The agency says the 2009 study produced results similar to those of the last survey done in 2004, before the Conservatives took power and began their tough-on-crime campaign. Crime rates overall have been falling for a decade.

Youth crime is one of the few areas that has risen, yet the study says slightly more younger Canadians were satisfied with their personal safety from crime than older Canadians — 94 per cent of those ages 15-24 compared to 90 per cent aged 65 years and older.

About 83 per cent of respondents said they were not at all worried when home alone in the evening, while 90 per cent who walked alone in their neighbourhoods at night said they felt safe doing so.

The Conservative government of Stephen Harper has made controversial anti-crime legislation a central tenet of its mandate, claiming Canadians want Ottawa to get tough on crime. Critics complain the Tory legislation boosting sentences for some crimes, imposing mandatory minimums and stripping two-for-one credit for time served is based more on ideology than evidence.

Opposition MPs and some provinces — which stand to bear the brunt of costs to keep more people in jail and for longer periods — have complained the Conservatives ignored the advice of experts and did not provide cost estimates for their sweeping changes.

The study indicates those living in Eastern Canada, where crime rates are generally lower, were more satisfied with their personal safety than Westerners, who form the base of Tory support. But not by much.

Residents of Prince Edward Island were among those with the highest levels of satisfaction, at 97 per cent, while residents in British Columbia were among those with the lowest, at 89 per cent. Among cities, levels of satisfaction with personal safety were highest in Moncton, N.B. and Kingston, Guelph and Oshawa, Ont. They were lowest in Vancouver, Winnipeg and Edmonton.

No one has ever captured a vineyard’s magic in words, or music, or even pictures.  Vineyards are amazing places that have entranced people for centuries. Poets have written wistful and profound verses about them. This is my backyard, The County…a more serene and gentler Canadian version of Ptown.

Here I am already at Keint-He Winery with Bryan Rogers. Every bottle of wine is personally made by the winemaker and only 100% hillier grapes.  It’s going to be a Pinot morning! There is a philosophy of producing wine in the traditional Burgundian methodology and adhering to organic vineyard practices. With 30 acres of high density, 90% being Pinot Noir, although less fruit is produced, the sacrifice gives rise to “intense flavour”. So should I try the Foxtail, Little Creek Classic or Little Creek Benway…I think there is a water theme evolving. The pinots are vegan fruit, unfined, unfiltered and barrel aged, they are not rushed. It is to reproduce the methodology and understand the wine as a new world classic experience. The setting with the use of stone and the wood is reminiscent of a “voyageur” rustic building. But what’s this…an 08 Nord Pineaux Sauvage…a botrytis affected wine, “Noble Rot”. What a find! What next?  What sets Keint-He apart further is that they are one winery with three distinct vineyards, each possessing its own unique terroir.  Time to head due west for all of 1 minute!

I see banners! Bright colours! Time for a fiesta, really in the County? It’s Sandbanks Winery, a light airy…time to seize the day with that French saying “Joie de vivre”! Wine is fun and is paired with life, imagine that!  Well I guess since Sandbanks started in the kitchen, the feel is relaxing…a glass of wine, some cheese and outdoors you go to just kick back. It makes the heart feel good! It is a fruit forward experience with the goal being to offer wine for good value and fair trade. Here there are wines for everyone and that are easy to pair with food. Two 100% County ones strike me: a Baco Reserve 09 aged for 18 months in American oaks, fruity, intense, juicy, juicy, juicy, as one of my art teachers used to say! And the Mouton Noir (Black Sheep, LOL) a Marechal Foch…I can taste the dirt, the terroir, the earth…and that is a good thing. I’m feeling the love! Sandbanks Estate Winery is a family owned winery situated along the picturesque shores of Lake Ontario, in the heart of beautiful Prince Edward County.   Catherine Langlois invites you to enjoy wine tasting in their charming boutique, explore the estate or sit back and relax in their inviting vineyard setting, but it ‘s time to go.

Going north on hwy 33, The Loyalist Parkway, I see the sign Harwood Estates Vineyards. That took 3 minutes. Going through the three vineyards that are tended by hand, I come upon a domed metal clad galvanized steel structure. The tasting room is the winery; you are surrounded by all that equipment while sipping Pinot Noir, Pinot St. Laurent or Pinot Gris. By the way, these are owners Kerry Wicks and John Rode’s favourites. Although wine is alone without food, so they say… the Friends Rose with its strawberry pallet is vivacious, all by itself! If I may digress, last time I was here at an evening BBQ I cultivated an affinity to the Gewürztraminer 2009. I was drawn to it exotic taste. Harwoods Gewürztraminer 2009 is elegant, perfumy wine, showing classic rose petal notes and the classic Hillier minerality. But then there is the Pinot Gris 2009 a crisp, clean white wine, with a hint of grapefruit, best served well-chilled. Every Harwood visit is a winery tour. Time to scoot across a back road up to Closson Road, over hill and over dale.

How I love that old split rail wooden fencing zig-zaging by the side of the country lane guiding me to The Grange of Prince Edward Vineyard Estate and Winery. Like most in The County, it is a family-run agri-business. For Caroline Granger it is all about balance and authenticity…grown and bottled on the farm. With 60 acres under vine, the farm is home to 6 distinct vineyard blocks and 7 varieties of grapes to make it one of the larger vineyards in Canada and one of my neighbours. The place is a dichotomy…a winery with all the new fandangled equipment set amidst a farm operating for over 207 years housed in a hand honed beam barn built 1826. I feel like I am coming home for thanks giving. The wines are likened to an orchestra finding perfect balance, perfect pitch and the perfect arrangement but always searching for constant improvement. The wines are divided into 2 categories. Trumpour’s Mill is the more affordable line. If you are looking to explore and experiment discover GPE, the smaller production series of sexy wines-smaller lot processed and hand sorted. Boy, that sounds like a lot work! On a general note, the whites are peachy with a bit of lime and grapefruit but the reds…wait for it…are warmed sweet beet root with earthiness. Although the cabernet franc is the good child and more noble grape, it is the 07 Diana Block Pinot Noir that is best and only getting better! And they have a sparkling…how I love those bubbles! Sorry I get carried away when it comes to those little bubbles!

Continuing on my Hillier Horn Trip- Huff Estates Winery. A modern monolithic facility created by Lanny Huff with one thing in mind, producing high quality wines. Check this out, there is a moat-surrounded patio and a heli-pad. So here I run into Fred Picard and we chat about the experience of farming. How does one relate the grapes into the wine? There are several factors at play: the terroir, the micro climate, the taste of the grape, the knowledge, the research, the challenge…all this to know how to transfer the essence of the grape into a bottle. And be consistent year over year. In this way you should be able to recognize what you drink, “the cepage” and there should be NO surprises…here is that balance thing again!   His philosophy is to be true to the earth and you are given one chance to take everything nature has given you to a simple way with some chemistry, bottle it! On a lighter note it is about learning and having fun so…here’s to the 08 Chardonay vintage barrel aged and the 2010 pinot gris that are chalked full of fruit and underlying floral notes. And OMG…they have sparkling!

Next, heading towards Picton, I am off to see Geoff Webb at the Black Prince Winery. Just outside of town, The Prince is a ten acre vineyard that grows Chardonnay, Cab Franc and some hybrids.  One of the pioneering wineries of the local scene, The Black Prince Winery is a very co-operative character – over the last 10 years helping launch 4 new wineries here. Since 2002 Black Prince Winery has sourced local grapes and continues to work with many local growers exclusively. The ultimate in “local” is the Prince’s Chardonnay Terroir Elite – the first County wine to be aged in local County oak barrels.  Watch for the awesome 2010 vintage to be released soon – without a doubt the best vintage yet.  And guess what’s coming? A very exciting Merlot and Cabernet Franc Reserve along with the Chardonnay, all aged in local Prince Edward County oak barrels, of course. Plus there is one of the largest selections of wines all under one roof.  As per Geoff, One Winery – Many Terroir, The Prince will bring a smile to your lips! Time to turn around and head home.

Back into the truck, last but not least here is a toast to owner’s Sally and Rob Peck of Sugarbush Vineyards which just happens to be on my way home. Theirs is the garagiste winery of Prince Edward County. Garagiste:\GA-razh-EEST\ n. fr.  A passionate winemaker who creates limited production premium wine in a garage-sized winery, specializing in small lot, artisanal wines made entirely from our estate-grown grapes.  Don’t you just love it! All of their vintages are produced entirely from grapes hand harvested from their vineyard.  The Riesling/Gewürztraminer although only 20% Gewürz, the silky Gewürztraminer viscosity pushes through a beautiful floral nose and here is the fruit- pear, grapefruit and a twist of lemon finish.  The un-oaked Chardonnay tantalizes the nose and the palette. So what can I say, Prince Edward County soils add a fantastic minerality and finesse to the wine.

It’s been a long day…my Hillier Horn Trip has been a success. I’ve tasted, sampled the “terroir” and even gotten a bit of that famous Hillier clay loam on my boots. The gps is set for home and up Chase Road I go! So all I need now … is a glass of wine. LOL!

Writers Bio: Michael and Dean of  f a d: funktional art and design  have created Out in The County to provide recommendations for the gay and lesbian (GL) traveler on GL-owned and GL-friendly businesses when visiting one of the most beautiful places in Canada: Prince Edward County.  Our objective is to promote GL-lifestyle tourism.

Visit www.outinthecounty.com today as well consider joining Out in The County on Facebook and Twitter

Fiskars, a global leader in hand tools for home, garden and outdoors, zoomed in on Calgary this year to install a community garden. In the South East community of Albert Park Radisson Heights, to be precise.

Fiskars, under its Project Orange Thumb initiative, provides groups across the US and Canada with tools, materials and resources they need to create beautiful and productive community garden spaces. Since 2002, Project Orange Thumb has lent over $1 million to more than 115 community groups.

Photo Caption: From left to right Jay Gillespie, vice-president, brand marketing, Fiskars Americas; Duncan Reith, senior vice-president, merchandising, Canadian Tire; Paul Tonnesen, president, Fiskars Americas and Kelly Stock, a community volunteer pose for a photograph

As many as 100 volunteers turned up at Calgary’s inner city neighbourhood on Wednesday (July 27) to install a garden in welcome sunshine after a day of heavy downpour. The Albert Park Centennial Garden, as it has been named, is one of three North American sites selected for 2011 makeovers. Only one for Canada, other being at Madison, WI and Far Rockaway, NY.

“The decision to bring Project Orange Thumb to the Albert Park Radisson Heights community has been met with much enthusiasm,” says Fiskars Americas President Paul Tonnesen. “It’s a rewarding aspect of our business to help communities learn about and embrace the benefits of growing their own nutritious food for years to come,” he adds.

“People are increasingly appreciating the value of outdoor spaces, nutritious food, conservation of resources, and neighborhood and community development. Whether they are new to the area or lifetime residents, the Albert Park Centennial Garden will give community members an opportunity to come together and get to know their neighbors while embracing the benefits of growing their own fruits and vegetables,” the president says.

Putting down a financial figure, Tonnesen says in addition to many planning hours, the garden itself costs approximately $50,000, including the cost of materials, tools, live goods, and planning resources. He says the garden will serve as a good community engagement vantage point.

Local community members will be able to enjoy the beautified gathering space, rent plots to grow their own food, or utilize the larger in-ground beds for communal food production. A portion of the produce grown in the communal beds will be donated to communities in need.

Algernon Wilson, garden committee lead at the Albert Park Radisson Heights Community Association says there is a lot of confidence to be gained by becoming a productive gardener, not to mention pride in the community. “The community interest we’ve seen so far has been tremendous, and plans for garden expansion are already being considered,” he says.

Community members have welcomed the new garden as an opportunity to come together to grow their own fruits and vegetables. Algernon says the community residents worked tirelessly over last few months to engage the area residents and prepare the land for garden installation.

The new 12,765 square-foot Albert Park Centennial Garden, will contain four raised beds, two pedestal beds and 16 in-ground beds to serve a variety of gardening styles.

