Tour Downtown for a chance to win $500

During the Memorial Cup, May 14 - 23rd, while shopping, eating or just visiting downtown merchants, you can enter a ballot for a chance to win $500.

From the Renaissance Brandon website (www.renaissancebrandon.ca):

Twenty-Five downtown businesses have organized the “Tour our Historic Downtown for a Chance to Win $500″ promotion within the Renaissance District to publically show support and participation of downtown Brandon merchants and Renaissance Brandon during the Memorial Cup and Manitoba Homecoming 2010. Manitoba Homecoming is a year long experience bringing former and current Manitobans, visitors, friends and families together for events, festivals and an all around great celebration.

The newly formed group of interested and motivated downtown merchants will use this unique to Brandon and Manitoba opportunity to showcase the district’s heritage and diverse selection of services.

5,000 copies of a downtown map highlight the 25 participating businesses along with some historic buildings within the Renaissance District. The downtown map is located within the Visitor Guide distributed throughout Brandon to hotels, Memorial Cup Village and two other information centers at Westman Communications Place. Anyone visiting one or more of the 25 downtown businesses can enter their name in a free draw. At the conclusion of the Memorial Cup a name will be drawn to determine the winner of the $500 grand prize. In addition, the Town Center Merchant’s Association will be making a $500 donation to the Wheat King’s Bursary Fund. The promotional event Starts May 14, 2010.

Visit Renaissance Brandon to see the map.

The following merchants are participating in this promotion:

1. Bromley‘s Menswear
2. New System
3. The Town Centre Merchant Association
4. Remington’s
5. Union Shoe Store
6. Gypsy Jive Dance
7. Samson Engineering Ltd
8. Pennywise Books
9. Double Decker Tavern
10. Black Orchid Beauty Salon
11. Catwalk Clothing Company
12. Olivier’s Bistro & Steakhouse
13. Ginger Cat Café
14. Chilly Chutney
15. TCM Goldsmith
16. Cinnamon Tree
17. Friends Fashion Boutique
18. Brandon Sewing Centre
19. Anna’s Indulgence
20. Westoba Credit Union
21. A Buck or Two
22. Zeke’s Jewellers
23. Troika Treasures
24. Clancy’s Eatery & Drinkery
25. Sub Shop – Town Centre

"Black Bottle Man" Book Launch - April 28

Craig Russell is well known in Brandon as a lawyer, actor and director of plays, and now, he can add novelist to that that list. His first foray in young adult fiction has been successful. "Black Bottle Man" was picked up by Great Plains Publications, one of four publishers that Russell approached with his manuscript.

"He's quite an amazing talent," said Great Plains Publications editor Anita Daher. "He's got such a sense of story. I'm very excited about his book coming out."

Thanks to her support, the novel underwent very few changes and was published within months, rather than years as is usually the norm.

"It was such a clean manuscript. It only needed a few months of going back and forth, and it was ready for publication. What was fast was the decision-making. From the very first read, it absolutely blew me away," she said. "It was one of those stories that I wanted to read from
beginning right through to the end."

She describes "Black Bottle Man" as very original with a distinctive and strong main character, great pacing, balance and very clean language.

"It isn't what you usually see in a first-time author," Daher said. "We sat down at an editorial meeting and I said: 'I love this!' and the boss said: 'Well, that's good enough for me.'"

Novelist Craig Russell will give a reading of "Black Bottle Man" at Pennywise Books, 1031 Rosser Ave., at 7 p.m., on Wednesday, April 28.

Removing the Hutterite Kerchief

Rebecca Hofer's controversial book "Removing the Hutterite Kerchief" is now in stock.

Learn the rich diverse culture and social environment of a Hutterite colony in Manitoba and follow the traditions of its people.

Meet the families from Hutterite Barrickman Colony and see the story unfold when it becomes overpopulated. Observe how Samuel and Sarah Hofer's family were chosen to move to the new colony named Greenwald.

Immerse yourself in the true story of this Hutterite family at Greenwald Colony and watch the escalating and unbelievable conditions they endured for more than a decade by their Hutterite leaders.

From their dismal, secluded environment, on a cold winter day, these 40 men, women and children spanning three generations, half the members of Greenwald Colony, with only meagre belongings, did the unimaginable. They left their culture, heritage adn livelihood behind and moved into an unfamiliar and unknown world.

Daily Planet's Jay Ingram speaking in Brandon

Come meet Jay Ingram, co-host of Daily Planet, as part of the 2010 Prairie Innovation Forum. March 16, 1:30 pm, Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium.

Pennywise Books will be on hand, selling copies of his books: The Daily Planet Book of Cool Ideas ($28); The Science of Everyday Life ($24); and The Velocity of Honey ($22).

Listen to Jay's talk, buy a book and get it signed by the author.

To celebrate this engaging speaker's presence in Brandon, Pennywise will pay the GST on all books purchased at this event.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Writing Fiction course for Youth

WINNIPEG AUTHOR MICHAEL VAN ROOY ANNOUNCES HE WILL BE TEACHING A COURSE IN WRITING FICTION FOR THE ARTS AND CULTURAL INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION OF MANITOBA

Winnipeg author Michael Van Rooy will be teaching a course in Writing Fiction for youths 16 to 19 at the Winnipeg Millennium Library.

The course will run from February 2 to May 11 and is organized by the Arts and Cultural Industries Association of Manitoba. The course is free.

Selected participants will attend sessions on Tuesday evening from 5:00 to 8:00 pm every other week from February 2 to May 4 with a launch of an anthology on May 11. Youths from the ages of 16 to 19 are encouraged to apply.

Instructor

Michael Neelak Van Rooy was born in Kamloops, British Columbia and has lived most of his life in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Michael’s first novel, An Ordinary Decent Criminal, was published in 2005 and his second novel, Your Friendly Neighbourhood Criminal, was published in 2008. In 2009 Michael won the John Hirsch Award for Most Promising Manitoba Writer. In 2006 An Ordinary Decent Criminal won the Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book by a Manitoba Writer.

An Ordinary Decent Criminal has been published in Germany as Ein gewohnlicher Verbrecher by Verlagsgruppe Lubbe. It has also been optioned as a film by Frantic Films and Big Mind Productions. In July of 2010 An Ordinary Decent Criminal will be published in the United States by Minotaur Books. In 2011 Minotaur will publish Your Friendly Neighbourhood Criminal.

The third book in the Monty series, A Criminal to Remember, will be published by Winnipeg’s Turnstone Press in the spring of 2010.

Application Process

Interested students should:

1) Discuss their application with a ‘nominator’ (adult not related to you), who is one of your

present or former teachers or other leader in an artistic discipline and have him/her fill out the

Nominator’s Form, which is part of the Application Form. Ask that it be returned to you.

2) Fill out the application form - include a teacher’s signature, if you are in high school.

3) Submit completed form along with your resume. Applicants under 18 years of age require

the signature of a parent or guardian.

Submit to: ACI Manitoba Or by fax: 204 927-2789

501 -62 Albert Street

Winnipeg, MB. R3B 1E9

Call ACI Manitoba with your questions: 204 927-2787

Visit our website: www.creativemanitoba.ca