Scott Hlady (Scooter) is the Brandon Wheat King's Equipment Manager. He recently worked his 400th game in that role. An active member in our community, Scott founded the BIRT Cup in 2008 and is also a former Campaign Chair for The Brandon and District United Way. He suited up for 41 regular season games with the Wheat Kings as well as five years patrolling the blueline for the University of Brandon Bobcats. If you could join any musical group/band (past or present), which would you want to join?  The Tragically Hip.  Iconic Canadian band that has a song with our nickname in it. Name a product or service you love so much that you'd happily be that company's spokesperson?  Any Shoe Company.  I’m really hard on shoes throughout the year and love trying new things out.  Shoes can make or break any outfit.  If you could go back in time and attend one NHL game live, which game would you choose?  Wayne Gretzky’s record points game.  Was my favorite player growing up. Three movies everyone should have in their movie library?  Step Brothers, Slap Shot, The Bad New Bears Once their playing days are over, which current member of the Wheat Kings roster do you think will make the best coach one day? Marcus Sekundiak.  Never Complains, works hard and leads by example.   Has a real coolness to his approach.  In a zombie apocalypse, what would be your weapon of choice?  Sherwood PMP 5030 Coffey Curve they last forever and very durable.  You get locked in Wal-Mart for 24 hours, how would you pass the time?  Playing some board Games, Building Lego and making unique displays for customers. Your dream golfing foursome includes yourself and these three individuals? Tiger Woods Wayne Gretzky and Will Ferrell On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate the quality of the food so far in the bubble?  No Comment Outside of Brandon, what WHL city has the most passionate fans?  Seattle has awesome Fans as does Everett.  Brandon fans are the most passionate in the Canadian cities.  All the US cities are unique in their own way. If you had to join the Witness Protection Program, what would your name be?  Phil Dunwood What was your favorite TV show growing up?  Scooby Doo What are three things you would bring with you to a deserted island? My Gerber utility Tool a Pot for cooking and some Wax Thread.  I can make lots of stuff with that. You spent many seasons playing baseball in the MSBL, name the three most dominant pitchers you faced during that time? 1. Shane Moffat 2. Saun Corey 3. Andy Boehm Your fast food guilty pleasure? McDonalds that’s easy Would you rather spend five days exploring New York City or Disney? Oh my God two of my favorite places.  Have been to both and would go back to both.  That’s a 50-50 split and would depend on who I got to take with me. What WHL city has the most impressive dressing room/facility for visiting teams? Edmonton hands down. The NHL would like to schedule an NHL exhibition game in Brandon, what two teams would you like to see hit the ice? Vegas and New York Islanders Three most commonly used apps on your phone? Twitter, Amazon and Tik Tok

No longer do parents have to drive to Winnipeg for hockey training and programs as this fall the Western Canada Hockey Academy will open their doors in Brandon. Top notch instructors including Dave Lewis and Craig “Chevy” Anderson will be the driving force with all the teams and programming at the WCHA. The new arena, which will be located south of the city near Brookwood Estates, will feature state of the art new training with a focus on developing the player to skate faster, shoot harder while pushing their game to a new level.  The main ice surface will be an NHL – sized ice surface.  Additionally, there will be full physical testing equipment.  The arena will feature a 6-lane – 100 metre track to help promote and increase mobility and speed in their athletes.  The WCHA facility will have 2 shooting bays and 1 goalie bay for small group sessions and private training. pic.twitter.com/pKNXH2ADEE— WCHA Hockey (@lewisdaveTHF) March 17, 2021 Academy Info: Students from grades 5 through 9 will spend half their days training on-ice and in the WCHA performance centre, and half the day studying in four core subjects; Math, English Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies. The WCHA is proud to offer this education, which follows the Manitoba Department of Education standards and guidelines to ensure a rounded education for their athletes. Every athlete coming through the program will receive over 400 hours of skill based training over the course of one year, developing the best and brightest that Westman has to offer. Hockey Camps: WCHA will be offering camps from U9 all the way up to pro camps for both male and female athletes.

