You can feel the excitement level rising in Manitoba as the clock ticks down to the opening rocks of the 2019 Tim Hortons Brier in Brandon. Westoba Place in Brandon will play host to the Canadian Men’s Curling Championship March 2-10, and tickets are selling quickly since the launch of full-event packages. But as of Thursday at 10 a.m. CT, curling fans will have more options available to watch Canada’s best men’s curling teams play for the Tim Hortons Brier Tankard and the right to represent Canada at the 2019 World Men’s Championship in Lethbridge Alta. They’ll also see Brad Gushue’s St. John’s team don Team Canada colours in pursuit of a record-tying third straight Tim Hortons Brier victory; only Edmonton’s Randy Ferbey team has pulled off that feat, from 2001 through 2003. Here’s a look at the latest ticket offers: • Championship Weekend Mini Package ($229): Final six draws plus tiebreaker draw, if necessary. (Friday, March 8-Sunday, March 10). • Opening Weekend Mini Package ($119): First five draws on opening Saturday and Sunday • Day Packages: ⁃ Three-Draw Single-Day Packages, Monday to Wednesday: $69 ⁃ Thursday Single-Day Package, two draws plus tiebreaker (if nec.): $59 Full-event packages still available at $519 apiece; selected single-draw tickets will be available Nov. 22, wile the remainder of the single-draw tickets, subject to availability, will go on sale on Jan. 17. All ticket packages are subject to standard facility and ticket service fees, and are available at the Westoba Place Box Office, online at curling.ca/tickets or by calling 204-726-3555. With the 16-team, two-pool competition format being used for the second year, the Manitoba champions’ round-robin schedule is now set for the first few days of the 2019 Tim Hortons Brier. Once the preliminary round is complete and the top four teams from each pool move into the Championship Pool, the remainder of the schedule will be set. For now, we know Manitoba will play in the opening draw on Saturday, March 2, and also will be featured in Draws 3 and 5 (both on Sunday), 7 (on Monday), 9 and 11 (both on Tuesday) and 13 (on Wednesday). In addition to being a part of the world’s most famous curling competition inside Westoba Place, you’ll also be a part of the world’s most famous curling party, the Patch — just a short covered walk away from the arena at the adjacent Manitoba Room at the Keystone Centre, where you can check out live music, have a meal and mingle with players and fellow fans from all over Canada. Keep checking www.curling.ca/2019brier for all event updates, including volunteer signup, new ticket offers, team announcements and the event schedule when it is set. Those wishing to volunteer can register at www.curling.ca/volunteer to stay up to date on volunteer opportunities. TSN/RDS2 will provide complete coverage of every draw at the 2019 Tim Hortons Brier.

It has been an extremely busy off-season for the Shoal Lake Eagles of the North Central Hockey League. The team returned to the league last season (after taking a 2-year hiatus due to lack of players) and finished with 1 win, 14 losses and 1 OT loss in the 16 game regular season.  Several new players have been added to this year's roster including Brandon's Nolan Twerdoclib, Patrick Kondratiew, and Kale Bercier.  Rick Nicholoson tells bdnmb.ca that other key additions include Logan Young, James Sytnyk, Drew Luhowy and Joe Lane.  Brody Smith who picked up 11 points in only 7 games last season will not return. Nicholson says this years team will be a "faster and more skilled group than last season with 4 gritty hard to play against lines and lots of shooting weapons from the point".  The Eagles have already started their exhibition season defeating the Wawanesa Jets 7-6 on Friday evening.  They will also square off against the Minnedosa Bombers in exhibition play on Sunday October 14th and Friday October 19th.  The North Central Hockey League's regular season is expected to start on November 2.

Source: Westman Regional Soccer Association On Saturday, October 20th, WRSA along with Brandon University will be celebrating soccer in the Westman region and hosting Rob Gale, head coach of Valour FC, the new Canadian Premier League Professional Men's Soccer Team in Winnipeg. The event is for all residents of the Westman region. There will be FREE admissions to our Men's and Women's Bobcats game and FREE clinics available for our community stream players, coached by Rob Gale with assistance from our local Westman FC players and coaches. Free clinic with Rob Gale will be available for players U4-U16. If you wish to register your child(ren) for this event, click on the link: https://site4634.goalline.ca/register.php?reg_form_id=26951 Mini soccer U4 - U8 October 20th at 1:30pm (at Henry Champ gym) U9 - U16 soccer October 20th at 2:15pm (at Henry Champ gym) Note: Players do not have to be WRSA members to attend, but MUST be registered.

Curling’s most famous national championship will have the backing of a world leader in agricultural and food infrastructure. AGI, based in Winnipeg, will be the presenting partner for the next three editions of the Tim Hortons Brier, beginning with the 2019 Canadian Men’s Curling Championship, March 2-10 at Westoba Place in Brandon, Man. AGI is a global leader in the planning, engineering and manufacturing of equipment solutions and systems across five platforms: Grain, Fertilizer, Food, Feed and Seed. AGI partners with customers on six continents to leverage the AGI advantage and engineer unique market specific systems. These systems are delivered for farm and commercial applications and include: Storage, Handling, Structural, Processing, and Controls all based on, and brought together, with Engineering and Project Management. “We are proud to support local events in places like Brandon, Manitoba and across Western Canada where AGI has deep relationships and roots that run right down to the family farm,” said David Postill, Vice President Marketing, AGI.  “We take pride in being associated with Canadian athletes, Curling Canada and the Brier.  Helping these communities and groups succeed is part of who we are at AGI.” The 2019 Tim Hortons Brier, presented by AGI, will decide who wears the Maple Leaf at the 2019 World Men’s Curling Championship, presented by Service Experts, March 30-April 7 in Lethbridge, Alta. Dates and locations for the 2020 and 2021 editions of the Tim Hortons Brier, presented by AGI, will be announced by Curling Canada. “We couldn’t be more excited to welcome AGI to the Curling Canada partner team, and we greatly appreciate their multi-year commitment to the sport of curling and to the Tim Hortons Brier,” said Katherine Henderson, Chief Executive Officer of Curling Canada. Full event packages for the 2019 Tim Hortons Brier, presented by AGI, are now available. Go to www.curling.ca/2019brier/tickets/ for more information.

Former WWE superstar Brutus "The Barber"  Beefcake will be making a meet and greet appearance at Brandon's Friendly Neighborhood Comic Shop on November 15th from 12pm-2pm.  Beefcake will be travelling with the Canadian Wrestling's Elite as they will be holding wrestling shows across Western Canada including stops in both Souris and Virden.   The stop at the Friendly Neighborhood Comic Shop will be his only Brandon appearance during the Canadian Wrestling's Elite tour, as there are no shows slated for the Brandon market.