It will help build a connection, she said.

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After three months on the road, I realised I wanted my travel to have more meaning, so I started exploring local initiatives to build a deeper connection with the communities I was visiting.

BBC: How I quit my job to travel: The social entrepreneur

Leblanc and the BTMM think one way of opening up greater Montreal to potential economic spinoffs from the Plan Nord project is to build a strong networking connection between contractors, suppliers and qualified labor from the area.

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Since the low Chicago fares can't be combined with other cities on the same ticket, people outside the Windy City can find separately a cheap ticket to Chicago and build their own connection to save big bucks.

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Other, mainly rural, areas will receive public funds to build a "digital hub" with a fibre optic internet connection.

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Now the website is the core business, but you may have a few physical stores to tell that story and build that connection with consumers.

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The point is to build connection gradually, even if it's happening in a 45-minute window.

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And businesses, in turn, use local currency as a way to promote their connection to the community and build loyalty.

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