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Hockey is still number one in our hearts and Britney keeps giving us more
Yahoo! Canada's list of the top online searches for 2007 provides a
snapshot of what makes us uniquely Canadian
TORONTO - Yahoo! Canada today released its list of the most
popular search terms of 2007 and while the results show that Canadians have a
wide range of online interests, hockey is still number one in our hearts and
number one on the Top 10 search list for the second year in a row. Now in its
third year, the annual compilation of results is based on the search habits of
millions of Yahoo! Canada users, and provides unique insight into consumer's
interests and trends.
While the results show that the NHL and hockey related searches are still
tops with Canadians, the remaining Top 10 show a wide range of interests
ranging from the predictable - Britney Spears - to the prosaic - Environment
Canada. Newcomers to Yahoo! Canada's top search list include the TV show
American Idol, celebrity blogger Perez Hilton and rounding out the top 10 a
newfound interest in NASCAR.
"Canadian search results show that we are more than just a celebrity-obsessed culture, and although a pair of Hiltons and the inimitable Britney still fascinate us, this year's top searches also revealed a more practical and pragmatic side of our consciousness with searches for Revenue Canada, the weather and the Lottery Corporation," said Oliver Ho, pop culture specialist and Yahoo! Canada Front Page and Buzz Index Editor.
Top 10 Canadian Searches in 2007:
1. NHL
2. Britney Spears
3. American Idol
4. WWE
5. Perez Hilton
6. Revenue Canada
7. OLGC
8. Environment Canada
9. Paris Hilton
10. Nascar
Other Canadian Top Tens
In addition to its overall Top 10 Search results Yahoo! Canada also
compiled the following Top 10 lists for a variety of categories. Access the
Yahoo! Canada 007 Top Searches Web page at
http://ca.promos.yahoo.com/yearinreview/2007/.
Top 10 Entertainment Searches:
Entertainment searches consistently top results in Canada and the US.
Britney Spears is number one followed by American Idol and celebrity
gossip-hound and blogger Perez Hilton. Canadian singing sensation Avril
Lavigne appears in the number five spot followed by Akon and Rihanna.
1. Britney Spears 6. Akon
2. American Idol 7. Rihanna
3. Perez Hilton 8. Days of Our Lives
4. Paris Hilton 9. Hilary Duff
5. Avril Lavigne 10. Anna Nicole Smith
Top 10 News Searches:
Canadian's love their politics and political scandals. Belinda Stronach
took a step down from office but surrounded by scandal, mosquito nets and
sympathy for her breast cancer diagnosis, she was not far from the minds of
Canadians. The Ontario elections made a big impact on search as well as the
assassination of Saddam Hussein.
1. Belinda Stronach 6. Dawson College
2. Ontario Elections 7. Robert Pickton
3. Saddam Hussein 8. Stephen Harper
4. Paris Hilton Jail 9. NDP
5. Virginia Tech 10. Ontario Liberal Party
Top 10 Odd Searches:
It seems Canadians were worried about a number of things this year
including, UFO's, Bigfoot and vampires, all of which made the top 10 list for
odd searches. Oddly enough, on the list were giant squids, Sasquatch sightings
and the devil's bible.
1. UFO 6. Vampires
2. Vince McMahon dead 7. Sasquatch sightings
3. Bigfoot 8. Stonehenge Archeology
4. Celebrity hairstyles 9. Chupacabra
5. Giant squid 10. Devil's bible
Top 10 Overall Image Searches:
Canadians turned to search for ideas on tattoos, hair cuts and just for a
laugh with a general search for funny pictures topping the charts. A close
second, Britney Spears and her scandals continued to intrigue. Antonella Barb
was popular at number three and Vanessa Hudgens claimed the number four spot
clothed and the number seven spot au natural.
1. Funny pictures 6. Pictures of short hair
2. Britney Spears 7. Vanessa Hudgens nude
3. Antonella Barb 8. Halloween
4. Vanessa Hudgens 9. Tattoo
5. Pictures of tattoos 10. Belinda Stronach
Top 10 Real Estate-related Searches:
Canadians typed in MLS more then any other term. Search for real estate
terms spiked proving that we're still in a booming market. True to our
conservative values, search for mortgage calculators, rates and brokers were
in the top three. Canadians clearly do their research before jumping into the
market.
