Ofra Harnoy was born on January 31, in 1965, in the Israeli city of Hadera, and came with her family to Toronto in 1971. By the time she became a naturalized Canadian in 1977, Harnoy had already begun cello lessons — first with her father, Jacob Harnoy, and later with a series of tutors including the world-famous cellists Jacqueline du Pre and Mstislav Rostropovich.
She was the youngest contestant to ever win the first prize in the International Concert Artists Guild Award, a feat achieved after she had already made her professional soloist debut at the age of ten with the Boyd Neel orchestra in 1975. The young cellist had the privilege of performing both the world premier of Jacques Offenbach’s Cello Concerto in G with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in 1983, and the North American premier of Sir Arthur Bliss’ Cello Concerto a year later, in Santa Barbara, California. After this came performances as a soloist with numerous orchestras throughout the world, including visits to South America, Israel, Europe, and Japan.
Along with competition prizes and the accolades following live performances, Harnoy’s recorded work also garnered awards such as the Grand Prix du Disque from France in 1988 and five of Canada’s Juno awards (in 1987, 1988, 1990, 1992, and 1993). While most of her over forty albums consist of classical and romantic pieces, Harnoy has also recorded more recent music, including works by George Gershwin, as well as string renditions of several Beatles songs. She was made a member of the Order of Canada in 1995.
Today, we will introduce another controversial diet that got especially famous after being featured in Richard Curtis’s romantic comedy, Notting Hill. Do you remember Hugh Grant’s date who claimed to only be comfortable eating fruit that has fallen from the tree or bush and added that otherwise she would consider it murder? I bet you guessed right; today’s post will be all about fruitarianism. Although real fruitarianism is rarely that crazy and doesn’t require fruit to fall before being collected, this subset of raw veganism is still considered to be one of the most restrictive diets.
Basics
Fruitarianism is usually defined as a diet that strongly prefers fruits to other kinds of food (at least 75 per cent of dietary intake should consist of fruit). While some fruitarians argue that only fruit in its common sense can be considered, meaning the sweet reproductive part of a plant, including a juicy pulp, others don’t mind including nuts and some grains for their nutrition. There is even controversy over the seeds, as some say that it is unethical to eat what is about to become a plant.
Controversy
There are different kinds of motivation behind the decision to start a fruitarian diet. Some say it’s an efficient cleansing diet, helping the body to get rid of harmful toxins, and some simply go for fruitarianism to lose weight. However, there are many more controversial reasons that some followers give. For example, some people believe that by eating exclusively fruits, they achieve a similar diet to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and get closer to the true original nutrition of humanity. Notting Hill-style fruitarians have strong ethical motivation, as they disapprove of killing any organism, including plants, and wait for fruits to fall down on their own. Some people say that aside from physical effects, fruitarianism alters your mental state and brings on an airy and light feeling that some refer to as a “spiritual experience.”
However, as with every diet, fruitarianism may have several downturns. First of all, these days it’s not always easy to get all-year-round access to high-quality local fruits, and eating exclusively fruits can get rather expensive. Furthermore, as mentioned earlier, this diet is extremely restrictive and most people are not able to sustain it long-term, as hunger and cravings occur and many can’t avoid cheating and backsliding. On the other hand, if practiced without cheating, fruitarianism followers often tend to show food-obsessive behaviour and get paranoid about what they’re eating.
Finally, most ex-fruitarians claim that they found the diet quite socially isolating and that some may find it very difficult to handle, as dining belongs among our cultural traditions and fruitarians are more or less excluded from that or have to keep on explaining details about their diet to every new person. While some may take pride in it, the constant attention gets annoying for others after a while.
The conclusion is clear: fruitarianism may be great, but get ready to keep your spirits really high to stay on this diet. It may not be that easy!
December 22nd, 2011 · No Comments · Done Deals, Kinnear’s Komments, Toronto Real Estate News
374 Armadale Avenue
The Action:
A trio of offers emerged from a crowd of buyers who visited this 2,130-square-foot house on a treed street just east of Jane Street in Bloor West Village.
I read this book this summer and could not put it down. Despite the heavy topic of race discrimination and the civil rights movement in the deep south in the early 1960′s it really has been written in a witty and warm way. The movie adaptation really worked – it brings to life the relationships and bonds that are formed by the maids and their families.
Once considered to be the sad necessity for those suffering from celiac disease, over the past few years, the gluten-free diet has become one of the popular for anyone. Its followers have decided to exclude gluten from their menus, which is a protein found in most cereals, such as wheat, barley, and rye.
Basics
People who have never tried a gluten-free diet mostly have troubles imagining how restrictive it is in its radical form. Many foods have to be either excluded or substituted using predominantly corn, potatoes, and rice as well as some more exotic grains like millet, amaranth, or lupin. However, excluding ordinary pastry and pasta is still far from reaching the gluten-free ideal. Somehow we are used to putting gluten into the most unexpected foods, such as ice-cream, ketchup, or into stews and soups as a thickener, and it’s also contained in many types of alcohol — especially beer or whisky.
As you have probably deduced, most people on the diet turn to fruit and vegetables, meats, and dairy products as a basis for their nutrition plan. Rice, corn, and potatoes are the main sides. Soy and various other types of beans also become one of the main starch sources. Many food producers hopped on the new trend and introduced numerous gluten-free products. This has not only eased the life of the thousands of people suffering from celiac disease, but also encouraged more people to join the dieters. Now you can help yourself to gluten-free beer or spaghetti without reaching too deeply into your pockets.
Advocates of the diet claim that our bodies feel invigorated by not being bothered by processing gluten and that the immediate effects could be felt by anyone. They praise clearer skin, freedom from seasonal allergies, a decrease in weight, and the overall relaxed feeling it brings along. In recent years, the diet has gained popularity partly because of its famous followers, as Hollywood stars keep the gluten buzz alive. Actress Gwyneth Paltrow is one of the most fervent supporters of the trend and became famous for posting gluten-free recipes on her personal website as well as introducing her daughter to the diet. Other star gluten-free fans included Jennifer Aniston before she switched to the “baby food diet.” (Yes, you’ve guessed right: she is eating only baby food…)
The negative effects that could be caused by the diet include problems connected to lower intake of fibre, iron, zinc, calcium, and some other minerals. A risk of anemia exists, but difficulties are mostly experienced by patients with celiac disease rather than voluntary dieters.
December 16th, 2011 · Comments Off · Kinnear's Krazy Kontest
MAXIMUS has been voted the favourite name for our database. Jasmine Akbarali was the one of the voters of Maximus and she will be receiving a family pack of tickets to the Young Peoples Theatre. Its perfect a gift for this family! Enjoy!
After introducing you to the raw food diet in the opening article from our new Most Controversial Diets series, today’s post will deal with another rather specific diet: the Atkins diet. Just to make you more interested in learning about this diet type, did you know that Jennifer Aniston, Gerri Halliwell, are Robbie Williams are its keen supporters?
Basics
The diet itself is no novelty, as Robert Atkins came up with the concept in the ’70s. His books about “Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution” became a bestseller and ensured him a fortune of money and world fame. Although Atkins made a few adjustments to parts of the diet, the original idea remained intact over time.
The main concept of the diet is simple, as dieters are asked to limit foods that contain carbohydrates, including bread or pasta, in order to persuade the body to start burning fats instead of glucose (included in carbohydrates). On the other hand, protein and fat intake remains more or less unrestricted. This fact makes the diet so special, since most diets usually discourage their followers from fatty food.
There are four phases of the diet every follower has to go through: induction, ongoing weight loss, pre-maintenance, and lifetime maintenance. The initial phase of the diet is the most demanding and restricting one and takes about two weeks’ time. The intake of carbohydrates shouldn’t exceed the limit of 20 grams per day, while 12 to 15 grams of that must come from vegetables or fruits. On the other hand, it is necessary to consume at least 100 grams of fat.
The second phase is marked by a gradual increase of carbohydrate intake and return to more “ordinary” nutrition by adding rungs of Atkins’ “carbohydrate ladder,” including cheese, berries, or even alcohol and whole grains.
The pre-maintenance phase includes further carbohydrate increases, while the lifetime maintenance phase tries to fix the established habits in order to avoid returning to previous weight.
While some praise the diet as an effective and long-lasting way to lose weight, others dispute the positives of low carbohydrate diets. Most vocal opponents of the diet express concerns about increased heart-disease risk of the Atkins’ followers and urge people to acquire fat from vegetable sources rather than from animal sources. Others claim that the initial rapid weight loss is a result of our bodies’ water loss rather than any real fat burning.
Whatever the odds are, Atkins’ diet remains popular. The boom of the program in 2003 is even considered to be one of the main causes of the significant declines in pasta and rice companies’ sales. If you’re interested in the diet, check out Canada’s Food Network’s documentary, The Low Carb Revolution.
According to a Greater Toronto REALTORS®‘s market report on November, the real estate market in Toronto continued its successful fall results. The total number of transactions more than exceeded seven thousand, and saw an 11 per cent increase in comparison to November 2010. New listings also went up by a rapid 14 per cent in a year-to-year comparison.
Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) President Richard Silver commented on the favourable results: “We have seen strong annual sales growth through the 2011 fall market. The increase in transactions has been broad-based, with strong growth across low-rise and high-rise home types throughout the Greater Toronto Area.” He further added that the new listings will contribute to achieving even better balance on the market by providing sufficient supply to meet the buyers needs.
Sales growth was accompanied by a 10 per cent increase in prices compared to 2010. The good news for the market is that such rapid price growth doesn’t seem to cause bigger problems in terms of the affordability picture for Torontonians. Prices are forecast to continue growing throughout 2012.
While for some people, the entire green movement is just a phrase and a cool way to advertise their social/environmental consciousness, quite a few architects took the craving for sustainability seriously. There are amazing structures created almost every day, but when it comes to buildings, it’s not always easy to distinguish the passive green building from an ordinary skyscraper or home producing tons of CO2. Walking through your local downtown, always keep in mind that many of the structures that seem normal from the outside might be champions in water and energy conservation.
LEED Certification
However, it has to be noted that in the bigger picture, we have only just started constructing building projects that take environmental concerns seriously. The first certified green structures in Canada are only about ten years old! The very first building that was awarded an approval stamp by LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) was a centre for technological research in Victoria. While these days, there are hundreds of LEED-certified, green buildings scattered all across Canada, only a few structures reached out to achieve a prestigious platinum certificate or the top rating.
Of course, buildings without LEED certificate may be great designs, but LEED is like a cherry on top of the cake, as it’s probably the most thorough and reliable rating system on environmental performance. It was originally introduced by the United States Green Building Council but quickly spread out of the U.S. To be awarded LEED certification, buildings must go through an independent audit, during which points for various achievements are awarded. For example, points on the long checklist include open space maximizing, brownfield redevelopment, indoor air quality, energy performance, and usage of local materials during construction. Depending on the results, each building can be given four different certificates: certified, silver, gold, or platinum. However, as Thomas Mueller, president of the Canada Green Council, remarked, achieving the platinum level is a tough job.
Costs of Green Architecture
The initial negative of green architecture is its almost inevitably increased cost, which puts off many potential investors whether they just want to build their new home or invest in a new shopping mall. While this is certainly true, it is important to consider significantly lower utility bills in the future, which will recover the lost dollars sooner or later. Mr. Mueller also notes that by building energy-efficient structures, we are paying off our debt to the environment, as Canada is releasing more than its share of greenhouse-gas emissions. “This is really something that has a long-term benefit for Canadians in terms of reducing environmental impacts,” he added.
It is getting more and more difficult to find Canadians who never went wild dieting to get shaped up or just to show how caring about their own bodies they are. In our youth- and beauty-oriented society, great looks became a must and a prerequisite of success in life, and people push the borders by inventing new and more innovative diets — up to the point where they become a bit… unusual.
Our new series of articles will provide you with a summary of the most controversial and strange diets that became famous and often widely practiced, and it’s all up to you to either get inspired to join the movement or enjoy a bit of harmless grinning over the crazy ideas of some dieters. Today’s post will be devoted to raw food diets.
Basics
Raw food diet or rawism followers believe that the most healthy and beneficial food for the human organism must be uncooked and unprocessed. While most food is simply eaten in a raw state, it is acceptable to heat up your meal up to about 40 degrees, but opinions on the exact temperature borderline vary across the raw foodism community. Some might say that the meals must be pretty boring and repetitive, but reality proves them wrong. Raw foodism fans use a variety of methods when preparing their dishes, including sprouting, dehydrating, blending, fermenting and juicing, and in some cases even pickling.
The basic idea of the diet is that our digestive system evolved to eat and make the best out of uncooked food. While food processing destroys many vital enzymes, vitamins, and micronutrients, raw food diet keeps all the advantages of the food that our distant predecessors consumed to remain healthy. Some claim that even sticking to rawism temporarily has considerable detox or weight loss effects. Furthermore, it’s said to make people more energetic and to slow down the aging process.
Criticism
However, critics of the raw food diet do not hide their concerns. First of all, they point out that its followers may experience some nutritional deficiencies, lacking calcium, vitamins D and B12, or zinc and proteins. As for the rawists that are not afraid of eating raw meat, an increased risk of food-borne illnesses exists as well as a risk of food poisoning by contaminated raw produce of any kind. The last commonly articulated (though marginal) criticism points out that over time, cooked food became more “natural” for our bodies, as the digestive system evolved to deal with processed foods.
For anyone who drives in and around Toronto, you know very well that it’s not an easy task. All the one-way streets, restricted turns, busy intersections with endless pedestrians, and aggressive drivers make downtown driving an ordeal — and let’s not even mention the traffic. However, perhaps what’s even more challenging than driving in Toronto is parking here.
Looking for Parking Spots
Finding a parking spot downtown isn’t too tricky if you’re at a business, institutional, or entertainment area because there are usually parking lots and garages nearby. For example, if you’re heading to one of the offices on Bay Street, there’s an underground parking garage beneath Nathan Philips Square. If you’re shopping at the Eaton Centre, the mall has its own garage (though it’s very expensive). You can look up the location and parking rates of city-operated Green P lots and garages, and there are also many privately owned lots and garages around the downtown core.
However, if you’re heading somewhere where there isn’t a parking lot, or if you don’t want to pay the typically expensive fee to park at a garage (sometimes $20 or more depending on where, when, and how long you park), you’ll have to do parallel parking on the street. This is where things get challenging. First of all, parallel parking is an acquired skill that requires practice and the guts to hold up honking drivers behind you as you carefully back into a coveted spot. Secondly, Toronto streets have a dizzying amount of parking restrictions that not only confound visitors but also local drivers. Restrictions due to rush hour traffic, school drop-off and pick-up hours, overnight permit-holders-only hours, and snow routes have earned many drivers a ticket from parking enforcers. Thirdly, it seems that every park-able street has different hours and prices for parking, so you never know exactly what to expect when you walk up to the parking meter.
However, the rewards of street parking are worth the risk: often closer to your destination than a parking lot or garage, street parking is also usually cheaper, and in some cases free! To help you find these golden parking opportunities in the city, here’s a handy guide that outlines convenient, cheap, and even free parking spots in various downtown neighbourhoods, going from the north end of downtown to the Harbourfront.
The Annex is a pretty good neighbourhood for parking. One option is to turn off the major streets and head into the one-way residential streets. One drawback is that overnight street parking is mostly reserved for parking permit holders (usually the people who live on these streets). Another catch is that some streets have a tricky seasonal parking changeover: from April to November, you can park, but not from December to March, or vice versa. To add to the confusion, you have to park on one side of the street from the 1st to 15th of a park-able month, and then switch to the other side from the 16th to the end of the month.
If braving one-way streets isn’t your cup of tea, Bloor Street has lots of street parking if you’re west of Bathurst Street in the Koreatown area. What’s more, there are three Green P lots just north of Bloor in this neighbourhood that charge great rates: $6.50-$7.00 daily maximum from 7:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M., then a cheap $3.50-$4.00 for overnight parking from 6:00 P.M. to 7:00 A.M.
For visitors heading south of the Annex, like Harbord Village or along Bathurst Street, street parking is also quite easy to find on Harbord, Bathurst, and Spadina Avenue, where there is an extra lane devoted to parking. Another plus is that street parking is free after 9:00 P.M., and you can park overnight on most if not all parts of these streets.
Yonge and Bay, North of College
You can’t park on either of these big, busy streets, but the majority of smaller streets that connect these parallel routes have street parking: Irwin Avenue, St. Joseph Street, Breadalbane Street, Grosvenor Street, and Grenville Street. Also, Breadalbane Street has free parking after 9:00 P.M. and allows overnight parking.
Parking in Kensington is somewhat similar to parking on a one-way street in the Annex: spots are available, but overnight restriction and seasonal changeover applies on some streets. Augusta Avenue is an exception in that it allows overnight parking; it’s also free parking after 9:00 P.M. Moreover, College Street and Dundas Street West bordering Kensington are great streets for parking, with the same perks as Augusta.
If you’re heading to Chinatown, you can use the Kensington parking spots or try to find a spot on Spadina Avenue, where there are dedicated parking lanes. There are also four Green P garages in the area, two in Kensington and two on Dundas Street.
Yonge-Dundas
Although there is an underground Green P garage at Yonge-Dundas Square, it’s expensive ($2.50 per half hour, $8.00 overnight from 6:00 P.M. to 7:00 A.M.). I also strongly advise against parking in the Eaton Centre garage, as it is pricey. Instead, head over to Church Street or the small, semi-hidden Victoria Street between Dundas and Shuter. Church Street in general is great if you need to park near Yonge at any point, though you can’t park there during morning and evening rush hours.
If you’re doing some shopping on Queen Street West, you’ll be happy to know that street parking is readily available once you’re west of University Avenue. It’s also free after 9:00 P.M. and suitable for overnight stay. If you’re not having any luck on Queen, many of its connecting side streets offer parking: St. Patrick Street, McCaul Street, and Beverley Street. The catch is you usually can’t park overnight there.
King, Adelaide, and Richmond
In the entertainment and financial districts, parking spots on quiet side streets are hard to come by, and Front Street is a write-off. King Street West offers street parking from west of University Avenue to Spadina Avenue, though pulling off parallel parking there requires nerves since traffic is always congested on that strip. Your main street parking opportunities in this area are on Adelaide Street and Richmond Street, both multi-lane, one-way streets. Rush hour restriction applies, though you can park overnight, and free parking begins at midnight.
Harbourfront and Queen’s Quay
Unfortunately, street parking is almost non-existent by the lake. If you’re heading to the Queen’s Quay ferry, go east of Yonge Street to Freeland Street and Cooper Street, where you can park until 7:00 P.M. Otherwise, it’s all hotel and private lots and garages.
Norbert Kraft was born in Austria on August 21st, 1950, in the city of Linz, but became a Canadian citizen (eventually settling in Toronto) as a very young boy. In his early years, Kraft studies and played several instruments, including electric guitar, harpsichord, and piano, but it was the classical guitar that would ultimately bring him fame.
In 1971, a young Kraft started teaching at Toronto’s prestigious Royal Conservatory of Music and would eventually move on to a post at the University of Toronto seven years later. A series of graded repertoire books edited and compiled by Kraft and published in 1978 would later be adopted and expanded by the Royal Conservatory as part of their official instructional materials. In 1985, Kraft made Canadian musical history as the first North American to win the Andrés Segovia International Guitar Competition, and by 1988, he had played with the Symphony Orchestras of Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver — to name only a few. The first Canadian National Guitar Competition (held in 1986) was organized by Kraft, who also served as an adjudicator at the event.
Around this point, Kraft’s work began to spread well beyond the borders of his adopted country, with solo and orchestra performances in the United States, Japan, and Europe, and a teaching position at the Manhattan School of Music during the 1990s. Kraft also taught master classes, conducted workshops, and gave seminars throughout North America. He recorded numerous albums and has given radio, television, and live performances in North America and the UK. He still lives in Toronto and is considered one of Canada’s foremost classical guitarists.
December 1st, 2011 · Comments Off · Kinnear's Krazy Kontest
We need your help with this Kontest! The JKT has a program that is called Agent Office. It is our extensive database that we feed everyday with information of past, present and future clients. We want to change it to a name that will make it more personal and fun. This is where you come in! We have each come up with a name for the database and we would like you to choose which one you like best.
The prize this month is a really great night out! We have a family pack of 4 tickets to the Young Peoples Theatre. http://youngpeoplestheatre.ca/
Just answer the following skill testing question for your chance to win!
One correct answer to the following skill-testing question will be drawn:
What should the database "Agent Office" be re-named to:
November 25th, 2011 · No Comments · Done Deals, Toronto Press, Toronto Real Estate News
110 Fern Avenue
The Action:
About 60 groups explored this 2½-storey town home at a private showing or weekend open houses. More than one interested party presented an offer to the sellers on the day bids were reviewed.
November 25th, 2011 · No Comments · Done Deals, Toronto Press, Toronto Real Estate News
274 Wychwood Avenue
The Action:
Showings and open houses allowed buyers to conduct their own tour of this renovated 2½-storey residence, which compelled a trio of buyers to draw up competing offers. More related to this story.
Maureen Forrester was born in Montreal, Quebec, on the 25th of July, 1930. As a child, her first major musical involvement was with church choirs and vocal lessons, which she started at the age of sixteen and which would continue (albeit in a less formal basis near the end) for the next fourteen years.
Forrester’s first professional performance came on December 8th, 1951, singing Edward Elgar’s The Music Makers with the Montreal Elgar Choir. The next few years saw a fast and steady rise in the young contralto’s popularity and prestige, until by 1957, she had sung with both Toronto and Montreal symphony orchestras (and would later perform as a soloist in both), toured Canada and Europe, performed in New York, and been conducted on CBC television by none other than Glenn Gould. 1957 also saw Forrester marry the violinist Eugene Kash, with whom she would have five children before their separation seventeen years later. In 1963, Forrester moved to Toronto and began giving vocal classes at the Royal Conservatory of Music in 1965 (she would later teach part-time at the University of Toronto).
By the time of her death on June 6th, 2010, Forrester had accumulated close to thirty honorary doctorates, spent a term as chair of the Canada Council, been named a Companion of the Order of Canada, sung with almost every significant choir and orchestra throughout the world, and worked with such internationally recognized conductors as Seiji Ozawa, Leonard Bernstein, and Herbert von Karajan.
Autumn in the garden always comes along with heaps of fallen trees and dead flowers that need to be removed somehow… The question is what the best options for Torontonians are when it comes to dealing with organic waste. As Canada boasts one of the best environmental protection measures in the world, the City of Toronto follows the national trend and offers its residents considerable aid with the processing of their bio waste by supporting two major programs: the Green Bin Program and the Mechanical Leaf Collection Program.
The Green Bin Organics Program is focused on providing households with free bins for organic waste, which turn it into compost. Since about 30 per cent of our garbage consists of organic material such as grass, tree leaves, stems, roots, hedge trimmings, or even fruit and vegetable scraps and coffee grinds from the kitchen, and since the city’s waste reduction program hopes to divert as much waste from the landfills as possible, it is only logical to turn attention to organic waste.
Composting is a technique that uses the controlled natural decay of plant and animal produce that is basically turned into humus, a valuable material called compost. Using compost in your garden improves the soil structure and its fertility by adding essential plant nutrients and beneficial organic life to the soil. You may dig the compost into the soil before planting vegetables, flower beds, or trees or use it as mulch around the plants and trees to prevent weeds’ growth and keep moisture within the soil.
Free compost bins are currently used by over 510,000 single-family households and the city council hopes the number will only go up, as the program is already extended to apartments, condos, and co-op buildings. The bins are carefully tested so that maximum safety and almost no unpleasant smell are ensured. Everyone is welcome to receive the green bin at Leaf Compost Depots or Community Environment Days from April to October. If you have nowhere to use your compost, don’t worry: the city will take care of it and use it somewhere else.
