A full house is expected on Thursday at ArtsForward in Neepawa when the community hosts "What's the Big Idea?" - an entrepreneurial pitch competition offering funding to launch new rural businesses. With more than $8,000 in cash prizes up for grabs, competition is expected to be fierce. The event debuted last year when the communities of Minnedosa and Neepawa partnered to see what ideas existed in for new ventures on the rural landscape. Six aspiring entrepreneurs made their pitch and as a result of the event, three new businesses have opened their doors over the past year. The Inspire Studio of Fine Art in Minnedosa was the big winner, taking home three prizes including the RBC "Best Pitch of the Day" and has since opened a gallery on Minnedosa's Main Street. 4U Home Décor and Consulting has added to the store front activity on Hamilton Street in Neepawa, and Oakview Equipment has launched an MTZ tractor dealershipat Rapid City. Heading into the second year, the event has attracted a great deal of attention, not only from participants coming to present their idea, but also from industry as well as other communities looking to adopt this innovative approach to spur new interest in commercial development in their own communities. Renewing their partnership for 2016, Minnedosa and Neepawa hosts are excited to see the growing interest. What started as a "local" event last year has now attracted attention from World Trade Centre Winnipeg, the Business Development Bank of Canada and the Alberta-based Trend Lab Marketing Services. All three agencies will have representation at Thursday's event. "What's the Big Idea?" is open for free to the public and active business community. While the highlight of the day's agenda will be the pitches from the registered participants from Minnedosa, Neepawa, Gladstone and Brandon, other speaking sessions slated for the day include small business financing, entrepreneurship for new Canadians, and anecdotal lessons from emerging entrepreneurs in the area. The key note speaker during the lunch hour is Aaron Biblow, the Business Development Manager for Trend Lab who will be speaking about the role of digital marketing and the use of websites and social media in today's business environment. The entire program runs from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm on Thursday. For more information on the event or to inquire about registering a pitch, contact Marilyn Crewe at 204-476-7607 or edo@wcgwave.ca Social Media Link for the event: https://www.facebook.com/events/329760584023093/

The Brandon Public Library will host a public reading with award-winning author Craig Russell on Monday, October 17th, 2016, 7:30 pm. Craig will read from his newest novel, Fragment, published by Thistledown Press, and will discuss the art and craft of writing. For more information about the event please contact Shelley at the Brandon Public Library at shelley@wmrl.ca. Fragment | $19.95 | 9781771871112 | paperback Prominent Canadian science fiction writer Robert J. Sawyer describes Fragment as “A wonderfully thoughtful eco-thriller from one of Canada’s best writers.” Praise for Craig's previous novel, Black Bottle Man (Great Plains Publications, 2010): “An extraordinary book. A story of profound love, of commitment to family, of humility, of grace under pressure; so rich with metaphor and allegory, depth, complexity.” — Nikki Tate, CBC Radio: All Points West Black Bottle Man won the 2011 American Moonbeam Award gold medal for Young Adult Fantasy and was a finalist for the Prix Aurora Award for Best Canadian English Novel, as well as for two Manitoba Book Awards in the same year. CRAIG RUSSELL, award-winning author of Black Bottle Man (2011), has directed a variety of theatre productions and his short play, The Unintended Consequences of Love, was performed at the 2006 Carol Shields Festival of New Works. Craig is a lawyer, and lives in Brandon with his wife. If you would like more information on Fragment, would like to request a review copy, or set up an interview/event with Craig Russell, please contact: marketing@thistledownpress.com Phone: (306) 244-1722 Fax: (306) 244-1762 www.thistledownpress.com

Concert goers and music lovers in Brandon best start saving their pennies, and cashing in their empties, as The Trews have indicated on their web site that they will be playing the North 40 on Friday, November the 4th in support of their time Capsule Tour. The Trews' concert liting is the 4th concert announcement for the month of November in Brandon joining the previously announced Bryan Adams, Mariana's Trench, and Charlie Major shows. The Trews are a Canadian rock band from Nova Scotia who have released five studio albums, one compilation album and three live albums. Singles include Paranoid Freak, Hold Me In Your Arms, Coming Home and Highway of Heroes. In 2004 they were nominated for a Juno award for Best New Group and in 2009 they were nominated for Best Album of the Year at the Junos for No time for Fear,  

A pair of Yuk Yuks comedians are coming to Brandon to make people laugh at the Prairie Firehouse for three great shows in November. Canadian Comedians Jonathon Baum and Todd Ness will be performing at Prairie Firehouse starting Thursday, November the 18th thru to Saturday, November the 20th. Jonathan Baum is a Vancouver/Whistler comedian who published a book in 2015 titled My Impaired Moral Compass. Todd Ness was the winner of the 2014 Yuk Yuks Chase Your Butterfly Contest featuring up coming comedians from across Western Canada. Tickets for all three shows are on sale at Prairie Firehouse. Ticket price is $35.00 per person.

As in any industry, there are terms and buzzwords that are unique to residential real estate. When you put your home on the market, you should know what those terms mean. Here are definitions for the most common ones: Fair market value: This is an estimate of how much a specific home will sell for in today’s market, taking into account what similar properties in the area have sold for recently. Seller’s Agent: That would be me, the REALTOR® who is helping you sell your property. I would also assist you in finding and buying your next home. Buyer’s Agent: This is the REALTOR® who is representing the buyer of the property you want to sell. Pre-approved Mortgage: This is a statement (often in the form of a certificate) from your bank or other lender that states that you qualify for a mortgage for a particular amount of money. A pre-approved mortgage adds credibility to any offer you make on a new home. Staging: This is a strategy where a home is purposely prepared so that it appeals to potential buyers. Staging may involve cleaning, de-cluttering, rearranging furniture, redecorating, and more. Survey: This is a document that defines the boundaries and measurements of your property and any structures on it. Offer: This is an offer of purchase, in writing, for a particular property. Conditional Offer: This is an offer to purchase, but with conditions – such as “conditional on a satisfactory home inspection” or “conditional on arranging suitable financing”.