1. MLS 6. Mortgages
2. Real Estate 7. Mortgage Rates
3. Mortgage Calculator 8. Houses for Sale
4. House Plans 9. Mortgage Brokers
5. For sale by owner 10. Foreclosures
Top 10 Video Searches:
For the second year in a row, video had a huge impact online. Laughter is
the best medicine and funny videos made a dent in search. The Manitoba Bigfoot
video made a big impact and once again, Britney Spears made top five on the
list
1. Funny videos 6. 300 movie trailer
2. Manitoba Bigfoot video 7. Pirates of the Caribbean 3 trailer
3. Saddam hanging video 8. Iron Man trailer
4. Spiderman 3 trailer 9. Funny animal videos
5. Britney Spears Gimme More video 10. Epic Movie trailer
Top 10 Financial Topics of the Year:
Canadians searched online for financial information and unlike other
searches they looked strictly for Canadian content. Revenue Canada had the
highest number of searches but strong interest was shown in the soaring Loonie
and its repercussions on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
1. Revenue Canada
2. Loonie - US dollar exchange rate (lots of queries related to this)
3. Toronto Stock Exchange (highs and lows this year)
4. GM Canada (strike threatened to cause layoffs)
5. Bank of Canada (exchange rate + interest rate interest)
6. GST (rate cut)
7. Menu Foods recall (deadly pet food scandal)
8. Unemployment
9. Mattel recall (lead-enriched toys)
10. CN Strike
>>
To see all of this year's Top Search lists, go to www.yahoo.ca or http://ca.promos.yahoo.com/yearinreview/2007/. Additional categories to those listed in the press release include:
Top Lifestyle searches
Top Images of people
Top Images of concepts/animals/things
Top Trailer Searches
Top Viral Videos
Top Music Searches
Top TV Shows
Top Sports
Top Game Searches
Top Toy Searches
Top Actors/Celebrity Searches
Top People Searched
Top Lifestyle Searches
Top Movies
Top Hockey Searches
Top Athletes
Top Universities/schools
Top Gadgets
Top Britney Spears Searches
Top Travel Searches
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Children's Museum earns modest operating surplus
Positive Momentum carries Museum to a successful financial year
Kitchener, ON - Yesterday evening, under their recently appointed President, Tim Jackson, Children's Museum staff and the Board of Directors held their fourth Annual General Meeting and reported on what has proven to be a successful financial year which ended June 30th.
For the first time in the organization's history, the Museum was able to report an operating surplus in excess of $22,000. In addition, paid attendance to the Museum has risen 6% over the last fiscal year. The Museum has also seen other reversals of negative trends and has enjoyed an increase in both membership purchases and renewals.
“It is important for us to communicate to all those originally involved in the Museum's inception, from the visionaries to the founders, to the community at large, that their investments were sound and are now beginning to pay dividends,” said David Marskell, the Museum's CEO.
“Although the Museum is experiencing positive momentum and renewed optimism, we realize we are not yet out of the woods,” states Tim Jackson, the Museum's Board President. “We still have the daunting task to fundraise $900,000.00 this fiscal year and though we are over half way there, the remaining amount will be a challenge. The Museum hopes to reengage the original supporters and visionaries to aid in this task.”
Regardless, the Museum's future is looking brighter than ever before as they have successfully attracted and lined up world class exhibits such as Discovering Chimpanzees: The Remarkable World of Jane Goodall, an anticipated blockbuster which is scheduled for this January and Arctic Adventure: A Celebration of Canada's North, which, both timely and topical, will grace the Museum in June of this upcoming year. “The success of the past fiscal year is a good base for us to continue to grow upon,” continues Marskell. “We expect that our upcoming exhibits, especially Jane Goodall's Discovering Chimpanzees, will solidify the Museum's status as an educational and entertaining destination for children and adults of all ages.”
The Museum's continued efforts are beginning to surface in other ways as well. The Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, for example, has nominated the Children's Museum for the 2008 Innovation Award as part of the annual Business Excellence Awards Gala being held in February.
