Westman Business | 2022

Westman

Business

2022 Special Supplement

Downtown Brandon

Section 6 Brewing Company

Interested in employee recruitment resources? Looking for Brandon promotional photographs?

Thinking of starting a business? Looking for a location to set up or grow your business? Want help navigating the development approval process?

Searching for Brandon statistics? Want to learn how the Brandon Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot can help you hire for hard to fill positions?

Economic Development Brandon can help.

Phone 204.729.2132 | Toll-Free 866.729.2132 economicdevelopmentbrandon.com

OCTOBER 27, 2022 • WESTMAN BUSINESS • THE BRANDON SUN

Developing a path forward While the last couple years have presented unprecedented challenges, economic development and growth in Brandon shows reason to be optimistic. Economic Development Brandon has two goals — to grow the economy and grow the population of the city. Throughout the pandemic, Director of Economic Development Brandon Sandy Trudel said the interest in what Brandon has to offer was still extreme- ly high, and now that some hurdles are being removed they’re seeing a return to pre-pandemic norms. “We’re seeing our immigration num- bers returning which is a huge driver of our growth here, we’re seeing stability within our existing businesses, and with that stability comes that confidence to make investments, to grow, to bring on more people — so all of those things are great cues for us,” Trudel said. While the economic community is ex- periencing disruptions due to inflation, supply chain constraints, and linger- ing labour challenges, Trudel said they work to build a healthy business envi- ronment and to help existing business- es succeed. “We work two-pronged in that we’re trying to make sure that environment exists and then being proactive in actu- ally doing that outreach to businesses,” Trudel said. “ We’re helping our existing businesses flourish, while at the same time trying to attract new industry in.” BY ERIN DEBOOY We’re helping our existing businesses flourish, while at the same time trying to attract new industry in.” – SANDY TRUDEL DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CITY OF BRANDON Samuel Solomon, RNIP Coordinator, Deb Day, Economic Development Assistant, Dan Fontaine, Business Development Specialist, and Sandy Trudel, Director of Economic Development, at the Economic Development Brandon office at Brandon City Hall. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun) » » Continued on Page 4

THE BRANDON SUN • WESTMAN BUSINESS • OCTOBER 27, 2022

Continued from Page 3

Trudel said Economic Development Brandon will do community tours with them, to help them see Brandon is the right place to accept the job. “When somebody is choosing where to live, job is one half of the occasion, but life after work is the other half of the equation, so we’ll work together on that,” Trudel said. A lot of the time, the city makes the best impression all on its own. “For a city of 50,000 people, the ame- nities we offer far exceed what would be expected … and the business com- munity and the community as a whole are extremely welcoming,” Trudel said. At a time when many cities are see- ing housing markets in flux, Brandon’s stable housing market has made it very attractive as well, Trudel said. “Our market is a really stable, posi- tively growing but manageably growing market. It means that homeownership is a realistic option for most people that are looking to relocate to the commu- nity,” Trudel said. “Our housing prices are consistently considered affordable when you compare them against other Canadian cities, so that’s an advantage for us as well.” Going forward, Trudel said she’d like to see the business community contin- ue to grow. “Our dream is always that we’d like to see our existing businesses growing.”

Economic Development Brandon does a lot of business advocacy, Trudel said, helping businesses with every- thing from navigating developmental processes to recruitment efforts. Part of that effort includes the deliv- ery of the Federal government’s Rural and Northern Immigration Project to attract skilled workers to Brandon. “We’re only one of 11 Canadian cities that have access to this immigration pathway. It was designed to allow rural communities like us to fill their labour needs. We’re almost 3 years into the pilot, we have another approximately 18 months left, and we’ve seen chron- ically vacant, good, skilled positions in our community filled through this pro- gram,” Trudel said. “We’ve helped the viability of the ex- isting businesses, but simultaneously we’re also growing our population be- cause the individuals come, they bring their families and get established, so we’re seeing a win on many fronts. It’s a very exciting program.” Economic Development Brandon also has a comprehensive relocation package and promotional materials to show off everything Brandon has to of- fer its residents. If a business is bringing in some- one to interview for a skilled position,

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THE BRANDON SUN • WESTMAN BUSINESS • OCTOBER 27, 2022 Pocket neighbourhood offers affordable living

