Latest news with #Molyneux
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Young people use traditional skills to restore Whithorn buildings
Young people in a quiet corner of southern Scotland are restoring the area's crumbling buildings by learning traditional craft latest project tackled a centuries-old property on Whithorn's High Street which lay roofless and derelict for Futures Galloway (BFG) teaches at-risk skills like stone masonry while providing employment for young people from rural scheme emerged after the Covid pandemic when traditional industries like restaurants were still recovering. Behind the scaffolding and stonework are 10 young people gaining hands-on Molyneux, 22, has been with the team since the start. He was on universal credit and struggling to find permanent work when he joined BFG."I hadn't had a real job before, to be honest," he said the craft role has built both his confidence and practical skills, all while earning the real living wage."I have ADHD, so I'm not very good with doing the same repetitive task all day long," he said. Instead the variety of hands-on work, fixing walls and building roofs keeps Adam focused and added that locals stop by with a smile to look at the building."I think everybody's quite happy with what we're doing," he said."It does kind of feel like my own village and nice to think that we're helping the town come back to what it used be." BFG has seen 20 trainees through its ranks but the team has also trained more than 120 pupils from the nearby Douglas Ewart High School in Newton Stewart since Julia Muir Watt said the project "joins up the dots" linking young people who need opportunities with buildings that are in dire need of repair."There is often a skill shortage in rural areas when it comes to 'heritage skills'," she said."That area is really needing new young recruits."Lead skills trainer Shaun Thomson agrees. He lives in Whithorn and said the area had a particular need due to the high number of listed buildings."You struggle to get a tradesperson who can use traditional skills to make the correct choices in the repair and the maintenance of the building," he said."It's very important for the area, the buildings, to look after them, but also to pass on the skills because there'll be a time where you won't have anybody who can pass them on." Historic Environment Scotland - which provided funding for building restoration in Whithorn - has previously highlighted the need for endangered traditional skills."Scotland needs to scale up its training opportunities in heritage skills as demand is rising rapidly due to the need to repair and retrofit traditional buildings," it said in March."Around 71% of traditionally-built housing in Scotland is in need of critical repair."It estimates 10,000 new jobs are needed over the next decade to do that work. One of those buildings in need of critical repair was 9 High Street. It had no roof, no back wall, wobbly chimneys, even a tree growing from the roof."From our point of view it offered every single skill that you could wish for if you're going to train in traditional buildings," said project recycled material on site and used traditional materials like lime and local greywacke roof was made from local timber and squared using "medieval axe techniques"."There are only about 360 traditional masons left in Scotland, which is a tiny number when you think of our vast numbers of stone buildings," Julia is already under way on the team's next project repairing Whithorn's old town hall. Hazel Smith, a chartered architect and a 20-year Whithorn resident, called the repairs fantastic."It was such an eyesore on the streetscape and I know the neighbours had a terrible time with the water ingress into their house," she said."I think people are just delighted to see these old buildings being cared for and nurtured in the right manner with knowing that they've got the skilled workforce working on them and that they've got a future." Positive impact All of which, Julia said, provided a "good example of how young people can be seen positively rather than negatively in a local community".In return, they get meaningful work which encourages them to stay and help revive a rural area."I think I'd just like to keep going along with it and I think we also want to start trying to train other young people to keep these crafts going," said Adam."The long-term goal of this project is to keep these traditional crafts alive."
