Jack Laytons Letter to all Canadian

August 20, 2011


Toronto, Ontario



Dear Friends,



Tens of thousands of Canadians have written to me in recent weeks to wish me well. I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughtful, inspiring and often beautiful notes, cards and gifts. Your spirit and love have lit up my home, my spirit, and my determination.



Unfortunately my treatment has not worked out as I hoped. So I am giving this letter to my partner Olivia to share with you in the circumstance in which I cannot continue.



I recommend that Hull-Aylmer MP Nycole Turmel continue her work as our interim leader until a permanent successor is elected.



I recommend the party hold a leadership vote as early as possible in the New Year, on approximately the same timelines as in 2003, so that our new leader has ample time to reconsolidate our team, renew our party and our program, and move forward towards the next election.



A few additional thoughts:



To other Canadians who are on journeys to defeat cancer and to live their lives, I say this: please don't be discouraged that my own journey hasn't gone as well as I had hoped. You must not lose your own hope. Treatments and therapies have never been better in the face of this disease. You have every reason to be optimistic, determined, and focused on the future. My only other advice is to cherish every moment with those you love at every stage of your journey, as I have done this summer.



To the members of my party: we've done remarkable things together in the past eight years. It has been a privilege to lead the New Democratic Party and I am most grateful for your confidence, your support, and the endless hours of volunteer commitment you have devoted to our cause. There will be those who will try to persuade you to give up our cause. But that cause is much bigger than any one leader. Answer them by recommitting with energy and determination to our work. Remember our proud history of social justice, universal health care, public pensions and making sure no one is left behind. Let's continue to move forward. Let's demonstrate in everything we do in the four years before us that we are ready to serve our beloved Canada as its next government.



To the members of our parliamentary caucus: I have been privileged to work with each and every one of you. Our caucus meetings were always the highlight of my week. It has been my role to ask a great deal from you. And now I am going to do so again. Canadians will be closely watching you in the months to come. Colleagues, I know you will make the tens of thousands of members of our party proud of you by demonstrating the same seamless teamwork and solidarity that has earned us the confidence of millions of Canadians in the recent election.



To my fellow Quebecers: On May 2nd, you made an historic decision. You decided that the way to replace Canada's Conservative federal government with something better was by working together in partnership with progressive-minded Canadians across the country. You made the right decision then; it is still the right decision today; and it will be the right decision right through to the next election, when we will succeed, together. You have elected a superb team of New Democrats to Parliament. They are going to be doing remarkable things in the years to come to make this country better for us all.



To young Canadians: All my life I have worked to make things better. Hope and optimism have defined my political career, and I continue to be hopeful and optimistic about Canada. Young people have been a great source of inspiration for me. I have met and talked with so many of you about your dreams, your frustrations, and your ideas for change. More and more, you are engaging in politics because you want to change things for the better. Many of you have placed your trust in our party. As my time in political life draws to a close I want to share with you my belief in your power to change this country and this world. There are great challenges before you, from the overwhelming nature of climate change to the unfairness of an economy that excludes so many from our collective wealth, and the changes necessary to build a more inclusive and generous Canada. I believe in you. Your energy, your vision, your passion for justice are exactly what this country needs today. You need to be at the heart of our economy, our political life, and our plans for the present and the future.



And finally, to all Canadians: Canada is a great country, one of the hopes of the world. We can be a better one – a country of greater equality, justice, and opportunity. We can build a prosperous economy and a society that shares its benefits more fairly. We can look after our seniors. We can offer better futures for our children. We can do our part to save the world's environment. We can restore our good name in the world. We can do all of these things because we finally have a party system at the national level where there are real choices; where your vote matters; where working for change can actually bring about change. In the months and years to come, New Democrats will put a compelling new alternative to you. My colleagues in our party are an impressive, committed team. Give them a careful hearing; consider the alternatives; and consider that we can be a better, fairer, more equal country by working together. Don't let them tell you it can't be done.



My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we'll change the world.



All my very best,



Jack Layton

The Foundation and Future of MLS

When the MLS System was first introduced in Toronto over 50 years ago it was called the Photo Co-op system. When it started there were many board members who scoffed at the idea of sharing information with fellow Realtors in the city. Some brokers felt it was unfair to provide valuable listing information to other offices because they were the ones who had gone out, knocked on doors and worked hard to solicit the business in the first place. The idea of co-operating listings wouldn’t go away and eventually it became established. It grew to become the largest MLS in the country.




The foundation of sharing listing information was based on what was best for the customer. Making all brokers across the city aware of a listing and actively participate in its marketing was good for the customer because it created an army of men and women who worked collectively to market and sell the listing.



While the brokers involved in the listing and selling of a property would have to share the commission, the big winner would always be the customer. That was why the idea did not go away and was eventually accepted by all board members. It was irrefutable that the customer would win and that was what the MLS System was all about right from the start.



The customer benefitted not only because TREB members were able to market the property all across the city but also because the brokers who belonged to the board operated under a strict code of ethics ensuring the same honourable conduct of the person representing their property all across the city.



These two principals were the pillars of reason on which the foundation of MLS was built.



Other licensed Realtors who did not belong to TREB were envious of the huge base of listings that TREB’s “club” of brokers was able to provide to members. They did not have access to those listings and the valued information they formed collectively. If they wanted that, they had to apply to join TREB. If they were accepted, agreed to pay the fees promptly and pledged to conduct their business under the code of ethics and strict guidelines of business conduct then, too could participate in MLS and gain access to all those listings.



Many of them joined. But others did not. Some complained bitterly to government officials and the press that TREB members had formed a monopoly and controlled all the real estate listings in the city. They angrily pointed out that real estate brokers were being pressured into paying member fees in order to make a living because they had to join TREB if they wanted to be in business and they had to conduct themselves the way TREB dictated, in particular the way the MLS rules dictated. If any member declined to conduct their business in a manner outside of those rules, their membership was terminated and their access to MLS was cut off.



TREB prevailed because it was always able to show that its system ensured that the customers of its members received the best service possible, delivered with exemplary business ethics. No one was being forced to join the board.



From its development as a simple process of picture sharing through all technological changes over decades, the foundation of MLS has never changed. However the charges of exclusion from those who want information provided in a manner different than the way TREB makes it available have never ceased throughout the years.



Today the Competition Bureau is acting for complainants in a dispute with TREB over this issue. My fear is that they may lose sight of the fact that the winner of this dispute should always be the customer.



If that fact is lost, then so is MLS.



Heino Molls is publisher of REM. Email heino@remonline.com



Who or what is Canada PRO and why are they giving me money?

Canada PRO Bank Payment Just Landed in My Account – What is It?

Who or what is Canada PRO and why are they giving me money?

Many Ontario residents will receive a “mystery” bank payment directly into their bank accounts today.  (And you might remember a similar one that landed earlier this year.

The mystery payment of $100 or up to $330 for families is usually labelled “Canada PRO”. What the heck is it?

It the second instalment of your HST rebate from the Ontario Government.

Back in June, 2010, TD Canada Trust bank fielded dozens of calls that day from concerned customers wondering what the payment was for. The Bank confirmed that the provincial government was the source of the mystery Canada PRO payment to customers.

Transition Benefit to Offset 13% HST
As promised by the McGuinty government, these “transition benefit” payments are designed to offset the new 13 per cent harmonized sales tax – or HST – that took effect July 1, 2010. The new tax will increase levies on one in six consumer items, including gasoline, electricity, home heating fuels, tobacco, and legal services.

The Ontario government estimates that 51 per cent of Ontario families will be paying up to $480 more in taxes by 2012 because of the HST, according to a Toronto Star report on Wednesday, June 9, 2010

These transitional payments are designed to take away some of the pain for eligible residents.

So now you know! Now, I am going to blow it all on gasoline! Yay!!!!

If Shakespeare Had a Hard Drive

"If the plays had been written with a word processor on a computer that had somehow survived, we still might not know anything definitive about Shakespeare's original or final intentions — these are human, not technological, questions — but we might be able to know some rather different things... We might discover the play had originally been called GreatDane.doc instead of Hamlet.doc. We might also be able to know what else he had been working on that same day, or what Internet content he had browsed the night before (since we'll assume Shakespeare had Web access too). While he was online, he might have updated his blog or tagged some images in his Flickr account, or perhaps edited a Wikipedia entry or two. He might even have spent some time interacting with others by performing with an avatar in Second Life, an online place where all the world is truly a shared virtual stage.


...