The centre of the garden will contain a gathering space surrounded by rose bushes and covered with a 16 foot pergola. In addition to a beautified community gathering space, community members will have the opportunity to rent garden plots or utilize communal beds, and a portion of the produce grown in the communal beds will be donated to communities in need.

For this park in Calgary, Fiskars partnered with the Calgary Horticultural Society, The City of Calgary and Canadian Tire to plant the seeds of community pride and transform an empty field in community into beautiful garden.

All in a day. The fruits of which will be reaped over the years to come.

Writers Bio: Peeyush Agnihotri is a writer with 14 years of international journalistic experience, mostly reporting on social and sustainable development issues. A National Foundation of India fellowship holder, he is currently based in Calgary

Photo: Genevieve Parise

The “Park Dreams Contest” asks people to share in 50 words or less a dream experience they’ve already had or wish for in any one of Canada’s 42 national parks. The topic is wide, and CPAWS is looking for dreams ranging from the wildest excursion to the most stunning view. There will be a two-week voting period after the closing date to help determine which 100 dreams will make it onto Canada’s first national parks bucket list.

The top-voted dream will win the grand prize trip for two to the Nahanni and the two runners up will receive great prize packages including a Mountain Equipment Co-Op shopping spree, Parks Canada Family Discovery Passes, great gear by CPAWS and a year’s subscription to Explore Magazine. All participants will also be eligible for great weekly prizes! Watch out for the 24 hours “takeover”-24 additional prizes to win!

“This is an opportunity for Canadians to share their dream experiences in our national parks.  We encourage everyone who has ever been to a national park, or dreams of getting to one, to share their ideas. We have amazing natural treasures in our parks and this is a year to celebrate them,” says CPAWS National Executive Director, Éric Hébert-Daly.

Watch out for the 24hours Takeover July 22^nd! Win a customized overnight getaway with six of your friends in your favorite national park! Enter your park dream on July 22nd and qualify for the 24Hours Takeover prize pack (valued at over $1000)! Experience your park like never before with custom activities, a tour by Parks Canada staff and much more!

Led by a team of creative and media experts and introduced through a multifaceted advertising campaign, People for Good is a coalition formed to promote the generosity of spirit among Canadians. People for Good believe everyday good deeds like giving up your seat on the subway or buying a coffee for a co-worker will not only make you happier, but will also make for a better Canada.

This social movement, launched on June 29 across Canada, was co-founded by Mark Sherman, Executive Chair of Media Experts, a media strategy and negotiation company with offices in Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver, and Zak Mroueh, President & Creative Director of Zulu Alpha Kilo, a Toronto-based advertising agency specializing in rebranding. Mr. Mroueh and Mr. Sherman saw the campaign as an opportunity to use their collective talents to harness the power of creativity and the media for the collective good.

“Caught up in our hectic lives and routines, coupled with the stresses and distractions of modern living, many of us have stopped noticing those around us. We’ve stopped caring,” says Mark Sherman of Media Experts. “When something is not right, we tend to rely on someone else – our neighbour, our boss or our government – to fix it. But the truth is, anyone can help change the world. Companies can harness the power of their collective to heal and improve our society. We took stock of what we could do as two business owners. If every Canadian business did the same, the potential for change is limitless.”

“Each of us can do something to make Canada a better place with a simple donation of kindness, one good deed at a time,” says Zak Mroueh of Zulu Alpha Kilo. “Harnessing our creativity through the People for Good campaign, we harness the power of the collective by touching every Canadian with a simple message – care about people around you, be nice to each other, do good. Small good deeds – even as basic as genuinely saying ‘‘thank you’’ to someone who helped you, smiling at a stranger or helping out a co-worker – make a big difference in creating social capital, the glue that holds us together as a community.”

Mr. Mroueh and his team at Zulu Alpha Kilo brought the People for Good campaign to life by spearheading all aspects of its creative development. Mr. Sherman and Media Experts designed and executed a high-impact media strategy spanning traditional and new media.

This collaborative campaign was made possible with the support of an array of partners who donated their time and capabilities, including Martin Belanger working through Zulu Alpha Kilo on all the materials for the Quebec Market.  Other partners included Terry O’Reilly at Pirate Radio & TV, Radke Films, MAVERICK PR and TANK. Thinking Box helped produce the Mobile App. Countless media suppliers and vendors donated space for the initiative.

About the People for Good campaign 

The People for Good campaign was launched through a multifaceted, bold and creative advertising program. Kicking off on June 29 across major Canadian cities, including Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Montréal and Halifax, the program will run through to August 21. The creative, using a mix of humorous, engaging and highly interactive messages and images, challenges Canadians to be nice to each other and do good through simple acts of generosity, such as cutting the grass or shovelling snow for one’s neighbour.

“Advertising is often seen as an intrusion, asking us to buy something or buy into something,” says Mr. Mroueh. “The People for Good campaign is certainly intrusive, too, but we intrude with a different kind of message. Simply put, that message is – be aware of those around you, be nice to them. We place it where people can see it: on the subway, on a highway billboard, in the newspaper or online.”

The creative execution of the campaign includes outdoor, interactive, print, guerrilla and online advertising.

“Our partners – from production houses to printing companies to media advertisers – have joined hands with People for Good by donating their capabilities to a project that, we believe, will make a difference not only in the marketplace, but also in the hearts and minds of Canadians,” says Mr. Sherman of Media Experts.

People for Good  ten tips for good deeds

1. Smile at a stranger – or wave at your fellow subway passenger
2. Open and hold the door for someone
3. Give up your seat on the subway, bus or streetcar
4. Buy a coffee for your co-worker
5. Surprise your colleagues with freshly baked brownies
6. Cut grass or shovel snow for your neighbour
7. Help a stranger change a tire on the road – or put in a coin in expiring parking metre for someone you don’t know
8. Return a grocery cart after someone has used it or let a stranger ahead of you in a store line
9. While  on Facebook, just pick up the phone and give your friend a call
10. Simply say ‘‘Thank you’’ to someone who helped you – and really mean it

Go to peopleforgood.ca to join the movement.

Hectic-free hosting: Let’s face it – planning and hosting an event can be stressful. But no one expects you to be Martha Stewart, so embrace the craziness of entertaining and enlist help from your friends. Your guests will feel more comfortable if they get to be a part of the preparation.

Consider these tips for hectic-free hosting, and allow the stress to turn into laughter so you can enjoy the party too. 

*Do your homework. Line up the menu early so you have time to do your grocery shopping, baking and set-up prior to the day of the party. The last thing you need is a tray of burnt cookies one hour before guests arrive.

*Pot-luck parties are a great way to divvy up preparation and shorten the length of your to-do list. The vibe will feel more casual and guests will get to enjoy a unique variety of dishes on the table.

*Set the mood with some easy decorations and a killer playlist, and get input from your hippest Facebook friends. They can help you choose between inflatable palm trees and mini tiki torches, and Lady Gaga or Dave Matthews Band. Everyone wins.

*Show up in style: A guest’s job is typically to make themselves comfortable and have a great time. But there are some unspoken rules to keep in mind to be a gracious guest at this summer’s hottest parties.

*Don’t show up empty-handed or without a smile. Whether you’re bringing a dish to contribute to the barbecue, a gift for the birthday boy or a small token of appreciation for the host, bring something. Personalize your present at Bing.com where you can see what the recipient “likes” best on Facebook, guaranteeing that you’ll impress with your gift selection. You’ll feel so confident with your perfectly wrapped choice; you won’t even need to include a gift receipt. Most importantly, remember that you are at a party – enjoy yourself and let it show.

*Planning to attend with a plus-one? Always be sure to give the host a heads-up. Unexpected party guests can cause awkward conversations and unnecessary stress for the party planner.

*Get out of town: Sometimes the best summer events are nowhere near your home town, and weekend getaways are what summer is all about. The days are longer, the temperature is warmer and it’s not unheard of to sneak away from your desk a little early on a Friday afternoon. Now’s the time to embrace your summer travel wishes, so consider these tips to get out of town before summer’s end.

*Pack light. Chances are, wherever you’re headed, it’s going to be warm. Plan to live in your swimsuit, some jean shorts and a few stylish tank tops. The last thing you need to worry about while vacationing at the beach is how you’re going to lug a giant suitcase up three flights of stairs. All you need to have fun is good company and good weather, so leave the closet at home.

*If steep prices have been keeping you on travel lockdown, break free. Opt for a road trip if your destination is close enough. It’ll save you money and provide a great opportunity to belt out your favorite tunes on the road with your closest friends. If driving is not an option, search for flights on Bing and “like” your desired route to receive notifications of great airfare deals to that city directly in your Facebook feed. What’s more, you can find a free place to stay with the Friends Who Live Here feature – Bing will show you which of your friends live in the cities you’re traveling to so you can save your hotel money and catch up with old friends.

*Once you’ve arrived, unplug from status updates, Tweets and text messages. Be present and enjoy the time spent away from real-time updates. Put down the phone and relax – you’re on summer vacation.

Original content via ARAContent

Meet Amar Chandel, a royal by descent, a journalist by profession and a holisitic healer by passion. This scion of India’s erstwhile Chandel Rajput dynasty, who has authored a couple of books on healthy living, is on a 10-day visit to Calgary to deliver discourses on breathing exercises, meditation, yoga and managing a healthy lifestyle — holistic healing as it is called.

It all started with hands-on advice to family and close friends when Chandel, a yoga proponent since childhood, noticed many illnesses and body diseases could be thwarted by a mix of pranayam exercises and dietary regimen. He then started delivering discourses on a charitable basis (which he continues to this day) except that if he is discoursing abroad (read out of India), the class has to bear his travel and lodging expenses.

The word about his style of healing has spread by mouth internationally. Keen disciples from across the globe pool in money to call him to various parts of the world every year. It was the turn of the US and Canada in 2011. His previous visits to the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, Luxemburg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Israel, Egypt and China speak a lot about the worldwide popularity of his courses.

Holistic healing classes are held for five days for two hours a day.  Chandel combines millennia-old yoga practices with state-of-the-art nutrition research to increase the body’s immunity manifolds.. Not only do his healing classes teach how to manage a few chronic diseases but the comprehensive stress-reduction programme has also helped a large number of people get rid of their emotional difficulties like depression, tension, mood swings, excessive sensitivity and anger.

“These five days can transform one’s life. The course makes the students look better, be younger, live longer, healthier and happier. Human body is a beautiful creation of God. The body (human) has an inherent capacity to set right within six months all the damages that have been done upon it over up to over six decades,” he says.

Holistic healing classes have in-built component of the right food-water intake, breathing exercises, meditation, sleep cycle and body awareness and a module on positive attitude. “A person can digest anything in youth but the results and the brunt on the body may manifest after a decade. The physical destruction on body starts showing as soon as a person hits the middle age. Sedentary lifestyle of the West compounds the problem,” he says.

All that is expected of a ‘student’ is to learn the techniques thoroughly and practice them religiously. He already has a dedicated email id, asknature@gmail.com, wherein anyone may ask and carry forward a holistic healing discussion.

“Wonderful results don’t come by magic overnight. One has to spend at least six months (practicing what has been taught) to repair the damage done over a lifetime. That is a very small period for curing dreaded diseases without any medicine or hospitalization,” he comments.

A strong votary of maintaining one’s ideal body weight, he says many of the modern-day physical problems are weight related.  Chandel will be in Calgary up to June- end.

Writers Bio: Peeyush Agnihotri is a writer with 14 years of international journalistic experience, mostly reporting on social and sustainable development issues. A National Foundation of India fellowship holder, he is currently based in Calgary

Thanks to a recent ruling from City Hall there are now 17 new spots to nosh while you stroll the city’s walkable downtown. I started with a yummy bowl of tortilla soup at Arturo’s Mexican to Go, just outside my hotel near the waterfront, but was soon lured to the nearby dim sum truck for some shrimp dumplings. You can have a big pulled pork sandwich from the shiny silver truck outside the Vancouver Art Gallery, get a Korean bulgogi and kimchi taco at Cartel or saunter down to the Financial District for fried rice balls and Asian Duck Confit Salad at the spiffy red Roaming Dragon, with a creative menu devised by local chef Don Letendre.

