Travel Manitoba’s partnership program continues to grow. The reason? Partners are seeing real results.  Javier Schwersensky, Director of Marketing, Sales and Programs at the Manitoba Museum says the partnership program ensures “every dollar spent in promotional activities is actually helping us achieve sales.” Travel Manitoba has helped the Manitoba Museum to develop new products that meet the needs of the marketplace and improve their bottom line.” The Manitoba Museum worked collaboratively with Travel Manitoba…helping attract new inbound operators to our facility and increasing our group tours bookings by almost 10%.” 

Gail MacDonald, Manager of the Interlake Tourism Association, says partnering with Travel Manitoba has showcased her region to a larger audience. “We put together a package that allowed us the opportunity to partner with some of our industry members on full page ads and digital marketing which offset a portion of the overall cost.” To see how partnering with Travel Manitoba can generate results for you contact Lilian Tankard at LTankard@travelmanitoba.com today.

http://www.travelmanitoba.com/images_tr/pdf/2013_partnership_opportunities.pdf

Complete: Any lingering questions regarding the City of Brandon’s pursuit of a casino were seemingly laid to rest this week by Mayor Shari Decter Hirst, who said the city was shelving the idea. “It’s dead,” Decter Hirst told the Sun. “(The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs) is going forward with the Carberry proposal and the province continues to support AMC’s decision, whatever AMC’s decision would be. And so, for all intents and purposes it’s done. Which I think is really unfortunate.

“I keep hoping that the decision will be challenged, that the Hemisphere decision will be challenged by the aboriginal community. Because gaming’s primary purpose is economic development, there are much better opportunities than the one that they, at the end of the day, settled for.” But the city’s position hasn’t stopped the Tribal Councils Investment Group — the city’s partner in exploring the casino question — from asking the province to reconsider its stance. In an emailed statement to the Sun late Tuesday, TCIG CEO Allan McLeod said his organization had completed the business plans for a casino proposal and had been successful in raising financing commitments for the project.

“We have confirmed the business case and benefits that will spin off to the City of Brandon, the (First Nation) communities, the business community, as well as the province,” McLeod said. “We now simply need to meet with the province to demonstrate, all the jobs and opportunities that are available and we can keep all the cash and benefits right here in Manitoba.” TCIG has made contact with the provincial government, McLeod said, and is “awaiting confirmation of a meeting date.” In a previous interview, McLeod said he still believed a gaming development partnership with Brandon was possible. He also said that partnership wasn’t limited to a casino. “I think there’s been groups in the past that have pursued quasi-gaming licences, when you look at the Assiniboia Downs and revenue sharing to make MTS Centre happen,” McLeod told the Sun last month.

In May, the city announced it had partnered with the TCIG, the business arm of seven tribal council groups representing 55 of Manitoba’s 61 First Nation bands, with the intent of securing the right to build a casino on city-owned land. However, following months of discussion and outreach with the AMC and the province, Grand Chief Derek Nepinak publicly backed a scaled-down Spirit Sands Casino project south of Carberry in November after the organization’s gaming chiefs signed a management agreement with Hemisphere Gaming Inc. In the wake of that decision, Decter Hirst said the city’s partnership with TCIG is on hold for the time being, although she left the door open to future business ventures with the investment group should opportunities present themselves.

“We don’t have any other projects now that would need that kind of expertise or skill set that TCIG have. But certainly I thought it was a valuable partnership that we did have. So I’m not adverse to repeating it if something else comes along.”

While the exploration of the casino option has been unsuccessful, city manager Scott Hildebrand says the process has not been without merit. “It has not been a waste of time,” Hildebrand said. “It was a great experience working with AMC, meeting with AMC, and getting a chance to meet a lot of the First Nations chiefs and people, to understand some of the opportunities and economic development opportunities they’re looking for as well.”

In his position as city manager, Hildebrand has the ability to explore possible business opportunities for the city — as in the case of a casino — as long as any plans are brought back to council and presented for final approval.

While there are currently no other economic development plans in the works with Westman’s aboriginal community, Hildebrand says this experience has opened his eyes to the possibilities. “It’s allowed me to think a little bit differently about how aboriginal people and economic development may work in southwestern Manitoba.”

Decter Hirst said she regrets that the city hasn’t had the opportunity to work with AMC, TCIG and the greater aboriginal community on economic development. However, unless the AMC or the provincial government have a change of heart, the city needs to move beyond the casino question. There are plenty of other development opportunities for the city still being pursued she said, particularly with the city’s plans for a hospitality and entertainment area in downtown Brandon. “Commitment to downtown Brandon is not t ed to the casino,” Decter Hirst said. “That wasn’t the only arrow in the quiver. We’ve got all kinds of stuff that we’re working on downtown.”

http://www.brandonsun.com/local/citys-casino-plan-dead-decter-hirst-says-182164321.html?thx=y

Complete:  DAVE Angus, president of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, believes a recent survey of Manitoba business leaders indicates a very strong degree of confidence among Manitoba's business community.

"The level of confidence out there speaks to a real opportunity," Angus said. "It is the conditions we need in order to grow."

With more than 50 per cent of respondents indicating their workforce has grown over the past year and more than 50 per cent having increased capital spending this year, Angus said it's a very good sign for the province.

According to the chamber's current theme, he said, "It's time to be bold." The survey received responses from a selection of 174 chamber members.

The results reveal a much more optimistic outlook from the business community compared with the last survey the chamber did. But that was in 2010 while the economy was still feeling the effects of the last recession.

"This is a significant change from what business leaders told us in 2010 as the recession was having a clear impact on these key metrics," said Angus. "The challenge now for the various levels of government and the business community is to strengthen the business climate to ensure this becomes a reality."