National Observer
04-07-2025
- Business
- National Observer
'Great energy': Calgary Stampede launches with oil patch optimism, patriotic pride
The party tents are up, straw bales are scattered around sidewalks and the most crucial 10 days of the year are in full swing for one Calgary bar and restaurant operator. The Calgary Stampede is a yearly celebration of western culture that kicks off Friday with a parade and includes rodeo events, concerts, carnival games, midway rides, neighbourhood pancake breakfasts, corporate shindigs and a whole lot of cowboy cosplay. As part of the festivities, Concorde Entertainment Group has transformed two parking lots into rollicking party destinations — the Wildhorse Saloon tent in the downtown core and the NTNL Saloon in the nearby Beltline neighbourhood. The company also hosts corporate Stampede events and out-of-towners at Barbarella, Brigitte Bar, Major Tom and other popular food-and-drink spots it runs. "Without question, Stampede is the biggest 10 days of the year for us," said Jon Molyneux, Concorde's vice-president of business development, sales and events. This year is gearing up to be a big one, he said. It took a while after the COVID-19 pandemic for parties to regain their momentum and companies that had put their festivities on hold are coming back, Molyneux said. Corporate bookings have never been so high, Molyneux said, adding the staff orientation session earlier this week at the Wildhorse Saloon was the fullest he's seen. "There's a great energy in the city right now and I think this one's going to be a banger." A report from the Mastercard Economic Institute suggests that last year, Stampede represented a 158 per cent increase in overall dining spending and an 18 per cent increase in accommodation spending compared to estimates of what it would have been without the event. It came up with those figures using a machine-learning methodology known as "synthetic control" to create a comparison scenario with no Stampede. Stampede organizers say the fair and rodeo grounds just southeast of downtown hosted nearly 1.5 million visitors last year, an all-time attendance record. That was despite a catastrophic water main break a month earlier that forced everyone in the city to cut back on lawn watering, showering, toilet flushing and car washing. In the end, repairs were made in the nick of time and none of the festivities had to be scaled back or scrubbed. The Stampede, a not-for-profit organization, estimates it contributes $540 million to the Alberta economy year-round. "It's significant enough to move the needle a little bit," said BMO economist Robert Kavcic. This year's Stampede comes at a time of optimism in Alberta, he said. "We're still looking at pretty solid economic growth this year — let's call it two per cent or slightly stronger — even as other parts of Canada struggle a bit more." Alberta's oil-and-gas-centred economy has been relatively sheltered from US President Donald Trump 's tariffs, unlike the manufacturing heartland of Central Canada, Kavcic said. The province's economic fortunes are also being bolstered by the recent startup of LNG Canada, the first major project to enable natural gas exports to lucrative Asian markets. Though Canadians' spending in general may be crimped this year, more of the discretionary dollars they do have are likely to be spent within the country as they avoid US travel, Kavcic said. ATB chief economist Mark Parsons agreed there will likely be a bump in domestic tourism this year, noting there's a surge in arriving guests at the city's airport every year at Stampede. "We see an uptick in spending, and, in particular, the real impact comes from the out-of-province guests," he said. This year, that might be even more pronounced as Trumps' tariff and annexation threats, along with general concerns about the US political climate, turn Canadians off vacationing south of the border. "We do expect more staycations this summer, more of that 'elbows-up' tourism, which I think will actually boost the Stampede numbers and maybe encourage longer stays at the Stampede," Parsons said.
Winnipeg Free Press
04-07-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘Great energy': Calgary Stampede kicks off with oilpatch optimism, patriotic pride
CALGARY – The party tents are up, straw bales are scattered around sidewalks and the most crucial 10 days of the year are in full swing for one Calgary bar and restaurant operator. The Calgary Stampede is a yearly celebration of western culture that kicks off Friday with a parade and includes rodeo events, concerts, carnival games, midway rides, neighbourhood pancake breakfasts, corporate shindigs and a whole lot of cowboy cosplay. As part of the festivities, Concorde Entertainment Group has transformed two parking lots into rollicking party destinations — the Wildhorse Saloon tent in the downtown core and the NTNL Saloon in the nearby Beltline neighbourhood. The company also hosts corporate Stampede events and out-of-towners at Barbarella, Brigitte Bar, Major Tom and other popular food-and-drink spots it runs. 'Without question, Stampede is the biggest 10 days of the year for us,' said Jon Molyneux, Concorde's vice-president of business development, sales and events. This year is gearing up to be a big one, he said. It took a while after the COVID-19 pandemic for parties to regain their momentum and companies that had put their festivities on hold are coming back, Molyneux said. Corporate bookings have never been so high, Molyneux said, adding the staff orientation session earlier this week at the Wildhorse Saloon was the fullest he's seen. 