In late 2014- early 2015, the FCC stood up for more competition and more choice in local broadband. This is a critical step in making faster, cheaper Internet available for all Americans.
You may have heard that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) just put in place rules to protect ‘net neutrality.’ That’s big news. But there was another important decision today to help keep the Internet competitive and open — and while it’s getting less attention, it may be just as important. As part of its agenda to encourage meaningful competition in high speed broadband for Americans, the FCC supported allowing cities to make their own decisions about investing in new broadband networks. More needs to be done to drive innovation in bigger, faster broadband, but this was a good step.
While the FCC’s net neutrality rules can help prevent Internet access providers from relegating some applications to a “slow lane,” this move alone won’t lead to a world where every consumer has an ultra fast connection to the entire Internet. That’s going to take more competition and innovation in new broadband networks.
It’s been nearly five years since we offered to build a fiber-optic network in one U.S. city as an experiment — and as we’ve expanded Google Fiber into a business, we’ve seen firsthand how faster speeds can improve lives and give cities new platforms for economic development. Google is not the only one innovating in this area. Along with investments by other private providers, cities like Lafayette, LA and Chattanooga, TN have been investing in their own networks and developing public-private partnerships to that end.
The FCC decided that it’s important for users to be able to control their own Internet connections and for communities to make their own choices to suit their local needs for broadband. While it may not make sense for most governments to operate broadband networks themselves, we think faster, better broadband for all Americans is too important to remove an option for deployment.
Bill83. The threat of abusive lawsuits claiming damages like slander and defamation is deterring a significant number of Ontarians from speaking out against big business on issues of public interest.
Our tweet from Feb22 2015 shows an interest in related freedom of expression concerns.
Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPP) are lawsuits brought by companies with the specific aim of distracting or silencing defendants. The defendants, usually ordinary citizens or public interest groups, feel threatened by the prospect of paying legal fees over several years and the possibility of paying large damage awards in the end. Even if the lawsuits have no merit, they often result in a “chill” on free speech in general because SLAPPs are also meant to intimidate the general public who are watching it all play out in the media.
John Gerretsen Attorney General Kingston and the Islands.
Attorney General John Gerretsen has introduced Bill 83 ( In its 2nd reading at the time of this original posting, now referred to the Standing Committee on Social Policy CP) to address this dubious use of Ontario’s publicly funded court system. The proposed legislation would force the courts to identify within 60 days whether a suit was in the public interest or an intimidation tactic to limit debate on an important local issue.
In communities facing fast paced economic development, this legislation is sure to play an important role in protecting the ordinary courage of citizens to tell their story, to share local knowledge and research findings and to insist on an authentic community vision for a healthy and sustainable future. For the Silo, Leslie Cochran.Originally published in print March 21, 2014.
Ontario will be the first province to set specific standards of care for marine mammals
Ontario is moving ahead with enhanced standards of care for marine mammals – such as dolphins, belugas and walruses – to ensure both greater protection and improved treatment.
These new standards of care, reflecting advice from an expert report by University of British Columbia marine biologist Dr. David Rosen, will be among the best in the world.
New standards would be developed in a number of areas including:
The size of pools used to house marine mammals
Environmental considerations such as bacteria content, noise and lighting
Appropriate social groupings
Regulations for the handling and display of marine mammals
The government will establish a technical advisory group composed of veterinarians, animal welfare groups, industry, and enforcement partners to provide advice on the final standards and timing of their implementation. This group will report back with their findings within six months.
The government will also be moving forward with legislation to prohibit the future breeding and acquisition of orcas (killer whales) and establish Animal Welfare Committees at every facility with marine mammals. These committees will provide both oversight and access to additional protections such as veterinarians with expertise in marine mammals.
John Lennon “Walrus advocate”
“Our government is moving forward with stronger protections for marine mammals to ensure these unique animals receive the best possible treatment and care. This is something that Ontarians expect and these animals deserve. These higher standards of care, along with prohibiting any future breeding or acquisition of orcas in Ontario, are both the right thing to do and builds on our government’s ongoing efforts to have the strongest animal protection laws in Canada.”
Yasir Naqvi, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services
QUICK FACTS
Ontario will be the first province to set specific standards of care for marine mammals.
Ontario has the toughest animal protection laws in Canada.
There are over 60 zoos and aquariums in Ontario — more than any other province.
Ontario provides the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) with $5.5 million annually to strengthen the protection of animals.
L’Ontario renforce la protection des mammifères marins
La province prend des mesures pour mieux protéger les mammifères marins et interdire l’acquisition et la reproduction en captivité des épaulards
L’Ontario va de l’avant avec des normes de soins améliorées pour les mammifères marins – dont les dauphins, les bélugas et les morses – afin d’assurer à ces animaux à la fois une plus grande protection et un meilleur traitement.
Ces nouvelles normes de soins, fondées sur les recommandations d’un rapport d’expert rédigé par David Rosen, un biologiste respecté spécialisé en vie marine de l’Université de Colombie-Britannique, seront parmi les plus rigoureuses au monde De nouvelles normes seront ainsi élaborées sur divers sujets, dont les suivants :
Taille des bassins utilisés pour garder les mammifères marins;
Facteurs environnementaux, comme la teneur en bactéries, le bruit et l’éclairage;
Groupements sociaux appropriés;
Règlements relatifs à la manipulation et à l’exposition des mammifères marins
Le gouvernement mettra en place un groupe consultatif technique, composé de vétérinaires ainsi que de représentants de groupes de protection des animaux, de l’industrie et de partenaires de l’application de la loi, pour fournir des conseils sur les normes définitives et sur le calendrier de leur mise en œuvre. Ce groupe communiquera ses conclusions dans un délai de six mois.
Le gouvernement ira aussi de l’avant avec une nouvelle législation pour interdire la reproduction en captivité et l’acquisition de ces animaux à l’avenir et pour établir des comités pour la protection des animaux dans tous les établissements où se trouvent des mammifères marins.
Ces comités seront chargés de la supervision et fourniront des protections additionnelles, dont l’accès à des vétérinaires spécialisés dans les mammifères marins.
CITATIONS
« Notre gouvernement va de l’avant en renforçant la protection des mammifères marins afin que ces animaux uniques reçoivent les meilleurs soins et traitements possibles. C’est ce à quoi s’attendent les Ontariens et aussi ce que ces animaux méritent. Ces normes de soins plus rigoureuses et l’interdiction d’acquérir et de reproduire en captivité des épaulards à l’avenir en Ontario sont des mesures appropriées qui s’inscrivent dans le cadre des efforts continus de notre gouvernement visant à doter l’Ontario des lois les plus rigoureuses du Canada pour la protection des animaux. »
Yasir Naqvi, ministre de la Sécurité communautaire et des Services correctionnels
FAITS EN BREF
L’Ontario possède la législation la plus rigoureuse du Canada pour la protection des animaux.
Il y a plus de 60 zoos et aquariums en Ontario — plus que dans toute autre province du Canada.
La province accorde à la Société de protection des animaux de l’Ontario une subvention de 5,5 millions de dollars par an pour renforcer la protection des animaux.
POUR EN SAVOIR DAVANTAGE
Renseignez-vous sur le travail de la SPAO (en anglais seulement)
Lisez le Rapport de l’Université de la Colombie-Britannique sur les normes de soins pour les mammifères marins en captivité
Researchers have independently verified the presence of a type of energy long believed to be the source of healing practices familiar to many as Reiki and Energy Medicine. This important discovery is based on the work of Jim Kaszyk, noted developer of The Ageless Secret (Kasz Enterprises).
Scientists at the William A. Tiller Institute: “When Jim Kaszyk first asked us to determine if a sample of his product contained Subtle Energy, we were reluctant….we had been trying to prove the existence of Subtle Energy for 40 years, with only minor success and had almost given up. Attempts to measure Subtle Energy usually involved the human energy field either in the measurement or in its creation.
“Critics could say that it was all just the placebo effect or wishful thinking. The samples that Kaszyk submitted had so much Subtle Energy they allowed us to create new test procedures allowing for the first time, not just a way to prove Subtle Energy existed independent of the body, but also a way to measure it. This is huge for science because until his discovery Subtle Energy was considered a ‘theoretical energy.’” These tests concluded that Subtle Energy does, in fact, exist. Founded by William Tiller, PhD., professor emeritus of Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford University, the Tiller Institute is a recognized authority on alternative medicine practices.
Click me to learn more…
Subtle Energy is the basis for Reiki, Energy Medicine, Acupuncture, and 4,000 year old Traditional Chinese Medicine.
“Before now, Reiki and Energy Medicine were considered pseudoscience because that type of energy could never be scientifically proven,” Kaszyk explains. “Now it is no longer pseudoscience. The implications for health and beauty are enormous.
“I created www.ReikiTruth.org as an information resource for scientists, the news media, and the general public to see and learn about my discovery of a new natural energy that is all around us, with the power to change our lives. Subtle Energy is linked to aging and this discovery is the source for my new theory of aging: The Subtle Energy Theory of Aging.” Holistic Healing News recently endorsed Mr. Kaszyk’s work here: http://www.holistichealingnews.com/the-beauty-of-subtle-energy-is-contained-in-groundbreaking-aesthetic-potion-the-ageless-secret/
Jim Kaszyk is a recognized pioneer in the field of chemistry with experience in the U.S. government and major manufacturing companies. After graduating from the University of Massachusetts with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry, Mr. Kaszyk served as a medic lab tech during the Vietnam War. He went on to become a toxicologist and researcher for the prestigious Laboratory of Pathology in Texas.
His father’s illness inspired him to delve into holistic and alternative medical solutions; in 1985 Mr. Kaszyk began extensive research in vibrational medicine following the works of Dr. Richard Gerber, M.D., and renowned Yale researcher Dr. Harold Burr. Combining his vast knowledge of chemistry with his new discoveries in vibrational medicine, Mr. Kaszyk developed catalyst chemistry, an innovative method of creating natural products, and founded Kasz Enterprises in 1989.