This program may alleviate your worries with unmanageable heaps of dead leaves in your yards if you decide it’s an amount that you’re unwilling to compost. City employees will notify citizens about the exact dates of the program and collect all the leaves that you store off the travelled edge of the roadway, so that you don’t need to bother with them anymore. If your area isn’t receiving the service, just place your leaves visibly outside your home on your regular yard waste collection date.
Imagine a pipeline carrying oil from northern Canada all the way through the United States down to the Gulf Coast Refinery Hub in Texas. Sounds like a particularly boring science-fiction? Well, it‘s not. Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper has recently announced the government’s decision to build a huge transnational pipeline exporting raw bitumen to a petrochemical plant in the south of the U.S. Here, the unprocessed material will be turned into finished fuel, chemicals, or plastics.
Oil-thirsty U.S.
The whole plan is presented as an ethical alternative of solving the growing American dependency on oil from unstable and often undemocratic regions. Furthermore, domestic resources within the U.S. are running out, and neither declining imports from Venezuela nor Mexico help to alleviate the U.S. economy’s thirst for oil. This way, Canada, one of the United States’ closest allies and a good neighbour, will chip in its crude resources on the one side and benefit from the revenues that will be gladly covered by the U.S on the other side. The federal government also claims that further diversification of our energy exports is a welcomed and beneficial policy for further development of Canadian energy policy.
Re-Routing: Ogalalla Aquifer and Sandhills Saved
The alternation of the construction plans didn’t come as a surprise, as the U.S, State Department of Environmental Quality went public with their plan to delay its final decision on the pipeline project at least until 2013 to give the Alberta-based TransCanada more time to determine the most suitable route for the Keystone pipeline. Since the Keystone XL Pipeline would cross an international border, the State Department will have the final say in the decision-making process.
Alex Pourbaix, TransCanada’s president of energy and oil pipelines, commented on the news immediately: “I can confirm the route will be changed and Nebraskans will play an important role in determining the final route.” Experts expect TransCanada to act swiftly on the pipeline location shifts, as oil prices run high on the market and any further postponing of the construction could harm its commercial interests. Some Keystone supporters even claim that the delay may compel customers to start looking for other crude oil suppliers.
Canadian Protests
Although environmentalists celebrate their success, they are determined not to stop looking closely on any further impacts of the project and wish to examine the environmental impact assessment report on the new route. “We’re awfully happy that the Ogalalla Aquifer is going to be safe, and the Sandhills, and that only leaves the entire atmosphere of the planet to worry about,” said Bill McKibben, co-founder of environmental activists 350.org.
Originally, the decision immediately raised a wave of criticism. Analysts tend to point out that Canada is willingly giving up thousands of jobs by selling raw oil sands straight to the U.S. Maybe it would be more efficient for the Canadian economy to process the bitumen at home and export products that are derived from it. This way, we would ensure incredible job multiplication that is otherwise bound to benefit the U.S. alone. In addition, the extra value earned this way could be kept in special conservation funds for our children, as history teaches us that wealth from a non-renewable source should only be spent with caution. For these reasons, a trade union representing workers in Alberta’s oil sands has announced that it would strongly oppose the project.
Another concern is related to environmental issues, as some people feel that while the U.S. gets the benefit, Canada is left with a deteriorating environment. “The Americans will get the jobs and Albertans, Canadians will get the pollution,” said Dave Cole, president of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada. Tar sand plains are likely to get enlarged rapidly and there is no need to point out that they are a terrible and largely irreversible scar on the landscape. Several species will be in danger and animals will be deprived of their natural habitat. Furthermore, the whole extraction process will be accompanied by vast carbon emissions, adding to already unfavourable Canadian position on the world’s top carbon producers list.
The Debate Rages On
The notion of re-routing will most certainly be a spark for another round of fierce debates over the benefits of the pipeline versus its possible harmful effects on the environment and disputes about the financial aspects of the Keystone XL. If the ambitious project were constructed, the pipeline would deliver about 700,000 barrels a day of unprocessed tar all the way from Canada’s oil sands to large petrochemical factories in Texas.
The project also provoked a reaction from eight Nobel Peace Prize winners who sent a letter to Stephen Harper urging him to act to prevent further growth of the tar sands and move toward clean energy solutions. The letter also asked the Prime Minister not to burden future generations with environmental hazards that should be addressed rather than exacerbated even further. The signatories include Desmon Tutu, José Ramos-Horta, and Shirin Ebadi.
The delay is also interpreted as part of Obama’s attempts to please his environmentally-conscious supporters on one side while not upsetting corporations. The decision to re-route the pipeline found vocal supporters even among Hollywood stars. For example, Robert Redford applauded the news.
November 18th, 2011 · 1 Comment · Kinnear’s Komments
KINNEAR’S KOMMENTS
Vol. 19, Issue 6, November 2011
Whether we live together in confidence and cohesion; with more faith and pride in ourselves and less self-doubt and hesitation; strong in the conviction that the destiny of Canada is to unite, not divide; sharing in co-operation, not in separation or in conflict; respecting our past and welcoming our future.
November 17th, 2011 · No Comments · Done Deals, Toronto Press, Toronto Real Estate News
174 Hamilton Street
The Action:
Between private showings and two weekend open houses for this semi-detached house in Riverdale, there were nearly four dozen potential buyers who made an in-person visit.
November 16th, 2011 · No Comments · Toronto Real Estate News
Annex Victorian Houses
by Jay Woodworth
7,642 home sales were reported by Greater Toronto REALTORS® through the TorontoMLS® in October 2011, which means we have been witnesses to an increase of 17.5 per cent compared to the 6,504 sales reported in October 2010.
These monthly sales data are somewhat blurred because of a recurring seasonal trend that needs to be taken into account before comparing monthly results within the same year. The annualized rate of sales for October was 97,100 after the aforementioned adjustment, which was above the average of 90,700 for the first three quarters of this year.
Toronto Real Estate Board President Richard Silver said: “The pace of October resale home transactions remained brisk in the GTA. This bodes well for a strong finish to 2011.” “Home buyers who found it difficult to make a deal in the spring and summer due to a shortage of listings have benefitted from increased supply in the fall,” he added.
This October, the average selling price went up eight per cent compared to October 2010, reaching $478,137.
“Sellers’ market conditions remain in place in many parts of the GTA. The result has been above-average annual rates of price growth for most home types,” said Jason Mercer, the Toronto Real Estate Board’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis. “Thanks to low interest rates, strong price growth has not substantially changed the positive affordability picture in the City of Toronto and surrounding regions.”
We all hear stories from friends returning from Asian or African countries about varieties of deep fried insects or roasted rats sold on the streets of lively cities. We even realize that knowing everything about production processes of our supermarket food and all the chemicals used during its preparation could easily prevent us from eating virtually anything for quite a while. However, today’s post will show you that there is always a way to push what we call food beyond the boundaries most of us would tolerate… Check out the strangest meals of the world!
Hakarl
Have you ever felt an urge to leave your fish hanging around for five months and let it rot before consumption? Well, Icelanders have most certainly tried it already. Hakarl is their specialty — a basking shark that is placed in a cavity and pressed by sand and stones to undergo a fermentation process that takes up up to 12 weeks. Afterwards, it is cut and dried before serving. Hakarl is distinctive by its strong ammonia smell and fishy taste. Ask Björk how she likes it!
Often considered to be an aphrodisiac, this Southeast Asian delicatessen is most likely not very popular among birds. It is basically a fertilized duck embryo that is prepared by boiling alive and eaten straight from the shell. Balut is valued as a hearty snack, containing lots of proteins. If you ever find yourself wandering Manilla streets during hot nights, try buying it from one of the street vendors and have it as a snack with beer.
Sannakji
If you think that we are too pampered by the fact that we don’t have to fight with our food anymore, try Sannakji. This Korean meal consists of live baby octopus sliced up and served with a few drops of sesame oil. The little tentacle pieces on your plate will still be moving and squirming, and unless you chew properly, octopus suction cups may even stick to your mouth or throat. What a delicacy!
Sardinia is a rough, rocky island with rough meal ideas. Casu Marzu is a famous type of cheese that is full of little translucent larvae. They are deliberately added to the cheese during its production process to help the fermentation process that strongly resembles decomposition. The little worms are good at jumping — they can jump up to 15cm when disturbed… of course, inside your mouth!
Kiviaq
Inuit families in Greenland love Kiviaq, a delicacy prepared by stuffing seal skin with about 400 hundred little auk birds and leaving it under a pile of rocks to ferment for three to eighteen months. The meal is often served during celebrations as it helps people to get by in harsh winters. However, Kiviaq always stays outside – the smell is so intense that it cannot be brought inside the house. Some say that the birds taste like something between liquorice and the strongest cheese ever made.
November 16th, 2011 · Comments Off · Kinnear's Krazy Kontest
Alyea Henderson isn't growing a moustache herself, but she know that Mo-vember is the month to grow one in support of Prostate Cancer Initiatives. Kongrats Mo-Sister!
November 15th, 2011 · No Comments · Toronto Real Estate News
Did you know that Toronto does not use the three-arrow triangle number system (stamped on the bottom of containers) to identify plastic recyclables? That means even though your black or clear plastic takeout and frozen food entree container contains the symbol, it still can't be recycled in Toronto blue bins. For more information, go to the Waste Wizard - toronto.ca/recycle
This film had it's debut at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. I don't think it ever made it to the theartres - it went directly to video. The director/screenwriter is Matthew Chapman. The two stars that I recognized in the movie were Terrence Howard and Liv Tyler. The movie starts with the a young hotel manager standing on top of a building (on a ledge) about to end his life. It then flashes back to how he got there, and his life and death dilemma. The film involves a love story, why else would he be out on a ledge (ha, ha) and lots of suspense.
It didn't get very good reviews, which is why it never made it to the theatres. If you're looking for a 'film', it's not bad, but don't rent it if you're looking for the best movie you've ever seen!!
One of Canada’s foremost classical musicians, Glenn Gould was born into a musically inclined family (his mother was a cousin of the Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg) on September 25th, 1932, in the area of Toronto known as the Beaches. Demonstrating great talent at an early age, Gould studied piano at first, and then organ and musical theory at Toronto’s Royal Conservatory of Music.
He played his first professional recital in 1947, at the age of fifteen. By the time he was twenty, Gould had played piano across Canada, and was lauded both for his technical brilliance and skill of expression. In 1950, he made his first radio broadcast and began a lifelong interest in the radio and with recording and editing technology in general. In 1957, Gould embarked on his first European tour into the Soviet Union and would later play in countries such as Germany, Italy, and Israel.
The Goldberg Variations, composed by Johann Sebastian Bach, comprise what is probably Gould’s best known recorded work. The album was one of the first the twenty-three year old pianist ever recorded, and its release in 1955 launched him into international attention and acclaim. Today, Gould’s eccentric and creative rendition of the Variations is probably the best known and, for many, the definitive version of the work. Although increasingly famous and controversial due to his unorthodox interpretations (and in some cases, alterations) of pieces by Bach, Mozart, and other well-known composers, Gould found live concerts demeaning, and much preferred the recording studio to a live audience.
In 1964, Gould gave up concerts entirely, and devoted himself to recording, writing (his perspectives on music and the media sometimes paralleling those of his ‘media guru’ friend Marshall McLuhan), lecturing, broadcasting, and composing. He planned to involve himself a great deal in conducting, but his ambitions in this area never bore fruit. He died of a severe stroke on October 4th, 1982, and was buried in Toronto’s Mount Pleasant Cemetery. He was, and still is, recognized as one of the great musicians of the 20th century and one of Canada’s great cultural icons.
“Of course, it’s a huge and a bit terrifying step – but I guess that’s what all newlyweds go through,“ said Jane, a 36 year-old doctor just minutes before she said yes to her long-term partner, Julie. So far, more than six thousand homosexual couples have decided to start their official lives together in the City of Toronto, and many more are about to do so. Same-sex marriages became legally permissible in Canada on the 10th of June, 2003, after the court ruling in the Halpern v. Canada case as the Court of Appeal for Ontario recognized that marriage law violated the idea of equality, granted to all citizens alike.
Even though it is impossible to collect data on a large scale, as Ontario doesn’t keep information about same-sex and opposite sex marriage numbers, Toronto has distinguished the difference in its internal statistics. It is interesting to note that in 2009, the overall number of gay men who got married in Toronto exceeded the number of lesbians, as 3,238 out of 5,564 marriage licences were issued to male couples.
Furthermore, we get to know about the typical living patterns of the homosexual community thanks to postal numbers of the newlyweds released under access-to-information legislation. In general, downtown areas are most densely populated by homosexual couples. Married lesbians dwelling in Toronto can mostly be found in M4Y, Church and Wellesley, as well as in Riverdale, South Riverdale, Leslieville, and the Beaches, together with the U of T area and Roncesvalles. Married gay men often reside in M4Y, east downtown, as well as in neighbourhoods to the south. Rates are also high in South Riverdale and Rosedale.
Statistics on same sex
marriage
Concerning the nationality of the newlyweds, almost half of the people came from the United States and there were also certainly several British citizens, while others could not be identified by North American postal/zip codes. When analyzing the background of the U.S. citizens, quite a difference between women and men can be found. While lesbians from the U.S. mostly come from rural communities in the Midwest or from New York State, men usually came from more urban areas – e.g. Washington, Fort Lauderdale, Dallas, Houston, San Francisco, or Atlanta. Naturally, most U.S. residents from Massachusetts in search of marriage arrived before October 2003, when same-sex marriages were introduced there.
Even though some dispute credibility of the statistics, saying that such data aren’t properly collected by City Hall and that they must be mostly based on estimates, the partial information that was successfully gathered are nevertheless interesting enough to note.
Bored of ordinary petunias and cacti around your apartment? Why not try houseplants of a more peculiar nature that will most certainly astonish your guests? Check out some of the weirdest and most interesting houseplants we’ve chosen for you and hit up the local florist’s store to step up your home decor!
Don’t get scared by the monstrous appearance of this carnivorous plant! The Venus Flytrap is especially loved by children, who are thrilled by the fact that it feeds itself by catching little insects. Its tempting red leaves edged with lines of "teeth“ and a sweet smelling nectar are all a lure to flies in the house. However, they are not so easy to grow: their natural habitat can be found in humid swamps that you are not very likely to recreate in your house. Maybe try the bathroom…
Air plants originate from South American rain forests and show us how magical and mysterious Mother Nature can be — they possess no roots whatsoever! Their leaves are designed to take in all the necessary nutrients and moisture so that they do not require soil to develop. Air plants allow heaps of designer possibilities, as you can place them virtually anywhere to grow. Their downside is that they grow rather slowly.
The most “interactive” plant in the Houseplant kingdom. As soon as sensitive plants feel your touch, they move instantly. Just a few people resist the temptation to nudge the plant leaf by leaf and watch it fold up. If you are a more extreme type, try gently shaking the whole plant, just to see what looks like an immediate death of the plant… Luckily, it gets back in shape within 20 minutes! The good news is that sensitive plants are easy to grow and do not require any extra care.
These amazing succulents from South Africa took on resemblance to stones so they would not be eaten by wild animals, and they succeeded above all expectations! If you scattered them around your garden and somehow managed to keep them alive, you would have grave difficulties with their recognition. Their perfect camouflage is only broken while they are in bloom; it is interesting that the flowers are beautifully bright coloured and must catch the attention of every living creature in the desert. To treat Living Stones well, read up on growing cacti in general.
Purple Passion
While you usually know purple passions for their beautiful leaves covered in vivid purple fuzz, it can turn into a housewife’s nightmare if the orange flowers it produces are not removed on time – its air-filling smell resembles stinky rotten meat! As soon as you spot the buds, throw them out, before it’s too late…
frugal: from Latin frugalis “virtuous, thrifty” 1. Avoiding unnecessary expenditure either of money or of anything else which is to be used or consumed; avoiding waste.
In other words, a frugal lifestyle is one of sparseness and thrift, focusing on getting the most value from your resources. Frugality is avoiding waste and misuse of money, time, food, and really any personal assets. It is the opposite of lavishness and usually aims to achieve a certain goal.
There are various levels of frugality, however, and sometimes what starts as a good idea can go a little overboard.
The Omnipotent Teabag
Pat Veretto is one of the better-known frugal bloggers online and she has taken her love of tea and frugality to the realm of absurdity. Or so we think.
Whenever Pat makes tea from a teabag, she never brews her tea less than twice. This is something many of us do if the herbs and tea are strong enough. Once the contents are finally quite unusable, Pat removes the short piece of string attached to the bag and saves it for later. And if you cannot imagine what one could do with a short piece of string, make sure to listen to Monty Python’s Contractual Obligation Album track called String.
But Pat believes that throwing away a stringless teabag is not exactly frugal either. That is why she decided to let each bag dry before she opens it and throws its now-tasteless contents to her compost pile. This way, she can still find use for them. That sounds like a lot of work, but relatively reasonable, especially if you have the environment in mind.
Even still, Pat did not stop at recycling the heck out of just the tea. She decided to reuse the bags themselves. Now, she mostly buys loose tea or uses her own garden produce and puts it into the dried-up empty teabags for brewing. She is worried that she has to use new staples each time she refills her teabags with another dose, but maybe you can help her out with ideas…
Cutting Away Prices
You have certainly heard about coupons that can save you money on specific items in your local shop (or online). While you may occasionally make use of a coupon if a thing you wanted to buy is currently on sale, there are people who take couponing extremely seriously.
One of the best couponing resources online is Fabulessly Frugal. This information-packed blog is run by two friends, Cathy and Monica, and is absolutely stuffed with every imaginable way to save money while shopping for food and useful items for one’s household. There is up-to-date price information, ways to add up and combine various coupons and discounts, and tips to keep your spending in check.
Fabulessly Frugal, along with a few similar well-informed blogs, turns the occasional couponing into serious business — even a sport for some.
Some may view couponing as a time-intensive activity that brings dubious results to one’s wallet. Note, however, that the biggest benefit of discount-shopping is not immediately obvious — it is the fact that buying items of which a seller is overstocked or which are approaching their expiration date reduces the total amount of waste produced by sheer consumerism. These items are usually in perfectly good shape, but the seller needs to draw attention to them. For this, couponing is a great tool.
Next time you go to a grocery store, try to grab a can of food that is discounted only because it has been dented during transportation. You will save money and you will help save the environment twice: firstly, by reducing the amount of waste, and secondly, by preventing the necessity to produce another can of food that would replace the one you forwent.
Luke Sidewalker, as he calls himself, is a very different kind of “frugalite.” He collects change that he finds on the sidewalks and in the parks of U.S. cities. He keeps track of all the money that he finds and he even marks his finds on a map. Whenever Luke finds cash, he makes a blog post summarizing his side-walking statistics and comments on economic events that took place at the time. Luke aims to amass $1 million this way.
As of May 2011, Luke had found $27.18 some three years into his grand endeavour. This averages to a little over 2 cents per day. At this rate, we can expect Luke to meet his target in about 126,000 years. We hope that this is not Luke’s main source of income, especially considering the fact that he has a family with two children. Well, try as he might, I know I am not going to wait around while he works on this…
Walking on the Edge
While the previous examples may seem odd and a little over the top, they are still within the boundaries of good manners and law. In the pursuit of savings, however, some “frugalites” go as far as undertaking adventures that enter the grey area of legality or good practice and safety.
Let’s Be Frugal is an old blog that has a very frugal layout and content. Nevertheless, it brings a few interesting tips that might save you money. In one instance, it claims that you should try to connect to your neighbours’ wireless internet if their connection is indeed open and unsecured. While this technique may save you a few bucks a month, it will be unreliable (the neighbour will unplug the router or the signal will not work in half of your home) and you will be parasitizing on somebody else’s lack of technical skill.
We suggest if you live in a row house or a condominium building that you make a deal with one of your neighbours to share the internet bill, secure the connection, and share the password. Surely, any kind of speedy internet connection will be reasonably fast to cater to the needs of both of you at the same time, and sharing the cost will save both of you money as well. Plus, chances are that you will both have good wireless signal if your homes are close to each other. Best of all, this solution will be both moral and legal.
Some blogs also suggest tricks such as wrapping your water boiler into various kinds of insulation materials to improve its efficiency. While this suggestion sounds reasonable, it is important to note that the manufacturer of the boiler probably knows a thing or two about insulation, so consider every such intervention carefully because you do not want to cause your boiler room to light up due to lack of ventilation or heat dissipation.
Instead, insulate as much of the hot- and cold-water distribution pipes to preserve water temperature throughout your plumbing. This has much better potential for energy savings than dressing up your boiler.
Similarly, some people decide to remove the covers from their interior lamps to allow the bare bulbs to shine brighter. This may be great in some rooms or areas, but an open lamp often exposes naked metallic surfaces that are part of the electrical circuitry or the bulbs themselves. Touch those with your hand while the light is on and you are in for a lot of trouble.
Oh, and another twisted idea is to wear sandals as often as the days are warm. This otherwise relatively sane idea becomes less so with the reasoning: fewer socks worn save on laundry costs and slow down the socks’ own wear and tear. Funny, I never considered socks a major laundry item in the first place…
Whereas many may consider sharing one’s neighbour’s wireless internet without notifying them a gray area, there are some behaviours that are completely out of the question.
Andy, the primary figure behind Tight Fisted Miser, explains in one of his blog posts how some people engage in cheating just to save a few bucks. In his experience, he has seen cinema-goers remove used popcorn buckets and drink cups from the trash cans around the cinema. They would proceed to clean the containers in the bathroom and then ask for a refill at the concession stand. Not to mention the health risks accompanying such conduct, this is a plain example of stealing from the concession stand.
Similarly, Andy noted how some viewers sneaked from one screen to another through the side doors, indulging in films that they did not pay for. This is also not frugal, but rather unlawful behaviour that could earn you a fine or a ban from the cinema in question.
Let us know about the funniest or weirdest frugal ideas that you have come across in your life in the comments, please!
Flying a kite is a great and easy outdoor activity for the whole family. All you need is a kite, a little practice, and a mild breeze and you can launch your kite to the sky. Kite flying has become very popular recently and parks are full of kiting enthusiasts who use their kites not only for flying but also for various different activities and stunts. Such activities are often potentially dangerous and therefore there are numerous restrictions regulating kite flying in Toronto.
Kite Flying Restrictions in Torontonian Parks
It’s very unfortunate for all Torontonian kite flying enthusiasts that the City of Toronto banned kite flying in Milliken Park. Local residents complained about kite fighting where special strong types of strings made from fishing lines, metal wire, or glass-coated flying lines are used. These strings are often left after the battle lying in the park as garbage, thus threatening kids, small animals, or city workers using maintenance equipment. There have been many complaints about sharp strings causing animal and human injuries.
Chin Lee, councillor of Ward 41, wrote in a news release, “I’ve heard reports of people getting tangled in the string and falling and of people being cut in the face by string that has become snagged in a tree.“ According to Lee, enforcing the ban only on kite fighting wouldn’t be practical and therefore the city has decided to prohibit kite flying in Milliken Park generally. This ban, however, doesn’t apply to other Toronto parks.
Kite flying safety is a very noticeable issue in Toronto. Torontonian bylaws ban kite flying within 25 metres of a tree, a building, or an electricity pole. Moreover, the Parks and Environment Committee recommended three points:
City Council should prohibit kites with strings made out of hazardous materials in City parks.
City Council should authorize competitive kite flying activities through the Parks, Forestry and Recreation permit process.
City Council should ban competitive kite flying in parks that have significant bird activity.
Nevertheless, kite flying is a relaxing, family-friendly activity perfect for a sunny day when a mild breezes blow. If you and your family want to fully enjoy kite flying, don’t forget to take reasonable care, use safe materials, and be considerate to others. Kites should be flown in open areas — never near power lines, cars, airports, trees, buildings, or other people. Never fly a kite if a storm is approaching, and wear gloves if you want to avoid cuts or burns from the kite lines.