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Baby Boomers Feeling the Squeeze of New Mid-Life Reality: Taking Care of Mom, Dad and Themselves
BMO Partners with Caregiving Experts to Provide Clients with Access to
Eldercare Services and Caregiver Support
TORONTO - For the first time in history, Canadian adults have more parents than children. Currently, one-third of boomers in Canada assist aging relatives and more than one-third (36%) of those who are not expect to be doing so in the future(*). To help clients provide this care and also receive the support they may need personally, BMO Financial Group today announced it has partnered with BEST in CARE - an impartial advisory service offering extensive eldercare information and caregiver support.
Available through select BMO investment professionals, BEST in CARE
provides access to the most comprehensive online database of eldercare and
caregiver services in Canada as well as unlimited phone and email
consultations with industry experts. BEST in CARE enables caregivers to search
for eldercare information in their community, including qualified elder care
professionals, in-home services, long term care facilities and geriatric
services that match specific needs, anywhere in Canada.
This resource will help BMO advisors and clients quickly narrow their
search for the services required for aging relatives and BEST in CARE will
also provide clients with the emotional support often necessary for the
caregivers themselves.
"One of the greatest challenges of caregiving for boomers is that it adds
to an already full life of competing concerns and priorities," said Dr. Amy
D'Aprix, Gerontologist and CEO of BEST in CARE. "We partnered with BMO and its
advisors to help their clients give the best possible care to aging family
members, while also taking best care of themselves."
According to a BMO Financial Group/Ipsos Reid survey, of the one-third of
boomers who are currently assisting aging relatives, 66 per cent say it has
had some negative impact on their lives; 31 per cent say they have less time
for themselves; 20 per cent have had to take time off work and 19 per cent say
that they have been impacted financially. Adding to the pressure, 44 per cent
of these boomers also financially support their children.
"In addition to offering clients access to these information and support
services, we're also encouraging those boomers who are currently providing
care or expect to do so in the future, to start planning for the impact this
can have on their finances and lifestyle," said Kris Vikmanis, Head of
Retirement Market, BMO Financial Group.
"Our research has found that despite the increasing family pressures of
caring for aging relatives, only 26 per cent of boomers have a plan for their
own care in the event they personally need assistance when they get older. One
of the advantages of planning in advance for the caregiving of others is that
it encourages clients to consider the care they would prefer for themselves
down the road, so they can start planning for it now," added Vikmanis.
"Decisions and choices are far better made without the pressure of an
immediate crisis. Doing your research, understanding your options and working
with an advisor to discuss and plan for the financial implications is much
easier when you're not operating in crisis mode," said Dr. D'Aprix.
New Mid-life Reality
To encourage clients to start thinking about and planning for this new
mid-life reality of taking care of themselves and aging family members, BMO
yesterday hosted an event for clients in Toronto that included a panel
discussion with actor Gordon Pinsent, star of Away from Her, a movie that
deals with a retired couple's battle with Alzheimer's disease, Dr. Michael
Baker, Physician-in-chief of the University Health Network and a member of the
BMO Financial Group's Advisory Council on Retirement and Dr. Amy D'Aprix.
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Life is good for retirees, poll finds
Retirement means freedom from an alarm clock
TORONTO - A majority of retirees (79 per cent) believe that their quality of life improved in retirement, according to the results of the RBC Retiring Boomers Poll. And freedom from the daily grind of having to use an alarm clock seems to be part of this improvement, given that two in three retirees (66 per cent) say they never use one.
"Not using an alarm clock doesn't mean retirees are slowing down. In
fact, our survey found that two in three Canadians in the retirement window
(67 per cent) are continuing to live their lives at the same pace," said Lee
Anne Davies, head, Retirement Strategy, RBC.
However, boomers who have not yet retired are underestimating what life
will be like in retirement. While more than half (56 per cent) of those
approaching retirement feel that their quality of life will get better, this
is more than 20 per cent below the actual experience of retirees.
Boomers are clearly focused on their health and wellness. According to
the survey, the vast majority of those in the retirement window (90 per cent)
say that they are becoming more aware of the need for wellness and personal
care. As well, two-thirds of retirees (67 per cent) say they spend more time
looking after themselves than they used to, with pre-retirees lagging somewhat
behind (59 per cent).
