About Kyla Henderson:

Kyla Henderson is a local freelance journalist and business owner. Her column runs every week in the Brandon Sun.

• United Cigar Store closes up shop

  After decades in business, United Cigar Store abruptly shut its doors yesterday. Located in The Town Centre, United Cigar Store was one of the last convenience-type stores in the downtown area. Peckish folk looking for a mid-afternoon treat still have plenty of options, but nothing like United Cigar, unless you mosey eastward to the Husky or west to Hurl's Food Mart.

  View Full Column | 03/26/2011 1:00 AM | 0

• Atom-Jet purchases Glendale Industries

  Bigger is better when you're Atom-Jet Industries Ltd. The Brandon-based manufacturing company announced the acquisition of another local manufacturer -- Glendale Industries this week. Effective April 4, the acquisition will give Atom-Jet an edge in the industry, co-CEO Craig Senchuk said in a release.

  View Full Column | 03/19/2011 1:00 AM | 1

• New store offers retro furnishings

  Thanks to the popularity of television series like "Mad Men" and "Junk Brothers," vintage 1950s and '60s décor and restored retro home-furnishings are making a comeback in a big, big way. Fortunately for Brandon shoppers, there's a man right in our own backyard whose passion for interior design and all-things retro is making a statement downtown.

  View Full Column | 03/12/2011 1:00 AM | 0

• The Keg eager to share new look in May

  Raise your hand if your plans for a nice evening at The Keg have been thwarted recently due to renovations. OK, you're either alone sipping coffee or in a crowd somewhere, so please lower your arm.

  View Full Column | 03/5/2011 1:00 AM | 0

• Horizon Insurance sets up shop in city

  One of Manitoba's largest insurance brokerages has arrived in Brandon, filling a chronically vacant space at the corner of First Street and Victoria Avenue. Horizon Insurance offers Autopac, home, business and life insurance services.

  View Full Column | 02/26/2011 1:00 AM | 0

• Sleep tight: High-end mattresses, low-end prices

  Ever so quietly, The Mattress Guy opened its second Manitoba location in Brandon this fall. The North American franchise specializes in finding deal-savvy shoppers a comfortable and affordable place to lay their heads.

  View Full Column | 02/12/2011 1:00 AM | 0

• CD Plus leaving after two decades in city

  Regular visits to a music store just to browse the racks of CDs have sadly become passé, and so the end has come for a handful of CD Plus outlets across Canada and the days for the Brandon Shoppers Mall location are limited. After more than 20 years in the Brandon market, CD Plus will close its doors at the end of the month.

  View Full Column | 02/5/2011 1:00 AM | 0

• KDL Furniture moving further north

  The self-dubbed "Brandon's only wholesale 'Sleep-and-Sit Shop'" is on the move. The family-run KDL Furniture Wholesale entered the Brandon business scene in 2002 and now, after seven years on Braecrest Drive, is making its move to a larger, more visible space at 660 Highland Ave., just south of the Trans-Canada Highway.

  View Full Column | 01/29/2011 1:00 AM | 0

• Business growing in a flash

  Dale and Bree Schappert are the first to tell anyone that when business is booming, you've got to keep up. That's why, just one year after moving out of their home office into a small storefront on Eighth Street, the artistic duo is on the move again.

  View Full Column | 01/22/2011 1:00 AM | 0

• Motel 6 opens just in time for Ag Days bookings

  Hotel space in Brandon has been a contentious issue that definitely made headlines in 2010, but now the Wheat City boasts an additional 89 rooms for weary travellers to rest their heads. Motel 6 celebrated its first day of business Thursday, and the project is already starting to pay off -- the motel is booked solid for the duration of Ag Days next week.

  View Full Column | 01/15/2011 1:00 AM | 0

• Pair of new stores cater to ethnic tastes

  Whether it's a little taste of the homeland you're after, or you're just looking to expand your culinary experience, foodstuffs for sale at the newly opened Siberia Food Market will send your tastebuds right to Eastern Europe. From pickled watermelon and biscuits to traditional Russian salted fish, perogies and sunflower oil, Siberia Food Market offers up tastes of Russia, Ukraine, Poland and even the Maldives.

  View Full Column | 01/8/2011 1:00 AM | 0

• Change begins on Victoria,more may be coming in city

  SIBERIA MARKET After 20-plus years, the doors closed on We-R-Video just two weeks ago, but happily, great news is upon us. A new business -- Siberia Market -- is preparing to take up residency at 2430 Victoria Ave.

  View Full Column | 12/12/2010 12:30 AM | 0

• Attention Shoppers -- Kraving a little extra attention

  We all need to satisfy a beauty "kraving" every once in a while, right? Krave Salon is the newest business to enter the Brandon beauty community. With a team featuring three stylists, an esthetician and a nail technician -- with a combined experience of nearly 30 years -- it's only a matter of time before their work will be turning heads and asking, "Who does your hair?"

  View Full Column | 11/27/2010 1:00 AM | 0

• Showcase store offers one-stop shopping for TV products

  A quick browse through a flyer easily backs up Showcase's slogan -- The Best of As Seen On TV And More! The quirky retailer of everything we didn't know we have to have is the latest retailer to join the team at Shoppers Mall.

