June 29, 2005
Topix.net comes to Canada
Just in Time for Canada Day, Topix.net Launches Canadian News Canadian Newswire (Jun 29)
Good news for Canadians - " Topix.net Expands News Aggregation Technology Outside the U.S. to Include Local News for 4,200 Canadian Cities and Towns"
"A new Canadian news page (http://topix.net/ca) uses Topix.net's NewsRank(TM) technology to create an up-to-the-minute roll-up of worldwide news aimed at Canadian users, highlighting the people, companies and events central to Canadian interests.
Local Canadian news channels on Topix.net (http://www.topix.net/ca/list)
will provide users with access to news and information about where they live, work or travel from over 500 Canadian sources, and over 10,000 sources overall. Topix.net's unique technology allows the site to target news headlines down to the postal code level for over 4,200 local Canadian communities."
Take it for a spin. The Canadian news is about Canada. There are more Canadian news sources on the front page than I have ever seen anywhere: Canada.com, Canadian Newswire, Brampton Guardian, CTV.ca, MyKawartha.com, even Pulse 24. But there are also articles from non-Canadian sources because they mention Canada in some way. Travel.independent.co.uk ran a story on top 10 drives with one of those drives in Alberta.
Note the topics listed for each result - you'll see Canadian place names.
You can search on postal code to get stories for that region. M6S3E5 pulls up Toronto just as it ought to.
Also search on city. Owen Sound had 27 results, and Medicine Hat (because of the flooding) 76.
There don't seem to be any topics that are specific to Canada. There is a list of topics in the sidebar where Canada is listed under World Main.
Advanced Search is the US form (zip code rather than postal code) but you can enter Canadian postal codes and city names. Can limit to source too if you know it. Globe and Mail is recognized as is The Toronto Star. You can take a shortcut by just entering -- ontario source:"toronto star"
The Ads from Google are the best part - they are all Canadian - special rates at the Crowne Plaza in Toronto, real estate in Pickering, etc.
Other features:
+ keeps a record of your searches
+ set up news alerts for a topic available as RSS and email.