For hardcore locavores there’s Fresh Local Wild – a street cart that specializes in serving wild mushrooms, seaweed, salmon and other local stuff (some that Chef Josh Wolf even forages himself).Panda Fresh Bakery bakes a perfect croissant in a yellow school bus in Yaletown. Or just stop for the old standby, a gourmet tube steak at JapaDog, the granddaddy of Vancouver’s street food scene.

Check out the street food blog vancouverstreeteats.ca/ for maps and updates.

Article courtesy of the Canadian Tourism Commission Media Centre

Writers Bio: Cinda Chavich is the former food editor and senior feature writer for the Calgary Herald and the Calgary Sun. Specializing in cuisine, cultural history, eco-travel, lifestyle and trends, Chavich contributes to The Globe and Mail, CBC radio, Avenue (Calgary), Chatelaine, Canadian Geographic, Westworld, up!, Wine Access, Food Service & Hospitality and Alberta Parent, as well as American publications Wine Spectator, Cooking Light and Relish. From cod tongues in Newfoundland to truffles in northern Italy, Chavich is keen to explore the unique corners of Canada. www.tastereport.com.

The public had four months to vote for their favourite in three award categories: great streets, great neighbourhoods and great public spaces. A panel of professional planners then selected the top three winners in each category.

The Forks beat out Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto and Pippy Park in St. John’s in the great spaces category.

The Forks: One of Winnipeg’s most beloved meeting spots

“The Forks” in Downtown Winnipeg has a rich history of early Aboriginal settlement, immigration, the advent of the railway, the fur trade, and the coming of the industrial age. This place is one of Winnipeg’s most important landmarks, having archaeological digs that prove Aboriginal groups were active here thousands of years ago, plus one of the key sites of early railroad development on the Prairies (5 rail yards dominated the site). The government promoted immigration & settlement and Winnipeg as we know it today was known as the “Gateway to the West” in earlier times.

Nestled in the heart of downtown, The Forks is one of Winnipeg’s most beloved and pre-eminent meeting spots, at the junction of the Assiniboine River where it meets the mighty Red.

The Forks possesses a rich 6000-year old history. Early Aboriginal peoples traded at The Forks, followed by European fur traders, Métis buffalo hunters, Scottish settlers, riverboat workers, railway pioneers and tens of thousands of immigrants.

Today, framed by the banks of the two rivers, The Forks is Winnipeg’s number one tourist destination with more than four million visitors annually. The Forks features something for everyone including parks, promenades, gardens and sculptures alongside shops, restaurants and a multitude of attractions.

The 54-acre site has received international awards for design excellence and worldwide attention as a model for urban renewal and waterfront development. Winter, spring, summer or fall, The Forks is must for a stunning array of dining experiences, incomparable shopping, a constantly changing slate of entertainment and events, and many unique attractions that encompass the site’s natural, historic and man-made features.

• The Forks sits at the birthplace of the City, at the confluence of the Assiniboine and Red Rivers. The Forks is an amalgam of public facilities (indoor and outdoor) mixed with commercial and retail spaces within a pedestrian prioritized site.
• The Forks is landlocked by the two intertwining rivers and the rail line along its Western boundary. To compensate for these boundaries a series of penetrations through the rail line and bridges over the two rivers have connected The Forks to downtown Winnipeg’s Main Street to the West, St. Boniface to the East and South, and The Exchange District National Historic Site to the North.
• Buildings are centered around a number of exterior spaces of different sizes and capacity for use. The original Canopy area creates a congregational space for theatre in the round, small performances and serves as a plaza to the boat basin, the Forks Market and the Johnston Terminal.
• The Forks Festival site, now more commonly know as Scotiabank Stage, which is activated as the central performance/celebration space in Winnipeg for all major celebrations is bordered by the Manitoba Theatre for Young People, The Inn at the Forks, The Plaza @ The Forks (Skateboard Park), the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (opening tbd), and The Forks National Historic Site.
• As a pedestrian priority site, The Forks has placed a high priority on ensuring an ease of access for all people. The site is the central focus of all Active Transportation pathway systems in Winnipeg allowing all users to connect to the Forks by foot, bike, skateboard, etc…  Additionally, a waterbus system through the summer months provides a unique experience for visitors to the site, that is replaced with the Guinnes world record holding longest Ice Skating Trail through the winter months connecting many neighbourhoods to The Forks.  Sitting immediately adjacent to the VIA train station, visitors travelling across Canada stop at the Forks through the historic rail station.
• Every major event that occurs at the Forks (Canada Day celebrations, barge festival, skateboard contests, skating trails, dancing under the canopy, etc…) is offered free of charge to all spectators.  At this centralized location all Winnipegers have equal access and ease of access to the site at all times of the year.
• The Forks has placed a high priority on animating the site through all seasons and at all times of the day.  From its Arctic Glacier Winter Park that features tobogganing, snowboarding, cross country skiing and ice skating along the world’s Longest Ice Skating Trail – Winnipegers and visitors are treated to an exciting and dynamic winter environment that accommodates all users from beginners to experts. Programming throughout the year is critical, from ice hockey and jam pail curling tournaments in the winter to skateboard competitions, musical performances on the main stage, fireworks, The Winnipeg Children’s Festival, and much much more, the Forks is an active space at all times of the year.
• At its origin, The Forks was predominantly marshland along the two rivers in early development of Winnipeg this site was cut off from the City by the Rail line and used primarily as a rail hub. The site’s grade was artificially raised to accommodate the needs of the rail industry and up until the late 1980’s became an unused rail yard.  As a brownfield development, The Forks has seen the retrofit of the four remaining buildings on the site into the Main Market building, the Johnston Terminal (commercial and retail spaces), the A Channel building, and the Manitoba Children’s Museum. The protection of the riverbank by Parks Canada as the Forks National Historic Site continues to enhance the natural environment.  The Prairie Garden, the Peace Meeting Interpretive Site, the South Point redevelopment and the site development for the Canadian Museum for Human Rights have all reclaimed former gravel spaces with the reintroduction of native plant species as both a spiritual and educational effort.
• Additionally, the recent Target Zero campaign has the Forks site looking at alternative energy sources and a complete reduction of waste into waste harvesters and bio-fuel based maintenance vehicles as an effort to reduce the imprint of the site on the rest of the City of Winnipeg.

For more information about “The Forks” visit the official website

Highlights of the makeover include a playful Rubik’s Cube entrance (think Toronto’s ROM Crystal for kids) and 12 new galleries based on the theme of building blocks. Each play zone offers learn-while-you-play opportunities such as a table that simulates an earthquake, complete with tumbling blocks. Many also offer Prairie-inspired experiences such as stepping inside a giant Milk Machine cow to learn about modern dairy farming or chilling out in a reading cocoon within a peaceful faux marsh. The ultramodern Arts & Exhibition Centre will host the latest in travelling exhibits, performers and theatre productions.

Although the museum promotes a love of learning, there will be plenty of opportunities to get silly. A much-anticipated play zone is Lasagna Lookout, a pasta-themed structure where visitors can dodge meatballs and crawl through a fettuccine tunnel.

Outdoors, kids can go wild at the nearby Variety Heritage Adventure Park, opening this summer. Situated on lands once occupied by Fort Gibraltar, a North West Company trading post, this new Parks Canada site offers birch bark canoes, splash pads, York boats and other interactive play structures designed to bring Manitoba’s heritage to life.

All these renovations won’t disrupt the museum’s winning formula of imagination and make-believe. The beloved CN diesel locomotive No. 9161 and vintage passenger coach will continue to be the heart of the museum, letting visitors journey to wherever their imagination wants to go.

www.travelmanitoba.com

Article courtesy of the Canadian Tourism Commission Media Centre

Writers Bio: Michele Peterson – I am a columnist for Fifty-five Plus magazine, Ontario’s leading publication for older active adults and author the Daytripper as well as Travel Bug columns (news on Canadian, Ontario and international destinations)with readers in Ottawa, Kingston and Toronto. I am also a frequent contributor to Buffalo area publications such as the Buffalo News, Buffalo Spree as well as the Toronto Star, Via, Dreamscapes, Air Canada onAir, the Globe and Mail, Spa Life and 2: Couples Magazine and others as well as the Manitoba section of the Travel Industry Guide to Canada. My focus is eco-destinations, culinary, outdoor adventure such as canoeing, hiking and cycling, as well as spas.

Most of the people who have heard of the Stampede will immediately think of cowboys riding crazy horses round an arena until they get thrown off. Well, yes this is part of the stampede, but there is also so much more.

The Calgary Stampede dates back to 1912 when the first rodeo took place with a prize of $20,000 at stake. This, at the time made it the richest rodeo competition in North America and over 100,000 people came to watch. A few years later in 1923 the rodeo was combined for the first time with the Calgary Exhibition and has done so ever since. The event takes place over ten days and attendance is over one million.

The Stampede takes place at the 137 acre Stampede Park, just east of downtown Calgary. The opening ceremony consists of a parade led by the Calgary Stampede Showband who march 4.5 km through downtown Calgary. The parade usually attracts around 400,000 people alone. In addition, the television audience is around two million.

So, what can you expect if you decide to attend the Stampede?

Music: There are many music related shows on during the Stampede. The three main music venues are the Coca Cola Stage, Nashville North and Saddledome. Every day each stage hosts a number of different acts, so make sure you know who your favorites are and where they will be so you don’t miss anything.

Rides & games: The Midway is the location of the many rides available at the Stampede. Last year there were over 35 major rides and 22 kids rides as well as lots of smaller rides to keep everyone entertained. There are also lots of games to play such as beer smashing, duck pond and ring toss.

You can pay per ride or purchase money saving Midway Magic Pass Credits. Each ride requires a different number of credits to ride. You can also purchase day passes, so you pay a one- off price and can ride all day.

Entertainment: You can also find lots of other entertainment available throughout the Stampede duration. Past events have included BMX riding, skateboarding shows, exhibits, dog shows, auctions and many more.

Rodeo: Of course there is the rodeo and this consists of six major events:

Bareback: Physically very demanding as the cowboy holds onto a handhold and is disqualified for touching the animal or equipment with the other hand. The ride lasts eight seconds, if they haven’t been bucked off before then.

Bull Riding: This is the most dangerous event and the rider is strapped to the bull by a special handhold. Like the bareback the rides lasts eight seconds and riders are disqualified for touching the bull with the free hand.

Ladies Barrel Racing: This is the only event for ladies at the Stampede. Riders circle three barrels in a cloverleaf pattern and the ride is timed. Barrels can be touched but a five second penalty is incurred if a barrel is knocked over.

Saddle Bronc: The rider moves his feet from the horse’s neck in a full arc toward the back of the saddle in time with the bronc’s action. The rider needs to hold on for eight seconds and cannot touch the animal or equipment with his free hand.

Steer Wrestling: The steer wrestler starts behind a barrier and gives the steer a head start of ten seconds, otherwise penalties are incurred. There are many rules relating to this event which are too numerous to list here.

Tie-Down Roping: This is the most technical event and like the steer wrestling a ten second head start for the animal is required. After roping the tie-down animal, the cowboy must run down his rope and ay the animal down by hand. If the tie- down animal is down when he reaches it, he must allow the tie-down animal to get up then lay it down. Again there are many rules, too numerous to list relating to this event.

Other events which taking place include:

Novice Bareback: The same rules apply as per the bareback event but this is for riders under 20 years of age.

Novice Saddle Bronc: The same rules apply as per the saddle bronc event but this is for riders under 20 years of age.

Junior Steer Riding: This event is for kids aged between 10 and 14 years. One half of the score is awarded for the contestant’s ability to ride and the other half is for the stock’s ability to buck. The cowboys are allowed to ride with one hand or two. If they elect to ride with only one – they must abide by the rules for bull riding – whereby they will be disqualified for slapping the animal, themselves or double grabbing with both hands during the eight seconds.

Wild Pony Racing: Teams of three youngsters ages 8 to 12 try to tame a wild pony long enough to get a rider aboard for a two jump ride. The team with the fastest time wins.

