Travel Manitoba and the Manitoba Lodges and Outfitters Association welcome Mariko Izumi as guest speaker to the MLOA banquet on December 10 at the Canad Inns Polo Park in Winnipeg. Mariko is the host of the World Fishing Network’s Hookin’ Up, where she takes viewers to fishing hot spots around the world. A meet and greet autograph session takes place 2-4 pm and at 6 pm during the keynote speech, Mariko will share her knowledge on using the internet, social media and other modern communication tools to connect with a new generation of clients and outdoor enthusiasts. All are welcome - get your tickets through the MLOA at 204-772-1912.

http://www.travelmanitoba.com/images_tr/pdf/mariko_mloa.pdf

DURING its 30th-anniversary season, Manitoba Theatre for Young People considered bankruptcy as it grappled with severe cash-flow problems and a debt that has ballooned to $2.3 million.

At its annual general meeting Tuesday night, a few dozen people, mostly staff and board members, were told the company has registered a $495,155 operating deficit on its 2011-12 season. Auditor Ken Leslie said, "this organization has a going-concern issue," and could not continue without additional funding.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/arts/Curtain-could-fall-on-MTYP-if-debt-issues-arent-resolved-175624261.html

THE Canadian Museum for Human Rights won't open until 2014, but its first "concert" has been staged. The Canadian Tenors, an operatic pop quartet from Victoria, performed a pair of songs in the Garden of Contemplation in front of dignitaries and construction workers Thursday morning.

The four singers said they were honoured to be the first performers at the museum.

"For what this place represents, to be the first people to perform in the hall is an extraordinary experience. It's quite an honour. To have all the workers coming off their lunch break to hear us perform is special. We want to come back when this place is finished and do it all over again. We're all pretty moved to be here and to be asked to be a part of this," said Clifton Murray.

"It's the first time we've sung with construction boots on, too," added Remigio Pereira.

Victor Micallef said the museum is a "great place for a concert." "This is a piece of Zen area of the museum. What better place (for acoustics). I mean, look at the ceiling," he said, motioning skyward.

The audience included Stu Murray, the museum's president and CEO, and Mayor Sam Katz. Gail Asper, director of the Friends of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and the longtime driving force behind the project, was ecstatic.

"I can die and go to heaven now," she said.

http://bcove.me/6ywkywfn

The Winnipeg Art Gallery’s Centennial Ball on October 20 was an outstanding success, raising over $330,000 in support of the Gallery’s art and learning programs for children and youth. Close to 500 guests at the black-tie event dined in the galleries, which were transformed by spectacular floral displays by the city’s leading floral designers, and extraordinary Centennial cakes created by top local pastry chefs.  With flowers and cakes inspired by the art on display in the galleries, the result was a visual experience for the senses unlike Winnipeg has ever seen.

Hazel Borys, Chair of the Ball Committee, noted that “Fifty artists donated original works of art to the live and silent auctions, and many of them began their artistic careers by taking art classes at the WAG or visiting the Gallery as part of our school programs.  Many of these Canadian artists are in galleries and private collections around the country and have been recognized with some of the highest honours internationally. They are a testament to what Winnipeggers’ support has and will continue to produce.”

http://wag.ca/about/press/media-releases/read,release/250/wag-s-centennial-ball-raises-330-000

 Meetings being held today in Charlottetown provide an excellent opportunity for industry representatives and government to review the successes of the past tourism season with an eye on 2013, says Minister of Tourism and Culture Robert Henderson.

"Every year in October, officials from the Department of Tourism and Culture meet with industry members of the Tourism Advisory Council (TAC) to look back at the past year and determine successes and areas in need of improvement," says Minister Henderson. "It is very important that industry and government work together to provide the best possible tourism product to potential visitors and to take better advantage of our strengths as a destination from a marketing perspective."

http://www.pe.dailybusinessbuzz.ca/Provincial-News/2012-10-25/article-3107083/PE%3A-Tourism-industry,-government-work-to-build-on-strengths/1

HARTFORD, Conn. - Connecticut's tourism industry is getting a boost from documentary filmmaker Ken Burns.

Burns announced Wednesday that he has partnered with a luxury tour group, Tauck Tours of Norwalk, on a redesigned eight-day tour of New England's "hidden gems," which will include a two-day stop in Hartford. The company said it added the Hartford stop at Burns' urging.

Best known for his award-winning documentaries on the Civil War and baseball, Burns and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy made the announcement at the Mark Twain House, which will be highlighted on the tour along with the home of 19th century abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe, who wrote "Uncle Tom's Cabin."

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/travel/connecticut-tourism-gets-a-little-help-from-documentary-filmmaker-ken-burns-175840731.html

CHICAGO - The federal government is quietly removing full-body X-ray scanners from seven major airports and replacing them with a different type of machine that produces a cartoon-like outline instead of the naked images that have been compared to a virtual strip search.

The Transportation Security Administration says it is making the switch in technology to speed up lines at crowded airports, not to ease passenger privacy concerns. But civil liberties groups hope the change signals that the equipment will eventually go to the scrap heap.

"Hopefully this represents the beginning of a phase-out of the X-ray-type scanners, which are more privacy intrusive and continue to be surrounded by health questions," said Jay Stanley, a privacy expert at the American Civil Liberties Union.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/travel/government-replaces-x-ray-body-scanners-at-some-airports-with-machines-that-safeguard-privacy-175864521.html

(A complete article published originally in the WFP, Oct. '64)

Defending increased beer and liquor prices announced this week for most of Manitoba's licensed premises, Oscar Grubert, president of the Manitoba branch of the Canadian Restaurant Association, says it is the wish of the restaurant operator to maintain reasonable prices at all times.

Mr. Grubert pointed to additional costs to restaurant and cocktail lounge operators and decided there would be additional profit to the owners as a result of the increases.

Prices on bar liquor to the operators had increased about 70 cents a 26 ounce bottle since March, 1964, he said in a press statement.

In addition there had been a 10 per cent increase in the cost of mix, wages had risen 10 to 15 per cent in past 18 months and there had been increases in light, power and water costs which affected overhead, he said.

After the first liquor price increase by the province this year many of the outlets had absorbed the additional cost, he said.  But with the new increase as well as increased overhead the price increase to the consumer was unavoidable.