muchmor magazine issue 38
DESCRIPTION
Muchmor Magazine an independent digital publication about Canadian travel, Lifestyles, Cities, Canadian people and their lives, jobs and lifestylesTRANSCRIPT
Moving to Canada - all
roads lead to Cobourg
Free subscription online at www.readmuchmor.com
Tax-free savings accounts
Overcoming shyness in children
When a bad hair day is no laughing matter
Nova Scotia cooking - the way to a traveler’s heart.
The joy of shopping in Edmonton
Discover Cultural Quebec City
issue 36 nov 08
muchmorDiscover Your Canada
Canada Magazine issue 38 jan 09
Travel DestinationBeautiful Mexico
Research trips and findinghouses in Nova Scotia
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Muchmor Media17 Woody Woodward LaneCorbyville RR1OntarioK0K 1V0Canada
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Muchmor Magazine is a publication of Muchmor Media. All rights reserved in all media. No parts of this publication can be reproduced in any form, copied of stored electronically for commercial use without prior permission in writing from the publisher. Storing for personal use is acceptable. Muchmor Media relies on information supplied by external sources and this publication is supplied on the basis that it believes the to be correct and accurate at the time of publication. Muchmor Media does not however warrant its accuracy or completeness and to the full extent of the allowed by law excludes liability for any loss or damage sustained by readers arising from or in connection with the supply or use of this information. If errors occur and are brought to our attention it is our policy to correct any errors of fact whenever we can. The opinions of readers and contributors are not necessarily the opinions of Muchmor Media, and we cannot be held responsible for their comments.
2 Editorial
From the EditorWelcome to 2009
A very Happy New Year to all our readers. I cannot believe we are already into 2009, where did 2008 go?
If the cold, snowy weather has you thinking about warmer places then you might want to take a look at our article about Mexico. Whether it’s beaches or culture you want, Mexico has it all.
We also look closer to home at Quebec City and Nova Scotia and what they can offer the visitor by way of culture and food. If you haven’t already done your fair share of shopping in the sales then how about shopping till you drop in Edmonton?
If you have any money left after shopping then you will want to read all about the new tax-free savings accounts available. It might just be the thing for you. Read all about them on page 34.
If your child is shy then they will want to read about overcoming this in our article on page 46 or perhaps they prefer to earn some money through babysitting - see top tips on page 47.
In this month’s issue we give you a full list of all major articles which appeared in Muchmor Canada during 2008. You can click on the month and go straight to the issue to read.
So, happy reading and here’s to a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year for all.
Jane Toombes
Editor
Contents 3
Contents
Discover CanadaCultural Quebec City 4You belong in Brandon 8The joy of shopping 10Edmonton facts 13
TravelNova Scotia cooking 14Sombreros off to Mexico 18
LifestyleSlow cooker recipes 24Canadians Talk 26Canada’s population 26Canada fails UNESCO report 27Which games console? 28Top Canadian 29
Working LifeGet credit for your ideas 30Creating a business image 32
MoneyTax-free savings accounts 34Retirement plan contribution 38
MuchmorMuchmor Canada 2008 40
KidzoneTop kids stuff 45Overcoming shyness 46Great babysitting tips 47Wii downloads 47
Moving to CanadaTo Cobourg with love 48NAFTA - 3 year visa 53Countdown to Canada 54Moving 2 Alberta 56Real estate in Nova Scotia 57Get closer to Canada in 2009 58
Health & WellnessWhen a bad hair day is no laughing matter 60Invest in your health 63
Home & Garden
First time home buyer 65
4 Discover Canada
Cultural Québec City
A stimulating urban delight
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People visit Québec City for its history and beauty, only to discover a thriving cultural crossroads, at the forefront of artistic endeavour. As a major French-speaking metropolitan area in English-speaking North America, the city is a magnet for artists, performers, singers, and artisans.
A musical tour de force
You don't have to speak a word of French to appreciate Québec City's vibrant musical scene. Star billing no doubt goes to the Québec City Symphony Orchestra (OSQ) directed by Israeli Yoav Talmi, formerly with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra. The OSQ, which employs 67 fulltime musicians, puts on some forty subscription series concerts a year, often before sellout crowds.
Québec City is the birthplace of Les Violons du Roy, a string orchestra launched in 1985 by graduating music students and young professional musicians in the early stages of their careers. Brilliantly directed by Bernard
Labadie, they have since recorded eight releases under U.S. Label Dorian, toured all over Canada, the U.S., and Europe, and walked off with numerous awards and distinctions. A further crowd pleaser is the Québec City Opera, which puts on several different productions a year.
A city of surprises
This musical effervescence spills over into other areas of city life. In fact it's not unusual to spy a violinist, a guitarist, or even a musical ensemble out practicing in Old Québec, much to the surprise and delight of passers-by.
Québec City is a real draw for touring performers with its many concert halls and its avid ticket-buying public. Le Capitole de Québec, which once welcomed the legendary Edith Piaf, features a dinner & variety show formula. Marquee performers like Céline Dion make Québec City a regular stop on their tours. Rock groups like Bon Jovi, Metallica, and Rush are also
frequent visitors to Le Colisée Pepsi, the city's main arena.
A full-flavoured local scene
A great part of Québec City's musical attraction is owed its piano bars, boîtes à chansons, and nightclubs. Whether visitors prefer a touch of jazz as they sip on wine, a repertoire of Québec folk as they enjoy a local-brewed beer, or the next wave of streetsmart cool as they check out the local bar scene, they're only steps away from a night of discovery and escape in walkable Old Québec.
Festivals and special events also contribute to Québec City's musical renown. The granddaddy of them all is the Québec City Summer Festival, an eclectic summertime happening that takes to the streets, squares, and parks of Old Québec. For its 38th edition in 2005, attendance at the event reached some 900,000. In 2006, the American Bus Association rated the Québec City Summer Festival in the top 100 events in North America.
Discover Canada 5 P
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Sidewalk café on Quartier Petit-Champlain at night
Other musical events and attractions include chamber music at Île d’Orléans, the Québec City Festival of Sacred Music and the International Festival of Military Bands. Québec City also features regular recitals, organ concerts, and special performances in its many churches, chapels, and smaller concert halls.
Some great names in music from the Québec City area include Luc Plamondon, the author of over 400 songs and the immensely popular musicals Starmania and Notre-Dame de Paris, and Félix Leclerc, a Québec storyteller, poet, playwright and songster who spent the last 25 years of his life on Île d'Orléans, just outside the city's limits. Bruno Pelletier, a rock opera singer, and Jorane (the Québec artist who earned the most nominations outside the province) are both from Québec City. Song writer and interpreter Sylvain Lelièvre was also born in Québec City. When he passed away a few years ago, the City named a place after him in the neighbourhood where he grew up.
A visual enchantment
Québec City's vibrant cultural life extends to the visual arts. Artists cluster in the city's trendy Saint-Roch neighbourhood, close to Laval University's School of Visual Arts. Galleries abound, many featuring works of local inspiration, others blazing trails in contemporary art
and photography. The Musée national des beaux arts du Québec on the Plains of Abraham offers permanent exhibits of Québec art and regularly stages blockbuster shows, such as its Rodin exhibition in 1998 that drew over 500,000 visitors. The Camille & Claudel
exhibition was also seen by record crowds in the summer of 2005. The Musée national des beaux arts du Québec regularly presents major international exhibitions, such as From Caillebotte to Picasso. Masterpieces from the Oscar Ghez collection (fall 2006) and Fernando Botero (winter 2007).
Many local artists are avidly collected, including Luc Archambault, Claude Pelletier, Élène Gamache, and Danielle April. another internationally acclaimed artist was Jean-Paul Riopelle, deceased in March 2002, who lived on Île-aux-Grues. A permanent exhibition is devoted to his works at the Musée national des beaux arts du Québec. And indelibly linked to Québec City is Francesco Iacurto, a Montréal-born artist who fell in love with the area in 1938 and made it his permanent home. Iacurto is noted as the only Canadian artist to have painted in the gardens of the Vatican.
A word to the wise
Québec City stands out in literature. For visitors with even a passing knowledge of French, the rewards
6 Discover Canada
“Québec City is a real
draw for touring
performers”
Animation on Dufferin Terrace
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Sidewalk café on Petit-Champlain Street
Discover Canada 7
Sign in Churchillof exploration can be immense. A perfect booklover's walk could start on rue Saint-Jean in Faubourg Saint-Jean-Baptiste, outside the city's walls, and continue into the old town, with stops every block or so at the numerous bookstores. Once in the old city, visitors catch a special feeling near Côte de la Fabrique: they are in the Latin Quarter. Dare to step off the main street and venture in the narrow, winding streets. The historic building of Le Séminaire de Québec once was the campus of Laval University, the first French-speaking university in North America. Now a private highschool, this venerable building is also home to the Musée de l’Amérique française. From there, visitors could head down to the Old Port to unearth yet more treasures in the antique shops. The annual Book Show, called the Salon international du livre, draws francophone writers and editors. In summertime, the Bouquinistes du Saint-Laurent offer various treasures to book lovers on the Dufferin Terrasse, near Château Frontenac.
One illustrious writer who adopted Québec City as home was
Gabrielle Roy, whose name now adorns the main civic library. Her first novel Bonheur d'Occasion (The Tin Flute in English) received a Governor General's Award and France's Prix Femina. All of Gabrielle Roy's later works were also translated into English. Another writer with Québec City ties was novelist and poet Anne Hébert. Her 1970 novel Kamouraska based on a 19th century murder is a classic of Québec and Canadian literature and was made into a hit movie.
A dramatic presence
The performing arts in Québec City are personified by internationally famous writer, actor, and director Robert Lepage. His Ex Machina workshop in the Old Port has mounted some dozen world-touring productions in its first years. Lepage himself has notably staged works in Tokyo, Stockholm and London, and was the mastermind behind Peter Gabriel's Secret World Tour.
Québec City is noted for the variety and quality of its theatre productions. In addition, the city
plays host to an international drama festival, Le Carrefour international de théâtre de Québec, and a pan-American film festival, Festival de cinéma des 3 Amériques.
Adding to the cultural diversity and interest of Québec City are its many artisans from every walk of artistic life. Glassblower Jean Vallières, whose creations are made right before visitors' eyes in his Petit Champlain craft shop, typifies the city's appeal in this regard. Many of his shopkeeper neighbours specialize in other areas, such as jewellery, fashion, leatherworks, pottery, and pewter.
A visit to Québec City is a multidimensional experience. History, amazing architecture and landscapes, numerous natural sites and a rich cultural life all blend in our safe and friendly city.
Article courtesy of Québec City Tourism
Wall mural in Quebec City
Close your eyes, picture a vibrant, growing city nestled in the scenic Assiniboine River valley, surrounded by alluring landscapes, rolling hills, enormous skies, quaint towns and unspoiled countryside. Welcome to Brandon, a city of promise, in which our children wish to stay and raise their own children. We invite you to discover Brandon more closely throughout 2009 via the monthly editorials, each focusing on a unique topic, that will appear in the muchmor magazine.
Brandon is a welcoming community of approximately 44,000 people that offers the opportunity and sophistication of metropolitan life minutes from quiet country living. As Manitobaʼs second largest City, and the education, health, retail, service and entertainment centre for the southwest Manitoba regionʼs 180,000 inhabitants, Brandon boasts amenities, services, educational and employment opportunities generally found in much larger centres. Though Brandon presents all the diversity and conveniences of a larger centre, our primarily English speaking city has remained a close-knit community that looks out for one another.
Located in the southwest corner of Manitoba, Brandon is within a short drive of Manitobaʼs abundant natural landscapes, wildlife, rivers, lakes, parks and forests. With approximately 70% of Manitobaʼs farmland located within a 100 km radius of Brandon, alluring landscapes are as much a part of Brandon as city lights. Brandon is near some of Canadaʼs most amazing natural attractions including The Spirit Sands, a prairie desert phenomenon, and the spectacular Riding Mountain National Park. Brandon covers an area of 75 km2 and is located at the junction of major highways and rail services providing access to Eastern and Western Canada, Northern Manitoba and the United States. Brandon lies 197 km west of Winnipeg and Manitobaʼs International airport, 121 km east of the Saskatchewan border and 100 km north of the United States border.
A low crime rate, affordable housing, clean water, fresh air, student oriented education systems, abundant recreational and cultural opportunities create an enviable quality of life for our residents. As a sports oriented city full of top-notch recreation facilities with everything from skiing to soccer to equestrian sports, a truly amazing community spirit is found throughout the City.
Brandon has four very distinct seasons that all offer their own unique beauty and recreational opportunities. The summer season ranges from May through September with daytime temperatures from 12ºC to 26ºC. The months of November through February usually have considerable amounts of snow and temperatures well below freezing. Snow usually arrives in November and disappears in April, although these times can vary. The area enjoys over 2,000 hours of sunshine per year.
At the end of the day, one of Brandonʼs greatest assets is the balance between profit and personal reward. Imagine taking no more than 15 minutes to get to and from work, no matter what time of day, or where you live in the city. Come for a visit, and you may decide that you belong in Brandon.
8 Discover Canada Advertorial
You belong in Brandon
10 Discover Canada
The joy of shopping
Attention shoppers, shop until you drop takes on a
whole new meaning in Edmonton.
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Sequoia Club Discover Canada 11
They didn’t pave paradise in this city, they transformed it into a retail destination. You can, and should, think big when planning an outing to Edmonton’s extensive range of shopping attractions.
No true shopper should miss West Edmonton Mall – just step right up and find yourself in the middle of what’s easily described as the greatest indoor show on earth. There are more than 800 stores and services, over 100 eating establishments to choose from and that’s just for starters.
North America’s largest one-stop, over-the-top place to shop – equivalent in size to 48 city blocks – comes with its own hotel (there are actually two to choose from) and nine world-class entertainment attractions. Need a break to recharge your shopping batteries? Then try the mall’s water park and wave pool or take a spin around the world’s largest indoor amusement park – it’s amazing what you’ll find under here all under one roof.
For shoppers who savour the big-box store experience – from fashion to electronics and more – Edmonton rolls out another North American retail milestone. South Edmonton Common weighs in as North America’s largest open-air retail
development, where power centre shopping transcends to the next level with offerings of more than 100 stores and services.
Combine the two – 2.3 million square feet at South Edmonton Common and 5.3 million sq. ft. At West Edmonton Mall – and one can easily see why bigger is better when it comes to the joy of shopping.
Department store aficionados, meanwhile, can find two of western Canada’s largest Sears stores at Kingsway Garden Mall and Southgate Centre, two of seven major Edmonton shopping centres. But you’ll quickly find that Edmonton just isn’t a mall world after all – despite the fact that the city was also the home to Canada’s first shopping centre back in 1955.
There’s a rich choice of shopping districts to choose from, where visitors will come across a wealth of independent retailers and a fascinating array of unique merchandise to purchase.
Old Strathcona for example, known for its charm and its nightlife, has been named one of the 10 best shopping districts in Canada. Amid its historic buildings, the shopping fare ranges from locally produced to name brands known for their panache. You’ll find the ultra-cool
American Apparel, lululemon and its highly sought after yoga-inspired athletic apparel, fashionable footwear from Gravity Pope – a growing independent chain that started in Edmonton – to charming boutiques with captivating selections of arts and crafts, accessories, books, home décor, unusual gifts and collectibles.
The shopping destinations of 124th Street and the High Street area, meanwhile, minutes from downtown and literally steps away from each other, provide a quaint backdrop to more than 125 of their own enticing stores. One will find an assortment of antique and specialty stores, home décor options, books and must-have knickknacks. Art lovers will also find this area a must see, with a large number of Edmonton’s art galleries calling this part of town as their home.
But with so many stores and possibly so little time, where should one start?
If designer names are on your shopping list, try heading downtown to Holt Renfrew, Canada's leading fashion specialty department store for men and women. At the same time you’ll find yourself in the middle of the downtown shopping hub that encompasses Commerce Place,
Edmonton City Centre
12 Discover Canada
Manulife Place and Edmonton City Centre.
Joining Holts in Manulife Place is Birks, a well-known Canadian name in luxury jewellery, and Henry Singer, for the man looking for world-class clothing options.
But before heading to Escada in Commerce Place or Edmonton City Centre, with its more than 170 stores to choose from, including Eddie Bauer, The Gap, HMV and Nine West, head over to Bernard Callebaut Chocolates while you’re still in the Manulife mall. The to-die-for delectably, sinful chocolate delights are not to be missed.
If you’re a shopaholic – or even if you just want to be on top of the latest the world of retail has to offer – West Edmonton Mall is where you’ll find a wide variety of the world’s cutting-edge merchants. Mandarina Duck’s first North American store – the Italian retailer specializes in backpacks, luggage, purses and more – can be found there as well as the first Make Up Store to open in Canada – the chain is one of Sweden’s fastest growing retailers. There are many more examples and the mall owners report that they will continue to add unique, new retailers to their tenant mix.
Bargain hunters should check out the outlet stores at South Edmonton Common, including Tommy Hilfiger, Liz Claiborne and the Designer Depot but may also want to browse through the large selection of the non-outlet offerings while they’re there.
A little off the beaten path, and not too far from the downtown core, is Dots – a true Edmonton experience if you’re into fashion at discount prices. Tucked away in a corner on 105th Street, Dots offers a wide assortment of fashion choices – for both men and women – at incredible prices. But expect to spend some time there sorting through a multitude of clothing racks.
Fashionistas, meanwhile, should definitely consider some of the uniquely Edmonton offerings. Maggie Walt Designs on Jasper Avenue, is an Edmonton designer with an East meets West fashion flair. Or try Who Cares?, another Jasper Avenue boutique that caters to the career woman, and adds a selection from local designers.
