Brett Kissel set to play at Club Regent

Mayoral candidate Vogiatzakis criticized for living outside Winnipeg

A mayoral hopeful took heat from other candidates Friday for living outside Winnipeg while running in the civic election.

Mike Vogiatzakis’s primary residence is in the Rural Municipality of St. Andrews, about 25 kilometres north of Winnipeg — a community with its own mayor and councillors.

But the funeral director said he owns a home in Winnipeg where he divides his time, and he would move to the city full-time if elected mayor.

“It doesn’t matter where a person lives. Why are we dividing St. Andrews and Manitoba and Winnipeg? I’ve met the criteria to run for mayor,” Vogiatzakis said Friday morning.

Brett Kissel set to play at Club Regent

Brett Kissel, the newly minted Canadian Country Music Awards male artist of the year and occasional anthem singer for the Edmonton Oilers, will make a stop at the Club Regent Event Centre Feb. 1, 2018.

Tickets for the concert on sale Oct. 6 at 10 a.m. at casinosofwinnipeg.com and Ticketmaster and with prices beginning at $35 plus fees.

The 27-year-old Flat Lake, Alta., singer-songwriter also won the music video of the year and interactive artist of the year from the CCMA, giving Kissel a grand total of 10 CCMA wins during his career, which began in 2003 when he was just 12.

Opening the show will be Edmonton-based singer Dan Davidson, who was nominated for the CCMA’s Rising Star Award in 2017.— from the wire services

Brandonmeat packer thriving on its own

BRANDON — Canada Packers has strengthened its business and laid the foundation for future growth during its first year as an independent company, its president says.

The Brandon-based pork producer, separated from Maple Leaf Foods in October 2025, established its own leadership, strategy, systems, culture and identity while continuing operations across its hog production farms and regional hog barns in southern and eastern Manitoba.

The company’s first year was focused on building a successful standalone business while continuing to serve customers, communities and shareholders, president Dennis Organ said.

“Market conditions over the past year have been more challenging than we anticipated when we became a separate entity,” he said in an email. “Despite that, we continued to execute against our priorities, including increasing processing volumes, maintaining disciplined operations and strengthening the business.”

Retired guidance counsellor defends explicit 2025 sex-ed presentation to high school football team in disciplinary hearing

Gus Watanabe, a former employee of Oak Park High School in Winnipeg, was the subject of a public disciplinary hearing on Thursday.