BY KRISTIN MARAND

Brandon’s first pocket neighbour- hood at 235 Glen Avenue is the pinnacle of sustainable and affordable housing with their new offerings inspired by the trend towards smaller, more effi- cient homes. A pocket neighbourhood is a cluster of homes gathered around shared open spaces such as sidewalks and yards - a neighbourhood within a neighbourhood. Each of the new Glen- dale Homes are close enough so that you can get to know your neighbour and have a friendly chat but offer enough space to enjoy the privacy of your own yard or porch. “The pocket neighbourhood was started with the idea that we wanted to build homes that were affordable, en- vironmentally friendly and energy effi- cient. So we started with that thought, and with the pandemic and an increase in price, affordability certainly became front of mind. So pairing energy effi- ciency, environmental sustainability with affordability was something we’re aiming for” says Cindy Choy director of planning for Glendale Homes. The neighbourhood will consist of 21 one- and two-bedroom units with four floor plans to choose from, ranging from 500 to 900 square feet. There are currently four completed show homes on display with eight more in construc- tion, soon to be delivered. The smaller footprint of these homes make them ideal for people looking to downsize, first time homeowners and young fami- lies. The affordability factor also means that these homes will appeal to people living on a budget such as students and seniors. The upfront cost is significant- ly reduced because in a pocket neigh- bourhood, you only purchase the struc- ture, not the property. “In a small home, because you have less space to heat, you have less oppor- tunity to lose heat, you also have much lower operating costs. We do that by maximizing energy efficiency. It only runs on electricity, which is low car- bon. It’s also very low cost to operate. We’ve invested in highly durable and low maintenance materials, especially for the exterior so that you don’t have to spend money repainting, or replacing rotting surfaces” explains Choy. Some of the energy efficient design choices include, extra deep roof insu- lation, increased wall insulation, triple

The kitchen of a 920 square-foot home. (Supplied photo)

and homes can be moved to a new lo- cation, so you don’t have to build new or renovate an old house to suit your needs. “We worked really hard to create a neighbourhood that can be comfort- able, that can connect you to your neighbours, and also gives you peace of mind that what you’re doing is not only comfortable and affordable for you, but good for the environment” says Choy. “A lot of people seem really appre- ciative of the efforts that we’ve gone to, to create these homes that are energy efficient, sustainable and affordable. There’s a lot of excitement and we’re re- ally, really excited to show people what can be done to create a small space that’s also comfortable and very, very functional” she continues. Glendale Homes is located on the North Hill in Brandon. To download the brochure and find out more about the new pocket neighbourhood visit glen- dalehomes.ca. To book a showing, con- tact property manager Arlene Johnston at 204-724-7907.

A lot of people seem really appreciative of the efforts that we’ve gone to, to create these homes that are energy efficient, sustainable and affordable.”

– CINDY CHOY DIRECTOR OF PLANNING GLENDALE HOMES

pane windows, high performance full- size appliances and all LED lights, in ad- dition to lots of natural light. There are also plans to include the ability to have an electric vehicle charging stations. In a broader sense, the pocket neighbour- hood design is an efficient approach to neighbourhood planning because it re- duces the amount of civil infrastructure

such as roads, water and sewer lines needed to support development. The new Glendale Homes are con- structed in a factory in Altona. This offers many advantages; factory con- struction reduces waste from construc- tion sites, it reduces transportation costs and employs Manitobans. The homes are also portable; screw piles

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260 Glen Avenue, Brandon 204-726-3398 ( Office ) 204-724-7907 (Cell) sales@glendalehomes.ca glendalehomes.ca

THE BRANDON SUN • WESTMAN BUSINESS • OCTOBER 27, 2022 Supporting your business, community

BY ERIN DEBOOY

After more than two years of unprece- dented times, Sunrise Credit Union is em- bracing a new normal — supporting local businesses and taking small steps to make members’ lives a little easier. “Anything we can do to help our local small businesses, we tried to do,” said Tay- ona Johnas, VP of Wealth and Marketing at Sunrise Credit Union. “Our local business people along with our farmers — because we see agriculture as a very local business — these people are the backbone of our community. Without them, we don’t have a community.” In 2020, Sunrise Credit Union launched GoShopLocal.ca, an initiative that aims to increase the visibility of small businesses in the 19 communities Sunrise operates and beyond. The website is free for businesses to use, and helps promote local businesses both online and through traditional media. “It has been received very well. A lot of the businesses on there … don’t have the means or the marketing team to be able to do this on their own, and marketing dol- lars are a really hard thing to spend when you want to keep the hydro on or a pay- cheque being paid,” Johnas said. “Sunrise has a marketing department, we have the skill set, for us to be able to channel that into a website that benefits all these communities and the businesses in those communities…it’s really important.” Even as things start to return to normal, Johnas said the website will be kept run- ning as a valuable resource for communi- ties. “People in the community are looking for more local businesses to support, be- cause if anything through the pandemic, people have realized how important com- munity is,” Johnas said. Sunrise Credit Union has also contin- ued to fundraise. The organization raises an average of $40,000 each year through various fundraising events, which gets donated to a worthwhile group, organiza- tion or cause in their respective commu- nities. The Sunrise staff also put in close to 6,000 volunteer hours annually to com- munity groups, organizations, sports teams, and events. “Our staff does a phenomenal job of vol- unteering, so where there’s a need in our community, they usually know the need ahead of corporate,” Johnas said. “That’s why we have people on the ground mak- ing a difference. It helps to make sure we get those needs met and identify where we can make a change so we can help people. During the pandemic, Sunrise Cred- it Union tried to make things easier for members, Johnas said, removing fees for e-transfers and online banking, for exam- ple, so people could do their banking no