We may no longer have the equivalent of Shakespeare's hard drive, but we do know that we wish we did, and it is therefore not too late — or too early — to begin taking steps to make sure we save the born-digital records of the literature of today."


Of all Internet activities, email is the most popular.


There are two reasons I decided to blog about email etiquette. The first one is the sheer number of people using email, especially those using it for business communications. Since you are reading this article which appears on the Web, there's a good chance you use email to communicate with others, including your boss, colleagues, clients, or prospective employers.

So, what's the second reason? Well, I receive a lot of email. A lot of it is well written. A lot of it isn't. Some messages go on and on and on, until finally the question is asked. Sometimes the length is necessary -- other times the writer could be more concise.

Some messages get right to the point ... a little too quickly. The writer wastes no time asking for what he or she needs without bothering to be polite. Some of my younger readers (I assume) use what I can only describe as some sort of shorthand, i.e. "Can U plz send info on careers?" This may be appropriate for communicating with your buddies through instant messaging, but not for writing to someone you've never met. Besides, being a little more specific might help me find the information faster.

Sometimes there are glaring errors, such as misspellings and very poor grammar. While this annoys me some, I can only imagine what a prospective employer would think when receiving a poorly written message. Because your correspondence says a lot about you, you should be aware of some basic email etiquette, sometimes known as netiquette.

Mind Your Manners

What three words have a total of only 14 letters yet carry a great deal of meaning? People may not notice these words when they're there, but if you forget to use them, you'll come across looking disrespectful and ungrateful. Give Up? These very powerful words are "Please" and "Thank You." Please take my advice. You'll thank me later.


This isn't something that especially bothers me, but there are others who are very sensitive to being addressed by their first names. When in doubt, use Mr., Mrs., or Dr. (if appropriate). When you are replying to an email and the sender of the original message has used his or her first name only, then you could safely assume it's okay to use that person's first name as well.


Don't Use that Tone With Me


Tone is a difficult thing to explain. Remember when your parents would say "Don't use that tone of voice with me, young lady (or young man)?" Your feelings come across by the way you say something. It is easy to change your tone when you're speaking. When you are writing it's very hard to do it. Whenever I write an email, I read my message over several times before I hit send. I want to make sure I come across as respectful, friendly, and approachable. I don't want to sound curt or demanding. Sometimes just rearranging your paragraphs will help.

If you're writing to someone you've communicated with before, you might want to begin by saying "I hope you are well." Email writers often use emoticons to convey a certain tone. For those of you who don't know what these are, emoticons are little faces made up by arranging parentheses, colons, and semi-colons. Use good judgement here. If you write to someone frequently and you have a less formal relationship, then emoticons are okay. If, however, you're writing to a prospective employer, stick to words only.

Avoid writing your message using all upper case letters. It looks like you're shouting. Don't use all lower case letters either. Some people say it will make it seem like you're mumbling.


Author and motivational speaker George Torok said “your body leaks messages.” That is, it’s not only what you say that’s important; it’s how you say it.


Nonverbal communication is equally, sometimes more, important in the exchange of information. Often, people understand more about what you’re trying to say from how you look than from the words you speak.

We communicate with our eyes, facial expressions, tone of voice, posture, and physical space. [This is not an exhaustive list.] Each of these behaviours influences how we exchange information.

Eye Contact

We’ve all heard the expression “the eyes are the windows to the soul.” They are also a way of connecting with the person(s) to whom you’re speaking. Making eye contact opens the flow of communication, conveys interest and confidence, and increases credibility.

Facial Expressions

If eyes are the window to the soul, then a smile is the light in the window of your face that tells people you’re at home.

Smiling is a powerful communicator, indicating friendliness, warmth, and approachability. This is how you should be communicating (even when you’re on the telephone). Be wary of facial expressions denoting anger, frustration, confusion, or boredom. If you note any of these expressions on your listener(s), you should investigate further.

Tone of Voice

How you speak, specifically the tone of your voice, conveys emotion and will affect how your message is received. Therefore, it’s important that you speak in a tone that suggests confidence.

Posture

Posture refers to the way we move our bodies – the way we sit, stand, lean, or bend. Each posture speaks volumes about your emotions and will influence the message you deliver. For example, assuming a stiff and immobile posture may suggest you are uncomfortable.

Physical Space

Physical space refers to the distance you put between yourself and the other person. This will vary based on how well you know the other person and culture. There are basically three zones – intimate, personal, and social. In North America, most business transactions take place in the social zone, which is between one to three met.
 
This information comes from a survey conducted by the UCLA Center for Communication Policy (The UCLA Internet Report: Surveying the Digital Future. UCLA Center for Communication Policy. 2001).
 
Trouble Communicating?

Improve Your Communication Skills Using Dale Carnegie's Free Tips.

Contributing articles Dawn Rosenberg McKay, About.com Guide, The Dish by AndrewSullivan

DaleCarnegie.com

I'm melting, I'm melting. Okay, knock it off, we're all HOT!!Ways to beat the heat.

TORONTO - A sweltering day in the Greater Toronto Area is expected to be followed up by more of the same the entire week.


The high temperature prompted the City of Toronto to issue a heat alert Saturday morning and it’s expected to last a while.

The alert, posted on the Toronto Public Health website, comes as temperatures rose beyond a predicted to high of 33C.

This, combined with a “very high” humidex forecast by Environment Canada, has the city warning Toronto residents to do whatever they need to do to keep cool.

To help beat the heat, Public Health recommends folks drink lots of liquids – water and fruit juices, mostly.

Avoid going out in the blazing midday sun when possible, and if your home isn’t air conditioned, head to well-chilled buildings, such as shopping malls, libraries and community centres.

Also, take a break from vigorous exercise, and strenuous outdoor work should be avoided. too. And people taking certain kinds of medication – drugs for mental illness, for example – should avoid the heat, as well.

Things could stay scorching for the rest of the week, with an average high a little above 30 over the next five to six days, according to data from Environment Canada.

A heat alert is issued when current conditions are compared with – and are similar to – past hot weather that has resulted in a spike in deaths, according to the Toronto Public Health website.

Terry Fox's Royal Pirates/Sponsor or join our team.

Terry Fox's Royal Pirates

A team that believes that HOPE is spreading faster than cancer.

My team message This year we are proudly supporting The Terry Fox Foundation in its ongoing work to fund innovative and progressive cancer research programs. Please support our team by joining, or making a donation. Your kindness will impact the lives of so many people living with cancer

http://my.e2rm.com/TeamPage.aspx?teamID=216339&langPref=en-CA&Referrer=http%3a%2f%2fwww.terryfox.org%2fRun%2fOntario.html

"MY GREAT NEIGHBOURHOOD" CONTEST

"MY GREAT NEIGHBOURHOOD" CONTEST (No Purchase necessary)


Contest Rules

1. The "My great neighbourhood" Contest is held by Royal LePage (the "Contest Organizers"). The Contest runs on the Internet from June 21, 2011 at 0:01 (ET) to October 21, 2011 at 11:59:59 p.m. (ET) (the "Contest Period").



ELIGIBILITY

2. The Contest is open to residents of Canada who have reached the age of majority where they reside. Members of the jury, employees, agents and representatives of the Contest Organizers, of any company, corporation, trust or other legal entity controlled by or affiliated to them, Royal LePage agents, their advertising and promotional agencies, suppliers of prizes, material and services related to this Contest, as well as members of their immediate family (brothers, sisters, children, father, mother), their legal or common-law spouse and any individuals with whom such employees, agents, representatives and members of the jury are domiciled, are not eligible. "Cookies" must be accepted to enter the Contest.



HOW TO ENTER

No purchase necessary



3. To enter, proceed as follows:



3.1 During the Contest Period, go to www.royallepage.ca/mygreatneighbourhood. On the home page, follow the instructions to access the electronic entry form (the "Entry Form");

3.2 Fill out the Entry Form by entering your e-mail address, password, confirm password, first name, last name, country, province, city, postal code, date of birth and address;

3.3 Enter the characters which must be reproduced for security purposes;

3.4 Declare that you have read and agreed to the Contest Rules including the conditions set out in the Statement of consent, authorization and release in connection with the Material submitted by checking the corresponding box;

3.5 Click on Create Account;

3.6 Enter the name of your tradition, referring to the theme of the contest which is to describe why you like your community or your neighbourhood;

3.7 In the space provided, write a short text explaining the reasons why you like your community or your neighbourhood;

3.8 Enter tags (separate with spaces);

3.9 Enter your location;

3.10 Select up to five photos or one video showing why you like your community or your neighbourhood and click on "Start upload" to select and download the file of the photo or video you want to submit. A message will appear confirming that your submission has been received.

