2013 Annual Report
Transcription
2013 Annual Report
Food & Beverage Sport & recreation Events & entertainment A n n ua l R e p o rt 2 0 1 3 headlines of 2013 so you think you can dance rife with can-con. b5 arts&life President’s Message A4 Leader-Post • leaderpost.com S u n d ay, A p r i l 2 1 , 2 0 1 3 SOUND &VISION 60 strobe light fixtures, 731 metres of lighting trusses, 720,000 watts of lighting power and 587 moving head lighting fixtures hD mobile with 13 cameras Canada’s annual music awards b r e a k i n g n e w s a t L e a D e r P O s t.C O M S EC t i o n B A5 S u n d ay, A p r i l 2 1 , 2 0 1 3 more than 180 rigging points with over 4,535 kg of equipment overhead 150 speakers in 14 clusters extravaganza — to be hosted at t U ES DAy, AU g US t 13, 2013 Regina’s Brandt Centre tonight — requires a monumental effort in planning and logistics. Here’s last year’s stage with some of the key numbers for this year’s event. Design by Juris Graney 1,800 LeD panels on 13 suspended towers Bryan sCHLosser/sunday Post crews prepare the elaborate stage for the Juno Awards being held at the Brandt centre tonight. Setting the stage star KIssED W hen Mike MacNaughton was working on the bid to host the 2013 Juno Awards, he argued one advantage Regina had over competing cities was the weather. “Well, it’s not that bad,” said MacNaughton, chair of the 2013 JUNO Awards Host Committee. Regardless, the bid worked as Regina will host the show tonight at the Brandt Centre. In terms of broadcasting, Lindsay Cox admits putting the Junos together each year is a lot of work and a “massive personal sacrifice,” but in a good way. “To be a part of the level of challenge, both technically and creatively, is intoxicating,” said Cox, vicepresident of production and supervising producer with Insight Production Company. This is the 19th year Insight has produced the broadcast, including every year since CTV was awarded the broadcast rights in 2002. “Even when you’re in the middle of it and you’re working really hard and you’re feeling so much pressure executing everything in such a short time — you always know this is a dream job.” Insight is only one part of the collaboration that puts the Junos on each year. “My role is to produce the television show along with CARAS, who produces the event. And we do it all together,” said Cox. Phil King, president of programming and sports, said CTV decided to get involved with the Junos because it fit with the broadcaster’s “big-event strategy,” along with broadcasting the Oscars and the Golden Globes. Securing the broadcast rights also helped CTV become more involved with the music industry, he said. fame, fortune always centre stage for pop icon mccartney I BRUCE WARD Postmedia News n early December 1961, Brian Epstein drew up a contract that bound the Beatles to him for five years. Only Paul McCartney was hesitant about signing it. McCartney told Epstein that he hoped the Beatles would make it big, as Howard Sounes recounts in Fab: An Intimate Life of Paul McCartney. “But I’ll tell you now, Mr. Epstein,” McCartney declared, “I’m going to be a star anyway.” Macca was 19 at the time. He turned 71 on June 18, and the steely resolve he showed Epstein has never wavered. McCartney, worth about $650 million according to Forbes magazine, is on the road this summer to burnish his musical legacy. Not only his own, but the Beatles’ legacy too. The plan is to cement his place in pop history by giving fans what he calls, with Liverpudlian understatement, “a good night out.” McCartney’s Out There tour delivers a Springsteenian-length show — nearly three hours — filled with Beatles’ classics, rarities, tributes to John Lennon and George Harrison, plus best-loved songs from his solo and Wings career. McCartney wraps up the North American leg of the tour Wednesday in Regina with his next shows scheduled for mid-November in Japan. The current tour also features his hot backing band — drummer Abe Laboriel, Jr., guitarists Rusty Anderson and Brian Ray, and keyboardist Paul Wickens. Laboriel, bless him, hits all the high notes now beyond Macca’s range. In recent concerts, McCartney has looked positively Beatlesque, with his famous Hofner bass, black Nehru jacket and black boots with Cuban heels. The only jarring note is an au- burn tint in his hair. McCartney was always the hardest working Beatle, the most prolific and the one who truly enjoyed playing live. He was the most successful ex-Beatle by far in the 1970s. Millions of us tapped the steering wheel in time as the radio played hits by McCartney in various combinations with his wife Linda and band Wings — Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey, Jet, Band on the Run, Silly Love Songs, Listen to What the Man Said, and Live and Let Die, still the best of the James Bond themes. McCartney’s concerts have steadily evolved over the years. At first, he played only Wings songs, then he added Beatles’ numbers he wrote solo — The Long and Winding Road, Yesterday, Blackbird, Lady Madonna. Now his shows feature some of the famous collaborations with Lennon, including Eight Days a Week, a No. 1 hit in March 1965. There’s a cute story with that one. McCartney was being driven to Kenwood, Lennon’s country estate, for a songwriting session when he fell into casual conversation with the chauffeur. “How have you been?” McCartney asked. “Working hard, eight days a week,” grumbled the driver. When he got to Kenwood, he told Lennon what the driver had said. “John said, ‘Right, Ooh, I need your love babe ...” and we wrote it. We were always quick to write,” McCartney told one interviewer. That’s how utterly in sync they were then. Their partnership has been described as a magical blend of McCartney’s sunniness undercut with Lennon’s broody cynicism. Somehow, the McCartney who wrote the mournful and evocative Eleanor Rigby disappeared as the 1970s wore on. The Band on the Run album from 1974 was the only time he has approached the drive and density of his work with the Beatles. Pa u L MCCartney 8 p.m., Wednesday Mosaic Stadium Later, his lyrics became insipid — rhyming words that fit the melody but didn’t add up to much of anything. The craftsmanship was always evident on his albums, however, even if the music wasn’t memorable. If McCartney’s albums got kind of sucky, his singles often provided the kind of slick and powerful rock he’d created on Abbey Road. His catalogue is filled with grand pop radio confections — Jet, Band on the Run, My Love, Helen Wheels, Maybe I’m Amazed. These songs work well in concert because, as Sounes notes in Fab, live rock music is as much theatre as it is a listening experience. With records, you can’t help notice the triteness of McCartney’s Wings-era lyrics. Played live, though, the songs deliver big-time drama. Live and Let Die, to name one, is a stunner on stage: a flames-andfireworks tour de force. Maybe it’s a generational thing, but when McCartney sings on stage, the memories come flooding back. These are songs that changed the social fabric of the world. Lately, McCartney’s post-Beatles work has been getting a critical reassessment. Ram, his second solo album with Linda, was trashed by the critics when it came out in 1971. Now it’s being praised for the cheery tunefulness of The Back Seat of My Car and Heart of the Country, among other songs. In a recent issue, New York magazine urged readers to revisit Wings Over America — the CD/DVD of the band’s 1976 tour of America. “Maybe you’ll be amazed,” the review said. PHoto: PostMedIa FILes Transforming the Brandt Centre for tonight’s Juno Awards is a massive undertaking Terrence mceAchern Leader-Post 12 video projectors on 6 giant screens don HeaLy/sunday Post Lindsay cox, supervising producer for the 2013 Juno Awards tonight at the Brandt centre, says moving to different cities and venues is one the of the big challenges for the show. event a new challenge each year. She notes many of her staff and crew have been involved with the Junos since 2002, and in some cases, prior to that when CBC held the broadcasting rights. “We go to different arenas every year, so we’re not in a position where we can learn the nuances of an arena and apply it the next year — it just doesn’t work that way,” said Cox. “There is no predictability, and it’s really exciting because of that.” Having the same staff with expertise in live television is also key to the show going off without a hitch each year by avoiding technical issues and ensuring rehearsals are done on time. With this year’s event at the Brandt Centre, Cox said the plan was to make the Junos more intimate by placing the three stages in such a way as to give audience members a 360-degree view of the show. “The ambition this year was not to build up a lot of structure behind the set, which is typical, because we want people to be a part of it — so the audience is the background,” said Cox. In addition to the three stages, putting on the show requires more than 9.4 ki- Besides airing the show, CTV’s role involves advertising and marketing the event — including a commercial that aired during the Super Bowl. A noticeable change since CTV took over the broadcasting rights is the change of venue each year. Previously, the Junos were mainly held in Toronto, with occasional shows in Vancouver and Hamilton. However, since CTV took over, the show has been spread out to places like St. John’s, Halifax, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary and Saskatoon. King said the rationale behind moving the show around is to prevent it from becoming stale and to bring it to the fans. “It used to be, basically, an industry event ... you know, a bunch of people in suits sitting around,” he said. “But let’s face it. It’s music. It’s supposed to be fun and there is supposed to be fans yelling and screaming and clapping.” King added, “I’m not so sure you could sell it out every year in Toronto anymore.” Cox also likes the idea of moving the show around because it gives the staff and crew setting up the lometres of lighting power cable, 720,000 watts of lighting power, 63,500 kilograms of equipment hanging over the stages, more than 150 speakers, 2.7 km of camera cable, 13 cameras, four km of optical fibre cable and 11,000 hours of