So whether it’s for clothes (or other) encounters of the shopping kind,
you’ll find that Edmonton is your passport to the retail wonders of the world.
Shop Talk
Edmonton’s Westmount Shopping Centre was the first shopping centre in Canada and the second shopping centre opened in North America. Westmount opened on Oct. 20, 1955, and is still in operation.
• Edmonton is home to West Edmonton Mall – North America’s largest mall – and North America’s largest power centre, South Edmonton Common.
• An estimated 28 million people visit West Edmonton Mall each year. It has an employee population of almost 24,000 people.
• Retailers find Edmonton as one of the most attractive retail markets in Canada with some making the city their initial destination when they enter the country.
• A number of major Edmonton retail destinations including West Edmonton Mall, South
• Edmonton Common and Southgate Centre are in expansion mode, either adding new retailers or having recently announced expansion plans.
• Finding Sophies Rubies, operated by Edmonton shopping guru Judy McDonald, is a unique way to shop the city’s shopping gems. McDonald runs shopping tours that can be tailored to meet individual or group requirements. Whether you’re looking for the scoop on how best to shop the mammoth West Edmonton Mall or that special shopping outing, consider contacting McDonald through the Sophiesrubies.com website.
• There is no provincial sales tax in Alberta; shoppers only pay the five per cent federal Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Article and photographs courtesy of Edmonton Tourism
Visit www.readmuchmor.com to read all our back issues
and find muchmor.
Discover Canada 13
The name "Edmonton" is a Latinized version of a Saxon word meaning "Happy Hamlet." Edmonton was named after a borough of London, England.
Ripley's Believe It or Not has recognized 96th Street as "Church Street" for its 16 churches in the neighbourhood.
The world's largest ice cream sundae weighing 54, 914 lb. 13 oz (24.91 tonnes), was made by Palm Dairies in Edmonton on July 24, 1988.
Edmonton is one of Canada's sunniest cities with about 2,300 hours of bright sunshine per year. In June, Edmonton enjoys up to 17 hours of daylight per day!
Edmonton has more than 30 established festivals each year devoted to music, performances, visual arts, family fun, sports and culture.
Edmonton Heritage Festival is an annual opportunity to sample the ethnic foods from more than 50
different cultures in an unmatched outdoor experience.There are up to 40 restaurants at A Taste of Edmonton each year that offer one savoury and one sweet dish from their menu.
Edmonton was named as a Canadian Cultural Capital for 2007.
There are over 3,500 restaurants in the Edmonton region to choose from.
Old Strathcona, named one of the 10 best shopping districts in Canada is a bustling area rooted in history which boasts 300 businesses of which 90% are family owned.
The average yearly visitation to West Edmonton Mall is approximately 28.2 million, more than eight times the population of the province of Alberta, making WEM the Alberta's number one tourist attraction.
West Edmonton Mall's Fantasyland Hotel features 12 different theme rooms for guests to stay in including: African Safari,
Arabian, Canadian Rail, Hollywood, Igloo, Polynesian, Roman, Truck, Victorian Coach, Sports, Waterpark and Western.
Canada's largest Ecomuseum - Kalyna Country is a heritage and eco-tourism district in East Central Alberta.
Edmonton has the longest stretch of urban parkland in North America, which is 22 times larger than New York's Central Park and 8 times larger than Vancouver's Stanley Park.
The world's largest car park is located at West Edmonton Mall. It can hold 20, 000 vehicles. West Edmonton Mall also holds records for the world's largest indoor amusement park (26 rides and attractions), the world's largest indoor triple loop rollercoaster (1,285 metres of track), the world's largest indoor lake (complete with a replica of Christopher Columbus's Santa Maria), the world's largest indoor wave pool (12.3 million litres of water), and the world's largest indoor permanent bungee tower (30 metres up and 30 metres down).
Edmonton facts
14 Travel
Nova Scotia cooking – the way to a traveler’s heart
Sequoia Club Travel 15
If you’re from away you're going to love our food. But there's a price to pay to enjoy it. You’re going to have to tell us so – over and over again. For a province-full of good, some even great cooks, we’re modest about our local fare. We just “cook plain”. It’s the way we were brought up – with fish in one form or another every Friday, baked beans and brown bread on Saturday nights and Sunday mornings, fish chowder for supper (yes,supper, not dinner), fishcakes once a week, always with homemade chow chow, spareribs and sauerkraut, boiled dinners of corned beef and cabbage followed by leftover hash, and let’s not forget the rabbit stew,which you might have trouble finding today. But,this is all plain cooking.
Go to a restaurant worth its salt and you’ll find chefs and cooks, often from away, who appreciate what Nova Scotians consider to be nothing out of the ordinary. Loved, yes, but what’s so different about it? Sometimes it takes an objective approach to fully appreciate and lovingly prepare the ingredients that meld into a meal worth eating. At home,the cooking is routine. The love goes into the eating.
As visitors, you may not find yourselves at a kitchen table in Yarmouth, Guysborough, or Hants County. And if you do, the person doing the cooking might fancy it up by using a recipe from a trendy magazine in an effort to please you. But you can buy the same magazine, and probably have. What you crave is that special flavour that comes with Nova Scotia cooking. You’ve heard about the wonderful early summer meal of new vegetables cooked in cream (or milk) called Hodge Podge. You want
to judge for yourself how plain ole’, well, new vegetables can become something ethereal. And it is.
Nowhere on earth is the strawberry season more fully enjoyed than here in Nova Scotia, especially when the sweet berry is married with our tart rhubarb. If it’s on the menu,order a piece of strawberry rhubarb pie. It’s one of our favourites. And in August,when the blueberries are being picked,you’ll want to sample that dish called Blueberry Grunt. Forget that it’s only blueberries simmered with sugar and spices and topped with dumplings. Dumplings! Together they’re great. Look for it. And ask for it.
The food that comes out of Nova Scotia kitchens is largely influenced by French,British (especially Scottish), Loyalist,and German backgrounds. As early as 1633, when they came to stay, plant their apple trees, and,urged on by frugality, invent “receipts” from indigenous ingredients, the Acadians have established well their culinary heritage. Some say the love of rappie pie is acquired only after a few helpings. Others take to it immediately,especially when it’s served with molasses,which is
Fish and chips
“Nowhere on earth is the strawberry
season more fully enjoyed than here in
Nova Scotia”
16 Travel
never far from the kitchen table. If that doesn’t suit your taste,you can be sure a chicken fricot or clam pie will do the trick. And for dessert,you can’t do better than buttermilk pie, an ingenious use of the by-product of butter-making. To leave Nova Scotia without having tried some form of Acadian fare, is never really having been here.
Perhaps nowhere is the English culinary tradition more prominently reflected than in the pubs and taverns across Nova Scotia. This is where you'll find the shepherds’ pies, plowman’s lunches, sausage rolls, and,most popular of all, fish and chips.
Fish and chips were to industrial England what the hot dog was to the United States – the original fast food of generations who knew of McDonald’s only as a Scottish clan. And here in Nova Scotia there are many corner operations and small restaurants that proudly aim to please the fish and chip crowd. Upscale restaurants might call their dish haddock and frites, but we know it’s fish and chips. And we order them at places we have come to rely on. Food critics have tried to locate the best of the batch, but it all
comes down to a matter of preference.
Do you like your fish fried in a light
or heavy batter? Or just run through a coating of seasoned flour? And will that be cod or haddock? Some ask only one question before they order.“ Is the fish fresh or frozen?”If the answer is evasive,like “Well, it’s fresh-frozen,” true fish and chip addicts may opt for the special of the day.
Lunenburg County is the stronghold of German fare. If you’re lucky, you might start with an appetizer of Solomon Gundy (pickled herring) and go on to a salad of sauerkraut or cucumbers in sour cream. Follow this with an entrée of salt cod and pork scraps,which the Germans call House Bankin and others call Dutch Mess,and for dessert, gingerbread with lemon sauce, or pie of any kind. It’s here that the great cabbages grow and are turned into sauerkraut and kohl slaw. It’s here where potatoes are made into a delicious Kartofflesuppe or added to the batter of raised doughnuts called Fasnaks. It's here that a sausage called Lunenburg pudding is adored,and it’s here where some of the best home cooks ply their mixing spoons and rolling pins. Oh yes,in Lunenburg County, they take pride in their baking but modestly ask “what's all the fuss?”
You’ll find Scottish cuisine prominently located in Pictou County and Cape Breton,or wherever oatcakes appear in bread baskets (give a restaurant a star for this). From Scotch broth or cock-a-leekie soup served with bannock or porridge bread, to smoked kippers,
Cape Breton’s Glenora Distillerycock-a-leekie soup
“Fish and chips were to
industrial England what the hot dog was to the
United States”
Sequoia Club Travel 17
Retreat-on-TrentRelax - Recharge - Rejuvenate
Barbara & Dave Phillips11 McGill Street, TrentonOntario, K8V 3J1
Tel: 613 - 392 - 8310
Email: [email protected]
Just Mention "Muchmor" for discounted special rates when booking......
Overlooking the Trent River as it joins the Bay of Qunite, this 1830's character home is a unique hideaway for those times when quiet solitude and tranquilty are priceless. Lounge and enjoy the warm breeze in the private garden and fill your senses with the scent of lilacs and the surrounding vistas.
Within minutes you may participate in winery, historical, or studio tours or enjoy golfing, watersports and hiking trails in Prince Edward Country or along the Bay of Quinte. Retreat-on-Trent will rejuvenate your soul
finnan haddie or poached salmon with a side of clapshot, or tatties and ‘neeps, you'll find something special about Scottish fare. This is especially true if you wash it down with a tot of rare single malt whisky distilled at Cape Breton’s Glenora Distillery, the only place in North America that makes it.
With the early back-and-forth flow of people between Nova Scotia and New England, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish the cuisine of either. We readily credit the New Englanders who brought to their Nova Scotia homes the cornmeal that we turn into puddings and Johnny cakes, the baked beans and brown bread,and the traditional Thanksgiving dinner of turkey, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. But we hold close to our hearts the first fish chowders ever served in North America. To stake our claim we point to the blackened pots of the early 1500s, when foreign fishermen
came to fill their nets and ships with the prolific cod. They had to eat. And fish was handy.
The perfect fish, seafood or clam chowder is here. Somewhere. But finding it depends on your personal
preference. Some connoisseurs like a thick chowder, others like it thin. Perhaps somewhere in between lies perfection. You may find it, if you stay long enough.
Visit www.novascotia.com for more information.
Besides help with purchasing property we can saveyou hours of research, time and money.
These are just some of the benefits Relocation Nova Scotia clients enjoy!• Tailor Made accommodation solutions for your Fact Finding Trips andon landing, choice of B&B or one of our short term rentals.• We will provide meet and greet at Airport when landing with a largeenough vehicle for your family and luggage.• Meet with professional Immigration Consultant based here in Halifaxon your fact finding trip and receive free consultation.• Foreign exchange specialist will make moving your money overseaseasy. Fast Track services to obtain day-to-day banking, mortgages,credit cards and financial services from one of Canada’s leadingBanks, with a one to one service from your own personal banker.• Competitive rates for Car Rental, Car Insurance and purchasing avehicle.• Canadian Mobile phones, SIM cards delivered to you before youland and pay using a UK credit card.• Unique women’s network providing friendship and advice.
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“Lunenburg County, they take pride in their baking
but modestly ask “what's
all the fuss?””Visit www.readmuchmor.com
to read all our back issues and find muchmor.
18 Travel
Sombreros off to Mexico
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The word Mexico conjures up images of beautiful beaches, lots of heat and of course lots of sun, but there is far more to Mexico than that. Mexico offers stunning scenery, culture, nature, diving, mountain climbing, in fact the list is as endless as the beautiful blue waters.
The main beach resorts in Mexico are Acapulco, Cancun, Vallerta, Cozumel and Riviera Maya but again there are many more smaller, more secluded beaches that you may prefer. Each has its own special qualities that between them are sure to meet every travelers needs.
Cancun
Cancun has been known for years as a destination of choice for travelers from all over the world. It is located in the state of Quintana Roo in the Yucatan Peninsula and is often referred to as the “Mexican Caribbean.”
Although the area has been inhabited for hundreds of years the city we know today was specifically built to encourage tourism to the area. Development started in 1970 and was originally home to just nine
hotels. Over the last thirty-odd years the resort has grown rapidly and now has approximately 600,000 residents, many of who rely solely on the tourism industry.
These days you will find over 150 hotels catering to the four million plus visitors who come to Cancun every year, 35% of which are Mexicans. This area is known as the Hotel Zone.
The hotels range from exclusive and expensive to more reasonably priced accommodation. Many are all-inclusive which means meals, drinks, activities, entertainment etc are included in the room rate. You should check exactly what is included as some hotels vary.
The Hotel Zone is also where you will find the more expensive shops, clubs and bars. There are also large malls, restaurants, golf clubs and of course miles of beaches.
In the Downtown area of Cancun you will find traditional American retail outlets such as Sears, Blockbuster, as well as more traditional Mexican stores such as Chedraui and Soriana. Downtown tends to be where the locals shop and where you can find more reasonably priced items. There are
plenty of shopping arcades, bars, restaurants and the area is very family orientated.
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Cancun beach
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25 km of sandy beach
240 sunny days per year
Time zone UTC -6
25,000 hotel rooms
Nearly 400 restaurants
Average temperature 30!
Peak season Dec - April
Topless beaches available
Drink purified or bottled
water only
Cancun Factoids
20 Travel
Acapulco
Do you fancy going “loco” in Acapulco? This vibrant and exciting city is located in southeast Mexico and is famous for the cliff divers at La Quebrada. Every day young men dive 50 metres from the cliffs into the sea. This is a skillful process because the divers have to coincide their dive with the incoming waves in order to prevent themselves from landing in the shallows, resulting in injury or even death. Hundreds of tourist gather to watch this spectacle and at night the divers hold torches whilst diving.
Acapulco is a very popular tourist resort, second only to Cancun, especially for North Americans. It is also a popular destination of cruise ships.
Since the 1990’s over US$1 billion has been invested in the city to upgrade the infrastructure as well as things such as waste management, sewage systems and water quality.
Accommodations are available for every budget from the penthouse with ocean views to the more modest B&B’s. Many of the larger resort hotels are all-inclusive
offering everything from your food and drink to all your entertainment and water sports. Make sure you
check exactly what is included in the price as this does vary between hotels.
Acapulco is abundant with things to do especially water sports. You can scuba dive, sail, snorkel, waterski and para-sail as well as go deep sea fishing or simply swim in these beautiful waters.
Golf is also a very popular pastime here and you will find many beautiful golf courses. The Mayan Palace Acapulco Golf Course is one of the most spectacular courses in the Mexican Pacific. It is surrounded by stunning scenery including lakes and palm trees.
If you like a spot of nightlife then Acapulco will not disappoint you. You will find everything here from discos to quaint piano bars, spectacular shows to nightclubs. There really is something for everyone.
Whilst in Acapulco you would be wise to include a visit to the Isla de la Roqueta. This is an island about ten minutes from the city, accessed by boat. There are many water taxies operating that will take you to the island for a couple of dollars. If you want to splash out then spend a few dollars more and
360 sunny days per year
Time zone UTC -6
Average temperature 33!
Four championship golf courses
La Quebrada dive shows at 1, 7, 8, 9 and 10 pm daily
Drink purified or bottled
water only
CICI water park is great for kids
Elvis Presley filmed “Fun in
Acapulco” here
Acapulco Factoids
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Acapulco
opt for the glass-bottomed boat tour.
The island itself has beautiful beaches with shallow areas which are safe for children. There are also well-maintained trails to explore as well as a lighthouse.
If you like snorkeling or scuba diving then Roqueta is the place to be. Many tours are available allowing you to experience the beautiful coral reef and fish that surround the island. The visibility is brilliant and the tour guides excellent.
Because the boats go to and from the island all day you can spend as much time as you like there and not feel rushed.
You don’t have to go to Roqueta to find great beaches though. Acapulco has many beaches offering everything the tourist could want from beachfront restaurants to water sports.
Shopping opportunities are also abundant in this vibrant city. There are two modern malls as well as smaller shopping centres and many traditional open-air markets.
Cozumel
Cozumel is an island off the Yucatan Peninsular in the Caribbean Sea and is the largest island in Mexico. It is home to part of the second largest reef in the world: Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. Cozumel is world famous for its coral reefs and offers fantastic opportunities for scuba diving and snorkeling.
The coral reefs were explored in the 1950’s by Jacques Cousteau and he soon made them popular as one of the best places to scuba dive in the world. Since the building of a modern airport in the 1970’s the island has grown in popularity and is now a major tourist destination.
In 1996 the Cozumel Reefs National Marine Park was established which prevented anyone from touching or removing any marine life within the park. Unfortunately this is a popular location for boats and cruises and some of the coral reefs have been damaged by boat activity.
The area was made famous in December 2000 when singer, songwriter Kirsty MacColl was killed
whilst scuba diving with her children. A speedboat owned by a Mexican millionaire was in restricted waters when it hit Miss MacColl, killing her instantly and injuring one of her children.
On a lighter note the centre of the island is made up of jungle and swamps. Many of the mammals and birds found here have never left the island.
The Chankanaab National Park is a natural habitat for local wildlife. You can visit the park which offers amenities such as beaches, diving opportunities, shopping, playgrounds and even sand wheelchairs for disabled visitors.
One of the most popular attractions at the park is swimming with dolphins. This is an activity for children and adults alike and is supervised by experienced staff making sure both dolphins and humans are cared for.