Sunrise Credit Union set up GoShopLocal.ca to promote local small businesses. (Supplied photo)

signatures) took off like wildfire,” Johnas said. “It sped up processes … it made a difference and is now part of our standard routine. It works well for people with ac- cessibility issues and also, being a farm- ing community, for people who work long or off hours and can’t conveniently stop into a branch …having technology that can facilitate the ease of getting the task done has just made life easier.” Going forward, Sunrise Credit Union will continue to do what they can to sup- port local businesses and communities as a whole, Johnas said. “It’s great to be part of an organization that recognizes how important we are to each other as people … it just makes you proud to be a part of it.”

Anything we can do to help our local small businesses, we tried to do.”

– TAYONA JOHNAS VP OF WEALTH AND MARKETING SUNRISE CREDIT UNION

contact. “We were teaching people how to use online banking over the phone in some cases, which ended up being a really valu- able tool for some people,” Johnas said. Branches also started using electron- ic signatures during the pandemic, and Johnas said it’s been such a success that they’ve adopted the technology going for- ward. “Sometimes new technologies can take a while to be adopted, but (electronic

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THE BRANDON SUN • WESTMAN BUSINESS • OCTOBER 27, 2022 New in-house therapy gives Brandonites reason to smile

BY ERIN DEBOOY

Brandon now has a myofunctional therapist in town, thanks to the team at Brightside Dental. The dental clinic is now offering myofunctional therapy to clients after long-time dental hygienist, Jenny Par- tridge, became trained in the practice, which is not only new to the clinic, but fairly new to Manitoba as well. “It’s amazing that we can offer it, be- cause — as far as we know — we are the only clinic in town that has a myofunc- tional therapist,” said Louise Hersak, Brightside Dental’s office manager. “It’s nice to be able to provide that service in Brandon so that patients don’t need to be sent off to Winnipeg, as we tend to do for many other specialties.” Partridge first became aware of my- ofunctional therapy in 2018, she said, when a dentist recommended the ther- apy for a young patient who was suck- ing their thumb. Not long after, she discovered both her kids had some issues in which they needed myofunctional therapy, but there was only one person to refer to in Manitoba. “I started looking into it and saw that hygienists could specialize in myo- functional therapy, but I needed to get a separate license to practice it in Man- itoba,” Partridge said. “I really wanted to pursue it, so I took the courses and started practicing in 2020.” Myofunctional therapy is treatment that restores the proper function to the muscles around your face, lips and tongue. These muscles are very im- portant for proper breathing and ulti- mately, quality of life. Orofacial myo- functional disorders (OMDs) are when the muscles are not working correctly. Common causes could include tongue tie, upper airway obstruction (enlarged tonsils, adenoids, or allergies), or ex- tended use of a pacifier or thumb suck- ing. Research has also found that myo- functional therapy can be an effective treatment for sleep-disordered breath- ing. “We have four main goals with ev- ery patient — nasal breathing, lip seal, correct tongue posture, and a correct swallowing pattern,” Partridge said. “It’s something that people don’t re- ally think about, but if you’re doing it wrong when you’re little, it can actually

It’s amazing that we can offer it, because — as far as we know — we are the only clinic in town that has a myofunctional therapist.”

– LOUISE HERSAK

OFFICE MANAGER BRIGHTSIDE DENTAL

I can give them all the information first and they can go from there.” Brightside Dental Care has been tak- ing a real-people approach to dentistry for 10 years now, and offering myofunc- tional therapy is just another way the team goes above and beyond to provide a different kind of dental experience to the community. “It’s nice to bring awareness to something that people might not have known was an issue. These are things that, with a bit of therapy and treat- ment, you can probably prevent,” Her- sak said. “It’s just another service we’re happy to provide clients.” For more information or to book an appointment, call 204-727-7136 or stop by the office at 25-144 6th Street. You can also visit Brightside Dental Care’s website at https://brightsidedental- care.com/.

