It has been a long & snowy winter but that’s not stopping seasonal ice cream stands from starting to open their doors for business. Dairy Queen located at 904-18th Street opened for the season Tuesday (March 1, 2022). They have been serving their world famous soft serve ice cream in Brandon since 1954. Stop by for a cool, delicious ice cream cone, sundae, Blizzard, banana split or ice cream cake. This Dairy Queen location operates on a seasonal schedule. Brandon’s first Dairy Queen Grill & Chill (915-18th Street North) opened on February. 14, 2019. In addition to ice cream products, the Grill & Chill concept includes menu items like burgers, fries, salads, chicken and other foods. Twisters Ice Cream Shoppe also opened for the season yesterday. The menu includes  24 hard ice cream flavours. 11 flavours of soft ice cream, ice cream cakes & many more yummy treats! Brandon's Velvet Dip location is scheduled to open on Friday, March the 4th at noon. Since 1965 the iconic Victoria Avenue business has been serving a variety of hard & soft ice cream, milkshakes, fruit smoothies, parfaits, cakes and more.

Westoba Inspire, Westoba Credit Unions' Community Investment Program is accepting applications during March 2022 for major community infrastructure projects up to $10,000.00. The Inspire program offers funding opportunities for a variety of projects that meet a wide range of ages and demographics. “We have provided funding for senior organizations, youth activities, community recreation facilities, and more since this program started in 2017” said Jim Rediger, Westoba’s President, and EO. “We are excited to see what projects our communities are working on, and how Westoba can help support those efforts.” Applicants must be a non-profit, charitable, or community organization or have a charitable fiscal agent to act on their behalf. Applications are reviewed by Westoba’s Community Investment Committee which includes staff, member and Board representation. Successful applications are chosen based on their ability to align with Westoba’s goal to support community infrastructure. HOW TO APPLY to Westoba Inspire Applications will be accepted through an online application form available March 1st – 31st at www.westobainspire.com

Westman Communications Group (Westman) continues to be a leader in the communications industry with its recent launch of the cutting-edge Wi-Fi 6 technology. Wi-Fi 6 is available through Westman's Enhanced Home Wi-Fi service and aims to improve efficiency and provide a better online user experience. “With more connected devices and the rise of smart homes, our customers require a higherquality bandwidth connection,” said Westman's Chief Customer Officer, John Quail. “By introducing Wi-Fi 6 capabilities, we were able to put the best of two worlds together to offer our customers more reliability throughout the home while providing the speed they need for all their connected devices.” Other improvements customers will experience are longer device battery life, putting devices to sleep that are not transmitting data and less Wi-Fi interference, especially individuals living in an apartment or condominium. To tie the entire user experience together, customers will have the option to download the My Westman Wi-Fi app, which puts them completely in control of their network. The My Westman Wi-Fi app allows customers to run a bandwidth test, view device usage, enable new services, set time limits, parental controls, and so much more. Westman’s Enhanced Home Wi-Fi powered by Wi-Fi 6, is available to all new and existing customers. To enjoy the benefits of Wi-Fi 6, customers will need to use compatible devices. To learn more information on Westman's Enhanced Home Wi-Fi, visit https://westmancom.com/wifi6.

