Winnipeg is being billed as one of the first Canadian cities to get the 3D treatment in Google's latest app for maps.

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights, the Manitoba legislature and Portage and Main show up with an aerial clarity that puts Google's Streetview to virtual shame on the new app for mobile devices.

Media blogger Daniel Bader gave the 'Peg a place of prominence in his blog last week, saying the city was among the first in Canada to get its cityscape captured in 3D.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/city-gets-3d-treatment-on-new-google-app-172417961.html

The Buy Manitoba program announced in April has started to work with local restaurants to use found-in-Manitoba products.

Through a two-page spread in Ciao! magazine in the October/November issue, eight Winnipeg restaurants are featured that use ingredients from Manitoba food companies Bothwell Cheese, Dunn-Rite Chicken, Peak of the Market, and Winkler Meats.

http://www.chrisd.ca/2012/10/03/buy-manitoba-local-food-ciao-magazine-winnipeg-restaurants/

OTTAWA - A new report finds that a soaring number of jet-setting Canadians are border-hopping to catch cheaper flights.

The Conference Board of Canada report says about five million Canadians now cross the U.S. border by land every year to fly out of American airports.

It says higher airfares and fees and taxes in Canada, as well as differences in wages, aircraft prices and industry productivity makes it 30 per cent cheaper to fly out of the U.S.

The Conference Board says fees and taxes make up about 40 per cent of the cost of an airplane ticket in Canada.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/canadians-border-hopping-to-catch-flights-up-to-30-cheaper-conference-board-172428511.html

Mayor Rob Ford is in favour of selling the Toronto Zoo, preferably at a profit for the taxpayers.

"I'd love to see us sell the zoo and make money on it if we can," Ford told reporters late Tuesday afternoon.

The mayor's remarks come a day after the City of Toronto took another step towards the possible sale of Canada's largest zoo, after a request for expressions of interest was sent out Monday.

The document, issued by city staff, calls for "innovative, creative, and sustainable options for the Toronto Zoo as an initial step in its sale, lease, operation or other arrangements."

The facility has more than 5,000 animals spread over almost 300 hectares of land.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2012/10/02/toronto-zoo-sale-lease.html

TORONTO - Porter Airlines saw an increase in the proportion of empty seats on its flights in September as the number of passengers it carried slipped from a year ago, the regional airline said Wednesday.

Toronto-based Porter, which attributed part of the difference to a significant portion of Labour Day traffic flying in August due to the early holiday, reported a 62.3 per cent load factor for September, down from 68 per cent a year ago.

The drop came as capacity at the airline increased 6.7 per cent from a year ago and traffic fell 2.3 per cent.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/porter-airlines-reports-september-load-factor-down-as-traffic-slips-172448151.html

CALGARY — Tourism Calgary has created a website tool for visitcalgary.com to help tourists in their shopping experience in the city.

The website feature allows visitors to search more than 400 stores and three major shopping centres to create a personalized shopping itinerary. In addition to ranking the hot spots shoppers are looking for, the tool will also suggest nearby places to stay, eat, and things to do, said Tourism Calgary.

“Calgary is a fashion and shopping hub for our regional visitors,” said Gisele Danis, vice-president of marketing for Tourism Calgary. “In conjunction with the great packages being offered, this tool will suggest the best itinerary based on the user’s shopping personality. Whether it’s a family, girlfriends or couple getaway, we invite visitors to experience Calgary’s top brands and designers and plan the ideal Calgary shopping weekend getaway.”

To get travellers started Tourism Calgary, the Calgary Hotel Association and its partners are offering a $75 shopping bonus gift card usable at The CORE, Chinook Centre, and CrossIron Mills for each night booked at select Calgary hotels.

http://www.canada.com/business/Tourism+Calgary+creates+website+shopping+tool/7336837/story.html

BRUSSELS - Officials say that a 24-hour strike by Belgian rail workers will disrupt the train traffic to Brussels from London and Paris as of late Tuesday.

