Latest news with #CirquedeSoleil
Vancouver Sun
19 hours ago
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
The Bookless Club: What happened in Vegas for you?
Vegas is in the news of late. Not because of yet another Cirque de Soleil show or a star-studded line-up at the Sphere. Nope. Vegas is in the news because, despite perennially topping the list of holiday destinations in North America, traffic is down. Way down. We did that. Canadians. We're angry, and our anger is being felt. Measurably so. In fact, there's even a name for the effect of alienated tourists on tourism. They're calling it the Trump Slump, and it's putting the squeeze on Nevada's economy. Las Vegas hotel occupancy was down 15 per cent in June this year compared to June of 2024. International visitors dropped by 13 per cent in the same period. Air Canada saw a drop of 33 per cent in passengers flying to Vegas this June compared to last June. WestJet saw about the same stats, and Edmonton-based Flair Airline experienced a 62 per cent plummet in the number of people traveling to Vegas in June this year versus a year ago. A daily roundup of Opinion pieces from the Sun and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Informed Opinion will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. All this means that unemployment is spiralling upwards in the state. Las Vegas has the third-highest unemployment rate of major cities in the U.S., and Nevada has the highest state unemployment rate, nationally. Now, it's not just Canadians impacting the Nevada economy. California is Vegas' bread and butter. One out of every five people who visit Vegas come from Southern California. One quarter of all employees in Vegas are immigrants. Some industry insiders say that Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids are casting a long shadow on tourism, a shadow felt by both visitors and workers alike. We haven't even touched upon currency issues, but it wasn't so long ago that Vegas offered such good value that currency conversion was offset by cheap buffets and free drinks. All that's gone now. Vegas is anything but a bargain. In its heyday, Vegas was a swift, affordable little getaway. A couple of hours on a direct flight took you to reliable weather and great shows. What's not to like? I can say that as my losses at the tables probably never totalled more than $14.67, but it was sure fun watching the high rollers sweating behind a stack of chips. The trouble is, there are fewer and fewer high rollers. Realizing this, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority decided back in 2003 that they needed to rebrand Vegas as more than just a place to lose money. The idea became to capitalize on the sort of hijinks that adults can get into when they're a long way from home. That idea became the now infamous slogan, 'What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas'. The ad agency that came up with this line said the concept was all about 'adult freedom and empowerment.' They were using the word 'adult' here in its loosest, third margarita, sense. The big question in Nevada is, when the Trump Slump ends, will things go back to business as usual? If not, what sort of bait are they going to need to lure us back? Jane Macdougall is a freelance writer and former National Post columnist who lives in Vancouver. She writes The Bookless Club every Saturday online and in The Vancouver Sun. For more of what Jane's up to, check out her website, Question: What happened in Vegas for you? Any stories you can share? Send your answers by email text, not an attachment, in 100 words or less, along with your full name to Jane at thebooklessclub@ . We will print some next week in this space. Question: Do you compost? Any tips? • We have weekly pickup of our yard waste/compost bins. I insist on layering in my bin, starting with yard trimmings, then compost, then yard trimmings, etc. I reserve a bucket or so of spare yard trimmings for using in winter when there is less of it available. Layering helps control the mess and odours, especially when the weather is hot. This also helps deter the local raccoons from dumping and looting the bin. Pam Holley • I live on the Sunshine Coast where we have a local company called Salish Soils that runs the curb-side green bin program. They turn our kitchen scraps and green waste into wonderful garden compost products. I was shocked to hear from them that they have to 'divert' a lot of the green bin contents (which means place in the dump) due to those pesky little plastic stickers that retailers insist on attaching to fruit and vegetable skins. The labels do not biodegrade, and contaminate the process. So, wherever you live, please be sure to remove those annoying plastic labels from all products before placing them in your compost bin. Mother Nature thanks you. Michele Libling • Maybe a bit off the topic, but important to me. Composting is important, but can be messy at times. And what to do with the grease, oil, bones, and fruit stickers? My solution would be selective composting, all the rest, including garbage and non-recyclables, would be incinerated. It may produce some toxic waste, but so do all other forms of disposal. Added benefit would be energy to heat our homes. Henk Hengeveld • In 1973, we purchased our property in Surrey. That is when I began having a