The Brandon Wheat Kings Hockey Club is proud to announce that we have officially submitted our intent to bid for the 2026 Memorial Cup, with plans to host this prestigious event in May 2026 at Westoba Place at the Keystone Centre. The Memorial Cup, the coveted trophy awarded annually to the champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), was most recently held in Saginaw. The Wheat Kings aim to bring this historic event to our passionate hockey community and showcase our city’s rich hockey heritage. Quote from Jared Jacobson, Owner and Governor of the Brandon Wheat Kings: “We are thrilled to announce our intent to bid for the 2026 Memorial Cup. Hosting this event would be a tremendous honor for our organization, our city and our province. Brandon, and Manitoba, have a storied history in hockey, and we are excited about the opportunity to showcase our community and province to the entire hockey world.” Last hosted in Brandon in 2010, Brandon and the Keystone Centre proved to be the perfect venue for such a popular event with multiple indoor and outdoor areas that were used. Since then, the Keystone Centre has hosted numerous other world class events and has made several meaningful improvements to both the main arena and surrounding land. On the ice, The Wheat Kings have a strong core with a deep prospect field and are poised to be a competitive team. All this leads the organization to believe this is the perfect time for Brandon to once again welcome the CHL and the Memorial Cup to the city that sits on the hundredth meridian. Bring the country to its core where Brandon is ready to host and compete for the greatest trophy in Junior Hockey. Quote from Connie Lawrence, CEO of the Keystone Centre: “The Keystone Centre is elated to support the Brandon Wheat Kings’ bid to host the 2026 Memorial Cup. We’re making substantial improvements to Westoba Place, which will include the new seating and air conditioning to make the fan experience even better. We know our facility’s ability to host world class events such as this and we know that, together with the organizing committee, we will provide an unforgettable experience for all participants and fans.”

The 33rd season of the Wendy's Summer Hockey League starts July 2nd at J & G Homes Arena with a new change. This season the Divisions will be named after previous WSHL players, Ryan White & Matt Calvert) that went on to have great Junior and Pro careers. Ryan White, from Brandon, played in the WSHL as a 12 year old and had his first experience playing with a much older team from North Dakota. Since that time "Whitey" played in over 300 WHL games and 340 NHL games. Matt Calvert, also from Brandon, was always a player that loved playing WSHL games every summer as he prepared for the upcoming season. Matt has over 600 NHL games played and 200 WHL games. Gord Paziuk, the new WSHL League Commissioner who takes over from Darryl Wolski after 32 years, commented "We feel these changes are required to honor those players that were key in the early stages of the WSHL". Listing of 2024 WSHL teams: https://wshl.ca/teams All games are free to attend this Summer and the schedule can be found at www.wshl.ca.

The City of Brandon is pleased to provide an update on the progress for Brandon’s Community Sportsplex. Last year, we asked for your feedback on the future of this crucial community resource. We want to thank you for your input and support as we work to revitalize this vital community asset. Our Community Sportsplex is more than just a facility; it’s the foundation of our community where children, seniors, and families come together to have fun, stay healthy, create lasting memories, and build community spirit. The Sportsplex ice arena has been shut down since March 2023 due to safety issues with an obsolete ammonia ice plant. The decision to install a new ice plant rather than repairing the old one was based on the priority of ensuring the well-being of our residents. The new facility will exceed current safety standards, offering a secure environment for everyone. The total cost of the project is estimated at $6.5 million, up from the initial projected cost of $4 million. The new upgrades include the new ice plant, as well as improvements to the ventilation, dehumidification, and cooling systems, along with the replacement of the cooling lines under the concrete pad. All this will extend the life of the facility and reduce operating costs. The upgrades to the ice arena should be finished by late 2025. We have secured $3.9 million in Strategic Infrastructure Funding from the province, and we are seeking additional funding from other sources. Although several grant opportunities have been explored and applications submitted, the City has not yet been successful in receiving funding. To ensure work can continue, we are proposing to borrow up to $3.5 million to cover expected costs of the Sportsplex Ice Arena and additional future upgrades. A public hearing will take place at the regular Council Meeting on Monday, July 8. By-law No. 7393 will also be presented to City Council for first reading on that date, which will provide three options with a recommendation from City Administration. These proposed updates align with our vision of offering a secure and updated ice arena for our community. We encourage our community to stay involved and informed as we go through the developments that will shape the future of our Sportsplex, a key element of recreation and community life in Brandon. Together, we will ensure that our Sportsplex remains a safe and valued space for generations to come.

Jay Thiesen on Sunday came from behind to win his second straight—and fourth overall—Grey Owl men's’ golf tournament, presented by IG Wealth Management. Thiesen, playing in the second last group of the championship flight, fired a 1-under-par 71 in the second round for a two-round total of even-par 144 at breezy and cool Clear Lake Golf Course. That was good enough for a two-stroke victory over first round co-leader Ty Lewis of Shilo (71-75—146). Thiesen joins Elmhurst’s Jimmy Doyle as a four-time champ. Only two other golfers have more titles: Breezy Bend’s Garth Collings is the career leader with 11 victories, while Saskatoon’s Jim Scissons has seven. Thiesen was steady throughout on Sunday, shooting 35 on the front nine and cruising to his title with an even-par 36 on the much tougher back nine. Lewis and MacGregor’s Darcy Howarth were the first-round co-leaders thanks to opening 71s. Lewis shot 39 on the back nine Sunday, while Howarth carded a 92 to fall out of contention. Wheat City’s Nolan Ritchie (72-75—147) and Elmhurst’s Patrick Perrin (74-73—147) tied for third, while Clear Lake’s Jared Jacobson (73-75—148), a two-time winner of the event, placed fifth. Collings won his fourth Greyer Owl title—and second in a row—for those age 60 and over. Collings (76-76—152) won the first playoff hole against Calgary’s Jack McDiarmid (74-78—152), who captured his one and only Grey Owl title 50 years ago this weekend. There was no media flight this year due to a lack of entries. All final scores will be available at thegreyowl.ca. FINAL Jay Thiesen, Russell 73-71—144 Ty Lewis, Shilo 71-75—146 Nolan Ritchie, Wheat City 72-75—147 Patrick Perrin, Elmhurst 74-73—147 Jared Jacobson, Clear Lake 73-75—148 Todd Slatnik, Breezy Bend 75-74—149 Marcus Friess, Estevan SK 77-72—149 (submitted article)

The blustery northwest winds continued on Saturday at the 62nd annual Grey Owl men’s golf tournament, presented by IG Wealth Management, and they prevented anyone from breaking par at the beautiful Clear Lake Golf Course. That means Ty Lewis of Shilo and Darcy Howarth of MacGregor will be sleeping on the lead Saturday night. They both shot 1-under-par 71s on Friday and will be part of the final group on championship Sunday. Two former champions and an ex-runner up posted the best score on Saturday. Three-time champ Jay Thiesen of Russell, two-time winner Jared Jacobson of Clear Lake and 2023 runner-up Kolby Day of Wheat City all recorded 1-over-par 73s. Wheat City’s Nolan Ritchie shot an even-par 72 on Friday and will be in the final group with Lewis, Howarth and Day, teeing off at 10:50 a.m. There are nine players within four shots of the lead. Those who shot first-round scores of 77 or better qualified for the championship flight, although players are allowed to opt out of vying for the title if they so choose. Eighteen players qualified for the championship flight. The tournament consists of 36 holes over three days. The low 16 and ties after the first round will make up the championship flight, which will tee off on Sunday morning. View Sunday tee times. (article submitted)