4. You can also enter the Contest by registering through the "Login with FaceBook" option. Click on "Allow" on the window appearing on your screen and complete the Entry form as provided at section 3 of the present rules.



5. Group entry. Group entry is permitted. The person who enters his name on the Entry Form will be the group representative and deemed to be the contestant in this Contest.



6. Evaluation criteria of the jury. The following criteria will be used by the jury to evaluate the video or photo(s) and text (the "Material") submitted to select winners as detailed in section 16 of these Contest Rules:



6.1 Originality and creativity;

6.2 Quality of neighbourhood information provided;

6.3 Relevancy of the Material submitted;

6.4 Number of votes obtained (see section 12)

7. The following conditions apply to the Material submitted:



7.1 It must be original and the contestant must be its sole author or have obtained all required rights or authorizations for its use in the scope of this Contest;

7.2 The Material must show why you like your community or your neighbourhood;

7.3 Accepted video formats are: Cinepak FLV (H.263/Spark and On2 VP6) H.261 H.263 H.264 / AVC / MPEG-4 AVC / MPEG-4 part 10 MJPEG (Motion JPEG) MPEG-1 MPEG-2 MPEG-4 (part 2) On2 VP3 On2 VP5 On2 VP6 RealVideo 1.0 RealVideo 2.0 Snow Theora WMV1 (Windows Media Video 7) WMV2 (Windows Media Video 8) WMV3 (Windows Media Video 9). Maximum upload size is 500 MB; Duration of the video: minimum 5 seconds and maximum 10 minutes.

7.4 Accepted photo formats are: bmp, eps, jpg, gif, pdf, png, psd, tiff.

7.5 The text must comprise between 1000 and 2000 characters;

7.6 Each video, photo and text submitted must be different from each other. The decision as to whether they are different is at the sole discretion of the Contest Organizers;

7.7 The content of the Material must be in French on the French version of the Contest web site or in English on its English version. The Material must not violate a person's privacy rights, notably contain his/her name, likeness, resemblance, voice or reveal intimate details about this person unless you have obtained his/her consent and in the case of a minor, the consent of a parent or legal guardian;

7.8 The Material must not hold inappropriate content, notably content which is explicitly sexual, offensive, harassing, discriminatory, libellous, violent, malicious, hateful, content which may be against knowledgeable accepted standards of good behaviour among the Canadian society or which depreciates Royal LePage or its affiliated companies' products or services. It must not contain suggestive images or language promoting an illegal activity and must not contain commercial content showing or promoting a product or service other than those of the Contest Organizers. The entrant will have to make sure he/she has obtained all required authorizations with regards to any portion of the Material submitted which is protected by copyright, any other intellectual property right or the right of a third party, notably music;

7.9 The Material must have been created specifically for this Contest and must not have already been published or submitted in the scope of another contest or promotion.

8. In order to be eligible to the Contest and for the Material submitted to be broadcast, any entrant must provide the following authorization by checking the corresponding box on the Entry Form:



Statement of consent, authorization and release in connection with the Material submitted



I grant Royal LePage and its representatives the authorization to reproduce, broadcast, publish, distribute, represent in public, edit, modify and translate the Material submitted and I declare to have obtained such authorization from persons who are represented in the Material and the authorization of their parent or legal guardian in the case of minors, as the case may be. These are worldwide authorizations, without any compensation and for an unlimited period of time, for the purposes of this Contest or for any other purpose related to the activities of Royal LePage, including but without being limited to, broadcast in various media notably the Royal LePage web site, web banners, existing Internet platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, etc.) or advertising material promoting the present Contest or its future editions, as the case may be, or the services and/or products of Royal LePage. I agree for my first name, last name and location of residence to be used in connection with the Material submitted. I declare that the Material submitted is original, that I am its sole author or that I have obtained all required rights or authorizations for its use according to the terms set out in these Contest Rules and that I am not in violation of any law or third-party right. Upon request, I accept to provide Royal LePage and its representatives with the authorizations mentioned in this section. I acknowledge that royal LePage and its representatives have no responsibility concerning the use and broadcast of the Material submitted for the authorized purposes and they cannot be held liable for any violation whatsoever under these terms and conditions or terms of use of the web site by users. I undertake to reimburse Royal LePage and its representatives the amount corresponding to any expense incurred by them in the event of a claim or legal proceedings resulting from the use or the broadcast of the Material submitted.



9. If the Material submitted seems eligible following its preliminary evaluation by the Contest Organizers and/or their representatives, it will be broadcast on the Contest web site approximately one business day following the receipt of your duly filled out Entry Form (on business days) and you will obtain one (1) entry in the Contest.



10. Given the nature of the present Contest and its entry and Material broadcast conditions, it may be difficult or impossible for the Contest Organizers to identify content which is not eligible or has not undergone the required necessary authorizations. The Contest Organizers do not require additional documentation from entrants to sustain that they have obtained the necessary authorizations before broadcast of the Material. Therefore, if a portion of the Material submitted does not comply with these Contest Rules or if the Contest Organizers have reason to believe it does not comply, they reserve the right, at their sole discretion, to disqualify the entrant's entry, to remove part of the Material or to modify it in whole or in part, notably by hiding the concerned elements. If the Material is not broadcast or is withdrawn, no entry will be awarded for such participation. No notice or explanation will be given to the entrant as to why it was decided to broadcast or not the Material submitted or why it was withdrawn.



11. Entry limits. Entrants must respect the following limits otherwise they may be disqualified:



11.1 One (1) entry per e-mail address per day for the Contest Period;

11.2 The use of only one e-mail address when a person owns more than one.

PUBLIC'S VOTE

12. During the Contest Period, anyone can vote for his/her favourite Material, including the one he/she has submitted. To vote, proceed as follows:



12.1 Go to www.royallepage.ca/mygreatneighbourhood;

12.2 Follow the instructions to vote and view the broadcast Material. Each Material is posted along with the first name and location of residence of the entrant who submitted it;

12.3 To view videos, click on "Gallery" section;

12.4 To vote, enter your name and e-mail address and click on "Summit" below the Material submitted. Once this step is completed and subject to the vote limit in the following section, your vote will be registered. To vote, the "cookies" must be accepted.

13. Vote limits. Any person must respect the following vote limits otherwise his/her vote(s) will not be registered or may be cancelled, as the case may be:



13.1 One (1) vote per e-mail address with an IP address in Canada per day;

13.2 The use of only one e-mail address when a person own more than one.

PRIZES

14. Three prizes are offered. The prizes, each consisting in an amount of money, are:



14.1 Twenty thousand dollars ($ 20 000)

14.2 Three thousand five hundred dollars ($ 3 500)

14.3 One thousand five hundred dollars ($1 500)

15. Prize limit. There is a limit of one (1) prize per person and per household.



JURY

16. During the week of October 24, at the office of the Contest Organizers located in Toronto, a jury formed by representatives of the Contest Organizers will select three (3) entries among those submitted during the Contest Period to award the three prizes in the order they are listed in these Contest Rules. Entries will be evaluated according to the criteria provided at section 6 of these Contest Rules.



17. Odds of winning. The odds of a contestant being selected for a prize depend on the quality of the entries received according to the evaluation criteria and the total number of entries received.



AWARDING OF PRIZES

18. To be declared a winner, any selected contestant must:



18.1 Be reached by phone or e-mail, at the sole discretion of the Contest Organizers, within fifteen (15) days of the selection of his/her entry by the jury. If a selected contestant is reached by e-mail, he/she must reply in accordance with the instructions given in the e-mail, as the case may be. In the case of the return of an e-mail prize notification as undeliverable, the Contest Organizers will have the entire discretion to disqualify the Contestant's entry or to try to reach him/her by phone;

18.2 Fill out and sign the Declaration and Release Form (the "Declaration Form") that the Contest Organizers will provide him/her by mail, fax or e-mail to the effect that he/she has fulfilled all the requirements of these Contest Rules, and return it to the Contest Organizers for them to receive it within fifteen (15) days of its receipt;

18.3 In addition to the authorizations which have already been granted in compliance with section 8 of these Contest Rules, assign all copyrights or intellectual property rights and waive all moral rights related to the Material submitted to the Contest Organizers and, if required, supply any additional documentation proving that he/she holds all rights related to the Material submitted without any form of compensation. A statement to such effect will be included in the Declaration Form;

18.4 Upon request and in a timely manner, provide an identification card with photograph;

18.5 Upon request and in a timely manner, consent to a confidential background check to confirm that the use of his/her identity in any advertising or activity associated with the Contest would not discredit the Contest or the Contest Organizers nor cause them any harm.