five-gallon bucket in our lunchroom at work. On Saturdays, we would travel out to our property and deposit the compost in our organic pile. After our house was built and our company expanded, I had two five-gallon buckets each week. Now, 52 years later, I still have two or three piles on the go. I mix finished compost, garden soil, leaf mould and wood ashes to create my potting soil. Do not add meat, bones or cooked food to your compost. We utilize a milk jug, sitting near the sink, with the top cut off, to collect all our organics. Feed the soil and the soil will feed you. Robert Dares • I sometimes make my own bone meal for the garden. I've been known to save up chicken bones and then dessicate them when running the oven for dinner. The dried bones then get smashed with a hammer — wear goggles — and added to the soil. Works a charm and doesn't cost a cent. D. Ng • I have a bowl on the counter for scraps when preparing a meal. Then it all goes into a recycled lunch paper bag in the freezer. When that is full, off to the bin from the city that we apartment dwellers have. I miss my old house with a big composter. But as someone who started composting in the 1960s (my dad grew up in small northern Ontario sawmill villages where nobody wasted food), I can't imagine not composting. Deni Loubert
CTV News
07-06-2025
- CTV News
Driver arrested after Pacific Coliseum crash
Vancouver Watch There is heightened concern about safety after a man rammed a car into the Pacific Coliseum Thursday night during a Cirque de Soleil performance.
Daily Mirror
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'I help lottery winners' dreams come true - this is what they've asked for'
Amanda Herrera and her team of specialist concierges have been dubbed the lotto winner's fixer - after dealing with hundreds of weird and wonderful requests that only millionaires can buy So you've won the lottery and have more money than you can spend in a lifetime, what now? Meet the 'fixer' who solves problems and turns millionaire's dreams into a reality. Amanda Herrera leads a specialist concierge team catering to the requests of the country's richest people into reality - including National Lottery winners. From flying pets on private jets, booking luxury cruises to Antarctica or arranging meet-and-greets with celebrities, Amanda's team has handled over 5,000 bespoke requests from more than 600 overnight millionaires. Describing her role as the 'best job in the world ', Amanda revealed it all started when she lost her bag while holidaying in the Caribbean. 'It all started with my beach bag being washed out to sea after I popped out for lunch. I returned to my lounger, and it had gone! The time and trouble it took me to sort everything was unreal," she said. "My bag had my everything in it. It made me think 'wouldn't it be great if there was someone who could do all of this for me' and take away the hassle of this mishap while I am on my dream holiday. 'Not only this but having someone to help arrange my holiday for me was something that I thought pretty much anyone in the world would appreciate - particularly people with more money than most who might have more on their to-do list to organise. All this led to me really having the best job in the world. I love helping and supporting people.' In the last five years, Amanda's team has spent over £4 million chartering private jets and booked more than 500 dream holidays - including some where they have flown out the family dog. They've hunted down exclusive designer handbags and watches, booked VIP trips to the Monaco Grand Prix and world cricket tours, organised meet and greets with superstars and even arranged a private viewing of Cirque de Soleil on a desert island. Amanda added, 'It can be a daunting experience - it sounds crazy to say - but imagine going from having a small amount of money in the bank to suddenly having millions - just like that! It is one incredible journey that these winners are embarking on, and I feel so honoured to be able to play such an important role in crafting and creating bespoke and unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime experiences for these incredibly lucky individuals. 'It is an amazing feeling to be helping people to live and fulfil their dreams following their National Lottery win. Many of these people are just so overwhelmed with excitement at the prospect of what their new life now means - they simply don't know where to start and what to do with their new-found fortunes and this is where we can step in to help, reassure and guide them on their journey to living their ultimate dream and fulfilling their bucket list.' All big winners receive specialist advice and support from a team of experts at Allwyn, operators of The National Lottery, including financial, legal and wellbeing support. Top 10 most popular requests from National Lottery winners VIP tickets to see their favourite football team around the world Splashing out on a family world cruise Hiring a private jet to transport family and even pets abroad Treating the family to a Christmas trip to Lapland Purchasing designer handbags Investing in designer watches Securing concert/gig box tickets and VIP meet and greet with their favourite music bands Flying business class Planning a luxurious family party Buying a box at their favourite football club