Many people often wonder how it’s possible that kites of different shapes, sizes, and types are able to stay suspended in the sky. The origins of kite flying dates 2,500 years back to China and Indonesia. Since then, kiting has changed in many ways. Contemporary kites use modern materials and technologies, and flying them is often a piece of cake. There’s an abundance of different varieties of kites, ranging from smaller than a postage stamp to giant kites with hundreds of square feet of surface area.
Choosing a Kite
The first thing you should take into consideration when buying a kite is the material it’s made of. Some materials are more durable, water-resistant, and generally better for flying. For example, paper sails are cheap but fragile, whereas sails made from ripstop nylon or ripstop polyester endure much better. On the other hand, kites made from lighter materials usually fly better than the heavier ones. Another important aspect of every kite is its size. Larger kites need a stronger kite line, but they usually fly the best. The shape and design of the kite is in most cases the most appealing and interesting thing on your kite, but remember that your kite has to be balanced and able to withstand stronger wind. Sometimes, it might be useful to add a tail to your kite, improving its balance and also creating an elegant look.
Choosing a kite also means selecting a suitable line. Stronger lines are generally better for flying kites, but remember: kites with strings made out of hazardous materials are extremely dangerous and therefore shouldn’t be used. The Torontonian Parks and Environment Committee recommended that City Council prohibit kites with strings made out of hazardous materials in Toronto City parks. However, these kinds of strings are used mainly during competitive kite flying. If you just want to take your kids and fly a kite, you probably won’t need a metal or fishing line string.
The best wind for flying kites is between 10 and 40 kilometres per hour. Still, there are kites that are designed for lower or higher winds; therefore, you should find out as much information as possible about your kite. The speed of wind usually varies with altitudes – the higher the altitude, the stronger the wind.
Remember: strong winds do not provide ideal conditions for kite flying. The speed and direction of wind varies, as it flows in waves, therefore it depends also on your location whether you’ll have enough wind to launch your kite. Ground obstructions block and decrease the speed of the wind, so you should always try to find a huge, flat area without any obstructions.
Furthermore, it’s crucial to determine the wind direction to successfully launch your kite and evade any turbulence or other annoyances. It’s easy to determine the wind direction if there are other people flying kites, or you can look for some flags, banners, etc. Other methods are probably more demanding: sometimes you can feel and hear the wind when you turn your face towards the wind; you can watch grass moving; or throw a few pieces of sand into the air and watch the direction of their flow.
WindFest
Even though there’s a relatively high number of kite flying regulations, this hobby is still very popular in Toronto. Every September, expert kite flyers from across North America gather at Toronto’s Waterfront to demonstrate their amazing skills and beautiful kites. There are also several Toronto kite flying groups that regularly attend the festival, such as Toronto Kite Flyers or Gogi Kite Club. WindFest offers enough space for everyone who wants to enjoy safe kite flying. Moreover, there are many interesting workshops on how to make kites, how to fly them, and more. WindFest also promotes multiculturalism and sustainable development. Here is a short video from WindFest 2011:
November 2nd, 2011 · No Comments · Green Lifestyle
Amron Exptl
Since 2007, Amron Experimental, a New-York-based engineering atelier, has been producing cool and innovative designs for households and everyday lives. Scott Amron, founding principal and spiritual father of the Amron Exptl, electrical engineer, designer, and conceptual artist, is only 31 years old and yet has succeeded in building a hip company capable of stirring attention. The company has been gathering awards and praise all around, as function, green thinking, and art have never been so intertwined. Amron is nicknamed “indie inventor.” Check out three of his coolest designs!
Vanishing FruitWash Label
Wash Label
Are you one of those who find sticky fruit labels disgusting? Well, Amron seems to have brought their era to an end. His washable fruit labels dissolve into and an organic fruit soap as soon as they are exposed to water and a bit of rubbing. The soap removes wax, pesticides, and fungicides as well as dirt and bacteria, and there is no need to buy costly produce wash anymore. Furthermore, there will be no more stickers that you need to peel off and throw away, leaving glue stains on your fruits — but if you don’t feel like washing the fruit, you are of course free to remove the FruitWash Label in the old-fashioned way. Looks like fruit revolution to me!
Key Plus Key Ring
Keybrid
Why do we need separate keys and key rings if they can be combined? One day, after returning home and tossing his keys on the table, Scott Amron came up with the idea of joining the key and the key ring so that you can carry your keys in your other key. A ridiculous, not so important adjustment? Maybe, but it is so beautifully simple that within a one week of posting it on Amron the website, the company received over 25,000 preorders for the new key plus ring design. Two pieces of keys that can be cut to fit most door locks only cost 7 bucks.
Brush & Rince
Toothbrush Rinse
Another simple yet ingenious design, Brush & Rince is a toothbrush with a “fountain feature” that can channel the water upwards from a faucet straight to your mouth for easy rinsing. There’s no need to slurp water from your hands or use disposable cups anymore, as the water fountain does the job. It is a great design for children to make them enjoy such a boring activity as tooth-brushing, and let’s face it: adults love to play too! Until now, the Brush & Rince wasn’t available on the market, but these days, it is already possible to pre-order the toothbrush for as little as $2.18.
November 1st, 2011 · Comments Off · Kinnear's Krazy Kontest
Hello November! Wow time flies when you are buying and selling homes! This month’s gift card is to Cara Foods. They own Swiss Chalet, Montana’s, Milestones and Kelsey’s, so its a great variety for you to choose from!
Just answer the following skill testing question for your chance to win!
One correct answer to the following skill-testing question will be drawn:
Last month rounded out a strong third quarter, as 7,658 transactions through the TorontoMLS® system were reported this September, representing a 25 per cent increase year-over-year. The total number of sales during the first three quarters of 2011 reached 70,588, which is 2.6 per cent higher than the first nine months of 2010.
“We have experienced strong growth in sales so far this year, with a much more active summer compared to 2010. However, while sales have been strong, we have continued to experience a shortage of listings, resulting in more competition between home buyers,” explained Richard Silver, president of the Toronto Real Estate Board. “Over the past few months, the listing situation has started to improve, so we expect home buyers will have more homes to choose from in the months ahead,” he added.
Market conditions became tighter once again, and the average selling price continued its growth by almost 10 per cent on a year-over-year basis, as the 25 per cent annual growth in sales outstripped 15 per cent annual growth in new listings in September.
“Strong price growth through the first nine months of the year was mitigated to a great degree by low interest rates and rising incomes,” said the Toronto Real Estate Board’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis, Jason Mercer. “As buyers continue to take advantage of the affordable home ownership options in the GTA, we remain on pace for the second best year for sales under the current TREB market area.”
Even though Canada boasts some of the strictest and most elaborate environmental protection laws in the world, it is not immune to the environmental threats that trouble all the industrialized countries. Big cities themselves pose a risk to natural balance, as it is almost impossible to control the amount waste produced by factories and households and to keep all the pollutants away from people. Today’s article will be predominantly focused on the state of air pollution in the city of Toronto.
According to the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI), a project measuring the health risk arising from air pollution in the area, air pollutants in Toronto largely contribute to about 1,700 premature deaths and 6,000 hospital admissions each year. Additionally, about 12,000 cases of childhood bronchitis and 72,000 days of asthma symptoms are believed to be caused by exposure to the air in Toronto.
Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Toronto’s Acting Medical Officer of Health, commented on the acquired data:
“Bad air reduces the quality of life for the city’s children and adults, especially those who face a lifetime of chronic health problems made worse by air pollution.”
A five-year-old study found that industries and various facilities in the city released about 2.8 million kilogram of toxic pollutants (the most common of which are PM2.5 and PM10, NOx, SO2, CO, and ground-level ozone) together with 13.2 million kilograms of criteria air contaminants. Such data don’t mean much to most of us, but at that time, there was a survey comparing 27 cities over a ten-year period. Toronto ranked fourth on the nitrogen dioxide level list. Our levels were only exceeded by air pollution in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and New York. The study also identified the main problem: the decreasing use of public transport services and more cars on the streets.
The most polluted areas include Alderwood, Humbermede, Humber Summit, West Hill, Cliffcrest, and Clairlea-Birchmont, together with Agincourt-Malvern and Islington. It’s interesting to note that when drawn on the map of Toronto, the polluted neighbourhoods create a “U” pattern and stretch through the north west, along the western parts of the city, across the city centre and up to the north east. The unfortunate truth is that up to a point, the areas inhabited by low-income residents coincide with the areas of increased air pollution. These will be in special focus from the authorities as soon as possible, as the combined risks of poverty and unhealthy environment are a major threat to the future development of the neighbourhoods and their residents.
Animal treatment in mass farms and slaughter houses is often highly questionable not only from the moral point of view of animals’ suffering, but also considering the health effects it has on their meat and products, and consequently on our health. In the country, it may be possible to find a local farmer who eschews growth hormones and lets her animals out to graze, but in the city, different strategies must be pursued if you want to eat high-quality, healthy meat.
One of the more obvious places to look for what some people have taken to calling “happy meat” is, naturally enough, the butcher’s. There are a small but growing number of shops like Olliffe, Royal Beef, and Whitehouse Meats that offer free-range, hormone-free, or antibiotic-free meats next to the regular fare. There are also places such as The Healthy Butcher, Fresh From the Farm, Cumbrae’s, and Rowe Farms who specialize in non-factory-farmed meats (each of which has its own website for those looking for maps and other information).
Buying organic or traditionally raised meat from a store may ease the conscience and perhaps please the palate, but it can also eat away at the bank account. It is frequently cheaper — though less convenient — to satisfy carnivorous cravings at a farmers market. Although each individual market is only open for one day a week, there are enough of them around during the summer for one to be open on any given day (although there are fewer on Mondays for some reason). A butcher may be happy to talk about their products with you, but at a market, you have the chance to actually talk to the farmer face-to-face about how their animals are raised, and while practices vary from farm to farm, everyone who shows up selling meat at a farmers market is deliberately setting themselves apart from the mainstream factory farms — usually due to environmental or animal welfare issues.
I have yet to encounter a market that deliberately excludes meat vendors, but since there are fewer of them than fruit and vegetable producers, you may want to scout out a few markets to see which of them includes meat on a regular basis. Fortunately, Toronto’s two biggest markets (held Saturday mornings at the Evergreen Brickworks and the Wychwood Barns) are not only plentiful in the animal products department, but run all year long and are, without a doubt, the most fun markets I’ve ever been to.
Since the local food movement is a growing phenomenon, new markets and other meat sources crop up every year, and to my knowledge, there is not yet a directory of such things. For those who don’t mind trekking rather far afield for good food, the website Eat Wild provides a listing (as well as maps and contact information) of North American meat and dairy producers who adhere to fairly stringent criteria regarding the housing, feeding, and general care of their animals and who can be visited for ‘farm gate’ sales.
October 21st, 2011 · No Comments · Done Deals, Kinnear’s Komments, Toronto Real Estate News
101 The Queensway TH2
The Action:
About 20 buyers requested a private viewing of this three-storey townhouse in Swansea, while larger crowds flocked to public and agents-only open houses. Three would-be buyers quickly stepped forward to make an offer.
October 20th, 2011 · No Comments · Toronto Press, Toronto Real Estate News
Marshall McLuhan
Widely regarded as one of the modern world’s foremost theorists on communication and media, Herbert Marshall McLuhan was born in Edmonton on July 21, 1911. McLuhan studied in Edmonton and at Cambridge, England, and then went on to teach at the universities of Wisconsin, St. Louis, and at Ontario’s Assumption University before settling at the University of Toronto in 1946.
Understanding Media, the first of McLuhan’s books to gain major international attention, was published in 1964 and discussed the effects of electronic media on society. Later books would include The Medium is the Massage: An Inventory of Effects (the title of which is a play on “the medium is the message,” one of McLuhan’s best known phrases), War and Peace in the Global Village, and From Cliché to Archetype. While they were — and still are — often misinterpreted, the essence of McLuhan’s ideas explored the interactions of technology and media with a society composed of individual observers.
McLuhan’s emphasis tended to fall not only on how media and communication had changed, but also on how technology such as the printing press and television have changed us, sometimes by giving primacy to one sense over the others (a written alphabet, for example, requires sight above all other senses). During his lifetime, McLuhan was hailed by many as a sort of modern prophet and disparaged by some academics, but consulted both by major corporations like General Motors and powerful individuals such as Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau.
Included in McLuhan’s impressive collection of awards and honours was an appointment to the Albert Schweitzer Chair in the Humanities in 1967, and another as Consultor of the Pontifical Commission for Social Communications in 1973. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1964 and a Companion of the Order of Canada six years later. Marshall McLuhan died in his sleep on the 31st of December, 1980, in his home in Toronto’s Wychwood Park.
October 19th, 2011 · No Comments · Articles about The Julie Kinnear Team, FAQ, Kinnear’s Komments, Toronto Press
One of Toronto’s most iconic buildings is up for sale. The Flatiron Building, a triangular red-brick office building at the corner of Front, Wellington and Church Streets, went on the market last week. Eve Lewis, president and CEO of Woodcliffe Landmark Properties, said her company is selling the building now because it’s the first time in about a century that the entire office component is available at once. The pub Flatiron and Firkin, located at the building’s base, has a lease that will keep it in the location until the end of 2015, but the law firm that has occupied the Flatiron’s office space for the last 15 years is leaving, she said. “It’s probably a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Ms. Lewis said. “We’ve restored the building and created as much value as we can.”
“It’s probably a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Ms. Lewis said. “We’ve restored the building and created as much value as we can.”
What if dogs could talk? Well, humans would have probably lost their best friends, as some people say while smirking maliciously. Luckily for us, dogs haven’t mastered the skill of speaking human language yet, and they still make great companions. But this does not only apply to reclusive people. Many families with children often make a choice to extend their “pack” after moving into a big house by adopting a four-legged buddy to live with them. Maybe you have similar thoughts; but have you truly considered all the pros and cons?
First of all, it’s important to mention that this article only provides some very basic information. The last thing you should do is be hasty about this decision. It may sound like a cliché, but owning a dog goes hand in hand with a huge responsibility not only toward the pet itself, but also toward your surroundings. Are you ready for such a commitment? Okay, let’s go!
Novels could be written about how to choose the right breed for you, but probably the most important thing is: it’s not just about how they look! Every dog breed has different qualities, traits, and temperament characteristics, but also different needs. How much time would you be able to spend with your dog? Would you like a dog to guard your house or to play with your kids — or maybe you would like both? These are some of the basic questions you should ask yourself before getting a four-legged friend.
Nevertheless, sometimes it’s easy to forget about all of that once you take a look at all those super-cute puppies. Cute. Puppies! They all look the same: sweet, innocent, irresistible… well, beware. In a way, raising a dog is very similar to raising a child. The socialization and training of your puppy during its first few weeks at your home has a great influence on its quality of life as an adult dog. The first three months are especially crucial. And proper training takes a lot of your time and energy.
Puppies grow fast. One day you have a cuddly ball of fur, and in a few short days it turns into a raging, incontrollable adolescent. You should be aware of their developmental priorities along with the basics of raising a puppy and teaching manners and obedience. Dogs are usually abandoned or surrendered to shelters because they misbehave. But if they do, it’s simply because nobody taught them to behave appropriately. Be patient while teaching them the basics. You’ll be rewarded by a sociable and well mannered companion who will be happy to live his entire life by your side.
Most Canadian dogs are house dogs. Though many dogs participate with their masters in various leisure and sport activities, they still need some room to stretch their legs while spending time at home. So the question is: do you actually have room for a dog? A small dog can often get all the necessary exercise he needs even in a small apartment, but other, large breeds require more space.
Therefore you should be realistic about how much activity from what sized dog your home and yard (if there’s any) can take and how much time will you be able to reserve for taking the dog out for additional exercise if the conditions at home are insufficient.
Additionally, you should prepare for the inevitable. A dog in the house also means a constant supply of shed hair (it depends on the breed and the season, though), occasional mess, and sometimes even dog poo — even a well trained dog can have its weak moment while dealing with sickness. As for dog hair, are you absolutely sure that nobody in your household is allergic? Forgetting about this could cause serious problems later.
The last thing we’re going to mention here is the question of money. You should take the following expenses into consideration: initial adoption costs (these may range from free-to-a-good-home to several thousand dollars), veterinary care (vaccinations, emergency issues, et cetera), dog food (the larger the dog, the more you’ll have to spend), chew toys, outerwear (necessary for some breeds), and other miscellaneous supplies (bowls, beds, brushes, shampoos, flea products, odour neutralizers for accidents, baby gates, leashes, collars, heart worm prevention, and so forth).
Finally, it’s better to visit a reputable breeder than a pet shop when getting a puppy — those people are not just usually much more dedicated dog-lovers, but they are also usually pretty serious about what they do and also (paradoxically) mostly cheaper.
The most important of all these considerations is to truly take your decision to get a puppy seriously. Several million dogs are abandoned, given to shelters, and even euthanized every year — so often only because easily treatable and rather predictable puppy issues were allowed to develop into much more difficult to handle adult behaviour, training, and temperament problems. Don’t let your best friend suffer, for if you give him all the love he needs, he will always be there for you. Always.
October 18th, 2011 · No Comments · Green Lifestyle, Green News
It can be very confusing trying to figure out what goes into the blue box and what doesn't. I didn't realize that the plastic containers that your eggs or cherry tomatoes come in CAN NOT be put in recycling. Takeout containers and the moulded plastic trays that muffins and tarts come in are not to be put in the blue bin either. The thing is, if we don't recycle properly, the City can't recycle properly either.
For more information on what you can recycle, use WASTE WIZARD (toronto.ca/recycle) or Call 311 - the City of Toronto's hotline for information!!
October 18th, 2011 · No Comments · Toronto Real Estate News
Complete Data Chart
for Toronto
According to a newly released The Royal LePage House Price Survey, the average price of a house in Canada rose between 5.7 and 7.8 per cent in the third quarter of this year, compared to the same period a year ago. The healthy gains come as a surprise, but show that the consumer confidence of Canadian buyers remains high. On the other hand, the results may appear a bit deceptive in comparison to crisis-struck 2010.
Phil Soper, president and chief executive of Royal LePage Real Estate Services, commented on the data: “The third quarter saw a return to a normal seasonal business cycle as price appreciation slowed in many areas – with some average values even falling slightly – after the busy spring trading season. A broader slowdown is expected in the months ahead but fears of a US-style correction are completely unfounded.”
Detached bungalows saw the most rapid price increase, as they rose 0.8 per cent year-over-year to $349,974 in the third quarter of 2011. Standard two-storey homes went up by 7.7 per cent to $388,218, and standard condominiums rose 5.7 per cent to $239,300.
Foreign investors’ demand played a substantial role in driving the prices up in the largest markets, such as Vancouver and Toronto. Conversely, some areas experienced mild decreases: detached bungalows in Calgary fell 1.0 per cent, and detached bungalows and standard two-storey homes in Victoria fell 2.0 and 1.1 per cent, respectively.
Complete Data Chart
for Greater Toronto Area
In general, the data show that Canadian citizens don’t seem to be too worried about the economic turmoil in the European Union and the United States and trust the strength and stability of the domestic markets. “A resilient domestic economy coupled with the stimulative effect of ultra low interest rates has extended the post-recession bounce in house prices, but there is evidence of over-shooting in some markets. Although some commentators are predicting that the sky will fall on the Canadian housing market in a US-style implosion, we lack the structural conditions that precipitated the housing crash in the United States six years ago,” said Soper.
Regional Market Summaries
Saint John and Halifax both witnessed a 10.4 per cent increase with standard condominiums. Other markets in Atlantic Canada remained stable year-over-year. This can be explained by sales of higher-end waterfront listings.
Montreal showed considerable year-to-year increases of standard two-storey homes – the average price rose 4.4 per cent to $367,500. Standard condominiums rose 7.6 per cent to $236,333.
In Ottawa, all three housing types included in the survey rose 7 to 8.4 per cent.
An impressive increase occurred in Toronto, as prices rocketed across all three housing types surveyed by up to 9.4 per cent. The developments are largely considered to be a consequence of a lack of supply. The lowest increase was experienced by standard condominiums as they ‘only’ rose by a modest 6.0 per cent.
Healthy price gains were experienced in Winnipeg as well. Analysts agree that the increase is largely caused by population growth. Standard condominiums rose 6.4 per cent, detached bungalows went up by 5.1 per cent, and standard two-storey homes increased 4.4 per cent.
Both the Calgary and Edmonton markets remained relatively stable, and the eventual gains are kept within the 4 per cent border in year-over-year comparison.
Out of all the areas, Vancouver data showed the most dramatic increases. Detached bungalows rose by an unbelievable 17.0 per cent, and standard two-storey homes increased 16.9 per cent. Condominiums in the city went up by a healthy 5.1 per cent as a result of higher inventory.
Royal LePage’s quarterly House Price Survey shows the year-to-year change of prices for the main housing segments in select national markets. It is the largest survey in the field in Canada, providing information on several types of housing all around the country. The release tries to highlight the most important trends and developments on the market using the abbreviated version of the survey as a source.
October 18th, 2011 · No Comments · Articles about The Julie Kinnear Team, Done Deals, Toronto Real Estate News
11 Morningside Avenue
The Action:
Any offers for this detached bungalow were originally to be reviewed on a specific date to allow time for an open house and private showings. However, one eager buyer drafted a pre-emptive bid of $1.2-million.
October 13th, 2011 · No Comments · Toronto Real Estate News
Jane Jacobs
Born in Pennsylvania in 1916, Jane Jacobs gained recognition in both the United States and, later, Canada, as a writer and activist, focusing primarily on urban development and planning policies. Although she was never formally trained in architecture or urban planning, many of the insights set out in Jacob’s most famous work (The Death and Life of Great American Cities, published in 1961) are still studied and even taken for granted today. In direct opposition to the ‘top-down’ planning styles popular at the time, Jacobs advocated diverse, dense, multi-use neighbourhoods with sidewalks and strong local economies.
An emphasis on people over cars led Jacobs into urban activism, opposing plans to build the Lower Manhattan Expressway through New York’s Greenwich Village. The success of Jacobs and like-minded advocates in stopping the expressway played a role in the downfall of New York City Parks Commissioner Robert Moses and represented a power shift in favour of New York communities. Jacob’s ideas were also important challenges to the popular practices of high-rise housing and ‘slum-clearing.’ Eventually, The Death and Life of Great American Cities came to have a wide influence, especially in Toronto, where Jacobs and her family moved in 1968, and where she continued to be involved in city planning. She also played an important role in stopping the construction of the Spadina Expressway.
Unconcerned with ‘official’ credentials, Jacobs refused numerous honorary degrees, but wrote several more books, including Economy of Cities, Systems of Survival, and The Nature of Economies. She lived at 69 Albany Avenue in the Annex neighbourhood of Toronto until her death on April 25th, 2006.
Recently, news spread through the media that a dairy farmer living just north of Toronto has been selling raw milk to his customers, earning him a criminal trial.
Michael Schmidt has been dealing unpasteurized milk at his farm in Grey County. But because raw, unpasteurized milk is not guaranteed to be free of malicious bacteria, Mr. Schmidt has been tried for criminally endangering the health of his customers.
Bizarrely enough, all of Mr. Schmidt’s customers were people who willingly purchased “shares” on his cattle for the very reason that they could then obtain the “dividends.” Mr. Schmidt has not been selling raw milk to random passers-by in the streets; he has rather been giving back to his customers what they wanted and paid for.
Despite the fact that all of the customers were familiar with the risk of consuming raw cow milk (and were free to pasteurize it at their own discretion), Mr. Schmidt is facing charges which may force him to go to jail. It’s simple: in Canada, all milk intended for consumption must be pasteurized before it is sold.
So why would you want to drink fresh raw cow milk?
Quite frankly, our ancestors (and even contemporaries) all over the world have been drinking and eating raw cow, sheep, and goat milk and dairy products for millennia. Just like humans do, cows provide milk to their offspring as a source of nutrition in the earliest moments of their lives. Put simply, milk is the single healthiest life-giving substance for every young mammal.