Faro Celarain Eco Park is an Ecological Reserve covering around 1,000 hectares. There are five eco-systems within the reserve which acts as a learning centre for visitors and eco-tourists. There is a museum, crocodile watching area and catamaran tours. The beautiful
Travel 21
Chankanaab Park
22 Travel
beach is where sea turtles come every year to lay their eggs and of course there is the barrier reef.
If you prefer a little culture then you will want to visit San Gervasio which is the most important Mayan
site on the island. You will see structures, carvings, temples, buildings and roads constructed by the Mayans many centuries ago.
Cozumel’s Island Museum offers a geographic view and history of Cozumel in four exhibition rooms. The first room has a scale model of the island with details of the different areas and the geological and evolution of the island. The second room details the underwater environment including the formation of the coral reefs. The third room is dedicated to the Mayan history and the fourth is dedicated to the founders of Cozumal as it is today and how eco-tourism has developed.
Many people choose to get married in Cozumel because the weather is almost guaranteed and the scenery offers a stunning backdrop to any wedding album. If you can’t get married here then it is a perfect place for your honeymoon.
Cozumel offers everything from Mayan history to wildlife and of course the stunning barrier reef.
Mayan Ruins
The ancient Mayan culture is centered around the Yucatan Peninsular and the lower rainforest of Mexico. The ruins have long been a mecca for tourists and culture buffs alike. Although there are many areas in Mexico where you can see these ancient ruins the two most famous are Palenque and Chichen Itza.
Chichen Itza is the best known and most visited location. The name literally means: "Mouth of the well of the Itza" and it is located 75 miles east of Merida and covers six square miles. Chichen is not entirely Mayan as it has some Toltec influences.
The site was originally established by the Mayan sometime around 550 AD but was abandoned and resettled several times including once by the Toltec who had a strong influence on the building style. This has led to there being two sections to the ruins: one belonging to the Mayan period dating back to the 7th and 10th
centuries and the second section being of Mayan-Toltec dating back to the 13th century.
One of the best known buildings on the site is the Kukulkán's
Part of second largest barrier reef in the world
Average temperature 27!
Underwater visibility up to 250 feet
25 species of fish
2 million visitors per year
Use biodegradable sun block
Over 90 restaurants & cafes
Hundreds of weddings take place ever year
Cozumel Factoids
MesoamericanBarrier Reef
Ruins at Chichen Itza
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Travel 23
Pyramid or El Castillo This pyramid is a square-based pyramid which extends 24 metres high and was originally built for astronomical purposes.
The pyramid has four faces: one for each season, each with a wide staircase consisting of 91 steps leading to the top platform. Taking the number of steps and the platform itself it numbers 365: the number of days in the year. There are many other mathematical equations used in the construction of the pyramid including the fact that during the spring and fall equinoxes (March 21st and September 22nd) the sun falls on the structure in such a way as to suggest a serpent is descending the steps. Likewise during the winter solstice the sun appears to climb one staircase, sit on the platform then decent the adjacent staircase.
Also at the site is the Ball Court which is the largest and finest example in Mexico. It measures 83 metres by 60 metres and was used by Mayan men to play a game called pok ta pok.
Mayan prophecy predicts that on December 22nd 2012 the warrior serpent Kukulkán will rise from beneath the ground of the ball court and the world will end.
If you want to visit Chichen Itza you will find many hotels located close to the entrance of the ruins as well as in nearby Merida.
Palenque is the second most popular Mayan site in Mexico. It is located near the city of Chiapas and dates back to between 100 BC and 800 AD. Although still not as popular or well-known as Chichen Itza it is actually much grander.
One of the most beautiful buildings is the Temple of Inscriptions which houses the second longest glyphic text of the Mayan world. The pyramid is 60 metres wide and 27 metres high and afford stunning views across the countryside and mountains. The building consists of many rooms, chambers and courtyards. It also contains the tomb of Pakal the Great, a Mayan ruler of Palenque. You can walk down the steep stone steps to the burial chamber and visit the tomb yourself. Be warned that the humidity is intense, so much so that the stone walls seep water giving rise to the notion that they cry for their buried ruler. You might also notice the smell of bats, or rather their guano. It is well worth visiting the tomb, just be prepared for the smell, heat and humidity.
Other buildings on the site include the Temple of the Cross, Temple of
the Sun and Temple of the Foliated Cross. All these temples are set atop pyramids, all with intricate carvings and all stepped.
Still more buildings can be seen including the Temple of the Lion depicting a king in the form of a jaguar. There is also an aqueduct constructed with huge stone blocks and a great vault allowing the Otulum River to flow under the floor of the main plaza.
Mexico really does have something for everyone and it would be a shame for someone to visit and spend all the time on the beach when there is so much more to explore.
If you think you may only visit Mexico once, then be prepared to visit many locations and explore what Mexico really has to offer. If you know you will visit time and time again then you have the luxury of being able to take in the beaches, the cities, the culture at your leisure.
Just make sure that Mexico is on your list of “must-do’s.”
Ruins at Palenque
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Temple of the Sun at Palenque
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and find muchmor.
24 Lifestyle
Jambalaya
Ingredients:
475 ml Chicken Broth 9 g Creole seasoning1 large green pepper, diced1 large onion, diced2 large stalks celery, diced1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes455 g kielbasa, diced340 g skinless, boneless chicken thigh, cut into cubes185 g (uncooked) regular long-grain white rice225 g fresh medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
Mix broth, Creole seasoning, pepper, onion, celery, tomatoes, kielbasa, chicken and rice in 3 1/2- to 6-qt. slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hr. (or on high 4 to 5 hr). Add shrimp. Cover and cook for 40 min. or until done.
Slow cooker recipes
Beef Barley Lentil Soup
Ingredients:
455 g lean ground beef110 g onion, chopped310 g cubed red potatoes (1/4 inch pieces)120 g chopped celery130 g diced carrots190 g dry lentils, rinsed100 g medium pearl barley1895 ml water5 g beef bouillon granules6 g salt1 g lemon-pepper seasoning 2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomato
In a nonstick skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker. Layer with the potatoes, celery, carrots, lentils and barley. Combine the
water, bouillon, salt and lemon-pepper; pour over vegetables. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until vegetables and barley are tender. Add the tomatoes; cook 2 hours.
Lifestyle 25
Cabbage Rolls
Ingredients:
12 leaves cabbage185 g cooked white rice1 egg, beaten60 ml milk40 g minced onion455 g extra-lean ground beef8 g salt3 g ground black pepper1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce15 g brown sugar15 ml lemon juice5 ml Worcestershire sauce
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil cabbage leaves 2 minutes; drain. In large bowl, combine 1 cup cooked rice, egg, milk, onion, ground beef, salt, and pepper. Place about 1/4 cup of meat mixture in center of each cabbage leaf, and roll up, tucking in ends. Place rolls in slow cooker. In a small bowl, mix together tomato sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over cabbage rolls. Cover, and cook on Low 8 to 9 hours.
Chicken Fricassee
Ingredients:
1 large onion, chopped6 cloves garlic, chopped0.5 green bell pepper, chopped8 small whole peeled potatoes1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce120 ml dry white wine3 g cumin1 leaf fresh sagesalt and pepper to taste910 g chicken leg quarters
In a medium bowl, combine onion, garlic, bell pepper, and potatoes. Stir in tomato sauce and wine; season with cumin, sage leaf, and salt and pepper. Place chicken legs in slow cooker, and pour mixture over chicken. Cover, and
cook on Low heat until juices run clear, about 6 to 8 hours.
Sequoia Club26 Lifestyle
The www.CanadiansTalk.ca website builds upon several small layers to form a unique vehicle to discuss issues affecting us all. Breaking down forums into individual communities, people across Canada can share thoughts and opinions at a local level, or engage broader national topics.
Two years ago, I was looking for a site where I could communicate what was happening within my municipality. After being unsuccessful in my search, I decided to start my own. I figured that citizens of all over Canada had the same problem. With some hard work and many hours invested in promotion, today, we have grown to several hundred members with thousands of posts.
The success of the site depends greatly on the members contributing. We have some very upstanding members that have been recruited as moderators for their local forums. They facilitate and moderate discussions to keep everyone civil. Sometimes discussions can become very heated! But, that just demonstrates the passion our members have for their communities and their Country. We are always on the look out for intelligent individuals who want to spend some time to moderate their community. Being a non-profit site, there is no pay, but there are benefits of engaging conversation that open up new ideas and change people’s perceptions.
We have many other forums besides our bread and butter community forums. Some are Religion, Sports, Techie (If you require some type of computer assistance or just want to talk about the new gadgets available), Jokes, Travel & Entertainment, Cooking & Recipes, Politics, Business and Trade etc. There are over 100 different forums to fancy everyone!
One recent topic of discussion is the Big Three Bailout. Members from inside the big three to those on the sidelines are sharing opinions. It really gives good insight to ideas and perceptions that one may not ordinarily be subject to. So, if you are interested in sharing your views, opinions, and getting into important discussions I encourage you to visit www.CanadiansTalk.ca. Tell them that Glenn sent you…
“The happiness of every country depends upon the character of its people, rather than the form of its government.” - Thomas C. Haliburton (Canadian Writer, 1796-1865)
As of 1st October 2008 the Canadian population is estimated to be 33,441,300
This is an additional 129,900 since 1st July 2008
71,300 immigrants landed in the third quarter
Alberta led the field in demographic growth
Saskatchewan had the highest net interprovincial rate
Ontario’s growth was below the national average for the fourth quarter in a row
Quebec saw the highest growth since 1991
All Atlantic provinces saw population increases
Canada’s population
Your donations will have a lifelong impact!
The Children’s Aid Society of Brant
Endowment Fund
By sending a child to camp who otherwise would not be able to attend.By helping us finance post secondary educations for children who have grown up in care & overcome numerous challenges in their short lives.
Your donations & estate gift giving will help us invest in a child’s future!
Call: 519-752-9094 Fran Welsh TThhaannkk yyoouu..
UNICEF recently released a report ranking 25 developed countries in order of the child care services they offer. Canada came in joint last!
Ten benchmarks were used in the report:
• Parental leave of one year at 50 per cent of salary
• A national plan with priority for the disadvantaged
• Subsidized and regulated child care services for 25 per cent of children under 3
• Subsidized and accredited early education services for 80 per cent of 4-year-olds
• 80 per cent of all child care staff trained
• 50 per cent of staff in accredited early education services tertiary educated with relevant qualification
• Minimum staff-to-children ratio of 1:15 in pre-school education
• 1 per cent of GDP spent on early childhood services
• Child poverty rate less than 10 per cent
• Near-universal outreach of essential child health services
Only one country, Sweden met all ten benchmarks. Iceland met nine and Denmark, Finland and France each met eight.
Canada and Ireland both only managed to meet the benchmark stipulating that at least 50 per cent of staff in accredited early education services had post-secondary education with relevant qualifications.
UNICEF accepts that there are variants across the country with different provinces offering a
different range of services but this report was based on the country overall.
Although there is progress in many parts of Canada, Nigel Fisher, President and CEO of UNICEF Canada states that “greater equity in the provision and monitoring of quality services would give all Canadian children the chance for the best possible start in life.
“This report clearly shows that quality child care and educational services with strong family supports, such as effective parental leave, are crucial to both our children’s and our nation’s potential,”
Other notable countries included the United States which met three benchmarks, Australia met two, United Kingdom met five, New Zealand, six and Japan four.
The full report titled The Child Care Transition can be downloaded in pdf format via this link.
Canada fails in UNICEF child care report
Lifestyle 27
These days we are all well aware of the games phenomenon sweeping the world. Only a few years ago, games consisted of a board and some counters or perhaps for those with more money a ping-pong game on their Atari. These days most households either have a games console or know someone who has. So, what is all the fuss about and which one is the best to buy?
There are several games consoles, some connect to your TV and others are hand-held. All have their place in modern society and it depending on what you want your console for dictates which one you buy.
Nintendo Wii
There is no doubt that the Wii has gripped everyones imagination. It has an innovative motion-sensitive Wiimote which allows the user to interact with the games like never before. The graphics are not in the same league as the Xbox or Playstation but the Wii attracts a different buyer than traditional gaming machines.
The Wii is backward compatible with other Nintendo games such as the GameCube but has no DVD or CD playbck facility. It does have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth compatibility.
If you want good old-fashioned family fun then look no further, but hard-core games will not be swayed.
Playstation 3
The Playstation 3 (PS3) is for true gamers and includes an excellent Blu-ray HD disc player as well as Wi-Fi connectivity.
This machine has the excellent graphics that gamers demand with both high definition and realism.
It lacks backward compatibility with older Playstation games.
If you want a good gaming machine and Blu-ray player then you won’t go far wrong with the Playstation 3.
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 offers the most superior graphics of any console making it a firm favorite with hard-core gamers. Although plagued with faults after its launch, most now seemed to have been ironed out.
It has a built-in Blu-ray player and a superior selection of games compared to the PS3. It also offers
excellent online gaming via Xbox Live and is for the most part backwards compatible.
Sony PSP
The PSP has been a firm favorite in the hand-held market for many years now. It has a large high resolution screen and easy to use controls. The latest version is also lightweight and thin and can play music and movies on UND discs.
It is the best available hand held console on the market, but is more expensive than its competitors.
Nintendo DS
The DS is unique in that it has two three inch screens, one of which is a touchscreen. It is lightweight and user friendly.
It does not play music or movies like the PSP but does offer microphone enabled gameplay and Wi-Fi capability. It is also backward compatible with Game Boy Advanced games.
The DS, like its bigger brother the Wii, offers something a little different from traditional games machines and if you want fun and a child-friendly hand-held then look no further.
Which games console?
28 Lifestyle
Fiction hardbacks
Fiction paperbacks
DVD’s
CD’s
TV shows
Top Canadian…
1. C.S.I. - 2.892. House - 2.243. C.S.I. New York - 2.134. Criminal Minds - 1.895. Survivor: Gabon - 1.856. C.S.I. Miami - 1.65
7. Law and Order: SVU - 1.618. Survivor: Gabon Reunion -
1.55 9. ER - 1.4810. CTV Evening News - 1.36
1. Dark Horse, Nickelback2. Circus, Britney Spears3. Promise, Il Divo4. Black Ice, AC/DC5. Fearless, Taylor Swift6. Muchmdance 2009, Various7. Winter Came, Enya
8. Chinese Democracy, Guns N Roses
9. Un Jour Noel, Marie-elaine Thibert
10. Elvis Christmas Duets, Elvis Presley
1. The Dark Knight (PG)2. Mama Mia (PG)3. Burn After Reading (14A)4. Death Race (18A)5. Mummy: The Tomb of the
Dragon Emperor (PG)
6. Traitor (14A)7. The House Bunny (PG)8. Wanted (18A)9. Step Brothers (14A)10. The Women (18A)
Lifestyle 29
1. The Shack, William P Young2. The Appeal, John Grisham3. Thousand Splendid Suns,
Khaked Hosseini4. The Book of Negroes,
Lawrence Hill5. The Pagan Stone, Nora Roberts
6. Heart and Soul, Maeve Binchy7. Three Day Road, Joseph
Boyden8. T is for Trespass, Sue Grafton9. World Without End, Ken Follett10. The White Tiger, Aravind Adiga
1. Through Black Spruce, Joseph Boyden
2. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Barrows & Shaffer
3. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, David Wroblewski
4. The Flying Troutmans, Miriam Toews
5. The Host, Stephanie Meyer6. The Origin of Species, Nino
Ricci7. A Most Wanted Man, John le
Carre8. The Private Patient, P D James9. A Mercy, Toni Morrison10. Just After Sunset, Stephen King
Sequoia Club
How to get credit for your ideas at work
By Tag Goulet, FabJob.com
You are at a meeting to discuss ideas for implementing a new program in your company. After some discussion, you tentatively throw out an idea. It is ignored.
Ten minutes later, one of your co-workers says "Hey, here's an idea ..." and restates your suggestion almost word for word. This time, "your" idea is met with a chorus of "Great idea!" from your colleagues.
If this has ever happened to you, you are not alone.
Sonia Herasymowych, Ph.D., a consultant on mental diversity, says one reason ideas are sometimes not acknowledged the first time they're stated is because of differences in thinking styles.
Right-brained thinkers tend to be intuitive. They may jump to a conclusion and express it before their left-brained colleagues have arrived at the same conclusion. It is only after the discussion has logically led to the idea that it is likely to be embraced by the left-brained thinkers, Herasymowych says.
Whether or not you get credit for your ideas depends not only on when they are communicated, but on how they are communicated. Here are some communication techniques to help you get credit for your ideas.
1. Communicate with confidence
In her book "Talking From 9 to 5," Deborah Tannen reports that employees who get heard at meetings tend to be those who speak more directly, loudly and at greater length than their co-workers.
Says Tannen, "Many people try to avoid seeming presumptuous by prefacing their statements with a disclaimer such as, 'I don't know if this will work, but ...' or 'You've probably already thought of this,
but ...'" However, such disclaimers may result in the rest of the message being ignored.
"Women are often conditioned not to brag about their accomplishments while men are trained to do exactly that," says Sandra Beckwith, author of "Why Can't a Man Be More Like a Woman?" "I advise women to mimic male confidence when presenting their ideas so they are more likely to be heard and get the appropriate credit."
"Be assertive when putting an idea forth," says Pamela J. Holland, co-author of "Help! Was That a Career Limiting Move?" "If you float something out at a meeting, but do so without conviction -- even if it's brilliant -- there's a chance that it will be overlooked or maybe even jumped on by someone else who recognizes its value and quickly takes it on as their own."
