Complete: Travel Manitoba   hopes to increase tourist traffic to the  northern port  of   Churchill.

Spokesperson Linda Whitfield  told the Winnipeg Business report  on CJOB   the community is a lot different from other tourist destinations   because you can get very close to the Beluga Whales in the Summer  and  the Polar Bears in the Winter.

http://www.cjob.com/news/winnipeg/story.aspx?ID=1910233

Google Street View cameras will be in Iqaluit next week, taking street-level photographs for its online maps.

Arif Sayani with the city's Department of Planning and Development said he’s been helping to co-ordinate the visit.

"There will be two Google Street View cameras walking around our community recording details about our community,” he said.

“They will be on backpacks of two Google staff members. In my meeting with Google staff members they said the community should go around as business as usual."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/story/2013/03/13/north-google-street-view-iqaluit.html

TORONTO - It seems like the majority of Canadians will be getting over the winter blahs by packing their bags in the spring.

A study released Wednesday by the Bank of Montreal (TSX:BMO) found that 79 per cent of Canadians recently polled say they plan on taking a getaway between March to May.

Nearly half (49 per cent) of those asked say their trip will be short and sweet, lasting only a weekend. Thirty-five per cent say they'll take a week-long trip, 13 per cent say they'll take two weeks and seven per cent say they'll go away for more than two weeks.

The poll found that the majority (59 per cent) plan on vacationing within Canada, while nearly half (49 per cent) say they'll take a trip to the U.S. Eighteen per cent plan on going away to the Caribbean, Mexico, central or South America.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/majority-of-canadians-plan-on-taking-off-for-a-spring-getaway-bmo-poll--197743391.html

OTTAWA - The federal government announced Tuesday that it would give Air Canada more time to eliminate the $4.2-billion deficit in its pension plan, but imposed strict rules on the airline that limit executive pay and prevent it from paying dividends.

"By taking this action, we are ensuring that Air Canada remains viable, that thousands of jobs are protected and the service is there when Canadians need it," Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said in a statement.

"Air Canada is the country’s largest airline and contributes significantly to the Canadian economy."

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/ottawa-gives-air-canada-more-time-to-eliminate-deficit-in-its-pension-plan-197655101.html

DALLAS - American Airlines has "concern" over letting passengers carry small knives on planes, but it's stopping short of opposing the idea.

American's senior vice-president for government affairs, Will Ris, said Tuesday that government officials should "reassess" changes to the banned-items list so that airlines and airline employees can review new rules that take effect April 25.

Ris explained American's position in a letter to John Pistole, administrator of the Transportation Security Administration.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/travel/american-airlines-says-its-concerned-about-knives-on-planes-asks-tsa-to-reassess-idea-197561851.html

Complete: BRUSSELS - The European Union is considering beefed up measures for stranded passengers to get compensation and find quicker ways to get home.

EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas said Wednesday that a new package with improved measures would also boost carriers from the 27 member nations in global competition since consumers would be drawn to companies offering the best conditions.

Under the proposals, Kallas said that if carriers cannot reroute passengers themselves within 12 hours 'they must find another airline' or other transportation, tightening the deadline and forcing them to even consider booking on competing companies.

Kallas' proposals now will be taken up by the European parliament and the 27 member nations.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/eu-seeks-better-passenger-rights-to-maintain-competitive-edge-in-world-markets-197756551.html

SAN ANTONIO - A federal judge in Texas has decided 11 online travel companies must pay $55 million to cities in a dispute over hotel occupancy taxes.

U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia of San Antonio on Tuesday set total damages and interest. Garcia had requested that both sides reach an agreement on the amount owed as he prepares to enter his final ruling in the 2006 class-action case.

Jurors in 2009 ordered $20 million in back taxes to be paid to more than 170 Texas cities.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/judge-in-san-antonio-decides-online-travel-companies-must-pay-55m-in-hotel-occupancy-taxes-197756371.html

SALT LAKE CITY - A measure that would have scaled back one of Utah's offbeat liquor laws died in the state Legislature on Tuesday.

Lawmakers killed a proposal that would remove barriers in Utah restaurants that shield patrons from seeing servers mix and pour drinks. The Senate replaced the repeal with other minor liquor regulations in a preliminary vote of 24-2.

Republican Sen. John Valentine, of Orem, said the move to keep the barricades stemmed from lawmakers' fear that taking them down would foster a bigger culture of drinking in Utah.

"We have restaurants. And we have bars," Valentine said, emphasizing a clear distinction between the two. "And we do not want to foster the culture of alcohol in those restaurants."

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/utah-lawmakers-maintain-zion-curtains-that-require-restaurants-to-hide-drink-making-197684281.html

(A complete article published originally in the WFP, Mar.  '93)

HERE'S A TRAVEL item that will be of interest to those who have a computer and a modem. It's a an electronic bulletin board vacation service with a data base of more than 9,500 maps, travel brochures and booklets produced by government tourist offices and travel industry businesses. By entering key words on destinations, attractions or events, users can pull up what brochures are available on, say, a Mediterranean cruise, Maine fishing, Caribbean diving, polar bear watching in Manitoba, Winnipeg restaurant guide, Via Rail timetable and so on. After choices are selected, the Worldwide Brochures computer notifies the travel industry office or company involved and the requested material is mailed out. To order brochures through the electronic board, users pay a $12 US membership fee. The bulletin board number is (218) 847-3027. The company, a division of Travel Companions International, is based in Detroit Lakes, Minn.