Tag Archives: writers

Liberals: Ontario remains on track to eliminate deficit by 2017-18

October 15, 2012 The Silo 1 Comment

OntLibsBudgetontrackPR — “20th Century Limited Train on Tracks” by Alfred Eisenstaedt

The deficit projection for the current fiscal year has improved by more than $400 million from the 2012 Budget forecast to $14.4 billion. The province remains on track to meet the 2012 Budget deficit targets in 2013-14 and 2014–15 and for the deficit to be eliminated by 2017–18.

Ontario is projecting growth in real gross domestic product (GDP) of 2.0 per cent in 2012, 1.9 per cent in 2013, 2.3 per cent in 2014 and 2.4 per cent in 2015.

As of September 2012, Ontario employment was 356,000 net new jobs above its recessionary low in June 2009. Ontario is expected to create nearly 350,000 net new jobs by 2015, reducing the unemployment rate to 6.8 per cent from a high of 9.4 per cent in June 2009.

The fiscal plan provides no funding for incremental compensation increases for new collective agreements. The government is currently consulting on draft legislation that proposes to freeze compensation for executives and managers across the Ontario Public Service, and the Broader Public Sector (BPS) who are eligible for performance pay. It also proposes to ensure future BPS collective agreements are consistent with the province’s goals to eliminate the deficit and protect jobs and public services. The proposed draft legislation would support avoiding increased spending in the BPS of $2.8 billion over three years and help to protect roughly 55,000 public sector jobs.

QUOTE

“Despite ongoing global economic uncertainty, Ontario is ahead of its targets for lowering the deficit for the fourth year in a row. We will work with anyone who is willing to work with us to meet the objectives of eliminating the deficit and protecting jobs and public services.”
— Dwight Duncan, Minister of Finance

QUICK FACTS

• The 2012–13 revenue projection of $113,019 million is $445 million above the 2012 Budget outlook, largely reflecting a higher estimated 2011–12 tax base. Consistent with the government’s continued effort toward managing the growth in expenses, total expense for 2012–13 has decreased by $3.7 million compared to the 2012 Budget plan.

• Robust business capital investment, a rebound in net trade and increased consumer spending will be key contributors to growth. Over the past two years, business investment spending on plant and equipment has risen by more than 22 per cent, or
$11.1 billion.

• In the 2011–2012 Public Accounts of Ontario, the government announced the deficit for 2011–12 was $13.0 billion, marking the third consecutive year in which the province has improved on its fiscal projections. This result is also 47 per cent lower than the 2009–10 deficit of $24.7 billion forecast in the fall of 2009, at the depth of the global recession.

• The government has brought together business, labour and public sector leaders to form the Jobs and Prosperity Council. Reporting to the Premier, and headed by RBC President and CEO Gordon Nixon, the council will explore additional opportunities in the next few months for a path to sustainable growth that will also help inform the 2013 Ontario Budget.
• The 2012 Budget extended the pay freeze for MPPs by a further two years — for a total of five years.

LEARN MORE

Read Ontario’s Mid-Year Update on Economic and Fiscal Performance for 2012–13.

Read the Ontario Economic Accounts — Second Quarter of 2012

Read a Long Term Plan for Public Sector Compensation.

Read the McGuinty government’s announcement on freezing salaries for Ontario Public Service Managers.

Read the 2012 Ontario Budget.

Read about the strong actions the McGuinty government took in the 2012 Budget to reduce the deficit further.

Read the

Addendum to the 2012 Ontario Budget: Report on Expense Management Measures.

www.ontario.ca/finance-news
Disponible en français

Politics

Ontario Greens say government failing in climate change driven water protection and conservation

October 3, 2012 The Silo 1 Comment

EnvCommnOntarioGordMiller — Ontario’s Environmental Commissioner Gord Miller. The Environmental Commissioner of Ontario is the province’s independent environmental watchdog. Appointed by the Legislative Assembly, the ECO is tasked with monitoring and reporting on compliance with the Environmental Bill of Rights, and the government’s success in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and in achieving greater energy conservation in Ontario.

Queen’s Park – The McGuinty Liberals have consistently failed to deliver simple policies and programs to protect and conserve our environment. These failures negatively affect our economy, communities and well being.

A [Sept 25,2012] report from the Environment Commissioner of Ontario cites many examples of how the government has failed to provide adequate water protection programs, monitor wild life populations and protect public health from industrial dust pollution. Ontario needs water protection and conservation programs to deal with the more extreme weather events caused by climate change.

We saw the importance of this first hand with this summer’s drought. Not having proper water supply affects our ability to grow food, our health and the productivity of industry.

The government’s failure to invest a relatively small amount in monitoring wildlife threatens forestry, one of Ontario’s most important industries. It is short sighted and irresponsible to not have a functioning wildlife monitoring program in place.

The government’s failure to provide responsible environmental protection directly affects our health. One of the most obvious examples is the government’s inaction on complaints related to industrial dust pollution. Ontario can do better. We must do better. Getting back in touch with environmental issues is important for our health, economy and quality of life. For the Silo by the Green Party of Ontario

Supplemental- http://www.eco.on.ca/

kingswebad — Our PRINT edition powered by our friends at King’s Flower and Garden Centre, Simcoe, Ontario

Culture

Suck it? Public Breastfeeding.

September 1, 2012 The Silo 21 Comments

Come on, breastfeeding is not obscene. Breastmilk has evolved into an immune-building milk tailor-made for each child to protect infants and children from illnesses in their environment. There are over 400 ingredients in breastmilk whose reasons for being there are not fully known. There is a component in breastmilk which is only there to grow the baby’s brain. That’s it. It can’t be replicated. Saying a certain non-humanmilk-based formula is ‘closer to’ breastmilk is akin to saying Michigan is closer to Hawaii than Pennsylvania. True, but one wouldn’t be closer to Hawaii’s environment, would they?

beststartcd1Web — Our September Print edition cover- It is western culture that has sexualized breasts to the point where seeing a mother breastfeeding her child is obscene. image: courtesy of the author

Did you know that if you leave a naked baby on mom’s chest right after birth, they have the knowledge and ability to crawl to the breast and nurse perfectly by themselves (especially if mom was un-medicated during the birth). It is a beautiful moment to watch. That instinct is there for 3-4 months.

Should breastfeeding ever hurt? No. Just because many women do have pain in breastfeeding, doesn’t make it ‘normal.’ Most pain in breastfeeding, in my 20-year experience, is from poor latching or lack of knowledge. There isn’t enough time in a full prenatal labour/birth class to give breastfeeding instruction the time it needs. Attending La Leche League (LLL) meetings while pregnant can help prepare you (www.LLLc.ca). Or, talk with an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant if you are nervous speaking in a group. Plus, partners may feel more comfortable speaking individually. IBCLC’s are listed here: http://www.americas.iblce.org/ibclc-registry. Both LLL and IBCLC’s are available before and after you have your baby and are a tremendous resource and support.

MariaBlanchardMaternite-Motherhood — Maternite (Motherhood) by Maria Blanchard. Due to physical conditions that prevented Maria from ever being able to have children, she powered up her paintings with sentiment and substance. CP

The World Health Organization, and the Canadian Pediatric Society both say to exclusively nurse your baby for the first 6 months of life and to breastfeed for 2 years or more. That is the world standard. It is western culture that has sexualized breasts to the point where seeing a mother breastfeed her child is obscene. There is no food on earth which can replace the vitamins, minerals, and immunities which are found in human milk. How is seeing a baby nurse in public worse than seeing the lingerie models in the mall?
Dads should not be left out of baby’s life. But, if dads were meant to feed babies, they would lactate. Skin-to-skin bonding with dad/baby increases parenting hormones and normalizes baby’s temperature, heart, and breathing.

08.05.11 - 188 — Public breastfeeding- what’s the big dealio? image: courtesy of the author

Dads, or other support people, may use a medicine cup (like what comes with children’s fever medicine) to feed the baby. In addition, baby’s tongue works similarly to breastfeeding, so feeding a baby with cup and at the breast should not cause nipple confusion.
There are documented risks to formula-feeding (increased risks for obesity, diabetes, and general colds/flus). Plus, moms may have an increased risk of breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes if she chooses formula feed. Breasts are part of our anatomy to feed our babies. Honour that.

For the Silo by Aboriginal midwife Stephanie MacDonald, IBCLC. Contact Stephanie on twitter @StephIBCLC

Supplemental- 30$ per scoop Ice cream made from human breastmilk on sale in London, England

Vintage

Another Million Dollar Movie Poster Auction

August 30, 2012 The Silo Leave a comment

The stunning three sheet movie poster for the lost 1926 Paramount big budget silent film The American Venus realized $35,850 to lead the day in Heritage Auctions’ July 25-26 Vintage Movie Posters Signature Auction in Beverly Hills. The auction realized, in total, more than $1.45 million. All prices include 19.5% Buyer’s Premium.

TheWaywardCanary — Controversy surrounds this 1932 Disney cartoon- in one scene, Mickey Mouse is seen using a cigarette lighter that has a painted swastika on it. In 1932, the world did not fully understand the significance of the swastika as it would relate to the rise of Naziism. image: Heritage Auctions

“Demand was steady and prices were, overall, quite good across the more than 1,300 lots we featured in this auction,” said Grey Smith, Director of Movie Posters at Heritage. “We saw a trifecta of focuses in this auction as collectors went after early Hollywood, Disney animation and Universal Horror. At the end of the day, we were all quite pleased with the solid results.”

The American Venus (Paramount, 1926) three sheet is a film that is now lost to history, minus a few trailers. What is known about it, however, is that the poster spectacularly features Louise Brooks, though this was only her second film appearance. She was relatively unknown at the time and her role in the film was very minor. The producers, however, obviously realized her star potential as they featured her exclusively on the poster. Brooks would go on to become one of the most iconic female stars of the late silent era.

“Brooks crafted a personal style that left an indelible mark on 1920s popular culture that’s still imitated today,” said Smith. “She achieved a cult status rarely garnered by entertainers of that time and is clearly a star that still resonates with collectors at the top of the hobby.”

