Westman Communications Group
Encyclopedia
Westman Communications Group (WCG) is the operating name of Westman Media Co-operative. Formerly referred to as Westman Cable, it is the main cable television
company for the city of Brandon
, Manitoba
and the surrounding towns and villages of southwestern Manitoba.
WCG was established in 1977 and originally provided cable television to the city of Brandon. In 1978, WCG expanded its coverage to include Carberry
. Today, WCG provides analog and digital cable, and internet service to the following communities: Benito
, Binscarth
, Birch River
, Birtle
, Boissevain
, Bowsman
, Brandon
, Carberry
, Dauphin
, Deloraine
, Elkhorn
, Erickson
, Gilbert Plains
, Gladstone
, Glenboro
, Grandview
, Hamiota
, Killarney
, McCreary
, Melita
, Minitonas
, Minnedosa
, Neepawa
, Rivers
, Roblin
, Rossburn
, Russell
, Sandy Lake
, Shilo, Shoal Lake
, Souris
, St. Lazare
, Ste. Rose
, Strathclair
, Swan River
, Virden
.
As a consumer co-operative, WCG is one of the few cable companies where the customer earns equity (by being a Co-op), which can be cashed in if they move out of the service area. WCG is a member of the Manitoba Cooperative Association
.
In 2003, WCG purchased Riding Mountain Broadcasting
Ltd. With the purchase, WCG now owns and operates two Brandon
-based radio stations, CKLF
94.7 ("94.7 Star-fm"), and CKLQ
880 ("Q-Country").
May 1, 2007, WCG purchased the naming rights to the Keystone Centre
's main arena and the associated viewing lounge. It is a ten-year deal with an option to renew. As part of the deal, WCG will install HD televisions in the concourse and two electronic reader boards.
March 15, 2008, WCG was listed by Industry Canada as a participant in the upcoming auction for spectrum licenses for advanced wireless services.
December 15, 2008, WCG was certified as a Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) and began providing landline home phone service in competition with MTS.
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
company for the city of Brandon
Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon is the second largest city in Manitoba, Canada, and is located in the southwestern area of the province. Brandon is the largest city in the Westman region of Manitoba. The city is located along the Assiniboine River. Spruce Woods Provincial Park and CFB Shilo are a relatively short distance...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
and the surrounding towns and villages of southwestern Manitoba.
WCG was established in 1977 and originally provided cable television to the city of Brandon. In 1978, WCG expanded its coverage to include Carberry
Carberry, Manitoba
Carberry is the largest town in the Rural Municipality of North Cypress in southwestern Manitoba, Canada. It is home to 1,502 people and is located 50 kilometres east of Brandon, Manitoba.-Economy:...
. Today, WCG provides analog and digital cable, and internet service to the following communities: Benito
Benito, Manitoba
Benito is a village in the Canadian province of Manitoba surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Swan River. The village is situated in the Swan River Valley, 37 kilometres southwest of Swan River, 475 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg 2 kilometres east of the Saskatchewan border...
, Binscarth
Binscarth, Manitoba
Binscarth is a village in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Russell. It is located approximately northwest of Brandon and south from the town of Russell, Manitoba. The Manitoba government established the community in 1886. The Northwestern Railway...
, Birch River
Birch River, Manitoba
Birch River is a community in the Canadian province of Manitoba located in the Rural Municipality of Mountain in the western portion of central Manitoba. The municipality is split into two regions, Mountain North and Mountain South. Mountain North is one of the most northerly municipalities in...
, Birtle
Birtle, Manitoba
Birtle is a small town of 690 people , located on the prairies of western Manitoba, Canada at the junction of Highways 83 and 42.-History:...
, Boissevain
Boissevain, Manitoba
Boissevain is a town in Manitoba near the North Dakota border. It is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Morton. It is notable for its proximity to the International Peace Garden, a short drive south on Highway 10. The town also displays a number of wall murals as a tourist attraction...
, Bowsman
Bowsman, Manitoba
Bowsman is a village of about 300 in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It is bordered by the Rural Municipality of Swan River and the Rural Municipality of Minitonas. The village is 16 kilometres north of the town of Swan River. Bowsman was incorporated as a village in 1949.-History:J.B...
, Brandon
Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon is the second largest city in Manitoba, Canada, and is located in the southwestern area of the province. Brandon is the largest city in the Westman region of Manitoba. The city is located along the Assiniboine River. Spruce Woods Provincial Park and CFB Shilo are a relatively short distance...
, Carberry
Carberry, Manitoba
Carberry is the largest town in the Rural Municipality of North Cypress in southwestern Manitoba, Canada. It is home to 1,502 people and is located 50 kilometres east of Brandon, Manitoba.-Economy:...
, Dauphin
Dauphin, Manitoba
Dauphin is a small city in Manitoba, Canada, with a population of 7,906 as of 2006. The nearby lake was given the name "Dauphin" by the explorer Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye in 1741 in honour of the heir to the French throne...
