The scramble for provincial campsites began today. First up – bookings for cabins, yurts and group-use areas at Parks and Protected Spaces | Environment and Climate Change | Province of Manitoba. The system will be open daily between 7:00 am and 6:00 pm until Friday – and each day will highlight a specific region. For example, reservations for Spruce Woods campground east of Brandon open on Thursday.
———-
The 2025 Royal Manitoba Winter Fair in Brandon is expected to top 70,000 visitors this year, up from 2024. Organizers say the week-long event attracted 10,000 people or more each day. The fair generates roughly $18-million in economic activity.
———-
Construction of Brandon’s downtown pickleball facility has been delayed, but some courts may open this fall. The centre’s owner Joel Schultz told The Brandon Sun, the courts on the east and west side have outside doors and
can be opened while work continues on the centre of the building. The design calls for 14 pickleball courts, with some doubling to allow four tennis courts.
———-
Hundreds of people came out for a ‘Rally for Canada’ at the Manitoba Legislature on Sunday. It was meant to show solidarity against U-S President Donald Trump’s tariffs and threats of annexation. Many were dressed in red and white, some with maple leafs painted on their faces, and many carried signs with messages declaring that Canada will never become the 51st state.
———-
Canada’s federal party leaders are back on the road campaigning today. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is expected to make an announcement in Toronto, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre will be in Edmonton for a rally, and Liberal Leader Mark Carney will visit B.C. where he’s scheduled to meet with Premier David Eby. We head to the polls on April 28th.
———-
A warning from the federal government to cooperate with U-S border officials or you could face detention if denied entry. The travel advisory says Canadians should ‘expect scrutiny’ when crossing ports of entry, and to expect
questioning and a potential search of their electronic devices. The update comes amid growing tensions between the two countries, with U.S. President Donald Trump having imposed various tariffs on Canada.
———-
It’s safe to say Brandon’s Tim Newman ‘won winter’ this year. As part of the Kinette Club’s ‘Adopt-a-Hydrant’ contest, Newman single-handedly dug-out 100 fire hydrants between late January and early this month. He also entered a weekly gift card draw on social media by posting a photo of his work , and won himself a thousand dollars in GC’s. A blocked hydrant can significantly reduce the fire department’s response time. A total of 138 fire hydrants were cleared during this year’s contest.










