Complete: The devastating effects of Brandon’s historic 2011 flood are still being felt at the Riverbank Discovery Centre.

Bernie Chrisp, president of Brandon Riverbank Inc., said it will be years before the area is back to what it once was.

"Not only did it take out the pond … but it also altered our pathways," Chrisp said. "So any people that come down there for walks and that kind of thing, we’ve lost that business."

Chrisp gave a presentation to city council Monday night, updating councillors on 2012 operations and ongoing flood recovery and remediation efforts.

"We’ve got a mould problem in our building, so we’re working with some different companies in regards to getting rid of the mould situation," he said.

The Discovery Centre’s crawl space is the only area affected by mould.

Also in the past year, the organization completed several grant applications.

Some shrub replanting was done along the driveway and they have played an active role in the 2017 Canada Summer Games bid.

Brandon Riverbank Inc. is a not-for-profit organization, which was established in 1995. In 2000, the organization assumed responsibility for the delivery of tourism services on behalf of the city.

More than $5 million was invested in 15 years, developing the Riverbank as a community gathering place.

Unfortunately, the flood of 2011 took just two months to destroy what had been built, affecting every project and aspect of their operations.

Chrisp said they are looking for leadership and financial help from the city in their ongoing cleanup and remediation.

An estimated 12,000 to 15,000 trees died from extended high water, which has created a significant removal process.

"There could be a possibility of some elm disease in some of the elm trees, and so some of those trees have to be removed over the next little while, so we’re working towards that," he said, adding re-planting is vital to ensure the stability of the riverbank.

"A number of the paths have been altered or destroyed because of the diking that was done," Chrisp said. "Our lights are out also, so ... we can’t really do any repairs on the lights, until we get our paths back in operation, so it’s kind of a catch-22 type situation."

The City of Brandon is in the process of constructing permanent dikes.

"Once that’s done then we can go to work and make sure that our pathways are put back to where they were before," he said. "They may be in a little bit of a different location, but certainly there’s some work being done there."

The Riverbank has been working closely with the city’s engineering and parks departments on this ongoing remediation process along the riverbank and at Eleanor Kidd and Queen Elizabeth parks.

"It’s certainly going to take some time, those things don’t happen overnight and of course it takes money," Chrisp said.

In its 2011 audited financial statement, Brandon Riverbank posted a deficit for the first time in the organization’s history.

Chrisp outlined a remediation timeline of 2013 to 2016. By spring 2013, Chrisp said they hope to have the trout pond open.

"It was flooded and got some nasty types of fish in there, but they will die off in the winter time," he said. "So we’ll be putting new trout in."

Also in 2013, there are plans for tree removal and planting at Eleanor Kidd Park, and continued work on dikes and pathways around the Discovery Centre.

In 2014, plans include tree removal and re-planting at Queen Elizabeth Park, as well as remediation and redevelopment of the gardens at Eleanor Kidd Park.

The Riverbank Discovery Centre has continued with interpretative programs for students and hosted many different events in its building. The pedestrian bridge is open and some paths are still in use.

"We’re working as hard as we can in order to try to get the facility back to where it was before," he said. "We’re open for business and we certainly want people to come down and enjoy the facility and enjoy the whole Assiniboine River corridor."

http://www.brandonsun.com/local/discovery-centre-faces-long-recovery-process-183925161.html

Considering how significant business leaders in the province believe the return of the Jets has been to the Manitoba economy, provincial officials are probably wishing there was binding arbitration at the NHL to end the labour dispute.

Close to half of the business leaders who responded to a new poll done by Probe Research exclusively for the Free Press said having an NHL team in Winnipeg is beneficial to the provincial economy.

The return of a major league hockey team and the quality of life in the province were the two items out of 16 included in the survey that were deemed to be the most beneficial to the provincial economy.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/the-jets-effect-183899091.html

TORONTO - Air Canada plans to launch its new low-cost airline Tuesday in Toronto. The company gave few details but promised more information would be released at the event. Air Canada (TSX:AC.B) executives will be on hand and the company will also host a vacation giveaway in Toronto's downtown Yonge-Dundas Square.