After discovering a formula that vastly improves skin quality and elasticity, Mr. Kaszyk refined and introduced The Ageless Secret. It soon caught the eye of physicians and anti-aging experts, inspiring countless unsolicited endorsements and accolades. After moving to Palm Springs, CA, in 2006, Mr. Kaszyk and The Ageless Secret have since been prominently featured in The Desert Sun, Desert Magazine, 92260, and on the PBS special Discoveries in Alternative Medicine and Spotlight on the Desert. For more information, visit www.LightEnergySecret.comand http://agelesssecret.com
Supplemental: FAQ’s
Q: Subtle Energy is an ancient healing energy. Critics have said it was all pseudoscience. You claim to have bottled it. What proof do you have?
A: We have a lot. We have a 10 page scientific report that was the result of 2 years of rigorous experiments and was published in a peer reviewed journal. We have other independent labs who have verified the results in the report. Q: Do your products heal?
A: The Subtle Energy in our products is part of a large spectrum of energies that mirror the entire electromagnetic spectrum of heat, light and magnetism. Some of these energies are beautifying and some are healing. The same is true for this mirror image spectrum of Subtle Energies. Our products contain beautifying energies.
Q: Can you give me an example of beautifying energies?
A: Red light is a good example. There are many companies selling red LED lights to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
Q: How do you know your products contain beautifying energies?
A: By its effect on skin. We know the Subtle Energy is there by its effects on water. The concept of energy may be hard for some people to understand, but think of a magnet. We can’t see the energy but we know it is there by its effects. Skin has lots of water. The effect we see on skin is a combination of the Subtle Energy infused ingredients and the Subtle Energy in the bottle. When the product is applied to skin we see the effect on skin with the lifting, plumping and tightening as result of the Subtle Energy causing the water within to act like it did when were young. This led us to a new theory of aging.
Q: What do you mean a new theory of aging?
A: We have discovered that young children have more Subtle Energy than adults. We learned this by doing tests with the children. We had several under the age of 10, hold a glass of cold water with both hands for 30 seconds. Then we tested the water. It tasted softer and bigger than normal water and it felt smooth. Almost like a skin lotion. The result is temporary, but is shows the power of Subtle Energy in children. Some teens could do this and some could not. We found very few adults could do it and those that could looked very good for their age. So there is a decline in the amount of Subtle Energy with age. We also know the results are due to a decline in Subtle Energy because we can have adults spray their hands with our Subtle Energy infused product and then hold the glass of water and the extra Subtle Energy gives them the ability to make the water tastes soft and smooth like when they were they were young. This led us to create The Subtle Energy Theory of Aging.
The bypasses and bridges of Haldimand County On February 28, 2006, Janie Jamieson and Dawn Smith led a blockade shutting down construction of Caledonia’s Douglas Creek Estates. The subdivision has been occupied by native activists ever since.
Protesters tend to a burning blockade at Douglas Creek Estates in 2006.
Over the ensuing nine years, protests and demands have had an impact on traffic, construction and plans for future transportation projects in the area.
For example, last year work to replace the 1924 Cayuga bridge ground to a halt twice because of aboriginal protesters occupying the site. Charges weren’t laid for stopping construction. Arguments can be made occupying the bridge impedes the public’s ability to use the bridge, and further I consider this mischief.
During debate in the Ontario Legislature, I maintained the shutdown was beyond the control of the Minister of Transportation and the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs. When the protestors show up, construction workers pack up and go home. Last week, as well as last December, I advocated the Minister of Community Safety take control of affairs.
And there’s another ongoing question: Nine years ago, I distributed every MPP in the Legislature a photograph showing a group of people throwing a van off an overpass at Haldimand County Sixth Line, on to the provincial highway below. In my estimation, that goes beyond mischief. Theft over $5,000 and public endangerment come to my mind. Still, despite photographic evidence of the perpetrators nine years ago, no charges have been laid.
If you break the law, you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and nobody is above it. The rule of law is based on a strict set of principles to which we all agree as a society. The rule of law is not subject to raw emotion, financial influence, or political correctness.
Our debate of Bill 31, the Making Ontario’s Roads Safer Act has now opened the proposed legislation for public hearings.
I also believe government is missing the mark and endangering lives on Haldimand County roads and bridges by not tackling other long-overdue construction issues on provincial highways #3 and #6. In my speech to Bill31, I highlighted other public safety and traffic congestion concerns related to Highway #6 that aren’t being addressed.
Unfortunately, yet another fatal accident last month north of Caledonia highlighted the need. Several residents contacted me with ideas on how to address the problem. I forwarded those to the minister along with a cover letter, and communication continues. There are four lanes, high traffic volumes and no barriers between Caledonia and Upper James in Hamilton. I advocate relieving traffic volume by completing the planned link from the Hamilton airport bypass to the Caledonia bypass bridge – a new stretch of road that would parallel the problematic #6.
The downtown Caledonia bridge, which was built in 1927, is long overdue for replacement. Hopefully, after 11 years of lobbying, we will see action this year.
There is also obvious need for a Hagersville truck bypass to finally deal with the noise congestion and serious accidents downtown.
I suspect DCE and the protests at the Cayuga bridge are fuelling reticence in a government that construction will re-ignite tensions and result in more protests. This is truly unfortunate as not addressing the problem can be downright dangerous.
Now that’s something the Making Ontario’s Roads Safer Act could address, but probably won’t. For the Silo, Toby Barrett MPP Haldimand-Norfolk
The Qur’anic Concept of War (1979) is one of “4 core texts of jihadists” today. US military officials are finding summaries of it in various languages on captured and killed jihadists. Written by Pakistani Brigadier General S. K. Malik with the first English Indian reprint edition published by Himalayan Books in 1986. This is more than just a study of the military campaigns of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad between 610-630 A.D. against the various tribes inhabiting Saudi Arabia, and those who refused to pay protection-taxes to Muhammad. This book religiously reviews and quotes from the Muslim’s Holy Book: the Qur’an/Koran, detailing how Allah outlined the principles of Islamic warfare.
Author/ Brigadier General S. K Malik
The Qur’an — the Book of Allah, according to Islamic teaching, the Qur’an came down as a series of scriptures from Allah through the Archangel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad, who then dictated it to his followers. The early revelations were peaceful, but the Qur’an’s commandments to Muslims to wage war in the name of Allah against non-Muslims are unmistakable. They are, furthermore, absolutely authoritative as they were revealed late in the Prophet’s career and so cancel out and replace earlier instructions to act peaceably when weak. In 630, Muhammad and his forces marched to Mecca and defeated its defenders The Prophet rededicated the Ka’ba temple to Allah, and witnessed the conversion to Islam of nearly the entire Meccan population. Muhammad died in 632, having conquered nearly all of Arabia for Islam. Within 100 years of Muhammad’s death, Islam had reached the Atlantic in one direction and the borders of China in the other.
Westerners who manage to pick up a translation of the Qur’an are often left bewildered as to its meaning thanks to ignorance of a critically important principle of Qur’anic interpretation known as “abrogation.” The principle of abrogation that directs that verses revealed later in Muhammad’s career to “abrogate” — i.e., cancel and replace — earlier ones whose instructions they may contradict. Thus, passages revealed later in Muhammad’s career when his Army was successful in Medina, overrule peaceful passages revealed earlier, in Mecca.
Consider Qur’an 9:5, commonly referred to as the “Verse of the Sword”, revealed toward the end of Muhammad’s life: 9:5. When the Sacred Months (the 1st, 7th, 11th, and 12th months of the Islamic calendar) have passed, then kill the Mushrikun {unbelievers} wherever you find them, and capture them and besiege them, and prepare for them each and every ambush. But if they repent and perform As-Salat {the Islamic ritual prayers}, and give Zakat {alms}, then leave their way free. Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Having been revealed later in Muhammad’s life than 50:45, 109, and 2:256, the Verse of the Sword abrogates their peaceful injunctions in accordance with 2:106. Sura 8, revealed shortly before Sura 9, reveals a similar theme:
8:39. And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and. worshipping others besides Allah) and the religion (worship) will all be for Allah Alone. But if they cease (worshipping others besides Allah), then certainly, Allah is All-Seer of what they do.
8:67. It is not for a Prophet that he should have prisoners of war (and free them with ransom) until he had made a great slaughter (among his enemies) in the land. You desire the good of this world (i.e. the money of ransom for freeing the captives), but Allah desires (for you) the Hereafter. And Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.
9:29. Fight against those who believe not in Allah, nor in the Last Day, nor forbid that which has been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger and those who acknowledge not the religion of truth (i.e. Islam) among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. The Qur’an itself lays out the principle of abrogation: Without knowledge of the principle of abrogation, Westerners will continue to misread the Qur’an and misdiagnose Islam as a “religion of peace.” For the Silo George Filer. Filer’s Files #05-2015
The ICE Totally Gaming exhibition returns to London in the UK next month, but it’s a huge event for the industry worldwide where innovation comes to the fore and the future is literally paraded in front of our eyes. The three-day event offers conferences, seminars, networking and much more from companies around the world, and, of course, Canada is represented.
There’s a reason why the reach of Totally Gaming is so vast, as it encompasses online casinos, sports betting, social gaming and street gaming amongst other areas, bringing together the best minds and freshest technology into one place. Last year there were 23,506 attendees from 156 countries, and although Canadians represented just 0.93% of that, the fact that 218 of us (yes, I did the math) were willing to make that trip shows just how important it is to the industry, even over 6,000km away.
But why is that trip worthwhile, and will 2015 be value for money if you’ve got vested interests in gaming, technology and the business behind it? With the amount of knowledge on offer for the ticket price, I’d have to say yes.
ICE Totally Gaming 2014 Recap
This year’s seminars – which are all free to attend – include information on emerging and growing markets such as Bitcoins and Cryptocurrencies, expert knowledge from the likes of the International Masters of Gaming, and informative start-up workshops which can help build networks with mentors and even open business-to-business dialogue. You can pitch your own business to ICE to get some floor time, and there are heads of industry there that make it a must for anybody with an idea or a business plan, or even just a desire to make it in the field.
One of the seminars sure to be a big hit is the aforementioned Bitcoins and Cryptocurrencies offering, with notable industry figures taking to the podium for various sessions. As the world of money online is constantly changing, arming yourself with knowledge is one of the best weapons. Jon Matonis, board director of the Bitcoin Foundation, will open things up and delve into why cryptocurrencies have been so well adopted. Further to that, you can learn about risk management, boosting business, regulation and more. Having all this information in one place would be invaluable.