FrankensteinMeetsWolfman — Vintage posters were emotional, engaging and uniquely hand-crafted before hitting the printing press. image: Heritage Auctions

Rare and early Disney posters always create a stir when they appear at auction and the presence of a 1932 United Artists one sheet for Disney’s The Wayward Canary, depicting Mickey and Minnie Mouse, set collectors buzzing on its way to a $26,920 final price realized. Released in November 1932, the same year that the Academy awarded Disney a special Oscar for his creation of a nationwide phenomenon, Mickey Mouse, this is a key addition to any top Disney collection.

Universal Horror posters are still the gold standard in movie posters and this auction boasted several prime pieces from the top films of the genre, including a beautiful pre-war 1935 Belgian one sheet for Bride of Frankenstein, James Whale’s sequel to his 1931 masterpiece Frankenstein that quickly became a classic in its own right, realizing $20,315 from a determined collector, while a 1943 one sheet for Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man — often cited as one of the best posters in the Universal horror cannon — was the subject of intense collector interest before finding a new home at $15,535.

Culture

Watch LIVE and archived streams of Mars Rover Curiosity

August 22, 2012 The Silo Leave a comment

If you’re a space geek, science fan or techno nerd then you may already know a bit about the latest planetary lander called Curiosity. Today (August 6th, 2012) this engineering marvel (not to mention the challenge of sending and landing) sits near Gale Crater (this crater is so big there’s a mountain called Mount Sharp inside it CP) and prepares to investigate some of the most geologically interesting areas on the Red Planet.

What’s the big deal? This is an investigation that could unravel the greatest mystery of all…..”is/was there life out there?” So without further ado, here is the LIVE stream with real time chat. Update Aug6 10:03PM EDT the first LIVE stream has ended but has been archived and will play in the window below. Other LIVE streams will play in real-time as the mission developments continue. CP Update Aug22 1:03PM EDT we will be streaming the LIVE NASA press conference with updates on the mission and rover status. Video feed begins at 2:30 PM EDT CP

Live broadcasting by Ustream

Stop-motion landing sequence video

August 22nd 2012 post NASA stream-

MarsBasaltedRocks — Testing out the optics on board the rover. These are an array of basalt rocks likely similiar to “Coronation”

The MARS/NASA/JPL team showed media the first scientifically laser-beamed and analyzed Mars rock during today’s press conference. This Basaltic rock (called Coronation by the team) displayed interesting hydrogen variations and preliminary results showed more hydrogen measured on its surface with exponentially decreasing amounts as the laser probed deeper.

JoyCrispPlanetaryScientist — Planetary Scientist Joy Crisp answering media questions during today’s Live feed.

The plan now before searching for water, is a ramping up of technical and rover checkouts, a more thorough planning order of activities and lengths, driving the rover to new sites for rock drilling and investigating what scientists are calling ‘scours’- ground indentations made by the Sky Crane thrusters during the descent of the Mars rover.
Scientists caution the fact that there are no definitive time tables for upcoming tests. This is due to such unpredictable conditions as weather forecasting and rover checkouts and performance. As these tests are conducted and checkouts are completed, the Mars team hope to learn how to ‘fine tune’ future tests after properly calibrating the rovers testing instruments. For example, the wavelength instrument is affected by the slight temperature shifts from the time of the Mars day and from the rover’s movements.

spectrumMarsRockCoronation — Spectrum results from Mars Rock “Coronation”. Note the Hydrogen peak after laser ‘zap’ #1. image:NASA/TheSilo

Reporter questions focused on the geological aspects of today’s conference and the team responded enthusiastically about plans to drive the rover to areas that have bedrock and opportunities for testing varied rock types. A short video in honor of deceased science fiction author and Mars fan Ray Bradbury rounded things out. As one scientist put it “ We are only 16 days into a two year mission.” Stay tuned. CP

Art

Picasso Exhibit At AGO Was Invigorating

August 21, 2012 The Silo 1 Comment

Time flies. Seven years ago, The Silo visited the AGO’s Picasso exhibition. We were not disappointed. Approximately ¼ of the entire second floor was dedicated for displaying works from Picasso’s private collection. That’s right- these are the pieces that Pablo himself deemed specially significant for archiving and for his personal reflection. We were not disappointed.

detailandblowupPicasso — Blowup and detail from Portait de Dora Maar (Portrait of Dora Maar), 1937. Oil on canvas, 92x65cm

Organized by the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) and the Musee National Picasso , Paris- the exhibition is chronologically organized with each period having its own dedicated gallery space and covers the following phases of Picasso’s VASTLY productive lifetime: From Spain to Paris 1900-1905 Ancient, African and Oceanic Inspirations 1906-1909 Cubism, Collage and Constructions 1909-1915 Classicism, Marriage and Family 1914-1924 Surreal Anxiety and Desire 1924-1934 War Paintings 1936-1951 and lastly The Joy of Life and Last Years 1950-1972

According to the Picasso’s Picassos (Picasso’s Early Life and Art) on pg 2 of the AGO’s exhibition catalog, Pablo Picasso was recognized as “an artistic prodigy and began…formal artistic training when he was only seven years old” with his father, who was a painter and an art teacher. For the next 85 (!) years Picasso would go on to not only change the art world, but would leave behind a vast legacy that is as fresh and relevant today as it ever was. Strolling around this fine exhibition and noticing how the other visitors were dressed is proof enough for this writer that Picasso’s influence on society is far from over. For the Silo, Jarrod Barker.

Picasso1954 — Picasso at 73years of age in 1954. “When I paint I feel that all artists of the past are behind me.”

Culture

Protest at Marineland, Niagara Falls Gains Momentum

August 19, 2012 The Silo 2 Comments

On Saturday August 18th- hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the main entrance gates of Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ontario. At stake was the ethical treatment of animals used for performances and entertainment. Over the past three years there have been increased reports by the media regarding the attacking of trainers by killer whales and other performing animals.

marinelandprotesters4 — Messages on protest signs were simple, bold and clear. photos:The Silo/Mith Media

Many researchers believe that this sort of behavior is inevitable because killer whales are adversely affected by forcible confinement and pavlovian conditioning and that in turn has many questioning whether theme parks such as Marineland and Seaworld are capitalizing on animal cruelty. It’s not a new topic- zoo’s and circuses are not strangers to demonstration and protest and the relationship between humans and animals is a theme often employed by conscientious artists.

[Warning- the following video contains disturbing images. Viewer discretion is advised CP]

umweltScreenJarrodBarker — Segment from Umwelt (2010) exhibition catalogue- Jarrod Barker’s installation at the Norfolk Arts Centre explored the connectedness or non-connectedness (ie: the umwelt) of humans and animals. image:courtesy of the artist

Marineland denied our request (along with the Toronto Star’s request) for an interview and requested that the media respect “private [their] property”. That sort of reaction makes it difficult to investigate a story of this magnitude- and many questions remain unanswered. For example, earlier this year an infant beluga whale was attacked repeatedly by two adult belugas until it was killed. Media leaks reveal that the baby whale may have been ill and that the other animals acted out of fear since they may have detected signs of a contagious disease.

marinelandprotesters2web — image: The Silo

Although no date has been set, The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is planning on bringing independent Sea Mammal experts and Marine Biologists into Marineland for an inspection according to an online report at www.thestar.com CP

marinelandprotesters3web — image: The Silo

Culture

Green Party- merging public & separate school systems would save Ontario $1,300,000,000 pr year

August 16, 2012 The Silo 2 Comments

elementaryteachersgeneralmeeting — Delegates at yesterdays Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario general meeting in Toronto- voted in favour of funding secular (non-religious) schools image:ETFO/The Silo

KITCHENER-WATERLOO – Green Party of Ontario candidate Dr. Stacey Danckert was joined by Leader Mike Schreiner in Kitchener to outline the Green Party’s plan to strengthen Ontario’s school system by ending wasteful duplication in the public and Catholic boards.
“With the issue of school cuts dominating these by-elections, the choice for voters is clear,” says Schreiner. “Prioritize high-quality education for all children or protect the interests that want special funding for one religion at the exclusion of all others. Only the Green Party will fight to improve our children’s education with a fair and equitable school system.”
At the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) general meeting in Toronto yesterday members voted in favour of a motion that would see public funding of public education in Ontario be limited to secular [ non-religious-based CP ] schools. Only the GPO is calling for a public commission to study merging the Catholic and public systems.
Ontario is the only province that provides full public funding for a single faith while providing no funding for other faith-based schools. As a result the UN Human Rights Committee has censured Canada in 1999 and 2005 for the discrimination in Ontario’s school system. “McGuinty has repeatedly slammed the door on talking about this issue. Instead he continues to ram the Liberals’ political agenda down the throats of parents and teachers,” continued Schreiner. “Ourchildren deserve a fair and equitable system regardless of their faith or sexual orientation.”
Recently Catholic Schools have come under fire for discouraging Gay Straight Alliances, student-run clubs that promote tolerance for diversity. “The McGuinty Liberals are quick to place the burden on teachers and have failed to recognize how wasteful our system is,” added Danckert.
A study prepared by William J. Phillips, Past-President of The Federation of Urban Neighbourhoods of Ontario Inc. estimates savings from merging the school boards of $1.3 billion to $1.6 billion per year. “It’s time to demand a better solution for our children and this province’s future,” added Dancket. “As your first Green MPP in Queen’s Park I will not let the other parties evade this issue any longer.” For the Silo by Green Party of Ontario PO Box 1132 Toronto, ON M4Y 2T8

Travel

Five Summer Road Trips

June 30, 2012 The Silo 1 Comment

Within the past 12 years I have traveled to and written about over two hundred travel destinations, many within a few hours drive of Niagara. That said, I ‘m often asked what are my favorites. Well, I’ve finally taken the time to think back and jot them down. Before I begin, I should say that I have learned to love the journey just as much as the destination. My primary route to get to a place, when possible, is usually the back way, not the highway, preferably with lots of twists and spectacular scenery. I don’t sweat about getting lost; I’ve found some of my most interesting adventures that way. Another thing that makes for a pleasant journey is to travel on the arm of someone you love. The following are the Coles Notes version of some of my favorite trips.