Both Thalys and Eurostar announced they would cancel services to the Belgian capital. Eurostar said its traffic from London would have a reduced schedule up to Lille, France.

Rail workers are fearful their employment conditions will be undermined under a new plan to revamp and streamline the three companies currently overseeing train traffic in Belgium.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/24-hour-strike-to-paralyze-belgium-train-traffic-services-from-london-and-paris-affected-172250241.html

NARITA, Japan - Japan has a reputation for loving expensive things like overpriced real estate, gourmet melons and luxury brands. But the nation is finally discovering the joy of flying cheap, with the arrival this year of three low-cost carriers.

The takeoff of AirAsia Japan, Peach Aviation and Jetstar Japan could change lifestyles. No longer will air travel be mostly confined to business trips and fancy once-in-a-lifetime vacations to places such as Hawaii.

Flying is suddenly growing more casual, including for weekend dining, visits with friends, even day trips. Ticket prices are plunging by about half, to 16,000 yen ($200) trips to the southwestern resort island of Okinawa or a 5,000 yen ($60) hop to Seoul.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/luxury-loving-japan-discovers-the-joy-of-flying-cheap-with-arrival-of-3-low-cost-carriers-172418201.html

Robert Pollock started hosting weddings at his Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa as a fluke. He bought a 1764 house on about 100 acres in the Hudson Valley, north of New York City, and one of the guys he hired to do work on the property needed a place for a wedding, so Pollock agreed.

"Of course it poured rain but we got through it," he recalled.

Pollock accidentally became part of a trend — couples planning weddings with locally sourced menus and taking place at farms.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/food/local-food-movement-comes-to-weddings-in-restaurants-resorts-or-on-farms-172288641.html

(A complete article published originally in the WFP, Oct.  '64)

Manitoba appears headed for another record tourist year despite long periods of bad weather which plagued the province at the height of the summer season. Provincial officials estimated Friday that a new high of 1,475,000 tourists will have spent $45 millions in Manitoba before 1964 ends. This will represent 17,000 more visitors and an increase of $2 millions in spending above the previous tourist record set in 1963. Government spokesmen base their optimism on Dominion Bureau of Statistics figures which show that the number of Americans visiting Manitoba increased by 4.6 per cent during the first eight months of the year. In July alone, there was seven per cent jump in border crossings by Americans entering this province. And provincial officials are confident the August figure would have climbed even higher if Manitoba hadn't experienced cold weather and abnormal rainfall during the month. Industry and Commerce Minister Gurney Evans, whose department administers tourist development, said in an interview that he feels the encouraging figures are partly due to the government's efforts to foster tourism as a major Manitoba industry. "We believe we have an aggressive tourist development program which is bringing results," Mr. Evans said. "Our program will continue unabated through 1967 and 1970 so that we can appropriately celebrate both the Canadian and Manitoba Centennials." The minister said completion of the Trans-Canada Highway through Manitoba — plus the province's' generally good roads — are two reasons why tourists are flocking here in increasing numbers. He said larger guest registrations at Trans – Canada Highway motels and resorts verify this point of view. "Generally speaking, we think Manitoba is becoming a more attractive and better known place," Mr. Evans said. "American visitors tell their friends about the province and this word of mouth advertising is helping to build up our tourist totals. It takes a while, but we believe our tourist development program is working." Mr. Evans also said the growing number of Manitoba special events are credited with luring more outsiders to the province. Among these attractions he listed such extravaganzas as the Flin Flon Trout Festival, the Swan River and Morris Rodeos, the Austin Threshermen's Reunion and The Pas Trappers Festival. "We're helping these festivals all we can," Mr. Evans said. "We believe these events are a valuable means for us to attract more tourists here." The minister added that in preparation of the dual centennials, the government's tourist branch is currently trying to line up as many national conventions as possible. He also said the province's campsite development program is expected to be a major factor in luring centennial tourists.