labour ― half of which is local. Buble hosting On the production side, Cox says one of her most important tasks is booking the musical performers and the host — a process which involves input from CTV and CARAS. “Really, it’s about us going to (the hosts) — making it work with their schedule (and) making sure they’re going to get out of it what they need, you know, if they’re promoting something or if it’s just something they’ve always wanted to do,” she said. “We do spend quite a bit of time going back and forth with agents and managers.” With respect to this year’s host — Michael Buble — Cox said she has been trying to book him for several years. But this year, the timing was right and everything came together. “There were a number of people who made calls and finessed that deal,” she said. On Juno night, the show will be directed from a television mobile unit. Cox will be in another room, with network executives and producers, watching the show from what is informally known as the “producer’s palace.” “We don’t tell our director what shots to take, but we communicate. My job is to keep the show on time and be prepared to drop things if we need to and respond to challenges. So, I do not sit with the director — he would not want the distraction,” she said. Cox and CARAS have already begun discussions around organizing next year’s show in Winnipeg, but the actual planning begins about a month from now. Still, “it all starts pretty early because it impacts every department,” she explained. The process to bring the Junos to Regina started about three years ago, said MacNaughton. The work involved making a video and preparing documents that anticipated what the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) — the Junos’ producer — was looking for in a host city. The committee also had to make a formal presentation to CARAS. “It was a fair amount of work just to get the bid in,” said MacNaughton. MacNaughton, also the owner of Twisted Pair Productions, said the committee was “pumped” when it found out the bid was successful. One advantage with the Regina bid was that funding was already in place — with $350,000 from the City of Regina, $50,000 from the City of Moose Jaw, $1.5 million from the province for the licence fee and $150,000 from the Regina Hotel Association, he said. Funding is used for marketing and to support events and venues in Regina and Moose Jaw during Juno week. In addition, about 600 volunteers are helping out with various aspects of the event, such as security and working in ticket booths. The rationale for promoting Regina’s weather stemmed from the 2010 Juno Awards in St. John’s when “many people almost didn’t make it,” said MacNaughton. “Even though it’s chilly here right now, flights are landing — there are no real logistical problems.” The event’s estimated economic impact is $10 million for Moose Jaw and Regina, but MacNaughton is hoping the Junos will have a lasting effect on the province’s culture and music industry. “There is such a wealth of artists in Saskatchewan creating music — trying to eke out a living — and to be able to have the eyes of the country show up on our market from a business perspective (and) a creative perspective — really elevates these folks,” said MacNaughton. “The fallout from this would be another couple of Sheepdogs. (That) would be nice.” tmceachern@leaderpost.com Bryan sCHLosser/sunday Post Bryan sCHLosser/sunday Post arts&life AND GET THE REG35304529_1_1 REG00175782_1_1 The hip continues to earn its reputation chriStopher teSSMer for the Leader-Post Vision World-class hospitality for trade, agri-business, sporting, entertainment and cultural events that bring innovation, enrichment and prosperity to Saskatchewan. Anyone expecting a typical rock show Friday night at the Brandt Centre was destined to leave entertained and more than a little perplexed. The Kingston, Ont. quintet known as The Tragically Hip have been the de facto Canadian rock band since the late 1980s and know exactly how to make a 6,000-seat hockey rink feel like a loud, raw bar show. Led by enigmatic vocalist Gord Downie, indescribably quirky through much of the band’s 23-song performance, The Hip gave unrelenting energy from the stage for the nearly two-hour set. Obviously his bandmates were no slouches either, with Rob Baker and Paul Langlois handling the guitars, Gord Sinclair on the bass, and Johnny Fay manning the drums, all with expert meticulousness. As the band hit the stage, opening with At Transformation, the lead single from their November album Now For Plan A, the crowd howled approvingly as Downie shout sang the lyrics. Looking quite dapper in black jeans, white buttoned shirt, black vest, skinny tie, and accented with a jean jacket and black hat, the singer was his usual eccentric self, maniacally dancing and stalking the stage throughout the bulk of the show. Notorious for stage banter that sometimes comes across as being a little out there, the 48-year old vocalist failed to disappoint noting at one point, “The goal is Friday night. Ergo, the goal is Friday night. It’s Friday night and it’s too f**king cold out to do anything but hang out.” The Downie-ism resonated with the fairly diverse audience as the comment elicited a roar that signalled the bulk of those in attendance were ready to let loose as well. As The Hip’s road crew prepared the stage for their set, two large LED video screens on each side of the stage noted the tour was using 100 per cent renewable and sustainable energy, yet the show never once felt like it was lacking due to the band’s environmental conscientiousness. Somewhat minimalist, save for a phenomenal lighting rig and top notch sound system, the stage had a few LED lights around the platform and a backdrop consisting of multiple hanging rectangular panels that glow from the lights and appear to have some kind of crystallization on them. The panels also matched the front of the platforms holding the guitar cabs and drum riser. The video screens on stage left and right showed a continuous stream of live concert footage from three cameras, ensuring that everyone in the arena could see the show as well as those in the front row. Musically, the band played many of their hits, though they also included songs like Fireworks and It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken that were played for only the third time in the 27 shows they’ve had so far this tour. With the band preparing to play the 18th song of their set Downie advised, “This is the last (song) because I have another thing I have to do. This isn’t my only gig you know? I work the night shift.” M o n day, Ja n ua ry 28, 2013 IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC Strong performance lineup will be a highlight of Sunday’s show troY fLeeCe / regina Leader-Post tragically hip frontman Gord downie entertains the crowd at the Brandt centre on Friday. t h e t r a g i C a L Ly hiP (with The Arkells) When: Jan. 25 Where: Brandt centre Amid the crowd screaming and the band playing the opening chords of My Music at Work, the singer yells out “Who’s working?,” leading the crowd to escalate further. After leaving the stage to regroup for a few minutes, The Hip returned as three of the panels spelled out H-I-P at the back of the stage. Finishing with a handful of crowd-pleasers, Downie was especially gracious thanking the audience multiple times for their fandom and longtime support of the onetime bar band. Hamilton group Arkells opened the evening with a spirited 40-minute set that began with a relatively disappointing number of fans in attendance. Despite a crowd that took most of the band’s set to start to fill the stands, the quintet showed it’s definitely capable of entertaining the masses from bigger stages across Canada. Its peppy alt rock, combined with their obvious enthusiasm, instantly translated and had many up and dancing in their seats much earlier than most fans anticipated. While the band is in no way unknown with multiple singles and a constantly growing fan base, there’s no doubt its lively set won over many a new fan Friday night. Regardless, The Hip was the main attraction on Friday evening and they definitely paid it forward with a performance that demonstrated the truly unique appeal of this Canadian band. Downie, who’s eyebrow raising antics included multiple variations of improvisational modern dance using his white handkerchief and microphone stand throughout the set, periodic shout singing, and Bill Murray-like clowning may come across as odd, yet they make total sense within the inner dialogue that is The Tragically Hip. A truly professional group in every sense of the word, Downie’s mates are content to let the frontman steal the spotlight, keeping everyone on the edge of their seats to see what he’ll do next. Interestingly enough, it’s actually his graciousness that is the real take away from a Hip show as the singer ensured the fans at the show truly knew how appreciative the band was for their attendance and loyalty. Even after the show ended, the video screens froze the message “Thank You Regina” out to the crowd as people left the arena. A totally eccentric and truly Canadian band, members of The Hip were also 100 per cent classy, awesome, and entertaining from start to finish. set List 1. at transformation 2. Grace, too 3. Man Machine poem 4. Gift Shop 5. Greasy Jungle 6. it’s a Good Life if you don’t Weaken 7. the Modern Spirit 8. ahead by a century 9. courage 10. Flamenco 11. Streets ahead 12. Springtime in Vienna 13. Fireworks 14. We Want to Be it 15. poets 16. Fully completely 17. new orleans is Sinking 18. My Music at Work encore 19. Wheat Kings 20. at the hundredth Meridian 21. Bobcaygeon 22. nautical disaster 23. Fifty-Mission cap arts&life master of music and doctor of musical arts degrees from the Julliard School of Music, Kim’s career has included roles as academic administrator, professor and concert artist. He has received many awards, performed on sevbr eral continents and made multiple recordings. The spectacular Symphony on a French Mountain Air, composed in 1886, is based on French folk songs and highlights many parts of the orchestra in addition to the piano. Certainly a powerful point in the evening’s