capriceclassicstationwagon — A yummy car. Memories of old old spice (you know the white bottle?), adidas shorts, sweatbands, the Cars on 8-track and road trips….lots of road trips. #thepastwasablast

Port Rowan, Ontario (138 kilometers)
When you discover this lovely community that hugs the northern shoreline of Lake Erie you’ll be charmed. Nothing shouts. When we walked their tiny main street, which consisted of restored century old stores, we could feel the past. At one end was one of the prettiest habors in Ontario. The whole world slows down when we walked the mature tree-lined side streets where we found historic turn-of-the-century homes that called out to be photographed. If you decide to stay over there are plenty of cozy Bed and Breakfast places to choose from.
Stratford, Ontario (159 kilometers from Thorold- the center of Niagara)
This is a jewel of a city located on the Avon River surrounded by a plethora of affordable eateries, restored Victorian homes on streets lined with majestic mature trees. We fell in love with their walkable downtown filled with plenty of unique shops and a majestic 12–sided red brick building with Queen Anne features built in 1898-99 that serves as their City Hall. The place was buzzing with life. Stratford Tourism offers two free escorted walking tours, a Downtown Historic Tour and a River Walk Heritage Tour.
And of course, there’s the Stratford Festival which serves up top-notch live theater. This season’s calendar opened in mid-April with the musical 42nd St.
This is the home of teen idol Justin Beiber and your teenagers can get a free map from the tourist folks outlining his favorrite places.
www.visitstratford.ca or 1-800-561-7926

georgebaileyPic — The author George Bailey: “I’m often asked what are my favourite [travel destinations] withina few hours drive of Niagara. Well, I’ve finally taken the time to think back and jot them down.”

Elora, Ontario (126 kilometers)
This lovely 177 year-old village is a place that will grow on you the minute you arrive. It’s located on the Grand River where the Elora Gorge begins. Check out the magnificent waterfall and the high rock known as The Tooth of Time, behind the Elora Mill Inn.
We continued to explore the shops, boutiques and restaurant found on Mill and Metcalfe Streets. One unique shop is The Village Olive Grove. It’s one of the few stores in Canada that sells (and allows you to sample) exceptional olive oils and vinegars. One site not to miss is the reflection in the Grand River of the back of the downtown stores.
www.elorafergus.travel or 519-846-0971.

[If you are planning a long road trip with a dash of night driving- remember to fully rest up and stop driving when you are feeling tired CP]

youtubecomment — We have to agree with luckysod04 on this…but check out TOSH.0 parallel parking a Mini Cooper LOL

Lindsay, Ontario (229 kilometers)Lindsay is the gateway to the Kawartha Lakes tourist region. It’s pretty as a picture. One of the main features is Kent Street, the town’s wide main street. It looks like a Norman Rockwell painting. The first to fall under the lens of my camera was the renovated 1893 Academy Theatre at one end of town. Lindsay’s renovated City Hall and Firehall also weren’t too shabby to photograph.
Their Saturday morning Farmer’s Market proved to be a real farmer’s market. It was filled with real farmers who sold produce they have grown on family owned farms for centuries. www.explorekawarthalakes.com or 1-866-397-6673

Aylmer, Ontario (187 kilometers)
Like many of my trips, you have to look beyond what’s found in the tourism publications to experience a community. It’s more than the location of the Ontario Police College. It has a large farming community. Take a ride along the back roads where you will share the road with an industrious Amish community who travel by horse and buggy and operate farms without most modern-day luxuries. Aylmer’s indoor/outdoor Farmer’s Market held on a Tuesday is top-notch. Check out the nearby quaint village of Sparta where you’ll come upon examples of restored period homes dating back to 1825.Don’t miss visiting the Winter Wheat attraction set in a five-acre forest of towering pines.
http://www.aylmer.ca/. or 1-519-773-3164.

for the Silo by George Bailey wonderful.life@sympatico.ca

Culture

The Canadian .CA Registry partners with Swedish company Open DNSSEC AB (svb)

June 15, 2012 The Silo Leave a comment

CIRAimage1 — “Ultimately, governments will be the saviour of the Internet,” said keynote speaker, Dragon’s Den star Robert Herjavec at the 2012 Canadian Internet Forum photo: Scott Parker , The Ottawa Citizen

OTTAWA – June 11, 2012 – The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) and the Swedish company OpenDNSSEC AB (svb) are pleased to announce they are partnering on an initiative to make the Internet more safe and secure. CIRA will provide support for the continued development and enhancement of OpenDNSSEC, a free administration tool that uses open source code to simplify the implementation of Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC). DNSSEC is a set of extensions that will significantly improve online security.

“The support from CIRA is valuable to OpenDNSSEC AB in its effort to develop the software. It gives us the opportunity to strengthen the project with Sara Dickinson from the research and development company Sinodun as a project manager,” said Patrik Wallström, Acting President of OpenDNSSEC.

“We are pleased to offer our support to the OpenDNSSEC project,” said Byron Holland, President and Chief Executive Officer of CIRA. “It is through initiatives like this that CIRA can help foster a safe and secure Internet experience for all Canadians.”

OpenDNSSECis being developed in an international co-operation project with several participats: .SE (The Internet Infrastructure Foundation), Kirei, NLnet Labs, Nominet, SIDN, Sinodun Internet Technologies, and SURFnet. The OpenDNSSEC software was released in beta in 2009, and it has undergone significant improvements since that time.

patrickwallstrompresidentOpenDSS — Patrik Wallström, Acting President of OpenDNSSEC photo: Mith Media/The Silo

OpenDNSSEC AB was formed in 2011 to support other top-level domain administrators in their use of the tool to manage Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC). The company develops the software and offers training and support agreements.

More about the software and DNSSEC

OpenDNSSEC simplifies the management of DNSSEC, an extension of the Internet’s open directory service DNS, which prevents Internet and e-mail addresses from being manipulated and ensures that they lead to the right online destination. In OpenDNSSEC, which .SE was involved in the development of, the necessary processes are automated to eliminate the need for manual management.

Under DNSSEC, Internet zones are cryptographically signed. When looking up a domain name, the signature is controlled using a key published by the party responsible for this zone.

OpenDNSSEC is available for free download at: http://www.opendnssec.org.

.SE (The Internet Infrastructure Foundation) is a not-for-profit public-service organization that acts to promote the positive development of the Internet in Sweden. .SE is responsible for the Internet’s Swedish top-level domain, .se, encompassing domain-name registration and administration, as well as the technical operation of the national domain name registry. Proceeds from domain-name registrations are used to support projects that contribute to the Internet development in Sweden, through proprietary operations and the financing of independent projects. Read more at http://www.iis.se.

About CIRA
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority is the member-driven organization that manages Canada’s .CA domain name registry, develops and implements policies that support Canada’s Internet community, and represents the .CA registry internationally.

Supplemental- http://www.canada.com/business/Nations+must+step+global+rules+Internet+governance+conference+told/6217740/story.html

Culture

Unlike Quebec and United States, Ontario has no transportation budget $ for cycling infrastructure

May 28, 2012 The Silo Leave a comment

bicycleracequeenGPO — Still from the classic Queen song- Bicycle Race

Toronto – GPO leader Mike Schreiner is calling on the McGuinty
governmentto dedicate1% of the transportation infrastructure budget
to cycling and another 1% for pedestrians. Sustainable infrastructure
is a sound investment that will help people choose healthy
transportation options.

[The song featured is by Mercury and was supposedly inspired by his observing a leg of Tour de France. It starts with a chorus unaccompanied by instruments. The chorus is followed by two verses connected with a bridge, both followed by a chorus. Around the middle of the song there is a solo played with numerous bicycle bells. During the live performances, it was often played by the audience who specially brought the bells for this purpose. The song has a very unusual chord progression with numerous modulations, a change of meter (from 4/4 to 3/4) in the bridge, and the multitracked vocal and guitar harmonies.

The video for the song became scandalously famous for featuring 65 naked women, all professional models, racing at Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium. It was filmed by Dennis de Vallance. The group rented the stadium and several dozen bikes for one day for filming the scene; however, when the renting company became aware of the way their bikes were used, they requested the group to purchase all the bicycle seats. The original video uses special effects to hide the nudity.

“Bicycle Race “é um single da banda de rock inglesa QUEEN. Foi lançado em 1978, no álbum JAZZ e escrito pelo vocalista da Queen FREDDIE MERCURY. Ela foi lançada como um duplo lado-A única juntamente com a canção” Fat Bottomed Girls “. A canção é notável por seu vídeo com uma corrida de bicicleta com mulheres nuas em Wimbledon Stadium, que foi editado ou mesmo proibido em vários países. A canção tem uma progressão de acordes muito incomum com modulações diversas, uma mudança de metro (de 4 / 4-6 / 8) na ponte, e os vocais multipista e harmonias de guitarra.

A canção foi escrita por MERCURY e foi supostamente inspirado por sua observação de uma perna do Tour de France. Ela começa com um coro acompanhados por instrumentos. O coro é seguido por dois versos conectado com uma ponte, ambos seguido por um coro. Ao meio da música há um solo com sinos de bicicleta numerosos. Durante as apresentações ao vivo, muitas vezes era tocado pelo público, que levavam os sinos especialmente para esta finalidade.

O vídeo para a canção tornou-se famoso por escandalosamente com 65 mulheres nuas, todas as modelos profissionais, competindo em Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium. Foi filmado por Dennis de Vallance. O grupo alugou o estádio e várias dezenas de bicicletas durante um dia para filmar a cena,. Porém, quando a empresa que alugou tomou conhecimento da forma como as suas bicicletas foram usados, eles pediram ao grupo para adquirir todos os assentos das bicicletas, o vídeo original usa efeitos especiais para esconder a nudez. Courtesy of http://www.youtube.com/user/lcsRamone CP ]

“If Premier McGuinty can find $1 billion dollars to build his
‘people’s highway,’ why can’t he find a few million dollars to make
streets safe for people?” asks Schreiner.

Today marks the launch of Bike Month in the City of Toronto. Cycling
plays an important role in the health of our citizens, strengthening
our local economies and our general quality of life.