, Deloraine
Deloraine, Manitoba
Deloraine is a farming town in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It is situated near the Turtle Mountains in the southwestern corner of the province. Located in the Westman Region, the town is 100 kilometres south of Brandon, the region's largest centre...
, Elkhorn
Elkhorn, Manitoba
Elkhorn is a village in southwestern Manitoba, Canada.Incorporated on January 2, 1906, it is located approximately 105 kilometers west of Brandon. It is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Wallace.-History:...
, Erickson
Erickson, Manitoba
Erickson is a town in the Rural Municipality of Clanwilliam in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It is located on Highway 10 on 32-17-18W in south central Manitoba. The main industry of Erickson is agriculture....
, Gilbert Plains
Gilbert Plains, Manitoba
Gilbert Plains is a town in Manitoba, Canada. The town lies on Highway 5 and the CN railway line, between Dauphin and Grandview, or about 250 miles NW of Winnipeg. The current mayor of Gilbert Plains is Lyle Smith. Gilbert Plains railway station receives Via Rail service.-History:Incorporated in...
, Gladstone
Gladstone, Manitoba
Gladstone is a town in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It is located on the Yellowhead Highway at the intersection with Highway 34 within the boundaries of the Rural Municipality of Westbourne...
, Glenboro
Glenboro, Manitoba
Glenboro is a village in Manitoba, Canada, located about 80 km southeast of the city of Brandon. It is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of South Cypress. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 656...
, Grandview
Grandview, Manitoba
Grandview is a town in Manitoba, Canada. It is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Grandview. It is located forty-five kilometers west of the city of Dauphin....
, Hamiota
Hamiota, Manitoba
Hamiota is a growing community located on Provincial Trunk Highway 21 in Manitoba, Canada, midway between the Trans-Canada Highway and the Yellowhead Highway....
, Killarney
Killarney, Manitoba
Killarney is a town in Southwestern Manitoba, Canada, at the corner of Manitoba Provincial Trunk Highways 3 & 18. , its population was approximately 2300. The incorporated town is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Turtle Mountain. It is well known for its lake, situated within the town proper...
, McCreary
McCreary, Manitoba
McCreary is a village in Manitoba, Canada.McCreary is located in South Western Manitoba, and has a population of approximately 535 as of the 1996 census. It is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of McCreary. Located just to its west in Riding Mountain National Park, Mt. Agassiz was the site of...
, Melita
Melita, Manitoba
Melita is a town located in the southwestern corner of the Canadian province of Manitoba. It is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Arthur and occupies a bend of the Souris River. The population, as of the 2006 census, is 1,051. It sits at the junction of Highways 3 and 83, approx....
, Minitonas
Minitonas, Manitoba
Minitonas is a community in Manitoba. It is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Minitonas and the Swan Valley. It is 15 km east of Swan River. The town is close to the Duck Mountain Provincial Park. According to the 2001 census, the town had a population of 538, with an additional 1,152...
, Minnedosa
Minnedosa, Manitoba
Minnedosa is a town in the southwestern part of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Situated 50 kilometres north of Brandon, Manitoba on the Little Saskatchewan River, the name means "flowing water" in Sioux. The population of Minnedosa reported in the 2006 Statistics Canada Census was 2,474...
, Neepawa
Neepawa, Manitoba
Neepawa is a town in Manitoba, Canada located on the Yellowhead Highway at the intersection with Highway 5. its population was 3,298. Neepawa was incorporated as a town in 1883. It is located in the Rural Municipality of Langford and bordered to the north by the Rural Municipality of Rosedale....
, Rivers
Rivers, Manitoba
Rivers is a town in the Canadian province of Manitoba located 40 kilometres northwest of Brandon. Rivers had a population of 1,193 people in the 2006 census. Rivers was named in 1908 after Sir Charles Rivers Wilson, Chairman of the Board of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway...
, Roblin
Roblin, Manitoba
Roblin is a town in Manitoba, Canada. It is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Shell River.Including the surrounding areas of Shell River, Hillsburg, Park North, Shellmouth, and Boulton, the population is 2,636...
, Rossburn
Rossburn, Manitoba
Rossburn is a town in Manitoba, located near Waywayseecappo First Nation. The town is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Rossburn.-External links:*...
, Russell
Russell, Manitoba
Russell is a town of 1,428 located in southwestern Manitoba, Canada, in the Rural Municipality of Russell. The town of Russell is located along Highway 16 and Highway 83, and is at the western terminus of Highway 45. Russell is approximately 15 km from the Saskatchewan border and 340 km...
, Sandy Lake
Sandy Lake, Manitoba
Sandy Lake is a small community in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It is located in the Rural Municipality of Harrison along PTH 45 approximately 10 miles west of PTH 10. Sandy Lake is a small town with a dwindling population, the elementary school was closed down and purchased by the Nowell...