19. Failure to comply with one of the conditions mentioned in these Contest Rules or to accept the prize will cause the selected contestant to be disqualified. In such a case, the Contest Organizers may, at their sole discretion, cancel the prize or proceed to a new selection in compliance with these Contest Rules until a contestant is selected and declared a winner.



20. Within two (2) to four (4) weeks following the receipt of the duly completed and signed Declaration Form, the Contest Organizers will deliver to the winners their prize by mail.



GENERAL CONDITIONS

21. Verification. Entry Forms, Declaration Forms and votes are subject to verification by the Contest Organizers. Any Entry Form, Declaration Form or vote which is, as the case may be, incomplete, illegible, mutilated, fraudulent, registered or submitted late, bearing an invalid e-mail address or phone number or otherwise noncompliant shall be rejected and will not entitle to an entry, a vote or to a prize, as the case may be.



22. Disqualification. The Contest Organizers reserve the right to disqualify a person or to cancel one or several entries or votes of a person who participates, votes or tries to participate or vote by using methods that do not comply with these Contest Rules or that are unfair to other entrants (e.g. entries or votes exceeding the authorized limit, violation of a third party's rights). Such a person may be reported to the appropriate legal authorities.



23. Conduct of the Contest. Any attempt to deliberately damage the Contest web site and/or any related web site or to sabotage the legitimate conduct of this Contest constitutes a violation of civil and criminal laws. Should there be any such attempts, the Contest Organizers reserve the right to reject the entrant's entries or a person's votes and obtain legal or equitable relief under applicable laws.



24. Acceptance of prize. Prizes must be accepted as described in these Contest Rules and may not, in any case, be in whole or in part transferred to another person, replaced by another prize.



25. Liability limit: use of the prize. By entering the Contest, any Finalist selected for a prize releases and holds harmless the Contest Organizers, any company, corporation, trust or other legal entity controlled by or affiliated to them, their advertising and promotional agencies, their employees, agents and representatives (the "Released Parties") from and against any damage resulting from the acceptance or use of the prize.



26. Web site. The Contest Organizers do not warrant that access to or use of the Contest web site or any related web site will be uninterrupted during the Contest Period or error-free.



27. Liability limit: conduct of the Contest. The Released Parties disclaim all liability for any of the following that may limit or prevent any entrant's participation in the Contest or a person's vote: malfunctioning of any computer component, software or communications line; loss or lack of a communications network; or any transmission that is faulty, incomplete, incomprehensible or erased by any computer or network. The Released Parties also disclaim all liability for any damages or loss that may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, by the downloading of any web page or software or by the transmission of any information related to participation in the Contest.



28. Contest modification. The Contest Organizers reserve the right, at their sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend this Contest in whole or in part, should human intervention or an event take place that could alter or affect the administration, security, impartiality or conduct of the Contest as provided in these Contest Rules, subject to approval by the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux du Québec, if required.



29. Termination of participation in the Contest. In the event that the computer system cannot register all Contest entries or votes for whatever reason, or if participation in the Contest or the voting period must be terminated in whole or in part before the closing date provided in these Contest Rules, the prizes may be awarded in compliance with the provisions to be determined by the Contest Organizers, at their sole discretion.



30. Prize limit. In no event shall the Contest Organizers be required to award more prizes than indicated in these Contest Rules or to award a prize otherwise than in compliance with these Contest Rules.



31. Liability limit: participation in the Contest and vote. Persons who enter, vote or try to enter this Contest or vote release the Released Parties from any liability for damage these said persons may incur as a result of their entry, vote or their attempt to enter the Contest or vote.



32. Authorization. By entering this Contest, the contestants authorize the Contest Organizers and their representatives to use, if required, his/her name, photo, likeness, voice, place of residence and/or statement regarding a prize for publicity purposes, without any form of compensation.



33. Communication with entrants. No communication or correspondence related to this Contest shall be exchanged with contestants, neither to members of a group, except as provided for in these Contest Rules or at the Contest Organizers' initiative.



34. Personal information. Entrants' personal information collected for the purpose of the Contest will only be used to administer the Contest. No commercial or other communications unrelated to the Contest will be sent to entrants unless they have otherwise agreed to receive such communications.



35. Property. Declaration Forms are the property of the Contest Organizers and shall not in any case be returned to contestants.



36. Entrant identification. For the purpose of these Contest Rules, the contestant is the person whose name appears on the Entry Form and it is to this person to whom the prize will be awarded if he/she is selected and declared a winner, subject to the following section.



37. Group prize. If the winner has registered in the name of a group associated to a cause, the winner will indicate in the Declaration Form to the Contest Organizers the name of the group to which the cheque has to be remitted. If the winner has registered in the name of a group of individuals, the prize will be remitted to the winner who will be the sole responsible for the distribution of the prize among the group. The decision to remit the cheque to the winner or to the group is at the sole discretion of the Contest Organizers.



38. Contest Organizers' decision. Any decision by the Contest Organizers, their representatives or the jury regarding this Contest is final and without appeal, subject to a ruling by the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux du Québec on any issue under its jurisdiction.



39. Litigation. For Quebec residents, any litigation respecting the conduct or organisation of a publicity contest may be submitted to the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux du Québec for a ruling. Any litigation respecting the awarding of a prize may be submitted to the Régie for the purpose of helping the parties reach a settlement.



40. Unenforceability. If a section of the Contest Rules is declared or deemed illegal, unenforceable or invalid by a competent court, that section shall be considered invalid, but all unaffected sections will be applied within the limits of the law.



41. Language. In case of any discrepancy between the French and English versions of these Contest Rules, if an English version is available, the French version shall prevail.



42. This contest is not managed or sponsored by Facebook.

Happy Birthday Canada! Here are 144 reasons to be a proud Canadian!

Here are 144 reasons to be a proud Canadian!




From BLAKE DILLON , originally published in Chill Magazine. Modified by Lisa Portolese

1. Neil Young; Basically the epitome of Canadian music, Neil Young has had an illustrious career that has lasted over 40 years and is still going strong.

2. Nickelback; Even though Canadians tend to have a love-hate relationship with this homegrown rock group, their international success can’t be denied. Selling over 35 million records kind of speaks for itself.

3. Trio of Women; Canada has a legendary list of successful female performers. Among the top are Celine Dion, Shania Twain and Sarah McLachlan who have combined for over 320 million sold records.

4. Popular Video; Blink-182′s official music video for their hit “First Date” was filmed in Vancouver. It has almost 14 million views on YouTube.

5. Arcade Fire; Montreal’s infamous indie outfit won a Grammy and a Juno this year.

6. Bieber Fever; Stratford, Ontario’s Justin Bieber cracked Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people this year. He was, after all, the first artist in history to have seven tracks from a debut album top the charts.

7. Jim Carrey; Though this comedian-turned-actor currently resides in America, he is a Canadian at heart(born and raised in Scarborough)

8. No S#!@ Sherlock; Ontario-born Rachel McAdams is reprising her role as the lead female character in the upcoming Sherlock Holmes sequel.

9. Commander Kirk; William Shatner of Montreal, Quebec commanded the Starship Enterprise in Star Trek as a major part of his 50-years-plus career in front of the camera.

10. The Hip; 54-40, Tal Bachman, the Barenaked Ladies, Bryan Adams(all award winning amazing artists)

11. Alexisonfire; These musical revolutionists formed an entirely new genre of music known as “screamo.” They also spawned the internationally acclaimed singer/songwriter Dallas Green (City And Colour).

12. Rush; This Canadian rock and roll trio is known for its complex compositions, its lyrical mastership and its time on the cover of issue 43 of Chill Magazine. Yeah, we went there.

13. Seth Rogen; This Canadian groomed comedian is known for his blockbuster hits like Superbad, The 40-Year-Old Virgin and The Green Hornet.

14. Farley Mowat; This infamous Canadian author received a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame this year.

15. Margaret Atwood; Emerging from our nation’s capital, Margaret Atwood has become one of the most-honoured authors in history.

16. Guess Who; The Guess Who are one of the biggest internationally renowned Canadian bands for the hits “American Woman” and “These Eyes.” Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings.


17. Who is? Alex Trebek; This Sudbury, Ontario native put Canada on the map by hosting the hit trivia series known as Jeopardy for 27 years.