Quebec spends $200 million on cycling infrastructure and earns $135
million each year from bicycle tourism alone. The US dedicates 1.6% of
its transportation budget for states to invest in cycling
infrastructure. Ontario has no dedicated funding to support cycling or
pedestrian infrastructure.

“Ontario needs infrastructure if we are serious about making our
streets and roads safe,” says Schreiner. “A small investment to
support cycling will reap big rewards — combating gridlock, reducing
health care costs and supporting local businesses.”

Two Danish studies showed that when 1% of car drivers switched to
riding bicycles, health care costs were reduced by 1%. Copenhagen
saves $300 per person per year on health costs because almost 80
percent of its population bikes regularly. Cycling and walking
projects create 11-14 jobs per $1 million spent, compared to just
seven jobs created per $1 million spent on highway projects. These and
other studies show that Ontario cannot afford not to invest in cycling
infrastructure.

The GPO’s 1% percent solution would create two funds for
municipalities to access the dollars they need for cycling and
pedestrian infrastructure. By doing so, Ontario would finally
recognize that cycling and walking are important forms of
transportation for growing numbers of Ontarians.

“We need a Complete Streets Act in Ontario to ensure that our streets
are safe for all users: cars, trucks, bikes, pedestrians, wheeled
mobility devices, and transit users” says Trinity-Spadina candidate
and GPO critic for transportation Tim Grant.

Jaymini Bhikha
(O) 416-977-7476
(C) 416-275-8573 [1]
jbhikha@gpo.ca

For the Silo by Green Party of Ontario
PO Box 1132
Toronto, ON M4Y 2T8
Canada

Culture

Ontario Girls Camp Stands Apart Via Social Action And Self Esteem

May 23, 2012 The Silo 1 Comment

campstella2 — Our future- values and esteem guide young girls development at Camp Stella Puella

Camp Stella Puella (“star girl” in Latin) is a summer camp “with a higher purpose,” says co-founder Mina Kazemi. Since she began in Dunnville,Ontario in 2008, along with cousin and co-director Julia Salco, the goal has been to provide young girls with a fun environment in which to explore issues of self-esteem, as well as introduce them to social action on a global scale, in hopes of instilling a passion to make positive change in the world.

It wasn’t long before Mina’s older sister Yasmin joined the team, two young women uniquely qualified to bring the world to Dunnville’s children. Mina is studying global health at the University of Toronto, has taken a world literacy trip to Ek Balam Mexico, and travelled to Kenya in 2009 with the Me to We program who, along with their charitable partner Free the Children, seeks to empower youth through activism at home and across the planet.

Yasmin also studies science and global health, has spent time in Ecuador volunteering at a childcare centre, and has been active since 2009 with Community Living. Last year she was president of the Best Buddies program, which matches a university student with a developmentally disabled adult to provide mentoring and friendship. All three young women are lifeguards with National Life Saving and first aid certification.

An emphasis on self-esteem and social action is what “sets us apart from other summer camps,” Yasmin says. Here’s how it works: at the beginning of the week, counselors introduce their campers to three issues of global significance—could be child labour, global warming, and how to find slave and sweatshop-free merchandise for more conscientious consumption. Or, perhaps, why girls can’t go to school in India. Through the process of building consensus with the children, a theme for the week is chosen, and the kids begin learning through age appropriate activities. Always they are taught that thinking globally begins with how we act locally, right here at home. Every week, as well, the children help plan a fundraiser based on their chosen theme. As an example, last year, after a week of learning about environmental issues, they organized an eco-spa with proceeds going to the World Wildlife Fund to help save endangered species.

After 5 summers, things are going well. This year a sister camp is active in Hamilton, and the Dunnville contingent is adding some overnight trips to their agenda. When I asked Mina what her motivation for all this work was, she told me that when she was a little girl, she loved going to camp. “It’s a place where long lasting friendships can be forged. And it can be character building too.” It sounds like these three ambitious young women have come up with a formula for a summer camp experience that can be both fun and formative. Every day there is some self-esteem building activity. Building on that foundation of self-love, a bunch of young girls are discovering there is a whole world out there waiting for people of conscience, just like them. For the Silo, Chris Dowber.

UPDATE March1, 2017– Camp Stella Puella does not currently have an active camping program but they continue to engage and offer services. There are plans in place to renew the camp program to learn more, visit www.stellapuella.ca or call 905-774-8601. Please mention The Silo when contacting.

Politics

Ontario Green Party still championing merging of public and Catholic school boards

May 19, 2012 The Silo 1 Comment

gpoSchoolboardmerger — Green Party of Ontario leader Mike Schreiner is calling on the Liberal government to establish public input on the possibility of a public school and seperate school board merger. Several other provinces including Quebec have already ended the two-tier system of publicly funded schools based on religion.

May 15th Queen’s Park GPO leader Mike Schreiner is calling on the Liberal government to establish a public commission to explore merging the public and Catholic school boards. “The Liberals have a clear choice,” says Schreiner. “Prioritize high-quality education for all kids or protect the entrenched interests that want special funding for one religion at the exclusion of all others.”

With schools facing financial and social pressures, the GPO believes now is the time to engage public discussion on modernizing Ontario’s education system.

The GPO believes inaction is failing our kids. At a time when parents across the province are rallying to prevent school closures, the Toronto District School Board is considering cuts to cafeterias, educators, mental health professionals, and support staff. Further, Catholic Trustees are opposing student efforts to stop bullying with Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) clubs. Ontario can no longer turn a blind eye to wasteful duplication that compromises quality education and fails to protect at-risk youth.

“The Green Party has the courage to confront social and financial realities,” says education critic and Parry Sound-Muskoka candidate Matt Richter. “Greens want to end expensive duplication and promote an equitable education system where every religion is respected, and no religion is privileged.”

Both Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador modernized their outdated denominational school systems in the 1990’s. The days of needing to publicly fund Catholic schools to protect a minority religion from discrimination or assimilation are long past.

The GPO believes there is no longer justification for maintaining a separate school system when we face cuts to essential services. The government has never studied the costs of a separate system. However, the Federation of Urban Neighbourhoods of Ontario estimates savings of $1.3 billion to $1.6 billion.

The GPO encourages Premier McGuinty to follow his own advice: “If we’re going to bring about more improvement in publicly-funded schools, it is regressive to contemplate segregating our children according to their faith,” McGuinty said. “I want our kids to continue coming together.”

The GPO supports a unified public education system with French and English school boards that prioritize helping all our diverse students meet their full potential.

For The Silo by Jaymini Bhikha (O) 416-977-7476 (C) 416-275-8573 jbhikha@gpo.ca
Green Party of Ontario PO Box 1132 Toronto, ON M4Y 2T8 Canada

Culture

13% Of All Working Ontarians Are Public Sector Employees

May 19, 2012 The Silo 1 Comment

thelucky13percentontariopublicservantworkers — 13% of all adult Ontarians are public sector workers- accounting for over half of Ontario government spending

Let’s find alternatives to layoffs and program cuts. On May 16th, I introduced my Private Members Bill titled: An Act to address Ontario’s debt through alternatives to public sector layoffs and government program cuts while reducing the fiscal pressure on the people of Ontario who are having trouble paying their bills. This legislation offers options for tackling runaway spending that has us staring down the barrel of a $411.4 billion debt.

[ More on private member’s bills- http://www.revparl.ca/english/issue.asp?art=348&param=91 CP ]

Servicing this debt impairs the ability of Ontario to function and has led to levels of taxation that restrict the ability of businesses to compete, and of individuals to survive financially.

There are over one million public sector employees in Ontario [ according to statistics in one recent study by the CMAJ http://www.cmaj.ca/content/178/11/1441.abstract , in 2007 the estimated adult population of Ontario was 7,996,653 which means 1/8 adult Ontarians or 13% of all adult Ontarians are a public sector employee, a staggering statistic CP ]- 70 per cent unionized compared to 15 per cent in the private sector. Labour costs account for over half of Ontario government spending. This spending sees public sector workers receiving higher compensation – wages, benefits, pensions… – than their private sector counterparts. The total amount paid to the public sector has jumped by 46 per cent since 2003.

My bill aims to take legislative steps address this trend, recognizing the Drummond report https://www.thesilo.ca/the-next-day-ontario-receives-drummond-commission-suggestions-on-public-service-reforms/ advice, “one recommendation that crosses all sectors is the need for prolonged moderation of growth in public-sector total compensation”. While the McGuinty team continues to dodge and weave through credit downgrades, flagging job numbers, and mounting debt, the truth is that unless the province gets its house in order, there will be no alternative but continued cuts to government programs and continued layoffs resulting in a lower level of service for all of us.

To limit the need for such extreme and harsh solutions, I feel the Government of Ontario needs to act immediately to limit compensation paid to employees in the public sector. At the same time, as spelled out in my bill, government must continue to recognize its legal duty to consult fully with those employees and their bargaining agents, and to negotiate with them constructively and in good faith.
My bill [if passed CP ] would amend the Crown Employees Collective Bargaining Act, 1993 to:

1. indicate government’s responsibility and objectives to fully engage, consult and conduct genuine and constructive negotiations with public sector workers on legislative changes to collective bargaining and compensation
2. link the total compensation package to the rate of Ontario’s real GDP economic growth per capita
3. allow for public sector furlough i.e. days off without pay. It’s important to note that between 2007 and 2009, over half the states have imposed mandatory furlough for their public sector employees
4. allow change in public sector pensions to defined contribution from defined benefit. Here as well, at least forty states have enacted significant changes to their public sector pension plans
5. limit length of public sector collective agreements to one year, after which wages are frozen until a new contract is settled, until budget is balanced
6. introduce a comprehensive and transparent benchmarking system for compensation, which would include a costing of the full compensation package, including benefits, pensions and moving through seniority grids
7. mandate stricter criteria for compensation awards in researching private vs. public comparables – achieved through a provincial wage board.