In addition, pasteurization is designed to reduce the counts of and/or kill microorganisms and bacteria in the substance that undergoes it. For milk, this means that not only most pathogens, but also most healthy and beneficial bacteria are neutralized.
As a rule of thumb, beneficial substances are much more plentiful in milk than those that cause diseases. Whereas the occasional occurrence of lethal pathogens may indeed pose a risk, many people believe that raw milk from a well-managed farm can do more good than harm.
Even the rather menacing US FDA document linked above reports that only two people have passed away as a result of raw milk infection in the United States between 1998 and 2008. This is ten years in a country of 312 million.
In sharp contrast with North America, Europeans consider all raw milk products legal and safe for human consumption. In some countries, raw, fresh milk and derived products are regarded as luxury goods, distributed only in limited quantities directly to interested customers. In many cases, foreign legislature allows a raw milk trade as long as customers are aware of the health risks and are advised of the proper treatment that would sanitize their bottle of this nutritious liquid.
So what do you think? Should we continue the prohibition of all raw milk dealing in Canada without exception, or do you believe that customers are smart enough to make their own choices? Please let us know in the comments.
The Julie Kinnear Team, for one, is wishing good luck to Mr. Schmidt, and we hope that in this case, the freedom of choice of his customers will win over the sterility of our authorities.
One of Canada’s foremost literary theorists and critics, Herman Northrop Frye was born on July 1912, in Sherbrooke, Quebec, to Catherine Maud Howard and Herman Edward Frye. In 1929, he entered Victoria College in the University of Toronto, and it was here, as a graduate student in 1947, that Frye first gained wide acclaim with Fearful Symmetry: A Study of William Blake.
This was followed by Anatomy of Criticism in 1957, and The Great Code, a two-volume exploration of the Bible’s influence on Western literature, in 1982. Frye taught English at Victoria College for over twenty years, became Chancellor of Victoria College in 1978, and was appointed Harvard’s Charles Eliot Norton Professor of Poetry from 1974-1975. He wrote over twenty books and edited fifteen, wrote numerous articles and reviews, lectured in universities around the world, and received thirty-eight honorary doctorates. He was made a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1972, won the Governor General’s Literary Award for Non-Fiction in 1987, and collected many more honours and awards before his death on January 23, 1991.
Although the idea was contested during his lifetime, Frye held that literary criticism was as complete and sound an area of study as philosophy or linguistics and held the potential to deeply analyze a work as opposed to merely judging it ‘bad’ or ‘good.’ Central to his perspective on literature was Frye’s emphasis on symbols and archetypes, making him an important contributor to archetypal criticism. Among the lasting tributes to Northrop Frye are the Victoria College’s Northrop Frye centre and the international Frye Festival for literature, held every spring in Moncton, New Brunswick.
We’re living in a very fast age. Our lives are fast, the world around us is changing fast — and sometimes it’s very hard to pay attention to issues other than the ones we face ourselves. Nevertheless, there are some of us who are still able to find some time to do something to make this world a better place. Even if their contribution is small — even if there’s nothing to gain except the warm feeling of inner satisfaction you get from putting a smile on somebody’s face. What about you? Have you ever considered becoming a volunteer?
Why Do We Need Volunteers?
In 2009, Canadians donated a total amount of $7.8 billion to various funds and charities. Moreover, 12.5 million of them (46% of the population aged 15 and over) volunteered for charitable and non-profit organizations. Together, all these volunteers contributed just over 2.1 billion volunteer hours, which equals to almost 1.1 million full-time jobs.
Also, did you know that the non-profit sector contributes to our economy greatly? Its share of 6.8% of the GDP (equivalent to more than $86.9 billion) represents a greater contribution than the retail trade industry, and it’s close to the value of the mining, oil, and gas extraction industry.
Although these numbers are quite positive, there is still much left to do. Non-profit organizations are practically unable to function without voluntary work and they need to refresh their ranks every year. Therefore they are always looking for new enthusiastic volunteers to aid with their cause. You say you would like to join, so what can you do?
Volunteering Opportunities in Toronto
There are many, many organizations listed on the Internet looking for volunteers. Fortunately, there are also many lists where you can search for the volunteering organizations by their objectives and/or category.
So, how do you choose the right place for you? There’s probably no universal manual for this, as there are many very different volunteering opportunities and everyone. At first, however, you should ask yourself the following questions:
• What do I want to do?
Would you enjoy taking care of the elderly or would you rather help with the organization of a charity event? Do you have any experience in the given field, are you suitable for your desired voluntary position?
• How much of my time am I willing to sacrifice?
Would you like to participate on a short-term or a long-term project? Or would you rather help with single events? Or some kind of regular voluntary service? The variety of opportunities is pretty wide, so take your time schedule into consideration. Don’t exaggerate yourself. Although it’s usually totally worth it, even voluntary service can be pretty exhausting and time-consuming.
• What organizations would probably fit my expectations? What do they offer to people and what can they offer to me?
Look for references, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Observe how the organization responds. If you’re uncomfortable with their approach, back away.
To sum it all up, make sure you’ll find a volunteering position that will truly make you happy. There’s no point in forcing anything upon yourself; it would only do more harm than good. The warm feeling you get for selflessly helping someone in need is a great reward, so don’t let it become spoiled by doing something you’re not quite comfortable with.
Some say that the interest in volunteering is fading, and some surveys even prove them right. Let’s prove them wrong for a change! Happy volunteering!
Grow operations, also dubbed grow-ops, are illegal endeavours of more-or-less organized groups who grow drugs in family houses and residences. These operations then grow, harvest, and refine hallucinogenic and/or addictive substances for subsequent distribution to drug users. The most common illegal activity is growing marijuana.
Often, grow-ops take place in otherwise innocent-looking houses in quiet neighbourhoods and do not disturb other residents. In fact, the primary concern of the perpetrators is not to be spotted or revealed.
Naturally, grow-ops pose several threats to the communities in which they spring up. Firstly, the proximity of drugs creates an environment where the likelihood increases of your children encountering illegal substances firsthand. As if this were not concerning enough, you or your neighbours may suffer collateral damage if the perpetrators get in trouble with their “business partners.” Both of these threats are immediate and life-threatening, and they are a good enough reason for you to be on a lookout for suspicious properties. But there is one more lurking hazard…
Whenever a grow-op is discovered, the entire neighbourhood and adjacent areas immediately lose part of their attractiveness. Young families and really all home buyers will be warier when researching homes in your neighbourhood. Bottom line: less demand and fewer offers may force you to sell cheaper than you hoped for — never mind that there is nothing wrong with your house and the grow-op has been eradicated long ago. And this way, a grow-op can and will significantly damage the value of your property, and thus indirectly affect your own worth.
For these reasons, it is wise to be aware of what is happening in your vicinity. We are not suggesting that you must be paranoid and suspect poor old Mrs. Smith down the road of criminal activity. Instead, you should make yourself acquainted with your neighbours and get to know them. Knowing most of your neighbours will let you spot strange behaviour around you sooner.
What’s more, if you are truly concerned about drugs in your vicinity, you may initiate the inception of a community watch and protect your neighbourhood together with other neighbours.
If you are wondering what constitutes strange behaviour, consider this list of ideas:
Grow-Op
Is there a house that nobody really lives in? Unless it is a recreational property, do you know who owns it and why?
Are there numerous irregular visitors showing up at the house for short amounts of time?
Are the windows blocked so as not to allow for light or air to enter the house through them on one or more floors?
Does it look like the house is very humid inside? Internal humidity can show on the outside, can cause moulds or dripping leaks to appear, or can condense on glass windows and metal.
A grow operation produces significant amounts of smells and odours from the plants, fertilizers, and mould. Perpetrators may try to mask these with detergents, massive amounts of “air fresheners,” or other substances with a strong odour.
Are there strange incessant sounds of many humming fans coming out of the house?
Is there a dog on duty around all the time, even if the owners seem to be gone for long periods of time? Are there signs warning of a dog guarding the property?
Does the daily cycle of the house seem too precise or perpetual? Are the TV or the interior lights on all day? Are there props such as kids’ bicycles in the yard even though there have never been kids near the house?
If you are the owner of a house-turned-grow-op, you may suffer an even larger loss. Growing operations are set up to ensure proper climate for the plants but take no consideration for the house itself. This means that your house may start falling apart as moisture and mould are eating away at your walls and floors.
Grow-Op Damage
Heavy equipment may affect the structure of your house, while high temperatures and humidity may cause wooden frames and furniture to rot. Your electrical wiring may be destroyed or overheated when the electrical consumption of the house increases tenfold — which it often does in these situations. Some of the hidden dangers are marijuana pollen and various pesticides trapped in the porous walls, floors, and carpets.
You should exercise your right to conduct periodic inspections of every property that you are renting out and even include a schedule of inspections in your contract. These provisions should discourage any tenant with malicious intents from renting from you.
Use your best judgement when assessing a suspicious property and do not hesitate to call the police if you have doubts about something. You pay the taxes so that you can make use of their services. And your neighbours, if they turn out to be innocent after all, will not mind terribly.
September 30th, 2011 · No Comments · Toronto Real Estate News
Fresh Restaurant
These days, it can seem challenging to go out with friends and enjoy yourself while still eating well. But Fresh makes eating healthy, delicious food easy and enjoyable. They offer a wide array of options for all kinds of dietary needs and restrictions. Although it began as a juice bar and vegetarian eatery, Fresh now has many vegan and gluten-free options that welcome every kind of eater. Their dishes are so flavourful and filling that even the most dedicated meat-eater will no doubt find something to his or her liking.
They have three easily accessible restaurants in the downtown Toronto area, so a nutritious meal is always just minutes away. Whether you’re visiting them at Bloor & Spadina, Richmond & Spadina, or Queen & Crawford, a clean and welcoming atmosphere is guaranteed. They also offer take-out if you’re in a rush or need to get back to the office.
Grilled Vegetable
and Pesto Burrito
Many restaurants seem to increase the price of healthier food items because they feel guests are willing to pay more for the peace of mind — but not Fresh! Their items are exceedingly well priced for what they offer. An average entrée item costs ten dollars and comes with a side of kale salad. You can also add additional toppings or another delicious side dish for a few extra dollars. Their freshly made juices and smoothies have extraordinary health benefits, and a medium size is about six or seven dollars.
They offer a variety of lunch and dinner dishes, such as soups, salads, wraps, burgers, and noodle/rice bowls that are filled with delicious, all-natural ingredients. And if you’re looking for a special way to enjoy a day off, they also offer a delicious brunch menu between 10:30 A.M. and 3:00 P.M. on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.
Going into Fresh opens you to a whole new world of eating out possibilities. Suddenly, there are options other than tossed lettuce that don’t riddle you with guilt! No matter what you order, at Fresh, you’re guaranteed to get a wonderful assortment of vegetables, healthy grains, and delicious proteins. So you can finally do something good for your body and enjoy a meal out with friends at the same time!
Contact
Email: Address, phone:
fresh on bloor - 336 Bloor Street West, 416 531 2635
fresh on spadina - 147 Spadina Avenue, 416 599 4442
fresh on crawford - 894 Queen Street West, 416 913 2720 www:www.freshrestaurants.ca
Operating Hours
Monday to Friday - 11:30 am to 10 pm Saturday & Sunday - 10:30 am to 10 pm Weekend Brunch - served until 3 pm
September 29th, 2011 · No Comments · Green Houses, Green Lifestyle
Riverdale Hub - Office Space
Gerrard Street is a ten-kilometre-long street in Toronto, running from University Avenue eastward to Clonmore Avenue. It’s one of the most diverse streets in Toronto, spanning several neighbourhoods and countless cultures.
The street is known for its Indian, Pakistani, Afghan, Bangladeshi, and Sri Lankan restaurants and cafés. It has long been the area of choice for many South-Asian communities in Toronto. Torontonians living close to Gerrard can be seen honouring and celebrating various customs and rituals, such as Ramadan and Diwali.
The unofficial headquarters of Gerrard Street’s multiculturalism is the Riverdale Hub, located halfway between Greenwood Park and Coxwell Avenue. The Hub serves as the headquarters for several organizations that foster individual engagement and community development. The Global Pantry, for example, allows immigrant women and youth to apply their skills in an effective way and kick-start their preparation for employment within a respectful and welcoming group of peers.
Riverdale Hub - Retail Space
The Riverdale Hub is a 100-year-old building that had been transformed to a green and eco-friendly haven by the Riverdale Immigrant Women’s Enterprise (RIWE). Some of their efforts led to creating rain-water gardens on the premises of the Hub — much like those we described in our article on how Local Warming Goes Global.
As reported by CityTV.com, the Hub just received a $2 million extension that augments the original brick building with new communal and office space and features such as an elevator. The non-profit community is hoping to become completely financially self-sufficient going forward. To overcome its dependence on sponsorship, donations, and benefactors, Riverdale Hub now plans to sustain itself on the rental income from its revamped and extended office and warehouse spaces. The Hub even obtained a permit to open a 400 sq. feet café/snack bar on the first floor and is looking for a tenant who would like to run it for everyone to enjoy.
Riverdale Hub is an amazing place where humanity surpasses all cultural differences and where respect and community are the perennial keywords. It’s a virtual gate to Canada for newly welcomed immigrants and a wonderful landmark in the Riverdale neighbourhood. Julie Kinnear and her Team are proud that there is such a remarkable place in Toronto!
In these modern times, overpopulated cities are not uncommon. Combined with a lack of space and a green green grass, it can sometimes seem like you’re living in a concrete jungle with nothing green around. While public parks can do the trick, you’re a lucky one if you can find one next to your office or condo. Most of us have no private place to sit with friends and just relax under the sky!
In New York, however, they’ve found a solution — kind of. A group that unites “brands and investors with creative ventures that shape and challenge the cultural landscape,” called The Participation Agency, came up with an idea for downtown dwellers to experience suburban life. For a juicy price ($50/hour), you can rent an urban backyard! Of course, this doesn’t seem very practical if you take into account the fact that there are eight million New Yorkers, but with the Timeshare Backyards concept, this idea has a chance.
Here’s the plan: for fifty bucks, you get a decent grassy lot for an hour and an option to invite up to thirty friends. Want more? Then you have to go deeper in your pockets. For $100, you’ll get a Slip ‘n’ Slide, while for a kiddie pool, you need to add $50 more. The same applies if you want to grill: you’ll get a barbecue with the capacity to feed ten people. These are just some examples, of course; you can ask The Participation Agency for anything and they will arrange it… for a price. For example, you can have a local band play for you if you get a permit and pay $5000.
The first rental backyard is located on Ludlow Street in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, an area some consider to be the city’s hipster headquarters. The backyard was inaugurated on August 11th and remained in business until August 28th, and it was booked constantly for the whole summer. We’ll see if this brave and somewhat crazy project will last long enough to celebrate its first birthday!
September 26th, 2011 · No Comments · Done Deals, Toronto Press, Toronto Real Estate News
318 Indian Road Crescent
The Action:
This 1½-storey house was first listed for $449,900, which may have scared away buyers who felt the price would ignite an aggressive bidding war that would spiral far beyond reach.
If you think about “urban agriculture”, it sounds like an oxymoron; how often does agricultural land fall victim to the ever-spreading jungle of concrete? But if you think again, you might begin to see things from a different point of view. Urban agriculture provides a great way to reclaim a more natural, more traditional, more ecological, and much healthier way of life in the middle of all the urban chaos. And what does urban agriculture look like in the biggest city in Canada?
Let’s Scale Up
Although urban agriculture in Toronto is almost invisible, mostly limited to growing in backyards, rooftop containers, community gardens, or farms at the peripheral areas of the city (which produce mostly for other markets) it still has the potential to be developed to the point at which it’s able to supply a considerable amount of the city’s demands for certain kind of groceries, such as fresh vegetables and herbs.
The main issue here is so-called “scaling up”, which is a term used to refer to two things;
Spreading simple growing methods throughout the city while involving more people in more places.
Supporting the efficiency and sophistication of urban agriculture practices, which should result in the creation of commercial-scale agriculture capable of integrating itself into the mainstream food supply system.
While there has been a boom in urban gardening in Toronto recently, many barriers preventing more efficient approaches to urban agriculture persist. There are certain initiatives that support breaking these barriers on various levels. If you’d like to grow your own food, it would be a good idea to look at what they have to offer.
In 1991, the Toronto Food Policy Council (TFPC) was created as a sub-committee of the Toronto Board of Health. It aims to develop policies and programs promoting food security in partnership with various business and community groups.
One of the best known organizations involved with urban agriculture is Foodshare. According to its central philosophy, its main goal is to “take a multifaceted, innovative and long-term approach to hunger and food issues” by “(getting) involved in diverse actions: grassroots program delivery, advocacy for social assistance reform, job creation and training, nutrition education, farmland preservation and campaigns for comprehensive food labelling,” and other areas. Check out the website and take a look at Foodshare’s community gardening and urban agriculture activities — or any other topics you might be interested in.
Another interesting project is called The Stop Community Food Centre. The centre “strives to increase access to healthy food in a manner that maintains dignity, builds community and challenges inequality.” The Stop’s activities include many programs, ranging from community gardening to summer camps.
The Toronto Urban Farm is a partnership between the City of Toronto and Toronto and Region Conservation that aims to engage youth and the community in urban organic farming, leadership development, environmental stewardship, and health promotion.
Another successful Toronto-based organization aimed specially at young people is Young Urban Farmers. Its primary goal is helping people grow their own fresh food in the city.
There are much more similar organizations and websites to be found on the Internet, but what about actual plants that are suitable for growing in our climate?
It’s best to grow vegetables that mature quickly, for example: tomatoes, green beans, green onions, lettuces, Swiss chard, radishes, cucumbers, and zucchini. However, you should avoid planting vegetables from the same family in the same area every year to lower the risk of pests and diseases. The following vegetables are vulnerable to the same diseases, so rotate their locations from one year to the next.
Beans and peas
Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, radishes, and collards
Tomatoes, eggplant, pepper, okra, and potatoes
Beets, carrots, garlic, onions, and parsnips
It’s also a good idea to grow plants that are beneficial to each other, as it seems to have some positive effects in fighting with pests. This approach is called “companion planting.”
So what are you waiting for? Hit the nearest garden supply store and create a new dimension to your life! Nothing tastes better than food grown in your own garden!
Toronto is home to more than 5 million people. But it’s not just humans inhabiting the largest Canadian city: many home pets live alongside their guardians. Most people would settle with dogs, cats, hamsters, or goldfish, but for some, common pets are not interesting enough, and they’re drawn toward more exotic animals due to their unusual features. However, there are regulations and bylaws for breeding wild animals that you should be aware of if you plan to get yourself a little tiger.
An exotic pet? Not always a good idea…
Okay, tigers probably don’t serve as the best example. In 2004, a ten-year-old boy from Toronto ended up in hospital with serious neck and head injuries after being mauled by a tiger. The owner of the beast was showing his pet to visitors, leading it out on a leash. All of a sudden, the tiger lunged, the boy turned to run — and the big cat attacked. The incident ignited a heated discussion in Southwold Township, where many voices were calling for banning wild animals from the area. It even resulted in a trial. However, the town lost the court case, leaving its residents quite furious.
Six years later, the very same tiger killed his owner while he was entering its cage to feed it. The beast’s owner was Mr. Buwalda, who was listed as the contact person for the Canadian Exotic Animal Owners’ Association. It seems that nature has its own ways…
This sad story only proves that not all animals are appropriate for a life of urban domestication. Unlike domestic animals, wild beasts have retained their primal instincts, which make them unpredictable and potentially dangerous — even for experts. Another reason for regulation is the threat of endangering a local ecosystem by introducing a new invasive species. And finally, some regulations ensure the protection and safety of the animals themselves.
Many animals are banned from the City completely. These include, for example, all non-human primates (chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, and lemurs), all marsupials (such as kangaroos, opossums, and wallabies), all crocodiles, lizards over two metres in length, and snakes over three metres in length.
Nevertheless, there are also a few exceptions. An animal that has resided in the city before becoming prohibited is allowed. Animals that are used for film, TV, or educational programs are also permitted to live within city boundaries. Each exception has its own individual terms, and it’s the responsibility of the owner to tell if the pet qualifies.
There are rather severe penalties for violating the Municipal Code. If a prohibited animal is discovered by a City of Toronto By-law Enforcement Officer, it will be immediately impounded, and a fine up to $5,000 will be issued to the owner. The City of Toronto Animal Services has the responsibility to determine its fate — including the possibility of relocating the animal or euthanizing it.
When you’ve considered all the pros and cons and you’re still interested in buying an exotic pet, there are a few options. One of them is to look for advertisements on the Internet, but you should know that this is a little bit risky, as you can’t really tell the serious ads from the unreliable ones.
Therefore, you should rather look for well-known and respectable pet stores, where animals are being sold and taken care of by experts who are also able to provide you with some professional advice. One of the most important things is to make sure that you will be able to take care of your pet properly. There are quite a few exotic pet shops in Toronto, and it shouldn’t take much time to “Google” the one closest to your neighbourhood!
Or you can go for a compromise. How about turning your dog into a tiger? Or would you prefer a panda?
Maybe that’s a bit too crazy? Perhaps, but it’s still better than threatening yourself and the people around you with a real tiger.
September 16th, 2011 · No Comments · Toronto Real Estate News
Woo Buffet
Feeling hungry for a wide variety of Asian food in downtown Toronto? Then give Woo Buffet, Restaurant & Lounge a try. Unlike many Chinese buffets that are tucked near the outskirts of the city, its prime location in Dundas Square is easily accessible by car, transit or foot. The restaurant sits at the very top of the North-East corner of Yonge and Dundas, which provides its guests with a nice view overlooking the city below.
At $13.95 for All You Can Eat, their lunch is an excellent deal. And as an added bonus, you can print a 10% off coupon at Dine T.O.’s website. Their evening prices are higher for similar items, so lunch is definitely your best bet. If you want a seat by the window, I would advise coming early to stake your territory and snag a nice view of the city to enjoy during your meal.
The buffet offers food from many different cultures (i.e. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, American, etc.). Their selection of soups and dumplings is impressive, as are the warm noodle and meat options. A salad table is also a possibility, and there is a sushi chef constantly creating a wide variety of fresh sushi. If you’re a big dessert person, be prepared for a smaller selection than some other buffets. But between their ice creams, fresh fruit, and pastries, you’ll certainly find something to happily finish off your meal.
The restaurant is styled very nicely, and the atmosphere is great. The staff are friendly and quick to clear away any plates you’re done with so that you can go back for more. Water glasses are refilled often, and it’s easy to track an employee down if you have any comments or concerns. So plan a trip to Woo and definitely arrive hungry because you’re certainly going to want to try a little bit of everything!
Contact
Email: Phone: 416 977 9966 Address: Toronto Life Square, 10 Dundas St. E, Suite 500 www:www.woorestaurantlounge.com
“Labor Day is a glorious holiday because your child will be going back to school the nextday. It would have been called Independence Day, but that name was already taken.”
Dogs and other pets often become a part of the family. But every pet requires special treatment and needs to have its own little privileges and responsibilities. For a dog, one of those privileges is a flap door, also known as a doggy door.
While your dog can be a boon to the security of your house and yard, a flap door can pose a security threat. And while a bigger dog usually poses more of a threat to an uninvited guest of any sort, he or she needs a bigger flap door, which in turn decreases the safety of your house when the dog and the master are not around. As always, much depends on your neighbourhood, but let’s not take any chances.
Too big of an opening can even make it possible for kids and smaller adults to sneak into your house through an otherwise locked door and loot your place for valuables. But even a small flap door is usually enough to let raccoons and other animal thieves who, cute as they are, can turn your home upside down while you’re out.
If you own a security system that monitors your premises, you will have to make sure that your dog won’t set off an alarm by activating your motion sensors. This usually means turning the sensors off, which is more of a workaround than a solution. The undesired side effect is the decreased overall security of your home.