  View Full Column | 11/20/2010 1:00 AM | 0

• Fun Time Pottery's anniversary plans taking shape

  Brandon's first and only paint-your-own pottery shop, Fun Time Pottery, celebrates its first anniversary this month. To celebrate the milestone, owner Milly McKenna is hosting a birthday party today complete with cake and of course, plenty of great discounts.

  View Full Column | 11/13/2010 1:00 AM | 0

• Forever Angels fundraiser picture perfect

  If you sometimes question the phrase "little angels" to describe your children, Frazer Photographic Art can help them at least fake it for a few precious moments. The 10th edition of Frazer's Forever Angels fundraiser will be set up in Shoppers Mall from Nov. 6-13 inclusive.

  View Full Column | 11/6/2010 1:00 AM | 0

• Mum's will keep Wheat City location open

  Opening a satellite location at the Wheat City Golf Course was a gamble, but one that has clearly paid off. Mum's Country Club Restaurant has been given the go-ahead to stay open throughout the winter and to celebrate its success, Mum's is promoting its express lunch menu that features eight items for $8.49 each -- all with a promise attached that lunch will be served in 15 minutes or less if you're dining with six or less people.

  View Full Column | 10/30/2010 1:00 AM | 0

• Jersey City opens store in mall

  Whether you cheer from the sidelines or you're not afraid to say Bomber blue and gold are your true colours, the latest newcomer at Brandon's Shoppers Mall has exactly what you're looking for -- and a whole lot more. "We're excited to be coming to Brandon," Jersey City spokesperson Brent Boyle told the Sun. "A university town, a good sporting community, with a great junior hockey program -- we'll fit right in!"

  View Full Column | 10/23/2010 1:00 AM | 0

• Zeke's Jewellers celebrates 50th anniversary

  A milestone anniversary is important for any business, but when it's a second-generation family business that got its start in Neepawa -- that's something special that we can all be proud of. In 1960, Walter Zeke opened the first Zeke's Jewellers in Neepawa and since, the business has expanded to include the Brandon location and three others across Saskatchewan.

  View Full Column | 10/16/2010 12:20 AM | 0

• Hansel & Gretel's coming to city

  Updating readers on what's brewing at Hansel & Gretel's Home Kitchen seems to be a regular occurrence in Attention Shoppers. But when there is good news to be shared, and when we're talking home-cooked, ethnic cuisine, how can it be ignored?

  View Full Column | 10/9/2010 1:00 AM | 1

• Hair studio's opening delayed, celebration goes on

  A few delays in construction pushed opening day back a bit for owner Jen Pelletier and her team at Modesty Hair Studio, but it wasn't enough to foil plans for a grand opening celebration this weekend. To celebrate its new location at Unit 2 2430 Victoria Ave., today only from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. men and women in need of a trim can exchange a crisp $10 bill and walk away a little lighter; a wash and style is also included in that price.

  View Full Column | 10/2/2010 1:00 AM | 0

• Margo's Grill offers tasty fare at Town Centre

  The tastes of Europe will tantalize your taste buds morning, noon and night thanks to a new arrival at The Town Centre. After spending the summer hauling a travelling concession stand to dozens of powwows throughout Manitoba and Ontario, husband-and-wife team Peter Laue and Meggie Wejga decided it was time to settle down and give Brandonites a chance to try their favourite German and Polish staples and other eclectic twists on Canadian favourites.

  View Full Column | 09/25/2010 1:00 AM | 0

• Newfie's Cafe spreads down-home charm again at Crystal

  A trip to Newfoundland may not be in your budget, but the same authentic home-cooked food is once again within reach right here in Brandon. Newfoundland transplant Dwayne Meadus has brought the charm, ease and unique tastes of life in the Maritimes back to those who were left upset with mouths watering when he closed the doors to Newfie's Cafe in 2008.

  View Full Column | 09/20/2010 2:10 AM | 0

• Yoga Thrive a gentle class for cancer survivors

  There's a feeling of calm that enters the room when Karla Smith walks in. Maybe it's the 12 years she has spent practising yoga, or the year of teaching experience she has acquired working with Susan Dupuis at Sacred Tree Yoga; whatever it is, it's electric, and there's no doubt that those who sign up for her newest class -- Yoga Thrive -- will feel the same wave of relaxation come over them and leave wanting more. Yoga Thrive is both new to Sacred Tree and to Brandon. The one-hour class is designed specifically for cancer survivors and their support persons as it nurtures and massages the body in all of the right places, while you bend and stretch through a series of poses.

  View Full Column | 09/4/2010 1:00 AM | 0

• New Motel 6 will ease room crunch

  Hotel space in Brandon has been a contentious issue that made headlines this year, but construction of the city's newest hotel should at least put a dent in the current crunch for rooms. An 89-room Motel 6, which will include 15 extended-stay rooms, a meeting room and fitness centre, is set to open mid-November.

  View Full Column | 09/11/2010 1:00 AM | 0

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