I look forward to providing more details as we approach debate of my bill June 7th For The Silo by Toby Barrett, Haldimand-Norfolk MPP

Culture

New flirting concept FlipMe empowers Women to ‘make the first move’

May 15, 2012 The Silo Leave a comment

RachelDeAltoweb — Rachel DeAlto- flirting expert and brain behind the concept of FlipMe

May15, 2012– Introducing FlipMe, LLC—a revolutionary new way for women to flirt without providing their personal information, but before we get to that, Rachel DeAlto (flirting expert and the mastermind of FlipMe) offers her Top 5 Flirting Tips for Men: 1) Make the Approach – Flirting from afar should last about 1 minute. Take the initiative and start a conversation – even “Hi” works! 2) Play it Cool – Women definitely want to know you are interested, but we don’t want to feel like the last woman on Earth. Let us know you like us, but play a little cat and mouse along the way. 3) Pay Attention – It’s easy to get distracted, but try to give your full attention when you are just starting to get to know her. Listen to what she is saying and ask follow-up questions. 4) Stay Humble – You may be super successful and drive a fancy car, but don’t boast – it is a complete turn off. Let her figure it out on her own, and be impressed by your down to earth style. 5) Go Solo – We know you love your friends, and one day we might too! Until then, keep your boisterous buddies at bay while we get our flirt on.

Rachel DeAlto is a seasoned expert who has been featured on several television shows and programs and regularly teaches courses on flirting at The Learning Annex, America’s leading adult education center.

Radio show: www.webtalkradio.net/shows/the-naked-truth-about-dating/

What is FlipMe?

FlipMe Revolutionizes “How to Date” Rules & the Online Dating Scene and this popular flirting tool empowers Women to channel their inner coquette & make the first move.

How does it work?

– Give a prospective love interest a card with a sweet, sassy or sexy statement

– Log into your profile to see if he has responded

– Upon a response, connect and become intrigued with the new form of flirting

About FlipMe:

What FlipMe really is, is a philosophy. It’s here to say – let’s have fun again, and be confident. Get out there, meet people and make a connection. It’s breaking the ice made easy. You take charge of your dating life by giving your sassy, flirtatious side the perfect sidekick. FlipMe brings a casual confidence to meeting newpeople by offering a clever way to say “hi.” This stylish accessory is a simple and intriguing way to break the ice and let someone know you’re interested without divulging your personal details. When you purchase a pack, you get 30 cards, each with a unique code that lets the lucky recipient view your profile and send you messages. No one gets access unless you give them a card, and no one gets to see your personal information. It’s a safe, secure way to put the fun back in flirting. http://flipme.com/index.php

Katherine Fleischman for The Silo

Art

Toronto crooner Ori Dagan ‘cooks a tasty stew’ of standards and originals

May 9, 2012 The Silo Leave a comment

Ori Dagan (twitter @oridaganjazz) seems to me like a man on a mission. With a rich baritone voice, he has tried to craft a jazz album that is both hip and playful, and, at the same time, a genuine jazz album, complete with standards and heavyweight musicians, and some original tracks as well. Dagan’s album, Less than Three, is a tasty stew of standards and originals with a classic Hebrew song thrown into the mix, and one from his own pen: Nu Az Ma, a call for peace of truly universal dimensions.

ori_dagan2 — Ori Dagan (still from performance) image: www.thesilo.ca

After an opener of Madonna’s Lucky Star (yep, THAT Madonna CP ), which reminded my friend Sophie of a 60’s beat poetry track, with minimalistic base and percussion and funky vocals, Dagan moves to his mother tongue with Eretz Zavat Halav, a Hebrew song featuring the magnificent Jane Bunnett on soprano sax. Bunnett is a true jazz superstar, a multiple Juno award winner and multiple Grammy nominated musician and bandleader who has worked combining Cuban music with new and avant-garde jazz. There was a house down the street from me in west-end Toronto where people told me Jane Bunnett had moved. I used to hear her sax emanating out into the street from a third-story window. It was truly wonderful.

[If there’s any doubt about Ori’s capabilities as a live-on-the-spot performer this youtube video should alleviate. CP]

The material on Dagan’s CD is eclectic. I’ve already mentioned the Madonna cover. There’s also a totally scat version of Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance that is exceedingly fun and features some great scatting too. Not everybody can do that you know. And he throws in some very sensitive renditions of Elton John/Bernie Taupin (This is your Song) and Lloyd Webber/Rice (I’d Be Surprisingly Good for You), to demonstrate a surprising range that can cover modern hits to a cutting, up-tempo Sweet Georgia Brown to round off the album.

This is a very dexterous record featuring a range of styles, and Dagan’s voice is rich, and according to my friend Sophie, sexy. She’d go see him “in a minute.” –CD

Ori on i-tunes: http://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/less-than-three/id523987928 www.oridagan.com

Supplemental– http://www.janebunnett.com/biography.html

eriemusic-studiosad — Our MAY print edition powered by downtown Simcoe,Ontario's The Studios at Erie Music

Culture

Ontario Energy Board/Green Party – Rising electricity costs due to Nuclear; not so much Wind/Solar

May 2, 2012 The Silo 2 Comments

nuclearcoolingtowerart — A few examples of the fantastic Cooling Tower art found at: http://weburbanist.com Did you know Cooling Towers (the nuclear style) predate nuclear power?

Ontario Energy Board report reveals nuclear causing rising electricity rates. “We need an honest discussion about rising electricity prices in Ontario. The misleading rhetoric blaming green energy for rising electrical rates is a disservice to the people of Ontario. According to the Ontario Energy Board, since 2006, 45% of the increase in our electricity costs are from subsidies for the nuclear industry, while only 6% are due to subsidies for green energy.

This will only get worse if the McGuinty Liberals proceed with their $33 billion nuclear spending spree. We still have not paid off the $19.8 billion debt from our last nuclear fiasco. The bottom line is that the cheapest and greenest kilowatt is the one we save. We have to stop burning money and deliver a long-term energy plan that prioritizes energy efficiency programs.

The stakes are too high to have politically partisan rhetoric derail an adult conversation about our energy future. We need to protect our pocketbooks with an honest look at the causes of rising electrical rates.”
The full OEB report is available here- OEB MSP green report [ It’s not a ‘light’ read at 106 pages but it’s quite detailed CP ]

Jaymini Bhikha  Cell: 416-275-8573  Office: 416-977-7476  jbhikha@gpo.ca
Green Party of Ontario PO Box 1132 Toronto, ON M4Y 2T8 Canada

Supplemental: http://weburbanist.com/2010/07/18/nuclear-coverup-10-cool-examples-of-cooling-tower-art/?ref=search

http://pcgladiator.blogspot.ca/2009/04/largest-cooling-towers.html

Culture

Ontario Greens: Liberal budget excludes public input on important environmental protections

April 24, 2012 The Silo 1 Comment

nopublicinput — Don't they want to listen anymore? The Green Party of Ontario believe that the recently passed budget bill " muzzles public input onchanges to important environmental protections."

[Ontario]Liberals have voted to pass a budget that muzzles public input on changes to important environmental protections. With these changes buried in the budget bill (Bill 55), the government has in effect exempted them from the public participation process normally required by law.

queenspark — The Ontario Legislature at Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario Canada

“The GPO is all in favour of working together, and we applaud the cooperation that has averted another election. But it’s wrong for the Liberal government to use the budget bill to silence public input on changes to environmental protections,” says GPO leader Mike Schreiner. “The public has a right to comment on legislation that protects Ontario’s natural legacy.”

The GPO is calling on the Liberals to remove changes to laws prescribed under the Environmental Bill of Rights from Bill 55 before final passage. Greens oppose using omnibus legislation to avoid the mandatory 30-day public comment period.

“Changes to environmental protections have no place in a budget bill,” says Schreiner. “Solving a financial deficit by creating an ecological one isn’t sound management or good leadership. It’s time for the Liberals to do the right thing and address changes to environmental laws separately from the budget.”

Jaymini Bhikha (Office) 416-977-7476 (Cell) 416-275-8573 jbhikha@gpo.ca

Green Party of Ontario PO Box 1132 Toronto, ON M4Y 2T8 Canada

Supplemental-

TORONTO, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – April 19, 2012) – The Quetico Foundation is deeply concerned that the Ontario Government’s omnibus budget bill will impact Ontario endangered species and parks. Significant amendments to dozens of important pieces of legislation are contained within Bill 55, Strong Action for Ontario Act. These changes being proposed, without consultation, include serious modifications to the Endangered Species Act, 2006 (ESA) that allow for exemptions, and to the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, 2006 (PPCRA) that threaten and weaken the process for preparation and review of park management plans. These modifications have no relevance to budget matters!

The Foundation is concerned that Bill 55 both weakens crucial global initiatives to preserve biodiversity and relieves government of its duties with respect to proper management of our Ontario Parks.

Further, inclusion of multiple legislative amendments in a budget bill disregards the process that normally opens such changes to public consultation. The standard process of the posting of changes on the Environmental Registry has been ignored.

The Foundation urges Ontarians to demand that the proposed endangered species and parks legislation amendments to the PPCRA and the ESA, along with a number of other Acts that fall under the Environmental Bill of Rights, be removed from Bill 55. Citizens need to insist that due process be followed and that any proposed amendments be posted on the Environmental Registry and be open to public discussion in accordance with the normal government process.