The Bright Group’s Raif Oymen
It’s not the only one sure to instill potentially revolutionary ideas on the attendees, however. The workshops and mentorship for start-ups feature some successful names already well embedded in the gaming industry, who will be dispensing advise on getting your business of the ground and, more importantly, keeping it afloat. Martyn Evans of Unboxed Consulting talks lean start-ups, Phil Smith of Joelson Wilson will discuss the merits of London for a new business, and there are more workshops for crowdsourcing, licencing and finances. For more details on all of these information-packed seminars, you can look here.
Leading companies like IGT choose the event as a premiere for their freshest ideas, and the big internationals make sure it’s a part of their calendar. “ICE is a really good opportunity,” said The Bright Group’s Raif Oymen, who will be exhibiting after travelling all the way from Australia.
If you have to be at the forefront of emerging technology and know where the cutting edge of the gaming markets is then it should be a key date in your calendar. Even more importantly, if your career aspirations or business future relies on the gaming sector then there won’t be a bigger, more beneficial way to spend three days in the whole year.
It’s an old story- at least in terms of internet “best before” dates. In 2010 sites began reporting on new Streetview Advertising patent applications submitted by Google. The complete details of the patents were not readily made available to the press but essentially it all boiled down to a new way for Google to generate advertising revenue by superimposing digital advertisements and billboards over top of existing “real world” advertising and structures. This was justified by Google by explaining that there is a need to update Streetview images that contained existing advertisements that are no longer current.
Fast forward to today and what we are seeing is this: not only are “real world” ads being updated but new digital ads are being superimposed over Streetview structures that do not contain advertisements in the “real world”. This is interesting. It is a form of AR (augmented reality). It is ethically questionable and here’s why……
See that fence? See those ads? Do they exist in the “real world”? It doesn’t matter to Google.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely-
As virtual realty becomes claimed for advertising space there will more incentive to place AR ads on spaces that are in the “real world” off limits to billboards and marquee signage. What will prevent Google from selling AR ads that will appear on the side of the Eiffel Tower? Since they own the imagery presented on Streetview existing municipal bylaws are non-applicable.
As head worn AR devices such as Google Glass and Sony SmartGlass begin to enter the consumer kingdom this year- the future of AR advertising is clear.
When sea lamprey became entrenched in the Great Lakes, the impact on native fish was tremendous. Decades later, we are still battling lamprey, but Asian carp are waiting at the door with ramifications that will make lamprey look tame.
Fallout on ecosystems and native species is often severe, and sometimes irreversible. The damage Asian carp could do to our Great Lakes is unimaginable and the phragmites invasion is choking out wetlands across the province. Damage from invasive species is not just ecological, but also financial with estimates of $7.5 billion annually on forestry and farming.
When passed, the province’s new Invasive Species Act will make Ontario the first province to have such a law. Basically, the bill lays out how to help prevent invasive species, how to detect and respond rapidly to the presence of new invaders, and effectively manage those already established. The concept is admirable, but I do have a few concerns.
The bill has wide-ranging support from various stakeholders, but it is reactionary when in many cases a more proactive approach would be appropriate.
To start, the identification of invasive species will be done through a so-called black list. It requires harm from a species before it will be regulated. However this is reactive rather than preventative. To explain further, the approach to sea lamprey is reactive, whereas the present approach to Asian carp is preventative. It’s easier and less costly to deal with an invasive species before it’s established.
An approach that is frequently recommended, but not used in this bill, is the pathways approach. Using this approach, the regulation of invasive species is based on the risk of invasion via certain pathways so it can be regulated and the risks mitigated. One example is requiring the gutting of all Asian carp imported into Canada for food to make sure they are dead.
The bill does not outline a science-based approach to risk assessment and decision making. My concern is red tape to identify invasive species will hamper prevention efforts.
The act downloads the responsibility of implementation to landowners, but leaves little incentive for landowners to act. As a property owner, I have concerns the bill will be punitive and unfair.
The bill creates two classes of invasives – significant threat and moderate threat. Although there are tools to deal with moderate-threat invasives in provincial parks, there are no tools or authority for private landowners. I have seen this in my own battle against phragmites on our farm and the limited tool kit permissable.
Another concern is the act would create a heavy-handed regulatory scheme that will punish innocent persons who have the misfortune of having an invasive species on their land and download costs of dealing with it to the owner. I am also opposed to the warrantless entry provision for authorities to search property and buildings.
The penalties set out in the act are higher for corporations than individuals. While this concept seems sound, the government failed to take into account the fact many businesses and family farms are incorporated.
I have faith in the science personnel within the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry who provided the basis for the act. But I also believe there is a wealth of knowledge amongst anglers, hunters, naturalists, farmers and commercial fishermen and their associations that can be incorporated with more public consultation. Toby Barrett, MPP
The classification of coal ash is back in the news as US authorities decide on how to label and regulate this byproduct. The following article, first published in Summer 2011 deserves another look CP
One would never think of taking a bath in sewage, or, for that matter, ‘drinking’ a glass of anything harmful to our system.. Our health care providers, after the fiasco in Walkerton, would be abhored at the presence of anything harmful in our drinking water (water wells, in particular, are stringently monitored by authorities, who are now extremely paranoid of any contaminents whatsoever..) There is one thing, however, that is not monitored, should be at the top of the list for testing of those ground water supplies, and that ‘thing’ is “radioactivity”… It seems the upcoming election, with it’s schism between parties that want to maintain the status quo, and keep the coal-fired electrical generating facilities, and those in the present governing party that want to go ahead with Green Energy electrical production by means of Wind Turbines and Solar Arrays, are at loggerheads with one another… They BOTH have studies, and, arguments (fiscal, as well as, science-based) that have caused massive rifts, shifts, and polarization in the minds of the voters… But, one thing that both parties don’t want the Public, at large, to know, is their dirty, DIRTY, little secret…
Those mountains of fly-ash (pictured above) at the Ontario Power Generation facility in Nanticoke, are, in actuality, huge mountains of toxic waste that must be buried at least 3500 feet below the ground, in order to prevent ground water (drinking water, in other words..) contamination… The reason.. It’s quite simple.. Those hundreds of thousands of tonnes of fly-ash in those small mountains, covered, after a hot, dry, and cruelly humid Summer with weeds, are Highly Radioactive…
If the costs of transporting that, toxic mountain, back to the very coal mines that the raw coal came from, now abandoned, in Kentucky and Tennessee, were ever factored into the costs we pay for electricity today, we could expect to have the costs of building the Pickering/Darlington and Bruce Nuclear plants added as “Debt Reduction” costs (presently what we pay EXTRA for, on our monthly electricity bills, is the debts associated with the building of the Nuclear Energy Plants, that went so far over estimated costs, our children will be paying for them ‘ad eterna’..)… That the Conservative Party of Ontario wants to keep those coal-fired generating plants going, without ‘informing’ the Public of Ontario about the radioactive, toxic byproducts of the process, without informing them of what is common knowledge within the coal and electrical generation industries, just to achieve a state of denial for the neccessity of a Green Energy Initiative, is culpable to a criminal act… What is wrong is that the TRUTH is going to cost us much more than fiscal damage control…
If anyone, living in the downwind footprint of the ashfall from those 550 foot tall smokestacks at Nanticoke, that lost a loved one to CANCER, ever subpoenaed the Ontario Health System for the numbers of deaths by cancer in those areas up to 25 miles East of those smokestacks, AND, determined there existed enough of a cancer “cluster”, and, took those findings to a lawyer….., the Ontario Public would be facing a grievous mega lawsuit that would make ‘Erin Brocovitch’ look pale in comparison… Having run a Convenience Store in Rainham Centre for fifteen years, I often questioned the number of deaths, from cancer, in the families and couples that patronized my business… My wife’s own battle with breast cancer made me even more acutely aware of something naggingly simple that was causing the outrageous numbers of cancers.
It wasn’t until I wound up working with a fellow employee, at a firm I had been with for over 10 years as well as running the Store, who happened to have grown up in Liverpool, England,… and we, one day, were discussing the Nanticoke Generating Facility and it’s mountains of fly-ash, and he said to me, “Bill, they used to make a cinder-block out of that fly-ash that they called ‘fly-brick’.. but, they built a few suburban townhouse complexes with them, and, all the kids started to get cancers,… Mostly throat and lung cancers, but there was a lot of Leukemias as well..”
That got me to thinking about the premise for this article.. and, when I started looking on the internet for some background to his tale, and the corelation to the ‘cancer cluster’ that seems to be in our area down-wind of those stacks, this link was the first hit… Silo Direct Link to coal-ash is more radioactive than nuclear waste YOU, make your own decision in this election… I’m going Green.. Bill Stewart is a writer for The Silo. Search his name from any of our sites pages to read more articles from Bill.
Hip-hop is not rap, although rap is part of hip-hop. Hip-hop is a culture and style that was born in the American city, growing out of the minds and experiences of predominantly African-American communities in late ’70’s New York. But by now it is everywhere. They love hip-hop in India and South America and here where I live in Norfolk, most farmers may not listen to hip-hop, but their kids certainly do.
Hip-hop is also a beat: the beat of rap music, the beat of the city beating here in the country, over the airwaves and out of car windows, vibrating through headphones in the air-conditioned cabs of tractors. It is a beat originally created by isolating the percussion breaks of jazz and funk records and remixing them live for dancing and block party revelry, and later to accompany the flowing, groove poetry of a whole new kind of poet: the rapper, Master of Ceremonies or MC—often poor and disenfranchised, but still creative, soulful and strong. Hip-hop, in its original form, could be considered a kind of technological, urban folk music, in the sense that its early practitioners did not record their sounds, and even resisted recording. Hip-hop was something that happened live.
But was rapping really a new form? There is another part of this story that has always interested me. In many of the African tribes from which slaves were stolen, the griot(pr. gree-oh) was a cultural fixture. Griotswere to West-Africa what the bards or troubadours were to Europe: mobile repositories of history in the form of oral tradition; cultural history sung and chanted to the beat of drums. Except in the case of the griot, that beat was African.