18. Rick Mercer; This Canadian political satirist’s hit TV show “Talking To Americans” was the highest-rated comedy special in the history of CBC Television, with 2.7 million viewers

19. Cirque du Soleil; Renowned for its internationally touring performing arts show, Cirque du Soleil originated in Montreal, Quebec.

20. Todd McFarlane; This Canadian cartoonist is the mastermind behind the fantasy series called “Spawn.”


21. Ryan Reynolds; Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds was recently cast as the latest star for a superhero blockbuster – The Green Lantern.

22. The Day After Tomorrow; Filmed in Montreal, Quebec, The Day After Tomorrow is currently history’s highest grossing Hollywood film that was filmed in Canada.


SPORTS

1. The Coolest Game On Earth; Though a direct derivative of stick and ball field sports, the first game of ice hockey was played in Canada, by Canadians.



2. Shooting Hoops; James Naismith invented the sport of basketball in 1891 using two peach baskets and a soccer ball.

3. Lacrosse; Our national summer sport is believed to have originated in Canada sometime in the fifth century.



4. High-Five; Five-pin bowling is a variation of regular bowling that is only played in Canada.



5. Paul Henderson; This Canadian right winger scored the most historic goal in hockey history, giving Canada the win over Russia in the 1972 Summit Series.



6. Sid The Kid; Sidney Crosby is the youngest player to ever hit 100 points in the NHL’s regular season. He did so at 18 years old.



7. Steve Nash; This Canadian b-baller is the first and only Canadian to ever win the NBA MVP Award. He did so twice consecutively in 2005 and 2006.



8. The Great One; Upon his retirement in 1999, Wayne Gretzky held 40 NHL Regular Season records, 15 Playoff records and six All-Star Game records. He still remains the only player to ever topple 200 points in a single season – something he did four times.



9. Table Hockey; Strapped for cash, Don Munro got creative in his Christmas gift giving as he turned his wife’s ironing board into the first ever table hockey board.



10. Over And Over; CBC Producer George Retzlaff made in-game bathroom breaks easier with his creation of instant replay.



11. Jordin Tootoo; This tough-as-nails Nashville Predator is the first and currently only Inuit hockey player to play in the NHL.



12. Fox 40; Ron Foxcroft’s pealess whistle was the first to produce stadium-quality decibels and is currently the official whistle of Olympics, the World Cup of Soccer, the NFL, the NBA, the NHL and more.



13. Masked Men; Jacques Plante of the Montreal Canadiens was the first NHL goalie to don a mask.



14. Donald S. Cherry; This suit-a-day television personality has been capturing the hearts of hockey fans since his show, Coach’s Corner, first aired in the early 80s.



15. Joey Votto; While playing first base with the Cincinnati Reds last season, Joey Votto was named to the MLB All-Star Game, was chosen as the NL MVP and was awarded both the Hank Aaron Award and the Lou Marsh Trophy.



16. Martin Brodeur; Martin Brodeur is the only goalie in NHL history to hit 600 wins.



17. Adam van Koeverden; Growing up on the lakeshore of Oakville, Ontario turned out to be extremely beneficial for Adam van Koeverden’s kayaking career, as he went on to make his country proud in winning a gold medal at the Olympics in 2004.



18. Jarome Iginla; This year, Calgary Flames captain Jarome Iginla became 10th player in NHL history to score 30 goals in 10 or more consecutive seasons.



19. Lord Stanley; The Lord Stanley of Preston, who was the Governor General of Canada at the time, donated this legendary trophy to the NHL in 1892.



20. The Good Ol’ Hockey Game; This famous hockey ditty was written and performed by Canadian country star, Stompin’ Tom Connors.



FOOD 101



1. Maple Syrup; This delicious pancake and waffle topper was originally harvested in Canada.



2. Poutine; This popular menu item is exclusive to Canada.



3. Canadian Bacon; No, not the movie. We’re talking peameal bacon. This brined and coated back bacon is a favourite Canadian meal.



4. Butter Tarts; The earliest known recipe for butter tarts originated in Ontario way back in 1915.



5. Ginger Ale; John McLaughlin, a Canadian chemist and pharmacist, is the proud creator of the world’s favourite brand of ginger ale – Canada Dry.



6. Krafty Fellow; Canadian-born James L. Kraft is famous for founding the food industry giant that we all know and love – Kraft Foods.



7. Smoked Meat; Montreal’s internationally acclaimed smoked meat is the epitome of Canadian savoury foods.



8. Alberta Beef; Alberta is the largest cattle producer in Canada and the fourth largest in North America, just behind Nebraska, Kansas and Texas.



9. Nanaimo Bars; Mabel Jenkins of Vancouver Island submitted the recipe for these dessert bars to a local women’s cookbook in 1950.



10. BeaverTails; In 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama came to see what these fried dough pastries were all about. Needless to say, he liked it. A lot.



11. Easy Off; This tough on food and grease spray originally surfaced in Regina, Saskatchewan.



12. Apple A Day; McIntosh apples were the find of an old Canadian farm owner named Johnny Appleseed. Just kidding, his name was John McIntosh.



13. Canola Oil; Canada is known for originally implementing the use of canola oil – one of the healthiest oils around because of its low saturated fat.



14. Ketchup Chips; Ketchup ­– arguably the only flavored seasoning that makes sense on a fried potato chip – is a flavor exclusive to Canada.



15. Fiddleheads; The Canadian village of Tide Head, New Brunswick bills itself as the “Fiddlehead Capital of the World.”



16. Access Bar; Alberta-based inventor Larry Wang created the access bar – a tasty snack designed to help people burn fat.



BOTTOM LINE



1. Tim Horton’s; In Canada, our beloved Tim Horton’s holds 76% of the market for baked goods and 67% of the market for coffee, while Starbucks, who commands the second highest percentage, sits at a measly 7%.



2. All Nighters; We Canadians love our video games. Recognized as a global leader in video game design and development, our gaming sector has generated more than $2 billion in economic activity in each of the past three years.



3. Second Cup; This all-Canadian café franchise is the country’s largest specialty coffee retailer with over 360 locations spread across The Great White.



4. Roger That; Rogers Canada currently has a total equity of over $20 billion.



5. RBC; The Royal Bank of Canada cracked the Forbes global list of biggest companies for its market value of $87.2 billion.



6. Canadian Tire; Ranked as one of Canada’s largest publicly traded companies, Canadian Tire proudly employs almost 60,000 Canadians.



7. American Dollar; It was Canada’s invention of green ink that is ironically used to create American currency.



8. Shopper’s Drug Mart; With 1,149 stores scattered around the country, Shopper’s is Canada’s largest pharmacy chain.



9. Air Canada; This airline giant rakes in $10 billion annually in passenger revenues.



10. Cineplex Entertainment; This film exhibitor is the largest in Canada and owns, leases or has a joint-venture interest in 130 theatres with 1,352 screens.



HEALTHY HABITS



1. The Name’s Bond-ar; Roberta Bondar of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario was the world’s first neurologist in outer space and Canada’s first female astronaut.



2. Deuce Bigelow; Wilfred Bigelow, a famous heart surgeon from Brandon, Manitoba, is known for inventing the pacemaker along side fellow Canadian, John Hopps.



3. Banting And Best; These infamous Canadian scientists are known by diabetes sufferers across the world for their helpful creation of isolated insulin.



4. Dianne Croteau; This Canadian inventor came up with the CPR dummies that are used to train people on how to properly perform the life-saving task.



5. Analyze That; Imants Lauks, a Canadian doctor, invented the silicon chip blood analyzer in 1986.



6. Gas Mask; Newfoundland-born Cluny Macpherson was a famous medical doctor who came up with the original gas mask.



7. Bombs Away; Harold Elford Johns was a Canadian medical physicist noted for his Cobalt-60 “Bomb” – a relatively effective, cheap, fast and powerful method of destroying cancer cells.



8. George Klein; This 20th Century Hamiltonian designed the first electric wheelchair.



9. Hillier & Prebus; As post-grad classmates, James Hillier and Arthur Prebus developed the first ever high-resolution electron microscope.



10. Dr. Dick; John E. Dick was an award-winning Canadian scientist who is credited with first distinguishing differences among cancer cells. His findings thrust cancer research in an all-new direction.



11. Bain of Existence; Dr. Barbara Bain drove the success rate of bone marrow transplants through the roof with her invention of the compatibility test.