About The Quetico Foundation:

The Quetico Foundation was formed as a not-for-profit organization in 1954 with a mandate to protect the wilderness values and ecological integrity of Quetico Provincial Park and other wilderness areas in Ontario for the benefit of future generations.

www.queticofoundation.org

ESA/PPCRA BACKGROUNDER

Bill 55: The proposed changes are enabled in Schedule 69 of Bill 55, Strong Action for Ontario Act, “to enact and amend various Acts”. (Specific changes to the ESA are in schedule 19, and to the PPCRA are in Schedule 58): http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/bills/bills_detail.do?locale=en&Intranet=&BillID=2600

ESA: http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_07e06_e.htm

PPCRA: http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_06p12_e.htm

EBR: The Environmental Registry is available at: http://www.ebr.gov.on.ca/ERS-WEB-External/

The Quetico Foundation: The Text of the letter that the Foundation sent to the Ontario Minister of Finance, The Honourable Dwight Duncan, is available at: http://www.queticofoundation.org/pdf/2012_budget.pdf

The Environmental Commissioner of Ontario has issued a report criticizing the procedure being used to amend the ESA and the PPCRA acts. See: http://www.eco.on.ca/blog/2012/04/02/the-omni-budget-surprise/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-omni-budget-surprise

The Green Party position on this legislation is at: http://www.gpo.ca/blog/2012-04-11/budget-bill-threatens-environmental-protections-transparent-and-accountable-governme

ORA: Ontario Rivers Alliance’s position on this issue can be found at: http://ontarioriversalliance.ca/strong-arm-tactics-to-take-away-protection-for-our-environment-and-endangered-species-press-release/

Law Firm: The Toronto based law firm, Iler Campbell’s opinion on this issue can be found at: http://www.ilercampbell.com/blog/

Culture

Now playing- Complete Game 4 NHL playoffs -Preds vs Wings

April 10, 2012 The Silo Leave a comment

hnicPlayoffgamepredswings — Bringing you a little hockey 'something-something'

Who doesn’t love playoff hockey? Especially a game like this one with great goaltending and lots of energy. We sure aren’t complaining… enjoy CP

boyko_ad_design2 — Boyko Source for all your sporting needs downtown Simcoe, Ontario

Politics

Green Party of Ontario offers ‘big ticket savings’ Budget eg: One School System

March 26, 2012 The Silo 2 Comments

gpobudgetreleaseoneschoolsystem — Though some provinces provide a variation of funding to independent, religious schools, Ontario is the only province to exclusively fund a Catholic school system for its students.

“Ontario’s financial future is at risk, and Premier McGuinty lacks the will to make the hard, long-term decisions we need,” says GPO Finance critic Kevin O’Donnell. “He’s already passed over obvious, big ticket savings. In contrast, our budget priorities don’t shy away from the realities facing Ontarians.”

The GPO believes eliminating the deficit requires challenging the status quo in the province’s biggest budget categories: education, energy, health care, and bringing our tax system into the 21st century.
ONE SCHOOL SYSTEM: The GPO believes there is a better solution than laying off thousands of critical classroom aids and blocking students who need a fifth year to get help. The Liberal government should do the obvious — eliminate massive and costly duplication by merging the best of the Catholic and public school systems into a one French/English public system. The result benefits everyone –a high quality, financially responsible, and equitable education system.

STOP BORROWING BILLIONS TO SUBSIDIZE WASTEFUL ENERGY CONSUMPTION: Ontario cannot afford to borrow $1.2 billion to subsidize pollution and electricity bills with the misleadingly named ‘Clean Energy Benefit’. Instead, we should help lower-income families with the rising cost of living by raising the Ontario Child Benefit as planned at a much lower cost of $90 million. It makes more sense to help businesses and households save money by increasing energy efficiency — a strategy that’s cheaper, stimulates job creation and ultimately boosts government revenue. The government must not cave in to the NDP/Conservative HST Coalition that would borrow more money to subsidize pollution.

INVEST IN ILLNESS PREVENTION: Ontario’s current “sick care” system focused predominantly on hospital treatment is unsustainable. We need to invest more in illness prevention within home and community care settings. This budget must commit at least .5% of healthcare spending to prevention, raise taxes on cigarettes and commit 2% of the transportation budget to infrastructure for human powered mobility — serving both our community health and environmental objectives.

EFFICIENT AND FAIR TAX REFORM: The GPO calls for the elimination of unsustainable corporate tax cuts and a commitment to forming a public commission on the reform and modernization of Ontario’s tax system. We support a tax system that generates the funds necessary for required public services while creating jobs that enrich our natural wealth and our communities.

“It’s time for politicians to stop punting problems to our kids,” says GPO leader Mike Schreiner. “Now is the time to put politics aside and tackle head on these big ticket items in order to balance the books efficiently and fairly.”

CONTACT: Jaymini Bhikha Cell: 416-275-8573 Office: 416-977-7476 jbhikha@gpo.ca
Green Party of Ontario PO Box 1132 Toronto, ON M4Y 2T8 Canada

Gaming

Ontario Lottery & Gaming Report To Government Pushed For Modernization

March 12, 2012 The Silo Leave a comment

OLGpressreleaseLibs — The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) developed a powerful analytic tool to provide instant access to billions of lottery transactions dating back to 1999. Dubbed the Data Analytic and Retrieval Technology (DART), OLG developed the solution in six months for about CAN$1.1 million (U.S.$1.15 million) with Microsoft and HP supporting technologies—a sharp contrast to the three-to-five years and more than $10 million needed with other BI solutions evaluated by OLG. Searches that used to take weeks can now be done in seconds. With the DART tool, OLG can identify play patterns to confirm legitimate winners and identify potentially fraudulent behavior and claims. DART builds on other OLG antifraud and player protection initiatives, delivering on the organization's pledge to better inform and protect those who play its games and lotteries.

OLG to Modernize Gaming- New Strategic Direction Will Create Jobs, Support Schools and Hospitals The Ontario government has received a report from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) that proposes modernization of the system, an increase in its revenues by more than $1 billion a year, and the creation of 2,300 net new jobs in the gaming industry and nearly 4,000 additional jobs in the hospitality and retail sectors by 2017-18.

With internet-based gaming growing, a higher Canadian dollar and U.S. border communities building their own gaming sites, our gaming system has to change. These reforms will modernize gaming in Ontario by allowing safe, responsible access to gaming opportunities.

The government has directed the OLG to implement a number of the proposals:

 Reconfigure the number of gaming sites and tailor the types of gaming activities made available at each site
 Launch multi-lane sales of lottery tickets at major retail outlets, including grocery stores
 Increase operational efficiencies by expanding the role of the private sector
 Stop annual payments to the horse racing industry by ending the Slots at Racetracks program on March 31, 2013, and allowing slot facilities to be located more strategically
 Implement a new fee model for municipalities hosting gaming sites; and
 Allow one new casino in the GTA, subject to an OLG business case and municipal approval.

The government will also enhance its responsible gambling programming. http://knowyourlimit.ca/PDF/Policies_and_Programs_ENG.pdf

These initiatives will allow OLG to meet the demands of a changing gaming marketplace.

QUOTES

“We are focused, more than ever, on balancing the budget while continuing to provide the best education and health care in the world. Modernizing OLG’s operations and business model is an example of how we are ensuring our assets are delivering the greatest value to taxpayers.”
– Dwight Duncan, Minister of Finance

QUICK FACTS

 OLG is the biggest non-tax revenue generating Crown agency in Ontario, and the largest gaming organization – and jurisdiction – in North America, with 27 gaming sites and 10,000 lottery points of sale.
 In July 2010, the government directed OLG to undertake a review of its land-based gaming operations and lottery distribution network, to see how revenue from these could be optimized. The government’s plan to transform how OLG does business is a result of this review.
 Eight million people in Ontario play lotteries at least once every year, and 2.7 million Ontarians went to an OLG gaming site at least once last year.
 OLG generated $2 billion in net revenue for the province in 2010-11.
 Since 1975, OLG lotteries, and OLG Slots and Casinos have generated more than $28 billion for Ontario.
 Since 1998, OLG has provided nearly $3.7 billion to horseracing in Ontario through the Slots-at-Racetracks program. This year’s payment is estimated to be $345 million. That’s more than is spent on road safety or water safety. It’s also enough money to pay for more than two million house calls from doctors, nine million hours of home care or 27,800 hip or knee replacement surgeries.
 Provincial proceeds from gaming activities help support key government services, including health care and education.
 Ontario spends nearly $50 million annually on problem gambling treatment, prevention and research – more than any other jurisdiction in North America.

LEARN MORE
Read about the changes OLG is making to lottery and gaming in Ontario http://www.olg.ca/assets/documents/media/backgrounder_gaming.pdf
Learn more about OLG’s customers http://www.olg.ca/assets/documents/media/backgrounder_customers.pdf
See how revenue generated by OLG goes to help all Ontarians http://www.olg.ca/assets/documents/media/backgrounder_why_gaming_is_important.pdf
See how the OLG promotes responsible gambling.http://www.knowyourlimit.ca/

FOR PUBLIC INQUIRIES CALL:
1-800-337-7222
www.ontario.ca/finance-news Disponible en français

SUPPLEMENTAL- retail lottery fraud-the ‘switching of lottery tickets’ was a problem in the past and the OLG has developed new innovations to combat fraud-

Culture

Ontario’s Greens push for public interest first in tackling the deficit eg: Merge all school systems

February 16, 2012 The Silo 2 Comments

Toronto, ON – “Putting the public interest before vested interests is the most equitable and efficient way to eliminate Ontario’s record deficit,” says Green Party of Ontario leader Mike Schreiner. Eliminating the deficit requires tackling vested interests in the province’s biggest budget categories: education, energy and health care, as well as bringing our tax system into the 21st century. The Green Party is putting forward long-term solutions to tackle the deficit:

ONE SCHOOL SYSTEM
Ontario must merge the Catholic and public school systems into a single French and English public system to build a high quality, financially responsible, and equitable education system. Two school systems is an obvious source of duplication in the Ontario budget. Ontario also has a financial and social obligation to end the discrimination that results from funding only one religious school system. [ http://www.oneschoolsystem.org/ CP ]
STOP BORROWING BILLIONS TO SUBSIDIZE THE WASTEFUL USE OF ENERGY
Ontario cannot afford to borrow 1 billion dollars each year to reduce electricity bills by a few dollars each month. The province should not play a shell game with our money for a program that benefits the wealthiest the most. The misleadingly named Clean Energy Benefit should be scrapped and replaced with a targeted rebate program for low income families and seniors who need the help the most. Such a rebate would be more effective at a much lower cost. We all save money with programs that help people save energy.
IT’S HEALTHY OUTCOMES THAT MATTER
Ontario must move from a sick care system focused on hospitals to a home and community care system focused on illness prevention. Funding priorities should focus on healthy outcomes and providing people the continuum of care they need to maintain health and treat illness at the lowest cost to the public purse.