show, the RSO and Kim earned a standing ova- U n e s O i r é e à Pa r i s Regina Symphony Orchestra with guest artist Michael Kim When: Jan. 26 Where: conexus arts centre eaking n e ws at LeaDe r POs tion for the performance. the Mosaic Masterworks seThe evening began prior ries concert at the Conexus S ec the tion B Mon day, J u ly 2 2, 2013 to that with orchestra Arts Centre started. performing Hector Berlioz’s After the intermission, Roman Carnival Overture, the orchestra was back with which was created in 1843 two selections from French drawing on music from an impressionist composers. unsuccessful opera the Sym- Three movements of Claude phonie Fantastique compos- Debussy’s Iberia were up er had written years earlier. first. Composed in 1909, the The triumphant-sounding style of the powerful work workpart wasofa the great way get Hewas a clear contrast to the 1993 hittoDoes music performed in the first half of the show. The same was true for La Valse — Maurice Ravel’s tribute to mid-19th-century waltzing — which was first performed in 1920. second half of the t . CThe OM concert was fascinating and enjoyable, and many different parts of the orchestra had opportunities to shine in the complex works, each of which Maestro Victor Sawa took some time to explain to the audience in his characteristic entertaining style. The audience responded as the full evening of fantastic music concluded with more appreciative applause. As the RSO continues its search to replace concertmaster Eduard Minevich, who recently retired, there was a guest concertmaster on Saturday night. Lance Ouellette, an accomplished Canadian violinist, displayed some good humour as he aptly filled the concertmaster’s role. Overall, the well-attended Une Soirée à Paris show was a lovely journey through some French musical history, with rich scores and engrossing performances making the concert experience memorable. Reba knows how to plan a journey M i ss i o n Enriching the quality of life for people in the community through the hosting and delivery of local, regional, national and international events. Jeff dedekker Leader-Post Reba McEntire, singer, actress, tour guide ... tour guide? Yes, it seems the talented redhead also knows how to plan a trip, a skill she displayed Saturday night at the Brandt Centre. “Let me tell you what we’ve got planned for you,” Reba explained to the audience early in her 18-song, 85-minute set. “We’re going to take you on a journey with some songs and stories. We hope you like the journey.” Given the majority of those in attendance where already Reba fans, it was highly unlikely that the journey wouldn’t be enjoyed by the audience. Yet even the most ardent Reba fans would have been thrilled with Saturday’s show as the 58-yearold wove together a set of hit songs and entertaining stories. The tales gave the night a bit of an intimate feel, like Reba was in your home swapping stories across the kitchen table over a pot of coffee. Before delivering Whoever’s In New England, Reba talked about the preMTV world where only HBO played music videos and that was between their movies. “After we finished the video, I was sitting in a hotel watching HBO and hoping,” Reba said. “A video from Aretha Franklin came on and then they played mine. It was like I died and had gone to heaven.” She also delved into the history of Somebody Should Leave, which was written by Harlan Howard, one of the reba (with Gord Bamford) When: July 20 Where: Brandt centre most productive songwriters in Nashville. Among his other hits, Howard penned Patsy Cline’s I Fall To Pieces and Buck Owens’ Tiger By The Tale. Much to Reba’s surprise, she didn’t like either of the first two songs Howard pitched her. “I couldn’t believe I was going to pass on Harlan Howard songs,” she said. “Then he played one more song and I don’t know if the angels were singing but the hair on my arms stood up. It was the saddest song I had ever heard. I recorded it and it became my fourth No. 1 record.” The production for the performance was quite minimal — Reba and her eight band members performed on a stage without any bells, whistles or video screens. But when you have a voice like Reba does, stage production isn’t a necessity. She told me recently that she works her voice every day — “It’s a muscle and I’ve got to keep it in shape.” If Saturday’s show is any indication, the daily routine is working perfectly. Reba’s voice was remarkable. It was strong and it was tender and it had a range that most singers can only dream about. As Reba worked her way through the set list, it soon became evident that it would be impossible for her to play all of her hits. One method to give a little more depth to the set list was the inclusion of a couple of medleys. It turns out mini versions of hits are better than those songs not being on the set list at all. Jennifer Wrinkle, one of the band members, stepped in and sang the Linda Davis Love You (1993) and earned a well-deserved ovation. And of course it wouldn’t be a Reba show without her taking to the stage for her encore in a shimmering red dress and matching shoes, bringing the house down with Fancy. Gord Bamford got the night off the right foot with an vibrant 10-song, 40-minute set. Bamford, who recently received seven nominations for the 2013 Canadian Country Music Association awards, rolled through a set of recognizable tunes from Postcard From Pasadena, Is It Friday Yet?, Drinking Buddy, Farm Girl Strong and Blame It On The Red Dress. Bamford was almost upstaged when he brought a young girl and boy up on stage. He asked the little girl, a seven-year-old from Lumsden named Jocelyn, “So how did you get up on stage?” Without missing a beat the youngster replied, “I took the stairs.” Bamford, like the crowd, could only laugh at the unintentional quip. My philosophy is the best way to celebrate Canadian music is to play it. We have a lot of awards and over the course of the two-hour evening we review every single award that was won, not just the Sunday night awards but we make sure to run video of the winners from Saturday’s gala. “We present every winner in the show but we still really believe the best way to celebrate Canadian music is to listen to it.” ONLINE leaderpost.com For all of our coverage of this year’s Juno Awards, photo galleries, videos and much more, visit leaderpost.com/junos prisoners.” While many aspects of the show have been confirmed — in addition to the roster of performers, Buble will host the show and lang will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame — Brunton said he’s got “a couple of surprises up his sleeves.” He declined to go into any further detail about those surprises but added that the live broadcast is capable of revealing a surprise or two of its own. “You never know who is going to emerge as the star that night,” said Brunton. BRYAN SCHLOSSER/Regina, Leader-Post Executive producer John Brunton speaks as the Juno Awards stage was unveiled at the Brandt Centre on Friday. “It’s interesting that the first night Leslie Feist performed on the show, she was singing by herself in a spotlight with a guitar. Who would have thought that night that she would be the one to steal the show in many ways? It’s hard to know, with the excitement and live (show) and the fans going crazy, who is going to deliver. There’s many, many people that can knock the ball out of the park.” See MUSIC, D2 Buble’s new priorities reflected in album, To Be Loved NICK PATCH THE CANADIAN PRESS TORONTO — After the spectacular success of his Christmas album — eight times platinum in Canada, thrice in the U.S., a Juno Award win for album of the year — Michael Buble might have felt a certain pressure in trying to create a followup, the sleigh bells ringing in his ear turning gradually deafening. Instead, he says he went into To Be Loved — scheduled for release on Monday — feeling more blithely selfassured than he’d ever been in the past, committing to a breezy live-off-the-floor recording strategy and declining to polish away the resultant small blemishes in his production. He had the most fun he’s had recording an album, he says. And the principal reason he was so unfettered? He says the news that his wife, Argentine model Luisana Lopilato, was expecting their first child made everything else seem a little less pressing. “I think the whole lack of trying (to top Christmas) came from me finding out I was having a baby — I think when that happened, it made me very brave,” Buble said during a recent chat in Toronto. “The truth is, really, my priorities just flip-flopped, and I went: ‘What’s important to me?’ My wife’s health. My baby’s health. My family. And THEN this record.’ If people love it, that’s awesome. If they don’t love it? You know what, I’ve done pretty well. “Not that I didn’t care, because of course I care, but I wasn’t insecure.” Buble, of course, has been provided plenty of reasons for such validation within the industry. There’s the aforementioned commercial success, which is especially remarkable in this era ofBspindly REA sales. Even beyond Christmas — which topped the charts in Canada, the U.S., the U.K., Australia, Austria, Germany, Ireland, Sweden and the Netherlands — he can lay claim to four con- secutive bona fide smashes, and rock into his typically with his entire catalogue swing era-influenced adult having now amassed more contemporary. And Buble’s than three dozen platinum tickled at the opportunity to plaques in his home country. try on so many hats. “It’s amazing I can get And his pop-culture profile has grown well beyond away with what I do as an enhis core group of fans. He tertainer, but especially that starred in cheerfully retro I can make a schizophrenic Christmas specials for NBC record, you know what I in back-to-back years, and mean?” said Buble, who cohis hosting gig at this week- wrote all four original songs end’s Juno Awards will pro- on the album. “I can do all vide a national platform for these different genres and his winking wit — though somehow there can be some he dismisses his role as kind of through-line that keeps them all together.” mere “traffic cop.” He made himself comSee BUBLE, D2 fortable on To Be Loved by working with the same circle of collaborators who have been popping up on his albums for years: producer Bob Rock, songwriters Alan Chang and Amy Foster, and performers Naturally 7 and the Puppini Sisters. Buble calls it “creating a subculture.” Furthering the sense of familial warmth filling the studio, Buble even had his parents sit in on Ksome I NofGtheNsessions. E W S A T L E A D E R P O S T.C On To Be Loved, his newfound confidence leads the Burnaby, toDAY, J U LY 16, 2013 S EC T I OB.C., N B crooner T U ES aim at a number of different genres, incorporating elements of country, straightahead jazz, Cuban music Michael Buble will host the Juno Awards on Sunday. GLEE STAR CORY MONTEITH REMEMBERED. B3 ARTS&LIFE OM Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley carry on the Kiss mantle long as the remaining original members. MORE THAN A SPECTACLE Reba Set List 1. can’t even Get the Blues 2. the fear of Being alone 3. one Promise too late 4. Whoever’s in new england 5. Why not tonight 6. Somebody Should leave 7. the night the lights Went out in Georgia 8. is there life out there 9. and Still 10. Medley (the Heart is a lonely Hunter, Walk on and i’d rather ride around With you). 