Chuckwagon: The chuckwagon races are very exciting and adrenalin pumping. A team of four horses are hitched to a chuckwagon and race round a series of barrels at breakneck speed. Four wagons take part in each race, so that means 36 horses and 144 hooves all taking place in less than a minute.

Fireworks: The fireworks show is a spectacular event involving some of the world’s best pyrotechnic display teams. The show can be seen not only from the Stampede arena itself but from most of downtown Calgary.

Food & Drink

Like all good events there are lots of places to get food and drink. You can enjoy anything from full service menus at Mavericks Dining Room and Lounge to hot dogs from the stand.

There are food and drink locations throughout the Stampede in every area so you will never be too far from a quick snack or full meal. Choose from buffets, full service lounges, concession stands and of course beer gardens amongst others.

Tickets

Tickets can be purchased at the gate, but it is advisable to purchase tickets well before the event.

Grab your tickets by clicking on this link

The 2011 show takes place July 8 -17 details can be found here

The survey of more than 1,000 Canadians, conducted by Vision Critical, revealed that a surprising number of Canadians have had first-hand experience with homelessness and related issues – nearly one-quarter of Canadians have received or are currently receiving assistance from a food bank or charitable group while seven percent reported that they have had to sleep on the street or in a shelter due to lack of housing at some point in their lives

“The people of Canada have spoken and revealed much about their attitudes and perceptions about the nation’s homeless,” said Commissioner William Francis, leader of The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda. “We hope that through this report and the Dignity Project, we can continue to educate and inspire the public and work towards a Canada without homelessness.”

“I am saddened to see that a significant minority of Canadians believe a number of myths about the homeless; like they choose to be homeless, that most are mentally ill and that homeless people are scary,” said Vision Critical’s Chief Research Officer Andrew Grenville. “That’s simply not true, as the Salvation Army’s report makes clear. There is a lot Canadians can do to help provide the homeless with the ability to get off the street and into housing.  And that’s where the Salvation Army’s Dignity Project comes in.”

The previous report “Debunking the myths about poverty in Canada” can be accessed here.

The new report “Canada Speaks” can be accessed here.

With the neighbouring farmhouse empty, complete with old wood floors, and plastered walls, it allowed the brothers to convert the old stone home into a music studio.  Together Cole and Mike create and record music, along with their band (bass player David Rodrigues & Drums, Matt Smith) which they will be playing on tour this summer.  “Our farm is buried deep in the back of Hastings, and has provided us with perfect inspiration for writing and recording our music…”Cole added, “..it has also allowed us the privacy when necessary.”

Whether they are jamming in the old farm house, or in a Tavern downtown Toronto, the Matthews Brothers are authentic folk/rock artists that deliver music that has both depth and feeling.  This four piece band evokes a sound that is calm, yet diverse to many.  The Matthews Band appeals to a wide array of audiences ranging from folk to rock.  The brothers have the ability to harmonize, and pull you in and leave you wanting more.

“These classically trained brothers take inspiration from their past to write the diverse songs you hear today…..Take a listen you won’t forget them”

~New Music Canada CBC Radio 3 ~

“Rock meshed with folk-beauty, rich vocals, passionate energy, and soaring spirit that takes this journey sky-high into the atmosphere…this music that’s both joyous and introspective, a powerful statement from these rootsy-troubadours from Ontario.  This is a sound that’s irresistible in it’s vibrancy, harmonies, and atmospheric ode to classic Americana. Wonderful.”

~ The Lonely Vagabond, Exclaim! ~

Cole and Mike Matthews can often be seen downtown Toronto at the Horseshoe Tavern, The Bellevegas Lounge, downtown Belleville, or featured at the Indie Week Festival, which they have been given a return invitation. The band looks forward to this summer’s 2011 upcoming tour across Canada.

Listen to a few of their songs for FREE at http://www.thematthewsbrothers.com/ …”WHAT IF I”, “GEM”, “UNDER THE WINTERSKY”, ” FOREVER THE DAY”.

The Matthews Brothers can be contacted on facebook http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/TheMatthewsBrothers or myspace at http://www.myspace.com/TheMatthewsBrothers for tour dates and recent updates on the band!

Original article By Lesley Galloway

The Arts Route directs you to artists, artisans and galleries across Hastings County.  The Arts Route creates a trail of discovery to painters, potters, jewellery makers, photographers and other creative people. Travel the Arts Route at your leisure, at your own pace, enjoying beautiful local artwork. The Arts Route is membership driven and developed and operated by the Hastings County Economic Development Office, in partnership with the arts community. Andrew Redden has been working to promote local talent in the Hastings County area. The goal is to create awareness of the talent in Hastings County, while increasing profit for these businesses. There are hundreds of artists in the Hastings County area, but the question is, how word is getting out, and was there a program that was collectively “binding” them together as a core unit.

With the $10,000 initiative being funded by a grant from the Community Futures Development Corporation and Trenval Business Development Corporation, they began by developing a website for ARTS ROUTE. The website will include a database for all of the artists, as well profiles of all of the members. As Andrew commented “…the website will showcase artists, galleries, theatres, and other art-based attractions in Hastings County and will be used to advertise events like studio tours.”

Within each page, each artist will have the name of their business, their contact information, address, photos, each will have a ARTS ROUTE’s sign to match the signage along roadways so that patrons can identify the artisan.

To become a member of ARTS ROUTE, the $200 fee covers a few costs such as producing and distributing marketing materials, signage/website upkeep, and other maintenance and administration costs. There are a variety of different members that have joined and have shown interest. Interest has been shown from everyone from a candle maker to potter or furniture designer. “We want to support those who want to sell their products and make some money”, said Andrew.

The requirements of joining the ARTS ROUTE are:

• Accessible to the public with consistent hours & availability displayed on the website
• Display signage for the Arts Route
• Carry $2,000,000 (2 million) comprehensive liability insurance
• Notify the administrator easily of changes to hours and other information about your location

The next project on the list will be an application for the smart phone, which is in the works.

To join the ARTS ROUTE visit www.artsroute.ca and complete the application. If you have any further questions please contact: Andrew Redden, Economic Development Manager, Hastings County 613.966.6712 ext 4011 866.321.9563 ext.4011

We recently sent out a number of requests to the Mayors of many of Canada’s most popular towns and cities and invited them to answer a series of questions to find out more about the person behind the official face of the Mayor. We were surprised how many of them responded, and even more surprised at some of the answers to the questions we asked.

We hope you’ll enjoy the articles and if you would like to suggest a Mayor to contact please feel free to drop us an email and we’ll send out a questionnaire.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO “MEET THE MAYORS”

Click on one of the following categories:

MEET THE MAYOR

REAL LIFE STORIES

MEET THE PEOPLE

After hearing about the Pepsi Refresh Project, a program that funds ideas promoting positive social change, Alex applied for a $5,000 grant to help him create the documentary. An aspiring filmmaker, Alex wanted to create a movie that would be used as an anti-bullying tool and encourage peer dialog about the issue. Following a two-month public voting campaign on the refresheverything.ca website, Alex’s documentary idea was one of 10 chosen by Canadians to receive funding.

Over the past four months of production, Alex and a crew of a few friends who volunteered their time, have secured the interest and involvement of high-profile Canadian personalities wanting to share advice and personal stories about dealing with bullying.

The cast of SPEAK OUT: THE DOCUMENTARY includes Juno-nominated singer Keshia Chante and pop music star Massari, Toronto Argonauts’ Defensive End Ricky Foley, stand-up comedian and MuchMusic personality Trevor Boris, motivational speaker Jesse Jones from U-ology101, motivational singer-songwriter Sara Westbrook, as well as students, teachers, parents and industry professionals. Topics explored include racism, homophobia, suicide, mental health and cyber bullying.

“The mission of SPEAK OUT: THE DOCUMENTARY is to make a positive difference in the lives of children and youth and build a bully-free society for all students and community members,” said Alex Vander Vlugt. “Created by youth for youth, the film will help us speak out for those that can’t.”

“We are very excited for Alex, and look forward to seeing his hard work come to life on screen,” said Neetu Godara, Senior Marketing Manager, PepsiCo Beverages Canada. “Alex embodies everything the Pepsi Refresh Project stands for – his work is helping to refresh the world and make a positive impact on the lives of young Canadians.”

More than 4000 high school students will be wearing pink on April 13. You can show your support for SPEAK OUT by uploading a photo of yourself wearing pink to the SPEAK OUT Facebook page (facebook.com/sowhatspeakout) or Twitter handle (@sowhatspeakout) and use the #SWSO hashtag to help raise awareness for the cause.The pink shirt campaign originates from Nova Scotia where two senior students spoke out to help out a junior student who was bullied for wearing a pink polo shirt on his first day of school. Today, thousands of youth across Canada unite as they take a stand against bullying by wearing pink.

In addition to his duties as Mayor, Mark serves on the Police Services Board, Kingston Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors, Kingston Hydro, St. Lawrence College Community Council, the FOCUS Kingston Steering Committee and is ex-officio of all council committees.

Mark studied computer science at St. Lawrence College and has a degree in Economics from Queen’s University of Kingston. He is a self-employed property manager who currently resides in the Portsmouth district with his partner, Kate, and their dog, Otis.

He kindly agreed to answer some in-depth questions where we discover his love of lasagna and snowboarding, not necessarily in that order!

READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE HERE

According to the Running On Empty report, even as the province recovers from the recession, more than 400,000 Ontarians are forced to turn to food banks each and every month. The report is the most recent in a series of high profile announcements by national and provincial organizations pointing to an alarming growth rate in the number of malnourished and chronically hungry people in Canada.

“The numbers don’t lie: our report provides irrefutable, once-and-for-all empirical evidence that hunger and lack of basic necessities are chronic problems across Ontario,” said Ed Borkowski, Executive Director, Ontario Association of Food Banks. “How many more reports will it take for Ontario political party leaders to wake up to the fact that hunger needs to be at the top of their agendas?”

The OAFB is asking Ontario citizens to support its call to action by sending an online e-card petition to all three main political parties in Ontario, asking them to put hunger at the top of their election platforms. The e-cards can be completed and sent from the OAFB website at: www.oafb.ca

Running On Empty reveals that the average profile of those accessing food banks across Ontario has shifted over the last 10 years, with single adults now comprising the largest proportion of the population served by them. Meanwhile, food bank use has grown by as much as 28 per cent since 2008, with 3.1 per cent of the province’s entire population accessing food banks, making Ontario the third most intensive user of food bank services in Canada.

The report also finds that 85 per cent of food bank users are either Canadian-born or have lived in Canada for more than 10 years. The number of newcomers turning to food banks decreased from 29 per cent in 2007 to 15 per cent in 2010.

“Health care is always at the top of everyone’s political agenda, but not enough is being done to proactively address health problems arising directly from poor nutrition and poverty,” said Borkowski. “We must start thinking about turning these trends around so Ontario can remain a strong and healthy place for families to live, work and thrive.”

Report Highlights: Running On Empty: A Decade of Hunger in Ontario

More than 400,000 Ontarians are forced to turn to food banks each and every month (3.1 per cent of the province’s population). This makes Ontario the third most intensive user of food bank services in Canada. Other key facts and findings:

Family background

• Single adults now comprise the largest proportion of the population served by food banks (38 per cent in 2010, up from 26 per cent in 2002)
• Single parent families are the second largest group served (30 per cent in 2010, down from a peak of 39 per cent in 2003)
• Two parent families come third. They accounted for 22 per cent of food bank clients in 2010 (down from 27 per cent in 2002)
• Children and youth under the age of 18 account for 37 per cent of the population served by food banks in March 2010, down from 40 per cent in 2000.
• 15 per cent of food bank clients were new Canadians (have lived in Canada less than 10 years) in 2010 down from 29 per cent in 2007
• Aboriginal clients also declined over time to 7 per cent in 2010

Sources of income

• Most Ontario households using food banks depended on social assistance (45 per cent) in 2010. But this was much lower than the 65 per cent in 2000.
• In contrast, the number of households receiving Ontario Disability Program (ODSP) benefits increased over the decade from 14 per cent in 2000 to 23 per cent in 2010
• Over 5 per cent of the households served relied on pension income, the same as in 2001
• Only 11 per cent of households had employment income in 2010, about the same as the early 2000s; access to Employment Insurance (EI) fluctuated through the decade, hitting a low of 2.6 per cent of households in 2008 and a peak of 5 per cent in 2004
• In rural areas (communities under 10,000), 9 per cent received EI benefits and 40 per cent received social assistance, while 22 per cent accessed Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) benefits

Housing

• 64 per cent of people served by food banks in 2010 lived in market rental accommodation; 27 per cent lived in social housing. Only 4.4 per cent owned their own homes
• Comparing the Ontario average with rural areas, homeownership was higher in rural settings (17 per cent of food bank clients), but rental accommodation was lower, at 51 per cent in 2010. And more people were living with family or friends (6 per cent rural vs. 2 per cent for the province as a whole)

She was born in Asbestos, Quebec but lived in Danville, Quebec. Her family moved to Fort McMurray when she was very young and that is where she grew up. She still lives there and is married with two young sons.