The unnamed discount carrier will focus on leisure destinations in the United States and Caribbean and some routes in Europe. It will begin operations with two Boeing 767-300ER and two Airbus A319 aircraft that will be released from Air Canada's mainline fleet.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/travel/air-canada-to-launch-give-details-of-discount-airline-at-event-tuesday--183822261.html

MONTREAL - Montreal's tourism industry experienced a slowdown in 2012 after solid growth the previous year, said the city's official tourism marketer, blaming difficult economic conditions in Europe as well as student protests in the city last summer.

Also a factor was the drop in business meetings held in Montreal this year, said Tourism Montreal.

Hotel room rates fell marginally, by 0.5 per cent, to $138.84 on average compared with 2011. Hotel occupancy rates also declined slightly.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/travel/drop-in-tourism-to-montreal-blamed-on-student-protests-weak-european-economy-183823441.html

Nature and Outdoor Tourism Ontario is tightening its belt, because of tough times in the industry — and the cuts will start at the top with the departure of long-time executive director Doug Reynolds.

A cut to government funding has also meant the end for the group's annual travel and tourism guide.

Northwestern Ontario tourist outfitter and NOTO vice-president Brenda Baughman said a drop in membership has contributed to the problems.

“The downturn had affected the organization because there are people that can't afford their NOTO dues anymore,” she said.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/story/2012/12/17/tby-noto-fiscal-belt-tightening.html

WEST GLACIER, Mont. - National parks must do a better job of attracting more minority visitors and employees or else risk becoming irrelevant in the future, the retiring superintendent of Glacier National Park said.

More diversity among park visitors and National Park Service workers will better ensure the nation's most protected landscapes remain that way, Chas Cartwright said.

"If I look at who visits here, let's go with that one first, it is a lot of white people," he said. "We have an international visitation that is fairly substantial, but there are segments of our population that aren't spending much, if any, time in the park, and that really kind of begs the question: Are we relevant to all of America?"

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/travel/ap-interview-retiring-glacier-national-park-superintendent-says-parks-need-more-diversity-183835181.html

(Excerpts from an article published originally in the WFP, Dec.  '65)

Plans for a proposed shopping centre "twice as big as Polo Park" and costing an estimated S12 to $14 million were unveiled Friday for St. .Vital.  Archibald Enterprises Ltd. and the City of St. Vital have petitioned the Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Winnipeg for reporting of a 75-acre site 'to allow for the complex. The company's agent, Ross Really Ltd., has already purchased land from more than 10 owners in the area for about $1,200,000. Unconfirmed reports put the T. Eaton Company Ltd. as the major enterprise in the new centre, with a three or four-storey store. The Bay has also been mentioned. John Swystun, Winnipeg lawyer and a partner in Archibald Enterprises, said when the site is fully developed, it will contain about 100,000 square feet of building area and provide parking for 5,000 cars. Construction would begin by summer of fall of 1967 and the first stage of the project would open in 1968. Announcement of the centre came only days after the official opening of St. Vital's S5.5 million bridge over the Red River, linking the City of Winnipeg with St. Vital. The proposed project would be located immediately south of the power line in St. Vital, between St. Mary's Road and Dakota Street. south of Severn Avenue between St. Mary's Road and Iowa Street, to a line about 500 feet south of Severn Avenue running parallel to Severn Avenue between Iowa Street and Dakota Street. The centre will include independent retail stores, a twin-auditorium movie theatre, professional offices and other service establishments. The second stage will provide for a second large department store and space for other retail merchants. The project was first suggested by Lorne Leech, president of Lance Publishing Company in St. Vital, early last year. Mr. Swystun said it had nothing to do with the new St. Vital bridge, which took 13 months to build. However, he said, "If it wasn't for Metro putting in this new bridge, this shopping centre wouldn't be going in." The site is about two miles from the bridge, and about in minutes from The Hay's downtown store.