A much more secure approach is to install a lockable flap door for your pets. This way, you can seal off your home completely when you leave, and you can also make full use of your in-house security.
At this point, however, you have to decide whether to leave your animal friend inside or outside. If locked inside, your pet may be stressed or unable to contain her- or himself. Staying outside, on the other hand, is arguably healthier in most regions, but it’s probably a little cruel during our frosty Canadian winters — not to mention if your dog or cat likes to roam the streets on its own.
If you or your pets like state-of-the-art technology, maybe you can install a special microchip-operated flap door that only opens for pets that it recognizes. Who knew such a thing even existed!?
What are your favourite time-tested ways of managing your home security with a pet? Please let us know in the comments!
Did you know that in the UK, one in ten homeowners move due to problematic neighbours? This unfortunate reason for moving turned out to be an even more frequent motivator for relocating than getting closer to family or a good school, or downsizing. The most common complaints are, for example, aggressive behaviour (60 per cent), a high level of noise (53 per cent), and a messy property or garden (19 per cent).
There are also other factors that force people to move away from their houses, like neighbours allowing their properties to fall into disrepair, stealing, or even engaging in so-called “curtain twitching” — which is a slang term for spying on your neighbours for any signs of something fishy.
Britons take their neighbourhood relations very seriously. When selling a property, it is mandatory to disclose any information about problematic neighbours to prospective buyers. Home buyers in Britain are usually willing to pay £5,000 to make sure they will have good neighbours — bad neighbours can even devalue house prices by up to £30,000!
There is also a self-help website calling itself Neighbours From Hell (NFH, which actually inspired the heading of this article), an online community serving as a platform where people suffering from problematic neighbours can share their troubles and ask for advice.
What About Us?
There is no such thing as an NFH equivalent in Canada. There aren’t even any statistics summarizing why people move away from their homes. But if you asked a realtor, they’d probably tell you that the relative number of residents relocating due to neighbour issues wouldn’t be as high as in the UK.
Ontarians usually move in order to upsize or downsize, or to get closer to good schools, good job opportunities, or their families. There are couples moving in together and also couples separating, seniors moving to smaller condos instead of having to care for a big house, and so forth. Purchasing homes under construction and waiting for them to appreciate is also a typical reason for moving in the GTA.
Does this mean that Canadians are better neighbours than their British counterparts? Or does this simply mean that we don’t care that much about the people we live next to? It really doesn’t have to mean anything. However, although it is not that common, having bad neighbours isn’t a non-existent phenomenon, which brings us to our next section…
Living Next to My Neighbours is Unbearable — What Can I Do?
Prevention comes first. Learn about your chosen neighbourhood before you move in! Luckily, we live in the age of the Internet, which makes it a lot easier to brush up on local information. Not so long ago, Toronto.ca started a project called Wellbeing Toronto. It’s currently in the phase of beta testing, but it already works quite well. The information provided by this rather interactive website might help you get a much clearer picture of your chosen neighbourhood and lower the probability of your ending up living next to some notorious troublemakers.
Step Two
Get to know your neighbours. Creating bonds may actually prevent many problems from even developing — and if they develop anyway, it’s still much easier to communicate and negotiate with someone you know than with a complete stranger.
Step Three
If there is a problem, don’t be afraid to talk about it. Your neighbours might not even be aware that you are, for example, bothered by the loud music coming from their home. However, if things start to get aggressive, don’t fight back. Show that you’re not there to argue, but rather to find a solution that suits both sides. Don’t drag a third party (a common landlord, for example) into the dispute if it’s avoidable. Keep in mind that even if the neighbours don’t react positively at first, they might reconsider their behaviour over time.
If the problem persists, you should start documenting the issue. Write down the date and what exactly occurs, and include any other potentially helpful observations.
Only if the person cannot be reasoned with should you talk to your landlord (if renting) or even resorting to calling bylaw officers and the police. Seeking legal help is also in option if the situation gets really serious, but you shouldn’t start any legal action unless you’re absolutely convinced that there’s nothing else you can do.
And remember: moving away should be the last resort in any case. Your home is your kingdom, and no one should leave their kingdom behind without at least a friendly discussion.
Toronto Realtors reported 7,542 sales in August 2011 — an increase of 24 per cent compared to the same month of the previous year. The market shows steady growth, but is not accelerating significantly: there were 380 fewer sales than in July 2011 (when there were 7,922 items sold).
With new listings reaching 12,509 items (20 per cent more than in August 2010), the growth in sales outpaces the stock growth.
“Home sales will be bolstered by low mortgage rates moving forward. The Bank of Canada is expected to be on the sidelines until the second half of 2012 or even into 2013. However, home ownership affordability in the City of Toronto could be further improved with the removal of the City’s land transfer tax. This tax currently represents a substantial upfront cost for home buyers,” said Toronto Real Estate Board President Richard Silver.
The average price increased by 10 per cent on a year-to-year basis, and now totals $451,663. Despite the general lack of global economic optimism in 2011, this year remains one of the strongest in recent TREB history, with annual sales predicted to reach 90,000 properties, making it the second best year in sales for the Greater Toronto Area.
September 9th, 2011 · 1 Comment · Toronto Real Estate News
A Frame From the
"Old Spice" Realtor
Commercial by
LandmarkRealty
Real estate is NOT a dull business. On the contrary, it is often rather fun, especially because it involves people. And people are fun. Unless they are not.
Either way, the Julie Kinnear team loves working with our clients and we look forward to all the fun situations that take place during a supposedly mundane realty transaction.
Sometimes, there are these truly dull days, although those take place usually due to extensive rain or absolute winter frost when we have less work to thrive in. And specifically for those rainy days, we have assembled this collection of funny real estate ads and commercials that more or less prove that real estate is indeed an exciting business.
Let us know which of these commercials is your favourite. Alternatively, drop us a suggestion in the comments if you know of another ad that you think deserves a spot on our list.
1. Stylish 1987 Royal LePage
The first commercial will be literally “number one.” It is not even funny because of its plot, but more because of its age. Ladies and gentlemen, this is a 1987 Royal LePage commercial just for you:
2. ERA Has Qualified Agents...
Working with an established agent, or better yet with one referred to you by a happy past client, can save you a lot of headache. ERA built upon this metaphor in this commercial. The cutest thing in this one is probably the teacher:
3. ...And Pays Attention To Detail
Because the previous one was rather short, here you go with another one from ERA. This time with a relatively meticulous seller’s agent playing the lead. We say ‘relatively’ because we also don’t like to take any chances with our listings:
4. Choosing the Best
“All Real Estate Agents Are Not Created Equal” is the motto of this (slightly?) exaggerated piece that draws attention to a non-existent website. Commissioned by AlignMark, this video effectively promises you that as long as you are any better than “Chris”, the company will find a job for you. They have to be darn good then, unless you judge them by that inaccessible website:
5. Self Help Is Not Easy!
This commercial advocates the use of a self-help US website that is supposed to aid the efforts of home owners who decide to sell without an agent. Despite having been on the market for several years, the website itself does not seem very popular. Selling without a qualified Realtor® may not be the best idea for the serious seller after all…
6. Maternity Ward
OK, this one is supposed to be funny too, but we are afraid that some people might even find it borderline offensive. It does depict one of the reasons why people come to a real estate professional, though, and the point is not completely silly:
7. Asteroid
Not much to say about this one, just that is was probably the most expensive in the series of Landmark Realty:
8. Realtors®’ Phone Bills
Realtors® talk a lot. It is their job to talk, for the most part. And because they have to talk a lot, they need a suitable monthly plan on their cell phones. See how T-Mobile played on our sweet spot to try and sell us their ultra-large monthly plan in this incomplete recording of a commercial:
(Quick Facts: Did you know that 1,500 minutes translates to only 25 hours of constant talking? If you are a truly hardworking Realtor®, a mere one hour a day will hardly cover your needs sufficiently. What were you thinking, T-Mobile?)
9. What Is a Landmark
Including one more by Landmark Realty, and only because it sports a nice image of the Niagara Falls (you have to watch closely). Kudos for the signature “ri-ding-ding-ding-ding” at the end:
10. The Old Spice Realtor
Spoofing the hugely successful Old Spice commercial, this ad is actually rather witty and funny too:
11. Time to Buy - Or Not!
The following video is a spoof on a Century 21 happy commercial that shows the future bright to a young family. The authors of the spoof suggest real estate agents claim that it is always the right time to buy. We say that you should work with a Realtor® who will let you load your plate with only as much as you can afford. Then, this will not happen to you:
And here is the original Century 21 commercial:
12. Moving Is a Breeze
This Australian commercial is artsy and cute, and although it is not exactly funny, we decided to give your artistic side some food for thought:
13. You Need a Realtor
Funny or not? Abbotsford Real Estate is churning the funny waters with this “family friendly” gig. Most notable is the ingenious product placement of the sexy BMW Z4 and the subliminal insinuation that you can fit an entire person into its trunk. See for yourself:
You Want More?
If you are not fed up yet, there is a group of rather long, and rather funny real estate commercials from the US nation-wide campaign of RE/MAX that rolled in 2010. Starting up with a clever metaphor on the various types of real estate agent incorporations and branding strategies:
Well, that was witty, wasn’t it? But they can get a little too cocky at times. Here you go if you need a proof:
Get off your high horse, Mr. RE/MAX, would you? But let’s not be too harsh on our poor competition and finish with a funny piece that illustrates why qualified Realtors® with a long track record are indeed the best for the client:
(Despite all that we’ve written above, we must admit that these videos were part of a successful and very smart campaign. Thanks to “the RE/MAX guy”, the brand became the Old Spice of US real estate: Everyone knows them very well but not everyone thinks they smell right for them.)
The makers of PEDIGREE® have kicked off the fourth annual PEDIGREE ADOPTION DRIVE® campaign to show that shelter dogs are good dogs, and enable and empower Canadians to help them by adopting, volunteering and donating
September 8th, 2011 · No Comments · Green Lifestyle
Food Forward Logo
Food Forward is a non-profit organization in Toronto that reaches out to citizens, politicians, and the food sector to improve the current food system. Here’s an interview with Darcy Higgins, Executive Director of Food Forward, that introduces the organization, explains what its goals are, and explains why Torontonians should get involved.
What is Food Forward? What actions or plans does it have for the near future?
Food Forward is an organization that provides a people’s voice for a better food system in Toronto. We work with the public, politicians, and those involved in the food sector to educate and advocate for food that is healthy, local, sustainable, ethically produced, and accessible for all. Practically speaking, we support groups and individuals engaged in community food projects to advocate for the changes needed to see their work succeed and benefit the city. We host panel discussions, social events, and conferences, great for newcomers to these issues, to help build Toronto’s food movement. We’ll be focusing further on supporting policies and practices that help new food ventures to bloom and grow good jobs.
Why is there a need to analyze and change the current food system?
Currently, from farm to table, most of our food is being grown and processed in ways that make it less nutritious, less ethical and less green. People lack control of food production and access to healthy food for a number of reasons. Documentaries are a great place to find out more about the system as it stands. Luckily, something is happening in Toronto. Our food sector is being revolutionized step by step by businesses creating culturally diverse dishes, supporting local, sustainable, ethical and urban farming, and focusing on healthy foods. People are doing projects like gardens and kitchens in their neighbourhood that are bringing together communities in growing, sharing and enjoying good food, and they’re advocating to
their politicians to make change.
What can Torontonians do to help, both in terms of food buying habits and political action?
Entrepreneurs and food innovators are working hard to make it in a world that doesn’t yet put enough value on healthy, local food. You can make an impact on equity and the planet by choosing more from businesses that sell sustainable, vegan and ethical options and by discussing these issues with friends and family. You can get involved in an organization like ours, working to make change and learning more about issues so you can write to your councillor about them. Businesses and developers can think about how they can get food to areas of the city that don’t have a lot of healthy, affordable options.
The provincial election is coming up, which is a great time to attend an all-candidates meeting or ask in writing what politicians will do to create good food jobs and to make healthy food more accessible. Our website, Twitter, and Facebook group have great information to learn more about these issues, or find a business you’d like to support or an event to attend.
To find out more about the need to improve the current food system, the food entrepreneurs making a difference, and the upcoming events organized by Food Forward, contact the organization at:
So, you’ve taken the plunge and gotten yourself a new place. You’ve spent hours moving in and days unpacking. And on top of that, there are the countless sleepless nights spent debating which colour would be best suited to the dining room walls and which pieces of furniture you might have to leave on the curb because they just aren’t going to fit. But all that is behind you, and you’re finally ready to have people over and proudly show off what you’ve accomplished with your new home. And what better way to do that than with a dinner party? Here is a simple timeline of how you can get yourself ready for a night of entertaining.
Two Weeks or More in Advance
Decide whether you want there to be any particular theme to the evening (i.e. colour scheme, cultural trend, etc). You should also decide how fancy you want the evening to be so you can let your guests know what they should wear. You don’t want anyone to feel like they came underdressed.
Make up a guest list. This may be dictated by the size of your place and/or the amount of preparation time you have. You don’t want to overwhelm yourself, so make sure you only invite as many people as you can comfortably handle. You want this to be an enjoyable experience and not an evening of stress!
Determine the best way to send out your invitations. By mail is always a nice touch – especially since it’s so rare in this day and age. But it’s not a bad idea to save time and do it by e-mail. It’s up to you whether you want to do the invitations in a stylized way that is in theme with your party or just stick to basics and get the word out simply.
Make sure that any time-consuming work on your house has been completed. The last thing you want to be doing the morning of your dinner party is performing last minute picture hangings. So get all that decorating out of the way early!
Purchase any items you may not yet have. Examples of things you might need to invest in are cocktail napkins, candles, additional trays, centrepieces, or anything else you feel might contribute to the style of the evening.
The Day Before
Give your house a good cleaning — especially in those areas the guests are going to see most, like the kitchen, the main bathroom, and the dining room/living room. It also doesn’t hurt to have your bedrooms and everything else organized because you know your friends will want the grand tour!
Do your grocery shopping. This can also be done two days before if you don’t have too many perishable items, or even the morning of if you’re an early riser or have a cake or something you want to pick up fresh.
Make a solid plan of attack for the big day. Map out which dishes can be made early and which ones will need to be timed to the guests’ arrivals. For example, things like dips can be made the night before, and a salad or chopped veggies can be done far in advance the morning of, wrapped up and put in the fridge (just don’t add any dressing until serving time).
Start knocking off the items on your cooking list! Anything that can be preprepared and left in the fridge to await cooking should be tackled first. Hors d’hoeuvres like mini quiches and stuffed mushrooms can be put together and then tossed in the oven when your guests arrive so they’re at their absolute freshest. Your entrée items will likely be the last things to go in (though elements of many side dishes and sauces can be started the night before or morning of).
Whenever you get a free minute, begin setting up the dinner table so it’s all prepared for the guests’ arrival. Feel free to use centrepieces, candles, and name cards for decoration. Also take a moment to place cocktail plates and napkins in the living room.
Make sure you give yourself enough time to get ready because the last thing you want is to still be in your robe when your friends start to arrive. A good gauge is to plan on being dressed and ready to go a half hour to an hour before the guests are scheduled to arrive. That way, even if you still have some cooking to do, you’ll be ready to welcome them into your home and direct them to the mingling area.
And there you are – a successful dinner party is virtually guaranteed! You’ve worked hard to get to your new home, and now is the time to show off all you’ve accomplished. Welcome in your guests, relax, and enjoy the celebration!
While some buyers prefer investing in brand new houses, others love enjoying the charm and spirit that older buildings exude. Additionally, many people (especially our grandparents!) believe that modern construction standards cannot compete with the old-fashioned craftsmanship and elegance of older architectural designs. While this approach may be right, it’s always important not to jump the gun and to make sure that the home of your dreams won’t turn into a nightmare within days after the purchase. Keep in mind that buying an old house needs even more attention, and consider some of our recommendations.
What You Can Check Yourself
Some people say that you should be ready to pay about 1 per cent of the total cost of the house every year to cover the expenditures for the repairs. Don’t forget to take that into consideration when thinking about your credit options.
Consider all the cosmetic renovations. Will the fence need another coating? Is there a solid internet connection or will you have to get a new one? Do you like the current bathroom design? And the ultimate question to ask yourself: do you like the house?
One of the greatest advantages of an older property is that you buy a mature garden and membership in an established neighbourhood along with your purchase — no reconstruction sites in your surrounding and no waiting for the first cherries or apples from the trees in your garden. However, don’t forget to check whether the neighbourhood isn’t too mature — you don’t want to live on a ghost street!
How long has the house been on sale? If it’s over six months or a year, maybe there is a reason for the delay, and you should pay more attention to what might be wrong.
What a Specialist Should Check
Everything! Hiring a reputable expert who conducts a thorough house inspection is a must once you decide to go for an older building. You certainly won’t pity the money spent for the service. A specialist knows what to look for and finds out details you wouldn’t notice. Furthermore, a home inspector is able to check the most important things that may need renovation and stay hidden from the non-professionals. Even if you feel like you need no help from professionals whatsoever, you should at least consider inviting someone more skilled to check the parts that can prove most problematic: plumbing, electrical installations, heating facilities, and structure (floor/ceiling/roof joists, foundation, et cetera) to spare yourself unpleasant surprises in the future.
September 1st, 2011 · Comments Off · Kinnear's Krazy Kontest
As soon as the CNE starts, I think everyone collectively thinks “oh no the summer is over”. The CNE is currently the seventh largest fair in North America. Over the course of its late summer run, the CNE attracts approximately 1.3 million people each year! It has just received Eco Logo certification as the “greenest” fair in North America, and the most “environmentally friendly” large scale event on the continent. Those are just some cool facts about the CNE.
This month’s gift card is to Old Navy, you can get some cool back to school clothes for the kids or yourself!
Just answer the following skill testing question for your chance to win!
One correct answer to the following skill-testing question will be drawn:
The media has lately abounded with information about famine and droughts, water shortages, and other adverse effects of climate change. If you can read between the lines, or are acquainted with the topic, you’ll know that these phenomena are closely related and even interconnected. Read how “Local Warming Goes Global” in my other article on this topic if you’re interested in further details.
The bottom line is that urbanization, with its roads and buildings, alters the way water circulates in the environment. Drainage systems collect rain water upon impact and send it to rivers and, in turn, oceans. This water would, under normal circumstances, simply soak into the soil and evaporate back into the atmosphere during the warmer days. Evaporated water is what constitutes clouds, so the lack of bare soil to retain and release moisture decreases the likelihood of repeated precipitation in the area. Such changes alter the local climate over time, and will have an effect on the global climate as well.
Designing Drainage
Thankfully, we can help nature by retaining some moisture in our gardens and backyards. If we actively contribute to the eco-friendliness of our homes’ exteriors, we can reap the benefits of milder weather, moderated temperature fluctuations, and increased air and ground moisture. Best of all, this is virtually a one-time investment with infinite return. You don’t get that in a bank, do you?
The magic lies in the way you restore the micro-environment in your backyard. While you can hardly make global changes (unless you’re on top of an influential organization, in which case please get in touch), you can surely make your own piece of land the perfect piece of nature and the right place to relax.
The most important task is to retain rain water in or near the soil. Avoid paving little paths in your backyard, and try not to place a canal to drain the water that rains down. If your house is at the foot of a sloping landscape, some drainage may be necessary so that you don’t compromise your home. But if your house proudly resides on top of a smaller hill of any sort, there’s nothing to worry about.
Gardening
If you grow flowers or food, try to cover the area with mulch (shredded wood waste) to lock moisture at the ground and prevent excessive evaporation. You can get these in a gardening outlet, or you can grind your own if you have access to old/cut-off branches, bushes, or similar types of easily-chopped wood. This will keep your plants nice and fresh for longer and will also save you money watering during hot and sunny days.
Also, if you have any room in your garden, consider turning it into a “wet area.” This would require you to put a short, waterproof fence around your flowers to create a water-retaining patch which would flood mildly upon rainfall. Of course, you ’ll need to plant either taller flowers or varieties that can withstand occasional flooding. By retaining rainwater in this “water bed” for longer periods, you will dramatically contribute to the vitality of your garden. Not only will you cool the place down, but the extra moisture will feed even plants located farther away — not to mention contributing to an interesting, relaxing retreat in your own backyard. And you don’t have to worry about mosquitoes, either, as long as the frequency of precipitation in your area allows your water bed to dry up periodically.
If you’re up for it, consider growing a grass roof for your house. This is another way of extending the areas to soak up rainfall. Grass roofs (not to be confused with AstroTurf) are a wonderful option for those whose roofs slope just enough to allow for natural drainage, but still allow the grass to stick and flourish. Grass roofs are ideal for retaining more rainwater and aiding the local water cycle, while they also provide for a cooler environment inside and around the house they cover. One can plant flowers and smaller bushes onto the roof, effectively extending one’s garden. Not only have grass roofs and walls been around for centuries, but they are also fun to look at and are becoming increasingly popular in suburban Canada.
The way we build our houses and gardens can help us all offset the toll that we’re taking from nature. Whether you make simple improvements to an existing property or maintain a green mindset when designing your new home, you have the chance to become a VIP in the water cycle. Seek out opportunities to create natural water repositories in your vicinity, and let us know in the comments how you’ve done!
Fingers crossed from your favourite green Realtor®.
We should all know by now that water is a precious resource. It’s not only the source and support of all life, but it gives us pleasure and helps us the produce goods and services that we depend on and enjoy.
But lately, humanity as a whole has been slowly running out of water. It’s increasingly difficult to find pristine water sources from which to sustain people and supply industries. Not every type of water is suitable for all uses. Ocean water, for example, needs to be desalinated before it’s any good for human use. This is a lengthy process with large overhead, which makes it unnecessarily costly in places where fresh water is available. What’s more, this is not an option for regions without direct access to sea water.
Missing Natural Drainage
According to scientific research results, the reason why there is less accessible fresh water (not to mention that it barely covers the needs of the dependent population as is) is the expansion of urban areas — cities and industrial zones. More paved land and concrete buildings mean that less naked soil is directly exposed to rainfall and sunlight. Various ingenious drainage systems divert virtually all water that falls onto a city to canals, and in turn, directly to rivers. This means that the soil only has the chance to soak up a fraction of the precipitation.
While the dryness of the soil alters the underground ecosystem, which is an issue of its own, the lack of residual moisture on the surface alters the distribution of solar energy. This is a concept that has been kept quiet for a while, but you be the judge. When the sunlight hits the ground and the ground is moist to any degree, part of the radiated energy is spent on vaporizing the surface moisture. This process cools down the immediate environment by “stealing” part of the solar energy that would otherwise simply heat up the ground.
The vaporized water then rises up, forming clouds which in turn provide rain elsewhere in the country. More rain also means more fresh water in the area. Similarly, a moderated temperature means that the local environment is more welcoming to life in general.
Rising Temperatures
If an area is covered by human construction, there is no natural drainage, and not only does the soil remain dry, but the roofs and pavement do not retain water to be vaporized by the sun. As a result, the roofs and pavement must absorb all the sun rays themselves, making for a hotter environment with more volatile temperatures between the day and the night. At the same time, there is no vapour to form clouds, which further alters the weather and climate in the entire area.
Global Water
and Air Volume
More drained water causes the rapid rise of the oceans’ water levels. You can see the relative volume of all water (and air) compared to the volume of the Earth. On the other hand, more heat retained by the air warms the atmosphere over time, increasing temperatures both near and far from the metropolitan areas.
If this sounds to you like global warming, then you’ve hit the nail on the head. Scientists now estimate that the effect of urbanization itself makes for a large proportion of global warming, adding significantly to the effect that greenhouse gasses have on the climate.
Fortunately, there are ways of coping with this side-effect of urbanization. Learn how you can help boost the water cycle in your area in my next article called “Save Water Effortlessly”.
Beauty is highly regarded. Everyone likes to hang out with pretty people, everyone likes to drive a pretty car, everyone likes to own pretty things, and everyone wants to live in a pretty home. Realtors® know that as well.
