The start of the 2023 World Police and Fire Games is just days away, and the event is expected to bring thousands of people to Winnipeg, which could be a big boost for the local economy.
“People from around the world are going to get to experience Winnipeg hospitality,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham on Monday.
The games officially get underway on Friday, and organizers expect 8,500 active and retired first responders to compete in this year’s games, which also means a number of friends and family will also be making a stop in Winnipeg.
“They can’t wait to get here, compete, explore Winnipeg, explore Manitoba and show Winnipeg what the world’s first responders have to bring,” said Mike Edwards, the COO of the games.
The spike in visitors has local businesses excited.
“Just the fact we have 8,500 athletes bringing their families, their spouses, that’s a pretty big impact on all of us,” said Kris Kopansky, the managing partner for Brazen Hall Kitchen and Brewery.
Kopansky noted the hospitality industry is still bouncing back following the pandemic.
“Sales are very up and down. Some weeks great, some weeks slower. So for us, knowing this is coming is really exciting for us.”
He’s hoping the games will lead to full restaurant sections. Meanwhile, hotels around Winnipeg are filling up.
“For context, this is one of the biggest events in the world, really. When you look at the amount of athletes participating, it’s the summer Olympics, then this,” said Michael Juce, the president and CEO of the Manitoba Hotel Association.
Juce said a number of places have already sold out, and many others are expected to be fully booked by Friday.
“We could be looking at five figures when it comes to the amount of hotel stays and actual room nights.”
The games are expected to have an estimated economic impact of more than $80 million.
“We’re still like every other city, still recovering from the pandemic,” said Gillingham. “So we really saw a financial hit, an economic hit to our city. This is a great injection for our economy.”
There will be a parade through Downtown Winnipeg on Friday before the opening ceremonies at Canada Life Centre at 7 p.m.
All competitions are free to attend and a full schedule is up online.
TORONTO – Strength in the base metal and technology sectors helped Canada’s main stock index gain almost 100 points on Friday, while U.S. stock markets also climbed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 93.51 points at 23,568.65.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 297.01 points at 41,393.78. The S&P 500 index was up 30.26 points at 5,626.02, while the Nasdaq composite was up 114.30 points at 17,683.98.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.61 cents US compared with 73.58 cents US on Thursday.
The October crude oil contract was down 32 cents at US$68.65 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was down five cents at US$2.31 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$30.10 at US$2,610.70 an ounce and the December copper contract was up four cents US$4.24 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says wholesale sales, excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain, rose 0.4 per cent to $82.7 billion in July.
The increase came as sales in the miscellaneous subsector gained three per cent to reach $10.5 billion in July, helped by strength in the agriculture supplies industry group, which rose 9.2 per cent.
The food, beverage and tobacco subsector added 1.7 per cent to total $15 billion in July.
The personal and household goods subsector fell 2.5 per cent to $12.1 billion.
In volume terms, overall wholesale sales rose 0.5 per cent in July.
Statistics Canada started including oilseed and grain as well as the petroleum and petroleum products subsector as part of wholesale trade last year, but is excluding the data from monthly analysis until there is enough historical data.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 150 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in the base metal and energy sectors, while U.S. stock markets were mixed.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 172.18 points at 23,383.35.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 34.99 points at 40,826.72. The S&P 500 index was up 10.56 points at 5,564.69, while the Nasdaq composite was up 74.84 points at 17,470.37.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.55 cents US compared with 73.59 cents US on Wednesday.
The October crude oil contract was up $2.00 at US$69.31 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up five cents at US$2.32 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$40.00 at US$2,582.40 an ounce and the December copper contract was up six cents at US$4.20 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
