Issue link: http://tourismwpg.uberflip.com/i/994031
45 45 For example, Downtown BIZ's annual Manyfest celebration receives a grant earmarked for street closure fees, which would then be used against costs such as parking removal, lost parking metre revenue and barricade labour fees. The City of Winnipeg also provides indirect support of festivals and events through capital infrastructure investments in city-owned facilities. Improvements or developments in new facilities have opened up new markets and assisted the city in providing competitive advantages when bidding on special events. For example, when Winnipeg hosted the 2017 Canada Summer Games, the city committed $3 million toward capital projects. Improvements included significant facility enhancements to the city-owned Pan Am Pool, including the replacement of the bulkhead, and a variety of upgrades to sport equipment. These improvements brought Pan Am Pool up to current competition standards, and enable Winnipeg to host aquatics championships and events at the highest level of competition. The Bison Butte Mountain Bike Course hosted the Mountain Biking competitions at the 2017 Canada Summer Games. The newly created course, located at FortWhyte Alive, is the first mountain bike venue to meet national standards in central Canada. Following the event, the Manitoba Cycling Association will have an increased capacity to host elite competitions, which was not possible before. d. Defined Roles of the City in Festival and Event Approval The City of Winnipeg is involved in all aspects of festival and event approval, from approval of temporary structures, street use, policing and public safety. The City of Winnipeg's Film and Special Event Office operates as a "pathway to permission" for those wishing to host a special event or festival in Winnipeg. The City's top priority when approving an event is people's safety and balancing the positive benefits of events while mitigating the impact on residents, neighbourhoods and businesses. The mission of the City of Winnipeg's Film and Special Event Office is to encourage a City of Culture by nurturing and promoting diverse cultural initiatives that contribute to the quality of life, vibrancy and health of all citizens of Winnipeg. The role of the Film and Special Events Office within the structure of the City of Winnipeg is many- faceted, touching on every aspect of culture. The Office facilitates municipal policy and planning to have a positive impact on cultural initiatives. Requests from the creative community for assistance with funding, planning and City Services are dealt with through The Office. Part of the mandate of The Office is to make municipal government accessible and accountable to the various arts communities, which they do by making City goods and services available to needful individuals, groups or organizations. The Office is part of an overall economic development strategy that aims to attract cultural businesses and events, spurring tourism and the creation of ancillary support services. The Office is an effective liaison between the private and public sectors and brings together diverse communities to reach understandings beneficial for all. There are only a couple of areas where the City does not approve: food services (which is taken care of by Manitoba Health) and liquor service. The City partners with the Liquor & Gaming Authority of Manitoba on permit approvals that support each other (for example, the city has a permit that allows a festival/event to set up liquor service in a particular space, whereas Liquor & Gaming Authority grants a permit that allows a festival/event to sell liquor). Black and Gold Photography