2. Tell your boss
Andrea Kay, author of "Life's a Bitch and Then You Change Careers," says, "Make a point to let your boss know about your achievements and worthy ideas. Don't assume he or she will notice. Bosses are too busy with their own problems. If you've got an idea on how to improve a process, project or relationship, increase sales or save the day, speak up.
"If you can't get face time with your boss, write it down," Kay says. "If it's via e-mail, put in the
subject line: 'How to save the Turner account' or 'How to save $50,000 on training costs.'"
3. Get support from others
"If you have a great idea, market it internally and discuss it with multiple people, which allows you to take ownership of your ideas and prevents others from appropriating them as their own," recommends Peter Handal, president and CEO of Dale Carnegie Training.
"However, give credit where it's due and if you share the idea with someone and they come up with another idea that enhances yours, prepare to market it as a joint idea," adds Handal.
30 Working Life
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Sign up completely free to receive job
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employers to search for you.
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Working Life 31
4. Set the record straight
If someone takes credit for your idea and you're in a competitive workplace, you may need to set the record straight. Beckwith advises, "Write a memo after the fact that makes it clear where the idea came from -- 'I'm glad to see that Bob liked my idea, which was to...'"
In other workplaces, it may be better to let it go. Handal warns, "If you're working as part of a team, aggressively taking credit for your ideas can make you look like an insecure egomaniac."
5. Get something better than credit
What if it's your boss who takes credit for something you've come up with?
"If your boss takes the credit, they owe you one," says Ted Sun, Ph.D., executive coach and author of "Secrets of Biz Success."
"Don't lose sight of the fact that your No. 1 most important job is to support your manager and make him or her look good," Holland says. "If that means letting this person take credit for what you've done, so be it. The rewards you reap behind the scenes in terms of your performance appraisal, career support, etc.,
should offset it, provided you work for a manager whom you trust and who shows respect and consideration for you in other ways."
If your boss routinely takes credit for your ideas without rewarding you, it may be time to look for a new job. But Steven L. Katz, author of "Lion Taming: Working Successfully with Leaders, Bosses, and Other Tough Customers," has a different point of view.
"When it comes to bosses, clients and others who you want to engage in your ideas, the critical test of the value of an idea is if they do make it their own," Katz says. "Better than credit, what you really want in an organization is influence!"
Tag Goulet is co-founder of FabJob.com, a publisher of career guides offering step-by-step advice for breaking into a variety of dream careers. Visit www.FabJob.com to subscribe to the free career newsletter.
Sequoia Club
By Tina Dezsi
Recently, a fellow entrepreneur whom I admire for her positive attitude and her tenacity for never giving up through many ups and downs sent me an email that helped me to see all the wonderful things 2008 presented to me.
This comes at a time when I was being influenced by some negative comments about myself and my business. She went on to tell me how blessed I was with having a new love in my life, my business goals and visions coming to fruition, winning the Business Person of 2008, Phenomenal Woman 2008 Award, Readers Choice Award and more…..
The thing that influenced this months article is her comments about me always doing business with integrity, always showing honesty to everyone, engaging everyone involved and being upfront with changes, volunteering my time
and my money to help others and always offering a hand.
As I write this, I immediately thought of how right she was and more to the point how important it is for a business person to always, always put their best foot forward. Indeed, the times are changing and no matter how positive we are, we must remain abreast of the economy and the changing world around us.
When a person chooses to be an entrepreneur, they need to be prepared for everything. Putting a suit of armor on just doesn’t do justice to protect them from what they are about to experience.An entrepreneur is a creative person who allows pieces of their inner selves to be exposed by sharing their creativity and ideas for public display. When one opens themselves up to public scrutiny, both positive and negative will surely come your way.
I believe that remaining positive is the best possible attitude an entrepreneur can have, is it easy – absolutely not. When you are bombarded with people who are threatened by your success or possible success they become negative and because of you their self-confidence is shaken. People show their fear of your success by gossiping or giving you bad advice when you are sharing your ideas.
This advice comes from different angles such as family, friends and fellow business people we network with.
What I have learned is that it is always about their inner issues and never about you. Being in business means that you are in the public and open to criticism, gossip and negative comments.
So what can a business person do? Firstly, in order to maintain your conviction you must surround yourself with positive people who help to build you up. Yes, that might mean eliminating the energy vampires, understanding and accepting the ones that continue to shoot you down. If you believe in what you stand for and what you are doing then others comments can’t possibly hurt you.
You as an entrepreneur must first understand what you have to offer, what you stand for and always maintain your integrity. Follow through with your promises and offer only the very best foot forward. Maintain a positive attitude and write your goals down. Your vision should be very clear - enough to carry you through. Make sure you continue to do business with integrity and honesty - offer your clients that very best of you. Never ever compromise your values - no matter how much gossip you hear.
You do not have to share all your secrets with others, when people start to interrogate you – maintain your composure and understand it is their way of finding out how you continue to be a step ahead and create success.
You are obligated to be the best possible person and influence you can be. Never gossip yourself about others and always offer positive solutions for every situation. Be
32 Working Life Advertorial
Creating a positive business image
Sequoia Club Working Life 33
cautious of being sucked into someone else's vortex of negativity.
Why is this important you might ask? It is of the utmost importance for your clients to continue to have confidence in you and for your business to prosper.
The people who offer only negative energy will always fall flat of their goals and will show their own true colours to others – you will not need to do anything to help that along. Have faith in what you are doing and who you are. You will come out ahead.
Image is more about all of this then the clothes you wear. Share the gifts you have been blessed with and know that you are making a difference in others lives.
Tina Dezsi, CEO, Founder Power
of Women Exchange, a networking
group for women entrepreneurs,
executives and business
professionals that provides the tools
for women to empower themselves
to create success on their own
terms.
Tina is a writer, facilitator,
business coach and leader in
inspiring people to plan their path to
success. She teaches marketing
and sales for the women's market
and building mutually beneficial
relationships with networking. Tina
offers tips on her blog at
www.powe.ca. Tina provides
numerous workshops on these
subjects. She is also a successful
Canadian Jewelry Designer of her
own line called Jewelry by T. Check
out her site at
www.tinadezsidesigns.com.
Websites & graphic design
Email marketing
Banners & trade show displays
Sticking your head in the sand won’t help.
Marketing your business will.
polodesign.ca613•392•2011
polodesign.ca
POWE Chapters
Bay of Quinte
Meets at the Holiday Inn, Trenton on
the 4th Tuesday of each month
Registration from 11:00 am.
Clarington
Meets at Bobby C’s Dockside in
Bowmanville on the 4th Tuesday of
each month. Registration from 6:30
pm.
Durham East
Get together at the The Oshawa and
District Shrine Club in Oshawa on the
1st Tuesday of each month.
Registration from 11:00 am.
Durham West
The Forest Brook Community Church
in Ajax is the location of this meeting
on the 3rd Tuesday of each month
with registration from 11:00 am.
Markham
This chapter meets at Victoria
Square Community Centre on the 2nd
Tuesday of the month with
registration at 11:00 am.
Ottawa West
Meet at City View United Church,
Ottawa on the 1st Tuesday of each
month. Registration starts at 11:00
am.
Coming Soon….
Scugog/UxbridgeKitchener Waterloo
jewellery in the convenience of your own home. No last minute panic, no crowds and no worries! I will even
gift wrap that special gift for you at no extra charge. Or add to your own
jewellery collection.
Vintage One-Of-A-KindRe-Designed Jewellery
Home Parties
Book Your Own Jewellery Party and receive bonus discounts
Party bookings in a 50 mile radius of Campbellford, ON
www.crosmazandbrown.com
Visit www.readmuchmor.com
to read all our back issues
and find muchmor.
34 Money
Tax-Free Savings Accounts - get a quick start out of the gate in 2009
Money 35
Opening a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) can offer you and your family the opportunity to earn a significant amount of investment income tax-free. Though your contributions to this new type of tax-assisted savings account will not be tax deductible l the investment income and capital gains earned on investments in the account will be tax-free. You'll be able to withdraw this income and your contributions to your TFSA at any time without tax consequences.
How much can you contribute?
You can contribute up to $5,000 per year to a TFSA starting in 200g1 as long as you are 18 or older and resident in Canada. The $51000 annual contribution limit will be indexed to inflation in $500 increments starting in 2010. You can carry forward unused contribution room indefinitely. You can hold more than one TFSA, subject to your contribution limit.
Withdrawing funds
You can make a tax-free withdrawal from a TFSA at any time. When you make such a withdrawal, the amount withdrawn will be added to your contribution room in the next year
and can be re-contributed in the future.
For example, if you contribute $5,000 in January 2009 and you decide to withdraw $41000 in June 2009 so that you have only $1,000 remaining in your TFSA, you will not be able to re-contribute the $4,000 you withdrew until 2010. At that time, you will be able to re-contribute the $4,000 withdrawal along with your new $5,000 contribution limit for 2010, for a total of $9,000.
Investment income earned in your TFSA works the same way. For examplel if your $5,000 investment in 2009 earns $250 and you withdraw the $5,250 in December 2010 you can re-contribute the entire $5,250 in 2010 along with your $5,000 contribution limit for that year or $10,250 in total.
In a similar vein if you invest your $5,000 TFSA contribution in the stock market and your share investment appreciates rapidly to $20,000, for example you could sell the shares and realize the $15,000 tax-free capital gain in the TFSA, withdraw the $20,000 cash proceeds and still be able to re-contribute the full $20,000 amount to the TFSA in addition to any other unused TFSA contribution room in the following year or later.
As a resultl you could potentially contribute significantly more than $5,000 annually and therefore earn more tax-free investment income.
Which in vestments qualify?
TFSAs will generally be allowed to hold the same qualified investments as RRSPs such as cash, guaranteed investment certificates (GICS)~te rm deposits, mutual funds, government and corporate bondsl publicly traded securities and in certain cases' shares of small business corporations.
Note that your TFSA cannot hold investments in “non-arm's length entities, which generally means companies in which you, your spouse and other related persons, either individually or collectively, own 10% or more of the shares.
Like an RRSP interest on funds borrowed and fees incurred to invest in a TFSA are not tax-deductible but unlike an RRSP, a TFSA can be used as collateral for a loan.
Keep in mind when choosing your investments that capital losses realized in a TFSA cannot be
TFSAs include an attractive feature for families in which one
spouse has more income than the other: You can give funds to your spouse to establish his or her own TFSA and the normal income attribution rules that
would tax the investment income in your hands will not
apply.As a result, with careful
planning, a family should be able to avoid paying tax on the
income they earn on their first $10,000 of savings each year,
starting in 2009.
Families can benefit from TFSAs
Consider putting investments that are expected to increase significantly in value over a
short time in a TFSA because the income and capital gains earned
can be withdrawn tax-free at any time and any withdrawals you make will create additional
contribution room.
KPMG observation
36 Money
claimed against capital gains realized outside the TFSA account.
Where should you invest your savings?
With all its advantages, you'll want to consider making a TFSA an important part of your tax and financial planning. Of coursel you'll need to weigh these advantages against the benefits of other tax-assisted savings plans such as Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSP) and Registered Education Savings Plans (RESP), and other financial priorities such as paying down your mortgage.
Whether you choose to save your money in an RRSP, RESP, or a TFSA will depend on your circumstances. Generally, if you have suficient resources, you should invest in all the relevant plans. Though TFSA savings are initially limited, as contribution room increases, a TFSA can become a significant supplement to your RRSP.
RRSPs and TFSAs
A TFSA is like a mirror image of an RRSP: RRSP contributions are tax-deductible but the contributions and investment earnings are taxed when you withdraw them. TFSA contributions are not tax-deductible but withdrawals of contributions and investment income are tax-free.
As such, your best tax strategy for dividing your investments between TFSAs and RRSPs may depend on any differences between your current tax bracket and the one you expect to be in when you start withdrawing funds from your RRSP.
If you expect your future income to fall into the same tax bracket as your current income, the tax benefits of a TFSA and an RRSP will be similar. That is, the value of the tax deduction for an RRSP contribution will generally equal the value of withdrawing funds tax-free from a TFSA.
If you expect your future income to fall into a lower tax bracket than your current income, an RRSP investment can provide a tax advantage because the tax
deduction you get today will be more than the tax you will pay when you withdraw the money from your RRSP.
If your income falls into a lower tax bracket now but you expect it to be higher in the future, a TFSA offers a greater tax benefit because you would pay a higher tax rate on RRSP withdrawals than you will pay today on the income you contribute to the TFSA.
RESPs and TFSAs
If you're saving for your child's education, keep in mind that, unlike a TFSA, an RESP offers an annual guaranteed rate of return of $500 (20% on $2,500 annual contributions) via the federal government's Canada Education Savings Grant.
Although RESP withdrawals are taxed, they are taxed in the hands of the student who receives them, not the parent who made the contributions. If the student's income is low enough, and taking into account tax credits such as the tuition and education creditsl the student may have little or no tax to pay on the RESP withdrawal.
Once your children turn lB1 you may want to consider giving them funds to invest in their own TFSAs to help finance their post-secondary education or other expenses.
TFSA vs. mortgage pay-down
If you're considering whether to invest in a TFSA or pay down your mortgage, it probably makes sense in most cases to reduce your non-deductible mortgage interest as soon as possible.
Funds earning interest
Assuming you have TFSA contribution rooml it almost always makes sense to invest in a TFSA if you have money sitting in a bank account earning taxable interest.
TFSAs for seniors
Unlike an RRSP, which has to be wound up when you reach age 71,
www.cedarlanefinancial.com
!"#$%"&"'#()*+'(,-'#%$./#$-'(0$&$#1
Notes
(a) The money purchase registered pension plan (RPP) contribution limits indicated in the table
are the minimum limits that apply each year. For 2007 to 2009, this amount will, in general, be
compared to the 2005 contribution limit of $18,000, indexed by an inflation factor equal to the
average wage for the applicable year divided by the average wage for 2005. If this indexed
amount is greater than the limit indicated in the table, then the revised higher amount will
become the contribution limit for the year.
For 2010 and subsequent years, the contribution limit will be the greater of the limit for the
previous year, and the 2009 contribution limit indexed as indicated above.
(b) The total of all employer and employee contributions to an RPP are limited to the lesser of the
current year’s contribution limit and 18% of the employee’s pensionable earnings for the year.
The amount of pensionable earnings that generates the contribution room each year is
indicated in the table.
(c) The registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) contribution limits are equal to the RPP
contribution limits for the preceding year.
(d) The total of all contributions to an RRSP are limited to the lesser of the current year’s
contribution limit and 18% of an individual’s earned income for the preceding year, plus any
carry-forward contribution room (see page 54). The amount of earned income that generates
the contribution room each year is indicated in the table.
(e) The deferred profit sharing plan (DPSP) contribution limits are equal to one-half of the RPP
contribution limits for the year.
(f) The total of all employer contributions to a DPSP are limited to the lesser of the current year’s
contribution limit and 18% of an employee’s pensionable earnings for the year. The amount of
pensionable earnings that generates the contribution room each year is indicated in the table.
2007 2008 2009 2010
Money Purchase Registered Pension Plans
Contribution limita $ 20,000 $ 21,000 $ 22,000
Pensionable earningsb 111,111 116,667 122,222
Registered Retirement Savings Plans
Contribution limitc $ 19,000 $ 20,000 $ 21,000 $ 22,000
Earned incomed 105,555 111,111 116,667 122,222
Deferred Profit Sharing Plans
Contribution limite $ 10,000 $ 10,500 $ 11,000
Pensionable earningsf 55,555 58,333 61,111
To be
calculateda
To be
calculateda
,/%%"'#(+1(-2(3/'"(456(7558
)+9"(:(-2(:!"#$
Money 37
you can maintain your TFSA for your entire lifetime. For example, a TFSA can provide a tax benefit for individuals over 71 who want to save income they receive because they are required to begin drawing down their retirement savings. For example, excess after-tax funds received from an annuity or Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF) can be saved in a TFSA, subject to the available contribution room.
Middle-income seniors may want to note that income earned in a TFSA does not affect their eligibility for federal income-tested benefits and credits such as Old Age Security, the Age credit! Guaranteed Income Supplement and GST credit.
Special situations
Various rules apply to special situations, including the death of a
TFSA holder and ceasing Canadian residency. Some violations of the TFSA rules may trigger penalties.
Death - Generallyl investment income earned in the TFSA after the account holder's death is no longer tax-exempt. Special provisions apply where there is a surviving spouse.
Non-residents - If you become non-resident, you can maintain your existing TFSA and your investment income and withdrawals will remain exempt from Canadian tax. However' while you are non-resident, no new contribution room will accrue. You must also consider foreign tax implications of TFSA income and withdrawals, if they apply.
For instance, while earnings in a TFSA will be tax-free for Canadian tax purposes, they will be taxable for U.S. tax purposes. However, it may still be beneficial for a U.S. citizen to establish a TFSA if he or she has sufficient foreign tax credits to absorb the additional income
reported for U.S. income tax purposes.
Withholding tax does not apply to a non-resident's withdrawals from a TFSA but it may apply to payments made to a non-resident beneficiary from a deceased's TFSA.
Penalties - If you go over your available TFSA contribution room! your excess contribution amount will attract a penalty of 1% per month until you withdraw it.
Your TFSA should be only one component of your financial planning strategy. Your KPMG adviser can help you to devise a practical and comprehensive investment and tax planning strategy to help keep you on track toward reaching your personal financial goals. For details, contact your KPMG adviser. www.kpmg.ca
Sequoia Club38 Money
!"#$%"&"'#()*+'(,-'#%$./#$-'(0$&$#1
Notes
(a) The money purchase registered pension plan (RPP) contribution limits indicated in the table
are the minimum limits that apply each year. For 2007 to 2009, this amount will, in general, be
compared to the 2005 contribution limit of $18,000, indexed by an inflation factor equal to the
average wage for the applicable year divided by the average wage for 2005. If this indexed
amount is greater than the limit indicated in the table, then the revised higher amount will
become the contribution limit for the year.