Assessing dental patient for myofunctional disorders. (Supplied photo)

cise-based treatment program. Par- tridge said she coaches clients through exercises to help create new neuromus- cular patterns, and in turn normalize muscle function. “I still do hygiene, too, so if I see pa- tients with some red flags, I usually bring it to their attention,” Partridge added. “I usually recommend that I see people for a consult first. Depending on what they need, they might not be ready for everything. So, with a consult,

affect how your face grows. For exam- ple, if someone is chronically mouth breathing their entire life, they often will have a more narrow face, which means smaller airway passageways, and in turn can contribute to more se- rious health issues down the road.” They try to screen children in the dental office in order to catch any is- sues early and make people aware, Par- tridge said. Myofunctional therapy is an exer-

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THE BRANDON SUN • WESTMAN BUSINESS • OCTOBER 27, 2022

Doc Walker, seen here in a past concert, will perform on Nov. 22 with Sawyer Brown, Lonestar and guest George Canyon. (Supplied photo)

Events gearing up at Keystone Centre The Keystone Centre had a busy sum- mer hosting community events and sup- porting local charities, but that was just the warm up - now with hockey and events back in full swing, The Keystone Centre is ready to host you for an excellent event experience. A few new upgrades include a recent partnership with Ticketmaster and a parking lot renovation, both of which aim to make attending an event easier and more accessible. 22nd and 23rd) and the Brandon Wheat Kings regular season is underway. Look- ing ahead to 2023, The Keystone Centre is ready to host tradeshows and conferences after a long-awaited return to in-person events. BY KRISTIN MARAND It has been great to see events slowly coming back to the Keystone Centre, and we are looking forward to a full events calendar for 2023.”

“It has been great to see events slowly coming back to the Keystone Centre, and we are looking forward to a full events cal- endar for 2023,” says McKenzie. “Natural- ly, we have some great live events sched- uled in the coming months, but more than anything we are excited to see our annual clients like Manitoba Ag Days, Da- kota Nation Winterfest, the Arabian Horse show, among many others, come back home to the Keystone Centre.” For more information or to see their calendar of events visit keystonecentre. com

“The Keystone Centre is consistently working on improving our facility, and the long-needed renovation of our east park- ing lot is among those improvements,” says Jared McKenzie, Keystone Centre di- rector of marketing & ticketing. “The facil- ity has also installed a brand new surveil- lance system, and is continuing to work on other material improvements that will have a positive impact on the experience of everyone visiting the facility.” In the past two months, The Keystone Centre has been a hub for community events such as Food Truck Warz, Ribfest, community BBQs and Brandon’s largest garage sale. Ribfest raised funds for Volt Hockey, a Variety Manitoba program, and the garage sale benefitted United Way. The Construction Association of Rural Manitoba hosted a charity BBQ in sup- port of the YWCA while building a new

– JARED MCKENZIE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & TICKETING KEYSTONE CENTRE

Two notable events on the horizon are a full evening of country music on Novem- ber 22nd featuring Sawyer Brown, Lon- estar, Doc Walker and George Canyon. McKenzie says that the response to the four-band bill has been incredible and sales have exceeded expectations. The other is the rescheduled Stars on Ice Hol- iday show that has Kurt Browning, Elvis Stojko, Jeffrey Buttle and more coming to town on December 13th. Fall markets supporting local artisans are back at the Keystone Centre for two weekends in October (15th & 16th and

shed for the charity in the Keystone Cen- tre parking lot. “A major aspect of the impact the Key- stone Centre has in Brandon and Western Manitoba is through our work with char- ities,” says McKenzie. “As a non-profit ourselves, we understand the importance of these organizations, and whether it is through food donation, supplying venue space for fundraisers, or partnering on events, supporting non-profits is a vital part of our mission to improve the expe- rience of people living in Brandon and Western Manitoba.”

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THE BRANDON SUN • WESTMAN BUSINESS • OCTOBER 27, 2022

Economic growth observed but challenges remain BY COLIN SLARK

recovery is, in some cases, returning to pre-pandemic levels. However, beyond just inflation, these businesses are still a little behind be- cause of the substantial losses they in- curred over the pandemic years. “There’s a difference between recov- ering your revenue streams and recov- ering your losses,” she said. “Different industries are recovering at different rates.” Though some businesses are worried about the planned increases to the min- imum wage in Manitoba between now and October 2023, Cathcart said many businesses were already paying their employees at a higher rate. But when the minimum wage is raised, she said, there are also employees who will want to be compensated more as a result, as well as those who want a high- er wage to offset inflation. Although, that optimism for Manito- ba isn’t being shared by all small- and medium-sized businesses, according to Kathleen Cook, the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses’ director for the Prairies and Northern Canada. “Generally, optimism is growing, but the idea that everything is back to nor- mal doesn’t match reality,” she said. “It varies by sector, of course, but the busi- nesses hit hardest by the pandemic hav- en’t yet recovered.” The federation represents more than 95,000 businesses across Canada, in- cluding 4,000 in Manitoba. According to its most recent member surveys, fewer than half of respondents said their busi- nesses had returned to pre-pandemic revenues. For Manitoba, 64 per cent of respon- dents said they were below normal reve- nue and 58 per cent said the same thing across Canada, in a September survey. Those hardest-hit sectors include the hospitality, arts, culture and even store- front retail, Cook said. Cook pointed to labour shortages — especially skilled labour — as the big- gest issue identified by CFIB’s members in recent business barometer surveys. This could be linked to a societal issue, Trudel suggested. During the pandemic, she said, high school graduates couldn’t transition into the working world as was possible prior to the global health crisis, and now the market is trying to adjust to that change.