11. i’ll Have What She’s Having 12. does He love you 13. Strange 14. Because of you 15. consider Me Gone 16. i’m a Survivor 17. Medley (take it Back and Why Haven’t i Heard from you) 18. turn on the radio Encore: 19. fancy It may be the Juno Awards but Sunday’s broadcast will put its emphasis on the music. John Brunton, executive producer of the Junos, began the rehearsal process at the Brandt Centre on Friday morning. During a break. Brunton said the broadcast, which will run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on CTV, will be “a full-on rock concert.” “An award show exists to celebrate music,” explained Brunton. “An award show exists to celebrate, specifically with the Junos, Canadian music. Circus-like concert sure to showcase rock-anthem jewels ANDREW MATTE FOR THE LEADER-POST MichaeL BeLL/Leader-Post country singer reba Mcentire performs at the Brandt centre in regina Saturday night. hOPe’s hOMe hOwL Backyard bash raises $125K for local charities irene SeiBerlinG Leader-Post It wasn’t your typical backyard bash. On the contrary. For one thing, each guest paid from $1,000 to $5,000 to attend. Saskatchewan’s premier Brad Wall emceed the fundraising event. And Blue Rodeo singer/ guitarist Jim Cuddy perfor med for the crowd of about 125 at the Hope’s Home Howl. It wasn’t traditional backyard fare on the menu either. Gold Medal Plates-winning chef Milton Rebello of the Hotel Saskatchewan Radisson Plaza created a delectable array of impressive appetizers, finger foods and mini desserts for the event. Each break in the evening’s entertainment featured a unique menu offering — from melon, feta and mint skewers to mini Dungeness An impressive and eclectic list of performers has been confir med for the show — Metric, Billy Talent, Carly Rae Jepsen, Hannah Georgas, k.d. lang, Marianas Trench, Serena Ryder, The Sheepdogs and Michael Buble will all have the opportunity to shine in the Juno spotlight. When it came to selecting performers, Brunton decided on an inclusive strategy. “We celebrate all different kinds of music in our show so it’s just not the stars who are selling all the records,” said Brunton. “It’s people who are making a buzz on the Internet or people who are making a buzz on social media. We try to have a balance of established artists, points of discovery artists and artists who are on their way up that climb. “We want artists that are going to kick ass and take JEFF DEDEKKER LEADER-POST Mega boMbs leave Holly wood facing Meltdown. b2 Country star tells stories in regina S AT U R DAY, A PR I L 20, 2013 BRYAN SCHLOSSER/ Leader-Post rsO delivers a spectacular evening in Paris With the help of guest pianist Michael Kim, the Regina Symphony Orchestra gave a strong performance on Saturday evening of a variety of impressive works from the 19th and 20th centuries by well-known French composers. Joining the orchestra to perfor m the challenging Symphony on a French Mountain Air by Vincent d’Indy, Kim was excellent, as his impressive resume would suggest. Having received his REG31704477_1_4 B R E A K I N G N E W S A T L E A D E R P O S T.C O M The stage for the Juno Awards was unveiled at the Brandt Centre on Friday. review Joe couture Leader-Post ...For The Fashion 254 University PArk Drive ARTS&LIFE S EC T I O N D Gord Downie steals the show with his antics EAST #5 4621Rae Street WATCHOURVIDEO&SEEHOW LAMPEBERGERCLEANSTHEAIR Call 781-5212 or email subscribe@leaderpost.com today! b r e a k i n g n e w s a t L e a D e r P O s t.C O M S ec t i o n B Lights need to be adjusted for the show. SOUTH LANG REFLECTS ON HALL OF FAME CAREER. D3 SUBSCRIBE WHOLE STORY. (OR AS SOME LIKE TO CALL IT, THE ‘ME TIME’ EDITION.) don HeaLy/sunday Post Staging the Junos requires 9.4 kilometres of lighting power cable. MichaeL BeLL/Leader-Post anne lindsay and Jim cuddy perform at Hope’s Home Howl fundraiser held at the home of karl fix and Sandy Beug in regina on Saturday. Montreal and Vancouver … That tells you something about where Regina has gone to.” “This is the new Saskatchewan!” the premier declared as bids escalated as he auctioned off a guitar autographed by Cuddy. Tim Schaefer of Varsity Homes had the winning bid of $26,000. Fix was quick to point out that while he got the ball rolling, and he and his wife, Sandy Beug, offered to host the fundraiser at their Wascana View home, the event was a team effort. “It’s a really good team!” he said. In addition to Fix and Beug, the organizing committee included Brad DeLorey of Mosaic, Tim Schaefer of Varsity Homes, Denis Jones of Deveraux Developments, Kevin Tell of Cindercrete, Marla Preston of the Hotel Saskatchewan Radisson Plaza, and Hope’s Home the community is amazing!” Cuddy agreed to perform at the event “for a substantial reduction in his fee,” Fix pointed out, adding that the entertainer also donated $10,000 “because he feels it’s such a worthwhile cause.” “Part of my fee goes back to the charity. It’s easy to do,” Cuddy said humbly in an interview prior to performing. “We came specifically for this.” Cuddy is no stranger to giving back to charity events. He does a literacy event every year in Edmonton. Fix credited Jones for steering the organizing committee in the direction of Hope’s Home, a charity the premier was eager to support. “I spearheaded it,” Fix said. “I got a group of friends of mine together — community-minded people … These are all people who are happy to give a good donation to a good cause.” MICHELLE BERG /The StarPhoenix photos Paul Stanley and Kiss will be rockin’ Regina tonight. It’s all about explosions, projectile bleeding and performers made to look like cartoon characters. Subtlety doesn’t exist in the world of Kiss, the American rock band that built its own culture by producing circus-like concerts and finding ways to generate revenue like no other musical act. After four decades, founders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley continue to play catchy rock songs in the shadow of a frantic light show, a simple but successful formula they developed as young New York musicians. Today, Kiss no longer releases albums that resonate with the public, which means the band exists as a celebration of its reputation for delivering groundbreaking rock spectacles. And without fellow founders Peter Criss and Ace Frehley, long ago replaced with Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, debate rages whether the faces behind the face paint even matter or whether the modern-era Kiss is merely a half-tribute act. Judging by the size of the crowds, it appears the issue isn’t enough to keep fans from buying tickets. Audiences in 2013 are made up of fans with grey temples and memories of hearing songs like Beth and Hard Luck Woman on the radio. Younger music fans buy tickets out of a sense of duty, curiosity and respect for Kiss’s place in rock history. While it’s easy to poke fun at the old guys who wear makeup, spit pretend blood and wear costumes that look like football padding spraypainted silver, dismissing their success is impossible. Kiss shares company with the likes of The Who, The Beach Boys and Bob Dylan when it comes to album sales, and is in its own category when it comes to success in the retail world. KISS (with Shinedown) When: Tonight, 7:30 p.m. Where: Brandt Centre With more than $500-million in sales in merchandise in 3,000 categories, maximizing profit is as much a priority for Kiss as its artistic endeavours. But for many fans, the focus is the music. Built from a foundation of performance and stage production, Kiss songs are often viewed as an afterthought, or something that merely facilitates the more important visual component. But there are enough members in the Kiss Army fan club who argue Kiss’s contribution to music is just as worthy of acknowledgment as its success in the music business. Kiss members aren’t exactly known as rock’s leading musicians or for experimenting musically like they have with fire, lasers or stage-platform hydraulics. However, many view Stanley’s voice as one of the enduring in rock history and more than a few musicians say they were influenced by Frehley’s freewheeling guitar work. Nobody argues that songs like Rock and Roll All Nite, Detroit Rock City or Shout It Out Loud are anything but stand-alone, rock-anthem jewels. But with 20 studio albums, many believe there is enough great material that isn’t known in the same way, songs like Shock Me, God of Thunder or Lick It Up. There are enough songs, however, that are difficult to forget for the opposite reason. Musical missteps include Shandi from 1980s Unmasked album, Dance All Over Your Face from 1983’s Lick It Up, or anything on the 1981 album Music From The Elder. Here’s a list of buried treasures, a guide to the best of the rest. See KISS, B2 PREVIEW Luck and hard work pay off for Les Mis’s Leclerc JEFF DEDEKKER LEADER-POST Losing her sea legs turned out to be a stroke of good fortune for Genevieve Leclerc. After eight years of performing on cruise ships, Leclerc decided it was time to pursue opportunities on dry land after she began suffering severe bouts of seasickness. For Leclerc, the following first audition resulted in the role of Fantine in the U.S. touring company of Les Miserables, which opens six-day, eight-show run at is history. “I didn’t expect to land this gig. I thought when I went to the audition that my dream would be to get the chance to cover Fantine,” said LeClerc. “If I could just be in the ensemble, oh my god that would be a dream. So when they called me for the U.S. tour and also the sit-down in Toronto starting next September, I was like, ‘What?’ “It’s still nice that it’s like that way because I really don’t take things for granted. I know there’s probably a million girls as good or even better than me. It’s about LES MISERABLES When: July 16-19, 8 p.m. July 20, 2 p.m. & 8 p.m. July 21, 2 p.m. & 7: 30 p.m. portunities are what enabled her to develop into a professional singer and actress. Leclerc also understood that if she wanted to move on to bigger and better things, she needed to continue to work at her craft to ensure she was prepared to take the next step. “That’s when the work and experience matters — you’ve got the chance, now Les Miserables tells the story of Jean Valjean, a man sentenced to 19 years of hard labour for stealing a loaf of bread for his sister’s starving child. Released on parole, Valjean must deal with hatred and suspicion while hoping for a new life. Set during a revolutionary period in France, Les Miserables is story of courage, love and atonement. In addition to playing in London and on Broadway, Les Miserables has been produced in 42 countries and is a popular choice for regional theatre groups. Audiences have been get- Governance In 2012, we finally made application to the Province of Saskatchewan to step away from our original (1907) Act. It has served us well for over a century, but had become outdated for our current business activity and contemporary governance model. In 2014, The Regina Exhibition Association Limited will continue under The Non-profit Corporations Act, 1995, with one voting member, the City of Regina, which owns the land and buildings known as Evraz Place. The Regina Exhibition Association Limited continues to be governed by a capable and committed volunteer Board of Directors, aptly led by our Board Chair, Jeff MacPherson. New Future Home of the Saskatchewan Roughrider Football Club in 2017 One of the most exciting developments of the past year and a half has been the decision taken by the City of Regina to invest nearly $300 million in a new stadium at Slide of Gross Revenues Here- 2003 -2013 Evraz Place. Some of the work has already taken place; namely the demolition of the Heritage, Jubilee and Saskatchewan Buildings. The stadium project will create a new Elphinstone Street entrance at 10th Avenue and a significant amount of our parking areas will get new lighting and pavement. Confederation Park will also get a makeover as part of the Slide of Net Revenue here – 2003 – 2013 project. I am very proud of our amazing team of employees and managers that have a huge passion for all the events we host and produce. We were also fortunate to have earned the confidence and support of the I am very proud of our amazing team of employees and Saskatchewan Roughrider Football Club and the Canadian Arts and Recording Sciences organizations – they put their trust in us to be a big part of hosting their signature national events. We are also managers that have a huge passion forcorporate all the events we –host fortunate to have tremendous participation in our business our top partners are referenced in this report. A special thank you to the Regina Hotels Association and the Regina Regional and produce. We wereOpportunities also fortunate to have earned thesupport. Corporation for their assistance with event bids; we value their report, you will gain some insight into who we are, what we do and our financial confidence and supportIn thisofannualthe Saskatchewan Roughrider performance. You will see: Football Club and the Canadian Arts and Recording Sciences • that we have a richly diverse full time and part time employee base • that we are a major organizations – they put their trust inemployer us intoReginabe a big part of • that our business has been steadily growing • that ourevents. new and refurbished busy and fortunate highly valued by our community hosting their signature national Wefacilities arearealso Mark Allan Governance to have tremendous corporate participation in our business In 2012, we finally made application to the Province of Saskatchewan to step away from our original President and CEO – our top partners are (1907) referenced A special Act. It has served usin well this for over a report. century, but had become outdated for our current business activity and contemporary governance model. In 2014, The Regina Exhibition Association Limited will thank you to the Reginacontinue Hotels and the Regina under TheAssociation Non-profit Corporations Act, 1995, with one voting member, the City of Regina, which owns the land and buildings known as Evraz Place. The Regina Exhibition Association Limited Regional Opportunities Corporation for their assistance with event bids; we value their support. st For The Home... FOR YOU 11,000 person hours to set up the show, half of which are local crew cameras are adjusted at the Brandt centre Thursday. Photo by JaNette PellegriNi/getty image TAKE SOME TIMEfor another season. B3 Dallas reloaDs 360-degree viewing of the show on 3 stages The PA system is capable of producing 275,000 watts of audio power 2.74 km of camera cable, 4 km of optical fibre cable and 9.4 km of lighting power cable 100 channels of radio frequencies for microphones and intercom Another Record Year The year 2013 will go down as yet another record year for Evraz Place (operated by The Regina Exhibition Association Limited): • Record revenues of $34.8M. • Three extraordinary high profile entertainment offerings – the nationally televised Juno Award Show with the Gala Juno Awards dinner and Red Carpet Event; a Mosaic Stadium Paul McCartney Concert and …. Another Record Year • Hosted over 70,000 people for the 101st Grey Cup The year 2013 will go down as yet another record year for Evraz Place (operated by the Regina Exhibition Association): Festival with 3 concerts in the Brandt Centre and 7 • Record revenues of $34.8M • Three extraordinary high profile entertainment offerings – the nationally televisedin Junosthe Award Co-operators Centre, in the different team venues Show with the Gala Juno Awards dinner and Red Carpet Event; a Mosaic Stadium Paul Credit Union EventPlex and Agribition Building. McCartney Concert and …. • Hosted over 70,000 people for the 101 Grey Cup Festival with 3 concerts in the Brandt Centre • in theRecord capital reinvestment of $3.3M in our existing and 7 different team venues Co-operators Centre and Agribition Building. • Record capital reinvestment of $3.3M in our existing infrastructure and equipment, including a infrastructure and equipment, including a new roof for new roof for the Canada Centre the Canada Centre. In this annual report, you will gain some insight into who we are, what we do and our financial performance. You will see: • that we have a richly diverse full time and part time employee base; • that we are a major employer in Regina; • that our business has been steadily growing; • that our new and refurbished facilities are busy and highly valued by our community. board of directors employment & Social Responsibility Board of Director’s message Officers Jeff MacPherson Chair of the Board Mark Allan President and CEO Ben Antifaiff Vice President and CFO Denise Wanner Corporate Secretary Directors Brian Barber Karen Gibbons Reg Howard Patrick A. Kelly Mike MacNaughton Marty Meloche Rob Nisbett Ron Nugent Laura Soparlo Mark Stefan Grant Wasnik The status quo possesses just as much risk for an organization as change itself and the “what might be” that comes with change. While it doesn’t seem like both the status quo and change bear risk, they can; doing nothing has its own risks. The leadership challenge around change is acknowledging uncertainty. The key to successful change is to let go of the apprehension and put your energy into the execution of your plan. My Chairman’s reports, dating back to the first one in 2007, have a common embedded theme. Change for the betterment of the organization has and is necessary to place our organization on the path of success. This year saw the culmination of one of the last elements of our governance change that was needed to support the ongoing business changes. Near the end of 2013 we received confirmation The Regina Exhibition Association Limited (REAL) would continue under the Non-profit Corporations Act, 1995 (Saskatchewan) leaving behind its Act created in 1907. The dawn of 2014 brings with it just as much continued business change and just as much potential ambiguity. The construction of a new stadium on the Evraz Place site housing the Saskatchewan Roughriders begins. The construction project is managed by the City of Regina. Our challenge in the interim will be to integrate that construction project with our day to day operations including conventions, entertainment and sporting events, maintaining our high level of service delivery. Looking forward and in preparation for the stadium opening in 2017, we begin the process of determining what managing this new facility will mean for our organization. While the stadium building is not physically attached to the current buildings that reside on the property, we anticipate adjusting for its management and delivery to ensure this facility is seamlessly interconnected with the other properties on the Evraz Place site. The REAL Board of Directors, Executive, Management and Staff are up for the challenge. We have shown many times over the past 10 years that we don’t let uncertainty hold us back. In the words of Barack Obama, “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek”. I do like our chances of success and I welcome the change and the potential opportunity it creates for REAL and for this City and the Province of Saskatchewan. Jeff MacPherson Chair of the Board In 2013 Evraz Place had 1,190 employees engaged in delivering entertainment value and enriching our guests’ experience. Like the changing demographics of our guests and community, Evraz Place is proud to have a richly diverse workforce. 