Alexandra Trotter is the Marketing and Communications Manager with the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba. She has previously worked for Sysco Food Services - Marketing Associate, Browns Socialhouse -GM, and Sand Hills Casino - Marketing Manager. Alexandra is also a WSET level 3 certified wine instructor. Favourite radio station:  Hip Hop Nation Sirius XM – but mostly I listen to murder/true crime podcasts like “Wine and Crime” or “Casefile” Guilty pleasure TV program: If the question was favourite TV show it would hands down be Law & Order SVU. Butttt guilty pleasures right now are Rupaul’s Drag Race and Family Guy. Least favourite part about quarantine: Online shopping deliveries take longer. Best part about quarantine: Staying at home and drinking wine with our pups! Zeppelin and Led ???? Biggest regret in life: Not starting to learn about wine sooner! How has Trudeau handled the COVID 19 Virus: Sorry, who? Are you a foodie: Big time! Weirdest thing you have eaten: Fancy restaurants serve some weird Pâtés. I usually don’t even ask what’s in them or I wouldn’t be able to try them. Cat or dog person and why: Dog! But I love all animals ???? How/where did you meet your husband Jordan: Brandon is a pretty small city so we had met in passing a few times. But it was on Nov. 10th 2015 that sparks started to fly! We were out with a group of people and he and I got talking and really hit it off and have been inseparable ever since! Would you go to a Metallica concert: Yes, I am very hardcore. *See dog names as evidence of hardcoreness. Led, he’s a little Black Dog and Zeppelin, she’s a shepherd x. Greatest reward with your current job: Learning all the things about Ag! I don’t have an Ag background so I’ve learnt soooo much working with the Provincial Ex! A fun fact for you is that my husbands Great Great Grandfather was a shareholder with the Provincial Ex! I have his share from 1907 framed in my office. His name was Alexander Trotter! So we have an “Alex Trotter” share from 113 years ago and then an “Alex Trotter” share from 2020. Seinfeld or Prison Break, which would you watch: I watched Prison Break years ago... so I guess Seinfeld! Would you consider Brandon a liberal or conservative city: A little of one and a lot of the other. Business you would like to see open in Brandon: Chamois car wash! I was thinking about this yesterday. How many slurpees do you consume a year: 0-1 probably. Maybe 2 on a crazy year. Who would be Brandon’s top 3 most recognizable or known people: In no particular order: Darryl Wolski, James Ehnes, and probably someone in sports. Favourite local pizza: Dominos! It’s been a staple in my husband and I’s relationship since day 1! It was even the meal we had the night he proposed! I was almost too busy stuffing my face with boneless chicken bites to notice he was down on one knee!

Four of the region’s most respected and longest serving insurance brokers are coming together as one, effective June 1, 2020. Parkway Insurance (Erickson), Vanguard Financial (Rossburn), Asselstine Agencies (Birtle) and NorthStar Insurance (Roblin) will together be known as North Star Insurance and Real Estate Inc. “All four brokers are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Fusion Credit Union, and have been for a number of years now,” explained Darwin Johns, Fusion’s Chief Executive Officer. “Bringing them all together under a single umbrella will make their affiliation with each other much clearer in our market and, in the longer term, will provide some opportunities for growth as well.” Ryan Keown, who will continue to manage the NorthStar offices in Roblin and Birtle, is enthusiastic about the new entity. “Operating under the same name, we’ll be able to consolidate and enhance our online presence,” he said. “We’ll also be able to raise our profile in the real estate market over a much broader area — in fact, we’ll be opening an office in Brandon, possibly as soon as this summer.” Brian Currie, manager of NorthStar’s Rossburn and Erickson locations, shares Keown’s excitement. “We have a terrific staff, who really know the business and are laser-focused on making sure every client is taken care of,” he said. “Being part of a larger network gives us even more capacity, and a real opportunity to build on our reputation as the first choice for professional expertise and personal service in the communities we serve.” Management and staff will remain the same at all four locations, with no changes to office hours, telephone numbers or other details related to day-to-day operations. (submitted)

Pita Pit opened their second location in Brandon earlier today. The new restaurant is located at 1890-18th Street North. Pita Pit offers a wide range of healthy pita options (rolled or bowled) including gluten-free pitas, all-day breakfast and smoothies. The first Pita Pit in Brandon opened in May of 2013.

The Brandon Farmers Market’s Friday markets will be open again starting this Friday, June 5th and will be open from 9 am to 4 pm inside the Town Centre. The tables will be set up by the walls of the vacant store fronts and walls. The vendors will have new plastic bags for your purchases and there will be hand sanitizer for you to use. Shoppers are to let the vendors handle the products for them. The vendors do have debit available, but you can use cash. The Market has many local products including seasonal produce, crafts, honey and honey products, perennials, flowers, baking, jams and jellies and canning. Check their Facebook page throughout the week for an updated list of vendors and products available at this Friday’s market.

One of Brandon's most popular patio destinations, The Dock on Princess is slated to open today (half capacity) at 3pm. Owner Darren Burdeniuk tells bdnmb.ca that the patio will be serving a simplified Dock on Princess menu with some Dock favorites like their Cap n' Crunch Chicken Fingers. house made Coconut Onion Rings, Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, wings & more. They have also recently added an online ordering feature to their website so you can now place orders for take out or delivery with out picking up the phone! Just visit their website www.thedockonprincess.com. They are open for pickup Monday- Saturday from noon to 8pm and delivery Thursday- Saturday from 4-8pm!