"We expect that retirees will be taking better care of themselves and
will be living longer as a result. Those who are approaching retirement need
to think through the financial implications of this new reality," Davies
added.
A positive outlook emerges as a common theme, with a majority of retirees
(57 per cent) and pre-retirees (55 per cent), stating that they are optimistic
about the future. Both groups may be hoping that this positive attitude will
increase their longevity, given that they also overwhelmingly agree that happy
people live longer (94 per cent). Despite some of the fears associated with
retirement, very few (about one in ten) of those in the retirement window feel
nervous or worried when they think about their lives in the future.
"Good planning can help you make the most of your retirement and minimize
fears and anxiety," said Davies. "It's unlikely that you will spend every day
playing golf, so you need to think about what will give your life meaning once
you retire, and our retirement life planning program can help you with that."
The RBC Retiring Boomers Poll was conducted by Ipsos Reid from August 3
to 8, 2007. The online survey was based on responses from 2,037 adult
Canadians between the ages of 50 and 69 with household assets of $100,000 or
more. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate to
within +/-2.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have
been had the entire adult Canadian population been polled. The margin of error
will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey
population.
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Human rights complaint filed on behalf of airport worker who wants longer skirt to conform to religious belief
TORONTO - The Teamsters Union and a Canadian Muslim organization have jointly filed a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission on behalf of a female Toronto airport screener who has been suspended for wearing a skirt that is longer than the one supplied with her company's uniform.
Halima Muse, a practicing Muslim, wants to wear the longer skirt to
conform with the Islamic dress code that calls for women to wear lose fitting
clothes that cover the entire body except the face, hands and feet. The skirt
issued to airport screeners reaches below the knee. Ms Muse wore a home-made
longer skirt, hemmed just above the ankle, for about six months before she was
suspended without pay.
The complaint was filed by the Teamsters Local Union 847 and the Canadian
Council on American-Islamic Relations, a non profit advocacy organization
dedicated to educating non-Muslims about Islam. The complaint states that
Ms Muse has been discriminated against on the basis of her religion by the
Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) and Garda, the company that
employs her. The regulations governing screeners' uniforms are established by
CATSA.
Ms Muse, 33, has been employed as a screener at Pearson International
Airport for five years. Prior to February 2007, she wore the standard uniform
with pants that are also issued by the company.
"However, she never felt comfortable wearing the pants as she felt that
they were not modest enough and showed the shape of her body," the complaint
states. "As a result, Ms Muse always kept her jacket on throughout her shift."
In February 2007 she asked Garda for a longer skirt. When told none was
available, she made one herself that was identical in color and fabric to the
issued skirt except that it was hemmed a few inches above her ankles rather
than a few inches below her knees.
On August 11, 2007, she was suspended for one day for being "out of
proper CATSA uniform." The following days she sent a letter to Garda setting
out her religious objections to the standard issue uniform. She was given two
more short-term suspensions and on August 29, 2007, the company instructed her
to return her identification and sent her home.
Teamsters Local Union 847 approached Garda on Ms Muse's behalf and the
company agreed to discuss the matter with CATSA. Subsequently, Garda informed
the union that CATSA would not permit any exceptions to its uniform policy.
"CATSA has not informed the union of any safety or other business reasons
for refusing to accommodate Ms Muse's religious beliefs by permitting her to
wear a longer skirt," the complaint to the Human Rights Commission states.
Teamsters Local Union 847 has grieved against Garda under the parties'
collective agreement. However, the uniform policy itself cannot be challenged
under the grievance procedure since CATSA is not a party to the collective
agreement.
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Laurier professor elected secretary of American Academy of Religion
WATERLOO — Dr. Michel Desjardins, a professor in Laurier’s Department of Religion and Culture, has been elected secretary of the 10,000-member American Academy of Religion (AAR).
The AAR, based at Emory University in Atlanta, is the largest association of religion scholars in the world who explore all religious traditions. Its members teach in 1,500 colleges, universities, seminaries and schools in North America and abroad.
Desjardins said he let his name stand for election because “it’s important to have international representation on the board. I marketed myself as a Canadian with 20 years involvement with AAR.”