According to the Bold Business Leaders Survey, done in partnership with Aikins Law, Lazer Grant LLP and Legacy Bowes Group, more than one in three (37 per cent) business leaders cited labour availability and skill shortages as the greatest challenge facing their company over the next year, followed by the continued economic slowdown and rising operational costs.

'The Amazing Race' is coming to Canada, but the reality TV show is taking a different approach with its newest backdrop.

Canadians hoping to get off of their couch and onto the streets of far-flung countries will have to scale back their expectations. According to CTV, the show will be shot exclusively in Canada. Bertram van Munster, one of the show's creators, says the decision will showcase Canada to Canadians who have yet to leave their own province.

"With the world’s second largest country as its backdrop, 'The Amazing Race Canada' will offer a unique glimpse of the broad and diverse Canadian landscape and culture, while maintaining all of the excitement, spontaneity and challenge inherent in ‘The Race,’” said van Munster in a press release.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/12/04/amazing-race-canada-locations_n_2237575.html#slide=more267681

TORONTO - Canada's small and medium-sized businesses were in a less optimistic mood in November compared to October, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

The CFIB's monthly business barometer index slipped to 62.9 out of 100 in November, down from 65.6 in October.

Measured on a scale of 0 to 100, an index above 50 means owners expecting their businesses' performance to be stronger in the next year outnumber those expecting a weaker performance.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/cfib-survey-shows-small-business-confidence-dropped-in-november-182155841.html

TORONTO - A report says the NHL lockout is forcing Canadian merchants near hockey arenas into the penalty box, with spending down more than 11 per cent from a year ago on a game day.

The report by credit and debit card processor Moneris found drinking establishments near arenas in Winnipeg, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and Calgary are being hit the hardest with business falling nearly 35 per cent.

Restaurants are taking a nearly 11 per cent hit, followed by fast-food outlets which are down almost seven per cent compared to a game day in 2011.

Edmonton is facing the largest impact with business falling 27 per cent.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hockey/nhl/canadian-merchants-near-arenas-in-penalty-box-from-nhl-lockout-says-report-182009211.html

The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) has selected incumbent agency DDB Canada as its agency of record following a review. The organization announced it will continue its 8-year relationship with DDB on Wednesday.

Greg Klassen, senior vice-president of marketing strategy at the CTC, said his team selected DDB for another 5-year contract because of its strategic capabilities. “They understand client challenges and how to use communications, regardless of channel or media, to overcome them and get sales,” he said.

Because the CTC is a crown corporation, its reviews must adhere to standards set by the government as well as its board of directors, including a mandatory review every four to five years, Klassen said. He admitted that incumbent agencies will often complain about reviews, especially when ads are performing well, but said he thinks the process ultimately leads to better work.

http://www.marketingmag.ca/news/agency-news/ddb-retains-canadian-tourism-comission-account-66999?p=66999?utm_source=EmailMarketing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=marketing_daily_AM

WFP Guest Columnist, Peter McKenna: CHARLOTTETOWN -- Every now and again, the notion of Maritime union raises its thought-provoking head. The common refrain, however, has not changed much over the years: union if necessary, but not necessarily Maritime Union.

Remember the loose talk about Atlantic amalgamation after the near-death experience of the 1995 Quebec referendum. It went nowhere.

Two weeks ago, though, three Conservative senators -- John Wallace from New Brunswick, Stephen Greene of Nova Scotia and Mike Duffy from PEI -- floated the idea without a great deal of forethought. With no constitutional crisis in sight, it's hard to fathom why they would proffer such a radical change to Canada's federal structure....        ...Support for union is arguably the least in the tiny province of PEI -- home to 143,000 residents. It is frequently heard that such a union would pose a serious threat to the Island way of life, still predominantly rural. Some Islanders fear the loss of autonomy (and federal MPs in Ottawa) and their distinctive personality, the prospect of Charlottetown essentially becoming a ghost town, and the negative ramifications for the traditional staples of farming, fishing and tourism.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/westview/maritime-union-idea-wont-fly-182139231.html

Complete: CALGARY - WestJet Airlines Ltd. (TSX:WJA) had a record November load factor and showed a significant increase in passenger traffic over the same month last year.

WestJet president and CEO Gregg Saratsky credits the increased traffic to partnerships with other airlines and an increase in business travellers.

The Calgary-based airline's November load factor was 82.6 per cent, a measure of how much of its fleet capacity was used last month.

Last year's November load factor was a modest 77.6 per cent.

WestJet says it flew about 114,000 more guests than the same month in 2011.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/westjet-reports-record-november-load-factor-strong-growth-in-passenger-traffic-182177651.html

(A complete article published originally in the WFP, Dec.  '53)

BRANDON, Man. (Special)  Support for the suggestion made earlier this week that Riding Mountain National Park be made a winter as well as a summer resort came Friday from A. G. Cockrill, president of the Brandon chamber of commerce. Commenting on a reported statement by Hon. R .D. Turner, Manitoba, minister of industry and commerce at the federal-provincial conference at Ottawa, Mr. Cockrill said, "the Riding Mountain national park is Manitoba's only national park and it would be a wonderful project to develop this site into a winter resort.

A. VV. Olson, chairman of the tourist and convention committee of the chamber, said he supported Mr. Turner's statement, and said he was aware that the terrain at the park lent itself to skiing and winter sports. "I am given to understand," Mr. Olson said, "that Riding Mountain national park is second only to Banff in the number of tourists, and I believe that the people of Manitoba should have a winter playground, and Mr. Turner has my support in the establishment of such a playground in the Riding Mountain national park."