Griots were also expected to improvise poetry based on the current social and political scene, and were known for their sharp wit and verbal mastery. In many parts of West-Africa, a party still isn’t a party without a griot.
It is a testimony to the resilience of slaves that, denied the right to speak their own languages, they found other ways to speak, and sing, their true voices. There were the work songs of course, documented before they disappeared in the field recordings of Alan Lomax. But consider other examples. As blacks embraced Christianity, they injected the forms of church with Africanness. Black preaching became famous for its emotional power, spontaneity and, you guessed it, verbal mastery. Black gospel, blues and then jazz took the existing forms of American church music, folk and brass military music and made them African. Jazz and blues again incorporated the principle of the masterful voice, not spoken this time, but sung through the instrument itself, giving us the improvised instrumental solo. And rock and roll is a whole other subject…
Given this history, hip-hop is seen as an urban innovation on an old theme and a turn, perhaps full circle, back to the centrality of The Word. Rap is not merely poetry to a beat: these words flow with and around beats to create layers of syncopation, tickling the mind while they move the body. They are polyrhythms with verbal content.
At this level hip-hop is an art form, and while we may not always like the content of an artist’s message, if we care about art we can still engage with it on the basis of its merits. And we may consider its context. Some people, even creative people, will respond to poverty and systemic oppression with anger and violence. Some will focus their desire on all the trappings of money and fame formerly denied them. It’s not so hard to fathom.
But there are some, a few, who go another direction for justice. These are the warrior-poets who seek from pain the gifts of understanding, even wisdom. Even love. Hip-hop is known to borrow motifs from kung-fu movies, because there, too, you find the archetype of the warrior-artist, skills honed to razor sharpness, delivering beat-downs with fists if necessary, but just as often with the mind itself.
Granted, you will not find much of this style of writing on the radio. But it’s out there. To dig deeper, Google “conscious hip-hop” or “underground hip-hop” and see where that takes you. Word. For the Silo, Chris Dowber.
BenQ America, an internationally renowned provider of visual display solutions and a gaming monitor pioneer, today announced the availability of its revolutionary XL2420G monitor. Featuring NVIDIA’s G-SYNC technology, the newest force in gaming allows players to entirely eliminate performance issues related to image tearing, stuttering, and latency — providing gamers with the ultimate in smooth, fast-action play. Unlike any other G-SYNC monitor, the XL2420G gives users the freedom to switch between BenQ’s proprietary Classic Mode and G-SYNC Mode to create a customizable solution that’s made to conquer opponents in any gaming situation.
“Giving players the ability to select between gameplay modes offers customization advantages that are currently unequaled in the marketplace,” said Bob Wudeck, Associate Vice President, Strategy and Business Development for BenQ America Corp. “When paired with BenQ’s RevolutionEyes technology, the XL2420G provides a hybrid experience which is both blazingly fast and incredibly comfortable. With the launch of this long-awaited innovation, BenQ is proud to be behind one of the most significant advancements in the history of competitive gaming technology.”
Equipped with an innovative hybrid engine, BenQ’s XL2420G is the new apex of virtual gaming. Featuring a wide 24-inch screen, amazingly fast 1ms GTG response time, and crisp LED display, the advanced monitor allows users to select between two new gaming modes: G-SYNC Mode, which ensures that images appear instantly the moment they are rendered, and BenQ’s proprietary Classic Mode for added versatility during gaming settings unsupported by G-SYNC. Users simply switch their input cables to match their gaming requirements — elevating gameplay to an entirely new level.
To increase visual comfort, the XL2420G features BenQ’s RevolutionEyes™ technology. Using ZeroFlicker™ capabilities, the monitor eliminates traditional LED flicker issues and supports eSports enthusiasts in longer gaming sessions by providing more comfort during competitive action. The RevolutionEyes monitor also features BenQ’s Black eQualizer, which enables total gaming visibility by allowing players to adjust brightness without over-exposing white levels, revealing critical combat details with improved visibility in darkened areas. In addition, the monitor brings an ultra-fast 144Hz refresh rate for faster pixel rates to give players complete control over any gaming experience.
For even more gaming comfort, BenQ’s latest innovation is equipped with Low Blue Light technology. Designed to manage the exposure of blue spectrum light, the monitor helps to protect players’ eyes during extended periods by providing several adjustable low blue light levels that automatically adjust emission without affecting picture quality. For setup flexibility, the monitors are fully height-adjustable and feature an intuitive on-screen user interface and controller, allowing gamers to save and quickly access their gaming preferences.
Now shipping, the XL2420G retails at US$649. More information on the full line of BenQ products is available at www.BenQ.us.
The City of Buffalo is experiencing an economic and cultural resurgence. Visitors from around the globe have been enjoying the majestic Niagara Falls, Sabres, Bills and Bisons sporting events, breathtaking Canalside, and terrific shopping. Located just steps from Buffalo’s Metro Rail, Hyatt Regency Buffalo is a quick trip to many popular activities, cultural attractions and dining options.
In recent years, Buffalo has undergone an economic and cultural resurgence. Hyatt Regency Buffalo is proud partner with the Buffalo Loves Canada campaign and welcomes all residents from Canada to enjoy the city’s many attractions and rich architecture. Located just steps from Buffalo’s Metro Rail, Hyatt Regency Buffalo is a quick trip to many popular activities, including visiting the Buffalo Museum of Science and HarborCenter, catching an exciting Sabres, Bills or Bisons game, walking around breathtaking Canalside, or shopping at the Fashion Outlets of Niagara, Walden Galleria, Elmwood Village, or Boulevard Mall.
Additionally, Hyatt Regency Buffalo recently unveiled its luxurious new Penthouse Suite, a stunning high-end space with a panoramic view of the skyline of downtown Buffalo. The space is perfect for leisure or business travelers looking for a sophisticated retreat in the heart of downtown Buffalo—and for hosting exclusive corporate board meetings and executive retreats. Guests of the suite receive complimentary transportation in the hotel’s Mercedes-Benz shuttles, as well as their own personal concierge or meeting concierge.
Hyatt Regency has recently announced two exclusive “Maple Leaf” travel packages offering special rates to visitors from Canada. Buffalo is the perfect weekend destination for Canadians to watch hockey and football games, visit the U.S. side of Niagara Falls, and also offers a vibrant cultural scene as well as plethora of dining options.
The Hyatt Regency’s “Huron Suite” with a splendid downtown view.
The “Maple Leaf” package starts at $99 during weekends and $109 during holidays and mid-week. Canadians can also choose from the Maple Leaf PLUS package, which includes luxurious overnight accommodations, complimentary valet parking, a $25 Visa gift card, and 20% discount on rejuvenating treatments in luxurious Spa Alexis (closed on Sundays). Rates for the Maple Leaf PLUS package vary per day. Advance payment and proof of Canadian Residency are required at time of check in. Both packages are non-refundable and subject to availability. Please call 716.856.1234 or visit www.buffalo.hyatt.com for details and to make a reservation. Please mention the Silo when contacting. Blackout dates include Nov. 15, 28 & 29; Dec. 13 & 31; Jan. 24; and Feb. 21, 27 & 28. Additional blackout dates may be added. For the Silo, Katharine Nichols.
If like us, you can’t get enough of Rooftop City Viewing- you will love the pool.
About Hyatt Regency Buffalo
Hyatt Regency Buffalo, 2 Fountain Plaza, is a 1922 landmark building in the heart of downtown. Adjacent to the Buffalo Convention Center and minutes from Niagara Falls, Ralph Wilson Stadium and Buffalo’s many cultural attractions, the hotel offers a contemporary retreat for work and play in the beautiful City of Lights. The property has 396 guestrooms, 17 suites and 23,479 square feet of flexible meeting space. Amenities include the StayFitTMfitness center, a 24 hour, state-of-the art business center and pet-friendly rooms. On-site dining includes E.B. Greens Steakhouse and Atrium Bar and Bistro. For reservations, call (716) 856-1234 or visit www.buffalo.hyatt.com.
What a great lobby! Downstairs to The Atrium Bar and Bistro.
About Hyatt Regency
The Hyatt Regency brand is an energizing hotel brand that connects travelers to whom and what matters most to them. More than 140 conveniently located Hyatt Regency urban and resort locations in over 30 countries around the world serve as the go-to gathering space for every occasion – from efficient business meetings to memorable family vacations. The brand offers a one-stop experience that puts everything guests need right at their fingertips. Hyatt Regency hotels and resorts offer a full range of services and amenities, including notable culinary experiences; technology-enabled ways to collaborate; the space to work, engage or relax; and expert planners who take care of every detail. For more information, visit hyattregency.com or facebook.com/HyattRegency.
Buffalo downtowners know how to embrace all the Seasons- a scene from the first Winter Festival in 2010. image: juliafinucane/blogspot.ca
We see them on TV; dressed in impeccably-cut suits, with a picture-perfect smile and a never-ending supply of smooth rhetoric. Dr. Tyler Belknap is the epitome of a charismatic, fast-talking preacher who has convinced his cult-like following that, with the help of his Bible-based program, they will enrich their lives with maximum health and longevity.
Belknap is the lead protagonist in Monte Wolverton’s newly-released debut book, Chasing 120: A Story of Food, Faith, Fraud and the Pursuit of Longevity – a story of intrigue and truths and a remarkable tale of what can happen to people’s dreams when they put their faith in a high-profile religious leader rather than God.
From his vast Oregon-based Wellness 120 empire, Tyler Belknap charms and targets Christian consumers, influencing them to dig deep into their pockets – enticing them with Biblical-sounding promises of a healthier life following his recommended regimen. While some believe their health is improved, others suffer serious side effects after taking his specially formulated supplements and GMO’s that are developed in a secret underground research facility in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. But this does not deter Dr. Belknap who keeps this information from the public by bribing city officials and politicians – and who will stop at nothing to keep whistleblowers at bay.
But as much as the fast-talking doctor would like his followers to stay in a state of confusion, he’s not able to keep the negative effects of GMO’s from hitting the news and the public eye. People hear that results from studies done on lab animals cite serious findings, such as, organ damage, immune system disorders, infertility – and yes, aging! Ironically, the polar opposite of Belknap’s claims of longevity!
