - What does it usually cost for your services ( on average ) Abby - Depending on the request and needs. Bridesmaids bouquets starts at $35 to $45, boutonnières are $15, however we always works with clients budget and can adjust the floral requirements and style according to what they would like. We have every decors for every bride, from a tight budget to a glam wedding! We basically have everything except table cloths and napkins. We also offer set up  and take down services, we've recently travelled outside MB to do a 3-day wedding. We also offer shipping, and have done several events in surrounding areas of Brandon. You can see her photos and services by clicking on: https://www.facebook.com/weddingsbycraftyabby https://weddingsbycraftyabby.com/