27.26% of the workforce is Aboriginal; 15.26% are Visible Minorities and 5% are People with Disabilities. Evraz Place has continued to experience an exciting increase in employee representation from Africa, China, Philippines, Japan, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. The payoffs in creating and maintaining a diverse workforce touch every area of our business and we have experienced an increase in creativity, productivity, language skills and as importantly stronger guest and community loyalty. As part of the rich diversity of our workforce, the ages of our employees range from 16 years up to 77 years, which brings a complimentary blend of experience, enthusiasm, and new attitudes to the workplace. Employees are the cornerstone of our business and Evraz Place remains committed to maintaining and supporting our employees by providing ongoing staff training, professional development as well as health and wellness support services. As an employer, Evraz Place is very pleased to provide employees with family oriented events such as the Co-operators Centre family skating days, Pumpkin Patch Fun Day and the Children’s Christmas party. Executive Management Team (as of April 2014) Mark Allan, President and CEO Ben Antifaiff, Vice President and CFO Neil Donnelly, Vice President Events and Entertainment Graham Edge, Vice President Food and Beverage Reid Pedersen, Vice President Sport and Recreation Elma Shoulak, Vice President Human Resources Bill Stoner, Vice President Property and Facilities Denise Wanner, Manager Executive Office Evraz Place employees continue to demonstrate their commitment to the community through their active involvement as volunteers for the Wascana/Herchmer School partnership. Evraz Place encourages and supports the Wascana/Herchmer’s literacy program as well as student leadership and academic achievement by sponsoring their monthly and annual virtue awards. In 2013, employees donated over 300 new and used books for the Wascana/ Herchmer School literacy program. Employees at Evraz Place prepare and serve a Christmas lunch for Wascana/Herchmer School students and their families, where gifts are provided to the students. Employees are also involved in hosting and serving at the end of the year barbecue where student success is recognized and celebrated. At this event, the top student in each class receives a day tripper pass for the Queen City Exhibition. To encourage well-being and fitness, Evraz Place donates the Credit Union EventPlex for the Wascana/Herchmer students to participate in a variety of physical activities to supplement their physical education program. In 2013, Evraz Place is very proud to have awarded a scholarship in the amount of $2,500 for a former graduate of Wascana/Herchmer School attending a post-secondary institution. Management (as of April 2014) Lori Adams, Manager Catering Sales Dean Churchill, Director Finance and IT Kenneth D’Souza, Assistant Catering Manager Fred Fink, Manager, Event Delivery Ashley Frohlich, Assistant Catering Manager Darwin Godlien, Manager Security Chris Hutchinson, Director Corporate Development Shirley Janeczko, Manager Business Development CFPS Normie Jay, Conference and Catering Manager Bret Jenkins, Manager Sport and Recreation Operations Alicia Knapman, Box Office Manager Kyle Lamkey, General Manager Sport and Recreation Reagan Lowe, Director Employee Relations Brenda McIntosh, Director Events and Entertainment Allison McLaughlin, Manager Human Resources Mario Melendres, Sous Chef Degan Middleton-Machdanz, Food and Beverage Manager Naimesh Patel, Custodial Manager Maria Pia, Manager Human Resources Kent Roberts, Food and Beverage Manager Ray Rondeau, Financial Manager Dave Senger, Manager Operations Sport and Recreation Rob Swan, Food and Beverage Manager Ken Taylor, Director Trade and Consumer Shows Roger Weldon, Manager Financial Analysis Alison Wilkie, Catering and Events Manager Michael Zech, Executive Chef Events & entertainment Evraz Place was once again a hub for the hottest entertainment in Saskatchewan. 2013 was an exciting year as we hosted a diverse collection of high-profiled artists and performances. Residents of Regina were treated to the live performances of top notch performers such as Great Big Sea, Leonard Cohen, KISS, Reba McIntyre, The Tragically Hip, Alice in Chains, Brad Paisley, Eric Church and the legendary Paul McCartney. Evraz Place strives to please a wide range of tastes by presenting entertainers such as comedian Jeff Dunham, Volbeat, Five Finger Death Punch and the WWE Smackdown tour. The World famous “Harlem Globe Trotters” and NHL game gave opportunity for the entire family to visit Evraz Place. The Brandt Centre is a 6,000-seat facility that has been hosting home games of the WHL’s Regina Pats for over 35 years. Evraz Place is proud to have Pats fans recognize the Brandt Centre as the home of this beloved hockey team in the Queen City. GO PATS GO! Evraz Place has become a well known destination for people, all year round. Whether it’s to bring your dreams to life at the popular Spring Home & Garden Show, the pavilions during Mosaic, or the annual Majestic Car Show, Evraz Place is the place to be for events and entertainment. The Aboriginal community once again arrived in masses as the Brandt Centre served as home for their Annual First Nations University Pow Wow in April. The sounds and smells of traditional food, authentic dance, ceremonial costumes and music filled the air during this 3 day weekend event. JUNO Awards In April of 2013 Evraz Place was host to the JUNOs. The journey began in 2012 when the Regina Host Committee was awarded the 2013 JUNOS bid. There was considerable prep work and the Evraz Place staff rose, as always, to the challenge. This incredible event turned the Brandt Centre into the premiere venue for the nationally televised awards show seen by 1.91 million viewers. The JUNOs festival activities included: the JUNOs hockey game played in Moose Jaw’s Mosaic Place; Fan Fare at the Cornwall Centre where fans got to get up close and personal with some of the Artists; Fan Fest – multiple venues throughout the City of Regina took part, with over 1,000 passes sold through our Box Office; Gala Banquet for 1,150 people in our Credit Union EventPlex (this is where most of the awards are given out to the Artists); and our Agribition Building was transformed as the venue for the prestigious Red Carpet. 101st Grey Cup Festival The 101st Grey Cup Festival, a Celebration in Rider Nation, emanated our prairie spirit and our welcoming hospitality as Evraz Place staff worked hand-in-hand with nearly 2500 volunteers to share with the Nation an outstanding showcase of sport, culture and celebration. Evraz Place was the epicenter for seven CFL Team Hospitality Rooms including Riderville, Tigertown, the Double Blue Bash, Touchdown Manitoba, the Lion’s Den, the Stamps House and the Atlantic Schooners Down East Kitchen Party as the first ever Team Party Pass allowed Festival goers to experience all Team parties all in one place, all for one price, creating the ultimate fan experience. We also hosted the Molson Canadian Live Champion’s Concert Series featuring Hedley, Barenaked Ladies and Big ‘N Rich in the Brandt Centre; along with the CFLAA Legends Lunch, the Pre-game Party with the Sheepdogs and the Countdown to Kick-Off Luncheon. Our multi-purpose facilities and expert staff, that only a week prior hosted Canada’s largest livestock event – Canadian Western Agribition, performed with rave reviews. The final tally had over 75,000 happy festival goers through the doors. Prairie Mobile Taste of Spring Guests welcome this time of year as it’s one of the first signs that they can say good bye to the winter weather and warm up their taste buds at the highly anticipated Prairie Mobile Taste of Spring. Regina’s most anticipated spring event brought a crowd of more than 7,500 over three nights to enjoy the best of fine wines, spirits and food in the Queen City. Canada’s Farm Progress Show presented by Viterra Voted as “The Largest Trade Show in Canada” for the 3rd year in a row by Trade Show News Network, was the icing on the cake for another successful event. The CFPS has taken pride over the years of not only maintaining, but greatly increasing the number of International Buyers that attend this show every year. In 2013 there were over 800 International buyers who came to view and buy Canadian made agricultural equipment. Having an opportunity to display and explain product to so many buyers, not to mention the local farmers who attend this show as well as from across the Prairies, is an opportunity that cannot be matched. Queen City Ex presented by Mosaic The five day Summer Fair once again surpassed 200,000 visitors. Fairgoers crashed the gates in full force, resulting in a 6% attendance increase, and record setting numbers for North American Midway. The crowds enjoyed new and exciting on-site attractions highlighted by the addition of the Family Fun Zone in the Co-operators Centre. The QCX Parade which has traditionally been held on the Saturday morning prior to the start of the Exhibition was moved to Tuesday evening and received rave reviews that drew massive crowds that lined the streets of Regina. The Parade was followed by Fireworks in Wascana Park, kicking off the week and “Exploding Into The Ex”. The Molson Canadian Live Grandstand always attracts huge nightly crowds to Confederation Park, and 2013 was no exception. Music fans enjoyed upcoming Canadian Pop Group, Walk Off The Earth, rockers Three Days Grace, classic rock icons Loverboy, the pop chart topping group Simple Plan, and country music superstar, Rodney Atkins closed out the Queen City Ex. Other popular attractions and thrills acts included Extreme BMX Freestyle Show, Milord High Dive Show, Craz E Crew, Hypnotist Wayne Lee, Comedic Juggler Randy Cabral and Speed Painter, Dave Sharp. Last year Evraz Place and Mosaic teamed up to serve 10,154 pancakes and raised over 11,400 pounds of food for the Regina Food Bank during Mosaic’s Flip For Hunger Pancake Breakfast. In the last 3 years this initiative has raised over 28,200 pounds in non-perishable food donations for the Regina Food Bank during August which is a difficult month for the Regina Food Bank. Once again, Mosaic and Evraz Place joined forces for “Experience The Ex”, a program which donated 1,000 gate admissions and 200 Daytrippers to underprivileged youth and charitable groups. Food & beverage 2013 was an exciting year at Evraz Place as we played host to some of the most dynamic regional and national meetings, conferences, gala dinners, trade shows, and sporting events. There were new and exciting changes for Evraz Place’s Food and Beverage Division during the past year. 2013 marked the division’s first full year at Evraz Place while operating independently. The Queensbury Convention Centre introduced a new catering menu featuring a great selection of prairie and international cuisine which beautifully complimented the new china, glassware and flatware. 