Since the truth eventually finds its way to the surface, readers learn that a Belknap employee and his wife find themselves at the center of a huge crisis when it’s discovered their son developed brain damage from one of the substance-laced foods. As their fragile house of cards begins to topple, they are forced to admit that the leader they have long admired is, in fact, a crook!
About the Author
An example of Monte’s syndicated political cartoons.
Monte Wolverton celebrates life through his creative talents as a designer, artist, cartoonist and writer. Formerly the managing editor and design director for Plain Truth magazine, his editorial cartoons are internationally syndicated. Wolverton is an ordained minister and holds a MA from Goddard College in Vermont. He resides in Vancouver, Washington.
About Plain Truth Ministries
Plain Truth Ministries invites audiences to discover authentic Christianity without the legalistic religion through online and print media, including magazines, books and radio, at www.ptm.org.
Available at online outlets and author’s website: Chasing 120 – A Story of Food, Faith, Fraud and the Pursuit of Longevity By Monte Wolverton Publisher: Plain Truth Ministries ISBN-13: 978-1-889973-15-9
Wayne Jacobsen, author and President of Lifestream Media: “Monte Wolverton’s first novel is a heady brew of faith and finances as people’s spiritual hungers are exploited by an unscrupulous man bent on making money under the guise of making disciples. Chasing 120 will take you on a ride through the perils of greed, misplaced faith, and awakening to the truth no matter how painful. “
Dan Wooding, author, broadcaster, journalist, and founder of the ASSIST News Service: “…Having known Monte for almost 20 years, I know he has the necessary credentials and experience to write this fascinating story, filled with Christ-centered, real life lessons. [He] addresses some contemporary concerns and problems, as they might meet in a “perfect storm” with dysfunctional Christianity. This story moves and keeps the reader interested…You won’t regret reading it, and I am certain you will recommend it to friends. This story is guaranteed to both entertain you and to make you think.”
Christi Silbaugh – Freelance writer: “Chasing 120 brings to the forefront issues that surround us today, with so many people following rogue religions and corrupt politicians, instead of educating themselves, asking questions, and standing up when something isn’t right. This book is a delightful read that from the beginning to the end will have your mind wondering how much it actually parallels what is going on in today’s world with the hunger for youth and longevity at its peak. Are you chasing 120?”
SOLVING ILLICIT TOBACCCO A National Strategy There is no debate that the global trade in contraband tobacco has far-reaching implications for society. Too much evidence exists today to deny that the black market in tobacco draws in the involvement of a host of problems for public safety and national security. Complicating the picture is the inevitable Canadian debate relative to which level of government has control over what activities and in so doing responsibility for quelling the illicit tobacco industry falls between the cracks.
The reality of the debate is much more visceral when viewed through the lenses of aboriginal rights and commercial responsibilities. Competing “constituencies” in the debate continue to pursue support by staking out scientific, social and moral positions on the smuggling and selling of untaxed and unregulated tobacco products. The Ontario Convenience Store Association points fingers at the Canadian First Nations as the source of contraband tobacco off reserve. Law Enforcement warns of the role of Organized Crime – up to 175 gangs and the Italian Mafioso too! Band leaders on reserve say that it is their right to deal in tobacco all they want so long as it helps the economic prosperity of the community. Ontario farmers blame the McGuinty Liberal Government for “ripping them off” for 69 cents for the tobacco pounds they agreed not to grow pursuant to the Tobacco Transition Program of 2008. All in all, things are a mess!
The provisions of Bill C10, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (trafficking in contraband tobacco), which was sent to the Senate for “sober second thought” has passed Third Reading and awaits proclamation. The Bill will pass but it will leave a sour taste in the mouths of some of the Bill’s “constituencies”, including First Nations. During the Senate “consultation” process, several First Nations leaders decried the flawed consultation process with Canada’s First Nations.
Despite the progress against contraband tobacco with Bill C-10 from a law enforcement point of view, many of the conditions that support the illicit trade in tobacco remain. Save for high profile busts like the “Sweet Dreams” takedown last spring in Montreal that netted the Sicilian Mafia connection, the slow burn of the illicit tobacco trade has caused convenience store closures, stripped billions of dollars from federal and provincial tax coffers, made criminals out of law abiding farmers, and has opened new routes to marketing cigarettes to children on school grounds.
A National Approach
The solution to the many problems associated with contraband tobacco require more than just tinkering with federal legislation yet again. The complexities of the issue require a complete re-thinking of the problem of illicit tobacco and how best to deal with it.
A truly novel and potentially much more effective way of dealing with all tobacco regulation in Canada would be to appoint a National Tobacco Ombudsman (NTO) with sufficient investigative and search and seizure powers to greatly reduce or even eliminate the prevalence of illicit tobacco in Canada. To avoid any constitutional confusion, the NTO would be specifically national in scope but multi-jurisdictional in its powers and therefore a uniquely derived capability that can cross federal/provincial/First Nations lines to arrive at practical solutions.
Tobacco and Competing Constituencies
When it comes to a serious attempt to address the problems associated with the illicit tobacco trade in Canada, the solution needs to focus on four areas that need fixing. All four need to be dealt with rationally and objectively and potentially all by a properly selected and resourced NTO.
Law Enforcement
To date in Canada the RCMP has been afforded the mandate and financial resources to combat contraband tobacco. Unfortunately, the Mounties have been sorely inadequate to the task. Despite RCMP press releases that take credit for illicit tobacco busts, two realities remain. First, most of the Mounties believe that stopping the flow of contraband tobacco is an insult to their mandate as Canada’s federal police force. Instead of trying to convince the RCMP that this is important work for them to pursue, it would be better to shift law enforcement to local and provincial police forces and provide them with the manpower and financial resources they need to investigate and pursue offenders.
Besides pursuing organized crime groups and chasing terrorism-related financial networks, there are many other, less sexy law enforcement activities that need to be attended to in order to fully address the contraband problem. For one example, enforcing the regulations that control the production and distribution of tobacco are provincial matters but require the monitoring and investigative expertise that comes with experienced and trained law enforcement personnel.
A NTO should be given the mandate to define the roles and resources of local and provincial police forces to support the enforcement of tobacco growing and distribution legislation and regulations at both the provincial and federal levels. Moreover, should the provisions of Bill C-10 (or something like it) come into effect, sworn peace officers from local and provincial forces will need to be coordinated in training and procedure.
First Nations – Rights and Fairness
A First Nations Chief stated that Bill C-10 effectively allows the Canadian Government to enter the 6 Nations of the Grand River or Tyendinaga, both in Ontario, with no-knock raids, flash bangs, police dogs and RCMP in riot gear if we have in our possession unstamped tobacco products. In both the Akwesasne and Kahnawake reserves in Quebec there are no less than 50 illicit cigarette factories. First Nations here have long served notice to both legislative authorities and law enforcement that they are most unwelcome. Both of these reserves continue to produce high volumes of contraband tobacco that continue to be distributed across Canada.
Growers – the 69 cent solution
Farmers in Southern Ontario believe fervently that they have been “screwed” by the Ontario Government. This screwing took place when Premiere McGuinty reneged on a deal, as part of the Federal Government’s Tobacco Transition Program of 2008, to pay farmers sixty-nine cents for every pound of tobacco they would not grow in future. Some of the farmers lost their farms; others found ways to circumvent the deal – take the money from the feds and continue to grow tobacco for sale to the black market.
The NTO would not permit this fiasco to develop. Fairness would have dictated a process for negotiating the buyout such that all parties would be agreeable to the outcome and all parties would respect the terms of activity or payment. To give the deal teeth, the NTO would have the resources to monitor the results of the agreement, including payments promised and behaviour modified.
Taxation Rationalization
It is widely known that the infamous U.S. mobster, Al Capone, was convicted for tax evasion in order to put him away for life. Present day mobsters are involved in using contraband proceeds to engage in other serious criminal activities such as drug, gun and human trafficking and terrorism funding.
Studies by reputable think tanks such as the US Mackinac Institute have determined that there is a sweet spot in government taxation levels that represents the most effective price deterrent to smoking and the point where tax hikes drive consumers – especially young consumers – to buy contraband cigarettes.
A NTO would have the ability to provide much wisdom and hopefully much influence in advising governments at all levels how to set tax policy and rates within the context of knowledgeable consequences. The other important aspect that would be performed by the NTO is to ensure harmonization across jurisdictions which would eliminate “spatial arbitrage” between jurisdictional lines.
Action Required
The concept of a National Tobacco Ombudsman requires immediate discussion and very near term implementation so that tax bases can be restored with money now flowing to the criminal elements in Canada and abroad.
Ombudsmen are about protecting the rights of the public. A NTO with criminal investigative powers led by a credible Ombudsman would protect the legitimate interests of the First Nations communities, provide law enforcement with the tools to rid our communities of organized crime groups, provide guidelines for the orderly growing of tobacco on or off reserves, and stop the lust for tax grabs at the expense of public safety. This Ombudsman would be answerable to Parliament and would not be buried in the bureaucracy with hierarchical structures that have been established to protect and avoid issues of significant importance. Contraband tobacco in Canada continues to be a multi-billion dollar rip off that fuels organized crime and is a significant threat to national security as the illicit trade moves with fluidity across national and international borders.
The establishment of the NTO requires unwavering leadership, transparency and accountability at all levels of government, within commercial activity involving tobacco, and within First Nations’ communities. For the Silo, Edward R. Myers
John Buscema and the Crusty BunkersConan the Barbarian#45 Page 16 Original Art (Marvel, 1974). Wondrous and horrible things await in this page from “The Last Ballad of Laza-Lanti,” written by Roy Thomas. The ink on Bristol art has an image area of 10″ x 15″ and it is in Very Good condition. Let’s take a look at a single panel from the page on offer.
Fans of 1970’s/1980’s Conan the Barbarian graphic comics appreciate the moody almost expressionist pencil and inks.