Many Realtors® bet on looks to attract more buyers and more (and higher) offers. But looks are just the icing on top of a cake. We buy cakes, not icing, and so we should buy a house and not the looks achieved by staging and furniture arrangement. We can always add that later.
Don’t get me wrong; staging may sometimes be useful to highlight the property’s special features, and it may be necessary if the property is otherwise empty. Put simply, stage when you are worried that the looks do not do justice to the actual value, space, and coziness of a place. But sometimes there are comparable properties in the area that are not staged and sell at a better price.
This is what you need to be looking for when buying a home. In many Toronto neighbourhoods, many homes have been built by one developer, and they have plenty of features in common. It’s quite often that you can find homes with the exact same floor plan in different areas of a town or a district. Depending on your location, this might be a long shot, but sometimes fishing for specific properties can save you money.
Even if you’re determined to get the one home that is overpriced, you can find a comparable home that sells for less and use it as a reference point to compete with your seller’s high asking price. This may be a strong factual argument that can convince the seller to take a cut.
In any case, only engage in price negotiations when your agent is around so that you aren’t swayed by unfounded assertions and false assumptions. Don’t fall for the looks of an overpriced home; be smart and invest in substance.
Get in touch if you want to make sure that you don’t ever overpay. We look forward to reading your comments below.
I saw Wall Street on opening night in Vancouver – which was kinda fun excitement. Don’t you love going to the theatre and getting yummy theatre popcorn? I saw it at the Dunbar one of the old “grand dame” theatres, with the old seats, and HUGE screen. Very cool. I have to say it was not packed, we expected more – but it wasn’t right downtown in one of the littler silver screens.
Great cast! With Michael Douglas in the news so much these days with his health, it was a quiet reminder seeing him smoking his cigars in the flick. Michael looked great and is always very engaging. Shia Labeouf was the younger version now (Jacob)– working on Wall Street and is seeking revenge after his mentor dies. He is by all accounts one of the huge upcoming lead stars. I remember him as an action guy from Transformers – he has a lot of energy and handles a lot of dialogue really well. He has great chemistry with Carey Mulligan (Winnie) who in real life is now his girlfriend after they co-starred in Wall Street, as she plays his love interest in the movie and has very interesting role and is definitely a quality actor. Josh Brolin plays evil well. There was a funny cameo by Charlie Sheen which was classic as it really flashed us back to the original movie from 1987. Susan Sarandon also stars as Jacob’s mother – kinda hilarious as she is in real estate – and she plays such an off character as a Long Island realtor/developer getting into real trouble as the market is sinking too.
The engaging story line was taken from real life – essentially the October crash of 2008 that was felt so heavily on Wall Street and Gordon Gecko was his usual intriguing surprising self. The story gets more involved in the private life of Gecko, as Winnie is also his estranged daughter, so ontop of the business craziness, there is a whole other part about building that relationship.
It was well paced and good fun, and worth seeing, especially if you remember the original!
There are few sights more symbolic of the growing ‘slow food’ movement than that of a farmers’ market set up in the midst of a sprawling city. In a world dominated by imports, advertising, and big box stores, the sight of local farmers gathered together to sell their produce directly to the public is a sign of changing times. If you are interested in or have an appetite for sustainable agriculture, there are several markets worth visiting.
SickKids Market
SickKids hospital on University Avenue has a market, where over a dozen vendors set up every Tuesday in the hospital’s crescent driveway. Since I visited quite early in the season (the market having only opened the week before), the selection of fresh produce was fairly limited, although this was complimented by baked goods and various honey and wax-based products.
SickKids is one of five Toronto markets whose vendors are certified by Farmers’ Markets Ontario®. The purpose of the certification program is to weed out vendors who are simply reselling produce from Toronto’s Food Terminal. There are currently five such certified markets operating in Toronto; at Bloor/Borden, SickKids hospital, East Lynn Park, Liberty Village, and Ryerson University.
The Ryerson location was particularly pleasant for a street set-up; easy enough to find as it is simply a blocked-off section of Gould St, yet somewhat removed from the bustle of any major streets. Since both Ryerson and SickKids held their markets on the same day (Tuesday), one after another, many of the same vendors showed up for both. One or two of these same farmers were also present at the Bloor/Borden market, which was unfortunately arranged in an uninspiring parking lot, but which did benefit from the presence of two meat vendors who had been absent from SickKids.
Ryerson is not the only Toronto University to host a market; the University of Toronto also offers various local produce and baked goods in its Wilcocks commons. As with Ryerson, the market area is a blocked-off section of street, (Wilcocks street, in this case, just where it intersects with St George), although an amusing touch was added when I was there in the form of false turf laid over the road.
Withrow Park Market
In contrast to this busy, intensely paved venue, the Withrow Park market is – as the name implies – held in in a far greener area and is without a doubt the most pleasant location of any of the markets I visited (with the Evergreen Brickworks as second). Only two or three blocks south of the Danforth, the Withrow market was fairly large and busy, with fewer fruit and vegetables and more meat, dairy, baked goods and inedibles than most of the other markets I visited.
Distillery District Market
A more extreme version of the Withrow style of market – one that emphasizes local crafts, cosmetics, and other items not found growing in fields or on trees – occurs every Sunday throughout the summer in the Distillery District. Originally built in 1837, the Gooderham and Worts’ whiskey Distillery became the largest distillery in 1877, and is now a national historic site featuring shops, theatres, restaurants, and antiques. There was not, however, much of the farm featured in the distillery market when I was there, only one or two vendors offering fruit or vegetables in between displays of art, crafts, baked goods and maple.
You can find a farmer’s market open on any day of the week in Toronto (although Monday seems to be the least popular time), but the two biggest are open year round and are held on Saturday mornings. Both the Evergreen Brickworks and Artscape Wychwood Barns are historical sites recently put to new uses; the former produced bricks for the Toronto area from 1889 to 1984, while the latter was a streetcar repair site up until the 1980s. Apparently, the Wychwood market is usually held inside one of the old streetcar barns, but on the day I went, the barn was full of artists displaying their work, and the market was set up outside. Unlike many of the smaller farmer’s markets, Wychwood could have actually provided me with a meal on the spot, in the form of various prepared foods such as miniature pizzas and vegan Nanaimo bars. The Brickworks market is comparable in size to Wychwood’s and also provides the prospect of an immediate meal as well as live music and lots of local groceries. Like Wychwood, the Brickworks are far more than just a market and it offers many other activities including gardening workshops and yoga classes, as well as housing several organisations such as Ecojustice and the Don Valley Art Club.
Maps, vendors, and standards for the five certified markets can be found at the My Market website.
August 18th, 2011 · No Comments · Favorite Weblogs
Its a website that helps you find books by comparing the content of the books themselves, similar to the way Pandora.com matches music for music lovers
Birthdays are wonderful things because they’re a time to spend with friends and family. They are also excellent because of the gifts and treats you’re rewarded with for your year of hard work. But why depend solely on your loved ones to provide you with those much needed rewards when there are companies that are eager to congratulate you on your big day? Here are five places ready to offer you some great birthday freebies:
Booster Juice
Booster Juice has locations all over the city that provide hungry Torontonians with delicious and nutritious smoothies. For their freebie, all you have to do is go to Booster Juice website and sign up to become a member of their “Booster Nation.” They will then e-mail you a coupon for a free regular sized booster juice on your birthday. It’s the perfect breakfast to welcome you into a new year!
What a Bagel
This is definitely the easiest freebie out there. All you do is go into your nearest What a Bagel on your birthday and show your I.D. to receive a dozen bagels completely free. And with the huge variety they offer, you can certainly find flavours to please the whole family!
Baskin Robbins
Sign up for their Club 31 on their website and they’ll email you a coupon for a free scoop of ice cream that can be redeemed five days before or after your birthday. So even if you’ve filled up on Booster Juice and bagels on the actual day, you can make use of this freebie at another time. What says birthday better than a free scoop of ice cream?
Put some money on a gift card (even if it’s just $5) or make use of one you received for your birthday in the past.
Register it on the Starbucks website.
Receive their voucher for a free birthday drink in the mail. Let’s face it: those Venti frapps can be pricey, so seize the opportunity for a free birthday beverage!
Jet Fuel Coffee
If you’re not into the big chains and prefer a smaller joint (or are just in need of a second caffeine hit after Starbucks), head over to Jet Fuel Coffee in Cabbagetown. The staff there are super friendly and would be more than happy to get you a steaming hot cup of Joe on them.
You work hard all year and deserve a day all to yourself, so get out there and get your free birthday treats!
August 15th, 2011 · No Comments · Toronto Real Estate News
July was an interesting month for Toronto. Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 7,922 transactions, representing a 23 per cent increase over July 2010. Compared to June 2011, however, there was a decrease of 23 per cent. Total sales through the first seven months of this year amounted to 55,863, which is a decrease of 1.3 per cent compared to the same period in 2010. The July figures continued to point to an annual sales result close to 90,000 — after adjusting for seasonal fluctuations, though.
Toronto Real Estate Board President Richard Silver said: "Strong home sales continued in July, with a substantial rebound over last summer’s slow-down brought about by higher mortgage rates, new lending guidelines and misconceptions about the HST. The greatest rebound was seen in the condominium apartment segment in the City of Toronto. He also added that “If the current pace of sales holds up, we could see the second best year on record under the current TREB market area.”
The average selling price in July was $459,122. Compared to the July 2010 average of $418,675, this is a ten per cent increase. The average selling price in June was $476,371, making the July figure lower by almost four per cent.
Jason Mercer, TREB’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis, also commented on the situation: “Tight market conditions have boosted the annual rate of price growth this year. However, the listings situation is starting to improve. A better supplied market later this year and into 2012 would lead to a more sustainable rate of price growth.”
August 14th, 2011 · No Comments · Done Deals, Toronto Press, Toronto Real Estate News
54 Morningside Avenue
The action: Two public open houses allowed buyers to explore this 1,300-square-foot house, which is down the street from Rennie Park, and Swansea community centre and school. After nearly one week of market exposure, three bids were placed on this property.
The Mechanic is a decent summer rental – not crazy action, more like a mystery novel. There are a few twists and turns, and it is an enjoyable rental for those who like this type of movie.
Liberty Village is a vibrant, up-and-coming neighbourhood in downtown Toronto. It has been booming since 2004 and has seen the rise of numerous condominium buildings, audacious office buildings, and a plethora of shops, malls, and restaurants.
Thanks to the area’s lengthy industrial history, the most prominent type of dwelling in Liberty Village is a loft, which caters to flexible young professionals and artists of all virtues. Many lofts have grown organically within these abandoned factories and provide perceptible independence and freedom to their inhabitants while being but a walking distance from the city’s core areas.
The weight is shifting toward more traditional residential apartment buildings that are being constructed predominantly in the eastern parts of the neighbourhood. These are being balanced out by office buildings sprouting in the western parts that are becoming the home of more and more creative and media companies moving in from the entire region.
There is so much demand for residential space that many new residential buildings sell out before they’re finished. For these reasons, the listed prices of properties are usually at par with the building cost, and the closing prices will most likely be higher than the list price. Talk to a knowledgeable agent or a Realtor® who knows the developer to explore any special pricing options.
Due to active development efforts in the area, we expect that the face of Liberty Village will change dramatically within the next few months. You can wait for it if you’re the adventurous type, or you can take your pick now and start the mortgage approval process and saving up for the down payment. It’s likely that many of the newly marketed units will be fought for like fresh, warm bread in a bakery, so you want to be ready for everything. If the other buyer in line for a particular unit is pre-approved and you’re not, you’re at a massive disadvantage.
Claim your listing now if you want to take a shot a moving to Liberty Village at a reasonable price or wait to see it grow and expand in size, comfort, and price (at the same time) from the outside.
August 10th, 2011 · No Comments · Toronto Real Estate News
Doggelganger
Not so long ago, The Pedigree Adoption Drive in New Zealand came up with a unique project: a website where you can find the perfect dog for you! It uses “human to canine pairing software” that enables you to find a dog in need that looks just like you! Well, more or less, at least…
The whole process is pretty easy: simply click on Doggelganger website and start your search. First, you have two options: you can either upload a picture from your computer or you can take a new picture using your webcam. After the picture is uploaded, the website will tell you whether it’s suitable for comparison. If the answer is yes, the software runs through a large database of shelter dogs looking for a new guardian — and a new friend, of course — and picks the dog that resembles you the most.
Even though you probably won’t be able to adopt a dog from another continent, you may still have a great time pairing yourself to a shelter pooch. You can’t tell me you’ve never wondered how you would have looked if you were a dog!
How does it work?
Doggelganger
Doggelganger uses NEC’s facial recognition technology, which is normally used for border control and anti-terrorism initiative. The software scans single portions of your face and then compares them to portions of dogs’ faces.
Surprisingly, although the technology has never been used this way before, it brought up very interesting results. The software provided rather unexpected matches when comparing various people to dogs; the comparison accuracy often reaches over 60 per cent!
So what happens if you like your match and you’re willing to find out more? Simply fill in the brief form provided by the website after the pairing process is finished and wait for your reply. You should receive it pretty soon, written in the name of your dog twin, asking you to come meet him (or her) in person (in dog?) at the shelter where he or she currently resides.
If everything works out fine and you seem to enjoy each other’s company, you’re basically free to take your new pal back home with you. Or, if the shelter is too far from your home, the reply points you to a nearby shelter, where you can find another similar dog. Isn’t that awesome?
What’s the point?
The problem with stray dogs is that there is never enough space for them. Their numbers are growing every day and they just don’t leave the shelters quickly enough. Sadly, there are not many people interested in adopting a shelter pooch. That’s why the people from TPDA felt like they should try something new to gain some attention, and that’s when they came up with this brilliant idea.
A few studies have shown an interesting fact: people seem to get on much better with dogs with whom they share visual characteristics, as they seem to be remarkably attuned to each other psychologically as well.
According to several websites, the project has been a great success so far. The whole process of pairing you with a real homeless dog has suddenly made the adoption of a shelter dog much more intimate and personal. That’s why the project truly has the power to encourage people to choose to adopt a dog from a shelter.
There’s probably only one major problem with this project: although anyone can try to be paired with a dog, only New Zealand citizens are able to adopt their dog soulmate. So far, there have not been any attempts to spread this idea across different parts of the world. It’s a shame — stray dogs are simply everywhere and probably every country would benefit from such a creative solution to the problem of canine homelessness. You can still donate, but if you’re really looking for a new four-legged, barking friend, you need to look for her at your local shelters. Well, maybe it’s not really too important to look like your dog, but it would’ve been a lot of fun, wouldn’t it? After all, the project allows people and dogs to become connected in a way in which they never were before.
So what do you think? Could Doggelganger work in Canada as well?
According to the latest news, tuition fees in Canada have been on a steep rise for over 20 years. True, the increase has somewhat slowed in the last decade, but the growth of tuition fees is still double our inflation figure and makes education increasingly expensive for students and their families.
Accumulating thousands in debt as a teenager is not an easy burden to live with. This means that all your prospects, your future outlooks as far as you can see, have you pay back what you’ve once spent in a quest to improving your life. The imperative of loan premiums slashes your discretionary income (that is, the money left in your pocket after you’ve paid all your necessary recurring expenses) and leaves you with virtually nothing but the anticipation of your next paycheque.
If this is indeed your case, you will have quite a hard time qualifying for a mortgage big enough to buy you the condo or house of which you’ve dreamt. According to Statistics Canada, it takes students about 7.4 years to pay back their education-related loans. This is quite a long time, and there are people who take even longer to rid themselves of this immense burden. This means that many people with university education may not be ready for a major new obligation until they are thirty.
In these cases, it is crucial that the young person manage her or his finances meticulously in order to keep her or his credit rating on a good level. Good credit rating may allow the young person to take on a larger mortgage sooner when her or his salary increases enough to allow for this additional expense.
Fortunately, when one takes on mortgage, there is no more rent to pay; what used to be rent money can go straight to the mortgage payment. Also, there is no need to purchase life insurance until there are people dependent on the breadwinner (children, spouse, or relatives). Hopefully, your degree will help you land a higher paying job that will in turn earn you your financial freedom faster.
So even if you are flooded with debt, don’t give up. If you have been disciplined enough thus far, chances are you can withstand the indebtedness period and move on with your life soon. It’s up to you to make all the sweat worth it. We’ll be crossing our fingers for you and we’ll be keeping an eye on your dream house for you so you can buy it as soon as you’re ready. Good luck!
Attention all TV show lovers! There's a new addition to our Movies shot in Toronto section. Hundreds of movies have been shot in Toronto and our beautiful city is still one of the most popular filmmakers' destinations. You could probably name a few of the movies right now.
But where are movies strong, there is also television! We bring a review of the top currently-airing Toronto-featured television series in our 2011 Top Toronto TV Shows Review. Enjoy!
August 4th, 2011 · No Comments · Done Deals, Toronto Press, Toronto Real Estate News
158 ROXTON ROAD
The Agent’s Take:
“It was a great old house with lots of potential, and was right across from a park,” agent Julie Kinnear says. “And of course, it’s steps to all the cool stuff in Little Italy.”
August 3rd, 2011 · No Comments · Toronto Real Estate News
SOMA chocolatemaker
King St. West is known for its rows of fabulous bars and lounges, but recently, I discovered a different kind of bar—a chocolate bar. Yes, SOMA Chocolatemaker has finally graced the west end with a new location at King and Spadina. With the original location still operating in the Distillery District, the King location is far more accessible for those spur-of-the-moment chocolate urges.
I have been to my fair share of chocolate shops and dessert specialty restaurants, but none have been as effortlessly casual and welcoming as SOMA. While it may seem quaint from the outside, it’s large and spacious on the inside with a high ceiling and a sitting area towards the back. The décor is rather earthy, complete with wood and stone accents covering the surfaces. I didn’t check out the large sitting area in the back, but I thoroughly enjoyed the bar-style sitting area right in front of the window where I could munch and people-watch at the same time.
Lacy Chocolate Hearts
by SOMA
When you enter, there is a small store where you can buy various products like bars, cocoa powder, and other chocolate-based items; the prices are reasonable considering that everything is fresh and made in-house. You can buy items like cocoa powder and chocolate-covered nuts in bulk, but do be prepared to pay anywhere from $20-$30, depending on the quantity and the item. However, the good news is that if you want to go easy on your wallet and your weight, you can opt for one of the small sampler packs, which won’t set you back more than about $10.
Now, if you’re really a chocolate lover, you are probably better off heading straight to their chocolate display, complete with several varieties and flavors of individual pieces. The price is $2 per piece, which, from my experiences, is a standard price in these kinds of specialty shops. They have a large selection, but I decided to try out an orange piece and an olive oil piece. I was expecting the traditional orange cream base or a chunk of chocolate made with orange essence, but was left very impressed with the quality. The filling had the texture of shredded coconut, which probably came from the orange zest infused into the piece. The olive oil piece was also very well-made, as you could taste a light hint of the oil, as well as feel the smoothness of the chocolate. The best part about SOMA’s chocolate? It’s not overly sweetened. They do an excellent job of balancing flavors and maintaining a hint of that rich cacao flavor in every piece.
Aleppo Chilli Pepper Truffle
by SOMA
So far so good, but my experience still didn’t end there; I went into nostalgic bliss when I took one glance at their drink/coffee menu. I grew up with an appreciation for South American flavors; one particular taste that pleased my palette was a special Peruvian hot chocolate that is infused with chili peppers and has a strong, robust flavor. And you know what? SOMA makes it! This drink is truly the icing on this already mouthwatering, metaphorical cake. I had gotten a hold of the special hot chocolate mix from a friend who brought it directly from Peru, and since then, I have never seen it anywhere on the East Coast or in Toronto. Infused with chili, ginger, and cacao, steamed milk has never tasted so good. They did full justice to the original flavors, and it provides a refreshing kick, especially after a long day of work. It’s called the Mayan Hot Chocolate, and in case you happen to be lactose intolerant, you can ask to have it made with water instead of milk.
There is no dearth of chocolate in Toronto, but SOMA stands out because it is one of the few specialty shops that has resisted the urge of converting into a full scale restaurant. Its simplicity is what makes the experience truly enjoyable. Furthermore, because of the small scale, the staff is extremely attentive and friendly. It does a perfect job at providing gourmet products with a no-frills atmosphere—definitely one of my new favorite spots in the city!
When you’re on a quest to erase your ecologic footprint, the installation of solar panels may be a great step towards living greener. Or it may be a completely uneconomical solution with real efficiency closing towards zero. Why? Well, nothing is as simple as it seems and this topic cannot be reduced to a simple debate of using solar energy vs. not using it. That’s why we’re going to take a deeper look at the problem.
Basics First; What Is Solar Energy?
Solar Energy is electromagnetic radiation (including infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light) emitted by thermonuclear reactions in the core of the sun. In a wider sense, solar energy is the source of all energy used by our civilization — with the exception of nuclear or geothermal energy, of course — as its indirect forms include hydroelectricity, ocean thermal energy, tidal energy, and wind energy. Solar radiation is also the key element of photosynthesis, which is the original source of the energy contained in biomass, peat, coal, and petroleum. However, the term solar energy usually refers to the amount of the sun’s radiant energy harnessed by specific devices for a specific purpose, which is also the case of solar panels.
The purpose of solar panels is to collect solar radiation and actively convert its energy into electricity. Each panel is comprised of several individual solar cells, which work pretty similarly to large semiconductors and use a large-area p-n junction diode. When they’re exposed to sunlight, the solar energy is transformed by the diodes into usable electrical energy. Photons striking the surface of the solar panels generate energy, which allows electrons to be pushed out of their orbits and released. Thereafter, electric fields in the solar cells pull these free electrons in a directional current, from which electricity can be generated with the use of metal contacts. The overall electrical output the solar panel can produce is directly proportional to both the quantity and quality of solar cells within the panel.
Are There Good Conditions For Using Solar Panels in Canada?
That’s a good question. Contrary to popular myths (just like that of solar panels being inefficient in cold climates and so on), solar activity levels are quite high in Canada. In most of the populated regions of Canada, our sunshine radiation is no less than many other countries where solar products are very popular. For example, Canada has 20 per cent more sunlight strength than Germany, while Ontario is at the same latitude with Austria. In Germany, the usage of solar energy is more than 100 times higher in comparison to Canada, while one out of every seven Austrian homes has a solar panel system. Furthermore, experimental research shows that solar radiation in Toronto is comparable to levels measured in Miami!
From the environmental point of view, going for renewable energy resource alternatives is always worth it. Unfortunately, there’s also the economic side of the coin that usually needs to be taken into consideration. So how can you make initial installation costs worth the investment?
Ideally, any solar products for your home should be installed by a reputable professional. You need to make sure that the installation and the quality of any home solar panel is high. Being too careful with costs in the beginning is definitely not going to pay off in the long run: more expensive usually means more efficient, and the more efficient your panels are, the sooner your initial installation expenses will return. Plus, if you plan on selling your home someday, solar panels also provide additional value to your property.
In any case, doing the math is the key. The first step is determining your average daily usage. This value is expressed in kilowatt hours (kWh) and you can figure it out by simply looking back at your past electricity bills, which should show a total number of kilowatt hours used for the month. Multiply the number by 1000 to get the monthly watt/hours of electricity, then divide it by the number of days in a month to determine average daily usage. The next thing to do is to calculate how much electricity you’ll need. How many hours of sunlight do you have available each day to power your solar panels? Use the lowest number of hours (on the shortest day of the year in your area) and divide your average daily kWh usage by the number of hours, and now you have the amount of electricity you need to power your home.
Next, calculate the installation costs. Different manufacturers charge different rates for their products. Take a look at their prices (usually $/watt) and multiply your kWh/hour of daylight to determine the total cost per watt.
ecoENERGY Home Retrofit Program
ecoACTION Logo
Does the price look too high? Don’t worry: the Canadian government still offers grants for private solar panels installations, and an extension of the popular ecoENERGY Home Retrofit program was announced on June 6, 2011. To qualify for such grant, you will need a home energy audit before you start working on home improvements, as well a direct registration with the program before booking their evaluation.