City of Brandon Parks & Recreation Services is excited to announce that work is underway to open the pickleball and tennis courts for the season. Crews are installing the nets for pickleball at Stanley Park (1410 Princess Ave.) and for tennis at Queen Elizabeth Park (200 – 26th St.). Both courts will be available for residents to start using this Friday, March 19th, 2021.   Residents using these spaces must follow the provincial health orders*, as well as the court rules.  For any questions or concerns, contact parks@brandon.ca or 204.729.2148.  City of Brandon Pickleball Court Rules  ·       Pickleball courts are open from dawn until dusk   ·       Courts are available on a first come, first served basis   ·       Tennis or soft-soled shoes only   ·       Players are required to observe proper pickleball etiquette   ·       If others are waiting to play, limit play time to 1 hour for singles and 1 1/2 hours for doubles   ·       No food or beverages on the court   ·       No rollerblades, skateboards, or bicycles   City of Brandon Tennis Court Rules  ·       Tennis courts are open from dawn until dusk   ·       Courts are available on a first come, first served basis   ·       Tennis or soft-soled shoes only   ·       Players are required to observe proper tennis etiquette   ·       If others are waiting to play, limit play time to 1 hour   ·       No food or beverages on the court   ·       No rollerblades, skateboards, or bicycles   *Provincial Health Orders  The City of Brandon stresses that access to the above facilities is with the expectation that users will adhere to the current Manitoba Public Health Orders, including:  ·       Limiting group sizes to 10 persons, not including coaching staff  ·       No multi-team tournaments are permitted  Masks are not required when using these outdoor spaces. More information on the Manitoba Public Health Orders can be found at manitoba.ca/covid19/restartmb/prs.  (City of Brandon PSA)

– The Expedition League made the announcement today that the Wheat City Whiskey Jacks will be relocated to Grand Forks, North Dakota for the 2021 summer baseball season. This temporary move is necessary due to the continued border closure between Canada and the United States and the restrictions on attendance at sporting events in Manitoba. The Whiskey Jacks, who were unable to play in Brandon last season due to the border closure and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, will be back in action with a full 64-game schedule as they call North Dakota home this season. “We’re disappointed that due to the continued uncertainty regarding the border closure, and possible limits on capacity at sporting events in Manitoba, we were forced to make a very difficult decision”, said Steve Wagner, Expedition League President and Whiskey Jacks owner. “We’re committed to the City and the great fans in Brandon and Westman and we have some amazing things planned for the 2022 season.  We can’t wait to be back in Brandon with Whiskey Jacks baseball and FUN in 2022”, he added. Ray Walker, Whiskey Jacks GM stated, "We've worked really hard to put together a great Whiskey Jacks club to play in 2021.  I'm sad I won't be at Andrews Field all summer, but so happy we can show our brand of baseball to the fans in Grand Forks. I can't wait until 2022!" The Whiskey Jacks will move from Andrews Field in Brandon to call Kraft Field home this summer.  The relocation to Grand Forks is a temporary one, as that North Dakota city is the newest expansion site for the Expedition League in 2022. The Expedition League begins play on May 25, 2021, with a full slate of 12 teams, including two new expansion teams… the Mining City Tommyknockers in Butte, MT and the Canyon County Spuds in Caldwell, ID.  The Expedition League’s 2021 All-Star Extravaganza will be July 19-20 at Mike Lansing Field in Casper, WY, home of the Casper Horseheads.  Keep following the Whiskey Jacks on Social Media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) and on our website at www.wheatcitywhiskeyjacks.com. (submitted)

n the fall of 2020 a third-party review identified deficiencies associated with the pool’s water, air circulation, and pool drainage systems. This review was required as a result of mechanical issues stemming from the 2016 renovations.  Continuous progress has been made in consultation with a third-party engineering firm, as well as Manitoba Health towards addressing deficiencies. Progress and construction is expected to continue through the spring and summer of 2021.  Further repairs that do not impact the permitting of the facility are expected to take place at a date yet to be determined. Repairs will align with Manitoba Health regulations for operating an indoor pool facility.  Management and staff of Brandon’s Community Sportsplex would like to thank all swimmers for their patience and look forward to seeing pool enthusiasts return in 2021.  (City of Brandon PSA)