12. Germaphobe; Harold Humphrey invented the polypump liquid dispenser to have easier access to hand soap and sanitizer.



13. Lung Transplant; The first successful lung transplant ever took place in Toronto, Ontario.



14. 3TC; Lamivudine, also known as 3TC, was created by a couple of Canadian pharmacologists. This is the most common medicine used to treat Hepatitis B and HIV.



15. Electric Avenue; It was a Canadian medical scientist by the name of Helmut Lucas who invented the first electric prosthetic hand.



TECH TOYS



1. Bell; After immigrating to Canada, Alexander Graham Bell’s extensive studies in speech and sound lead him to inventing the first practical telephone. His legacy lives on via Bell Canada.



2. Canadarm; In over 50 NASA missions, Canada’s massive mechanical arm has never malfunctioned. Talk about an out-of-this-world invention. Get it?



3. RIM; Canadian telecommunications giant, Research In Motion, is best known for developing the legendary BlackBerry smartphone device.



4. Java; This Canadian software developer is best known for his invention of the Java programming language.



5. Synth; Hugh Le Caine, a Canadian physicist and composer, used his studies in electronic sound generation to create the world’s first synthesizer.



7. Quartz Clock; Warren Marrison, a Canadian telecommunications engineer, developed the very first quartz crystal-powered clock.



8. Walkie-Talkie; During the second World War, Donald Hings, a Canadian inventor established the first set of walkie-talkies.



9. Electric Oven; Thomas Ahearn was a Canadian inventor and businessman who led the charge in inventing the electric oven.



10. Batteries; Canadian chemical engineer, Lewis Urry, invented both the alkaline and lithium batteries.



11. Incandescence; Henry Woodward was a major pioneer in the production of the first incandescent light bulb.

12. Morse Code; Frederick Creed was a Canadian inventor who created the typewriter-style device required for customizing Morse code.



13. Fathometer; Canadian-born Reginald A. Fessenden invented the Fathometer in 1919. Today, anglers use this device under a different name – the fish finder.



14. IMAX; This in-your-face motion picture film format was created by the Canadian IMAX Corporation.



15. Kodak; Arthur Williams McCurdy, a Canadian inventor and businessman, foolishly sold his patent for portable film development to America’s Eastman Kodak.



16. Key Frame Animation; A couple of Canadian scientists created key frame animation, collecting an Academy Award for their invention.



17. Wirephoto; William Stephenson, a Canadian soldier, created the first device capable of sending pictures via telegraph or telephone.



MOTOR



1. Snowmobile; Joseph-Armand Bombardier, a Quebec native, is the proud inventor of the skidoo.



2. Snow Blower; Arthur Sicard made clearing the driveway of snow much easier with his creative invention of the snow blower.



3. Kerosene; This combustible hydrocarbon liquid was patented by Abraham Gesner of Nova Scotia. Gesner is now known as the “Father of The Petroleum Industry.”



4. Odometer; In 1854, Samuel McKeen of Nova Scotia designed the earliest version of the odometer. His was attached to the side of a carriage and measured the miles with the turning of the wheels.



5. The Real McCoy; Elijah McCoy was a Canadian inventor that developed the automatic oil cup.



6. Uno Cycle; It was Canadian Ben Gulak that invented this electric-powered unicycle.



7. Jetliner; The Avro Canada C102 was the first commercial jet airliner ever produced, but the second to ever fly. The U.K.’s de Havilland DH 106 Comet beat it to the air by 13 days.



8. All Aboard; It was Canadian George Dorey who made it possible for trains to stop with his creation of the railway car brake.



9. Right Side of the Road; In 1930, John D. Millar, an engineer working for the Ontario Department of Transport thought up the idea of painting lines on roads.



10. John Patch; John Patch of Nova Scotia invented the first marine screw propeller.



HANDYMAN



1. Holmes on Homes; Mike Holmes of Halton Hills, Ontario is a world-renowned handyman for his hit HGTV series, Holmes on Homes.



2. Robertson; Canadian industrialist Peter Robertson coined the original square-socket screwdriver.



3. Multi-Tasking; George Cluthé showed up Peter Robertson by lightening the load of Canadian toolboxes with his handy invention known as the interchangeable screwdriver head.



4. Paint Roller; Imagine completing a paint job without a roller. No thanks. Manitoba-born Norman Breakey made life easy with this practical tool.



5. Nailed It!; Allan Dove hit the nail on the head when he invented the first spiral nail.



6. Green Garbage Bag; Both the original green garbage bag and the modern biodegradable versions were developed in Canada by Canadians.



7. Lawn Care; The lawn sprinkler is a Canadian invention that was developed in 1871.



THE GREAT OUTDOORS



1. Niagara Falls; Home to about a 2,600-foot wide stretch of waterfalls, this city is one of the major tourist attractions of the world.



2. Buzz Off; Canadian inventor Charles H. Coll is credited with the original creation of insect repellent.



3. Birch Bark Canoes; These trusty Canadian vessels have stayed afloat for centuries.



4. CN Tower; The tallest tower in the entire western hemisphere calls Toronto, Ontario home. It is one of Canada’s most visited tourist attractions.



5. The Rockies; British Columbia’s beautiful Rocky Mountains bring out sightseers from the four corners of the world.



6. Jurassic Park; The Dinosaur Provincial Park is a World Heritage Site located just outside of Calgary, Alberta and is one of the world’s richest dinosaur fossil locales.



7. The Great Lakes; These lakes are the largest group of freshwater lakes on the entire Earth in total surface and volume.



DRESSED TO CHILL



1. Wonderbra; Canadians can lay claim to creating the best fashion accessory ever. The Wonderbra.



2. Lululemon; This infamous yoga apparel company began in Vancouver.



3. Parasuco; These international denim giants began making their patented jeans in Montreal, Quebec.



4. Flying Low; Gideon Sundback made getting in and out of your trousers a little easier with his invention of the zipper.



CHARITABLE WORK & ACTIVISM



1. Babe-Watch; Pamela Anderson, former Baywatch star and current vegan activist, is a proud representative of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and is born on July 1st(Canada Day)



2. Terry Fox; This determined cancer patient embarked on a nation-wide one-legged jog to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Today, he lives on through the globally annual Terry Fox Run.



3. Free The Children; This international charity and youth movement was created in 1995 by Craig Kielburger – a native of Toronto, Ontario.



4. Michael J. Fox; Suffering from Parkinson’s disease since 1991, this Back To The Future star basically abandoned his acting career to pursue a cure for the degenerative disorder.



5. David Suzuki; This Japanese-Canadian is renowned around the planet for his vast activism with climate change.



LAST CALL



1. Standard Time; Sir Sanford Flemming was a Canadian engineer known for proposing the worldwide standard time zones.



2. Jolly Jumper; This bouncy Canadian invention has kept babies smiling (and barfing) for years.



3. Assassin’s Creed; This multi-platform video game series was developed by Ubisoft Montreal. The series has sold over 28 million units.



4. It’s In The Game; EA Canada is the proud developer of the NHL series and has been producing the video game annually since 1991.



5. Newsprint; Nova Scotia’s Charles Fenerty developed the wood pulp process for making newsprint.



6. Plexiglas; Polymerized Methyl Methacrylate was invented by William Chalmers in 1931.



7. Trivial Pursuit; This classic board game was both invented and first played in Montreal, Quebec.



8. Foghorn Leghorn; The first steam-powered foghorn was invented by Robert Foulis in Saint Jon, New Brunswick.



9. G-Suit; The first anti-gravity suits were developed by a team led by Wilbur R. Franks at the University of Toronto’s Banting and Best Medical Institute in 1941.



10. Safety Paint; Neil Harpham invented the highly reflective safety paint used to illuminate the street lines at night.



11. Retractable Carton Handle; Canadian inventor Steve Pasjack created this nifty handle found on pop, juice and beer cases today.



12. Able Walker; Norm Rolston helped our grandparents get around a little easier when he patented the able walker in 1986.

.

IT’S OFFICIAL. MILTON IS THE HOTTEST MARKET IN THE GTA!!!

REAL ESTATE MARKET SHOWING NO SIGNS OF COOLING OFF!!!




I’m giving you my report a little early because of the holiday weekend coming up. After reviewing the latest sales figures from the Toronto Real Estate Board, so far in June 2011 there have been 9,398 sales for the month. We should end up at approx 10,000 in total. June 2010 there were 8,422 sales so we have experienced an approx 18% INCREASE in the number of sales compared to last year.