For 2010 and subsequent years, the contribution limit will be the greater of the limit for the
previous year, and the 2009 contribution limit indexed as indicated above.
(b) The total of all employer and employee contributions to an RPP are limited to the lesser of the
current year’s contribution limit and 18% of the employee’s pensionable earnings for the year.
The amount of pensionable earnings that generates the contribution room each year is
indicated in the table.
(c) The registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) contribution limits are equal to the RPP
contribution limits for the preceding year.
(d) The total of all contributions to an RRSP are limited to the lesser of the current year’s
contribution limit and 18% of an individual’s earned income for the preceding year, plus any
carry-forward contribution room (see page 54). The amount of earned income that generates
the contribution room each year is indicated in the table.
(e) The deferred profit sharing plan (DPSP) contribution limits are equal to one-half of the RPP
contribution limits for the year.
(f) The total of all employer contributions to a DPSP are limited to the lesser of the current year’s
contribution limit and 18% of an employee’s pensionable earnings for the year. The amount of
pensionable earnings that generates the contribution room each year is indicated in the table.
2007 2008 2009 2010
Money Purchase Registered Pension Plans
Contribution limita $ 20,000 $ 21,000 $ 22,000
Pensionable earningsb 111,111 116,667 122,222
Registered Retirement Savings Plans
Contribution limitc $ 19,000 $ 20,000 $ 21,000 $ 22,000
Earned incomed 105,555 111,111 116,667 122,222
Deferred Profit Sharing Plans
Contribution limite $ 10,000 $ 10,500 $ 11,000
Pensionable earningsf 55,555 58,333 61,111
To be
calculateda
To be
calculateda
,/%%"'#(+1(-2(3/'"(456(7558
)+9"(:(-2(:!"#$
!"#$%"&"'#()*+'(,-'#%$./#$-'(0$&$#1
Notes
(a) The money purchase registered pension plan (RPP) contribution limits indicated in the table
are the minimum limits that apply each year. For 2007 to 2009, this amount will, in general, be
compared to the 2005 contribution limit of $18,000, indexed by an inflation factor equal to the
average wage for the applicable year divided by the average wage for 2005. If this indexed
amount is greater than the limit indicated in the table, then the revised higher amount will
become the contribution limit for the year.
For 2010 and subsequent years, the contribution limit will be the greater of the limit for the
previous year, and the 2009 contribution limit indexed as indicated above.
(b) The total of all employer and employee contributions to an RPP are limited to the lesser of the
current year’s contribution limit and 18% of the employee’s pensionable earnings for the year.
The amount of pensionable earnings that generates the contribution room each year is
indicated in the table.
(c) The registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) contribution limits are equal to the RPP
contribution limits for the preceding year.
(d) The total of all contributions to an RRSP are limited to the lesser of the current year’s
contribution limit and 18% of an individual’s earned income for the preceding year, plus any
carry-forward contribution room (see page 54). The amount of earned income that generates
the contribution room each year is indicated in the table.
(e) The deferred profit sharing plan (DPSP) contribution limits are equal to one-half of the RPP
contribution limits for the year.
(f) The total of all employer contributions to a DPSP are limited to the lesser of the current year’s
contribution limit and 18% of an employee’s pensionable earnings for the year. The amount of
pensionable earnings that generates the contribution room each year is indicated in the table.
2007 2008 2009 2010
Money Purchase Registered Pension Plans
Contribution limita $ 20,000 $ 21,000 $ 22,000
Pensionable earningsb 111,111 116,667 122,222
Registered Retirement Savings Plans
Contribution limitc $ 19,000 $ 20,000 $ 21,000 $ 22,000
Earned incomed 105,555 111,111 116,667 122,222
Deferred Profit Sharing Plans
Contribution limite $ 10,000 $ 10,500 $ 11,000
Pensionable earningsf 55,555 58,333 61,111
To be
calculateda
To be
calculateda
,/%%"'#(+1(-2(3/'"(456(7558
)+9"(:(-2(:!"#$
Money 39
Transport Canada brochureOver 1 million Canadians can’t afford both. The high cost of housing forces many people to make choices no one should have to make. You can choose to help. To donate, participate or advocate visit www.habitat.ca
RENT CHILDCAREor
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
Free charity advertising
Muchmor Media wants to
help Canadian charities to
promote their causes by
offering a free quarter page
advertising spot in Muchmor
Canada Magazine.If a registered charity wants to take
advantage of this offer simply contact us at
Muchmor Media will place ads on a rotating basis each month and reserves the right to amend
or refuse ads.
Sequoia Club40 Muchmor
Discover Canada
All shook up in Collingwood July
Arctic Circle road trip July
Belleville, ON June
Best places to live March
Brandon, MB October
Cabot Trail, Nova Scotia March
Calgary Stampede, AB February
Canada Day June
Churchill - The polar bear capital of the world
October
Dawson City, YT January
Discover Durham Region, ON Nov / Dec
Edmonton, AB February
Explore Algonquin September
Explore the Swan Valley, MB October
Floating for furs September
Food glorious food in Manitoba September
Gatineau, QC January
Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump April
In search of dinosaurs March
In search of lake monsters December
Inuit History January
Kingston, On - The limestone city August
Lethbridge, AB January
Lethbridge, AB April
London, ON January
Montreal, QC January
Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON May
Off the beaten path in Manitoba August
Prince Edward County, ON May
Quebec City, QC January
Quinte Country, ON July
Rideau Canal, ON February
Sandbanks Provincial Park, ON April
Sherbrooke, QC January
Summer in the city - Winnipeg September
The Rockies by train May
The sunshine coast, British Columbia April
Tiptoe through the tulips April
Watson Lake, YT January
Whale watching in Newfoundland and Labrador
June
Whistler, AB January
Whitehorse, YT January
Winnipeg - the hearth of North America August
Travel
Best winter sports around November
Costa del Sol, Spain October
Muchmor Canada 2008Want to know where to find what in our 2008 back issues? Here is a handy look-up for you to use. Once
you find the article you want simply click on the corresponding month. Each issue also includes our regular monthly features.
Muchmor 41
Flights of fancy February
Whistler winter wonderland December
Lifestyle
Are you living in the best place? October
Back to school shopping August
Film and DVD classification August
I have a complaint August
Perfect preserves September
Protect yourself against identity theft April
Swapping snow for cacti - Arizona Nov / Dec
Working Life
Average weekly earnings January
Canada’s top employers Jan / Nov
Creating balance in your life December
Five lies we tell at work June
Five people you meet at the holiday party December
Five steps to an e-friendly resume September
Going green at work June
Ignite your business September
Is your future boss researching you online?
November
Job hunting while employed May
Mind your interview manners May
No degree, no job? July
Odd job titled & what they mean September
Power of women exchange June
Seven steps to achieving your dream June
Six ways to prepare for a layoff December
So how hard do you work? September
So you want to be a Realtor eh? August
Supersize your job offer March
Take charge of your career March
Ten craziest excuses for being late October
Ten worst things to do at a meeting December
Top ten email mistakes July
Top ten party offenses December
Women in business August
Working from home April
Money
Investing in the U.S. Housing market July
Federal & provincial tax February
July
Line of credit or loan? April
Reduce our taxes, give to charity June
Saving money at the grocery store September
Saving money in these uncertain times December
Saving, the tax free way April
Taxes February
Those taxing issues March
Sequoia Club42 Muchmor
Travel insurance, plans for every need October
Using RRSP’s for your down payment June
Why will are so important January
Motoring
All revved up - Toronto Motor Show March
Average gas prices September
Canadian vehicle prices June
Demerit points February
Don’t let your car fall into a recession too December
Fuel efficient vehicles June
Graduated driving explained March
Green rebates on cars January
Have gas prices affected your travel plans?
September
Know before you tow July
New cars on the block October
The mystery of the roundabout October
Top 10 funniest cars September
Types of driving licence January
What is a hybrid car? December
What’s best for 2009 November
Winter car tips December
Kidzone
Activities for summer August
Back to school technology September
Canadian students survey January
Christmas presents for your family December
Do you have what it takes to be a cadet? October
Game reviews May
Girl Guides in Canada January
Help, my parents are taking me to Canada
February
Most wanted Christmas presents November
Plan backyard treasure hunt August
School curriculum February
Summer camps March
Tackling peer pressure July
What will you learn in school January
Moving to Canada
A dream rebuilt - real life August
Brockville, ON - real life January
Buying a car in Nova Scotia August
Changes to immigration system May
Choosing is confusing June
Muchmor 43
Claiming points for Canadian relatives August
Countdown to Canada December
Driving in Nova Scotia July
Foreign-born Canadians January
Have you talked to us lately? October
Helping new Brits in Nova Scotia August
Immigrants do better in small towns February
Immigration medical June
Kids questions March
Landing for the first time as a resident November
Language testing June
Moving with kids April
New Canadian Experience Class September
New skilled worker criteria announced December
Nova scotia bound - real life
March / April / July
Obtaining police certificates August
Pets and immigration February
Plying catch-up - real life October
PNP program updates June
PR card replacement July
Prepare for your new life February
Processing times get longer March
Proof of funds July
Research, research, research September
Rural living in Nova Scotia October
Seeking pension integrity for Brits December
Setting immigration goals July
Shattered dreams - real life February
Simplify or not March
Travel insurance July
Vancouver - real life May
Welcome to Halifax - real life February
What paperwork do I need? December
Your British state pension and living in
Canada October
Yukon Nominee Program January
Health & Wellness
A good night’s sleep April
Change your lifestyle to stop snoring August
Clearing snow without injury December
Concern over failing health of new
Canadians November
Coping with grief October
Coping with pelvic pain May
Extreme dieting December
Hair loss October
Just how long should we wait for breast cancer
treatment? September
Keeping your workout fresh November
Learning to breath - stress and anxiety
management November
Mammograms do save lives September
Natural cures help for allergy treatment October
Pap testing for women April
Smoking trends in Canada October
Surprising things about Botox June
Testicular cancer August
The health of Canada July
Understanding autism spectrum
disorders June
Walk with a goal August
Sequoia Club44 Muchmor
Home & Garden
Add a bathroom July
Angel the donkey need s a new owner September
Attracting birds to your garden April
Backyard bliss July
Bed bugs and your family December
Buying a house with a well April
Christmas decorations December
Colour is the key to brightening a home June
Considering a condo? September
Countdown to moving day November
Decorate to generate profit September
Decorating a child’s room November
Driveway makeovers June
Flooring to use inside our home December
Getting started in container gardening August
Home theatre know-how November
How to reface kitchen cabinets August
Making the most of a condo May
Million dollar properties March
Mosquito myths June
New technologies for replacement windows
November
Not all waste is created equal September
Pesky bird problems June
Plant enemies July
Prepare your home now for the winter ahead
October
Preparing your garden for fall September
Re-bloom the poinsettia - but how? December
Realtor V’s sale by owner April
Renting property in Canada August
Septic systems explained March
Staging your home to sell April
The changing Alberta property market August
The truth about water September
Tile ads way to add personality to your home
October
Top wallpaper myths debunked October
Understanding condos July
Using your space June
What’s up with this market February
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Go straight to an issue
Kidzone 45
Movies in theatres
Video games
DVD rental
Bestselling books
Top kids stuff…
1. The Tales Of Beedle The Bard, J K Rowling
2. New Moon, Stephanie Meyer3. Twilight, Stephanie Meyer4. Eclipse, Stephanie Meyer5. Breaking Dawn, Stephanie
Meyer6. Love You Forever, Munsch &
McGraw
7. Twilight Movie Companion, Stephanie Meyer
8. Gallop, Rufus Seder9. One False Note, Gorden
Korman10. The Tale of Despereaux,
Dicamillo & Ering
X-Box 360Prince of Persia (T)Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (T)Need for Speed: Undercover (T)PS3Prince of Persia (T)Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (T)Need for Speed: Undercover (T)
WiiWii Music (E)Animal Crossing: City Folk (E)Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Lightsaber Duels (T)Nintendo DSPokemon Diamond (E)Pokemon Pearl (E)Diddy Kong Racing (E)
1. The Tale of Despereaux (G)2. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
(G)3. Twilight (PG)4. Bedtime Stories (G)5. Four Christmases (PG)
6. Bolt (G)7. Delgo (PG)8. Nothing Like the Holidays (PG)9. Yes Man (PG)10. Quantum of Solace (PG)
1. The Dark Knight (PG)2. Step Brothers (14A)3. Horton Hears a Who! (G)4. Hancock (PG)5. The Chronicles of Narnia:
Prince Caspian (PG)
6. Fred Claus (PG)7. WALL-E (G)8. Shrek the Halls (G)9. Fly Me to the Moon (G)10. The Longshots (PG)
46 Kidzone
By Kevin Hensey
So you are shy ... but then, who isn’t? In fact, everyone is shy. It is just that some people are good in masking what
they are feeling and not let others know that they are shy. However, too much shyness could be detrimental to your social life.
Here are some steps to help you overcome your shyness. These steps will allow you to come out of your shell at your own pace and at your own will. Overcoming shyness need not be forced upon you by anybody.
1. Know thyself
The best perspective is from the inside out when compared to looking from the outside in. Remember, you know yourself best.
As much as possible, be honest with yourself and find out the reason for your shyness. For instance, are you particularly scared on how people will react to anything you say or do? Are you anxious with your physical appearance?
Take note that there are reasons why you react the way you do on specific situations. Find out the reasons. Maybe these can help you know yourself better and eventually help you change for the better.
2. Act your way out
Act like you are confident and you will become one. Of course, this is easier said than done. Or is it?
In the privacy of your room, you could practice behaving like you are confident. Walk around with your chin up and chest out.
Add a subtle swagger while you
walk. Speak in a firm manner. Though this could feel ridiculous at first, this is one baby step to overcoming shyness.
3. Maintain eye contact
As much as possible, practice eye contact with people. Look at them and smile at them. This could open a world of possibilities. However, if you find this difficult, focus your gaze on the point in between the person’s eyes, particularly near his or her forehead.
You could also break the ice by striking up a casual conversation about the weather or any recent events in the news.
4. Be not afraid
There is really nothing to be scared of. Manage your fear of rejection.
One good way to do this is to imagine the worst social outcome in a given situation. After that imagined scenario, it is easier to think that nothing could be worst than that.
Try not to dwell on rejection. It happens to anyone. Move on and learn from it, it is that easy.
5. Do not take yourself seriously
This lightens the load from self-imposed pressure, like you have to look good, act, or be a certain way.
Try not to be too critical of yourself. So you may not have the right dress on or your shoes are a tad too big, who cares? Do not be bothered by these trivialities. Life means more than your dress or shoe sizes.
Do not be too hard on yourself. Frustration happens, feel it, and then let it go. Think positive and positive things will come.
All in all, one of the best ways to overcome shyness is to have good fun and don’t ever forget that!
Kevin Hensey speaks at business clubs and prisons on personal growth. He has written articles regarding personal development.His website is:www-powerbooks.com
5 baby steps in overcoming shyness
Visit www.readmuchmor.com
to read all our back issues and find muchmor.
Kidzone 47
Great babysitting tipsBy Jane Worthington
Babysitting is a fantastic way to earn some extra spending money. If you are a new babysitter, you might need to add to your skills or practice on how to present yourself to potential employers. The skills you learn now will help you substantially as you grow older when you apply for permanent jobs in the future. In order to be one of the most sought after babysitters in your neighborhood, then you need to follow these babysitting tips!
1. Take a babysitter class. These classes teach you the basics of childcare, what to do in an emergency, and fun activities you should take with you when you baby-sit. You will feel much more prepared after you take a course whether through your community center or online!
2. Advertise your services in a professional manner. Hang up fliers that have your name, phone number, and experience listed on it at your church, parent's workplace, community centers, and elementary schools. To drum up babysitter jobs, you can even talk to your old elementary school teachers, your parent's coworkers, and your neighbors and tell them that you are free to baby-sit if they ever need or know of someone that needs a babysitter.
3. Act mature and responsible when you are interacting with the parents. Whether they call you over the phone or they ask to conduct an interview with you in person, you need to prove to them that you are able to take care of their children. If you seem friendly and mature, speak confidently and articulately, and prove to be a responsible
individual, then you have a very good shot of being hired!
4. When you are sitting for a family for the first time, you should put together a babysitter checklist. This sheet of paper should have everything from the home's address and phone number; the names, ages, and allergies of the children; and phone numbers of the parents so that you can easily reach them. If there is an emergency, it is much better to have all that information handy because it is easy to forget things when you are anxious and overwhelmed.
These babysitting tips will help you become a better babysitter. As long as you act maturely, keep yourself and the children safe, and have fun, you are doing a great job!
Wii Downloads Download Games to your Wii legally!
Nintendo Wii’s high popularity cannot be argued. In a little over a year Nintendo has managed to re-capture the industry it ruled only a decade ago even though the industry has changed to now include two entertainment giants in Sony and Microsoft. Naturally there was always going to be download services pop up that allow you to download any entertainment you wish to your Wii.
The Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3 have both been praised as the two machines that can best hold things like movies and TV shows and with good reason. The huge hard drives these two consoles have and the power they wield allow you to not only watch movies and play games, but to do it right from the machines hard drive resulting in a clutter free living room. But with all that said, the Wii is more than capable too. While it doesn’t have the hard drive that it’s competition does, the huge SD Cards that can now be bought mega cheap ($5 for a 1gb on ebay) more than makes up for that.