While Manitoba as a whole seems to be in a better economic position than it was during the peak of the COVID-19 pandem- ic, rural communities and smaller busi- nesses are experiencing a different pace of recovery. In late September, Manitoba Finance Minister Cameron Friesen told media during a financial update for the province that not only was the deficit for the 2021- 22 fiscal year less than half of what was originally projected, but that the econom- ic recovery from the negative effects of the pandemic had been stronger than anyone had expected. The estimated gross domestic product growth for Manitoba had originally been set around 5.5 per cent, but the actual fig- ure ended up at 9.3 per cent. Since Friesen’s figures are for Manitoba as a whole, the Sun spoke to several people in Brandon’s business community to see if that recovery is being experienced locally. While there has been no silver bullet to fix the ailed business during the pandemic, they said there has been an increased sense of optimism as the local economy settles into a new normal. Looking at the trends and cues in the lo- cal economy, the City of Brandon’s director of economic development Sandy Trudel said it hasn’t been a straight line to recov- ery, but there are signs. She listed the hospitality industry as an example. Demand for hotel rooms has in- creased and people are booking conven- tions and meeting once again — a signal that the sector is recuperating. With Canada’s final COVID-19 border measures ending and the cancellation of the ArriveCAN app, Trudel doesn’t think that sector will see a huge spike in interest because people have grown used to trav- elling in a different way, but it’s “one more layer that will make it easier to travel.” “However, we also see the reality that it was one of the hardest-hit sectors and staffing is not back in place yet,” Trudel said. “You’re starting to see demand creep- ing up, but employers are finding challeng- es in keeping the workforce coming in.” Businesses in general have also become accustomed to operating in a different way, having to disinfect more often and encour- age greater spacing between customers. Consumers themselves are not eating out as frequently, for example. Another challenge referenced by both Trudel and Brandon Chamber of Com- merce president Tanya LaBuick is the dou-

Sandy Trudel, the City of Brandon’s director of economic development, said the local economy is showing signs of recovery from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic but challenges still remain. (Colin Slark/The Brandon Sun)

You’re starting to see demand creeping up, but employers are finding challenges in keeping the workforce coming in.”

– SANDY TRUDEL DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CITY OF BRANDON

dollars even further. It’s progress, Trudel said, but it hasn’t been pain-free. LaBuick said some other concerns she’s heard about from businesses are the ongoing labour shortage as well as increased sick time. “People are unwilling to work any kind of overtime,” she said. “Their busi- ness model has been built on working overtime to a certain degree.” At the Rural Manitoba Economic De- velopment Corporation, which is head- quartered in Brandon, chief executive officer Margot Cathcart said revenue

ble whammy of inflation and rising interest rates. Even if traffic is returning to levels closer to those seen pre-pandemic, the dol- lars coming in aren’t stretching as far. “With the supply-chain issues, there are a lot of bare shelves and a lot of hit and miss where there are things peo- ple can and cannot get,” LaBuick said. “Right now, certain things like children’s Tylenol seems to be hard to find for folks. That’s a concern as well as infla- tion.” Because of inflation, Trudel said, many customers are now drawn to low- er-cost options to try to stretch their

» cslark@brandonsun.com » Twitter: @ColinSlark

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204-727-7938 1665-18th Street, North Brandon

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Sensus Chartered Professional Accountants Ltd. has grown and undergone many changes over the past 40 years. Since its beginning in 1979, our Firm has opened new locations, amalgamated with other Firms, changed our name and expanded our services to become the strong Firm we are today. Sensus Chartered Professional Accountants Ltd. has grown and undergone many changes over the past 40 years. Since its beginning in 1979, our Firm has opened new locations, amalgamated with other Firms, changed our name and expanded our services to become the strong Firm we are today. Sensus Chartered Professional Accountants Ltd. has grown and undergone many changes over the past 40 years. Since its beginning in 1979, our Firm has opened new locations, amalgamated with other Firms, changed our name and expanded our services to become the strong Firm we are today.