An energy audit costs usually around $350+HST in Ontario. However, the Ontario government will send you a cash rebate of $150 as a part of the Ontario Home Energy Audit Program, which reduces the final expenses. During an audit, an energy advisor will look for your home’s energy leaks and show you how to fix them, and you will also be provided with your personalized Energy Efficiency Evaluation Report and a plan that can lower your energy bills.
Conclusion
The answer is definitely YES; solar panels usually represent a worthy investment. On the other hand, you need to meet two basic requirements: don’t go for the cheap ones, as their efficiency is sometimes closing towards zero, and don’t waste energy unnecessarily. No matter how green the technology you use, there is no need to spend more electricity than necessary. If anything, it saves your money!
If you aren’t looking for it, you will walk right past it! The “Bay Adelaide Gardens and the Cloud Forest Conservatory” – or Cloud Gardens – is a small park in the heart of downtown Toronto. Located on Richmond Street just east of Bay Street, this elaborate park sits on only half an acre of land and yet, is an attraction all Torontonians should visit! In the midst of a vibrant, busy, and sometimes overwhelming city, Cloud Gardens provides a wonderful haven.
The park developed as a result of a deal struck during the development of the Bay Adelaide Centre. The city allowed the Centre to build higher than the official plan limits. In exchange, the developers gave a small portion of the lot to the city, and spent $5 million to build a park.
In spite of its ‘small size’, the park is one of the more elaborate in Toronto. This modern park features a network of pathways, which is lined with trees around a semi-circular lawn. The eastern part of the park has several walkways which climb past a waterfall. The gorgeous waterfall, which masks the sounds of the city, is five stories, and pours 1800 gallons of water a minute! The waterfall then cascades into a lower waterfall, and a series of pools designed to operate year-round. The design of Cloud Gardens is actually a winning entry of a design competition – a testament to its creative interweaving of terraces, ramps, stairs, bridges and more.
One of the most interesting parts of Cloud Garden is a small greenhouse, which is set to cool and moist conditions of certain mountain ecosystems. The conservatory hosts tropical cloud forests, which naturally occur in high elevations in tropical mountainous regions. The idea behind the greenhouse is to provide a year-round garden, with tree ferns, palms, and exotic plants, which directly contrast to the woodland garden (which contains native oak, maple, ash and hemlock trees), also located on the property. No matter where you stand, Cloud Gardens offers a gorgeous green view – a perspective that is very unique in concrete Toronto.
Cloud Gardens is a particularly unique place –not only in its design, but also its location.To me, this small but beautiful garden serves as a minder to Torontonians about how important it is to (literally) stop and smell the flowers. Its strategic location aims to remindthose caught in the hustle and bustle of Toronto’s fast-paced business life about the joys outside of Toronto. In the heart of the concrete downtown core, Cloud Gardens offers tranquility and the opportunity to commune with nature that every person in Toronto should experience.
July 27th, 2011 · No Comments · Toronto Real Estate News
180 Panorama
Panorama boasts having “Toronto’s Best View,” and frankly, I can’t really argue with that. However, my sky-high expectations (no pun intended) were not entirely met by this cozy little locale up in the air.
When I went to Panorama and the initial enamour wore off, the first thing I thought was, “Hey, this place has the potential to offer a great night.” There is a $5 cover charge at the bottom of the elevator, and when you walk in, there’s a restaurant area with a bar in the middle. The setup is definitely very fresh and summery with a white and metallic theme throughout the venue.
My strongest suggestion is to keep your credit card cool and avoid showing up for dinner. It’s crowded, and the dinner crowd inevitably gets mixed in with the partygoers. Furthermore, the food is not really worth the price. There’s a big difference between food that sounds good and food that actually tastes good. The price range is about $30-$50 per person, which is normal for a place with this kind of reputation, but the selection and the flavours failed to impress me. Also, if you’re thinking that you’ll be okay with eating mediocre food as long as you get to enjoy the view, think again: the only view you’ll have while you eat is of other people eating.
Another problem in the food department is that the service is rather lacking for both food and beverages. I spent more than ten minutes waiting at the entrance to even be greeted by a hostess, and when I got to the bar? Well, the cocktails were good, but the service was just too slow. The staff clearly has not been trained to be efficient, helpful, or any of the other things that would land them a good tip — and finding this out the hard way is not cheap.
However, going back to my original statement, the view really is too good to pass up. Located on the 51st floor of a building on Bay St., you’ll get to experience a breathtaking sight of the Toronto skyline. It’s absolutely gorgeous, and there’s nothing else in Toronto that even remotely compares. Again, though, I have to throw in another “but.” Everyone wants a good view of the skyline, right? Well, in celebration of basic common sense, you would assume that the patio is large and spacious, right? Wrong. The patio is extremely cramped compared to the volume of people that show up, and to make it worse, they decided to incorporate a bottle service booth on the patio. There’s a patio on the north side, but, as you would expect, it’s empty. It still bewilders me why the designers thought that anyone would be interested in checking out a view of the north side.
Not all hope is lost, though: you can still incorporate Panorama into your night and have a great time. Whether you plan on eating or partying or a little bit of both, my biggest suggestion is to do it somewhere else! I returned a second time at the end of my night, grabbed a drink, and headed straight to the patio. I went around midnight, and surprisingly, it wasn’t as crowded as the first time I had gone. All in all, it can be a great place to wrap up a date or just chill out after a long night. As I say about many places, keep it sweet, simple, and short, and you’ll be sure to enjoy the only good thing about Panorama — the view.
Location:
Manulife Centre - 51st Floor
55 Bloor Street West - Toronto
The phrase ‘energy-efficient’ is one of the loudest buzz words of our time. More than ever before, people want to make efficient use of their resources. Firstly, wasteful behaviour costs a lot of money, and secondly, we tend to care more about our environment lately. Whatever your motivation, there are several things that you can do to improve your home and lessen your ecological footprint at the same time. Let me share with you some of the ‘brightest’ ideas of today.
More Light, More Life
Occasionally, you may realize that your living room, kitchen, or in-house office is too dark in the evening. Even though you light up all the lamps and crank them up at full power, you simply can’t see as well as you’d like. Not only is this insufficient lighting hard on your eyes, but it also decreases your willingness to continue working and may cause you to become drowsy. (Learn more about natural melatonin on Wikipedia, if you’re interested.)
In either case, people usually resort to buying bulbs with more output or even more lamps with more bulbs in them. Although turning your room into a lighting powerhouse is a viable solution, it has its distinct disadvantages. New lamps and bulbs cost money both to purchase and to power. In addition to hurting your wallet, more bulbs hurt the environment as well. So what’s the alternative, you ask? Well, how about brightening your living space instead!
Brightening up your apartment or house is a good way to increase the effectiveness of your current lighting. If you absolutely lack natural light, then by all means shop for lamps. But to get the most of your light sources, you can make a few minor changes to save money and learn how to benefit further from your home.
The most obvious way to brighten up is to paint your rooms with bright colours. Do you already have white walls? Well, how white are they really? Paints are sold in multiple levels of brightness and two types of white can have completely different reflective properties. Sure, paint does cost money initially, but if you add up the savings on the electric bill for years to come (plus the wonderful adventure of painting with your family or friends), I think it’s worth it. Don’t you?
Reflecting Materials
If you have darker walls or wallpapers and don’t feel like repainting, consider purchasing/renovating furniture so that it’s not too dark. Metallic (stainless steel or otherwise) finish is a reflective surface, whereas dark wood is not.
Place mirrors in strategic locations around the room or even around the entire house. If you have small kids, fix the mirrors farther from the ground so they can’t reach them and pull them down, and fix them properly to the walls. Mirrors are great for distributing light across the entire area and, if used well, they’ll improve the ambiance of the room drastically. Don’t hesitate to put plants in front of the mirror to obfuscate it partially — it will still serve its purpose and you’ll also feel as though your rooms have expanded.
If you aren’t up for repainting or purchasing new furniture, maybe you could look for things to clean up or remove from your living area. Every bit of clutter steals a bit of your precious light and darkens the room even more. Whether your things absorb light or just block it, consider what you really need and what you can put away. Maybe your curtains share a bit of the blame; pale curtains will throw more light back into the room than darker ones.
But before you make any major changes, see whether you can rearrange your lamps first. Point all bulbs to where you need light most and use existing mirrors and light surfaces to help you maximize the brightness of your room.
Hopefully, these few tips will brighten your day, and I’m looking forward to hearing your brightening ideas in the comments.
July 21st, 2011 · No Comments · Toronto Real Estate News
Watermark Pub
It can be rather difficult to get out to Toronto Island in the middle of the week, but that doesn’t mean that you have to stay deprived of its natural beauty and sailboats in the middle of our concrete jungle. Watermark Irish Pub is a gorgeous (and spacious!) pub and restaurant with a huge patio right on Lake Ontario.
Watermark Pub Interior
Located on the Harbourfront, Watermark is right by the docks, complete with dinner cruise boats, tourists, and that refreshing breeze. I’ve never eaten inside because the patio is extremely spacious, especially if you compare it to the cramped sidewalk “patios” in the downtown core. If you do want to eat inside, though, you need not read any further. The only reason I find Watermark to be review-worthy is for its great outdoor experience and view; the inside, conversely, is rather cramped and quite dark, reminiscent of the long, cold winter months that you’d probably much rather forget for now.
The food is nothing special, but it is tasty — just as you would expect of typical pub food. I’ve been there a few times, and I won’t lie: I have a bit of an obsession for their sweet potato fries. They’re the perfect snack to munch on with a pitcher of beer. They cost $9, and the rest of the food, as well, is pretty averagely priced — a bit pricier compared to smaller pubs in the downtown core, but nothing extravagant. I’ve also had their bruschetta, $14, which was pretty good, but not the best.
Watermark Pub Interior
In terms of drink selection, avoid the cocktails. I tried the Orange Silk on the waiter’s recommendation since their Blue Wave machine wasn’t working and, well, it wasn’t a pleasant experience. The drink was so sugary and so strong that I ended up with a headache later that night. Stick to a pitcher of reliable beer, and you’ll be happier for it.
They have a small selection of desserts, and they also have a selection of dessert drinks. I have yet to the try the Bailey’s cappuccinos, but judging by the cocktails, I’m not too keen on experimenting.
While this review makes Watermark sound like a two-thumbs-down, that’s not the point I’m trying to convey here. My best advice? Keep it simple! This is not the place for fancy, elaborate wining and dining. It’s a great place to head off to with a good book, some friends, or even with a date at the end of the night. Get some appetizers, grab a beer or a glass of wine, and just sit back on the patio and enjoy the breeze, the view, and the buzzing energy around you, and you’ll be sure to have a fabulous time!
Location: 207 Queen's Quay West, Toronto, ON M5J 1A7
Operating Hours: Mon - Tues: 11:30 am - 10:00 pm
Wed: 11:30 am - 11:00 pm
Thurs: 11:30 am - 12:00 am
Fri: 11:30 am - 1:00 am
Sat: 10:30 am - 1:00 am
Sun: 10:30 am - 10:00 pm
If you’re looking to soak up some history and have fun at the same time, you have to make a trip to the Bata Shoe Museum on the South-West corner of Bloor and St. George. I wouldn’t hesitate to call it the hidden gem of Toronto’s museum collections. The ROM and the AGO are incredible, but their collections are vast, and it can be overwhelming to try to see everything they have to offer. Bata is perfect because you can spend anywhere from one to three hours there and see everything. Their admission prices are lower than the average museum, and they even offer pay-what-you-can on Thursdays from 5:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.
You begin in the basement ,where the majority of the shoes are kept. If you only have a short amount of time to take in the museum, this is the must-see area. I would recommend starting directly to your left so as to keep the timeline clearer for yourself.
The display begins with the shoes of different ancient civilizations (Egypt, Greece, China, etc.) and then moves on to various religious themed shoes, from Buddhism to Catholicism. I would say the standouts of this section are the shoes of Ancient China, where female foot binding was the norm. Some of the women’s shoes are as small as three inches as they strove to keep them from growing since birth.
Another display of note is the occupation section, where you are invited to guess for which employment each shoe was designed. Many of the answers are incredibly surprising, so you’ll want to take your time here. You then move on to a collection of women’s shoes divided by decade. It’s fascinating to see the extreme changes footwear underwent every ten years. The basement exhibit finishes off with a collection of men’s shoes, so there really is something for everyone! And if the kids get tired of the displays, there are shoe-related games to keep them entertained so you can take in all the exhibits you want.
You then make your way upstairs to see their temporary collections. Their current exhibits are “JUNO sole,” “The Roaring Twenties,” and “Native North American Footwear.” If you’re a music buff, you’ll certainly appreciate the vast collection of signed shoes. The colour and bling of the 20s is invigorating, and the intricacy of North American footwear is unbelievable.
It’s the perfect museum to attend with kids because it isn’t too huge and there are lots of things to keep them entertained. But it’s also fun to tour with friends because it brings up so many interesting discussion points. No matter who or what brings you to the Bata Shoe Museum, there is no doubt that you’ll have a blast while you’re there and leave having picked up some great conversation pieces!
July 18th, 2011 · No Comments · Done Deals, Toronto Press, Toronto Real Estate News
343 ALBANY AVENUE
“It wasn’t your average house because it was totally done and ready to go, but part of it was also that it had character,” says Ms. Kinnear, who was especially fond of the lower level.
“It wasn’t your average house because it was totally done and ready to go, but part of it was also that it had character,” says Ms. Kinnear, who was especially fond of the lower level.”
July 18th, 2011 · No Comments · Toronto Real Estate News
La Société
If you’re in the mood for fine French cuisine, I’ve found a lovely new restaurant for you. It’s called La Société and it’s conveniently located at 131 Bloor St. This elegant bistro is newly renovated, and it opened for the public on June 14th.
You enter through the ground-level patio – which will be open to guest seating within the month – and a friendly hostess leads you up the stairs to the main section of the restaurant. Here, you can choose to enjoy your meal on the second-floor patio, in the main dining area, or in the equally lovely bar section. If you’re looking for something more relaxed, the bar has several nice booths that provide you with your own quiet space. On the other hand, the main dining area has a more elegant feel as the daylight streams in from a completely windowed wall along Bloor St. If it’s nighttime, you can ask for a seat by the window and enjoy the city lights and charming view of the hustle and bustle in the downtown streets below.
La Société - Dining Room
The restaurant is well staffed, so it’s easy to catch someone’s attention if you have any questions or concerns. They’re quick to refill water glasses and check in to make sure everything is great. They’re also very knowledgeable about all their menu items and can easily recommend the right meal for you.
If you’re looking for something light, La Société offers some delicious and unique soups and salads. For a fuller meal, you can choose from a variety of meat or seafood dishes or opt for something different like quiche or a dressed up macaroni and cheese. I went with the quiche of the day, which was smoked salmon and brie, and which came with a side salad of crisp mixed greens and cherry tomatoes. Because it was an early lunch, I opted for their raspberry iced tea, but they also offer a variety of fine wines and alcoholic beverages if you’re in the mood. The meal started with a complimentary basket of fresh bread, and for dessert we ordered a tray of house-made macarons, jellies, and chocolate truffles.
The price range is around $15-$30, which is incredibly reasonable for the atmosphere provided and the quality of the food. It’s a great place for a business lunch or a romantic date night. So next time you’re in the mood for quality French cuisine, pay a visit to the always elegant La Société.
Location and Hours of Operation:
Location:
131 Bloor St, Unit 211, Toronto, ON
Hours of Operation:
11:30am - 00:00 - Monday to Thursday
11:30am - 2:00am - Friday
11:00am for Brunch - Saturday & Sunday
11:00am - 2:00am - Saturday
11:00am - 00:00 - Sunday
Open late nightly
July 14th, 2011 · No Comments · Movie Reviews, Toronto Real Estate News
Rainbow Cinemas Sign
Have you noticed that the cost of entertainment has risen significantly over the last few decades? Now, to see a 1.5 hour film, the average Toronto movie-goer pays approximately $12.50, plus tax ($14.13)! If you’re looking for the best value for your entertainment, Magic Lantern and Rainbow Cinemas are here to serve!
Magic Lantern Theatres is a Canadian motion-picture exhibition company with 27 years of history, having been established in Edmonton in 1984. Now, Magic Lantern theatres have expanded into Edmonton, Camrose, Whitecourt, Spruce Grove, St. Paul, Peace Rive, and Saskatoon. Rainbow Cinemas complements already established theatres with multiplex locations in Toronto, London, Ottawa, Sudbury, Saskatoon, and Regina.
The downtown Toronto location is located in the heart of the historic St. Lawrence Market. Located at 80 Front Street East (between Church and
Jarvis) and close to both Union station and King Street, Rainbow Cinema offers customers prime entertainment in a prime location. Best of all, it embraces both the intimate and quirky feel of the area to provide customers with a special viewing experience.
Rainbow Cinemas Interior
The Rainbow Cinema exterior is friendly, with bright neon lights and an array of colours inviting patrons in. When you first enter the cinema, what stands out is the open-concept lobby, with its warm lights and inviting sounds coming from the grand piano (played on select days to enhance the customer experience of both ticket purchase and viewing pleasure). The Rainbow Cinema has great character: the exciting floor-to-ceiling murals on the wall were designed by Ontario-based artist Fred Harrison, and the upper lobby has an art gallery open to the public with periodically-changing pieces. Its emphasizes accessible art, which goes hand in hand with its low admission prices.
At the “Market Square” location, the prices (including tax) are as follows:
Tuesday (all day, all shows) – $5.00
Child (ages 3 to 13) – $ 6.00
Seniors (ages 65 +) – $ 6.00
Adult (ages 14 – 64, matinée showing) – $7.00
Adult (ages 14 – 64, evening showing) – $9.00
The incredible prices are not Rainbow Cinema’s only bargain. Group rate, corporate packages, and party packages are all offered by the company to provide patrons with an excellent deal.
Rainbow Cinemas Showtimes
Of course, you get what you pay for. The Market Square location has only six auditoriums, generally offering about half the seating of a Cineplex, with much smaller screens. Despite this, Rainbow cinema provides a very pleasant viewing experience. The seats are plush and comfortable, viewing is never a problem, movie selection offers recent releases, and the popcorn is always buttery. A warning to patrons: Tuesday nights are often very crowded and generally do not lend well to a good viewing experience. If you must attend on a Tuesday, consider coming early to the theatre to reserve your seat. Daytime showings tend to be the best, with sparse attendance.
The best part of Rainbow Cinemas is the customer service. Friendly attendants and intimate settings are only the beginning. Rainbow Cinema offers a “Movies for Mommies” showing, where a special presentation of a movie (or movies) are aired in a “baby-friendly” environment. A party room is available for both meetings and “Hollywood-style birthday fun” accompanied with a movie viewing. In the end, Rainbow Cinema is about the experience.
To learn more about all Magic Lantern Theatres and Rainbow Cinemas, check out their website.
Rainbow Cinemas - Market Square 80 Front Street E. at Jarvis
Toronto, ON M5E 1T4
According to Greater Toronto REALTORS®, last month‘s home sales went up by 21 per cent in year-to-year comparison, as 10,230 homes were sold last June in GTA. It represents the third best June result on record behind 2007 and 2009. However, the number of transactions in the first half of 2011 went down by 4.5 per cent compared to the first six months of 2010, ending up at 48,189.
July 13th, 2011 · No Comments · Done Deals, Toronto Press, Toronto Real Estate News
1 SHAW STREET
“It’s a new gorgeous building, and the best part is that it has a balcony that’s significantly larger than your average condo balcony,” agent Julie Kinnear says.
July 12th, 2011 · No Comments · Article of the Week, FAQ, Toronto Real Estate News
Previously, the only option available for someone who parked temporarily on a residential street outside of the allotted hours was a one-week parking permit for $20 — which is still available — or the other less popular option: a $30 parking ticket.
Films that use real estate as a central motif are not unusual. The topic of real estate often emerges in the background in movies that deal with relationships — sometimes as a central conflict. When was the last time you saw a movie in which someone buys a house and everything goes well? You probably haven’t because there would be no interesting plot without a conflict. However, this can create a deceiving illusion of real estate deals as anything but a pleasant experience — not to mention the perception of realtors, who are so often portrayed as mean, greedy, sleazy, and deceptive people… or are they?
Real Estate Films
Did you know that the first real estate film ever was made in 1912? It was called A Real Estate Deal and it was a silent short comedy directed by Dell Henderson and written by S.R. Osborn. The film featured two real estate clerks (played by Edward Dillon and Henderson himself) trying to sell a home to a fisherman (Charles Murray). The film itself is pretty much unknown and, unfortunately, impossible to find.
These days, there are two genres that most often touch upon the topic of real estate. There are family dramas (The Money Pit, for example), and even more commonly, horrors and thrillers. The combination sounds strange at first, but it makes sense: in both cases, the plot usually starts with someone buying a new house and moving in afterward. All of a sudden, something goes wrong. In the case of horrors and thrillers, the new inhabitants are often terrorized by ghosts, monsters, or psychopathic landlords or neighbours (though this can probably also be applied to family comedies — have you seen Duplex?). In the case of family dramas, new homeowners are often mutually terrorized by one another. It’s hard to guess which is worse.
Some of you may remember the article about stigmatized houses we published some time ago. We mentioned The Amityville Horror House, which got pretty famous after its story was turned into one of the scariest horror movies in the history of film. No wonder buyers are even more curious about houses’ histories today. Some people just don’t seem to like the idea of living on sacred Native American burial ground. It sometimes makes you wonder whether they would feel the same without all the scary stories.
The majority of real-estate-related spookiness certainly sheds some darkness on the real estate sector. But what about realtors themselves? How do they usually look and act in films? And most importantly, how are they depicted in films that are definitely not about real estate? Let’s take a look at some of the most well-known realtor characters, along with some not-so-famous protagonists. Warning! Some parts of the following text may contain spoilers, so you might want to skip them if you plan to see these films.
Realtors In Movies
American Beauty Poster
1. Carolyn Burnham in American Beauty (played by Annette Benning)
Carolyn is probably the most stereotypical picture of a realtor. On the one hand, she is a smart, hard-working, and strong-willed woman who always tries hard to seal the deal. On the other hand, she’s having a hard time hiding her own self-consciousness issues while trying to protect her lifestyle and trying to break out of it at the same time.
Her character fits the context of the movie perfectly. The surface shines, while the inside rots. How often do we actually dream of being somewhere else with someone else, after all? However, in the end, when she doesn’t turn out to be her husband’s killer, it leaves the judgement of her character to the audience. She is definitely not a bad person, but she is also probably not someone you’d want to befriend.
Are We Done Yet? Poster
2. Chuck Mitchell jr. inAre We Done Yet? (played by John C. McGinley)
Are We Done Yet is a mediocre comedy, but thanks to its interesting characters and plot, it’s probably still worth watching.
When Nick Persons (Ice Cube) brings his new wife Suzanne (Nia Long) and her two children into his old apartment, he quickly realizes that it’s simply not big enough. Another baby is on the way, so the only logical conclusion is to move into a bigger house. And that’s when he hires Chuck (John C. McGinley), the realtor who’s there to provide him with the house of his dreams. But Chuck is not just a realtor. After he sells your home, he is also your contractor, the city building inspector, a midwife, an electrician, a baby whisperer, and many other things, including a fire dancer and a former professional basketball player.
Under the absurd context of Chuck’s multiple occupations lies yet another typical realtor depiction. Chuck is an opportunist, a businessman willing to do anything to make profit, someone who seems helpful, but in the end (though the story ends well and he’s definitely not a bad guy), he’s simply too much trouble and someone with whom you should avoid making deals.