'There's a great energy in the city right now and I think this one's going to be a banger.' A report from the Mastercard Economic Institute suggests that last year, Stampede represented a 158 per cent increase in overall dining spending and an 18 per cent increase in accommodation spending compared to estimates of what it would have been without the event. It came up with those figures using a machine-learning methodology known as 'synthetic control' to create a comparison scenario with no Stampede. Stampede organizers say the fair and rodeo grounds just southeast of downtown hosted nearly 1.5 million visitors last year, an all-time attendance record. That was despite a catastrophic water main break a month earlier that forced everyone in the city to cut back on lawn watering, showering, toilet flushing and car washing. In the end, repairs were made in the nick of time and none of the festivities had to be scaled back or scrubbed. The Stampede, a not-for-profit organization, estimates it contributes $540 million to the Alberta economy year-round. 'It's significant enough to move the needle a little bit,' said BMO economist Robert Kavcic. This year's Stampede comes at a time of optimism in Alberta, he said. 'We're still looking at pretty solid economic growth this year — let's call it two per cent or slightly stronger — even as other parts of Canada struggle a bit more.' Alberta's oil-and-gas-centred economy has been relatively sheltered from U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs, unlike the manufacturing heartland of Central Canada, Kavcic said. The province's economic fortunes are also being bolstered by the recent startup of LNG Canada, the first major project to enable natural gas exports to lucrative Asian markets. Though Canadians' spending in general may be crimped this year, more of the discretionary dollars they do have are likely to be spent within the country as they avoid U.S. travel, Kavcic said. ATB chief economist Mark Parsons agreed there will likely be a bump in domestic tourism this year, noting there's a surge in arriving guests at the city's airport every year at Stampede. 'We see an uptick in spending, and, in particular, the real impact comes from the out-of-province guests,' he said. This year, that might be even more pronounced as Trumps' tariff and annexation threats, along with general concerns about the U.S. political climate, turn Canadians off vacationing south of the border. 'We do expect more staycations this summer, more of that 'elbows-up' tourism, which I think will actually boost the Stampede numbers and maybe encourage longer stays at the Stampede,' Parsons said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 4, 2025.
Hamilton Spectator
04-07-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
‘Great energy': Calgary Stampede kicks off with oilpatch optimism, patriotic pride
CALGARY - The party tents are up, straw bales are scattered around sidewalks and the most crucial 10 days of the year are in full swing for one Calgary bar and restaurant operator. The Calgary Stampede is a yearly celebration of western culture that kicks off Friday with a parade and includes rodeo events, concerts, carnival games, midway rides, neighbourhood pancake breakfasts, corporate shindigs and a whole lot of cowboy cosplay. As part of the festivities, Concorde Entertainment Group has transformed two parking lots into rollicking party destinations — the Wildhorse Saloon tent in the downtown core and the NTNL Saloon in the nearby Beltline neighbourhood. The company also hosts corporate Stampede events and out-of-towners at Barbarella, Brigitte Bar, Major Tom and other popular food-and-drink spots it runs. 'Without question, Stampede is the biggest 10 days of the year for us,' said Jon Molyneux, Concorde's vice-president of business development, sales and events. This year is gearing up to be a big one, he said. It took a while after the COVID-19 pandemic for parties to regain their momentum and companies that had put their festivities on hold are coming back, Molyneux said. Corporate bookings have never been so high, Molyneux said, adding the staff orientation session earlier this week at the Wildhorse Saloon was the fullest he's seen. 'There's a great energy in the city right now and I think this one's going to be a banger.' A report from the Mastercard Economic Institute suggests that last year, Stampede represented a 158 per cent increase in overall dining spending and an 18 per cent increase in accommodation spending compared to estimates of what it would have been without the event. It came up with those figures using a machine-learning methodology known as 'synthetic control' to create a comparison scenario with no Stampede. Stampede organizers say the fair and rodeo grounds just southeast of downtown hosted nearly 1.5 million visitors last year, an all-time attendance record. That was despite a catastrophic water main break a month earlier that forced everyone in the city to cut back on lawn watering, showering, toilet flushing and car washing. In the end, repairs were made in the nick of time and none of the festivities had to be scaled back or scrubbed. The Stampede, a not-for-profit organization, estimates it contributes $540 million to the Alberta economy year-round. 'It's significant enough to move the needle a little bit,' said BMO economist Robert Kavcic. This year's Stampede comes at a time of optimism in Alberta, he said. 