Currently there are only 18,435 homes for sale on the Toronto Real Estate Board, compared to 23,923 at the end of June 2010. There are almost 1,000 active listings set to expire in the next 3 days so the number for sale will be probably around 17,750. That’s REALLY LOW and represents about a 30% drop! Think about this for a minute. The number of sales is increasing and the number of homes for sale is decreasing. Currently there is less than a 2 month supply of homes for sale in the Toronto Area.







In little old town of Milton, the market is even hotter. IT IS NOW OFFICIAL. Milton is the hottest market in the GTA! There are currently only 201 homes for sale and there will end up being about 180 sales reported in June. It’s almost down to one month’s supply. I don’t think things have ever been more tilted in the favour of a seller than it is in Milton right now. That’s hotter than the hottest areas of Toronto like The Beach, Bloor West Village & Lawrence Park.







So the question remains .... what will happen to the market? My prediction is that prices will continue to increase slightly until at least the end of the year. Below are 4 situations that could reverse this trend, cause the market to cool down and prices to level off or drop.







1. The number of Buyers (the number of sales) will need to drop. That surely doesn’t seem to be the case.



2. Mortgage rates will need to go UP significantly! Nobody is predicting this any time soon.



3. Inventory levels will need to go UP significantly. They keep dropping at an alarming rate and there’s a surprisingly low number of new listings coming on the market.



4. Our national or local economy will need to SUFFER significantly. The economy in Canada and particularly in the GTA seems to be getting better. Despite the scary messages from political parties wanting to get into power, things are pretty darn great. I am SO happy to live in this Country.



Have an awesome Canada Day on July 1st and wonderful July 4th!



Lisa Portolese, Sales Representative

Royal LePage Kingsbury Realty, Brokerage.

http://www.lisamovesyounow.com/

(905) 568-2121

Pasta with Pesto(the low carb, healthy version)

This has the LP YUM factor of 10!

I have modified this recipe for simplicity.

1 zucchini

1 tsp of Pesto Sauce(homemade or pre-made i.e Classico Brand)

1 tsp Romano or Parmesan Cheese(Fresh no fillers)

Hot Chili(optional)

Okay, you can spend hundreds on some fancy kitchen gadget or just grate it by hand. It takes 5 minutes.

Grate the the raw Zucchini

Spoon in the Pesto

Add the cheese and chili

you are done!

Makes a great snack or side dish

Perfect for Diabetics.

How I am doing after the car accident and gaining 150 pounds? Well, I quit smoking August 13th, 2009...I have lost 50 pounds and just started power walking and going to Curves.....I am almost off the Metformin and controlling my blood glucose by staying active.

I am using techniques that I have learned from Dr. Bernstein, Newtopia and Dr. Poon, sometimes it takes a Village. I thank you all!

Stay posted.

Helping YOU is what I do.

Real Estate, Music and Acting have been a part of my life for decades but like all of you, I am not one dimensional. Hoping that my journey back to health will inspire someone else.



Who is Bob Lefsetz?

Check out his piece on Clarence...Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress

Betty Fox Bio

Betty Fox Bio


In 1977, when her son Terry’s leg was amputated due to osteogenic sarcoma, Betty Fox

had no idea how the experience would change her life. When Terry revealed his plans

to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research, Betty and the family

responded with support and encouragement. Through phone calls, television and

newspaper reports, she followed his every step during the 143 days he ran his

Marathon of Hope.

When cancer spread to Terry’s lungs and it became clear that he would not survive the

disease a second time, Betty found the news very difficult to accept. When he died in

1981 and The Terry Fox Run was established, she was asked to take an active role in

the development of the organization. Although reluctant, she did take on the role of

Honourary Chairman, together with husband Rolly (also an Honourary Chairman),

realizing how important it was that a family member safeguard Terry’s integrity and

principles.

Since that time, Betty has been involved in all aspects of The Terry Fox Foundation,

particularly commercialization issues and protection of Terry’s name and image. She

was honoured to have the opportunity to visit schools, communities and companies

during her bi-annual cross-Canada tours each year to share Terry’s story and inspire

listeners to follow their own dreams. It is estimated that Betty spoke to more than

400,000 school children alone during her 25 years of touring, leaving each and every

child with the inspirational story of the Marathon of Hope. The final words of every

speech, “Never, ever give up on your dreams”, have become her memorable hallmark.

In recent years Betty has vetted many proposals and welcomed opportunities to

enhance Terry’s legacy. The 25th Anniversary year in 2005 introduced new books, a

new movie, and a new fundraising initiative called The National School Run Day, all

made possible under the careful and watchful eye of Betty. With the introduction of

The Terry Fox Research Institute in 2007, together with the Foundation’s impressive

record of fundraising for cancer research, Betty has ensured that Canadian cancer

research continues to forge discoveries and save lives.

In 2010 Betty was honoured to take part in the Vancouver Olympics by acting as a flagbearer

in the opening ceremonies, representing her son Terry in a way only a mother

could. Together with Rolly, she carried the torch into the opening ceremony of the

Paralympic Games, partaking in a breathtaking tribute to Terry and his inspirational

influence on all athletes. Throughout the 30th Anniversary year she continued to take

part in events that honoured Terry, culminating in her participation on Terry Fox Run

Day in Barrington, Nova Scotia, an opportunity for Betty to once again express her

gratitude and appreciation for the magnificent support of Canadians for Terry’s dream.

Betty and Rolly Fox have three other children: Fred, Darrell, and Judith and nine

grandchildren.

RECO AGM will stream a live broadcast Thursday June 16th, 2011

To accommodate registrants who are unable to attend RECO’s Annual General Meeting in person, RECO will stream a live broadcast of the meeting. Visit the RECO website at www.reco.on.ca on Thursday, June 16 at 10 a.m. where you will find a link to view the formal portion of the meeting including the remarks of the Chair, President/CEO and Registrar.




The Question and Answer portion of the AGM will not be broadcast live. Instead, it will be recorded and posted on RECO’s website by June 20, 2011.



Registrants will not be able to vote or submit questions by conference call or video conferencing. However, individuals who cannot attend the AGM can e-mail their questions in advance to AGM@reco.on.ca. Please e-mail your questions by end of day, June 14. Questions submitted in advance will be read and responded to, with time permitting, by a RECO Director or staff member. Questions raised by registrants should be of general interest. Matters related to an individual, a specific situation or regulatory actions against a specific member will not be addressed at the meeting.



Information about RECO’s 14th Annual General Meeting:

Thursday, June 16, 2011

The Old Mill Inn, 21 Old Mill Road, Toronto.

Registration begins at 9:00 a.m.

Meeting begins at 10:00 a.m.



The purpose of the meeting is to:



◦Present the annual report and report on the affairs of the Council over the past fiscal year

◦Present the financial statements and the report of the auditors

◦Appoint the auditors of the corporation until the close of the next annual general meeting of the corporation

◦Install the newly elected directors of the corporation

◦Vote on proposed changes to RECO By-Law No. 9: “It is moved that RECO By-Law No. 9, being the Election of Directors By-law of the Real Estate Council of Ontario, be amended by deleting and adding those provisions in the Synopsis of Changes mailed to members”.

Voting on agenda items will take place only at this meeting. By-law No. 11, Section 49 provides that there is no right to vote by proxy or mail-in ballots.



To be eligible to vote at this meeting, RECO members must show:



◦Original certificate of registration from the Real Estate Council of Ontario; and

◦One piece of photo identification.

Further details are available on RECO’s website at www.reco.on.ca or on MyWeb at https://myweb.reco.on.ca.

Why I Love Liberty Village in Toronto

Liberty Village is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Liberty Village has experienced phenomenal growth from 2004 to the present in terms of new condos/lofts, office space, a new park, and a multitude of new shops and restaurants. It has been dubbed by many the "hottest" neighbourhood in Toronto.



It is bounded at the north by King Street West, the west by Dufferin Street, the south by the Gardiner Expressway, the east by Strachan Avenue, and the northeast by the CP railway tracks.

The Liberty Village name was introduced as a positive 'brand' by the property owners and developers in the area in conjunction with the City of Toronto and the neighbourhood aims to distinguish itself from Parkdale.

 Its location is considered one of its finest assets being a 5 minute walk to the Lakeshore, 20 minute walk to the financial core and a 10 minute walk from the entertainment/fashion/gallery districts of King St. West, West Queen West, Ossington, Dundas St. West and Wellington St. West.


It has been dubbed by many the "hottest" neighbourhood in Toronto.