That involvement included being president of the Eastern International Region of the AAR and membership on the AAR’s committee on teaching and learning. While on that committee, Desjardins developed and managed The Syllabus Project, which enables teachers to see who else is teaching in their field and facilitates communication between like-minded scholars.
As secretary—an unpaid position with a three-year term, which will require him to travel to meetings half a dozen times a year—Desjardins will be responsible for accurately recording and maintaining official records of the proceedings of the organization. He will also be a member of the board of directors, the executive committee, and the program committee, which oversees the annual meeting.
“I see myself as an ambassador for Laurier and the department,” Desjardins said. His appointment will benefit Laurier by “helping to put the university front-and-centre” in the field of religious studies, and it will also help Laurier students because his active involvement “makes me aware of who’s doing what. We have a PhD program here, so in a sense it’s service to the PhD program.”
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Com Dev gives Soccer a Boost in Cambridge
Cambridge - Soccer in the City of Cambridge will be enhanced with the first indoor facility going forward tonight at City Council. The project will be funded in partnership by the City of Cambridge with contributions from the Cambridge Youth Soccer Inc. (CYS) and COM DEV International, a locally based world-leader in providing high tech space sub-systems.
Construction of the “COM DEV Indoor Soccer Park”, a year round air-supported structure, has begun at the Fountain Street location in Cambridge. The initial investment of approximately $1.8 million delivers the membrane, soccer field with artificial turf which includes an area for drills and skills training. The next steps will include facilities for an administration club house and outdoor mini-field slated for completion in late 2008. Overall project costs are estimated at $2.5 million.
“As one of the fastest growing sports in Canada, soccer growth here in our community is dependant on the availability of a facility,” says Mayor Doug Craig. “This new facility will meet the demands of residents and people in the surrounding area.”
Cambridge Youth Soccer currently operates the indoor soccer program from five schools throughout the city. Gino Battistone, President of CYS, says indoor soccer registration continues to grow. “Last year the indoor program maxed out at 400 youths playing indoor soccer while the total program registration surpassed 4,700. Limited access to indoor facilities will no longer be a problem and will help foster growth and access to soccer for young people.”
Some 11,600 youths play soccer in the Waterloo Region. In Waterloo, indoor soccer registration surpassed 1,600 young people and in Kitchener it was 1,100 in 2006.
John Keating, Chief Executive Officer, COM DEV International, says his company stepped up to support the project because it’s so important for youth to have valuable community based fitness activities. “We are pleased this initiative has crossed the goal line and will be available to the community in the coming months. COM DEV believes in community building and supporting the leaders of tomorrow through sports like soccer that offer team building.”
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Love of Music Marathon - KWS Volunteer Committee
The KWS Volunteer Committee is proud to present their fourth annual Love of Music Marathon, a community event in support of the KW Symphony.
Musicians of all ages and abilities, amateur and professional, will share the stage with the stars of the KW Symphony in this fundraising marathon featuring a day-long concert of all kinds of music.
Admission is free. If you enjoy music, come and listen.
If you play or sing, you can still get involved!
Love of Music Marathon A Community Music marathon in support of the KW Symphony Saturday, November 10, 2007 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm First United Church, 16 William St W, Waterloo
- Free Admission -
Call Joanne at 519.885.0319 or email mailto:joannebender@hotmail.com
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Exhibition explores fame and the farce of the entertainment industry
WATERLOO – The Robert Langen Art Gallery will feature the original artwork from the graphic novel Bigg Time by artist Ty Templeton, in an exhibition titled Bigg Time Makes The Big Time. The exhibit, which runs from Nov. 14 to Dec. 8, departs from Templeton’s mainstream comic/cartooning work and introduces viewers to the artistic phenomena of the graphic novel.
Bigg Time is subtitled as a farcical fable of fleeting fame. “It’s the satirical story of a homeless man who is suddenly able to see his guardian angel, and immediately learns how (deliberately) bad a job this angel has done and forces his angel to make him famous,” said Templeton. “It is the story of what it’s like to live with fame, and to live without it, in a world that seems to value it more than gold.”