'We're still looking at pretty solid economic growth this year — let's call it two per cent or slightly stronger — even as other parts of Canada struggle a bit more.' Alberta's oil-and-gas-centred economy has been relatively sheltered from U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs, unlike the manufacturing heartland of Central Canada, Kavcic said. The province's economic fortunes are also being bolstered by the recent startup of LNG Canada, the first major project to enable natural gas exports to lucrative Asian markets. Though Canadians' spending in general may be crimped this year, more of the discretionary dollars they do have are likely to be spent within the country as they avoid U.S. travel, Kavcic said. ATB chief economist Mark Parsons agreed there will likely be a bump in domestic tourism this year, noting there's a surge in arriving guests at the city's airport every year at Stampede. 'We see an uptick in spending, and, in particular, the real impact comes from the out-of-province guests,' he said. This year, that might be even more pronounced as Trumps' tariff and annexation threats, along with general concerns about the U.S. political climate, turn Canadians off vacationing south of the border. 'We do expect more staycations this summer, more of that 'elbows-up' tourism, which I think will actually boost the Stampede numbers and maybe encourage longer stays at the Stampede,' Parsons said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 4, 2025.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Great energy': Calgary Stampede kicks off with oilpatch optimism, patriotic pride
CALGARY — The party tents are up, straw bales are scattered around sidewalks and the most crucial 10 days of the year are in full swing for one Calgary bar and restaurant operator. The Calgary Stampede is a yearly celebration of western culture that kicks off Friday with a parade and includes rodeo events, concerts, carnival games, midway rides, neighbourhood pancake breakfasts, corporate shindigs and a whole lot of cowboy cosplay. As part of the festivities, Concorde Entertainment Group has transformed two parking lots into rollicking party destinations — the Wildhorse Saloon tent in the downtown core and the NTNL Saloon in the nearby Beltline neighbourhood. The company also hosts corporate Stampede events and out-of-towners at Barbarella, Brigitte Bar, Major Tom and other popular food-and-drink spots it runs. "Without question, Stampede is the biggest 10 days of the year for us," said Jon Molyneux, Concorde's vice-president of business development, sales and events. This year is gearing up to be a big one, he said. It took a while after the COVID-19 pandemic for parties to regain their momentum and companies that had put their festivities on hold are coming back, Molyneux said. Corporate bookings have never been so high, Molyneux said, adding the staff orientation session earlier this week at the Wildhorse Saloon was the fullest he's seen. "There's a great energy in the city right now and I think this one's going to be a banger." A report from the Mastercard Economic Institute suggests that last year, Stampede represented a 158 per cent increase in overall dining spending and an 18 per cent increase in accommodation spending compared to estimates of what it would have been without the event. It came up with those figures using a machine-learning methodology known as "synthetic control" to create a comparison scenario with no Stampede. Stampede organizers say the fair and rodeo grounds just southeast of downtown hosted nearly 1.5 million visitors last year, an all-time attendance record. That was despite a catastrophic water main break a month earlier that forced everyone in the city to cut back on lawn watering, showering, toilet flushing and car washing. In the end, repairs were made in the nick of time and none of the festivities had to be scaled back or scrubbed. The Stampede, a not-for-profit organization, estimates it contributes $540 million to the Alberta economy year-round. "It's significant enough to move the needle a little bit," said BMO economist Robert Kavcic. This year's Stampede comes at a time of optimism in Alberta, he said. "We're still looking at pretty solid economic growth this year — let's call it two per cent or slightly stronger — even as other parts of Canada struggle a bit more." Alberta's oil-and-gas-centred economy has been relatively sheltered from U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs, unlike the manufacturing heartland of Central Canada, Kavcic said. The province's economic fortunes are also being bolstered by the recent startup of LNG Canada, the first major project to enable natural gas exports to lucrative Asian markets. Though Canadians' spending in general may be crimped this year, more of the discretionary dollars they do have are likely to be spent within the country as they avoid U.S. travel, Kavcic said. ATB chief economist Mark Parsons agreed there will likely be a bump in domestic tourism this year, noting there's a surge in arriving guests at the city's airport every year at Stampede. "We see an uptick in spending, and, in particular, the real impact comes from the out-of-province guests," he said. This year, that might be even more pronounced as Trumps' tariff and annexation threats, along with general concerns about the U.S. political climate, turn Canadians off vacationing south of the border. "We do expect more staycations this summer, more of that 'elbows-up' tourism, which I think will actually boost the Stampede numbers and maybe encourage longer stays at the Stampede," Parsons said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 4, 2025. Lauren Krugel, The Canadian Press Sign in to access your portfolio