Ontario’s current orientation to treating sickness is costly and unsustainable. We can do better by keeping people out of hospital in the first place. This starts with a funding formula that pays doctors for promoting health, not the quantity of services they provide. We need to empower all health professionals to operate at their full scope of practice.
BRING OUR TAXES INTO THE 21ST CENTURY
The Green party believes the government made a serious mistake in establishing a commission that only addresses government expenditures. We also need a modern tax system that provides sufficient revenues to deliver public services. We need an equitable and efficient tax system that enriches quality of life and encourages job creation without damaging our natural capital. The government should cancel corporate tax cuts that we can’t afford. The Green Party calls on the McGuinty government to form a public commission on the reform and modernization of Ontario’s tax system.

CONCLUSION
“It’s time for politicians to stop punting problems to our kids,” says Schreiner. “The Green Party commends the Drummond Commission for tackling some tough issues. Now the government needs to engage the public in implementing solutions.”

Media Contact: Becky Smit Cell: 647-830-6486 Office: 416-977-7476 beckysmit@gpo.ca

Sent from Green Party of Ontario PO Box 1132 Toronto, ON M4Y 2T8 Canada

Culture

Here’s a few reasons why one of the prettiest villages in Ontario is Elora.

January 2, 2012 The Silo 4 Comments

It’s worth saying again: One of the prettiest villages in Ontario is Elora. It’s so nice very time I visit this village of 5, 500 I want to move here. A lot of people have done just that. Elora is a place that grows on you from the minute you arrive. Over dinner at a local favourite eatery, The Shepherd’s PubI struck up a conversation with Nadine McEwen and Stan Winegard who told me they moved here about two and a half years ago from Timmons. Stan said, “It’s a real pretty place and a very welcoming community with an active artistic community. Since Nadine is a sculptor, it fits perfectly into our life style”. Even the owners of this authentic British pub had moved to Elora from Guelph just a few months ago. Throughout the weekend I bumped into others who made the move. Well now, let me think more about this moving thing.

Known for its unique limestone architecture, Elora was founded in 1832 by Captain William Gilkison, a British officer recently returned from India.

Shopping
Elora is an artists’ community specializing in handcrafted and one-of-kind items. The two main streets to stroll are Mills and Metcalfe.
One stand out worth finding on Mill Street, near The Shepherd’s Pub, is The Village Olive Grove (it was the free olive oil tastings sign outside the store that first caught my eye). I met one of the owners, David Medeiros (He’s from Toronto). Medeiros believes their shop is the only one in Canada selling exceptional olive oils and vinegars from around the world. A few other shops that caught my eye were; Sante’s it’s a natural grocery store with organic and fair-trade foods and gifts. A Weed Bit Natural features hemp products and organic clothing. Jammed Lovely is filled with unique one of a kind gift items. Sweet Trash has clothing and accessories from the 1920’s and onwards. At Grand Gourmet KitchenwareI had to have some of the items explained to me as to what they were. You can tell how much time I spend in the kitchen.

The Village Olive Grove occassionally has free olive oil tastings.

Culinary Walking Tour
If you arrive on a Saturday sign up at the Village Olive Grove for the $10.00 walking tour between 1 and 3 pm. During the tour, you’ll sample specially created dishes from eight restaurants while learning about the history and architecture of the area.

One of the prettiest villages in Ontario-

Holiday Happenings
-Santa Claus Parade, Saturday, November 26 and Parade of Lights begin at 6pm.There’s another parade in nearby Fergus on December 3rd at 1:30 pm.
-Starlight Shopping November 24-25 until 9pm.
-Elora Centre for the Arts Show and Sale, December 8-22.
-The annual Elora Festivals Singers’ Christmas Concert series in December is an annual rite of winter.

The Elora Gorge
Here’s the gorge part. Elora is located on the Grand River where the Elora Gorge begins. The gorge has a waterfall that forms behind the Elora Innand continues for 4 kilometres. The Elora Inn is currently closed for renovations. In the middle of the falls is the, “Tooth of Time”. This is a huge rock that has become the symbol of the village of Elora.

The Elora gorge on the Grand River has a waterfall that forms behind the Elora Inn and continues for 4kms.

Where to Stay
I picked the Tynavon Bed and Breakfast (Tynavon means House by-the-River in Scots Gaelic) to be home for the weekend. This quaint circa 1856 home at 84 Mill Street is a short walk from downtown. It has a gracious verandah overlooking the Grand River. Expect to pay around $125.00 a night for one of the best sleeps you’ll ever have and a scrumptious breakfast. (Silo Direct Link to Tynavon Bed and Breakfastor 1-866-334-3305).

Welcoming gate post- the Tynavon B and B

Here’s the goat part.
When you force yourself to leave Elora take a 10 minute trip on Highway 6 north to Arthur, Ontario. That’s where you’ll find River’s Edge Goat Dairy.(Silo Direct Link to Goat Milk Products Website or 1-800-209-7330) at 8102 Wellington Road 109, Arthur. If you have children with you they’ll love it. Chances are you’ll find owners Katie Kormet or Will Makxam tending to their herd of 120 mature does. The farm produces, with hard work, milk as well as cheese, yogurt and even soap.

Will told me- “We are a small goat dairy, and we process all of our own milk but we also raise the male goats for meat. In general, we tell our frequent customers, if our chain is down, come on in we are open. However, if our chain is up, we are unavailable but not necessarily closed or away. Not only are we artisan cheese makers, we are farmstead cheese makers. Not many farmers who do it all. We feed and milk our animals and make cheese on the farm. We are a provincially licensed dairy plant, like all other commercial dairy plants in the province. Our advantage: we use the freshest milk and process it into milk yogurt or cheese sooner than our competitors.

Visitors are welcome to visit the farm (no charge) and you might see the goats being milked. River’s Edge Goat Dairy hours of operation vary. Katie said, “Call us ahead of time to see if we’ll be home”.

For More information
Elora and Fergus Tourism Silo Direct Link to Elora and Furgus Tourism Website or 519-846-9841.GPS users can punch in 9 Mill street East, Elora.

Travel and tourism writer, Silo contributor George Bailey

Written and photographed By George Bailey Niagara Falls,Ontario e-mail: wonderful.life@sympatico.ca.

Reviews

Canadian Book Lullabies For Little Criminals

December 20, 2011 The Silo Leave a comment

“Love is a big and wonderful idea, but life is made up of small things. As a kid, you have nothing to do with the way the world is run; you just have to hurry to catch up with it.”

Heather O’Neill’s first novel, Lullabies for Little Criminals, is a firsthand heartbreaking account of growing up. Told through the eyes of a young girl as she matures, the novel navigates through the perils of maturing in a harsh, and at most times, unforgiving world.

lullabiesforheatheroneillcourtesyquillandquiredotcom — The author of Lullabies for Little Criminals: Heather O’Neil photo courtesy of quillandquire.com

The story revolves around a young girl named Baby. Baby lives a nomadic life with her father, Jules, in urban and rural Quebec. Motherless and often neglected by her drug addicted, yet loving, father, Baby is left to her own devices.

As the story evolves, Baby ages and rapidly enters into young adulthood. Going from carrying around her dolls around in a vinyl suitcase from apartment to apartment to blossoming into an attractive young woman, Baby struggles to understand her place in her small world. Tempted by a dominant male figure when her father begins to distance himself from her, Baby begins to quickly get lost in an adult world she is not ready for.

lullabies_for_little_criminalscover2 — An alternate cover.

Perhaps one of the most striking elements of this story is O’Neil’s ability to capture and depict the young mind at work. We have all been there—young and confused. Baby epitomizes this perfectly. O’Neil’s writing is full of heartbreaking realizations that, at one time of another, we have all come face to face with.

“From the way people have always talked about your heart being broken, it sort of seemed to be a one-time thing. Mine seemed to break all the time.”

Silo Direct Link to Fictionwriting’s interview with Heather O’Neil

A captivating read that will absorb its reader from the very start, Heather O’Neil’s Lullabies for Little Criminals, is one that will capture your imagination and stir your senses. For the Silo, Sarah Purdy.

Politics

Barrett: Ministry of Community and Social Services has not established acceptable standards of service

December 7, 2011 The Silo Leave a comment

Grasping in a blindfold — image courtesy: http://forwearemany.wordpress.com/

Lack of COMSOC oversight means more wasted tax dollars… …and less for program spending – MPP Barrett QUEEN’S PARK – Ministry of Community and Social Services Critic Toby Barrett is concerned with the Auditor General’s finding that the Ministry continues to allow supportive services agencies to operate without adequate oversight.

“Many of the concerns…of this program 15 years ago have still not been satisfactorily addressed,” Barrett quoted from the Auditor General report during debate in the Legislature. “This has obviously been going on for 15 years, in particular over the last eight years. And as the auditor reports, it will take several years before many of the issues we identify in this report can be effectively addressed. This report from the Auditor General is not good.”

In the 2011 Annual Report Silo Direct Link to Auditor General 2011 Annual Report Website , the Auditor General points to a number of issues with the Minister of Community and Social Services:

* In half the cases reviewed in the audit, agencies didn’t have supporting documentation to adequately show a person’s eligibility or needs. As a result, the agencies couldn’t demonstrate, and the Ministry couldn’t assess, whether the person was receiving the appropriate level of service.

* The Ministry has not established acceptable standards of service, or the necessary processes to properly monitor the quality of services provided.

* Annual funding of agencies is based primarily on what they got in the past rather than what they currently need, something that worsens any funding inequities that may previously have existed. As well, some hourly service costs appeared excessive, and the cost per hour for similar services that agencies were paying varied widely across the province.

* The Ministry does not know how many people are on waiting lists for agency-based supportive services and so cannot reliably assess unmet service needs.

“Without proper oversight, there is a very real possibility that we are sending taxpayers’ money down the drain,” noted Barrett. “During the tough economic times we are enduring it is incumbent on government to ensure that we are getting value for the fewer dollars we have to distribute – more wasted tax dollars means less for the essential programming that Ontario residents have paid for, and less for the services our less fortunate depend upon.”

For more information, please contact MPP Toby Barrett at: (416) 325-8404,
(519) 428-0446 or 1-800-903-8629

Culture

Paris (Ontario!) for the Holidays

December 6, 2011 The Silo 8 Comments

That’s Paris, Ontario. This lovely town of about 12,000 is an easy hour and a half hour drive from Niagara. It was amalgamated in 1999 to the County of Brant but the locals don’t like to admit to it. It’s named for the nearby deposits of gypsum used to make plaster of Paris. It is referred to as, “the cobblestone capital of Canada” because of the towns large number of aged cobblestone homes.