Buscema, John:John Buscema (American 1927-2002): After the departure of Jack Kirby from Marvel in 1970, John Buscema became one of the company’s most influential artists [Often called the Michelangelo of comics CP]. Buscema is perhaps most celebrated for his Bronze Age work on the Avengers, the Silver Surfer, and Conan the Barbarian. Buscema’s work proved so in-demand in the mid-seventies, he launched the John Buscema Art School which advertised for students in the pages of many Marvel titles. Stan Lee made appearances as a guest lecturer at Buscema’s school and the two collaborated on the wildly popular book How to Draw Comics The Marvel Way, Simon and Schuster, 1978. Comic Art
The page was sold to the highest bid which reached $US 2,210.75
“All of us could invest part of our ‘fortune,’ great or small, on something that gives back on a deeper human level, such as non-predatory loans to individuals from impoverished communities,” Tim McCarthy
North Americans are still choosing to hold onto their money these days, a lesson learned from the 2008-09 financial crash.
It’s good to have savings – but not to the point of hoarding, says entrepreneur and philanthropist Tim McCarthy, author of “Empty Abundance”.
Citizens in the United States of America are saving at a rate of 5.30 percent, well above the record low of 0.80 percent in 2005, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
The world’s billionaires are holding an average of $600 million each in cash, which is more than the gross domestic product of Dominica, according to the new Billionaire Census from Wealth-X and UBS. That’s up from $60 million the previous year, signaling that the very wealthy are keeping their money on the sidelines and waiting for an optimal investment time.
McCarthy diverts all of his business profits annually to his foundation, The Business of Good, which invests in socially conscious businesses and scalable nonprofit concepts.
He reviews what everyone has to gain from mindful giving.
• Money buys you happiness – up to $75,000 worth. Life satisfaction rises with income, but everyday happiness – another measure of well-being – changes little once a person earns $75,000 per year, according to a 2010 Princeton study. Another widely published survey by psychologist Roy Baumeister suggested that “happiness, or immediate fulfillment, is largely irrelevant to meaningfulness.” In other words, so many who finally achieve financial excess are unfulfilled by the rewards that come with that.
• Remember the wealth disconnection to overall fulfillment. A Gallup survey conducted in 132 countries found that people in wealthy countries rate themselves higher in happiness than those in poor countries. However, 95 percent of those surveyed in poverty-stricken countries such as Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan and Sierra Leone reported leading meaningful lives, while less than 60 percent reported the same in wealthier countries.
“While more investigation to wealth, happiness and well-being is certainly in order, I think it’s clear that while money is important, it cannot buy purpose, significance or overall satisfaction,” McCarthy says.
• Giving money reliably equals happy money. Two behavioral scientists, Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton, explore in their recent book, “Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending,” what makes people engage in “prosocial behavior” – including charitable contributions, buying gifts and volunteering time. According to Dunn and Norton, recent research on happiness indicates that the most satisfying way of using money is to invest in others.
In 2010, multi-billionaires Warren Buffet and Bill and Melinda Gates co-founded The Giving Pledge, a long-term charitable effort that asks the wealthiest among us to commit to giving more than half of their fortunes to philanthropy. Among the first to join, Michael R. Bloomberg wrote in his pledge letter: “If you want to do something for your children and show how much you love them, the single best thing – by far – is to support organizations that will create a better world for them and their children.” To date, 115 of our country’s 495 billionaires have pledged.
• Anhedonia, amnesia and the fallacy of consumption. Anhedonia is the inability to enjoy activities that are typically found pleasurable.
“After making my wealth, I found that I suffered from anhedonia,” McCarthy says. “Mindful giving – intelligent and conscious giving to those who need it – turned out to be my best therapy.”
Everybody has experienced the limits of consumption, the economic law of diminishing returns. One cookie is nice and so, too, is your first $1 million. But at some point, your ability to enjoy eating cookies or earning millions diminishes more with each successive one.
“Everyone learns this lesson, yet the horror is that so many of us succeed in forgetting it,” McCarthy says. “I think that, in every moment, we need to remind ourselves that continually reaching for the next ‘cookie’ is not in our best interest.”
About Tim McCarthy
Tim McCarthy’s first business, WorkPlace Media, eventually built a permissioned database of 700,000 gatekeepers who reach more than 70 million employees with incentives for clients such as Coca-Cola, Lenscrafters and McDonalds. He sold the company in 2007 and recently bought it back.
In October, 2014 Dr. Eric Hoskins, then Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, and Dr. David Mowat, Interim Chief Medical Officer of Health, issued the following statement on Ontario’s preparedness for Ebola virus disease in Ontario:
“We know that Ontarians may have concerns related to the ongoing challenges in West Africa and recent events in the United States regarding the spread of the Ebola virus.
Reason for concern: the Ebola Virus is almost biblical in nature with horrible effects on the inflicted.
Let us assure you that the safety of Ontario’s health care workers, patients and the public are our top priority.
We are confident that Ontario is prepared and ready to contain and treat any potential case of Ebola virus in our province — protocols are in place and we’ve seen the system work well in Ontario hospitals.
With the experience and lessons learned from the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic, our health care facilities now have sophisticated infection control systems and procedures to protect health care providers, patients and all Ontarians. They are fully equipped to deal with any potential cases of Ebola.
Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care
But all health care workers, especially those providing care to patients, must be safe and protected. This is why we are working with health care employers to ensure they are providing appropriate training for their staff on the proper use of personal protective equipment and other occupational health and safety measures. We are also continuing to work with health care workers and employers to further strengthen protective measures and ensure they’re in place at all times.
Our health care workers are on the front lines and it is times like these when we are all reminded of how critical their work is in protecting the public. We want them to feel safe.
We will be reaching out to our health care partners to ensure they have the maximum protection possible and plan to release revised guidelines by the end of the week.
The government, in collaboration with our health system partners, is monitoring the Ebola situation and is continually assessing our state of readiness should a case of Ebola ever occur in Ontario.
On behalf of both the ministry and the government of Ontario, we would like to thank our health care workers for their selfless and tireless work on behalf of all Ontarians.”
It’s been called the silent killer and CO (Carbon Monoxide) is a poison and found outside and within our homes CP
Keeping Ontarians Safe from Carbon Monoxide- Ontario is taking another step to keep families and homes in Ontario safe by making carbon monoxide alarms mandatory in all residential homes.
The new regulation, which comes into effect October 15, updates Ontario’s Fire Code following the passage of Bill 77 last year. These updates are based on recommendations from a Technical Advisory Committee which was led by the Office of the Fire Marshall and Emergency Management and included experts from fire services, the hotel and rental housing industries, condo owners and alarm manufacturers.
Carbon monoxide detectors will now be required near all sleeping areas in residential homes and in the service rooms, and adjacent sleeping areas in multi-residential units. Carbon monoxide alarms can be hardwired, battery-operated or plugged into the wall.
QUOTES
” We want Ontarians to be aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning because these tragedies are preventable. The change to the Fire Code is all about making sure we keep our families and homes safe. I urge all Ontarians to install a carbon monoxide alarm in their homes immediately.”
– Yasir Naqvi
Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services
Road vehicles and transportation make up 85% of Ontario’s CO pollution
” Mandating the installation and maintenance of carbon monoxide alarms in existing homes with a fuel-fired heating system or appliance, fireplace or attached garage under the Fire Code, and providing the authority for municipal fire services to conduct inspections and promote CO awareness, are significant steps forward for enhancing public safety.”
– Tadeusz (Ted) Wieclawek
Ontario Fire Marshal & Chief of Emergency Management
” The fatal effects of carbon monoxide left us with an irreplaceable family loss. Keep your family safe and install a CO alarm so we can combat the silent killer.”
– John Gignac
Co-Chair, Hawkins-Gignac Foundation for CO Education
QUICK FACTS
* More than 50 people die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning in Canada, including 11 on average in Ontario.
* Bill 77, an Act to Proclaim Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week and to amend the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, received royal assent in December 2013.
* The first Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week will take place November 1-8, 2014.
* The Ontario Building Code requires the installation of carbon monoxide alarms in homes and other residential buildings built after 2001.
NOUVELLES- ministère de la Sécurité communautaire et des Services correctionnels
L’Ontario prend une nouvelle mesure pour protéger les familles et les foyers ontariens en rendant obligatoire l’installation d’avertisseurs de monoxyde de carbone dans toutes les habitations.
Le nouveau règlement, qui entre en vigueur le 15 octobre, met à jour le Code de prévention des incendies de l’Ontario à la suite de l’adoption du projet de loi 77 l’année dernière. Ces mises à jour visent à renforcer la sécurité de la population ontarienne. Elles s’appuient sur les recommandations d’un comité consultatif technique dirigé par le Bureau du commissaire des incendies et de la gestion des situations d’urgence et composé d’experts des services d’incendie, des secteurs de l’hôtellerie et de la location à usage d’habitation, de propriétaires de condos et de fabricants d’avertisseurs.
Des avertisseurs de monoxyde de carbone seront désormais exigés à proximité des chambres à coucher dans les maisons, ainsi qu’à l’intérieur des locaux techniques et à proximité des chambres à coucher adjacentes dans les immeubles à logements multiples. Les avertisseurs de monoxyde de carbone peuvent être câblés, fonctionner sur piles ou être branchés dans une prise murale.
CITATIONS
« Nous voulons que les Ontariens et Ontariennes soient conscients des risques d’intoxication au monoxyde de carbone parce que ces tragédies sont évitables. Cette modification au Code de prévention des incendies vise à protéger nos familles et nos foyers. J’exhorte tous les Ontariens et Ontariennes à installer immédiatement un avertisseur de monoxyde de carbone à leur domicile.»
– Yasir Naqvi
ministre de la Sécurité communautaire et des Services correctionnels
« En rendant obligatoires, en vertu du Code de prévention des incendies, l’installation et l’entretien d’avertisseurs de monoxyde de carbone dans les maisons existantes dotées d’un système de chauffage ou d’un appareil à combustible, d’une cheminée ou d’un garage attenant, et en conférant aux services d’incendie municipaux le pouvoir d’effectuer des inspections et de promouvoir la sensibilisation au CO, nous franchissons des étapes importantes pour améliorer la sécurité du public. »
– Tadeusz (Ted) Wieclawek
commissaire des incendies et chef de la gestion des situations d’urgence de l’Ontario
« Nous avons perdu des membres irremplaçables de notre famille à cause des effets mortels du monoxyde de carbone. Protégez votre famille et installez un avertisseur de CO afin que nous puissions lutter contre le tueur silencieux.»