Melissa has twice been named by Alberta Venture Magazine as one of their ‘Top 50 Most Influential People’, and in 2006 she was named a ‘Woman of Vision’ by Global Television. In 2008 she received the CHW (Canadian Hadassah-WIZO organization) Woman of Achievement Award, and the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Athabasca University. In 2009 she received the Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce Sustainable Community Recognition Award.

She took time out of her busy schedule to answer our questions, for which we thank her.

Q: What was the first car you ever owned?

A: Black Pontiac Fiero.

Q: If you could own any vehicle what would it be and why?

A: The Fiskar Karma electric hybrid.

Q: What has been your most embarrassing moment and why?

A: It would have to be when, on two separate occasions, I suddenly began coughing uncontrollably while presenting to large audiences. I lost my voice for about two minutes each time.

Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find about about you?

A: I’m passionate about scuba diving, and in particular shark diving experiences.

Q: If you could change anything about yourself what would it be?

A: My freckles.

Q: What do you most value in other people?

A: Honesty and straightforwardness.

Q: Mac or PC?

A: Both! I’ve got a Mac at home, a PC at work, plus I have an IPad, Blackberry and more. I also have a Facebook and Twitter account.

Q: Where has been your most memorable travel destination and why?

A: Fiji because of the amazing cultural experiences, and of course the shark diving.

Q: If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be and why?

A: I’m living here now! There’s no where else I’d rather be at this time, and it’s because of the incredible opportunities that spread from generation to generation.

Q: What is your favorite movie?

A: The Mummy with Brendan Fraser.

Q: What was the last book you read, or are currently reading?

A: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, then The Girl Who Played With Fire. I’m saving: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest.

Q: What sports do you support and/or play?

A: I think I have tried everything at some point in my life. I enjoyed most of them and support them all.

Q: What hobbies do you do to relax?

A: Just hanging out with my family at home

Q: What has been your best moment since becoming Mayor? And your worst?

A: Elections are both the worst and best moments for me as Mayor.

The worst because every time Council changes you say good-bye to colleagues that you’ve come to know quite well and respect.

And the best because every time there’s an election I get a new team of people to work with, and their interest and perspectives are inspiring.

Q: If you could have any job in the world, what would it be and why?

A: I would be a scuba diving instructor somewhere exotic like the Turks and Caicos.

Q: If you knew the world was going to end tomorrow, what would you do today?

A: Spend as much time as possible with my family; anywhere, doing anything – together!

Q: If you had to choose a last meal, what would it be?

A: Buttered popcorn! The whole bowl!

Q: If you could choose one of your personality traits to pass on to your children, what would it be?

A: Open-mindedness/adaptability, or compassion/kindness for others.

Q: If you had to evacuate you home immediately, what one item, other than family members & photos would you make sure you took with you?

A: The handmade quilt my grandmother gave me for my wedding.

Q: If you could give a newcomer one piece of advice, what would it be?

A: Dive right in! Be brave, be bold, and bundle up! Welcome to Wood Buffalo!

You can follow Melissa on Facebook www.facebook.com/melissaformayor# and Twitter @MayorMelissa.

If you would like to read about other Canadian Mayors – Click Here

Sault Ste. Marie’s first female mayor Debbie Amaroso

Mayor Amaroso has two adult children, Jason (34) and Alana 32 and ran her mayoral campaign on the platform of providing a balanced approach to community development. Her slogan was “Your City, your say.”

To get an insight into the real person behind the title she kindly agreed to answer our probing questions.

Q: What was the first car you ever owned?
A: Datsun

Q: If you could own any vehicle what would it be and why?
A: Cadilac SUV because they are comfortable for road trips and have lots of room to carry four sets of golf clubs.

Q: What has been your most embarrassing moment and why?
A: I was young and acting cool for some cute guy who was stopped at a light.  I was getting out of my dad’s car, closed the door and didn’t realize my pants had got caught in the door.  I tossed my long blonde hair, began to walk away from the car and fell flat on my face because of the pants being stuck.  At which point I had to try and extracate my pant leg from the car door from my position on the ground.  I guess I wasn’t so cool that day.  The cute guy just laughed and drove away.

Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find about about you?
A: I am much more sensitive than I let people know.

Q: If you could change anything about yourself what would it be?
A: The quickness to judge.

Q: What do you most value in other people?
A: Honesty and sincerity.
Q: Mac or PC?
A: PC.

Q: Where has been your most memorable travel destination and why?
A: New Zealand.  It is the most beautiful, clean country I have ever been to and the people are so warm and friendly.

Q: If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be and why?
A: Other than Sault Ste. Marie ……. possibily the Vancouver area as I love the ocean and mountains.

Q: What is your favorite movie?
A: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Q: What was the last book you read, or are currently reading?
A: Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz.

Q: What sports do you support and/or play?
A: Golf and Curling.

Q: What hobbies do you do to relax?
A: Word games.

Q: What has been your best moment since becoming Mayor? And your worst?
A: Best – seeing how proud my kids are. Worst – haven’t had one yet

Q: If you could have any job in the world, what would it be and why?
A: A philanthropist so that I could provide scads of money to those people and groups that would benefit most.

Q: If you knew the world was going to end tomorrow, what would you do today?
A: Be with my kids.

Q: If you had to choose a last meal, what would it be?
A: A hot turkey sandwich with lots of french fries and gravy.

Q: If you could choose one of your personality traits to pass on to your children, what would it be?
A: They have many of them but openness.

Q: If you had to evacuate you home immediately, what one item, other than family members & photos would you make sure you took with you?
A: My passport.

Q: If you could give a newcomer one piece of advice, what would it be?
A: Embrace every experience.

If you would like to read about other Canadian Mayors – Click Here

He was born and raised in Baden, just outside Kitchener and attended Rockway Mennonite Collegiate and Waterloo-Oxford District High School. He then went on to pursue a career in accounting working for many large companies including K-W Hospital, and University of Waterloo. In 2008, he received the Toastmasters International Communication and Leadership Award, and was named one of the Top 100 Certified General Accountants in Canada.

Carl Zehr, Mayor of Kitchener

Carl, now 65, lives with his wife Sandy. They have two adult children and four grandchildren.

Mayor Zehr kindly agreed to answer our questions and we thank him for taking the time.

Q: What was the first car you ever owned?

A: 1963 Corvair bought in 1965 just before Ralph Nadar came out with his book “Unsafe At Any Speed”

Q: If you could own any vehicle what would it be and why?

A: Viper, because I can only dream about it.

Q: What has been your most embarrassing moment and why?

A: Too personal to share

Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find about about you?

A: I’m a pacifist.

Q: If you could change anything about yourself what would it be?

A: I wouldn’t age.

Q: What do you most value in other people?

A: Integrity.

Q: Mac or PC?

A: PC.

Q: Where has been your most memorable travel destination and why?

A: Ten weeks in Japan in 1974; it changed my view of the world.

Q: If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be and why?

A: In a vineyard close to a town with amenities.

Q: What is your favorite movie?

A: Ben Hur.

Q: What was the last book you read, or are currently reading?

A: Last book – The High Road by Terry Fallis; currently reading the city budget books which is not nearly as funny.

Q: What sports do you support and/or play?

A: Golf.

Q: What hobbies do you do to relax?

A: Go to the movies.

Q: What has been your best moment since becoming Mayor? And your worst?

A: Best – interacting with people; Worst – interacting with people; You have to be a Mayor to understand that.

Q: If you could have any job in the world, what would it be and why?

A: Travel/vacation critic to experience different and fascinating places and people.

Q: If you knew the world was going to end tomorrow, what would you do today?

A: Hug my family.

Q: If you had to choose a last meal, what would it be?

A: Cherry pie with ice cream followed by a medium rare steak and then another cherry pie and ice cream.

Q: If you could choose one of your personality traits to pass on to your children, what would it be?

A: Calmness.

Q: If you had to evacuate you home immediately, what one item, other than family members & photos would you make sure you took with you?

A: My Blackberry.

Q: If you could give a newcomer one piece of advice, what would it be?

A: Call me if you need help.

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But this wasn’t enough for Emilie who also had a hidden desire to write. This became more apparent when her to sons Keith now 16 and Sam 10 first started reading. She noticed that there weren’t many books available for First Nations children, so she decided to write some of her own.

“There just didn’t seem to be anything out there for my children,” says Emilie who now lives in tottenham, Ontario. “I looked in bookshops and in the library and couldn’t find what I was looking for. I made up my mind to create a character that children could relate to but that could also be written using the Ojibwe language.”

Emilie Corbiere (40) has always been influenced by the arts

However, the process was far from quick and easy. Emilie’s first book took about three years to develop. Titled “Porcupine’s Bad Day” and released in 2006, it is all about a grumpy porcupine who wakes up on the wrong side of the bed and gets angry with all his forest friends. This then led to her second book “Porcupine Goes to the City” released October 2009. This time Porcupine accidentally finds himself in the city and meets lots of colourful characters.

“My third book in the series was released late 2010 and is called ‘Porc and Beans’ and this time porcupine meets a new friend called Beans, but not everything goes smoothly for the new duo.” says Emilie.

All of Emilie’s books are written in part English and part Ojibwe and teach the value of friendship and cooperation. They also encourage children to look after their environment.

So, now there are three books about Porcupine and his friends will Emilie stop there or continue writing about this fascinating creature?

“I would definitely love to continue this series and hopefully write another one soon. Although each book doesn’t take too long to write once I am in the right frame of mind, sometimes the initial idea can take months to form.” says Emilie.

Do you ever get writers block? “Definitely. For my third book, Porc and Beans, I had the title in my head but I had no story idea. For months, I couldn’t think of anything to go with the title but it came to me one day at the doctors office while I was waiting for my son. Once it came to me, I wrote the story in about 20 minutes and wrote a better draft once I got home.”

Do you have a favorite time of day to write? “I don’t really have a favorite time of day to write, it’s usually whenever somethings springs up in my mind, I write it down right away and it starts to develop from there. I am never without my little notebook.”

All the illustrations are done by my cousin Cynthia Ciesielski

Your books are beautifully illustrated, did you do these too. “No, all the illustrations are done by my cousin Cynthia Ciesielski who is very talented. I was very lucky to be able to use her fabulous artwork.”

As a child yourself, what books did you enjoy? “One of my many favourite authors is H.A. Rey, who created Curious George. I also loved Clifford the Big Red Dog, Francis and the Birthday Party, Garfield, The Family Circus, Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High, to name a few.”

Do you have any plans to write books for adults? “I would love to write a chicken soup for the soul kind of book, with various short stories and tales of inspiration.”

Other than writing and craft work what other things do you enjoy? “I love sewing, reading, crafting and some gardening.”

Emilie is a strong advocate of True North Aid which is a non-profit charity that gathers, food, clothing, medical supplies and books and delivers them to First Nation communities that are accessible only by plane. For every book she sells $1 will be donated to the charity.

You can find details of Emilie’s books on her website www.porcupineandfriends.com

Mayor Redfern was born in Frobisher Bay which is now known as Iqaluit 43 years ago, so knows the area and its people well. She is married to Jae and they have one daughter, Jasmine who is now 22 years old.

