The Red River Exhibition Association wants to take over Assiniboia Downs but its sporting aspirations aren't limited to horse racing.

Garth Rogerson, CEO of the RREA, said with 194 hectares at its disposal at the western outskirts of town, the development possibilities are virtually limitless.

He'd like to present a multitude of different events, including concerts and monster truck shows, with horse racing adding to the entertainment options.

He wants to work with neighbouring property owners, including the Chipman family, which owns the MTS Iceplex, to build facilities that will benefit the entire community.

"The Iceplex is so successful. Maybe we could partner up with them to expand to two more ice surfaces. We could build it on to the end of the (Iceplex) parking lot," he said.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/downs-location-boasts-limitless-potential-ex-189158021.html

A proposal by officials with the Red River Exhibition Association to take over and operate Assiniboia Downs is laughably naive, based on bogus numbers and would quickly and inevitably lead to the death of live throughbred horse racing in Manitoba, says the Manitoba Jockey Club.

"If (Red River Exhibition CEO Garth Rogerson) can run this place with $5 million less than we do, then he needs to be running the entire government because they'd have a surplus so fast it would make your head spin," MJC president Harvey Warner said in an interview Wednesday.

Another racing-industry source characterized Rogerson's proposal even more bluntly: "He's been riding the Ferris wheel too long."

Warner said Rogerson's unsolicited proposal to take over and run the Downs with half the government support the track currently operates on -- a proposal first publicly revealed in Wednesday's Free Press -- is so preposterous he wonders if it isn't just simply a veiled attempt by the Ex to take over the Downs facilities and their valuable 130-acre tract of land with no real intention of operating live racing.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/jockey-club-has-burr-under-saddle-189157791.html

A fire that destroyed part of northern Manitoba fishing lodge last year had owners scrambling to replace more than just a restaurant to draw in business.

A year ago, a fire burnt down the restaurant attached to the four-seasons fishing and guiding resort located on Highway 10 between Cranberry Portage and Flin Flon

A notice about the fire early last February, showed the restaurant enveloped in smoke after an early morning fire. No one was in the building at the time and there were no injuries.

Afterward, business at the popular resort dropped off dramatically.

That’s when lodge owners realized that customers wondered whether any of the resort was still operating. It was, but getting the word out was tough.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/Lodge-damaged-by-fire-a-year-ago-bounces-back-189042841.html

At least one restaurateur wants the former Salisbury House location on Winnipeg's Esplanade Riel — Salisbury House, the company that was there before.

The restaurant chain confirms that it has submitted a new proposal to operate on the pedestrian bridge, but not on a year-round basis.

The City of Winnipeg has been looking for new tenants for the structure, which has been vacant since Salisbury House closed its eatery there on Dec. 31.

Today is the city's deadline for expressions of interest in the space. Submissions are being accepted until 4 p.m.

Salisbury House president Earl Barish says this time, the company is prepared to pay for the restaurant's upkeep for only six months of the year.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2013/01/30/mb-salisbury-house-esplanade-riel-expression-interest.html

Complete: Passenger traffic was up slightly in the fourth quarter of 2012 at Winnipeg’s James Armstrong Richardson International Airport, ending a year when there were passenger increases every month.

The Winnipeg Airports Authority reported revenue of $21.2 million for the fourth quarter, compared to $19.9 million for the same period last year. Earnings before interest, depreciation and taxes were $9.2 million, compared to $8.0 million for the same period in 2011.

During the fourth quarter, WAA opened a 7-Eleven on the airport campus and Harvey’s opened on the main level of the terminal. The airport was also named one of the "World’s Most Stylish Airports" by The Telegraph newspaper in the UK.

Late last year the WAA announced it was increasing the airport improvement fee to $25 from $20 on April 1, 2013.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/WAA-reports-increase-in-traffic-at-airport-in-4th-quarter-189067821.html

TORONTO - Small business owners began the new year with a healthy boost of optimism, according to the latest business barometer index from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

Its monthly index gained three points in January to 65.7 on a scale of 0 to 100. An index above 50 means owners expecting their businesses to be stronger in the next year outnumber those expecting a weaker performance.