Templeton has worked in the pop entertainment field as a writer, actor, musician and comedian, but the lion’s share of his energies has been spent creating North American comic books. Over the past 20 years, Templeton has written or drawn for a host of famous characters, including: Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, The Simpsons, the X-Men and many more, as well as creating his own characters and graphic novels. Templeton has won three Eisner Awards for his work on DC Comics’ Batman Adventures series.
As Wilfrid Laurier University’s visual arts centre since 1989, the Robert Langen Art Gallery provides knowledge, stewardship, appreciation and enjoyment of Canadian art and culture to the local community. The gallery is located in the John Aird Centre and is open noon to 5 p.m. from Wednesdays to Saturdays. Admission is free.
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Nationally Acclaimed Artist Wins Public Art Competition in Cambridge
Cambridge - His work can be found in the National Gallery of Canada and the Art Gallery of Ontario. Now, Stephen Cruise is bringing his highly engaging visual art to the New Cambridge City Hall.
City Council last night announced that the Montreal-born artist is the winner of the Public Art Competition. Cruise’s sculpture “indigena domain” will be commissioned for permanent display in front of the New City Hall building located at 50 Dickson Street.
“Congratulations to Stephen for his winning design,” says Mayor Doug Craig. “I am sure that Cambridge residents and business leaders will love the original way his work relates to our community.”
“indigena domain” traces the history of the local communities and draws from the natural significance of the region. The sculpture references deer hooves for Blair, grist mill wheels for Galt, trees for Preston and a Beehive for Hespeler. The Grand River unites the entire work.
Cruise and his work won over a five-person jury of distinguished art experts and scholars including Heather Franklin, founding member of the Cambridge Sculpture Garden and Laurie MacLean, 4th year student at the University of Waterloo’s School of Architecture in Cambridge. In all, the city received thirty-seven submissions for consideration. Cruise was chosen from a list of three finalists.
“This reinforces that public art is important to this community,” says Craig.
Stephen Cruise was born in Montreal and studied at the Ontario College of Art. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally since the early seventies. It can be found in many private, corporate and public collections. Locally, another Cruise sculpture entitled “Stock” is already on display in the courtyard of the Cambridge Libraries and Galleries’ Preston location.
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Cigarette-Butt Slide Rivals any Halloween Horror, Youth Say
Waterloo Region - Devil’s night at Bingeman’s Scream Park will be the setting for the unveiling of an art sculpture two area youth groups think will rival any Halloween terror.
The sculpture, created by TOXIK and Youth Acting for Change on Tobacco (Y-ACT), two youth groups with Region of Waterloo Public Health, portrays a playground slide covered in more than 10,000 cigarette butts picked up in local parks by group members this summer. It will be on display from 7-10 p.m. on Tuesday October 30th at Bingeman’s Scream Park.
Pavani Parihar, a peer leader with TOXIK, said the slide is a grim reminder of the impact of smoking on local parks. “Our parks should be clean and safe places for kids and pets to play” said Parihar. “We want to promote the idea of smoke-free parks.”
Parihar, 17, said TOXIK and Y-ACT will use their newly created sculpture to raise awareness about the problems associated with smoking in parks.
“The litter created is harmful to the environment and to pets and children who play in our parks. When young children see people smoking while they are playing, they become used to it and start to think it’s a normal, harmless part of life.”
But second-hand smoke is a Class A carcinogen, she said, and there is no known safe level of exposure. “It’s dangerous even outside.”
Valerie Jansen, 17, of Y-ACT, added, “Cigarettes butts look like they would decompose quickly, but they have plastics in them that can take up to ten years to biodegrade. “The ingestion of cigarette butts by pets and children can lead to severe health problems such as irregular heartbeats and seizures, even death in pets,” she said.
After unveiling the cigarette-butt laden slide, the groups plan to host trivia games and to talk to members of the public at Scream Park about their campaign for smoke-free parks.
TOXIK and Y-ACT are funded through the Ontario government’s Smoke-Free Ontario Strategy.
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KIDS CAN SKI AND SNOWBOARD FREE THIS WINTER!
Hit the Slopes with a Grade 5 SnowPass
Children in Grade 5, or who are ten years old, can ski and ride for free at their
favourite hills this winter courtesy of the Canadian Ski Council and partner
resorts across Canada.