Sensus Chartered Professional Accountants Ltd. has grown and undergone many changes over the past 40 + years. Since its begining in 1979, our Firm has opened new locations, amalgamated with other Firms, changed our name and expanded our services to become the strong Firm we are today. We would like to thank our clientele for their patronage over the past 4 0+ years who have trusted us and allowed us to provide our professional services. We attribute our success to all of our clients . Audra Nychuk, CPA, CA and Harold Reid, CPA, CA would like to welcome their NEW PARTNERS to the Firm. Today we are excited to announce another milestone in our history. Sensus Chartered Professional Accountants Ltd. has grown and undergone many changes over the past 40 + years. Since its begining in 1979, our Firm has opened new locations, amalgamated with other Firms, changed our name and expanded our services to become the strong Firm we are today. We would like to thank our clientele for their patronage over the past 4 0+ years who have trusted us and allowed us to provide our professional services. We attribute our success to all of our clients . Sensus Chartered Professional Accountants Ltd. has grown and undergone many changes over the past 40 + years. Since its begining in 1979, our Firm has opened new locations, amalgamated with other Firms, changed our name and expanded our services to become the strong Firm we are today. We would like to thank our clientele for their patronage over the past 4 0+ years who have trusted us and allowed us to provide our professional services. We attribute our success to all of our clients Audra Nychuk, CPA, CA and Harold Reid, CPA, CA would like to welcome their NEW PARTNERS to the Firm. Today we are excited to announce another milestone in our history. Today we are excited to announce another milestone in our history. Audra Nychuk, CPA, CA and Harold Reid, CPA, CA would like to welcome their NEW PARTNERS

Their dedication and hard work, along with their commitment to excellence, has allowed them to progress to this next step in their careers. Each of these new partners brings a unique set of experiences, perspectives and ideas to help shape our Firm for the future. Please join us in congratulating Tiffany, Ian, Brett, and Kyle on this accomplishment. Their dedication and hard work, along with their commitment to excellence, has allowed them to progress to this next step in their careers. Each of these new partners brings a unique set of experiences, perspectives and ideas to help shape our Firm for the future. Please join us in congratulating Tiffany, Ian, Brett, and Kyle on this accomplishment. Their dedication and hard work, along with their commitment to excellence, has allowed them to progress to this next step in their careers. Each of these new partners brings a unique set of experiences, perspectives and ideas to help shape our Firm for the future. Please join us in congratulating Tiffany, Ian, Brett, and Kyle on this accomplishment.

Harold Reid, CPA, CA

Tiffany Bodnariuk, CPA, CA Ian McMullan, CPA, CA

Audra Nychuk, CPA, CA Audra Nychuk, CPA, CA

Harold Reid, CPA, CA

Tiffany Bodnariuk, CPA, CA Ian McMullan, CPA, CA Tiffany Bodnariuk, CPA, CA Ian McMullan, CPA, CA

Harold Reid, CPA, CA

Audra Nychuk, CPA, CA

We would like to thank our clientele for their patronage over the past 40 years who have trusted us and allowed us to provide our professional services. We attribute our success to all of our clients. We would like to thank our clientele for their patronage over the past 40 years who have trusted us and allowed us to provide our professional services. We attribute our success to all of our clients. We would like to thank our clientele for their patronage over the past 40 years who have trusted us and allowed us to provide our professional services. We attribute our success to all of our clients. We will continue to provide the following services to our clients in the Westman area and eastern Saskatchewan. These services include: • Personal tax planning & preparation • Municipal auditing • Payroll services • Incorporating your farm or business • Bookkeeping services • Notice to reader & review engagement preparation • Estate tax planning • Auditing of public sector boards • Auditing of not-for-profit organizations • Farm and business succession planning • Corporate tax planning & preparation • Retirement & financial planning We will continue to provide the following services to our clients in the Westman area and eastern Saskatchewan. These services include: • Personal tax planning & preparation • Municipal auditing • Payroll services • Incorporating your farm or business • Bookkeeping services • Notice to reader & review engagement preparation • Estate tax planning • Auditing of public sector boards We will continue to provide the following services to our clients in the Westman area and eastern Saskatchewan. These services include: • Personal tax planning & preparation • Municipal auditing • Payroll services • Incorporating your farm or business • Bookkeeping services • Notice to reader & review engagement preparation • Estate tax planning • Auditing of public sector boards

We will continue to provide the following services to our clients in the Westman area and eastern Saskatchewan. These services include: We will continue to provide the following services to our clients in the Westman area and eastern Saskatchewan. These services include: We will continue to provide the following services to our clients in the Westman area and eastern Saskatchewan. These services include: We will continue to provide the following services to our clients in the Westman and Eastern Saskatchewan areas. These services include: • Personal tax planning and preparation • Municipal auditing • Auditing of not-for-profit organizations • Farm and business succession planning • Corporate tax planning & preparation • Retirement & financial planning • Auditing of not-for-profit organizations • Farm and business succession planning • Corporate tax planning & preparation • Retirement & financial planning