The games you can download not only include the current generation games, but also older games from any console including the PSX, PS2, N64, Gamecube, Xbox, Super Nintendo, Dreamcast you name it. This means Wii Media Downloads
can turn your Wii into the ultimate retro gaming machine especially if you’ve already been taking advantage of the Wii Virtual Console.
With this new technology, if course there has been criticisms. Many believe that owning a digital version of a game simply isn’t the same as holding the case and instruction manual in your hand. This is true to a point, but Wii Media Downloads has taken care of an element of that by allowing instruction manuals to be downloaded as well.
Used correctly, Wii Media Downloads can definitely be used to expand your game collection.
Sequoia Club48 Moving to Canada
To Cobourg with love
Ph
oto
by: Jo
hn
Ve
tte
rli
The story of one couple’s move to Ontario from the United Kingdom
Moving to Canada 49
When Maggie contacted Muchmor it was originally to ask some questions about Canada as she and her husband were emigrating from England to Ontario and they wanted some advice. That was two years ago and now the couple live in Canada. So we contacted them again to see how things were progressing and if they had anything to share with other readers. Oh yes, you bet they had!
“When we first thought of moving to Canada it was because we had visited on several occasions and loved it.” explains Maggie. “ We loved the wide open spaces, the rural living, the wildlife and the seasons. We wanted to get away from the day to day mundane existence we had in a large city in England.”
In late 2006 Maggie and her husband Tom finally moved from England to Brighton in Ontario. For the first few months they rented a house as they weren’t sure if this was the place they wanted to stay and so did not want to invest in a property just yet.
“When we first arrived, it was late October and it was still quite warm. We spent a lot of time outside, walking around the shores of Lake Ontario and some of the local parks. We loved the outdoor life and straight away felt that we had made a really good decision to come to Canada.”
When in England, Tom had worked in the IT field and had never been out of work. Once they had settled in Brighton, Tom started to look for work, but came up against many obstacles.
“I had a degree from the UK, which it seemed meant nothing here.” says Tom, “I was even told that my experience, some twenty years, didn’t count because it was from England and not Canada. My argument was always that IT is IT whether it is in Japan, UK or Canada. The machines still have the same parts, the software is still the same and even the language is the same. In fact I had worked on a special project in Germany for six months a few years previous and never encountered any problems with my “lack of German IT knowledge.”
“In some cases, I was more experienced and educated than the people interviewing me in Canada.”
Although Tom had many interviews he could not secure a job in the Brighton area, even though he was prepared to travel. He then decided to start looking in the Toronto area as he felt he might stand a better chance there.
“Because Toronto is so diverse, I thought that I would stand a better chance of being accepted and that perhaps my UK based experience and education might mean more there.”
After lots of applications were sent to lots of companies resulting in a couple of interviews but no job Tom was all set to pack up and return to England.
“I was really stressed,” he says, “we had moved thousands of miles and suddenly all my years of experience and education counted for nothing. I had never felt so worthless in my life. In the UK I had always had a responsible job that was well paid, but in Canada it seemed I would either have to start at the bottom of the ladder again or change vocation completely, which I did not want to do.”
Whilst all this was going on Maggie too was looking for a job. She was a qualified physiotherapist, working at a large hospital in England, but she too found out that although it didn’t appear that she
would have as many obstacles as Tom, she would have to re-qualify.
“I found out that I would need to be registered by the province in order to continue working as a physiotherapist and in order to do that I would need to have my UK qualifications accredited against the Canadian equivalent. I would then need to sit exams and then could practice under supervision before being given full licence to practice.
“Although I knew that I would not be able to walk straight into a job, I decided that this was what I wanted to continue doing, so I started the process.”
Whilst all this was going on the couple experienced their first Christmas in Canada.
“It was lovely,” says Maggie, “I had made a few friends locally and we were invited to a neighbours house for Christmas day as they knew we had no family here ourselves. We were made to feel very welcome and as they had children and other relatives staying we all played silly party games and watched black and white films on TV. We had a really lovely time and were very grateful to them.”
“We have no real family in the UK, or indeed anywhere as we are both only children of deceased parents.” explains Tom. “This is what made it easier for us to leave the UK and start again in Canada. I’m not sure if we would have felt the same if we both had family that we had to leave behind.”
So, now we move ahead six months and finally Tom sees some light on the horizon. “I was accepted for a job in a company based in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), fortunately the eastern side, so I could commute from Brighton. The job was lower in position to ones I had held before, but I was willing to do this in order to get a foot in the employment ladder. I hoped that by doing this I would either be able to move up within this company or it would heighten my chances of being employed by other companies in the future. The pay was significantly less than I earned in the UK, but by now we knew that our living expenses were also much less, so hopefully it would even itself out.”
Maggie had also received her qualification approval from the appropriate bodies which meant she
“We had moved thousands of
miles and suddenly all my
years of experience and
education counted for
nothing”
50 Moving to Canada
could now sit the required exams which would allow her to practice physiotherapy. She had also joined some local and national groups associated with the profession and through these had come into contact with other like-minded people.
“I met up with one woman, Sheila, who lived in a neighboring city who was also a physiotherapist. She worked at a local hospital and pretty much did what I used to do and we hit it off straight away. I asked her if her hospital needed any more physiotherapists and she said they would once she left.”
It turned out that Sheila was going to be leaving the hospital soon to start her own practice. She said she would put in a good world for Maggie if she wanted to apply for a job there. Because Maggie still had to sit some exams and Sheila was still some months away from leaving they put the arrangement on the back-burner.
The two women continued to meet regularly and Sheila would run ideas through Maggie about her new practice. Before long Sheila suggested that Maggie work for her rather than try for a job at the hospital.
“This was great news,” says Maggie, “I knew that even with Sheila’s recommendation I would be competing with many other physiotherapists, most of them with Canadian work experience, so my chances of securing the job would be slim.”
By now Sheila had secured a building for her practice and was about to give in her notice at work. It was agreed that she would employ Maggie as an assistant at first whilst they waited for her official licence to be issued. Once Maggie was fully recognized to practice she would
then become a physiotherapist within the practice.
Tom and Maggie had now been in Canada for almost a year and both finally had jobs and were earning money.
“Although we came over to Ontario with quite a bit of money from the sale of our UK house, we knew that the funds would not last forever, so it was important for us to start earning money.” says Tom. “We also knew that we should look at the possibility of buying a house as we now felt reasonably settled and knew a lot more about the area.”
As Tom worked close to Toronto and Maggie would be working with Sheila in Cobourg, the couple decided that this is where they would look for a home. It would be much closer to Tom’s work and would obviously be very convenient for Maggie.
Sheila recommended one of her friends, a Realtor, to help them find a house and soon the search began.
Just before Christmas 2007 the couple found a house to buy, Sheila started her practice and Maggie got her licence so was able to bypass the “assistant” stage with Sheila.
Victoria Hall in Cobourg
“Even born and bred locals said
it was like nothing they
had seen before.”
Moving to Canada 51
It’s never been easier for skilled and selected semi-skilled temporary foreign workers to become permanent residents of Alberta.
Simply visit us online to learn about the Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program. If you meet the criteria, talk to your employer. With our
streamlined process you’ll have your permanent residence card before you know it. So the next time you pack, it’ll be for a vacation.
www.AlbertaCanada.com/TFW
TEMPORARY FOREIGN WORKERSTrade your suitcase for a permanent residence card.
52 Moving to Canada
They moved into their new home in January 2008 amidst ice and snow storms.
“Our first winter in Canada had not been too bad and hadn’t really started until after Christmas, but our second winter was harsh. Even born and bred locals said it was like nothing they had seen before.” says Maggie.
Tom continues, “Our new house had a log burning fire which was wonderful. We had never had one before and we were surprised at how cosy it made the house feel as well as the amount of heat it generated. Having the new house made us finally feel like we really belonged in Canada and were not just visiting.”
We now come back to the present day and Tom and Maggie have been in Canada for a little over two years and have been in their own home for one. So how has life been for them?
“The start was much harder than we anticipated, especially as far as securing employment was concerned.” says Maggie, “I would recommend anyone in a regulated role that they start the process of credential recognition before they leave their home country. This means that you will know if your credentials are suitable and you will know the process required to gain professional recognition even before you land.”
Tom continues, “I would also recommend people to start networking with Canadian businesses well before arrival in order to test the water as far as the job market is concerned. I now have a job I enjoy and have been promoted twice in eighteen months, but I had to start much lower in the company than I anticipated. It is very much who you know in Canada and if you can get known by them before you arrive you stand a better chance of securing employment once you land.”
Other than jobs what other things have they learnt since their arrival?
“We have learnt that Canadians drive completely differently to Brits.” says Tom. “It is almost compulsory to drive whilst drinking coffee, especially Tim Horton’s. They also do not seem to have as much courtesy on the roads as they do in normal life. They will block exits and entrances to roads rather than leave a gap for people to use. They also do not readily let people into traffic and they seem to have cell phones permanently attached to their ears, or more worryingly they text whilst driving.”
“I have noticed that people do not hold the doors open for others.” says Maggie. ‘I would have thought it common courtesy to hold a door open for someone who is behind you, but I can honestly say I have never had so many doors slammed in my face since being in Canada. It is one thing that constantly annoys me.
“The cost of living, although going up, is definitely lower than in England. We both earn less than we did in the UK, but seem to have so much more. We have a bigger and better house in a better area with great views. We are within easy distance of great parks, nature trails, woodland and wildlife. We have two cars and manage to get away most weekends, if only for the day. We would not have been able to do this in the UK as driving 100 km here is completely different to driving 100 km in the UK - far less stressful.”
Tom adds, “Our quality of life is much better now. Admittedly the first six months was stressful as we were both looking for jobs, had no permanent home and things got a little tense, even to the point of thinking of returning to the UK. But now we are far more settled and feel part of the community.”
“We are planning our first holiday since moving here and we are trying to decide where to go.” says Maggie, “Because life has been so hectic we simply haven’t had the time to go anywhere other than a day here or there. When we lived in the UK we had at least one two-week holiday every year so next year (2009) we plan to start again. We cannot decide whether to go to somewhere else in Canada or go south of the border to the U.S. I really fancy Las Vegas, but we have already been there so it might be a good idea to go somewhere new.”
“I would like to go to Vancouver.” says Tom, “We have never been and I really want to go there at some point in time, perhaps incorporating the Rockies.”
So, as you can see the couple have really made Canada home and now feel that they will never return to the UK.
“We want to live out the rest of our lives here.” says Maggie, “We may end up moving again, after all Canada is a huge place and we have only seen a very small part of it. But we do know that Canada is our home for life, regardless of exactly where.”
“Our quality of life is much better now.”
Moving to Canada 53
NAFTA professionals now get three-year
visas.By Guidy Mamann
In May, I wrote about an announcement by the U.S. immigration service whereby it would start to issue TN work permits to Canadian and Mexican professionals for a maximum duration of three years as opposed to the previous maximum of one year.
The purpose for this change was to make employment in the U.S. for Canadian and Mexican professionals “more attractive”. Specifically, the change would reduce the potential for interrupted employment caused by annual renewals and delays in processing. It would create a more stable and predictable work force and provide cost and resource savings to the foreign workers and to their American employers.
Although this initiative applied only to professionals admitted to the U.S. under the terms of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the action taken by the Americans was entirely unilateral. Although, neither Canada nor Mexico committed to reciprocity, it was expected that they would follow suit.
Canada has now done so.On December 15th immigration
minister Jason Kenney announced that American and Mexican professionals seeking to work temporarily in Canada under NAFTA can get work permits for up to three years at a time. This is a good thing since foreign workers have better things to do than run between their HR departments and their immigration lawyers every 12 months to renew their status and that of their accompanying family members.
Although there is no legal limit to the number of times a foreign worker can renew these NAFTA permits, they will only be renewed as long as the reviewing officer feels that the worker is still here “temporarily”.
This has always been a weird sort of concept for me because these workers are not always here for assignments that have a finite purpose (i.e. building a bridge or setting up a computer system). Often these positions (i.e. accountants, architects, lawyers etc.) are offered and accepted on a basis that is perceived to be open-ended. Someone coming to Canada to work for a year or more in one of these occupations will often give up a job in their home country to accept the one being offered here. They are also likely to give up their dwelling abroad and bring their family and belongings here with them. Rarely do they have fixed arrangements to return to their country. Yet they still need to show a “temporary intent”
both at the time of their initial entry and again at the time of renewal. It will be interesting to see what our border officers will be looking for in the form of proof of a “temporary intent” when the person will be coming here for at least three-years.
While I wholeheartedly support this development, it is nonetheless interesting to note the title of my November 16th column “To predict the future of Canadian immigration policy, look to the U.S.”. In this case, the title seems very aptly named since we followed in lock-step with our American counterparts notwithstanding, perhaps, some very strong reasons not to do so.
No doubt, it made perfect sense for the Americans, in May 2008, to make a career in the U.S. “more attractive” to foreign professionals. However, since then the wheels have suddenly and completely fallen off the economic bus here and there. But for the American announcement in May, I doubt that a Canadian immigration minister would have ever agreed to a three-fold increase in the duration of work permits offered to any class of foreign workers at the same time that we are witnessing record job losses and unprecedented government bailouts.
Not an objection, just a thought.
Guidy Mamann practices law in Toronto at Mamann, Sandaluk and is certified by the Law Society of Upper Canada as an immigration specialist. Reach him confidentially at 416-862-0000 or at [email protected].
Jason Kenney
Visit www.readmuchmor.com to read all our back issues
and find muchmor.
54 Moving to Canada Advertorial
....We Need You !
Here’s some good news, Jason Kenney, Canadian Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism has confirmed that Canada will maintain its positive stance on immigration by setting a target of 240,000 to 265,000 new permanent residents for 2009.! Is this the year you make it to
Canada? Or is this the year you take the first step towards your goal of leaving your home country?
! Are you sitting reading this procrastinating about putting the wheels in motion? Or are you surrounded by negativity?
I know what you are going through and the good news is that we all feel like that at the beginning. The key is to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and you can be in control of the process if you want to put in the time and effort to do your homework.
For some of us the whole emigration process can seem totally overwhelming, you may need to write down what your next step should be. It could be something as simple as subscribing to Muchmor Canada and getting an idea of what province attracts you or attending an emigrate trade show. Lets take a quick review of what needs to happen before you make any major decisions..
First and foremost be clear about whether you actually qualify to emigrate. Take advantage of the internet. Start by going to www.cic.gc.ca everything you need to get started is there. You can also use the pre-qualifying evaluations on any of the Immigration Consultant websites or take advantage of any free telephone calls that you can make asking for advice. Check that
this information is provided by a member of the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants (CSIC)
If you find that you may not easily qualify, take a new look at which one of you should be the main applicant or review your employment skills and see if using a past skill set might gain you more points. Maybe both of you will decide to apply for work and one of you will be able to obtain a work permit?
Do your research about each province that you are interested in, don't make the mistake of thinking that each Province will be the same as Canada is a vast country with diverse cultures. The rules will not be the same for each one if you are using a Provincial Nominee Program. Whether you use an immigration consultant or not is up to you. If you decide to go that route talk to several consultants before you decide and make sure that you get everything they have promised in writing.
In my experience the most effective ways of getting information is to plan a research trip.
Nova Scotia focus
Contact the Nova Scotia office of immigration prior to your arrival and make an appointment to talk with a representative while you are here. It won't cost you anything and you will have ample opportunity to ask any questions that you have.
Emigrating to a new country is a life changing decision, you need to be sure that it "feels" right. Aim to spend at least 10 days exploring your surroundings, look at the culture, the lifestyle, housing, employment options and be clear in your own mind that you feel excited about the prospects of living somewhere new. Don't view the whole trip as a vacation, it’s not the same at all.
This is where Relocation Nova Scotia can help you. We can assist you with Itinerary planning and accommodation. Simple things like airport pick up, booking car hire and using a local cell phone number while you are here are all services we can help you with to hit the ground running. Our Realtors, Mark and Donna have lots of first hand experience regarding the concerns you may have about house buying.
Countdown to Canada June Spindloe of Relocation Nova Scotia continues her Countdown to Canada series of articles.
This month she talks about how to prepare for your move to Canada and in particular Nova Scotia. What measures should you take to make the process as easy as possible and how do you
find the information you need?
“Emigrating to a new country
is a life changing
decision, you need to be sure
that it "feels" right”
Advertorial Moving to Canada 55
They can give you an orientation tour of the area and maintain contact with you after you have returned home so that you don't have to spend hours looking on MLS (Multiple Listing Service) wondering whether you will find your dream home.
I can personally offer all the support and contacts you need and help you network with other families that have settled here already. Our network is a valuable way to save time and money.
Set realistic goals for yourself while you are planning a research trip. Take into account the amount of time it will take to travel from one place to another and the weather conditions. Budget for your accommodation costs, petrol and car hire costs; don't forget to include the hidden extras, restaurant meals and surcharges for hiring a car from the airport location. Nova Scotia also operates a Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) so remember to add 13% on pretty much everything you buy as it is not included in the initial ticket price.
Make sure you have researched the employers you want to visit and have contacted them prior to arriving and also do some cold calling while you are here. Be prepared to answer questions about the immigration process itself as some small employers will not be knowledgeable and may need you to guide them through the paperwork required, allowing them to hire you.
I can guarantee that by the time you have completed your trip you will feel inspired and motivated to begin your new life here. If you need some extra encouragement here’s a quote from Peter Mackay member of parliament for Central Nova.
"Most importantly realize that you will become one of our most valuable assets: Attracting more immigrants to Nova Scotia will help to counter the declining population trends in our communities and provide our province with skilled workers who can meet the labour market needs of our businesses. New Canadians are the hope of our future and they will return to us so much more than we give."