The Grade 5 SnowPass program offers eligible Canadian children up to three free
days of skiing or snowboarding at each participating ski area in their region.
This amazing deal is available at 150 different ski areas, including 98 in the
East (Ontario to Newfoundland) and 52 in the West (Manitoba to B.C.)-that's four
more Western resorts than last year! The choices are almost endless, so no matter
where you live in Canada, from the biggest city to the smallest town, you'll
find an exciting winter destination near you.
"We're very excited to offer this kind of winter experience to Canada's children,"
says Colin Chedore, President of the Canadian Ski Council (CSC). "Skiing and
snowboarding are not only safe and fun activities for the kids, but they're also
a wonderful way for families to be active together outdoors, getting healthy
and having a blast doing it."
The Grade 5 SnowPass booklet includes up to three ski-free coupons for each ski
area as well as coupons for discounts or rebates on lessons and equipment rentals.
Some participating areas also offer a bonus Grade 6 coupon that can be used next
season. Each Grade 5 student who applies will receive either an Eastern or Western
SnowPass booklet, depending on where they live in Canada.
For a chance to win fantastic ski and snowboard prizes, each SnowPass applicant
can enter the "Tell a Friend" referral contest. If you tell your friend about
the SnowPass program and they send in an application, you'll be entered in a
draw for some amazing prizes like Sport Check gift certificates, lift passes,
equipment, and more.
Grade 5 SnowPass applications are available online at www.snowpass.ca and www.passeportdesneiges.ca.
Applications are also available Canada-wide from Grade 5 elementary school teachers
and at Sport Mart, Sport Chek, Sports Experts, and Intersport stores. The program
begins December 1st, 2007 and SnowPass booklets will be mailed out to applicants
beginning November 19, 2007.
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Ready Fastener Sponsored Race Team Takes 3rd in Daytona
Kitchener - For just over seven hours and 53 minutes of the 8
Hours of Daytona, the Ready Fastener sponsored Go Big Racing team could
not have asked for a better run at the final round of the SunTrust
Moto-ST Endurance Series, held October 20th at the legendary Daytona
International Speedway.
Road racers, Ross Millson (Hamilton, ON), Karl Daigle (Granby, PQ), and
Paul Glenn (Keene, ON) overcame two pit stop penalties that saw the Go
Big Racing Suzuki drop to as low as sixth in the ST Class, but with some
noteworthy strategy by the crew and determined racing by all three
riders, the team slowly worked their #79 Suzuki SV650 back to the front
of the pack where they eventually carved out almost a full lap lead on
the #87 Speedworks machine.
With only seven minutes remaining of the 8 Hours of Daytona, Moto-ST
series finale the crew were informed that Daigle had crashed in Turn 1,
triggered by what the team believed was an electrical related failure,
forcing the Ready Fastener supported Go BIG Racing team to retire with a
third place finish. The teams's podium finish earned them a 2nd overall
in the Moto-ST - ST Class Championship.
"At this point, we are not sure what went wrong with the bike" commented
Millson moments after learning that they were out of the race."The most
important thing is that Karl is fine and we were still able to finish on
the podium for our hardworking crew and for our sponsors."
Ready Fastener, an ISO-Certified manufacturer of engineered specialty
fasteners, saw a partnership with Hamilton based Go Big Racing as an
exciting way to announce their updated name and celebrate the company's
recent milestone of 40 years in business.
"They're obviously a very dedicated and focused team to tackle a
challenge like an eight hour endurance race." commented President, Tom
Brennan. "Go Big Racing embodies Ready Fastener's ideals and we applaud
their outstanding effort.
The 8 Hours of Daytona, Moto-ST series finale wraps up the team's 2007
racing season and throughout the fall and winter you can catch up with
Go Big Racing at various motorcycle trade shows in Southern Ontario
Ready Fastener will also be exhibitors at an upcoming trade show, the
11th Annual National Industrial Fastener Show being held in Las Vegas,
Nevada on November 13-14, 2007. You can also visit them on the web at
www.readyfastener.com.
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'Guys Don't Cheat for Sex' -- Self-Mastery Expert Defies Conventional Wisdom, Offers New Tools for Healing
OTTAWA - "Guys don't cheat for sex" -- that recent declaration from self-mastery expert Patricia Wall challenges decades of conventional thinking and turns traditional healing techniques on their head.