Audra Nychuk, CPA, CA Harold Reid, CPA, CA Audra Nychuk, CPA, CA Harold Reid, CPA, CA Audra Nychuk, CPA, CA Harold Reid, CPA, CA

• Notice to reader and review engagement preparation Estate tax planning • Auditing of not-for-profit organizations • Farm and business succession planning • Retirement and financial planning YORKTON, SK 15 – 1st Avenue N 306-782-4320 • Auditing of not-for-profit organizations • Farm and business succession planning • Retirement and financial planning • Auditing of not-for-profit organizations • Farm and business succession planning • Retirement and financial planning • Auditing of not-for-profit organizations • Farm and business succession plannin • Retirement and financial planning • Estate tax planning Brett Fordyce, CPA, CGA • Compilation and review engagement preparation Kyle Paul, CPA, CA • Notice to reader and review engagement preparation Estate tax planning Brett Fordyce, CPA, CGA YORKTON, SK 15 – 1st Avenue N 306-782-4320 Kyle Paul, CPA, CA • Notice to reader and review engagement preparation Estate tax planning Brett Fordyce, CPA, CGA Kyle Paul, CPA, CA YORKTON, SK 15 – 1st Avenue N 306-782-4320

• Personal tax planning and preparation • Municipal auditing • Payroll services • Incorporating your farm or business • Bookkeeping services • Auditing of public sector boards SHOAL LAKE, MB 426 Station Road 204-759-2240 BRANDON, MB 929 – 24th Street 204-727-5577 • Personal tax planning and preparation • Municipal auditing • Payroll services • Incorporating your farm or business • Bookkeeping services • Auditing of public sector boards SHOAL LAKE, MB 426 Station Road 204-759-2240 BRANDON, MB 929 – 24th Street 204-727-5577 • Personal tax planning and preparation • Municipal auditing • Payroll services • Incorporating your farm or business • Bookkeeping services • Auditing of public sector boards SHOAL LAKE, MB 426 Station Road 204-759-2240 BRANDON, MB 929 – 24th Street 204-727-5577 • Bookkeeping services • Auditing of public sector boards

RUSSELL, MB 209 Main Street N 204-773-2106 RUSSELL, MB 209 Main Street N 204-773-2106

VIRDEN, MB 275 Nelson Street W 204-748-3135

RUSSELL, MB 209 Main Street N 204-773-2106

VIRDEN, MB 275 Nelson Street W 204-748-3135 VIRDEN, MB 275 Nelson Street W 204-748-3135

Visit our website www.sensuscpa.ca • Please contact any of our locations for a consultation or email us at sensusrsl@sensuscpa.ca Visit our website www.sensuscpa.ca • Please contact any of our locations for a consultation or email us at sensusrsl@sensuscpa.ca Visit our website www.sensuscpa.ca • Please contact any of our locations for a consultation or email us at sensusrsl@sensuscpa.ca

Tiffany Bodnariuk, CPA, CA Tiffany Bodnariuk, CPA, CA

Ian McMullan, CPA, CA Ian McMullan, CPA, CA Ian McMullan, CPA, CA

Tiffany Bodnariuk, CPA, CA

RUSSELL, MB 209 Main Street N 204-773-2106 204-773-2106

SHOAL LAKE, MB 426 Station Road 204-759-2240

BRANDON MB 929 - 24th Street 204-727-5577

VIRDEN, MB 275 Nelson St. W 204-748-3135

YORKTON, SK 15 - 1st Avenue N 306-782-4320

SHOAL LAKE, MB 426 Station Road 204-759-2240

BRANDON MB 929 - 24th Street 204-727-5577

VIRDEN, MB 275 Nelson St. W 204-748-3135

ROBLIN, MB 128-3rd Avenue 204-937-4668

YORKTON, SK 15 - 1st Avenue N 306-782-4320 YORKTON, SK 15 - 1st Avenue N 306-782-4320

RUSSELL, MB 209 Main Street N 204-773-2106 RUSSELL, MB 209 Main Street N 204-773-2106

SHOAL LAKE, MB 426 Station Road 204-759-2240 SHOAL LAKE, MB 426 Station Road 204-759-2240

BRANDON MB 929 - 24th Street 204-727-5577 BRANDON MB 929 - 24th Street 204-727-5577

VIRDEN, MB 275 Nelson St. W 204-748-3135 VIRDEN, MB 275 Nelson St. W 204-748-3135

YORKTON, SK 15 - 1st Avenue N 306-782-4320

Visit our website www.sensuscpa.ca Please contact any of our locations for a consultation or email us at brandon@sensuscpa.ca Visit our website www.sensuscpa.ca Please contact any of our locations for a consultation or email us at brandon@sensuscpa.ca Visit our website Please contact any of our locations for a consultation or email us at brandon@sensuscpa.ca Visit our website www.sensuscpa.ca Please contact any of our locations for a consultation or email us at brandon@sensuscpa.ca