It has become a trendy neighbourhood for young professionals and artists pushing farther west for less established areas, while still remaining a short walk or streetcar ride from the core. Many old factories have been repurposed as lofts while others have become restaurants, gyms, furniture stores and galleries, as this area was primarily a former heavy industrial area.

The Toronto Carpet Factory Building on Mowat Avenue and its surrounding campus of industrial structures is an example of 1900s' turn of the century industrial architecture and currently houses a mixture of design, technology, media and marketing companies.

Old storage and factory spaces at Liberty St. and Hanna Ave. have  been converted into commercial spaces that comprise Liberty Market. The Market houses design firms and collectives, media, technology and marketing firms, and an eclectic mix of retail stores. Structures from the old Inglis Factory and the former Massey Ferguson Head Office surround the heart of Liberty Village, further testifying to the industrial history of the neighbourhood.
Artscape, a non-profit urban development organization that revitalizes buildings, neighbourhoods, and cities through the arts has a strong presence in Liberty Village, providing mixed live/work spaces for local artists. Its influence can be seen throughout the neighbourhood and maintains the valued tradition of a neighbourhood that was once dominated by artists searching for affordable living and studio spaces.


Liberty Village is known for its successful Art and Design studios, but media and technology companies also have a strong presence in the community. Many Canadian and US design and technology firms have located to Liberty Village, creating many jobs for the increasing number of citizens that have moved into the growing neighbourhood.

Offices are mostly concentrated in the west end of Liberty Village. New residential developments are currently focused on East Liberty Street, which begins east of Hanna Avenue. Over 20 new restaurants have opened in the past 3 years, providing the residents and workers in the community with many eclectic places to dine and enjoy their developing neighbourhood.


A documentary film on Liberty Village titled "Liberty Village - Somewhere in Heaven" was produced and directed by David Sloma for Rockin' Films. The film was released in 2006 (before much of the current development was completed) and features interviews with longtime Liberty Village residents Corky Laing (who provided music for the soundtrack via his band Cork), Taffi Rosen photographer/videographer, as well as other artists, business owners and workers in the area. The film was made in part with the support of the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) through their Filmmaker Assistance Program

Why would anyone look to the U.S. housing market for guidance or leadership on anything?

Canada's real estate industry has been changing its rules to open up competition. Madame Commissioner, why not do Canadians a favour, and look more closely at the obvious companies that appear to be fixing prices? Last time I checked, the major oil companies were all charging virtually the same price per litre of gasoline, give or take half a cent per litre.



As I read the latest application by the Competition Bureau against organized real estate, I thought of the great line used by Ronald Reagan when he won the debate over Jimmy Carter in 1980. “There he goes again,” or in the commissioner’s case “there she goes again.” Let me start by disclosing that besides being a lawyer, I also educate buyers, sellers and real estate agents on how to safely buy and sell a home.


In the first application, launched in February 2010, the commissioner, Melanie Aitken, decided to go public with a complaint about access to Multiple Listing Service (MLS), even though she was told that the real estate boards across Canada were in fact meeting to clarify their rules to permit access.



The boards clarified their rules in March 2010, permitting access to the MLS system without having to use a real estate firm for the entire transaction. Still the government persisted in their court application, until the matter was settled last October. The settlement was exactly what the boards implemented the previous March. In my opinion, the whole process was a waste of taxpayer money.



Now the competition bureau states that the rules of the Toronto Real Estate Board prevent private brokerages from setting up virtual offices, denying Canadian consumers more choice when buying real estate. They point to selective data from the U.S. on the issue, but conveniently leave out the rest of the important U.S. data.



In the U.S., buyer agent commissions are normally 3 per cent. Some real estate brokerages such as redfin.com, through their own website, make available all local listings, including historical data to buyers who visit their website. This is referred to by the Bureau as a “virtual office website.” It allows consumers to see what homes in the area sold for and how long a listing has been on the market.



When Redfin started around 9 years ago, they advertised that if a buyer found a home on their site and decided to use a Redfin agent, Redfin would give back 2 per cent of the 3 per cent buyer commission, so the actual commission payable by the buyer would be 1 per cent. Redfin lost a lot of money.



Today, Redfin advertises that buyers can get back “up to 50 per cent” of the buyer agent commission when they use Redfin. I get nervous when I see the words “up to.” That means a minimum buyer commission of 1.5 per cent and possibly more. In addition, the National Association of Realtors has released results for 2010 that show that even with all of this information available to buyers, only 10 per cent of real estate deals in the U.S. are done without a realtor.



In Canada, buyer commissions are negotiable, but in many regions, they are 2.5 per cent. So I suppose the commissioner is looking at potential savings of at most 1 per cent, without taking into account all the rest of the services provided by buyer agents.



The Toronto Real Estate Board is legitimately concerned about how to protect the privacy and integrity of all listing information, before permitting it to be used on private websites. We have already witnessed situations where listing information has been fraudulently posted on Kiijii and similar websites, and unsuspecting buyers or tenants are paying money to intermediaries who claim to be representing the seller or landlord.



Personal information could conceivably be taken and used by fraud artists who commit identity theft. I understand that the real estate board intends to adopt new policies to make sure that when this private information is used by a registered brokerage on their own private website, they agree to follow all of these guidelines.



Sellers will have to be informed that when they list their property, it may appear on these other private websites as well. In particular, every consumer who visits these private websites will have to enter some personal information themselves, like a legitimate email address, so that there is a record as to who is using the site. This should work to discourage the fraudsters.



I expect that these new policies will be implemented by the Toronto Real Estate Board by the end of the summer, with no need for any further taxpayer-funded competition tribunal proceedings, where only lawyers make money.



Finally, why would anyone look to the U.S. housing market for guidance or leadership on anything? This is the same market that almost caused the collapse of the world’s financial system two years ago and is still at historic lows.



Last time I checked, the major oil companies were all charging virtually the same price per litre of gasoline, give or take half a cent per litre. Madame Commissioner, why not do Canadians a favour, and look more closely at the obvious companies that appear to be fixing prices?



This article by Mark Weisleder- a lawyer, author and speaker to the real estate industry. If you have any questions about real estate issues, email mark at mark@markweisleder.com

I am gonna Blog about my BLOG...it is boring me, is it boring U2?

How to write an exciting blog

by ~lexidh

How to write an exciting blog in 15 easy steps!

1: First you need a very cool username! Your real name doesn't do. Something with "sex" "666" "devil" "tears" "angel" or a lot of XxXxX in it should do.


2: Live an exciting life and write about that. If you don't have a great life, make up stuff you COULD have done during the day.



3: Update at least once per day. You don't get those all important pageviews if people don't come back every day.



4: Provoke your readers. Politics is a great way to do that. If you live in the US; write about why you support Bin Laden. If you live anywhere else; write about why you support Bush. If that fails you can pretend to have homophobia, hate _all_ animals, be a racist or become a nazi.



5: Tell about your sex life. If you don't have one, make one up. The more sex partners, the better.



6: Take and post a lot of pictures, often. Clothes are no good, try to aviod those. If you don't own a camera you should steal other peoples pictures. You should at least get a webcam to show off yourself, and your cat/dog/whatever. If you are eating something, take a picture of that too.



7: If another blog you read writes about something you find stupid, don't let the author get away with it! Write your arguments in your blog and use a lot of nasty words that you link back to the blog in question. Remember to put that person down for weeks, and comment in that blog all the time with links back to you putting them down. Use trackback if possible.



8: Write horrible things about your friends, family and coworkers. Don't leave anything out!



9: Involve yourself in a huge project your readers can follow, like getting pregnant, build something large, plan a wedding or take over the world. And at all times you should "diet". Never lose any weight, but complain about your weight while you keep your regular diet. If you gain weight you have a perfect opportunity to rant!



10: Tell EVERYONE you meet about your blog, both online and offline. Lots of readers and comments is the most important thing of all!



11: Post a lot of lyrics that seem to have a deeper meaning. That makes you look reflected and smart.



12: Take ANY survey you can find and post them in your blog. If it's a long time since you found a new one, make one up! If it spreads to other blogs you are well on your way to total popularity! And take a lot of tests and post the results in your blog. Remember to fake the results if you think the fake results makes you look better.



13: Fake depression. Pretend to want to kill yourself every week. That gives you a lot of those all important comments! You should also write something depressing poetry of your own once in a while, and don't update your journal with more than that piece of depressing poetry all day.



14: You don't have to spellcheck. Typoos, l337-74lk and shrt wrds work just as well as proper english.



15: Have a link to your wishlist in your blog at all times. Your readers may want to buy you something if they feel sorry for you or think you are supercool.