As infidelity becomes shockingly widespread, many in the field of social
sciences have struggled to get to the root cause of "cheating" and provide the
formula to keep partners faithful through thick and thin. The statistics are
stunning, according to one study: "At least one partner will have an affair in
approximately 80 percent of all marriages. With this many marriages affected,
it's unreasonable to think affairs are due only to the failures and
shortcomings of individual husbands or wives."
Are marriages pre-destined to fail because humans are simply not suited
for monogamous relationships? "It's not a real choice," says Wall. "Early
man was taught not to be monogamous so deep down, humans are not wired for the
traditional marriage. They can learn to 're-program' themselves to be
monogamous if they feel that's appropriate."
Many traditional self-help experts and counselors agree that most first-
time cheaters don't set out to cheat, but Wall, a veteran practitioner, takes
an important step further: "People often make hard and fast decisions not to
cheat, and make vows and promises to themselves as well as to their partners.
But a powerful force can make them break those heartfelt vows -- that force is
the subconscious." Sadly, says Wall, many married couples don't stand a
chance of having a partnership void of infidelity -- through no fault of their
own -- without learning skills for success. Love is not enough to override
subconscious programs.
According to Wall, primitive brain programs -- operating at the level of
instincts -- influence current behavior more than people realize. "Any time
you drive home on automatic, put the milk in the cupboard instead of the
fridge, eat something you didn't plan to eat, or wonder what you were thinking
after something happens, it's evidence the primitive parts of your brain where
operating the driver's seat of your life," Wall explains. "When a decision
you make fails to become reality, it's because a primitive brain program
overrode your decision and changed the outcome in your life and your behavior.
When a man has an unplanned affair, it's because a primitive brain program
overrode his vows, his decisions, and his intentions."
Wall's results-driven approach is catching on with a wide swath of the
population that wants to control its destiny and live life to the fullest.
"Patricia Wall's methodology is both radically new and extremely old," said
Marcia Falconer, Ph.D., who is intimately familiar with Wall's work. "The
specific techniques she developed for a series of workshops on relationships
and weight loss are based on a form of meditation that leads to deep levels of
self-awareness and self-mastery.
The use of these techniques has proven quite effective to induce positive
changes in life-style and personal relationships."
Wall's expertise comes from the consummate hands-on experience of a
painful recovery from a devastating four-car accident. "Willpower was not
going to get me back on my feet, but ancient methods of energy medicine tapped
into my body's ability to heal," Wall explains. Years of study and private
practice combined with a background in research and development have led Wall
to create modernized toolsets from ancient technology.
Psychology may give an understanding of behavior and motivation, but
Wall's studies go beyond that. "Emotion is the domain of the subconscious,"
Wall says. "To be master of your life requires mastering the location of
emotion and the primitive programs that result in sabotaging behaviors and
destruction of relationships. The programs have to change so life can change
for the better."
Combining understanding of the subconscious function with specific tools
for different goals, Wall uses a combination of meditation and simpler
techniques to by-pass the thinking brain to where "the real power is."
Self-mastery expert Patricia Wall will provide solutions for bringing
passion and renewed sexual interest back into relationships at an upcoming
workshop in Ottawa, October 26th-27th. She is also immediately available for
print, TV and radio interviews. For more information, please visit
www.teachingselfmastery.com.
Patricia Wall has taught self-mastery for more than a decade in Ottawa,
Ontario. She specializes in exploring the root causes of human behavior and
teaches people to change or re-program those root causes to improve their
quality of life on a variety of levels. Wall has published dozens of articles
on the subject of self-mastery and has a private practice spanning the
continent to help people permanently change their lives for the better.
Originally a software developer and international project leader for a high-
tech firm, Wall credits her background in R&D and the logic of computers for
her revolutionary use of ancient wisdom. Wall will conduct a two-day
workshop: Renovate or Relocate: The Relationship Challenge in Ottawa on
October 26th-27th. On November 24th-25th, also in Toronto, she will teach
"Naturally Slim," a two-day course designed to help people permanently lose
weight. For more information, visit www.teachingselfmastery.com.
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