– John Gignac
Fondation de l’éducation au CO Hawkins-Gignac
FAITS EN BREF
* Plus de 50 personnes meurent chaque année d’intoxication au monoxyde de carbone au Canada, dont 11 personnes en moyenne en Ontario.
* Le Projet de loi 77, Loi proclamant la Semaine de sensibilisation au monoxyde de carbone et modifiant la Loi de 1997 sur la prévention et la protection contre l’incendie, a reçu la sanction royale en décembre 2013.
* La première semaine de sensibilisation au monoxyde de carbone se déroulera du 1er au 8 novembre 2014.
* Le Code du bâtiment de l’Ontario exige l’installation d’avertisseurs de monoxyde de carbone dans les maisons et autres immeubles d’habitation construits après 2001.
* Le Code de prévention des incendies de l’Ontario (disponible en anglais seulement)<http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/regs/english/elaws_regs_070213_e.htm>
The technology is not limited to ‘human only’ use CP
WATERFORD, Mich. – An Ann Arbor-based medical device manufacturer that developed a technology to detect eye disease years earlier than current methods is Medical Main Street’s “INNO-VATOR of the Year.”
OcuSciences, Inc. is a medical diagnostic device company commercializing a rapid, non-invasive test for early detection of retinal disease. Physicians can use the device to screen patients for diabetes and early eye disease. Optometrists and ophthalmologists can use the device to diagnose and monitor disease progression and guide therapy.
“I stand in awe of the work done by OcuSciences and its new imaging techniques to measure damage to retinal tissue from diabetes, macular degeneration and glaucoma,” Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson said. “This achievement in medical device manufacturing is indicative of the type of world-class research being conducted in the Medical Main Street region.”
The INNO-VATOR of the Year award honors the creators of a medical device which demonstrates the most dramatic change in the health care industry in Michigan. To be considered for the award, the device must have been developed in Michigan, achieved prototype development and validation, and incorporate a game-changing innovation.
The award will be presented Oct. 22 during Medical Main Street’s INNO-VENTION 2014 conference at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. In 2013, Ann Arbor-based HistoSonics won for its Vortx Rx® device that uses sound energy to treat tissue inside the body without the need for traditional surgery. In 2012, Sentio LLC of Southfield and Ablative Solutions of Kalamazoo were each named co-winners. Sentio created a device to alert doctors when nerves are at risk during surgery and Ablative Solutions’ technology treats hypertension.
Based on technology licensed from the University of Michigan, OcuSciences has developed a proprietary, ocular imaging technique, Retinal Metabolic AnalysisTM (RMA), as a non-invasive, rapid biomarker for measuring the damage to retinal tissue due to diabetes, macular degeneration and glaucoma. This new measure has been termed a new vital sign for patients – similar to blood pressure or body temperature.
The RMA technology provides a means to detect disease processes several years earlier than current clinical methodsand before irreversible structural alterations due to cell death become visible in the retina.
OcuSciences has demonstrated that RMA is more predictive of diabetes than other tests, helping pharmaceutical companies develop ophthalmic drugs more rapidly and precisely.
With 57 million diabetics in the U.S. today, and eight percent of those as undiagnosed diabetics, diabetes is a rapidly growing epidemic, especially among children. The screening for diabetic retinopathy and early treatment can help prevent blindness in 24,000 patients annually and reduce the $174 billion costs associated with diabetes.
INNO-VENTION 2014 is set for Oct. 21-22 at the Suburban Collection Showplace.
Now in its third year, the conference will feature an expansion of the popular Demonstration Alley, with 21 companies exhibiting the latest medical technology innovations. There will also be expert panel discussions on intellectual property, accountable care organizations, health and wellness as an asset, and mobile health care.
The Medical Main Street board includes Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Beaumont Health System, Beckman Coulter Molecular Diagnostics, Crittenton Hospital, Detroit Medical Center, Ferndale Laboratories, Henry Ford Health Systems, Housey Pharmaceutical Research Laboratories, McLaren Health Care – Oakland, MichBio, State Rep. Gail Haines, R-Waterford, Oakland Community College, Oakland University, Oxus Inc., Priority Health, Rockwell Medical Technologies, St. John Providence Health System, St. Joseph Mercy Oakland and Stryker Corp.
Queen’s Park – Green Party of Ontario leader Mike Schreiner is calling for a ban on logging in Algonquin Park. image courtesy of Bing
“People are outraged when they learn that the Liberals are failing to protect one of the province’s Crown Jewels – Algonquin Park,” says Schreiner. “It’s time to phase out logging in Algonquin now.”
According to the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario’s (ECO) Annual Report released recently at Queen’s Park, the ecological integrity of the park is threatened. Over 65% of Algonquin is open to logging. [The Report also mentions the use of bee-killing pesticides at Algonquin CP]
“The Liberals have a choice: stop the logging or be honest with people that Algonquin is not really a provincial park with basic environmental protections,” says Schreiner.
The Green Party is calling for a ban now in order to provide forestry companies time to economically phase out logging in the park over the next decade. The ECO suggests there is adequate lumber supply in the region to keep companies in business while protecting the integrity of the park.
“Like many parents, one of the highlights of my summer was paddling in Algonquin with my daughter. I’m not going to let the status quo politics at Queen’s Park prevent my daughter from enjoying the park with my grandkids,” says Schreiner. “Algonquin is worth fighting to protect.”
The government recently reduced the area of the park open to logging, but almost two-thirds of Algonquin is still potentially open to timber harvesting.
Historical logging and planking of Algonquin timber in the “Age of Wood”- harvested log planks being shipped to distant ports
Every girl dreams of that perfect wedding, where she is pampered and spoiled, as she embarks on a new life. With one of the world’s most breathtaking natural wonders providing a unique backdrop, Niagara Falls is the place for a magical wedding that you and your guests won’t soon forget.
Marriott’s wedding specialists will ensure the most important day of your life is absolutely perfect, from preparation through the ceremony and reception and into the honeymoon, the bride and groom will be pampered, refreshed and relaxed on their wedding day.
Niagara Falls is a dynamic place all twelve months of the year. Imagine having your wedding or engagement photos with this winter time vista.
Pampering the bride starts the morning of the wedding at Serenity Spa by the Falls where a memorable spa experience will have the bride and her maidens glowing when they step up to the altar. That altar is perched 23 storys above the crest of Niagara Falls in the Marriott’s elegant and intimate Chapel Overlooking the Falls, a majestic setting that is truly awe-inspiring. During the reception, experience elegance with every flawless detail tailored to fit your unforgettable story.
The fairy tale continues in a luxurious Honeymoon Suite overlooking the Falls, with breakfast in bed as befits the newly-wed couple. The happy couple can then spend their first day together with a romantic afternoon of indulgence with Serenity’s Couple’s Ritual Spa Treatment.
Beautiful all year round.
For the guests, Niagara Falls boasts a vibrant night life to keep them entertained once the happy couple steps away to begin their honeymoon. Clubs, bars and restaurants, not to mention two casinos and several theatre shows, will ensure a wedding in Niagara Falls is a wedding people will be talking about for years.
Phil Czerwinski of Perth, Australia and director of “Heritage Western Australia” an archaeological consultant company focusing on the survey of indigenous rock art, archaeological, and ethnographic sites in Western Australia came to learn about archaeology in southern Ontario. Phil arrived in Haldimand-Norfolk County July 4-11, 2014 to participate in an archaeological exchange with the Haldimand Norfolk Archaeological Regional Project (HNARP).
Phil was kind enough to take time from his schedule in Canada to answer a few questions about his experiences with archaeology in southern Ontario.
1. What kind of archaeology do you conduct in Western Australia?
I’m an archaeologist who does a lot of work in Western Australia. We have lots of cool archaeology such as artefact scatters, rock art, and caves with human occupation dating back 40,000 years ago. My main interest is in how hunter-gatherers use the landscape, and how these settlement patterns are shown in archaeological sites. Much of my work is for mining companies.
2. What interested you to come to Ontario and participate in this regional project?
I came to do fieldwork with the Haldimand Norfolk Archaeological Research Project (HNARP) in Ontario because Lorenz and I worked together in Australia a few years ago. He told me about his project and I thought it would be a great idea to see how things are done in Canada.
3. In Haldimand-Norfolk County much of the archaeology is conducted on private lands. When does your company deal with private land owners to access properties to conduct your archaeological work?
We do not do too much work on private lands as most of the work is on Crown Land, which is why I was interested in coming to see how HNARP relates to local landowners. What instantly impressed me during my time in the field with HNARP was the level of community engagement with the landowners and other stakeholders such as collectors. The way Lorenz Bruechert, Project Director spoke respectfully with them, listened to their concerns about accessing fields in crop, handling their precious artefact collections, and making sure the communication was a two way street was refreshing to experience. To have a beer and ‘talk turkey’ (in our case pigs) with landowners was wonderful. The fact that landowners and interested people get newsletter updates on HNARP is a great information sharing initiative.
4. HNARP attempts to develop long term relationships with land owners in an effort to develop community archaeology. When do consultant companies like Heritage Western Australia have an opportunity to develop community archaeology with their clients or within communities where development is planned?
Our archaeology is mostly mining based, so our relationships are with the companies and the Aboriginal groups on whose lands the mining companies want to mine. Often these turn into long term relationships, which have their ups and downs. We aim for sustainability in heritage; where we all get something out of the process.
5. How do corporations support community archaeology in Western Australia?
The main corporate interest in archaeology where I work is based on the approvals process, where heritage is often viewed as another box to check in the mining process. Some of the bigger mining companies do it differently, and sponsor larger regional studies in order to understand the Aboriginal heritage.
An Agate Basin paleo (ice age) projectile point- types studied by HNARP
6. How do you see a regional archaeological study different or similar to how consultant archaeology is conducted in Australia?
There are long term goals in the type of regional study that HNARP is doing, whereas consultancy based archaeology often does not share this goal and is a get in and out quick approach to archaeology.