We all know the odds of making it to the NHL are like .001 so therefore once you finish playing hockey you need a Plan B, C, or even D. Daniel Bartek (Olomouc, CZE) was selected in the first round of the CHL import draft by Tri Cities. He was later dealt to Brandon where he would have a decent career. He finished his WHL career with Everett and then went to play CIS Dalhousie (Halifax) for 4 seasons. If the Brandon Wheat Kings can lay claim to something, in addition to talented hockey players, it is for producing young entrepreneurs. And for a kid from the Czech Republic to not only succeed in North America as a Junior/University player but to move on and step into the beverage and alcohol business that is very impressive.  BDNMB.CA had a chance to talk to Bartek who now calls Toronto home. Daniel how on earth would you dare to get into such a competitive business? Like for so many entrepreneurs, I think it's just part of my DNA. It was my competitive nature that propelled me to leave home at the age of 17 to pursue my hockey dream in North America. The same force set me on the path of creating the next big beverage company. In both instances, I knew all too well the odds were stacked against me but I pushed through anyway. Life is full of risks and challenges but as the famous saying goes, "If you risk nothing, you risk everything." Personally I've never tried any of your products yet, can they be purchased in Manitoba? You bet! Our brands are now distributed across all Canadian provinces. In Manitoba, you can currently get a variety of our Cottage Springs Vodka Sodas: Peach, Watermelon and our mixed pack. We also have several great Cottage Springs innovations coming to you in 2022, including our low sugar Vodka Iced Tea, Vodka Lemonade mixed packs, and also our Mango and Raspberry 4L bag in box. All products will be available at your local MBLL. For availability you can check the MBLL website here: https://www.liquormarts.ca/search-products/%25/cottage%20springs Did the education you received while attending Dalhousie University help you in developing your business or does it all come naturally? To be honest, I wouldn’t have started this business if I didn't go to school. My decision not to sign a professional contract while competing for a spot within the Rangers organization at the end of my junior career ended up being a great call after all. It allowed me to take full advantage of my WHL scholarship package and inevitably set me on my entrepreneurial path. Being at Dal gave me the opportunity to meet my future business partner Cam McDonald and develop a network of entrepreneurs and friends that I hold dear to this day. However, as far as academics go, you most definitely don’t need go to school to start your business. Aside from a few entrepreneurship classes, I still had to learn how to run a business from scratch. While at Dal, I eventually left school early and finished my degree online in order to fully focus on my start ups at the time. Tell us about your company, products and how unique they are? Ace Beverage Group (ABG) is a Toronto-based company that served up many of Canada’s best selling drinks last year, including Cottage Springs vodka seltzers and Ace Hill brand beers and radlers. ABG is one of the country’s fastest growing beverage makers today with over $100M in retail sales forecasted in 2022. Our portfolio of 6 brands with over 50 unique products offers a lot of variety and there is truly something for everyone. Whether it's seltzer, beer, cooler, wine or cider - we have you covered. As a company we are using a well-researched approach that includes a 74-step process for introducing new products. The pitch starts with health in mind: the majority of our products contain one gram of sugar or less and are low in calories. The core of everything we do is creating drinks that taste better, and are better for you, compared to what’s on the market. We also frequently tap to consumer data to shape decisions, including feedback from our social-media network. Innovation drives our growth and the consumer is our compass. Examples of unique innovations: Canada's 1st zero sugar cider (Liberty Village 2017), Canada's 1st and only zero sugar non-carbonated option (Cottage Springs 2020), Canada's 1st zero sugar wine spritz (Good Vines 2020), Canada's first zero carb beer (Ace Hill 2022), and more recently a partnership with Bob McKenzie on the launch of Bobby Margarita to name a few. What is a favorite memory of playing in Brandon? There are simply too many to count! The fans and the entire community in Brandon are simply one of a kind and it was a privilege to be able to play there. If I had to choose one memory it would probably be my first playoff game as a Wheat King in the 2007 series opener against the Prince Albert Raiders. I remember it being a pretty wild game that went into overtime. I was lucky enough to score a couple on home ice that day including a game winning goal. Sometimes the hockey gods are in your favour and I guess moments like that you will always remember. Check out Ace Beverage Group and all the various products. https://www.acebeveragegroup.com/

Updated March 8, 2022:  It’s official !!! Grand opening this Friday at 11 am!! We are taking reservations for this weekend Call 204-717 9777 o Live music Friday 6:30-7:30 Saturday 12:30-1:30 and 6:30-7:30 Sunday 1-2 pm and 5:00-6:00 pm February 17, 2022 Original Post Brandon's newest Mexican restaurant is targeting a March 7th opening, if all goes according to plan. Mariachi Mexican Tacos & Cantina will be located at 1505 1st St and aims to offer an authentic Mexican restaurant where people can experience real Mexican food, music, decorations and environment. Owner Carlos Munoz told bdnmb.ca they brought in a sous chef from Mexico who has over 10 years of experience in Mexican dishes and who has worked in different countries in that span. He created and developed the menu for the restaurant which will include your traditional appetizers, soups, tacos and quesadillas. Main entrees featuring different dishes from various regions of Mexico including sea food, steaks, and authentic gourmet dishes will also be available. In order to create the authentic Mexican experience in the 1950 square foot restaurant, Carlos brought in from Mexico all the dinnerware, tables, chairs, and decorations. The restaurant will have live music (real Mexican Mariachi singing) on Saturdays and Sundays and also a karaoke night. They will be be fully licensed to serve alcohol and will offer dine in, delivery and take out service. Approximately 20 people are expected to be hired. Facebook link.