Madeleine Redfern

Mayor Redfern is an avid believer of volunteering having spent many years doing so herself for several Aboriginal organizations. These include being past President of Tungasuvvingat Inuit Community Centre, past Secretary-Treasurer of Inuit Non-Profit Housing Corporation, founding member of Wabano Aboriginal Health Centre, founding member of Ottawa Inuit Headstart, Inuit representative on Kagita Mikam, an aboriginal employment and training board, Co-coordinator of Iqaluit Restorative Justice, community representative on Iqaluit Municipal Appeals Board, and is currently Secretary-Treasurer with Maliganiik Legal Services Board and Acting Chair on Legal Services Board.

We asked the Mayor to put her political thoughts aside for a moment and answer our “in-depth” questionnaire. Thankfully she gladly agreed.

Q: What was the first car you ever owned?

A: Original Austin mini, only allowed in Canada for a short period of time, before being deemed illegal. Super fun. Super tiny. Super terrifying. I could push out my own car when it got stuck in the snow.

Q: If you could own any vehicle what would it be any why?

A: Hagglunds BV206. 17 seat, all terrain, amphibious tracked vehicle good for town or out on land.  I’d be able to take the whole extended family to the cabin, e.g. fishing, all year round.

Q: What has been you most embarrassing moment?

A: Too embarrassed to tell you.

Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find about about you?
A: Inuit politician with a well developed media presence; can be found on FaceBook and Twitter: @MayorMadeleine

Q: If you could change anything about yourself what would it be?
A: I’d be taller.

Q: What do you most value in other people?
A: People’s capacity for tolerance despite all the efforts made to keep them apart and divided.

Q: Mac or PC?
A: Long-time Mac user.

Q: If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be and why?
A: Right here. Canada’s coolest arctic capital.

Q: What was the last book you read, or are currently reading?
A: Shelagh Grant, Arctic Imperative

Q: What is your favorite movie?
A:  Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner)

Q: What sports do you support and/or play?
A: Try to play badminton and swim regularly and downhill ski any chance I get.

Q: What pastime do you do to relax?
A: I enjoy cooking, especially for family and friends.

Q: What has been your best moment since becoming Mayor?

A: Best moment is learning and getting a tour of all the municipal facilities; getting to know our staff and the excellent services they provide to our community.

Q: If you could have any job in the world, what would it be and why?
A: The one I have now. Very dynamic, interesting and exciting!!

Q: If you knew the world was going to end tomorrow, what would you do today?
A: Be with my family and friends.

Q: If you had to choose a last meal, what would it be?
A: A taster of all my favourite foods from around the world.

Q: If you could choose one of your personality traits to pass on to your children, what would it be?

A: Jasmine has already inherited many of my personality traits but if I were to add another one, I’d like her to be more confident about her capabilities.

Q: If you had to evacuate you home immediately, what one item, other than family members & photos would you make sure you took with you?

A: Our family dog, Girl Puppy (we didn’t intend on keeping her but we did and the name stuck).

Q: If you could give a newcomer one piece of advice, what would it be?

A: To be open minded along with bringing their sense of adventure and humour.  There are lots of different and interesting experiences to be had in Iqaluit and Nunavut.

Follow Madeleine on Twitter

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In contrast to the historic Great Wall, which is quite expansive, their knowledge of China was very narrow in scope. That all changed, however, when they joined the Chimo Chinese Club in December. Through the club, the three students at Chimo Elementary School in Smiths Falls, Ont. and seven other members of the student body in Grades 4 to 8 expanded their linguistic and cultural horizons with regards to the world’s most populous country.

The club was organized by Ming Shan Gu. A teacher in China for 13 years, she, her husband Chuangwei Mu and their daughter Ivy left their homeland in the fall of 2003 to begin a new life in Canada. Having made their home in Smiths Falls since 2008, Ming says she started the club to let local youth know about her native China and that it is much more than what they read on the Internet.

“We moved from China, we came here, we like this place,” she states. “If we could do something to make life more interesting, we would like to share the culture (of China) and let people know more about other countries.”

That is what the Chimo Chinese Club is all about. For 90 minutes on four Wednesday evenings in December, Ming, with the assistance of Chuangwei, treated club members to a taste of her homeland, culinary and otherwise. In addition to sampling pork dumplings which they helped to prepare, the students received a lesson in the traditional Chinese paper art of paper folding, paper cutting and calligraphy. Likewise, they were introduced to the Mandarin language, learning how to say phrases likes Happy New Year, Merry Christmas, as well as how to greet someone and apologize.

Given the fact that learning a new language is not an easy feat, Ming was amazed at the progress of the students in developing conversational skills in Mandarin.

“They caught on just great,” she says smiling. “I was impressed. I think younger children really have the capability to learn a new language.”

For Selena, Ami and Avery, the club has been a great learning opportunity, not only from a linguistic point of view. They also have enjoyed learning how to count from one to 999 in Mandarin and how to write the numbers from one to 10 using characters.

“It was easy because of Ming,” Ami, a Grade 6 student at Chimo, notes. “If we didn’t understand something, she would explain it. She is really good at explaining how it works.”

That included demonstrating to the students the use of the traditional Chinese brush, ink and inkstone to write words, characters and draw. The youths participating in the club were fascinated by the process.

“It was really cool,” Ami remarked. “It is really fun to write with. You are painting but writing at the same time.”

Club highlights

Doing the ink painting and drawing was so much fun for Ami that it was her favourite activity of the club. The same was true for Avery who is in Grade 5 at Chimo. Of course, making the dumplings was also popular with her.

“Making dumplings was really fun,” she said. “It was a hands-on activity….We got creative and folded them in all different ways.”

Preparing the dumplings and getting to eat them after they were cooked was likewise a highlight for Selena, a Grade 6 student.

“I have never really tried or made dumplings,” she commented. “It was really new to me. They tasted good.”

In organizing the club for the students, Ming says she just wanted “to tell them the real China.” Based on the response from those who participated, she obviously had a captive audience.

“It was amazing,” she says of the response. “I am impressed with the kids’ progress – their ability to absorb a different culture’s information. Every class, when I finish, they don’t want to go home.”

The club, which was free other than the cost of supplies, was an educational experience that Ami, Selena and Avery would like to repeat. That’s why they are thrilled by the news that Ming is considering starting up a second club in February at the school. She has indicated that, if there is sufficient interest, she would like to continue the club at Chimo, with students from other area schools being invited to participate as well.

“If they are doing it at the school, I would definitely sign up,” says Avery. “Just to see Ming again and have another wonderful experience with her.”

And she, Ami and Selena would certainly recommend the club to others.

“I would tell them to sign up,” says Selena. “It is a lot of fun. You get to learn stuff and make more origami things.

Avery agrees. “You get to know a whole bunch of stuff about China,” she remarked. “Later on in life, if you go there, you will get to use your knowledge.”

In May 2010, a delegation of Chinese educators visited Chimo. School principal Daryl Kelly views the club as “a nice opportunity to continue the cultural focus with our Chinese community and for the children to have an opportunity to learn more about another culture.”

“It is always wonderful to have additional opportunities for different kinds of learning happening in our school,” Daryl says.

The feedback Ming has received from the recent club has been so positive that she has had several inquiries asking her to hold a class on Chinese cooking for adults. She is seriously considering doing so, perhaps as early as February. If she does proceed and the class is held at Chimo, she plans to donate any proceeds back to the school.

“I really appreciate the school’s support,” she says, noting that the school has offered the facility free of charge for the club and Daryl and teacher Karen Donovan have been very supportive of the initiative. “I would like to support the school as well.”

Other cultural endeavours

Every kid can have the opportunity to experience other cultures

Ming is passionate about sharing the culture and language of her homeland with others. As principal of the Eastern Ontario Wenbo Language School, which is affiliated with the International Language Program of the Ottawa French Catholic School Board, she is currently offering a Chinese Mandarin Language and Culture Program on Saturday mornings at Académie catholique Ange-Gabriel in Brockville. Currently 75 students from throughout the Brockville area, including Mallorytown, Lyn and Gananoque, are enrolled in the classes, which are open to children ages four to 14. There is an adult class as well.

From March to June 2010, a similar program was offered on Saturdays at Sainte Marguerite Bourgeoys School in Merrickville to children in the same age group. Likewise, Ming held a Chinese summer camp at Académie catholique Ange-Gabriel in July 2010. The camp was so successful she plans to repeat it this summer. If it is feasible, she would also like to have a summer camp in Smiths Falls.

“I try to deliver the message that every kid can have the opportunity to experience other cultures, even for small town kids,” she says as she talks about her motivation for these endeavours. In the fall of 2010, Ming’s husband Chuangwei was part of an education delegation that travelled to Zhengzhou, China. The trip culminated in the signing on Oct. 22 of a sister school board agreement between the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB) and Zhengzhou Municipal Education Bureau (MEB).

As part of the agreement to enhance the educational and cultural exchange between the two and share education resources, the UCDSB will organize summer and winter camps for students of Zhengzhou MEB and, accordingly, students from the UCDSB will be invited to Zhengzhou for a cultural exchange.

Likewise, under the agreement, students from Zhengzhou No. 9 High School will have the opportunity to complete their secondary school education with the UCDSB. Smiths Falls District Collegiate Institute (SFDCI) is one of seven high schools within the UCDSB that can accept international students. Currently more than 70 students from Zhengzhou are attending classes at SFDCI and in Brockville. Upon graduating, they will be granted an Ontario Secondary School Diploma, as well as one from their homeland.

Already, 31 students have been recruited by the Chinese school to come to Canada. Chuangwei will be among those going to China in March to recruit additional students.

Having students from China attend SFDCI is “just another connection” between the two countries, says Daryl Kelly. And the Chimo principal believes the Chimo Chinese Club helps to further that connection.

“It’s another opportunity for awareness of how students in different countries grow up and live their lives,” she states.

Highlighting how Ming “certainly brings a real passion to sharing her culture, Daryl thinks that passion is infectious, in terms of the students in the club.

“I think she instills a feeling of pride in our children as they share their Canadian culture and family culture,” she commented.

Further information on the Chimo Chinese Club and other cultural initiatives in which Ming is involved can be obtained by contacting her by phone at 613-283-5044 or by email at e.owls2010@gmail.com.

Sister Cities

The Town of Smiths Falls has a close relationship with one of China largest urban centres, Xiangfan City (recently renamed Xiangyang). The two became “Sister Cities” on Oct. 18, 2009 in Smiths Falls with the signing of an agreement by Smiths Falls Mayor Dennis Staples and Zhi Liang Tang, Chairman of Standing Committees of the People’s Congress of Xiangfan City, Hubei Province, China.

The proclamation stated that, “as sister cities, the council and the city assembly pledge that they will encourage regular, ongoing communication and co- operation on economic/business trade; culture; education; science and technology; health and well being; tourism and will promote collaborative development in both cities.”

A historical and cultural city in the southwest region of Hubei Province, Xiangyang has a population of 5.8 million people and is considered a major industrial hub.

“The Town of Smiths Falls has a Sister-City Agreement with the City of Xiangyang, China and has signed two formal agreements and six additional MOU’s that will see collaboration on tourism, arts and culture, commerce, investment, education and external affairs,” says Bob Cheetham, the Economic Development Manager for Smiths Falls.

Anyone interested in learning more about Smiths Falls and what the town has to offer newcomers to Canada is encouraged to visit the website www.immigratetosmithsfalls.ca.

“I thought that was really extraordinary,” says Maggie Jacques, special collections librarian at the Petawawa Public Library, who helped place the 20-year-old interview online. It was part of a collection of interviews with city’s early residents. When it comes to online research, she notes, “You never know where it will take you.”

Our Ontario is partnering with more than 30 public libraries and 20 other community organizations from across Ontario

The audiocassette recording was digitized thanks to a two-year project coordinated by Knowledge Ontario (KO), a provincial not-for-profit collaborative. The Community Digitization Project (CDP) is an extension of KO’s Our Ontario service, which provides the tools and support for Ontarians to create and display digital content for online discovery.

Genealogists are not alone in benefiting from the CDP, which already has created more than 36,000 digital files of everything from 19th-century photographs to old diaries. In Prescott-Russell, a largely francophone area east of Ottawa, the OPP used heritage photos from the collection for their annual calendar.