2013 Event Highlights: Evraz Place’s conference and catering staff covered over 500 Food and Beverage shifts during the Queen City Ex, Canada’s Farm Progress Show and Agribition. In total, over 500 catered events took place in 2013, to the great success of the staff and their dedication to great service. Juno Awards Broadcast • The Food and Beverage team served a sold out crowd at The Brandt Centre. The Food and Beverage department introduced Subway and Western Pizza as new franchise partners at Evraz Place. These join the already successful Tim Horton’s franchise where over a million cups of coffee were served this year. While the past year was one of the busiest years to date for the Food and Beverage division, the focus is always to provide its clients with a great experience. Saskatchewan Safety Council 2013 Industrial Safety Seminar • Four Day Conference and Tradeshow with 800 Delegates from across Saskatchewan. Juno Gala Dinner • 1,200 Guests from across Canada enjoyed a three course meal. The event had several exclusive musical performances and award presentations. Prairie Mobile Taste of Spring • Three day Tradeshow featuring local restaurants and top wine, spirits and beer. • Over 7,500 attendees visited the Credit Union EventPlex during these three days. 2013 Williston Basin Petroleum Conference and Trade Show • Over 300 indoor and outdoor exhibitors and over 1900 delegates from North America attended this show. Ducks Unlimited Dinner • Dinner and Auction for over 700 guests. Ken Goff Boxing Memorial • 900 guests enjoyed dinner while watching multiple world class boxing matches. 2013 Annual Premiers Dinner • Plated dinner served to over 2,200 Sask Party guests. 2013 Plaza of Honor Dinner Gala • One of Saskatchewan’s most prestigious dinners • Played host to over 1,600 guests. Saskatchewan Oral Health Profession Conference and Tradeshow • Three day conference, tradeshow and banquet. Introducing our 2013 NEW MENU 101st Grey Cup Championship Festival • The Co-operators Centre hosted 6 teams in the arenas with full service bars and entertainment. • Multiple catered events in the Queensbury Convention Centre • Riderville alone saw 5,000 guests daily and served 81,000 Pilsner beers, 21,000 liters of pop, 5 football fields’ worth of hot dogs, 76,000 pounds of ice. • Riderville’s Western Pizza served over 800 pizzas – that’s 6,400 pieces of pizza, 2,200kg of mozzarella and 56,000 pieces of pepperoni. The future goals for this world-class venue are to develop new business and maximize the space while keeping the facility competitive and a leader in the industry. Evraz Place’s Food and Beverage division strives to be the desirable option for clients and event planners near and far. New strategies with a higher commitment to green initiatives and positive economic impact for the community by giving locally are on the horizon. Queensbury Convention Centre Phone: (306) 781-9200 www.queensburycentre.com Sport & recreation 2013 was a busy year for the Sport and Recreation Division managing the fourth season of operation of the Cooperators Centre as well as the Credit Union EventPlex and ice operations in the Brandt Centre. The Co-operators Centre has emerged as one of the premier ice and sports facilities in Canada hosting local, regional and national competitions twelve months a year. New to the facility in 2013 is Peak Performance, A state of the art dry land training facility operational year round. The Skate Canada Centre of Excellence entered its third season in operation. 2013 was highlighted with an Olympic visit to Sochi for Paige Lawrence and Rudi Swiegers. Paige and Rudi train in the Co-operators Centre daily during their off season. 2013 saw continued growth for the Co-operators Centre Hockey Leagues (CCHL). Registration numbers included 3,500 men, women, boys and girls in Co-operators Centre recreational leagues with games on more than 330 nights of the year. The Credit Union EventPlex had its busiest year ever in 2013. From October to April the facility is booked to capacity with youth and adult soccer activity. Over 3,000 registered soccer players utilize the facility in addition to other turf sports such as Ultimate Frisbee, adult touch football, cricket, etc. For the ninth year, the indoor soccer season culminated with 1,200 players, 100 volunteers and over 20,000 fans participating in the WCP World Cup event. In 2013, The Credit Union EventPlex was outfitted with a new artificial turf system manufactured by AstroTurf LLC. The Sport and Recreation Division was pleased to host three major national championship events in 2013, the Skate Canada Challenge, Canadian National Broomball Championships and the U15 Volleyball Championships. On the event calendar, 2014 will bring the Skate Canada Adult Nationals and 2015 has already penciled in the ASHN North American Championships and International Association of Fire Fighters Association tournament ensuring Regina, and Evraz Place, will be at the forefront of the Canadian sports scene. S ports T ournaments and S pecial E vents hosted by the S port and R ecreation D ivision in 2013: Major Events Hosted: 2013 Skate Canada Challenge Canadian National Broomball Championships U15 Volleyball Championships Western Prospects Hockey Camp World Player Cup Soccer Championships Skate Regina Ice Carnival Living Skies Synchro Championships Skate Saskatchewan Championships Ringette Tournaments: Jim Benning Tournament Queen City Tournament Ringette Provincials Saskatchewan Ringette Provincials Lacrosse Tournament: Sask Lacrosse Festival Soccer Tournaments RAZZ Tournament ACFC Tournament RSA Adult Tournament Youth Provincials Timbit Jamboree Co-ed Playoffs Saskatchewan Hockey Association Skills of Gold Zone Camps Sask First Female Sask First Bantam Tournament Sask First Midget Tournament Hockey Tournaments HR – Bantam Tier I HR – Bantam Tier II HR – Female HR – Midget Tier I HR – Midget Tier II HR – Novice Tier I HR – Atom Tier I HR – Atom Tier II HR – PeeWee Tier I HR – PeeWee Tier II HR – Junior C RCMP Tournament Sask Power / Energy Tournament Oskana Cup Spring AAA Classic Minor Hockey Tournament Co-operators Centre Hockey League CCHL – Winter League both male and female CCHL – Summer League both male and female CCHL – 3 on 3 Youth Hockey The Co-operators Centre Classic Major events upcoming 2015 International Firefighter Hockey Championships 2015 National Adult Hockey Championship 2016 U15Volleyball Hockey Championships Major events in the bid process 2016 Keystone Cup 2016 Canadian Under 18 Women’s Championship 2016 World Broomball Championships community partnerships Financial Statements Management Report EVRAZ PLACE ENRICHING OUR COMMUNITY Together with our Corporate Partners, we here at Evraz Place are enriching our community by providing the people of our City, Province, and Country with opportunities to experience world class events and entertainment and participate in sports and recreation in first class facilities. In 2013 over 2.7 Million people patronized our property, events, and facilities. In 2014, and into the future those numbers are expected to soar, as we begin construction on the new stadium and continue to evolve as a property and partner in this community. The property and facilities of Evraz Place are owned by the City of Regina and leased to The Regina Exhibition Association Limited. At Evraz Place we recognize none of this would be possible without the support and dedication of our in-valuable corporate partners! The accompanying financials of The Regina Exhibition Association Limited have been prepared by the Association’s management in accordance with Canadian Accounting Standards for Not-For-Profit organizations and necessarily include some amounts based on informed judgment and management estimates. To assist management in fulfilling its responsibilities, a system of internal controls has been established to provide reasonable assurance that the financial statements are accurate and reliable and that assets are safeguarded. The Board of Directors have reviewed and approved these financial statements. These financial reports have been examined by the independent auditors, Virtus Group LLP and their report is presented separately. Mark Allan President and CEO March 26, 2014 ® Ben Antifaiff Vice President and CFO March 26, 2014 To the Shareholders, The Regina Exhibition Association Limited Operating Evraz Place Report on the Financial Statements We have audited the accompanying financial statements of The Regina Exhibition Association Limited, operating Evraz Place which comprise the balance sheet as at December 31, 2013, and the statements of income and retained earnings, and cash flows for the year then ended, and a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information. Managements Responsibility for the Financial Statements Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of these financial statements in accordance with Canadian accounting standards for not-for-profit organizations, and for such internal control as management determines is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. Auditors’ Responsibility Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards. Those standards require that we comply with ethical requirements and plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free from material misstatement. An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditors’ judgment, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the entity’s preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal control. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion. Opinion In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of The Regina Exhibition Association Limited, operating Evraz Place as at December 31, 2013, its results of operations and cash flows for the year then ended in accordance with Canadian accounting standards for notfor-profit organizations Chartered Accountants Regina, Canada March 26, 2014 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Regina Exhibition Association Limited operating Evraz Place Regina Exhibition Association Limited operating Evraz Place Balance Sheet Statement of Income As at December 31, 2013 For the Year Ended December 31, 2013 2013 $ 2012 $ 2013 $ 2012 $ 18,909,375 7,956,584 3,849,705 1,514,948 2,600,000 34,830,612 14,888,337 7,262,355 3,755,221 1,530,050 2,600,000 30,035,963 1,407,567 3,916,548 3,702,352 607,083 7,585,470 2,077,898 14,765,915 34,062,833 767,779 4,605,440 5,373,219 1,249,121 3,676,948 3,277,525 581,633 5,216,497 2,024,206 12,925,625 28,951,555 1,084,408 3,521,032 4,605,440 Revenues Assets Current Assets Cash Accounts and grants receivable Inventories Supplies and prepaid expenses 3,043,106 1,854,647 407,449 48,881 5,354,083 4,801,352 924,576 250,967 176,760 6,153,655 72,873,544 78,227,627 73,043,132 79,196,787 4,220,394 2,069,773 180,718 6,470,885 2,870,257 2,418,005 5,288,262 Long-term debt (note 4) Deferred grants and other contributions (note 5) 336,863 66,036,940 72,844,688 69,293,365 74,581,627 Share capital (note 6) Retained earnings Net assets 9,720 5,373,219 5,382,939 78,227,627 9,720 4,605,440 4,615,160 79,196,787 Tangible capital assets (note 3) Liabilities and Net Assets Current liabilities Accounts payable and accrued liabilities Deferred revenue and deposits Current portion of long-term debt (note 4) See accompanying notes Approved by the Board: Director Director Sales Rentals Contributions and other income Sponsorships and advertising Revenue continuance (note 9) Expenses Administration Amortization Cost of goods sold Repairs and maintenance Supplies, equipment and contracted services Utilities Wages and employee benefits Net income for the year Retained earnings - beginning of year Retained earnings - end of year See accompanying notes FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Regina Exhibition Association Limited operating Evraz Place Regina Exhibition Association Limited operating Evraz Place Notes to the Financial Statements Statement of Cash Flows For the Year Ended December 31, 2013 For the Year Ended December 31, 2013 1. Description of the business 2013 $ Operating activities Net income for the year Items not affecting cash Amortization Deferred capital contributions recognized Net decrease in non-cash working capital balances related to operations Financing activities Proceeds from long-term debt Repayment of long-term debt Investing activities Purchase of tangible capital assets Decrease in cash during the year 767,779 3,916,547 (3,256,424) 1,427,902 2012 $ 1,084,408 3,676,947 (3,256,424) 1,504,931 43,230 120,258 1,471,132 1,625,189 517,581 517,581 (1,520,337) (1,520,337) (3,746,959) (1,758,246) (1,003,158) (898,306) Cash, beginning of year 4,801,352 5,699,658 Cash, end of year 3,043,106 4,801,352 See accompanying notes The Regina Exhibition Association Limited (the Association) is a not-for-profit organization incorporated under a private act of the Province of Saskatchewan. Under its bylaws dividends cannot be paid and its shares cannot appreciate in value. On May 01, 2012 the shareholders of the Association passed a Special resolution that the Association be continued under the Non-Profit Corporations Act, 1995 and transfer ownership and control of the Association to the City of Regina. The Association, under it's existing Act, is required to obtain approval from the Lieutenant Governor in Council to apply for the Continuance and is currently awaiting that approval. 2. Accounting policies The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Canadian accounting standards for not-for-profit organizations which require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amount of revenue and expenses during the year. These estimates are reviewed periodically and adjustments as necessary are reported in the period of review. a) Tangible capital assets and amortization Tangible capital assets are recorded at cost. Amortization is recorded over the estimated useful life of the assets as follows: Buildings Equipment -straight-line over 10 to 30 years -straight-line over 3 to 20 years b) Revenue recognition Sales revenue, including catering, concessions and events, and Rental revenue are recognized as services are provided. Sponsorship and advertising revenue is recognized based on the terms of the contract. c) Grants and other contributions Grants and other contributions received by the Association are accounted for as follows: i) Grants and other contributions to assist with the financing of capital asset additions are recorded as deferred capital contributions (see note 5). The portion of the grant and other contributions equivalent to the annual amortization expense of the related asset is recognized annually as Contributions and other income. ii) Grants and other contributions intended for grounds and buildings repairs and maintenance are recorded in revenue in the period in which they are received. iii) Grants and other contributions that are restricted and not specifically intended for capital asset additions are recorded in revenue in the period the related expenses are incurred. d) Financial instruments - recognition and measurement All financial instruments are recognized at fair value upon initial recognition. All of the Association's financial instruments are measured at amortized cost following initial recognition. When an indication of impairment is indicated, and when actual impairment has occurred, the financial instrument's carrying amount is reduced to its realizable value. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 3. Tangible capital assets Buildings Equipment 8. Financial instruments Cost $ Accumulated Amortization $ 2013 $ 2012 $ 95,683,176 7,213,467 102,896,643 25,922,200 4,100,899 30,023,099 69,760,976 3,112,568 72,873,544 72,532,642 510,490 73,043,132 4. Long-term debt Loan payable to Royal Bank of Canada in monthly payments of of $15,415.60 including interest at 3.68%. Specific equipment is pledged as security. Due September, 2016. 9. Revenue continuance 2013 $ 2012 $ 483,402 On November 22 1997, the Association ceased operating its casino. In accordance with an agreement between the Association and the Province of Saskatchewan, a 30 year agreement was entered into whereby the Association will receive $2,600,000 annually to maintain its earnings. - Loan payable to Roynat in monthly payments of $774.43 including interest at 14.7%. Specific equipment is pledged as security. Due November, 2016. 21,936 - Loan payable to RCAP in monthly payments of $436.49 including interest at 11.8%. Specific equipment is pledged as security. Due September, 2016. 12,243 - 483,402 - 180,718 302,684 - Less current portion 10. Contingencies The estimated principal repayments in the next three years are as follows: 2014 2015 2016 5. Deferred grants and other contributions Opening deferred grants and other contributions Amounts recognized in year Ending deferred grants and other contributions 6. Share capital Authorized2,000 shares of $10 par value each Issued972 shares (2012 - 972 shares) The Association's recognized financial instruments consist of cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued liabilities, and long-term debt. The fair value of cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued liabilities approximates carrying value given the short term nature of the amounts. The fair value of long-term debt approximates carrying value based on the terms of the debt agreements. $ 180,718 188,536 148,327 2013 $ 2012 $ 69,293,365 3,256,424 66,036,941 72,549,789 3,256,424 69,293,365 2013 $ 2012 $ 9,720 9,720 7. Financial risk management The association has a risk management framework to monitor, evaluate and manage the principal risks assumed with financial instruments. The significant financial risks to which the Association is exposed are.: Credit risk Credit risk is the risk that one party to a financial instrument will cause a financial loss for the other party by failing to discharge an obligation. The Association is exposed to credit risk on the accounts receivable from its customers, however, does not have a significant exposure to any individual customer or counterpart. In order to reduce its credit risk, the Association has adopted credit policies, which include the review of a new customer's credit history and financial position before extending credit and conducting regular reviews of its existing customers' credit performances to reflect the Association’s credit policies. The Association has incurred insignificant bad debt expense during the past three years. The Association is subject to certain legal matters arising in the normal course of business, none of which are expected to materially affect the financial results of the Association. 11. Related parties In the normal course of operations, the Association has relationships with Directors' businesses. These transactions are conducted at market prices and at comparable terms as with unrelated parties. The Association requires Directors' to adhere to its Conflict of Interest policy. www.evrazplace.com THE REGINA EXHIBITION ASSOCIATION LIMITED Operating Evraz Place P.O. Box 167 1700 Elphinstone Street, Regina, SK, S4P 2Z6 Phone (306) 781-9200 Fax: (306) 565-3443 www.brandtcentre.com Brandt Centre Queensbury Convention Centre Credit Union EventPlex Co-operators Centre www.queensburycentre.com www.cooperatorscentre.com www.evrazplace.com
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