Small business owners in Alberta are again the most optimistic, with an index of 70.5, with Newfoundland and Labrador (69.3) and Saskatchewan (66.7) close behind.

The CFIB says Ontario, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Quebec, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island also saw a rise in small business confidence and only British Columbia firms saw a decline.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/small-business-confidence-rises-in-january-cfib-survey-189165231.html

International tourist arrivals grew by 4 percent in 2012 to reach 1.035 billion, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer.

Emerging economies (+4.1%) regained the lead over advanced economies (+3.6%), with Asia and the Pacific showing the strongest results. Growth is expected to continue in 2013 only slightly below the 2012 level (+3% to +4%) and in line with UNWTO long term forecast.

With an additional 39 million international tourists, up from 996 million in 2011, international tourist arrivals surpassed 1 billion (1.035 billion) for the first time in history in 2012. Demand held well throughout the year, with a stronger than expected fourth quarter.

By region, Asia and the Pacific (+7%) was the best performer, while by sub-region South-East Asia, North Africa (both at +9%) and Central and Eastern Europe (+8%) topped the ranking.

http://www.travelio.net/international-tourism-to-continue-robust-growth-in-2013.html

Sanya may be the country's most popular resort during the coming Spring Festival, but the city's infrastructure is not yet ready for the booming tourism.

"Downtown Sanya is designed for 300,000 to 400,000 residents, but during the peak tourism season more than 1 million people will flood into the city," Wang Yong, mayor of Sanya in Hainan province, said on the sidelines of the provincial legislative body's annual session on Monday.

Authorities are speeding up construction, but because of the short annual construction period, it is not an easy job, he added. Due to the four-month typhoon season, the construction period in the tropical city is generally from December to September, and all construction is suspended during tourism seasons such as national holidays and in winter.

http://www.china.org.cn/travel/2013-01/31/content_27846098.htm

(A complete article published originally in the WFP, Jan.  '70)

Ottawa (Staff) - Joint application by Transair and Midwest Airlines for a revision of Prairie air routes now operated by Transair has been approved by the Canadain Transport Commission.

Under a new proposal, which permits Transair to serve Winnipeg-Regina non-stop, there will be a continuing regular Transair weekday link between Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert.

Direct flights to Regina will put Transair in competition with existing Air Canada services.

The commission’s decision directs the two carriers to cooperate on schedule and requires Transair to utilize ground handling, ticketing and reservation facilities of Air Canada at Regina and Saskatoon.

Transair will be limited to turbo-prop aircraft on is new direct service to Regina.  Air Canada uses jets on this route.

Transair, which had reported major financial losses on its inter-city Prairie services, originally applied to suspend operations in the region as of Jan. 31.

The revised system worked out in co-operation with Air Canada, means withdrawal of the suspension application.

Transair now serves Prairie points on two basic routes.  One links Winnipeg , Brandon, Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert.  The other links Winnipeg, Dauphin, and Yorkton.

The existing licences prohibit direct Winnipeg-Regina or Winnipeg-Saskatoon flights.

These prohibitions have now been removed from the licence, the CPC announced Friday.

Midwest, which recently merged with Transair, will provide new services between Winnipeg, Brandon, Dauphin and Yorkton.

It will be required to provide twice-daily weekday service between Winnipeg and Brandon and a daily weekday service linking Winnipeg, Dauphin and Yorkton.

The commission said the new arrangement does not provide continuance of air service between Brandon and Regina.

However, in the full year 1968 only 379 passengers had used this route out of Brandon, and 419 out of Regina.

The 1969 traffic figures are "no more encouraging."

The commission did not feel it was justified to direct Midwest to operate the Brandon-Regina link.  However, the commission announced it is prepared to consider an application from any interested party which could establish that the licencing of a local commuter air service appropriate to this traffic was in the public interest.