The CDP has also created something of an information avalanche for participating institutions. Jacques notes that patrons who see staff digitizing materials with scanners, cameras and other equipment often ask how they can contribute.

CDP partners often run “digitization days” to encourage residents to bring in family materials and collections from their basements and attics (the materials are later returned to their owners). People respond in droves, often revealing lost treasures. In Tweed, a small town north of Belleville, residents who heard about the CDP contributed images and documents about Sulphide, a mining ghost town.

Loren Fantin, project manager for Our Ontario, delights in the program’s popularity. “We work hard to ensure that we make Our Ontario tools and services accessible and easy to use for both novices and expert users. It’s terrific to bring Ontario communities on board so they can share and tell our stories to a wide audience.”

Our Ontario is partnering with more than 30 public libraries and 20 other community organizations from across Ontario to implement the CDP. Funded through a $15-million grant to Southern Ontario Library Services and Ontario Library Services North from the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture, CDP partners are provided with valuable equipment, staff and training, at no cost to the participating institutions. “I’m very thankful to Knowledge Ontario for supporting us,” says Jacques.

Organizations participating in the project stretch across almost 1,500 kilometres of the province. They include libraries and museums with large archives; single-person libraries, such as the Head, Clara and Maria Public Library, north of Algonquin Park; Franco-Ontarian community organizations like the West Nipissing Public Library, near North Bay; and a First Nations library, the Kanhiote Tyendinaga Territory Public Library near Deseronto.

Communities all over Ontario are excited to tell their stories. Find them here.

There are currently around 56,000 cadets throughout Canada.

The Canadian Cadet Organization (CCO) allows young Canadians aged between 12 and 18 years to participate in organized activities which are both challenging and rewarding in a properly supervised environment. There are currently around 56,000 cadets throughout Canada.

There are three units to the cadets: Sea, Air and Army. Cadets can join any unit and take part in local, regional and national activities. As a cadet you are encouraged to be an active member of the community and learn skills such as leadership, teamwork, citizenship and fitness. In turn you will gain self confidence, decision making skills and gain physical fitness. Through the program young cadets learn about the Canadian Forces although there is no expectation to join the military, nor are the cadets part of the Canadian Forces.

The CCO is open to both young men and women (aged 12-18) from all across Canada and from all levels of society. The Department of National Defense incurs all costs, so there are no costs to join, no fees and no cost for the uniforms or the training. So this makes the cadets an ideal solution for families on a budget who still want to participate in such activities.

Training:

During the school academic year (September – June) cadets take part in weekly training, one night per week. There may also be the option of weekend training depending on the unit chosen.

During the summer you will be able to take part at one of the 28 summer training centres located across Canada. Depending upon which element you choose to join, you may participate in rappelling, adventure training or survival exercises for Army

Cadets, flying and gliding exercises for Air Cadets, and navigation and seamanship activities for Sea Cadets. All cadets are also provided with the opportunity to participate in marksmanship and biathlon competitions, map and compass exercises, as well as drill. Other activities focus on developing leadership, self-discipline and citizenship skills, including the Cadet Harassment and Abuse Prevention Program (CHAP).

Through CHAP, cadets are sensitized to the various forms of harassment and abuse, and their effects. Method of instruction, public speaking and healthy living courses are also practical components of the regular Cadet Program. Furthermore, cadets frequently enjoy sports, environmental challenges, and music instruction (pipes and drums, or band). Each cadet also participates in a minimum of three field exercises per year.

There are three units to the cadets: Sea, Air and Army

Over 23,000 cadets attend national and regional training every summer at one of the Canadian Forces-conducted Cadet Summer Training Centres (CSTC). Many of these programs include activities such as canoeing, camping, hiking, meteorology, sailing and mountain climbing. These courses last from two to six weeks depending on the speciality training chosen.

If you are doing especially well you may be chosen to take part in international exchanges. Every year a number of senior cadets are chosen on merit to travel to foreign locations such as the United Kingdom, Japan, France, United States, Singapore or Germany. During these exchanges you will be representing Canada and will take part in training and cultural activities with your foreign cadet counterparts.

Other specialized training is also offered for advanced cadets. These include marksmanship competitions both in Canada and nationally as well as parachute courses. Cadets who take part in summer training also receive a weekly training bonus – so you get paid for having fun! If you are 16 years or older and have reached a certain standard you can choose to become a Staff Cadet (course instructor) at one of the summer centres.

Visions and Objectives:

The three aims of the cadets is to:

• Develop leadership and good citizenship
• Promote physical fitness
• Stimulate an interest in the three elements of the Canadian Forces

Cadets core values are:

• Loyalty – the expression of our dedication to the ideals of the Cadet Movement and all its members
• Professionalism – the accomplishment of our tasks with pride and diligence
• Mutual Respect – the treatment of others with dignity and equality
• Integrity – the courage and commitment to exemplify trust, sincerity and honesty

Leadership: Through the cadet program you will learn how to be a fair and responsible leader, take responsibility for your actions and motivate your peers. These skills are not only useful in the cadets but also in all other aspects of your life.

Physical fitness: Being healthy and fit is important to all cadets and you will learn how to maintain a healthy lifestyle whilst participating in fun activities. By competing in individual or team events you will learn that sensible living, healthy eating and remaining active are all important factors to good health and fitness.

The Canadian Forces: Although the cadets are not part of the Canadian Forces you will learn skills that stimulate your interest in the sea, land and air activities of the Forces. You will learn the history of the Canadian Forces as well as skills such as self-discipline, teamwork, leadership and good citizenship.

Sea Cadets:

As you would expect the Sea Cadets activities revolve around naval pursuits. You will learn about sailing, seamanship, shipboard life, naval communications, boat repair, marine engineering and ship deployments. Additionally you will receive tall ship training and power boat handling.

Sea Cadet training is divided into four phases with an additional corps apprenticeship training option for senior cadets. The following subjects are part of the program:

• Bushcraft
• Citizenship
• Drill
• Marksmanship
• Physical Fitness
• Sailing
• Sea Cadet Routine
• Naval Knowledge
• Seamanship
• Leadership
• Instructional Techniques

During summer camps Sea Cadets learn sailing and seamanship activities along Canada’s coastline. Sea Cadets can earn a chance to participate in a national sailing regatta or to sail aboard a tall ship. Around 20% (11,000) of cadets are Sea Cadets with around 4,500 of those participating in sumer training.

There are four phases to the training offered in the Sea Cadets:

Phase 1: Introduction to the cadets, safe handling of a rifle, sailing, camping, sports and community activities. Completing this training is a prerequisite to going to a Summer Training Centre and for promotion to Able Cadet.

Phase 2: Advanced shooting, sailing, seamanship, camping, physical fitness, community activities and parade drill. Completing this training is a prerequisite to going to a Summer Training Centre on a Trade Group I course and for promotion to Leading Cadet.

Phase 3: Sailing theory, advanced rope handling, leadership skills and community activities. Completing this training is a prerequisite to going to a Summer Training Centre on a Trade Group II course and for promotion to Petty Officer Second Class.

Phase 4: In this phase you can become an instructor yourself. Completing this training is a prerequisite to going to a Summer Training Centre on a Trade Group III course or a Specialty course and for promotion to Petty Officer First Class.

There is then the option to pursue Phase 5 where you can lead groups on an outdoor adventure weekend, assist in supervising activities amongst many other opportunities.

Army Cadets:

The Army Cadets is the oldest of the cadets programs with around 35% of cadets belonging to it.

Through active outdoor pursuits like trekking, canoeing, rock climbing and survival training, Army Cadets gain valuable life skills, knowledge of themselves and an awareness of their environment. Army Cadets also learn about army traditions and participate in a variety of national and international expeditions that focus on adventure training, like whitewater rafting, horseback riding and canoeing.

Army Cadet training is divided into four star levels:

1. Green Star: During the first year you will get basic training in bushcraft, citizenship, drill, fundamental training, leadership, marksmanship, public speaking and map & compass.
2. Red Star: This level includes continued training in the Green Star activities as well as first aid knowledge.
3. Silver Star: At this level you will take on more responsibility, learn leadership skills and teach other cadets all you have learnt.
4. Gold Star: At this level you can become a leader at the cadet corps.

Air Cadets:

If you choose to join the Air Cadets you will have the opportunity to earn your civilian pilot licence as well as learn about the traditions of the Royal Canadian Air Force. You will also learn how to fly a glider, allowing you to pursue a career in flying or simply enjoy it as a hobby.

Air Cadet Training is divided into five proficiency levels, including on-the-job training for senior cadets. Some of the courses offered to Air Cadets at the local level are:

• Aircraft identification
• Aircrew survival
• Aeronautical facilities
• Physical fitness
• Drill
• Airframe Structure
• Effective speaking
• Marksmanship
• Principles of flight
• Radio communication
• Propulsion
• Navigation
• Meteorology

During the summer Air Cadets can attend summer training to gain flying and glider scholarships. The Air cadets has the largest proportion of cadets with 45%. Of those around 10,000 attend summer training.

Rewards:

By joining the cadets you will be rewarded with:

• sense of accomplishment
• recognition from your peers and mentors
• once-in-a-lifetime experiences
• life-long friends
• a chance to show case your talents and maturity
• self-confidence, self-discipline, self-esteem and increased self-awareness
• community involvement

So what are you waiting for? Join up now.

Those numbers are up from a previous survey for the non-profit research institute, which found in January 2009 that a total of 54 per cent identified themselves only as Quebecers or as Quebecers first.

Jack Jedwab, executive director of the association,said that the poll suggests a long-term distancing of relations between Quebec and the rest of Canada.

“Thirty-one per cent of Quebec francophones see themselves as only Quebecers. That says to me there’s a not insignificant minority of Quebecers who feel a really strong sense of detachment to Canada,” Jedwab said.

Even surges in national pride out of events such as the Vancouver Winter Olympics have only a temporary effect on that distance, he said.

“I still think there’s a lot of ambivalence on the part of francophone Quebecers about their connection to Canada,” he said. “We shouldn’t assume that great events like that are going to have a sustained or long-term effect.”

Quebecers are less likely than ever before to identify themselves as Canadian

Just under 20 per cent of francophones surveyed by pollster Leger Marketing define themselves equally as Quebecers and Canadians, 7 per cent as Canadian first and only 1 per cent as Canadian only.

Jedwab said the detachment from Canada is profound and will be difficult to reverse, at least among Quebec francophones. “They see Quebec as their family and their first reference for them in terms of their attachment.”

And he said it will have major implications in how Ottawa sells Canada inside Quebec.

“We need to think about the message we convey to Quebecers when it comes to issues of identity,” he said. “We have to express our relationship in very pragmatic terms … it’s not an affair of the heart.”

“We have got to get away from trying to, for example, bomb Quebec with love: talking about how much we love Quebecers … we may feel that way, but the reality is that in order to sell Canada within Quebec we’ve got to focus on the things that are pragmatic about our relationship.”

The poll also suggested a widening gap between francophones and anglophones in Quebec when it comes to national identity. Among English-speaking Quebecers, identification with Canada mirrors francophones’ identification with Quebec: 45 per cent define themselves as Canadian first but also as Quebecers, 21 cent as equally Quebecers and Canadians and 18 per cent as Canadians only.

In total, 19 per cent of anglophones define themselves as Quebecers first but also Canadian, and two per cent see themselves as Quebecers only.

Jedwab said the survey also showed attachment to Canada waning among young Quebecers: only 18 per cent of those age 18-24 report strong feelings of attachment to the country.

And the conclusion is that anywhere is a good place to be if you’re a kid on Christmas morning — but some places are clearly better than others.

“We thought we’d have some fun and check out what are the cities in North America that are the best place to be a kid on Christmas,” said researcher Jim Millway. “Saskatoon is one of the top 10 places in North America — and dare I say, the world — to enjoy Christmas or be a kid at Christmas.”

Saskatoon ranked eighth among all North American cities. Regina ranked 60th, but was still considered the second best Canadian city to be a kid at this time of year. The community with the highest percentage of youngsters under 14 was Laredo, Texas, at 38 per cent.