Brett Fordyce, CPA, CGA Brett Fordyce, CPA, CGA

Kyle Paul, CPA, CA Kyle Paul, CPA, CA

Brett Fordyce, CPA, CGA

Kyle Paul, CPA, CA

PLEASE PHONE 204-726-8488 FOR AN APPOINTMENT TO INQUIRE ABOUT OUR SUNROOMS OR OUR FANTASTIC PRODUCTS • FREE ESTIMATES • SERVING WESTMAN SINCE 1997 SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES

204-726-8488 | View all our products at www.sunspacesunrooms.com | 155 Prairie Crescent Brandon | sales@elitesunrooms.ca

THE BRANDON SUN • WESTMAN BUSINESS • OCTOBER 27, 2022

Celebrating 55 Years in Brandon Celebrating 55 years of fertilizer pro- duction, Koch Fertilizer Canada (Koch Fertilizer) credits employees and the Brandon community with its success. Recently, Koch Fertilizer Canada be- came the first Canadian fertilizer plant to earn Natural Resources Canada’s 2021 ENERGY STAR for Industry Certification for superior energy performance. BY MICHELLE JONES Plant Manager Gordon Herron and Managing Director Kelly Simonson at Koch Fertilizer Canada ULC in Brandon. (Photo by The Brandon Sun)

“Earning ENERGY STAR for Industry Certification is a tremendous accom- plishment of our employees to operate the plant as efficiently as possible and our shareholders to make the right invest- ments,” said Herron. “Energy efficiency is a key priority of our environmental stewardship frame- work. Every day, our team works to en- hance plant operations and adopt in- novative strategies to reduce our energy consumption and responsibly manage our resources.” As a member of the community, Koch Fertilizer partners with local first respond- ers, schools and charitable organizations. The company provides about $125,000 each year in philanthropic support to lo- cal initiatives and organizations such as the Brandon Emergency Support Team, Brandon YMCA, Habitat for Humanity, the East End Community Centre, Help- ing Hands Centre of Brandon, Samaritan House, Food for Thought Program, Cro- cus Plains Regional Secondary School and many more. Furthermore, Koch Fertilizer funds scholarships through Assiniboine Com- munity College and Saskatchewan Poly- technic. “We take it seriously that we want to be a good employer and a good business in the city,” Herron said. “The community is a part of the success of Koch Fertilizer, and through its success, we succeed.”

“This anniversary is a testament to our employees and the community,” said Kel- ly Simonson, Koch Fertilizer managing director. “We thank and congratulate our current and former employees for all they have done to sustain fertilizer production in Manitoba. We also thank the commu- nity for its support.” Simonson — who has been with Koch Fertilizer for more than 25 years — said the company enjoys being part of the Brandon community as the community’s values align well with Koch’s culture, mak- ing it easy to find long term employees. The site, which employs about 275 peo- ple, now has multiple generations from the same families working at the plant. “We have a few instances where parents and their children are working with us, which is something to be proud of,” Si- monson said. “The parent sees Koch Fer- tilizer as a great place to work. As a result, they want their children to work here and experience the same things they have. That’s a very positive endorsement, and we want to continue being a preferred employer in town.” Koch Fertilizer’s Brandon Plant Manag- er Gordon Herron said part of being a pre- ferred employer is ensuring the business remains competitive in an ever-increas- ing global landscape. The company purchased the plant in 2006, which produces nitrogen, phospho- rus, and sulfur fertilizer products used by

This anniversary is a testament to our employees and the community.”

– KELLY SIMONSON MANAGING DIRECTOR KOCH FERTILIZER

duction. Additionally, in 2021, Koch Fertilizer completed a $33 million headquarters project — the first of several significant upgrades designed for expansion, effi- ciency, and improved environmental, health and safety performance. “The amount of investment in our site has driven us to a better place,” Simonson said. “And we’re not done. We want to con- tinue to invest more in the business, so we can continue to grow, be a preferred sup- plier to our customers and remain a good employer for our employees. We strive to be good stewards and continue to rein- vest back in the plant, so we can get better year after year.”

farmers locally, and across western Cana- da and the northern United States. Since the acquisition, Koch Fertilizer has invested more than $275 million into the plant to expand manufacturing capa- bilities and to make it safer, more reliable and a more rewarding place to work. Through regular maintenance invest- ments and reliability projects, Koch Fer- tilizer has improved performance of its existing operating units by upgrading equipment and systems to ensure the plant runs efficiently and predictably — minimizing downtime and maximizing production capability. In 2014, the company finished a $30 million project to increase ammonia pro-

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