Relocation Nova Scotia is based in Halifax. If you need more information about settling in Nova Scotia contact June Spindloe at www.relocationnovascotia.com
Besides help with purchasing property we can saveyou hours of research, time and money.
These are just some of the benefits Relocation Nova Scotia clients enjoy!• Tailor Made accommodation solutions for your Fact Finding Trips andon landing, choice of B&B or one of our short term rentals.• We will provide meet and greet at Airport when landing with a largeenough vehicle for your family and luggage.• Meet with professional Immigration Consultant based here in Halifaxon your fact finding trip and receive free consultation.• Foreign exchange specialist will make moving your money overseaseasy. Fast Track services to obtain day-to-day banking, mortgages,credit cards and financial services from one of Canada’s leadingBanks, with a one to one service from your own personal banker.• Competitive rates for Car Rental, Car Insurance and purchasing avehicle.• Canadian Mobile phones, SIM cards delivered to you before youland and pay using a UK credit card.• Unique women’s network providing friendship and advice.
Please visit www.relocationnovascotia.com and register.Call June or Mark on 001 902 446 0766 and we’ll call you back.
Meet us - June & Mark Spindloe online atthe Canadian Government’s portal:
www.bfic.netOr email us:
56 Moving to Canada
Pastures
Angel
Moving 2 AlbertaHelen Parnell moved from the United Kingdom to Alberta in 2002 and has since built up a
successful relocation and real estate career. If you are thinking of moving to Alberta then let Helen guide you through the process and help you with all the things that will make your move to Alberta
a successful one.
There are so many things you need to think about when deciding to move to a new country: health care, education, employment, housing, the list goes on. Why not let someone else take the strain and help with all those things so that you can be sure your first few weeks in Alberta will be as hassle-free as possible.
Helen says, “I can still remember how stressful it can be emigrating to a new country. Let me help ease the way for your relocation to Alberta. I have built a great team of experts in the various fields which are more than willing to help you and usually at no or reduced cost. These include mortgages, banking services, insurance, rental accommodation or Bed and Breakfast locations.”
Helen’s relocation, settlement and real estate services are guaranteed to be always completely free. Some of her extended services include:
• Airport pickup• Finding temporary accommodation• Applying for a drivers license• Locating a family doctor• Buying a house• Applying for power, telephone and TV• Obtaining bank accounts• Applying for Social Insurance Numbers• Obtaining permanent residence cards
• Applying for medical coverage• Exploring employment opportunities• Location information• Landing and customs information• Purchasing vehicles and insurance• Locating local schools
If you are planning a move to Alberta either this year or in the future then make sure you contact Helen Parnell. She has been through the process and understands first-hand the things you need in order to make your move to Alberta a good one. Let your move be as stress-free as possible.
Helen operates out of Calgary and serves the whole Southern Alberta area. So if you are planning a move to Alberta, then give Helen a call on 1-403-932-5670 or visit her website at www.moving2alberta.com.
Tel: 001 403 932 5670Email: [email protected]
MOVING 2 ALBERTAContact Helen Parnell a property relocationspecialist who has helped manyexpats settle here after makingthe move herself.Free assistance on • Accommodation• Real Estate • Insurance• Mortgages • Airport meet and greet• Serving Calgary and South Alberta
Downtown Calgary
Visit www.readmuchmor.com to read all our back issues
and find muchmor.
Moving to Canada 57
Charlotte, Debra & Carl hiking in Arnica Lake
Monty the cat
What’s really happening to the real estate market in Nova Scotia
It seems that every time you open a paper or turn on the radio these days all you hear is that “R” word, you know, Recession.
So then, what exactly is happening to the Real Estate Market in Nova Scotia? The Nova Scotia Business Journal shouts, “Atlantic Market Canada’s newest housing hotspot.” Forget the west. The new housing hotspots are in Atlantic Canada said Robert Hague, senior economist at RBC. St John’s housing market is firing on all cylinders, trailing only Regina in terms of year over year price increases. St John and Halifax are also showing solid price momentum creating favorable conditions for sellers.”
According to figures released by CREA and Statistics Canada the number of sales is trending down in Nova Scotia, 3.9% in 2008 and a further 2.2% in 2009. However prices were up in Nova Scotia, 4.7% in 2008 and set to rise 2.6% in 2009. Compared to what is happening worldwide these numbers look pretty good. That being said the final quarter numbers will be interesting to see. I can’t wait.
So stats aside, what actually is happening out there in the Real Estate world of Halifax? As I am out and about town, talking to past and perspective clients it seems that big financial decisions are being put off because everyone is afraid of the big R word and this in turn is slowing down
our market. Even so there is still lots of Real Estate activity occurring. Companies are still transferring, first time buyers are still buying, people are still upgrading or downsizing.
But now that we have a slow Real Estate Market (and not because of sub-prime mortgages as in the US and elsewhere because our banking practices are stable) how does this affect us?
As a seller it means your house will take longer to sell, but if it is priced right it will sell. Your job as the vendor, and your Realtor® can help you with this, is to make your home as appealing as possible so that it will stand out and impress buyers.
As a buyer in this market your timing is excellent. Interest rates are the lowest they have been for some time. Oil prices have dropped so heating costs are down. With lots of inventory to choose from there is room for negotiating. It is a buyers’ market and it hasn’t been this good in years. For investors there are some bargains out there.
Based on the MLS® numbers and the Nova Scotia Real Estate market, Halifax is holding it’s own.
Happy House Hunting and Happy New Year!
Where you might ask is Nova Scotia?
Well, it’s the second smallest province lying
on the eastern coast of Canada with a
population of 930,000. It’s also a quick 5 hr.
flight from the UK, making it a desirable
place to live for Brits wanting to exit the fast
lane. It offers a gentler, kinder way of life.
You may choose to live in an urban area
such as Halifax. It’s a lovely oceanfront city
and is the capital of NS. Being a small city
with a population 370,000 people, it is
friendly but also offers the amenities of a
much larger city. There are several
universities in the city thus the down town
core caters to a younger crowd.
However, the more adventurous may
choose to live in a rural area. You may even
have visited and come to appreciate what
rural living has to offer such as peace & quiet
( no traffic noise ) nature at your doorstep
and of course clean air.
Let me take you to Maitland! It is an
Historic Village lying along the shores of the
Bay of Fundy. Once known for shipbuilding,
it’s about 1 hr drive from Halifax and 30 min.
from Truro. A fair number of artists live in the
community now, painters, glassblowers &
scrimshaw artists are just a few. It is also
home to antique stores, B&B’s, art
studios ,small shops and restaurants. The
local Ladies Auxiliary is alive and active. This
summer they hosted Sunday Lunch at the
Old Selma Schoolhouse, which is a
Designated Historic Property and is now a
community art gallery. Having tried one of
these lunches I can personally tell you that
they are delicious indeed. After several visits
there I have come to realize there is a back
to the “organic” way of life happening.
Maitland is home of the world famous
Tidal Bore. Tides here can reach heights of
over 50 feet making river rafting along the
Shubenacadie a popular adventure for the
thrill seeking individual.
Small though Maitland is, there are also
business opportunities available to those of
an entrepreneurial mind set. Presently there
is a General Store and a B&B for sale.
The Neils pictured sitting on the front
verandah of their home, have a small antique
shop in their front parlor. Kevin is a retired
teacher, a scrimshaw artist and a wood
worker. He has made the most beautiful
dining room set from birdseye maple. Wood
that a friend offered him at a price he
couldn’t refuse, he says, as he had his eye
Moving to Canada 49
Living rural in Nova Scotia
Exit Realty Metro
2055-1658 Bedford Highway, Bedford, Nova Scotia, B4A 2X9
Cell: 902-222-4937
Fax: 902-835-4539
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.100metro.ca
Relocation email: [email protected]
Be one of the many families I have
successfully helped relocate to the Halifax,
Nova Scotia area.
I can assist from your first fact-finding trip to
the purchase of your new home.
Donna
McNeil
Maitland, NS
Get closer to Canada in 2009
58 Moving to Canada Advertorial
By Louise Green
Where will you be celebrating your next Christmas? Will you be closer to living the Canadian lifestyle you dream of? New Year is a time for reflection, looking back over the past year at what you’ve achieved and looking forward to what you want for 2009. What would you like to have
happened this year?Imagine tearing open that big brown envelope with
your passports and new visas, now you really are going to Canada. Booking your flights, knowing the actual date when you will be arriving, or speaking to your new employer about starting your job. Picture the house you will be living in, get excited at your first Canadian snowfall. Buying your first toque, actually being able to see and follow the puck at a hockey game and shrugging off -20°C as nothing to get excited about.
Ok you have some ideas of what you want, so how are you going to get there?
It can feel a little overwhelming thinking of all the things you have to get done en-route to Canada. Of course the getting there is a major challenge in itself and then there’s everything after you arrive. Research and planning will smooth the way and reduce stress for you and your family.
After reading this, you can create your emigration to-do-list for the next year, and set action points, to make real progress towards your new life in Canada for 2009. Minimize the time it’s going to take, and get prepared.
Creating your emigration to-do list
There is a key factor that’s going to make a big difference in how much you get done, how easily and how quickly you make progress. In fact you probably already know it, yet knowing it and actually doing it are two different things. The key is to break down each task until you have a series of logical smaller steps. This saves you time, because you are always moving in the right direction. Instead of flitting from one thing to another, looking at houses, when you don’t know how much you can afford, checking towns before you know if you can get a job there. You can find out what you need to know in the right order. This simple process will get you started.
1. Write down your ideas for what you want to have achieved in each area by next Christmas.
2. Turn your ideas into effective emigration actions by making sure they follow these emigration goal principles.
3. Think about all the actions you need to take. Write down each action, and keep breaking it down until you have a series of small easy steps.
4. Plan each step in the order they need to happen with dates for completion.
5. Tell someone what you are planning to do; it will make all the difference when you commit, have someone to hold you responsible and keep you on track.
6. Finally review often and change your actions if you need to. Be flexible make sure the action continues to reflect what you actually want.
I’ve included at least three areas you are sure to be considering below. Of course one of the most useful resources is hearing about people who have already succeeded and are living in Canada. You can benefit from what they did and learnt, by listening to these FREE exclusive Expat Interviews.
Research
With all emigration research, it’s important to have reliable, factual information. Everyone has their opinions and ideas about what’s best for you, usually based upon what was best for them. With the internet, you have the world at your finger tips; go to the best sources of information and learn how to separate fact from opinion? What areas do you need to research in 2009?
Advertorial Moving to Canada 59
Discussion forums, social media sites, and Expat blogs offer new ways to research your emigration. We discuss how to use discussion forums to compliment your research and how to get the best responses to your questions on the Emigration Research CD.
Jobs
Securing a firm job offer might be your best option for moving to Canada, or you may need a job once you get there. Networking has the highest success rate for getting a job and with Internet 2.0 there are lots of ways you can do this from a distance. It takes time to build relationships with the right people so it’s important to start this as soon as you can. On the Emigration Research CD we discuss maximizing your chances of getting a job by having the right resume, how to approach your Canadian job search and the best ways to use internet networking to secure a job.
Finances
This is something that is going to be integral to your success in Canada. Your lifestyle will be directly dependent upon how much money you take, earn and spend. Canadian lifestyle is no longer so much cheaper than other countries so it’s going to take careful research and detailed budgeting. This starts early on in the emigration process. There are advantages to setting up bank accounts in advance of your move, building a history with your new bank, and getting support once you arrive. The Emigration Research CD covers mortgages and day to day banking in more detail. Answering your questions about how to calculate the amount of money you will need as a deposit, the amount you can borrow, and what you need to qualify for a mortgage, getting Canadian credit cards and lots more.
Now it’s up to you. Is this the year you move towards your new life in Canada? Everyone emigrating has challenges to overcome, and does so with hard work, and determination, I know you can too. Create your emigration to do list, make use of all the resources, the Emigration Research CD will help you get started and remember to listen to the FREE Expat Interviews. Get your research of to a great start with the Emigration Research CD which includes information about visa options, real estate market, Canadian job searching, mortgages, bank accounts, and much more…
The Expat Coach, founded in 2007 by Louise Green, offers emigration research programs and support for every expat wannabe. Helping emigrants get the answers they need to research, plan and succeed in Canada. From initial research to resolving the challenges of settling in a new country, The Expat Coach primary objective is for you to get where you want and need to be.
mymuchmor - social networking brought to
you by muchmor - connecting canada
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60 Health & WellnessP
hoto
by
dea
rbar
bie
(Kim
)
When a bad hair day is no laughing matter
A condition called trichotillomania causes people to pull out hair
from any part of their body
Health & Wellness 61
Trichotillomania (TTM) is a disorder which causes people to pull out their own hair. The hair can be from the scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows or indeed any part of the body. Although eight out of ten sufferers are women, men also suffer from TTM.
TTM can start at any age, but is seen most frequently in pre-adolescence, usually around the age of twelve. However it is not unusual to see people of any age with the condition and even babies can be affected.
What can start off as simply a stress reliever can soon turn into a compulsion. The compulsion to pull out hair can be overwhelming and lead to bald patches. Someone with the disorder can often disguise bald patches on the scalp, but will often have missing eyebrows or eyelashes and male sufferers can have bald patches in their chest hair or on other parts of their body. Many sufferers will pull one hair out at a time, not large clumps which can hide the condition from others.
It is thought that around two percent of the world population suffers from Trichotillomania. The condition is more prevalent in the western world with up to 5% of North Americans suffering.
Many sufferers will go to extreme lengths to hide the disorder as they consider it embarrassing. Often they will wear hats or even wigs along with false eyelashes to cover the condition.
Some TTM sufferers will take the hair pulling one stage further and will eat their hair. Although this may sound harmless enough it can cause serious health problems. Hair balls or trichobezoar can form in the intestine and cause abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea and in extreme cases bowel obstruction or perforation which may require surgical removal.
There is no known “cure” for TTM, instead different forms of treatment can reduce and sometime stop symptoms. Many treatments revolve around counseling and self-help. By understanding what caused the disorder in the first place is often the best way to approach treatment. No one cause will apply to all. Everyone will have been triggered by a different factor, be it stress, abuse, chemical imbalance or simply a habit pushed to excess. If the origin
of the condition can be found then treatment is much more effective. However, it is often the case that the original cause remains unknown and so treatment is less focused.
Abby Leora Rohrer is a consultant and self-healing mentor, and author of What's Wrong With Pulling My Hair Out? and of the Pull-Free, At Last! System, a complete at-home healing program for sufferers of Trichotillomania. Here Abbey tells us of her own personal experience of TTM and possible treatments.
Three lessons
learned from living
with trichotillomania
From the ages of twelve to thirty-nine, I suffered from compulsive hair pulling. For the past twelve and a half years I have been successfully healed from this compulsive behavior. Based on my experience, I believe that fully healing from a compulsion or addiction is a universal journey that is available to anyone. It requires that the sufferer look inside, take responsibility for his own problem and remain flexible while following his own guidance.
Along my journey I learned many things. Here are three of the most important.
1. In order to heal, I had to believe that healing was possible for me.
In order to change, I needed to get to the point where I really understood deep inside that my beliefs create my reality. If I couldn't believe that it was possible for me to stop pulling, then I would never be able to do it.
Visualization became an important step. Because I could actually see myself on the other side of hair pulling with a full head of hair, I was consciously and unconsciously able do everything necessary to achieve my goal.
I read books like Real Magic and You'll See It When You Believe It by Dr. Wayne Dyer, which helped me to incorporate the concept of how my thoughts create my reality. This gave me the tools to align my thoughts with my intention to stop hair pulling.
2. In order to fix a problem, I had to be willing to focus on it. Not just make it a priority in my life, but to make it the top priority in my life until I accomplished my goal.
Can you fix a flat tire without making it the focus in your life; even if just for a few minutes? Although this seemed obvious to me in terms of dealing with any external problem, it wasn't obvious when dealing with my compulsion.
Making your hair pulling the only priority in your life takes work and commitment. It takes a conscious effort to bring it to the forefront of your life.
At 12 years old, I put my hair pulling problem on the back burner and decided to get on with my life. After all, there was no known cure--what else could I do? Many of us fear that if we focus directly on a problem like this, it and our inner pain will worsen. So most of us are unwilling to take this risk. This fear is real and justified, but to heal you must be willing to move through this stage. As I began to focus on my hair pulling, my problem did get a bit worse. As I continued to front-burner it, I found that I was strong enough to deal with a temporary worsening in order to reap the greater rewards of ending the problem for good. Hanging in through this process required me to trust in the process of natural healing.
3. Everything in life is a gift - even painful compulsions like hair pulling. Use your gifts to learn and grow.
Hair pulling was not the problem, but a symptom of much larger underlying early traumas that I had endured. I had no memory of many of them. Consequently they remained hidden and unresolved and created a great deal of pain in my life. By facing my hair pulling, I was forced to recognize and heal the other problems in my life.
I learned to maintain a childlike excitement about discovering my repressed feelings even in the midst of pain and sadness. I began to embrace my emotions and to feel that I was on a treasure hunt, knowing that in releasing old feelings, no matter how painful, I could get closer to my goal to end the compulsion. At each step I
62 Health & Wellness
uncovered clues as to what to let go of and where to look next.
Remember, it isn't just about letting go of something from the past; something you may enjoy. It's also about reaching out to a new and exciting future. A future that you can choose to live anyway you desire.