Ocean City, N.J., turns out to be the sweetest place in North America with 23 candy stores for every 100,000 residents.

Not surprisingly Canadian cities dominate the top 10 places most likely to see snow — with six cities having more than a 95 per cent chance of a white Christmas. Sadly, there were 110 cities across the U.S. and Canada with only a 2.5 per cent chance of having white stuff at Christmas.

When the researchers pulled together all the data, with two candy stores, six toy stores, 26 per cent of the 125,000 residents under 14, and an 82 per cent chance of having a white Christmas, Logan, Utah, ends up being crowned the best place to be a kid at Christmas, followed by Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Fairbanks, Alaska, Billings, Mont., and Ogden, Utah.

While reluctant to tag any one city the “worst place to be a kid on Christmas morning,” researchers suggested kids might want to stock up on goodies and snowballs before being dragged to visit grandparents in places such as Bradenton, Fla., Pine Bluff, Ark., or Johnson City, Tenn.

158,000 British Pensioners living in Canada have their British pensions frozen without any cost of living increases.  Meanwhile, pensioners living in the United States, Israel, Philippines, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, any European Union country, as well as many more, receive annual cost-of-living increases the same as the increases they get if they lived in the UK.

The UK is the only western nation which denies parity to all state pensioners regardless of where they live. The Canada Pension Plan (CPP), for example, gives annual increases to pensioners no matter where its pensioners choose to live in Canada or not.

With rising costs of living, this situation has put many pensioners in an extremely difficult financial state.

John Markham, a British Pensioner living in Ottawa and spokesperson for the International Consortium of British Pensioners, said, “David Cameron has pledged to make pensions fair for all and we applaud that goal. When all British pensioners, no matter where they live, including these brave veterans, win the right to have their pensions raised annually like everyone else we will know he has been true to his word.”

British veterans living in Canada ready to hand medals back

Many British veterans living in Canada and other Commonwealth nations are so outraged at their abandonment by the British government that they are prepared to hand back their medals.

“After 50 years of injustice it has come to the stage where men and women who fought for this country feel so abandoned that they would renounce their hard won war medals,” said Markham.

“Cashing a pension check that is the same amount as the first one received in 1989 Twenty-four years ago won’t buy the turkey this year in Canada,” said Alan May, veteran of the British Merchant Navy now living in British Columbia.

May came to Canada to join his two sons and five grandchildren in his declining years. He never imagined that his pension would be frozen. “Four years I spent dodging torpedoes for King and Commonwealth and there is no good reason why they refuse to index our pensions like those in other countries around the world,” May said.

The UK State Pension is similar to the CPP where the value of each pension reflects the number of years of contributions paid. There are currently 12-million UK state pensioners, all of whom contributed similarly to the UK state pension via compulsory National Insurance Contributions.  Approximately one-million of these live outside the UK.

About the Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners and the International Consortium

The Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners (CABP) is a not for profit organization  with over 11,000 members, dedicated to securing annual cost-of-living increases for all recipients of the UK State Pension, regardless of where they choose to live in retirement.

The Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners, in association with other similar pensioner organizations in Commonwealth countries has formed the International Consortium of British Pensioners (ICBP) to fight this inequity.

Many of the British policemen who emigrate to Canada find that their jobs are made somewhat easier, not by a difference in the nature of the criminals but by a difference in the nature of Canada’s communities.

“People here are generous and friendly, and citizens seem to be very active in reporting crime and helping to stamp it out,” says Steve Pocock, a British migrant who works as a 911 operative in Victoria, Vancouver Island.

“This is quite different to how we found things in the UK, where ‘looking the other way’ seemed to be all too prevalent. What we find wonderful here, unlike the UK, is the community spirit. People love their communities, and are very proud of them. If a youth is misbehaving, people are generally outraged and will tell them so. I cannot see this happening in today’s Britain.”

Moving form the UK to Canada Policing is different

Perhaps it’s this community-based approach to combating crime that has resulted in the low number of youth offences in Canada. It’s a tactic which many British migrants say was employed during their childhood in the UK, but which has been supplanted over here by a general feeling of alienation – nowadays, more than ever, Brits feel divorced from the communities in which they live. In many areas of Canada, however, community spirit is still strong; and it is this value which Pocock suggests lies behind one of the main differences between UK and Canadian crime.

“People here generally respect other people’s property and right to enjoy life,” he says. “If you come across some hooded males, they are more likely to say ‘hi’ and move over for you than produce a knife and demand your wallet.”

Paul Looker, a British policeman working in Edmonton, has noticed a similar trend. “I find that there is less youth-on-youth violence here than in the UK, and in general youths are better behaved,” he says.

There are other differences between crime in Canada and the UK; some positive, and some less so.

“I can’t really say whether there’s less crime in Canada or there’s the same amount, but we count it differently,” says Stuart Davidson, a British policeman working in Edmonton. “The thieves don’t seem as determined or organized as they are in the UK: there aren’t the same number of large-scale bank and cash-in-transit robberies, nor is there the same amount of level two crime, where villains drive long distances to commit felonies. On the other hand, there’s a lot of crack cocaine”.

Looker agrees that drugs are a “big problem” in Edmonton, and according to Pocock, they are also a major issue on Canada’s west coast. “Unlike in the UK, drugs are perhaps the biggest social problem and bugbear for all the population over here,” he explains. “You can’t avoid seeing users all over downtown. We receive many calls daily about parents taking their kids to school, having to walk past people injecting themselves or injecting each other with heroin. Then there are frequent calls about users passed out behind dumpsters, people going berserk running down the middle of a busy highway in a state of delirium, or junkies doing the ‘funky chicken’ in public parks!”

Most of Canada’s major cities have trouble with drug-users – and, while the drugs themselves are usually dealt and contained within a small area, drug-related crimes are a more widespread problem. “The drug culture results in massive car crime, homeless people and mental health issues,” says Pocock. “Car crime in particular is rife, and largely a result of the drug problem. Coming on duty at 6am in the Victoria 911 centre, the first few hours consist mainly of taking reports of vehicle break-ins and car thefts.”

One type of crime that migrants expect to see more of after moving to Canada is gun-related offences. Canada has more guns and fewer controls on them than most nations in Europe, and the gun ownership rate is high. As Pocock points out, this has its attached problems. “Migrants have to be aware that they are on the continent of North America, with attendant North American crimes,” he says. “So we do get armed bank robberies, drive-by shootings and biker gangs.”

On the other hand, Canada has far less of a problem with firearms than the USA. Only one third of murders in the country involve guns, and it is effectively illegal to carry concealed guns.  “Gun crimes are relatively rare and certainly more prevalent in big cities,” says Pocock.

“They are nothing to be overtly concerned about, and not something the average citizen is likely to encounter, but just be aware that they do exist.”

Although most migrants are unlikely to find themselves affected by the greater prevalence of firearms in Canada, it’s a different story for the Canadian police. “One of the main differences between policing in the UK and Canada is the gun aspect,” says Looker. “Because there are more of them here, police officers are naturally more safety conscious going to calls.” “Cops over here are generally no nonsense – as in all of North America they carry guns and may have tazers also,” agrees Pocock. For example, if the police run a vehicle licence plate and it comes back as stolen, the driver will be stopped and ordered out of the vehicle and on to the ground at gunpoint! No messing around here.”

While Canadian police may have a more forceful approach than their UK equivalents, the powers of detention and arrest that they are granted by law are actually comparatively restrictive. “When you take into account the fact that stop and search and police bail don’t exist, it probably seems like we have fewer powers of arrest, search and detention than in the UK,” says Davidson. “However, in the UK you spend so much time justifying the fact that you exercised the power in the first place, you never get out of the station! For example, it’s all very well having the power to arrest on reasonable suspicion, as you do in the UK – the problem is that, once you’ve used that power, the demands of the system ensure that you remain in custody justifying your arrest and trying to get your suspect to court.”

According to Davidson, this smaller bureaucratic burden results in a far more effective police force. “We’re more productive and there’s less waiting around,” he says. No CPS Direct or defence solicitors to call, no appropriate adults or lengthy booking procedure in custody. What this means in terms of actual time is difficult to say, because it depends on how quickly and accurately you can type up the required reports, but as an estimate I’d say it takes 75 per cent less time to deal with incidents.”

Most of the British police people who emigrate to Canada feel positively about the different approach to arresting and charging suspects. Looker, for example, admits that “the powers for a police officer are generally more restrictive in Canada”, but says “generally arrests end in charges, unlike in the UK.”

Another positive aspect of policing in Canada is the attitude of communities towards officers. “I was sometimes surprised in the UK, both as a 999 operative and as a special constable, how badly the police were often treated,” observes Pocock. “Being spat at, shouted at and sworn at and generally abused was all part of the lot of the British bobby. If you did that here, your feet wouldn’t touch the ground. In  my opinion, there’s way more respect for the police, and for authority in general, over here than in the UK.”

Of course, attitudes to the police and methods of policing vary across Canada, just as crime levels do. Many problems are specific to particular areas – such as the fugitive issue currently plaguing the west coast.

“You get a lot of criminals from other provinces fleeing to the west coast,” says Pocock. “If you are wanted by the police, say in Manitoba, you simply leave the state and the police can’t touch you. Your Manitoba warrant is not applicable in other provinces. Only Canada-wide warrants mean you can be arrested anywhere in the country.

Vancouver Police Badge

And where do you think most criminals head for? The balmy west coast, where the weather is mild all year round, so if you have to sleep in the streets then it isn’t going to kill you. However, Vancouver and Victoria have recently inaugurated their own ‘con-air’ programmes, where criminals wanted for serious crimes can be arrested and shipped back to their native province.”

One problem facing the entire country at the moment is a shortage of police people (one per 528.6 people) this is substantially lower than most developed countries, with only Japan and Sweden having so few police officers, and many British officers notice the difference.

“There are never enough police officers to attend all of the incidents which may be in progress at any one time,” says Pocock. “As in the UK, that results in calls to the 911 centre from residents asking where the police are. However, a large recruitment drive over recent years is starting to turn things around, with many more officers on the street.”

The massive Canadian recruitment drive has been instrumental in bringing a new influx of British bobbies to the country. The drive was so successful that 12 per cent of all applications that the Canadian police receive now originate outside of Canada, while the majority of those come from the UK. O’Neill is one of those who was attracted by Canadian advertising in the UK – he migrated to Calgary, which was implementing a particularly aggressive recruitment policy. “At the time Calgary was heavily promoted in the UK,” he says. “We liked the location, and economically it was good for us.”

Although Calgary has now put its recruitment drive on hold, other Canadian cities are still eager to attract British policemen. “Canadian police forces are always keen to take on British officers,” says Pocock. “Don’t wait for job ads, just pick up the phone and speak to someone – that’s how things are done over here. There are quite a few expat officers over here, particularly in Alberta I understand. Victoria police has several UK officers and they seem to fit in very well indeed.”

The success of the Canadian recruitment policy in the UK indicates that many British policemen have been happy to swap their job in the UK for a new world environment in Canada. Many perceive life over the Atlantic as safer in general, as Looker observes. “Where we live I have no issues walking, running and being there on my own,” he says of Edmonton. “I feel completely safe here.”

Pocock has similar feelings about Victoria and the west coast. “We feel much safer and more secure in Canada than we ever felt in the UK,” he says. “Crime of all types exist everywhere, but it seems much less day-to-day in Canada.

“Our advice is not to be overly paranoid, as we were. When we moved into our edge-of-town duplex, we chained our patio furniture to the wall. I didn’t even want to leave these things outside. Our neighbours thought we were mad; just how bad are things in the UK? In Canada things are way better – or at the very least, appear to be!”

A favourite saying among British migrants is that Canada reminds them of ‘how the UK used to be 20 years ago’. This adage also rings true of crime and policing in the country – the level and types of crime, the community support for police officers and the attitude towards detention and charging of criminals. Perhaps crime seems less of an issue in the country not because felonies are rarer but because community dependence and mutual support results in crime being perceived as less intimidating. In the Canadian psyche, it is the communities and not the criminals that are in control.