7. What benefits did you see in a regional study compared to consultant archaeology?
There are many benefits. By developing relationships with landowners HNARP can give something to the community that consultancy often does not – that being a sense of communal ownership and responsibility for regional heritage. It sheds light on large areas and hunter-gatherer settlement patterns across time and space.
8. The HNARP works collaboratively and in co-operation with land owners to engage them in public archaeology to protect archaeological sites and artifacts from destruction and permanent loss. What opportunities are there to conduct similar practices in for archaeological sites and artifacts in Australia?
Much of our work involves working with Aboriginal people and mining companies to manage archaeological sites for a win-win solutions. Mining takes up land, and archaeological sites are so prevalent in the Pilbara region of Western Australia where I work that this involves destroying sites. Here the aim is ensuring everyone is informed on what is going on, and when sites are to be destroyed they are done so in a culturally sensitive manner and in line with legislative requirements.
9. What finals comments would you like to share with Silo readers about your experiences with HNARP?
It is not easy to tell people about the ins and outs of archaeology in a way they can understand what you are trying to achieve, but being a local Lorenz understands the landowner’s issues and communicates in a down to earth manner. He works to develop long term relationships with landowners. This is rare in archaeology, be it in Australia or anywhere in the world. We have lots of stone artefact sites in Western Australia, although we do not have the nice artefacts such as arrowheads you folks have. To see these local treasures being studied in a project that is solely funded by the researcher is again uncommon.
Archaeology is archaeology anywhere in the world, but people are people. They have interests and issues that should never be over-ridden in the pursuit of academic studies. With the goal to put archaeology back into the community, HNARP is unique and deserves local support. After all, who best to understand the Haldimand-Norfolk area than an archaeologist who was raised and grew up a local farmer. Thanks for this opportunity to share my experiences about archaeology in southern Ontario. CP
Trying to find agricultural systems that are environmentally friendly and economically viable is a challenge facing the agriculture industry. So when a friend from New Zealand told us about how they graze sheep in fruit orchards we instantly liked the idea. All of a sudden the apple and cherry orchards on the farm didn’t look just like orchards, they also looked like sheep pasture. So we went for it and purchased our first group of ewes in January of 2013. Our goal was to build a sheep production system that worked with the current farm set up and where we can produce quality lamb raised in an environmentally sustainable and welfare-friendly system.
Our sheep graze permanent pastures in spring and early summer where they give birth to lambs, and are moved to orchards the rest of the year.
Utilizing the grass in the orchards allows us to reduce feed costs and grass cutting costs. While the sheep convert grass and weeds into meat they also fertilize the orchards with their manure. Having the sheep on pasture eliminates costs associated with keeping animals in barns such as bedding material and manure removal. Lambs are born outside on pasture in May and June. Raising lambs on pasture can bring challenges such as coyotes and internal parasites.
To help protect our sheep from coyotes we utilize electric fences and livestock guardian dogs. Livestock guardian dogs have been used for hundreds of years by shepherds to protect their sheep from people and predators. We use the Kuvasz and Maremma breeds of livestock guardian dogs, other guardian breeds include the Great Pyrenees, Akbash, and Anatolian Shepherds. These amazing working dogs see the sheep as their family and guard them day and night. Raised with sheep from the time they are puppies, guardian dogs sleep with the flock at night and can even be found helping clean off newborn lambs.
The idea of a more dynamic and sustainable agricultural system is something we want to pursue. We, as farmers and stewards of the land, recognize that we need to be inventive to keep soils and ultimately the environment healthy. In agriculture there is always lots to learn and it provides me with an exciting and interesting line of work.
A new tax credit is helping put nutritious, fresh, locally grown food on the plates of those who need it most.
The Food Donation Tax Credit for Farmers — the only one of its kind in Canada — is giving farmers a tax credit valued at 25 per cent of the fair market value of the agricultural products they donate to community food programs, including food banks and student nutrition programs.
Building a stronger agri-food industry is part of the government’s economic plan to support a dynamic and innovative business climate, invest in people and invest in infrastructure.
QUOTES
“This new tax credit will help farmers donate more fresh food to their local food banks, which will support our farmers, drive local economic growth, and benefit families in communities across the province.”
— Charles Sousa, Minister of Finance
“This new tax credit is an integral part of our government’s commitment to support farmers, increase access to nutritious, locally grown food and promote the good things that are grown right across the province.” Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
“Ontario’s farmers have a long tradition of donating their agricultural products to charitable causes, and we believe this credit will both honour that tradition and help motivate others to donate.”
Neil Currie, General Manager, Ontario Federation of Agriculture
“Everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy local food, and we applaud the Ontario government for introducing a tax credit that will encourage more farmers to make that food available to families and individuals who need it most. Many food bank clients do not receive the recommended daily servings of fruits, vegetables, and protein, which causes additional strains on one’s health and well-being. A balanced diet with local, fresh, and nutritious foods will help improve the health of food bank clients as well as the health of communities across Ontario.”
— Bill Laidlaw, Executive Director, Ontario Association of Food Banks
“Hamilton Food Share has focused on increasing the amount of fresh product distributed to local emergency food programs as the thousands of people who visit a food bank do not have access to fresh food on an ongoing basis. We remain deeply committed to food security and we believe the new tax credit for farm donations will help us forge new partnerships within the agricultural sector in our community.”
— Joanne Santucci, Executive Director, Hamilton Food Share.
QUICK FACTS
One-third of the 375,000 Ontarians served by a food bank every month are children.
More than 600,000 children and youth participate in breakfast, snack and lunch programs in communities across Ontario.
Under the proclaimed legislation, farmers can claim the new tax credit for donations dating back to Jan. 1, 2014.
Ontario’s agri-food sector contributes about $34 billion to the province’s economy and supports more than 740,000 jobs across Ontario.
Anyone who’s been caught at a wedding reception or a cocktail party discussing recent changes in the weather knows that these situations can quickly go from bad to worse and that making small talk isn’t as easy as it sounds.
Conversations with strangers can sometimes be stilted and uncomfortable, often resulting in a mad dash for the door as soon as is socially acceptable, but it doesn’t have to be this way.
“Small talk is an art,” says Small Talk Vineyards Owner, Hank Hunse. “It isn’t a skill that people are born with, but it can be mastered. Small talk is the starting point of all relationships and whether you are at a friend’s wine tasting party or a networking event it is an important starting point for everyone.”
Small Talk Vineyards, located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, knows all about the art of good conversation and the winery’s staff have become experts at small talk.
“A big part of our business is engaging our visitors in conversation,” said Hunse. “With hundreds of people visiting the winery each season, we have had to learn how to keep our guests engaged in conversation while ensuring they feel comfortable.”
Smooth!
To help us conquer our jitters of awkward meetings and functions, Small Talk Vineyards has compiled a list of five tips to mastering the art of small talk:
Remember Names
Introductions tend pass in a blur. Names are forgotten just as quickly as the hors d’oeuvres disappear, but make an effort to slow down and stay present. Repeat the person’s name in your head a few times and if you forget a name, discreetly ask a third party for help. Remembering someone’s name goes a long way and they are more likely to approach you at future gatherings.
Establish Eye Contact
This may sound like a no-brainer, but in uncomfortable situations people tend to avoid eye contact. Casual eye contact and a warm, friendly smile demonstrate your interest and desire to communicate. Eye contact for five to ten seconds indicates curiosity and is generally considered friendly. Make an effort to keep your body language open and relaxed – you’ll send out confident and friendly signals that will draw people to you
Discuss the Setting
Finding a topic of discussion after introductions is the hardest part of small talk. By commenting on the location of the event — how long the line is for drinks or floral arrangements — you are creating common ground. For example, if we sense that someone is uncomfortable during a wine tasting, we often comment on the bright paint colours that decorate the winery to find common ground.
Have Fun!
It’s important to remember that you aren’t alone. There are others in the room feeling just as uncomfortable as you, so stop hiding behind your glass of wine and enjoy yourself! Allow yourself to be curious and ask questions, you never know who you might meet.
Make a Clean Escape
When your conversation starts to draw to a close, take the opportunity to make a natural exit. Using phrases such as “I need to grab another drink” or “I need to say hello to a friend who just arrived” allows you to make a clean exit. Make sure to end the conversation with something like: “I’ve enjoyed talking to you, and I hope to talk to you again.” This keeps the lines of communication open for another meeting.
Small Talk Vineyards is an innovative, boutique, small-production VQA winery located in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The estate vineyard is family run and has been in operation since 1955. Small Talk’s labels are about attending dinner parties and engaging in conversation, the front label in the “Speech Bubble” is what we say out loud during these gatherings and the back label, the “thought bubble” expresses what we’re thinking. Small Talk Vineyards features bold, fresh VQA wines that expose the dramatic gap between what you say … and what you really think!
Portions of the Snyder’s Flats Conservation Area will be closed to the public during the week of Sept. 29 while a herbicide is used to control an outbreak of phragmites, an invasive plant species.
Signs will be posted in the parking lot at the entrance to the property on Snyder’s Flats Road near Bloomingdale. The affected sections of the trail network within the conservation area will be marked as closed.
Staff of the Grand River Conservation Authority will be applying the herbicide glyphosate, which is better known by the trade name Roundup. The herbicide has been widely adopted by conservation organizations as a safe and effective way to remove invasive species.
The work is scheduled to be done on Monday, Sept. 29 and Tuesday, Sept. 30. The affected areas will be posted for a day after the herbicide is applied. There is a potential that the work could be delayed if there is heavy rain or high winds.
In most areas, the herbicide will be applied by hand to individual plants. Some larger outbreaks will be tackled with backpack-style sprayers.
Phragmites australis, also known as European common reed, is a species that came to North America from Eurasia. According to Ontario’s Invading Species Awareness Program, the plant spreads quickly and out-competes native species for water and nutrients. It releases toxins from its roots into the soil to hinder the growth and kill surrounding plants.
Phragmites: tough hombres!
In taking over from native plants, it also reduces the habitat available to wetland wildlife species including birds, turtles and other amphibians and reptiles.
GRCA staff hope that by reacting quickly to its presence they can keep it from spreading throughout Snyder’s Flats and to other properties.
The work at Snyder’s Flats is part of the GRCA’s long-term program to return the former gravel pit area to a natural state that is home to a wide variety of plant, bird and animal species.