, Shilo, Shoal Lake
Shoal Lake, Manitoba
-Shoal Lake, Ontario:At the eastern border of the province with Ontario, a portion of Shoal Lake and the surrounding watershed lies within Manitoba.-Shoal Lake, Manitoba:...
, Souris
Souris, Manitoba
Souris is a town in the southwestern portion of the Canadian province of Manitoba, 2006 population 1,772, total including Glenwood Municipality is 2,412. It is located on the Souris River, from which it takes its name. The town is home to Canada's longest historic cable-stayed footbridge , known...
, St. Lazare
St. Lazare, Manitoba
St. Lazare is a small English and French-speaking village in western Manitoba, Canada. It is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Ellice. The village showed a population of 265 inhabitants in both the 2006 census and the 2001 census.-Radio:...
, Ste. Rose
Ste. Rose, Manitoba
Ste. Rose is a rural municipality in the Parkland Region of Manitoba, Canada. It had a population of 791 according to the Canada 2006 Census. The RM surrounds the Franco-Manitoban town of Ste. Rose du Lac.-External links:* *...
, Strathclair
Strathclair, Manitoba
Strathclair is a rural municipality in the province of Manitoba in Western Canada.According to the 2006 Statistics Canada Census, Strathclair Municipality has a population of 840 persons.It is located northwest of Brandon, Manitoba and is on Highway 16....
, Swan River
Swan River, Manitoba
-Economy:The economic base of the town lies in agriculture and forestry along with support industries for same.Almost fifty percent of the surrounding area is under cultivation, most of which is seeded to cereal grain, oilseeds, and other specialty crops. Wheat, rye, barley, oats, flax, and canola...
, Virden
Virden, Manitoba
Virden, Manitoba is a town in southwestern Manitoba. Oil was first discovered in 1951, and Virden has since come to be known as the "Oil Capital of Manitoba"....
.
As a consumer co-operative, WCG is one of the few cable companies where the customer earns equity (by being a Co-op), which can be cashed in if they move out of the service area. WCG is a member of the Manitoba Cooperative Association
Manitoba Cooperative Association
The Manitoba Cooperative Association is the provincial association of cooperative organizations, created by its members to enhance and support the development of a united, growing and influential cooperative movement in Manitoba...
.
Governance
WCG, as cooperative, is a business owned and controlled by its members. Membership in WCG is open to anyone wishing to purchase services. Members, through a board of directors, determine how the co-operative will be run and allocation of any profits. The elected Board of Directors carries the ultimate responsibility for the policies for Westman and for giving direction to management. The current board of directors are: Doug Smallwood (Chair), Gail Janz (First Vice-Chair), Miriam McLeod (Second Vice-Chair), Theresa van Hoof (Secretary), Susan Brechmann (Treasurer), Leo Boivin, Barry Delmage, Ryan Gibson, Brian McVicar, Terri Roulette-McCartney, and Bill Zaporzan.Other Company Growth
- 2003
In 2003, WCG purchased Riding Mountain Broadcasting
Riding Mountain Broadcasting
Riding Mountain Broadcasting Ltd is a communication company based in Brandon, Manitoba. The company runs two radio stations: CKLQ and CKLF . Both stations are located at 624 14th Street East, on Brandon's southeast side....
Ltd. With the purchase, WCG now owns and operates two Brandon
Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon is the second largest city in Manitoba, Canada, and is located in the southwestern area of the province. Brandon is the largest city in the Westman region of Manitoba. The city is located along the Assiniboine River. Spruce Woods Provincial Park and CFB Shilo are a relatively short distance...
-based radio stations, CKLF
CKLF-FM
CKLF-FM is an FM radio station serving Brandon, Manitoba, Canada and the surrounding area. CKLF is commonly referred to as "Star 94.7" and airs a contemporary hit radio format....
94.7 ("94.7 Star-fm"), and CKLQ
CKLQ (AM)
CKLQ is an AM radio station serving Brandon, Manitoba, Canada and the surrounding area. It currently broadcasts at 880 kHz at a power of 10,000 watts, airing a country music format, along with radio coverage of Brandon Wheat Kings junior ice hockey...
880 ("Q-Country").
- 2007
May 1, 2007, WCG purchased the naming rights to the Keystone Centre
Keystone Centre
The Keystone Centre is a multi-purpose facility located in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. It has of multi-use space under one roof. The main 6,042-seat arena, previously known as the Keystone Arena, is now known as Westman Communications Group Place. On May 1, 2007, Westman Communications Group...
's main arena and the associated viewing lounge. It is a ten-year deal with an option to renew. As part of the deal, WCG will install HD televisions in the concourse and two electronic reader boards.
- 2008
March 15, 2008, WCG was listed by Industry Canada as a participant in the upcoming auction for spectrum licenses for advanced wireless services.
December 15, 2008, WCG was certified as a Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) and began providing landline home phone service in competition with MTS.