The historic Fort Garry Hotel will turn 100 years old next year and is planning a 12-month-long celebration to mark the milestone.

The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway — later the Canadian National Railway — built the hotel and flung its doors open on Dec. 11, 1913. Western Canada’s first skyscraper then became THE place to stay.

“Because we weren’t just going to have one party or one event or one celebration, we wanted to celebrate for the whole year,” said Ida Albo, who has owned the establishment with her husband, Rick Bel, and a silent partner, since 1993. “We (also) wanted to make the hotel as accessible as possible this year. So, we’re doing that through competitive room rates, we’re doing that through a trivia hunt that anyone can participate in ... We just introduced a whole series of ideas and more are coming in. We’re very excited.”

The Fort Garry launched its 12-month celebration with a cocktail reception on Tuesday.

http://www.winnipegsun.com/2012/12/11/fort-garry-hotel-turns-100

The Selinger government's decision to postpone balancing its books by another two years sent shivers through the business community Tuesday and sparked concerns of new tax hikes for Manitobans.

In a speech to nearly 1,000 people at a Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Premier Greg Selinger made only a fleeting reference to an admission to the Free Press that the province would be unable to avoid deficit budgets until 2016-17. (It had been saying it would escape red ink by 2014-15.)

But that didn't stop business leaders and the Conservative Opposition from weighing in on the implications of the government's new fiscal timetable.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/no-sympathy-for-selingers-budget-blues-183121111.html

A dispute involving name tags has sparked a slowdown at two border crossings in Ontario — the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor and the Blue Water Bridge in Sarnia.

The Canada Border Services Agency says the disruption is the result of work refusals by several officers at those ports of entry.

"Workers are allowed to exercise their right to refuse work that they consider dangerous," said Customs and Immigration Union fourth vice-president Ron Moran.

The CBSA says the border staff taking part in the job action are questioning the health and safety implications of wearing a name tag on their uniform.

Windsor police say they are aware of the situation and warn travellers the delays, which could be as long as two hours, could continue until at least noon.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/story/2012/12/12/wdr-cbsa-name-tag-protest.html

LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Las Vegas, land of the quickie wedding, is in the midst of a serious love recession, and chapels in a city accustomed to playing the numbers aren't about to let the latest money-making opportunity pass — Dec. 12, 2012.

They are hoping the lure of a wedding license stamped with a once-in-a-century 12-12-12 will help boost revenue. Sin City's share of the weddings business has fallen by a third since 2004 as cities from New Orleans to New York have gotten into the elopement industry.

"From a marketing perspective, it's a very big deal. Numbers are associated with Vegas," said Ann Parsons, marketing director for Vegas Weddings, which runs four chapels in town. "Unfortunately, it's the last date like that we'll have."

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/travel/lovelorn-las-vegas-promotes-gimmicky-dates-as-couples-look-elsewhere-for-quickie-weddings-183120611.html

Delta Air Lines is grabbing a bigger share of the world's most important travel route: New York to London.

The airline is paying $360 million for almost half of Virgin Atlantic, the swanky airline founded by Sir Richard Branson in 1984 as a cheaper and more stylish way to fly between the U.S. and London.

Business travellers are hungry for flights on that route and Delta has been missing out. With this deal, Delta is buying its way into that market.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/travel/delta-buys-49-per-cent-of-virgin-atlantic-for-360m-joint-venture-to-boost-heathrow-presence-182979381.html

(A complete article published originally in the WFP, Dec.  '63)

The plush new dining room and cocktail lounge at Winnipeg International Airport opened quietly this week to add one more touch of splendor to the luxurious $18 million terminal complex.  Aero Caterers Ltd., the operators, decided not to announce the opening so as to give the staff a few days in which to settle in. But by closing time on the first day, close on 100 people had already visited the new dining room. Many of them were airlines' personnel who wanted to be in on the eventful occasion of being able to buy a drink at the airport for the first time in its history. A close race among them to be the first served was won by Harold Miloft, area manager of public relations for Trans-Canada Air Lines. The new facility has wall-to-wall carpeting and is on the second floor, leading off the main waiting room, overlooking the apron or ramp. In the entrance foyer, the visitor is greeted by a large mural mounted on a semi-circular wall, which screens the dining room from the public gaze.  The mural, 32 feet by six feet, is an oil on canvas by Alfred Pellan of Montreal. It is called The Prairies, and represents a view of the prairie landscape from an aircraft. The cocktail lounge is called Horizon Room because of the view. Teak panelling featured on most of the inside walls, and the outside wall is almost completely made up of windows. Two layers of silver and copper chain drapes are to line all the window space, creating a warm silhouette effect as one looks through the windows. Altogether, 39 miles of chain will be used in the drapes. The cocktail lounge seats 87, the dining room 180. A semi-circular bar, lit from below on both sides to create a "floating" effect, dominates the lounge. About 30 feet long, the bar top consists of frosted glass panels. Padded vinyl covers the edges. Separating the cocktail lounge from the dining room is a semicircular teak framework which can act as a private dining alcove or can be swung around on a track to cut the two rooms off from one another. The circle around which the teak frame runs can be used as a dance floor when the-carpet is lifted. It measures about 19 feet in diameter. The ceiling is of acoustic tile, and the furniture is contemporary, with padded seats. A teak dividing wall following the contour of the bar in the cocktail lounge is padded with leather panels. Aero Caterers is considering having regular entertainment and it hopes to build the facility into one of the city's top night spots. Private dinners and parties will be catered for. In addition to these facilities, Aero Caterers operates a banquet room, the five single and five double roomettes and the nursery at the new terminal.