Historic Paris cobblestone home — An example of one of the historical cobblestone homes found in Paris.

When I arrived a few weeks ago to do Christmas shopping, I found a vibrant downtown tucked away in a wide valley. It was sheltered from big-box retailing and I soon learned chronic 21st century hurry-up ism wasn’t here either. The place reminded me of earlier times when I would walk the downtown of my own hometown. The pace was slow. It reinforced in my mind, how nice the world can be.
Parking is free along Grand River Street, the Main Street, and there’s lots of interesting stores to explore.

Always looking for a “sweet deal” I stumbled upon Chocolate Sensations Silo Direct Link to Chocoloate Sensations Website Like so many other shops in town, this delightful aromatic place is family owned by John and Sarah Chalmers. John said, “This business began as a humble home-based hobby in a family kitchen over 20 years ago. Today we do a thriving on site business and a large volume of catalogue sales”. Once inside chocolate enthusiasts will think they have died and went to chocolate heaven. I recommend before you leave take home some Christmas, Candy Cane Bark. Come on, you can afford to take out the belt a notch, after all it’s Christmas.

Sarah and John Chalmers inside their Chocolate Sensations shop.

Next door is a “cheesy place”. The Three Blind Mice Cheese Company Silo Direct Link to Three Blind Mice Cheese Company WebsiteOkay, I promise no more cheesy stuff. The owner, Lindsay Dawdy with an ear to ear smile said, “We only opened in June of this year and so far it’s been a runaway success. So much so, we’ve opened another store in Elora”. Believe it or not, this is a fun place. Step inside and see what I mean. Ask Lindsay to push the reset button on her 1951 Juke Box and you can hear one of your golden-oldies. Sticky Toffee and Wensleydale with Cranberry are the featured cheeses for the holidays.

Lindsay Dawdy, owner of Three Blind Mice Cheese Factory shows us one of her unusual cheeses

3 Blind Mice Cheese Co. — The Three Blind Mice Cheese Company storefront

Down the road is the John N Hall House of Quality Linens. This is an old-fashioned dry goods store. Their heavy front doors are the same ones customer’s have been pushing since the 1860’s. If you’re looking for a ladies embroided white cotton nightgown or fleece or flannelette blankets you’ve arrived.

The Brown Dog Coffee Shoppe Silo Direct Link to The Brown Dog Coffee Shoppe Website at 63 Grand River St. N. was so popular with the locals there must have been something to it. And there was.

For starters, everything is made from scratch and from what I observed servers worked at spoiling their customers. They roast their own coffee and they specialize in nostalgic hard to find sandwiches like the classic Monte Cristo. The Apple Waldorf Salad platter is a crowd pleaser. I loved their Deep Dish Corn Meal Crust Quiche and hand crafted Hot Apple Fritters. The apples were prepared in front of me using an 1800’s hand operated peeler. I washed the meal down with chocolate milk delivered to my table in an old-fashioned dairy bottle. In the warmer months you can eat on the second floor outdoor patio that overlooks the Grand River that flows through town.

Hot Apple Fritters — I stopped in 'at the dog' for a meal washed down with chocolate milk delivered in a retro glass bottle

Before you leave Paris walk to the end of the town to the Williams Street Bridge and take a photograph of the back of these historic buildings that house these shops. It will be a keeper.

As I headed home I came across a group of people who were unloading Balsam Firs to be sold at their annual Christmas tree sale for St. James Anglican Church. It was a scene from a Norman Rockwell painting. One of the parishioners Steve Howes, who had lived in the town for 45 years told me, “This is a small town with a lot of heart. People still treat each other with respect. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else”. That sums this town up nicely.

Christmas trees for sale — Christmas tree sale in support of St. James Anglican Church

How to get There
From Niagara take the QEW to Highway 403 towards Brantford. Cut off onto Highway 2 to Paris. GPS users can punch in 89 Grand River Street. North, Paris.

Written and Photographed by George Bailey. George is a writer who has a unique way of finding ‘hidden gems’ and sharing his experience in words and pictures.

Gaming

Dead Island Is Anything But Just Another Zombie Game

December 3, 2011 The Silo 8 Comments

It all began with an amazing trailer, one which captivated gamers and zombie fanatics alike. To some, it was projected to be the most epic zombie game ever created! Well…almost. I can recall after watching the 30-odd, brief second commercial I said in an ironically zombie-like tone “gotta get that game”. The problem however, just may have been the hype. Read me out. The game Dead Island (never mind the trailer for a moment) is by far one of the coolest, addictive zombie games I’ve played in a good while.

You begin your zombie mashing quest on the fictional island of Banoi. You awake to find out that you’ve been bit by a zombie yet miraculously you, and only you, are immune to the zombie “infection” that has infiltrated the island. You are then sent out to complete various missions while also trying to find a way off the island. Of course, this is the game in a very tight nut shell, but you get the idea.

Played in first person, Dead Island is a zombie game that strays from the pack. Unlike other zombie games (Call of Duty: Black Ops) there’s a point to all the bloodshed! Rather than barricading yourself in an old, blown to bits, refuge waiting to die, you are continuously following quests and searching for either a cure or a way off the island. Furthermore, you are completing missions while hacking zombies to bits! (Of course this is all done for the protection of the other survivors and not for the sheer enjoyment). Dead Island also offers a great deal of discovery and has the detailed graphics to go along with the experience.

The bulk of your gameplay is going to rely on questing and exploration but it’s a gorgeous island to explore. Another point of interest is the open concept within the game. You are on an island! You are not surrounded by cement walls or debris covered roads but rather lush trees and a sparkling ocean which I think adds to the creepy factor. I mean, think about it…taking a vacation to a sandy beach resort is nothing out of the ordinary. Now imagine if that was your vacation ruined by zombies!
In terms of characters, there is enough character choice to satisfy and not overwhelm. Four characters, each of whom have their own background stories and their own weapon of expertise. For example, I played as Sam B who is skilled in the use of brass knuckles. Ha ha yeah, I thought it was pretty gritty too. I would change one thing though in regards to the characters; I would have preferred the ability to create your own character and the choice to choose your own expertise. I figure by creating your own character this allows you to better connect the game to the player.

Now for the zombies themselves, it’s nice to finally see some variety! You have your traditional “walkers” who can only be described as resembling something stumbling out of a bar at 2 in the morning, and you also have your “infected” who can occasionally sprint at you from any direction while releasing an ear piercing scream. Hell, there are even ones that go boom! The variety in zombie types requires you to be a quick thinker and an even quicker player. When you’re being attacked by a gang of eight zombies, ranging from useless to deadly, you need to utilize your weapons effectively and efficiently or else it’s game over.
Finally, let’s talk weapons. Of course you can use anything that’s lying around: a paddle or broken stick, but you can also improvise, upgrade and modify your weapons. For example, you can begin with your ordinary baseball bat, find some nails or barbed wire and you have one mean heavy hitter. This really gives you a chance to test your creativity and get the big points. All the random objects you find around the island are good for something, especially weapon modification so even the exploration has a purpose. Find yourself a stick, rags, nails and gasoline and you have a torch as well as a weapon! There are guns to be found or traded on the island but I actually preferred not using them. I mean let’s just pretend for a moment that zombies really did break out on my tropical island vacation, the chances of me finding a gun on the island….slim. So I played with what I had and what I could create. This method actually tests your abilities more than you’d think.
Overall, Dead Island is what I’d like to call a pallet cleansing game. It’s a break away from the shoot em’ up zombie games and provides a fresh new take on the idea of “infection”. However, I should mention that if serious amounts of blood and gore ain’t your thing, then perhaps Dead Island should stay on the shelf otherwise, it’s money well spent! Have fun gamers and remember to double tap! For the Silo, Holly LaRue.

Art

Terezin,MacDougall and Hana’s Suitcase- So What’s the Connection?

November 18, 2011 The Silo 3 Comments

Definition of art is very difficult to pin down. As an oil painter I look at art one way. An actor would think of it another way. But really the definition doesn’t matter all that much. Art surrounds us wherever we are, if only we choose to see it. Sometimes though, we need to be reminded of that.

When I entered the concentration camp at Terezin in the Czech Republic that November day, the last thing I thought I would see was art. I didn’t know that the children who lived there drew pictures, coloured them, and even wrote poems. But there they were. The paintings and words hung up on the museum wall. The wall was at least 50 feet high. They had miraculously survived Terezin, even when the children themselves had not. I stood in front of that wall for a long time, hesitant to leave. Afraid that maybe I would need reminding again once I was back home.

Fast forward a year and Terezin has touched my life again. Hana’s Suitcase, which is set in Terezin, is being presented by Theatre Norfolk and COMPASS Theatre Productions, in partnership with W. Ross MacDonald School for the Blind, and I had the opportunity to meet the cast and talk about my experiences at Terezin. I also had the opportunity to watch renowned actor and director Lee MacDougall guide the cast of talented local and emerging actors through the paces of this emotional, heart wrenching play which took me right back to that wall.

Silo Behind the Scenes: Rehearsal of Hanna's Suitcase

In this play child actors play some of the main characters. Hana was sent to Terezin when she was 11. This play is being performed for over 1200 students in Grades 4-12; Children teaching children and because this play is for everyone; children teaching adults. It speaks to hatred and intolerance. It also speaks to hope and beauty. It’s amazing how children are able to see both at the same time. I wonder when we, as adults, forget how to do that.

I hope that you will take the time to see Hana’s Suitcase and be reminded of all the things that you should never forget while watching art at its finest.

Hana’s Suitcase, adapted by Emil Sher based on the book by Karen Levine, is being presented at W. Ross MacDonald Auditorium Dec. 2^nd, 3^rd& 4^th. Tickets are on
sale at Scotia Bank, Lynden Road, and at the Lighthouse Festival Theatre. For more info and to purchase tickets visit Silo Direct Link to Theatre Norfolk Website

By Karen Wilson. Silo Direct Link to Karen’s artsco Gallery Page

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