12 powerful ideas to
help you claim your
freedom from hair
pulling
The way each person deals with a compulsive behavior like hair pulling is greatly influenced by the culture in which you live. What are your beliefs? Do you believe that you can completely free yourself or that you must live each day attempting to control your hair pulling problem? Do you believe that someone else holds the key to ending your suffering?
Here are some powerful ideas to help you see your situation in a new way and to move forward to completely free yourself from Trichotillomania:
1. Become aware of your fears, personal biases and the compromises you make as you choose a method to help you end hair pulling. Think about whether you want natural healing and personal growth or a conventional solution with a traditional cure.
2. Resolve the hidden issues that lead to mental and physical problems. "Authentic Healing" uses an invisible natural self-healing system inside each of us. Everyone has this system and can learn to use it. Authentic healing experiences always increase your personal power and help you to grow as a person.
3. Empower yourself through authentic healing to listen to and trust your instincts about what you need. Authentic healing is holistic and encompasses all aspects of human life, the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. It always brings these four aspects of you into
natural balance. When you use this method of healing, you become the true expert about what you need to resolve each problem.
4. Address your addictive nature. Traditional cures come from outside of you, are done to you and are usually "generic" in nature. They don't help you to uncover the root-cause of your hair pulling but simply attempt to rid you of the urge to pull (symptom) and the unhappy consequences of your pulling. Sensitive hair pullers may find this approach disempowering because it doesn't help you to become balanced, evolve, take into account whom you uniquely are or completely resolve why you became a hair puller in the first place. This approach is likely to cover over your addictive nature rather than address it.
5. Increase your personal power. Trichotillomania sufferers often desperately hope that if they can find the right expert, they will find a cure. But cures don't increase your power because they don't help you to grow or use your intuition and feeling-sense to help you to fully resolve your hair pulling. This approach may decrease your feelings of personal power.
6. Reduce your anxiety by taking an active role in freeing yourself. Many hair pullers struggle daily with chronic anxiety. Western society tells us that outside experts know more about our emotional and physical health than we do and that others hold the answers to our suffering and the power to fix us. In our age of managed care and HMO's, this message is so pervasive that it causes chronic anxiety and feelings of powerlessness. A natural way to increase your personal power and decrease your anxiety is to take an active role in your own recovery by using your own authentic healing system.
7. Take responsibility for yourself. "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." (Lao Tzu) Authentic healing is a lot like knowing how to fish and being capable of feeding yourself
whenever you need to. It automatically increases your personal power and self-esteem because it uses your intuition, creativity, courage and independent thinking. Once you learn how to self-heal, you can do it again and again for other issues, each time gathering more power to you.
8. Put a "Gone Fishing" sign on your door. Being cured is like being handed a fish just for tonight's dinner. While a cure provides a solution to this one issue, it may also create dependency. You will always need to return to the outside source for another cure. This dependency is like an "addiction" because it decreases your power and self-esteem.
9. Look for the real cause. Seeking a cure for hair pulling may provide you with a short-term solution but won't ultimately rescue you from doing the inner work to fix what caused you to pull in the first place. Authentic healing guides you look at the real cause of your hair pulling and to fully resolve that.
10. Learn to use experts as consultants and "tools" to assist you in your own process. Because authentic healing is a personal journey, you can continue to use experts but in a different way.
11. Stay only with empowering healing partners. Some experts may hold a negative "my way is the only way" mindset, while others may empower you to take personal responsibility and to find your own power. Stick with the latter.
12. Find and use great support tools. There are many wonderful healing techniques and tools available and more arrive on the scene daily. While there is inner work to be done, you don't have to go it alone more than is necessary. The key is to find what's right for you by trusting your intuition and feelings to guide you throughout your healing process.
To contact Abby Leora Rohrer visit www.123trichotillomaniafree.com or http://www.pullfreeatlast.com or call 303/546-0788 for more information.
Health & Wellness 63
Make the most important investment
this year - invest in your health
Obesity is a mounting health problem locally and worldwide. More than 1 billion adults globally are overweight, and at least 300 million are obese, according to the World Health Organization.
Obesity not only takes a toll on personal health, it can inflict a huge monetary cost on individuals as well as the economy in general:
* When compared with their healthy-weight counterparts, healthcare spending among the obese is 37 percent higher, reports The Policy Journal of the Health Spheres.
* The rise in obesity contributed to the increase in spending related to diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Fortunately, a sustained 10 percent weight loss may reduce an overweight person's lifetime medical costs by $2,200 to $5,300 by lowering costs related to hypertension and high cholesterol, among many other related illnesses. Additionally, sustaining a 5 to 10 percent weight loss over six months or longer has been shown to improve health by helping to:
* Lower the risk of heart disease.* Reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. * Reduce the risk of some kinds of cancer.* Reduce the strain on joints.So if weight loss is your resolution this year, or you
want to make an important investment in your health, consider an approach that is not just designed to take weight off, but to help you change your behavior.
Just in time for the new year, Weight Watchers has introduced the Momentum program which encourages smarter food and lifestyle choices. Your weight loss plans can absolutely stay on track in 2009, but it's important to choose a weight-loss plan that truly teaches you how to make healthy, sustainable changes.
Here are Weight Watchers 10 Tips for a Healthy 2009: * Look for low-calorie substitutions that don't
sacrifice taste. For example, switching from mayo to mustard can add to big calorie savings over time.
* Losing weight with a friend or group of friends really helps with weight-loss success.
* Ounce for ounce, the nutrition in fruits and vegetables can't be beat. To get the best blend of nutrients, include as many colors as possible.
* Put a napkin over your plate as soon as you're satisfied -- it's like turning off a light switch.
* Purge unhealthy food from your pantry, freezer and fridge.
* Make physical activity as convenient as possible. Keep your sneakers and jacket ready and nearby for short, frequent walks.
* Try creating a new favorite dish. Visit www.weightwatchers.com for delicious recipe ideas.
* Wear something you feel fabulous in -- a compliment goes a long way in sustaining motivation.
* Set new goals to keep yourself motivated. Goals do not have to be weight related.
* Know what you're doing. Write down what you're eating each and every day to keep you on target.
To find out more, visit a Weight Watchers Meeting for free or go to www.weightwatchers.com or www.weightwatchers.ca.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
Sequoia Club64 Home & Garden
Carol Brough - Sales Representative
CENTURY 21 Lanthorn Real Estate Ltd., Brokerage*102 Main Street, Picton, ON K0K 2T0Tel: (0) 613-476-8039 Email: [email protected]
MLS: 2085960 Price: $399,900 Province: OntarioCity: Picton Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 2
Unique 4 year old custom built, bright, open concept home with commanding view of Smith's Bay and convenient waterfront access. Many exciting features include living and dining area with vaulted ceiling, skylights, gas fireplace and three sets of French doors opening onto a wrap around balcony overlooking the bay. Main floor family room, stunning kitchen with island. Full basement with 9' ceiling, double car garage with loft plus single carport and triple parking. Close to marina and vineyards.
MLS: 2081104 Price: $259,900 Province: OntarioCity: Adolphustown Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 2
Hobby farm for horses. Newly renovated home on hill top. Original hardwood in living and dining rooms. All new windows (2007). New flooring in kitchen and bathrooms (2008). Main floor laundry and walk out to deck. Hill top views of orchard and Adolphus Reach from front porch. 10+ acres with two quonset huts. One is used for stable for horses. 100' x 125' riding ring plus 4+ acres fenced pasture. Virtual tour: http://www.Obeo.com/464998
MLS: 2082916 Price: $398,90 Province: OntarioCity: Warkworth Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 3
Large custom built eat-in-kitchen featuring cedar posts and lots of pine. Wood stove, 2 skylights, loads of countertop and kitchen garage. 9ft. Ceilings original hardwood and trim in dining room. Beautiful wood staircase and railings. 3 season sunroom with lovely views of the rolling countryside, walk in closet in Master Bedroom, media room with wood stove, attached 2 car garage, 2 wells plus year round stream and large pond, machine shop with hydro and 32x16 inground pool.
MLS: 2076639 Price: $935,000 Province: OntarioCity: Picton Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 4
Located on prestigious Loyalist Parkway overlooking Picton Bay stands this fifties vintage structure renovated & added to in a "Southwestern" style. Prince Edward County Glenora Road lakeside living at it's best. Beautiful sunsets, easy access to sheltered water, substantial lake activity(birds, sailing school, kayaking, world class fishing, seaplanes, power & sailing yachts), an award winning saltwater pool & hot tub & a myriad of lake facing rooms including the substantial in-law suite. The custom designed large well equipped commercial kitchen is a Chef's dream. B&B potential
Sequoia Club
By Mark Spindloe
No matter how many homes you may have bought and sold, when you arrive in Canada you are in the same position as a first timer Canadian buyer. It is important that you have someone to represent you who is not only used to working with first time home buyers but understands where you are coming from. Our approach is to lead you through the process by explaining before hand what will be happening and what your choices and obligations are.
One comment we hear a lot is should you deal with several agents as this is common back at home in the UK. The answer is; you should sign with one agent who, once they find out all your wants and needs, can gain access to every property in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) system for you.
When we act as buying agents for you, our fees are paid by sharing the selling agents commission. We are therefore free to you. This is the best deal you will get! However, another major difference is that as professional agents have fiduciary duties to you and are mandated to act in your interests to get you the best deal.
On our first meeting we will take note of what price range, style of home, area, and other requirements you need. We will explain customer and client status and the implications as they affect you. We will work with you as a client and describe our duties and obligation to you.
First you need to save for a down payment. You will also need sufficient funds for the closing costs as well as being sure you can afford on-going costs like, heating, telephone, maintenance etc.
Next, if you are not buying with cash, you should get pre-approval for a mortgage from your bank or mortgage broker. This will tell you the maximum you can afford. We will
search within this price range for properties for your consideration. Note: any pre-approval is only an amount that your income can support and generally it locks in the interest rate quoted for a period of time. What this means is that should interest rates go up during this period you will pay the lower agreed rate, should interest rates fall you will get the lower rate. When you have chosen a property the bank will have to approve a loan on that property to ensure it's investment is secure. You may be asked to pay for this appraisal.
The average Canadian moves every three to five years; so keep this
in mind. As your conditions change so will your housing needs, so we suggest you concentrate on the home you can afford now. Although, when it comes to borrowing there are two schools of thought. One is you shouldn’t borrow as much as you qualify for, while the other says you should buy as much home as you can afford. You should carefully consider this decision and make the choice that is within your comfort zone.
From properties that you may find or we suggest, we arrange appointments through the listing agent and accompany you on all viewings, giving advise and listening to your feed-back. The owners are not usually present during your viewings. A second viewing of a property is generally arranged when one is under serious consideration.
When you find the property you want we draft the initial offer to purchase based on your instructions and we are there to explain anything you need. The offer has a limited period of a day or two for acceptance. We transmit your offer to the seller through their appointed agent. The seller has the opportunity to ignore your offer and allow it to lapse, reject it outright, or what normally occurs is they counter with a response that could alter the price, conditions, closing date, etc. We discuss all changes and their implication to you and follow your instruction. Negotiations continue back and forth via the listing agent and us until we have an agreement acceptable to you and the sellers. This agreement is then conditional on the clauses inserted to protect you. These would include satisfactory finance, house inspection, insurability, lawyer review, etc. At this time you will need to pay the agreed upon deposit which is placed in trust by the selling brokerage. This deposit is returned if the deal does not complete, or forms part of the purchase price if the sale completes.
Advertorial Home & Garden 65
Are you a first-time home buyer in Canada?
“The average Canadian
moves every three to five
years”
What’s under your feet?
STIRLINGC A R P E T & F L O O R I N G
Brian & Kim Suurdt
400 West Front Street, Stirling,
Ontario, K0K 3E0
Tel: 613.395.1400 Fax: 613.395.4705
Toll Free: 877.847.5464
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.stirlingflooring.com
We can suggest other home-buying professionals you will need to satisfy these conditions such as a lawyer, a home inspector, insurance broker, etc. but you are free to find your own. For rural properties you should have the water quality checked, the flow rate of the well and septic system.
The time span for these conditions is usually around ten business days. We will assist you to organize the house inspection and accompany you on the day, also the water/septic inspection if necessary. Depending on the results of inspections you have the opportunity to walk away from the deal or engage in further negotiation to have problems rectified by the seller or the purchase price reduced. After we have all the reports, finance is in place, the insurance company confirms insurability and lawyer review is satisfactory and you are satisfied, then the transaction is firm and binding awaiting the closing, or move in date.
Knowing that you will be moving into your new home you can go ahead and book a moving van, send out change of address cards, talk to the utility companies to make sure you will have power, cable, internet, water etc on the day you take possession.
Usually on the day of closing we will arrange to go with you to do a final walk-through of the property after the owners have left, to ascertain that the property is in the condition you expect and any appliances etc in the agreement are there. You then visit your lawyer to sign deeds, transfer monies, adjust for closing costs and get the house keys.
After you move in there may be other services you may need to turn that house into your home. We have access to other services through our network.
Mark Spindloe can be contacted through www.100metro.ca. He and his business partner work with Relocation Nova Scotia, and are experienced in the international relocation process. Mark is a licensed Nova Scotian Realtor®
Average house prices across Canada
November 2007
November 2008
British Columbia $451,991 $395,687
Alberta $353,125 $338,354
Saskatchewan $193,521 $217,801
Manitoba $173,318 $174,235
Ontario $312,509 $293,328
Quebec $210,045 $211,191
New Brunswick $133,878 $141,354
Nova Scotia $172,942 $175,490
Prince Edward Island
$1327,277 $141,717
Newfoundland and Labrador
$146,164 $191,148
Yukon Territory $254,290 $331,875
Northwest Territories
$346,192 $355,118
Figures supplied by the Canadian Real Estate Association
66 Home & Garden Advertorial
Sequoia Club Home & Garden 67
MLS: C3356955 Price: $293,500 Province: Alberta City: Cochrane Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 2
Fantastic fully finished attached home, Kitchen and both bathrooms have just been re-done and look fantastic. 4 bedrooms,(lower recroom is being used as 5th bedroom). This home has a HUGE back-yard with a double detached garage. Fantastic for RV parking off the back lane. Walking distance to shopping. Quick possession possible
MLS: C3353017 Price: $459,900 Province: Alberta City: Cochrane Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 3
One of a kind bilevel that you will love. Enter the home from the front porch into the foyer and be welcomed by the formal living room and bedroom(used as a den). Up the few stairs to the Kitchen with oak cabinets,high quality laminate flooring,breakfast nook and great room with corner gas fp. The door leads to a deck that overlooks the golf course(2&3 holes). Off the kitchen are two bedrooms and a 4pc bathroom. The lower level has another bedroom, 3pc bathroom with shower stall, a large family room with corner gas fireplace.
MLS: C3358883 Price:$384,000 Province: Alberta City: Cochrane Bedrooms: 1 Bathrooms: 2
One of the larger units in popular Riverview villas. View of the river valley from the great room. Kitchen is open concept to great room with centre island and large nook. The home has a den at the front, large dining room, kitchen,nook and great room with gas fireplace, 1/2 bath, large master bedroom with walk in closet and 4pc ensuite. Carpet and lino thru-out, Well maintained. The lower level has a finished 4pc bathroom and the rest of the lower level with 9 foot ceilings is ready for your ideas. This home is set up with handicap accessories and has a collapsible wheelchair ramp in garage.
MLS: C3353988 Price: $684,900 Province: Alberta City: Cochrane Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 2
Executive living in an exclusive neighborhood close to three schools & the Cochrane Ranche. A green space w/park backs this 1739 sf walkout bungalow w/ mtn view & the 285 sf bonus room with freestanding gas fireplace and vaulted ceiling(presently used as an office) gives you 2024 sf of main living space. The lower level approx 1400 sf has a wetbar with cinnamon maple cabinets, dishwasher, second large fridge, tile flooring and accompanies the family and games area. Two bedrooms and 4pc bathroom, large storage area and in-floor heat make this area a comfort to enjoy family or entertaining.
Helen Parnell
Tel: 403-932-8888
www.moving2alberta.com
MLS: C3358883 Price:$384,000 Province: Alberta City: Cochrane Bedrooms: 1 Bathrooms: 2
One of the larger units in popular Riverview villas. View of the river valley from the great room. Kitchen is open concept to great room with centre island and large nook. The home has a den at the front, large dining room, kitchen,nook and great room with gas fireplaceensuite. Carpet and lino thru-out, Well maintained. The lower level has a finished 4pc bathroom and the rest of the lower level with 9 foot ceilings is ready for your ideas. This home is set up with handicap accessories and has a collapsible wheelchair ramp in garage.
MLS: C3355621 Price: $259,900 Province: Alberta City: Calgary Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 2
PRICE REDUCED BY $20,000. Rent to own option! $15,000 cash to mortgage. Beautiful brand new 2 bedroom 2 bath condo in 45+ unit. Maximum upgrades and warm colours. Main floor unit located a few doors from the open 2 story social area with catering kitchen, media room, library, fireplace and Exercise facility. Elevator from titled underground parking. Full LAKE PRIVILEGES. Trails overlooking Bow River & proposed 26 hole Champ golf course. A MUST SEE!
MLS: C3355621 Price: $259,900 Province: Alberta City: Calgary Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 2
PRICE REDUCED BY $20,000. Rent to own option! $15,000 cash to mortgage. Beautiful brand new 2 bedroom 2 bath condo in 45+ unit. Maximum upgrades and warm colours. Main floor unit located a few doors from the open 2 story social area with catering kitchen, media room, library, fireplace and Exercise facility. Elevator from titled underground parking. Full LAKE PRIVILEGES. Trails overlooking Bow River & proposed 26 hole Champ golf course. A MUST SEE!
68 Home & GardenSequoia Club32 Working Life
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