Lethal Weapon 3 Poster
3. Leo Getz in Lethal Weapon 3 (played by Joe Pesci)
Joe Pesci returns in Lethal Weapon 3 in the role of Leo Getz, an enthusiastic police collaborator — and a real estate agent. Fun fact: originally, Pesci’s character was left out in the script and all his scenes were written afterwards. Wouldn’t it have been a shame to omit him?
Getz arrives right in the middle of the investigation process and immediately starts to assist his friends, Murtaugh and Cole. Though he is not the hero, he certainly serves as a more positive example of a movie realtor. He’s funny, useful, and willing to help. Unlike the first two films, the primary function of the real estate agent character isn’t being a realtor. Rather, Leo serves as a useful and reliable advisor.
Hollywood Homicide Poster
4. Joe Gavilan in Hollywood Homicide (played by Harrison Ford)
Now for something completely different. How about a moonlighting real estate broker and a homicide detective in one person? Harrison Ford stars as Joe Gavilan, an L.A. policeman, who more or less successfully combines the real estate business with chasing gangsters and solving crimes.
In the movie, he is joined by young K.C. Calden (Josh Hartnett). The new partners are assigned to investigate the murders of four men who were shot in a nightclub. During the investigation, Gavilan is distracted by a looming real estate deal that may become his key to getting out of debt, while Calden pursues his acting career dreams by trying to attract Hollywood talent agents.
Though Gavilan’s real estate life interferes with his work as a detective, he still remains a dedicated police officer who does his best to solve the case. In a way, the film points out to the usually overlooked sides of our lives. Business is not always about making as much money as possible. Though Hollywood Homicide is no serious melodrama, apart from all the action, the movie also tries to say that even real estate brokers and cops have to deal with the same day-to-day issues as the rest of us.
Indecent Proposal Poster
5. Diana and David Murphys in Indecent Proposal (played by Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson)
Demi and David have loved each other since they were children. Now they are married and facing a financial crisis. In a desperate attempt to beat their unfavourable fate, they decide to try their luck in Vegas, where they hope to win enough money to finance David’s fantasy real estate project. However, their plan turns out to be a catastrophic failure. After losing all their savings, they run into billionaire John Gag (Robert Redford), who is attracted to Diana. He seems to like her so much that he’s willing to pay a million dollars to spend one night with her — an offer that, given David’s and Diana’s extremely difficult situation, seems impossible to refuse.
A contract is signed the next day and shortly after that, the arrangement is consummated. David is hoping to forget the whole incident, but despite his efforts, he grows increasingly insecure about his marriage. His insecurity is heightened when Diana discovers that Gage has bought their home while it was going into foreclosure.
Though the film has often been criticized for being too much of a romantic cliché, it is still a good story about morality and desperation. Unlike some other movies, the realtor characters are portrayed as ordinary people, with all their strengths and weaknesses, and the analysis of their actions and motivations dwells deeper under the surface of their lives than usual.
Confusion or Conclusion?
Surprisingly, the image of realtors in movies is not as one-sided as you would probably have expected. Though they have some features in common (for example, a certain level of pragmatic thinking), many of their traits are quite unique. It seems to depend on the role of real estate business in the context of the movie.
But is there such thing as a stereotype of a movie realtor? I guess we would need more examples to answer that question. And that’s why we’re not finished yet! In the next part of the article, we’ll take a closer look at another handful of movies and TV shows with realtor characters, including probably the best real estate film ever!
Empire of The Ants Poster
6. Marilyn Fryser in Empire of the Ants (played by Joan Collins)
Most of the films we mentioned in the first article were relatively good, according to both critics and the audience. Well, Empire of the Ants is a truly bad movie.
Marilyn Fryser, a sleazy Realtor played by Joan Collins, takes a group of potential investors to a Florida resort island, where they are attacked by giant, monstrous ants mutated by nuclear waste. Sounds awesome, doesn’t it?
Marilyn represents a conscienceless businesswoman trying to sell shares of a worthless construction project to a naive group of inexperienced buyers. Despite extreme circumstances, she doesn’t quite have a change of heart, but this could probably be attributed to almost no character development throughout the story in general. We did mention this isn’t one of the greatest films, right?
From now on, let’s continue with films (and TV shows) that are actually worth watching.
I Love You Man Poster
7. Peter Klaven in I Love You, Man (played by Paul Rudd)
L.A. realtor Peter Klaven has a beautiful fiancé, a great job, and a little problem: he lacks a best buddy to be best man for his wedding. Time is running out, and Peter decides to try “man dating” several man, which unfortunately results in nothing but a series of awkward situations. He’s just about to give up when, during an open house at one of his clients’ estate, he meets Sydney Fife (Jason Segel), an investor who admits to be attending the showing simply to pick up divorced women. Despite having different personalities, the two quickly become good friends. However, nothing is as simple as it seems…
Peter is a cool guy. He’s a funny, charismatic, and good-hearted man who truly believes in the lifestyle he leads. However, even he eventually realizes that he’s been stuck in a routine. That’s when Sydney steps into his life to remind him of some important values he’s left behind. Of all the films we’ve mentioned, Peter represents probably the most positive portrayal of a realtor.
Cougar Town
Real Estate Poster
8. Jules Cobb in Cougar Town (played by Courtney Cox)
Cougar Town is a TV show that has gained quite a following so far, and its popularity is still on a rise. That’s probably nothing to be surprised about: the overall quality of the show is very high, and its content reflects on daily worries that many of us face.
Cougar Town Poster
Jules Cobb is a successful real estate agent from a small town in Florida. She is a divorced woman in her forties, raising her 17-years-old son Travis and having no success in finding the right man of her age group. She tried to relive her 20s and make up for lost time by dating younger men, but she realized the limitations of her age and has had relationships with older men. Her “bad habit” of speaking her mind without thinking often makes her life hard.
Jules is said to be the unifying bond among her friends. She is also a loving mother (sometimes maybe a little too loving). Though she has no boundaries and she isn’t afraid of poking her nose into anyone else’s business, she truly is a reliable and good person who is always there for her friends and her son.
Modern Family Poster
9. Phil Dunphy in Modern Family (played by Ty Burrel)
This is another TV show featuring a realtor in its cast. This time, however, not as the main character, but as a part of a big, chaotic family full of complicated relationships.
Phil Dunphy is a realtor — a cool realtor who self-consciously claims to have the ability to sell a fur coat to an Eskimo. Phil Dunphy is also a dad — a cool dad! At least, that’s what he wants others to believe, as he is constantly trying to bond with his three kids. And even if that means acting a little strange, he has absolutely no problem with that. Phil has his heart in the right place, and he’s not afraid to prove it. Once again, this is a very “humanizing” portrayal of a real estate agent in his everyday life.
Glengarry Glen Ross Poster
10. Realtors in Glengarry Glen Ross
We were saving the best for last. Though it was not a commercial success, this conversational independent dramatic film is probably the best real estate movie ever. It was adapted from David Memet’s Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play of the same name in 1992. Memet wrote the script himself, while James Foley took care of the direction.
The film pictures a story of four real estate salesmen who become desperate when the corporate office sends a representative to present them with a “motivational” announcement: in one week, all except the top two realtors will be fired.
The four men are supplied with names and phone numbers of potential clients and regularly use dishonest tactics to make sales. However, many of the leads the office manager rationed out lack either the money or the will to actually invest in land.
Jack Lemmon as Shelley “The Machine” Levene, Al Pacino as Ricky Roma, Ed Harris as Dave Moss, and Alan Arkin as George Aaronow excel in portraying a group of competitive realtors determined to keep their jobs at all costs. Each one of them is different in their tactics, yet all of them share the same goal: to make as many sales as they can. The characters aren’t black and white. For example, Jack Lemmon’s main motivation is to maintain the ability to pay for his sick daughter’s medical expenses, but he resorts to desperate acts in order to succeed in the contest. Ricky Roma is cocky, charismatic, and charming, but also ruthless, dishonest, and amoral, using his clients’ vulnerabilities to his advantage. Dave Moss is a man of great ambition, but has a weak work ethic. George Aaronow has low self-esteem and an extremely dependent nature, and was somewhat forced to become a salesman to support his family after the school where he used to work as a teacher was closed down.
Although the film takes a rather negative approach toward the work of real estate agents, it reflect the competitive nature of any business.
The Answer?
There is probably no such thing as a typical movie or TV realtor. Their roles vary across genres, and they are often influenced by the overall quality of the film. The importance of the character matters a lot, too. If a character’s description is shallow, you’ll probably find a picture of a realtor who is greedy, sleazy, and amoral, with business as his or her ultimate priority. If the script is really good, the realtor is usually described with all the features and values of a common human being.
If the image of realtors in movies and TV is generally not so bad, where do all the negative stereotypes come from? The explanation is simple. Films containing “nice” realtors usually don’t focus on their jobs and show much more of them than their salesman faces. However, the audience doesn’t connect these features with characters’ occupations, as they are able to see them for what they are in daily life. And we’re not even talking about real lives here!
So next time you’re ready to spit some fire out on real estate agents, lawyers, journalists, and other oft-criticized occupations, ask yourself a question: how many of them do you know in person?
The Realtor Movie Poster
by IMDB
Bonus: The Realtor in The Realtor (short, played by Dean St. Louis)
A married couple finds the house of their dreams thanks to Zero Realty. Though everything seems perfect, they’re determined to delay the deal a little bit, hoping to get 12 free meal coupons guaranteed to any client who doesn’t get his/her dream house in 30 days. However, their plan doesn’t work out and things suddenly start to get wild.
You’d better see The Realtor yourself. But we warn you, when we say ‘wild,’ we really mean it!
Julie Kinnear has been in the real estate market for nearly two decades. In fact, our real estate practice celebrated 18 years in Toronto realty just recently.
We are also proud to rank 17th among over 14,200 Royal LePage realty practices. We were awarded the prestigious Chairman’s Club Award for six consecutive years, beginning in 2005. This means that we’ve been in the top 1% of all Royal LePage Realtors® in Canada for the last six years! (That’s longer than some realtors have been on the market.)
While we greatly appreciate our prizes and wonderful rankings, we now want to hear from you. Because what you think matters most. What was your experience with Julie Kinnear and her team?
We would like to ask you to share your story by writing a review on Yelp.ca, one of the most popular business-rating websites in Canada. Let others know how we’re doing and how you liked working with us. You know we enjoyed working with you!
If you would rather not go public with your ideas, we would appreciate your direct feedback. Please contact Julie and her team and let us know what you think. If you want to be super quick, just leave us a comment on the site.
The nirvana for British book lovers is inconspicuously located at 45 Front Street East. You would never guess from its exterior that the Nicholas Hoare Bookstore is huge! Filled with eclectic books covering fiction, current affairs, biographies, travel, and more, you’ll find yourself unable to leave this safe haven.
A Cozy Design
Nicholas Hoare Bookstore
Inside
When you first enter the bookstore, what stands out is the design. Each of the bookstores locations (also in Montreal and Ottawa) were co-designed by Nicholas Hoare and David McDerby (the manager of the Montreal location). “It’s like British country-house library translated into a bookstore” McDerby noted in an interview with the New York Times in 2008. From my personal experience in the Toronto location, I would say McDerby has captured the sentiment exactly.
The Toronto store is gorgeous. It is large with a long slender hallway, peppered with columns of carefully-selected books. In the centre, there is a skylight which opens to warm natural light. Best of all, there are comfy couches set up for readers to sit and enjoy their purchases. I found the design to be an integral part of the bookstore’s appeal. With a cozy ambience, the bookstore reminds customers why print books will continue to remain a fixture in an increasingly-digitalized world.
Hand-picked Selection of Books
Nicholas Hoare Bookstore
Interior
I had the pleasure of speaking to Maxeen, the manager at the Nicholas Hoare Bookstore in Toronto, who told me that the bookstore has been around for twenty-one years. During that time, it has garnered a loyal following of readers who generally are interested in books surround World War Two, art, history, and biographies. Of course, the bookstore features other genres such as mystery and children’s books. For those interested in stopping by to browse the bookstore’s most recent acquisitions, Maxeen recommends the best-seller The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund de Wall which has been flying off the shelves.
The bookstore takes pride in straying away from the “conventional database” and instead, hand-picks and personally reviews a wide range of material. You can find several video reviews by Nicholas Hoare himself, on their website. The bookstore also hosts a number of events in all three locations – including book launches, exhibits, and more – all of which is displayed on their website under Events. You are welcome to come in, browse around, make a purchase, or even buy a gift for a friend!
Store Information
Address: 45 Front Street East, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5E 1B3
Hours: Monday to Saturday: 10 AM to 6 PM Sunday: 12 PM – 6 PM
July 5th, 2011 · No Comments · Done Deals, Toronto Press, Toronto Real Estate News
363 HOWLAND AVE
“The fact it was three storeys with a double garage – those two things tend to attract more people,” says agent Julie Kinnear, who also notes the property is more modern than most. “It has amenities you definitely don’t get in an old house.”
July 1st, 2011 · Comments Off · Kinnear's Krazy Kontest
One Canadian summer tradition is packing all the family up in the car, hittin the road, and the first stop is at Tim Horton’s. Coffee for dad, tea for mom and timbits for everyone!! This month’s gift card is to Tim Horton’s! Why break tradition :)
Just answer the following skill testing question for your chance to win!
One correct answer to the following skill-testing question will be drawn:
It’s always unfortunate when a couple or a family has to dissolve. For one reason or another, people sometimes decide that they will be better off on their own and decide to part ways. In the luckier scenarios, those involved in a break-up are able to sort out their common issues in a respectful and timely manner before letting go, but it isn’t always that simple.
One of the largest common concerns that a long-term relationship brings is common living. A couple usually likes to move in together and share a home for this purpose. A double income and shared expenses help with purchasing a home immensely. Mortgages are much easier (and often cheaper) to come by for couples when both applicants are employed and can support each other throughout the lifetime of the mortgage.
Problems arrive when the couple is not living together anymore. One of the two may decide to move out due to partnership problems and may refuse to contribute to the mortgage payments. This puts the entire mortgage at risk if the remaining person has troubles affording the monthly payments.
As long as the title on the house or condo is shared by both former partners, exposing their ownership to risk is unwise for either of them. If you leave your companion “in it” by himself or herself, he or she may decide to give up the payments if he or she is short on cash. At this point, the lender may come and foreclose on your commonly owned property, depriving you of what is likely the largest investment of your life.
Of course, you may decide to sell your common property prematurely and split the proceeds. While this may be a reasonable decision, don’t forget that every house and condo needs its due share of care. Even if you have to go through a lengthy divorce, make sure that you help each other with the maintenance and upkeep of the property. If the legal process takes too long, you may be in the market with a neglected property that is of much less value than you hoped for.
Don’t let your differences have a huge negative impact in the value of your common properties. Be smart about your money. You will both need it to move on, and there is no need to deprive yourself or your former partner. Even if you think selfishly, you’re still better off selling a good, well-maintained house than a broken-down property under the threat (and time constraint) of foreclosure. At stake are your credit rating, your financial security, and your well-being going forward.
Some common solutions for divorcing couples are the following:
One of the two purchases the other’s half of the property and thus acquires full ownership.
The couple is able to manage a timely home sale and split the proceeds evenly.
The couple vacates the property and rents it out while continuing with their shared mortgage payments (aided by the rental income). This would be the most challenging option, but may make the most financial sense in some cases.
The next time you get into a row with your former partner, think about the value and the past struggles that are at stake and let that vision motivate you to resolve your issues rationally. If in doubt about whether this is possible, make sure your ex-partner reads this article before you engage in further communication.
A good salesman is always looking for new and more effective ways to reach his potential customers. The recent trend for most of marketers is to reach their customers as quickly and effectively as possible. Maybe that’s why there has been so much debate about using Quick Response codes in real estate marketing recently. But are they really so effective? Perhaps a better question is: are they being used effectively.
Stephen Dupuis, President and CEO of the Building Industry & Land Development Association, recently wrote a comment on the growing usefulness of QR codes in the construction industry.
Mr. Dupuis emphasizes the ability of QR codes to “allow potential purchasers the chance to take virtual tours of condominium foyers, individual units and even see the view from a floor that hasn’t even been built yet” along with providing potential purchasers additional information on the builder and other projects nearby — all from viewing a newspaper advertisement. While this certainly sounds interesting, the practical usability of this solution is questionable, just like the future of QR codes themselves, as Dupuis admits.
“Whether it’s a passing fad or here to stay, these QR codes are a great tool that gets information about the development industry,” he concluded. Well, are they?
Wait a second — what is a Quick Response code?
Example QR code
by Wikimedia commons
If you’re already familiar with the concept of quick response codes, you may want to skip this part. For those who would like to educate themselves a little, a Quick Response (QR) code is a specific matrix barcode (two-dimensional code) readable by dedicated QR barcode readers and camera-equipped mobile phones. The encoded information may contain text, URL, and other data.
An example of a QR code, source: Wikipedia.org
QR codes were originally created in Japan, where they are pretty common, being one of the most popular types of 2D barcodes. The West, until recently, has been slower in adopting this technology. However, the support for QR codes has been growing rapidly during the last few years.
There are various ways in which QR codes can be used, ranging from art through entertainment to marketing. In Japan, they are even used at cemeteries as a way of sharing additional information and uniting mourners.
At the moment, QR codes are supported by almost all smart phones; many Android, Nokia, and Blackberry phones come with QR code readers pre-installed.
QR code hype vs. real usage
Marketing and technology always go hand-in-hand, and today the goal is to get the message across as quickly and effectively as possible. The philosophy of QR codes reflects these two basic conditions, and they seem to come in handy when promoting traditional products.
According to many, they were bound to become “the next big thing” in real estate. Just a few months ago, the QR code hype was reaching its peak, and real estate marketing bloggers have been very enthusiastic in sharing tips for their most effective usage. But do these tips really work?
Let’s get to the facts. According to a recent study by Quorus, only 45% of Canadians are aware of the codes, while only one in ten are actually using them. Which QR codes are the most frequently scanned? Product barcodes were the most popular of “last scanned” codes (22%), followed by magazine and newspaper barcodes, BBM barcodes, grocery items (all 14%), airline tickets, other phones, and coupons and promotions (all 5%). You can have a closer look for more info here.
On the other hand, the overall usage of QR codes is growing every day. People mostly scan them to get additional product information, while a minority of users also use QR codes for mobile payment.
The problem here is obvious: the lack of actual data that would shed some light on the efficiency of QR codes. Nothing answers the question of whether a potential customer that scans the QR code of a product actually buys the product afterwards; No research seems to address the consequences of QR code use.
New technology requires a new attitude
In real estate marketing, just like in any other area of business, using a QR code is useful to the seller only if it’s useful to the buyer.
Jeff Turner, President of Zeek Interactive and the Founder and creative force behind Real Estate Shows, believes that QR codes should offer something special instead of being mere alternatives to common URLs. To him, being special isn’t the same as being different.
“Why should you use a QR code?” he wrote on his blog. “To be different is not good enough for me. If you’re going to get me to use it and be happy about it, make it worth my time. Make it about me, not about you. Too much focus in on the ‘perceived’ benefit to the agent.”
In other words, the use of technology shouldn’t become an end in itself. It should be purposeful and targeted. It should be aimed to benefit the potential customer. Most real estate agents simply put their website’s encoded URL on their business cards or signs and direct anyone who scans them right into their online presentations. But what purpose does it serve if the website isn’t “QR-visitor-friendly?" If it isn’t, scanning a QR code is almost no different than using a standard hyperlink.
Finally, certain technologies may not serve everyone the same way. Traditional methods of marketing might work better within some local markets. Some agents are simply more effective with more “old school” approaches. Some people are simply more comfortable doing stuff “the old way” unless they’re truly convinced that the “new way” is much better. And no barcode device will ever convince them; only the marketer can. Change must always begin from the inside.
Many new ideas are often implemented almost without any consideration of their true potential. Technology itself isn’t the ultimate key to success: it’s much more about how we can use it. In other words, until we have intelligent robots that will do all the hard work for us, we should remain sober in what can we expect of “miraculous” technologies.
So what special bonus would you like to receive after scanning a QR code with your smartphone?
Open house showings have become a standard part of home buying. Almost everybody wishes to get to know their potential future home and actually touch and tour it. I don’t think I’ve met anybody who passed up a chance to see their future home before making an offer.
Open house showings, however, have their own set of rules — even for visitors and buyers. It’s good to make an appointment ahead of time; the earlier, the better. This allows your agent to notify the owners that you’re coming to visit well in advance. This notification in turn gives the owners time to arrange their schedule so that they’re not home when you come over.
Every now and then, buyers may decide that they want to see another house when they’re already touring one; but it is rarely that simple. You can, of course, visit a newly built house or a vacant house at any time, provided that your agent can access the keys. You can hardly ask a family to pack up in the middle of their Saturday lunch, though!
It’s always best to plan your open-house itinerary ahead of time. The brand new houses may be locked (as they should be) and the key holder may be away for the weekend, if that’s when you’re touring. Vacant houses are a safer bet, although your agent may not be entirely prepared and know everything about the place. What’s more, vacant houses sometimes need a little dusting before an open showing — especially if they’ve been on the market for a while.
Every open house visitor must understand that there may be a family living in the house that he or she is eager to see. While it’s true that the family does want to sell and needs to bear the discomfort of having to leave for you to visit, common courtesy and understanding is essential, even in this case — you also want to buy on good terms, after all.
What were your favourite places to take your family when you were selling your last house? If you have any good ideas for making the most out of the times you had to be away, share them in the comments!
No Strings Attached is a pretty hilarious comedy about two friends who decide to have "benefits" while they both stay single. Great cast with Ashton Kutcher & Natalie Portman. Ashton is engaging and adorable and definitely wins points in the "he would be a great boyfriend/ partner" category. I don't find comedies usually that funny so this was a nice surprise and worth the rental. Having loved watching the movie Black Swan with Natalie in a very serious role, it was certainly a big surprise that she could pull this off without it being too cheesy. She's a great actor!
Kensington is a place for reflection. One of the most popular spots in Toronto’s downtown, Kensington Market is a place where you can go to help you understand what’s going on in your own head and to pick the brains of the creative and intellectual folks around you. It’s a place for a cold beer or a hot cup of tea, for food and friends and discovery.
As much as I love to seek out new places, I’ll always have my favourites — a few gems that I feel will always be places of comfort to me. One is Sonya’s Park. It’s a tiny, hidden piece of paradise, tucked just behind Big Fat Burrito on Oxford Street. I bet you wouldn’t even notice it if you were standing right in front of it — I know I didn’t at first. It’s quietly joyful, a place that seems like it’s been loved by the community, with its bright murals and well-tended vegetable garden planted along one edge and plants hanging from recycled bags and backpacks along that same wall. I go there when I most need to understand myself — when I need to sit and think, and most of all, when I just need to be.
Then there’s Moonbean Coffee Co. on St. Andrew Street (I dare you not to love the “Aloha Soy” smoothie or the “London Fog”). Moonbean feels organic and alive. It’s one of far too few places where conversations can spring up so easily between people, drawing them together and out of the foreboding realm of “strangers.” People as diverse as the market itself come there to congregate, to discuss and laugh and meditate and ponder the latest local artwork on the walls.
But that’s part of what I love most about Kensington Market as a whole. You don’t have to have lived there to feel like you’re part of the community. You bump into friends and family and meet new ones at every turn. You realize that the market is a microcosm of our city — that Toronto’s beautifully immense diversity is reflected here, as if everyone had taken something from their own neighbourhoods and gifted it to this one. It’s a place that transcends age and class and culture, and yet celebrates the great variety in all of them. It’s a place where synagogues can stand next to Korean restaurants, where the young and old can learn from each other, and where diversity can translate into something breathtakingly unique.
Although strong summer storms aren’t unusual, people often get caught by surprise by their devastating effects. Recent storms (which left many Ontario residents in the dark a few days ago), were yet more proof of nature’s untamed strength. Nevertheless, there are some preventive measures you can take to protect your property against foul weather. See what you can do to make your home safer.
Precautions First
Your home should be your castle — a place where you can feel safe at all times, a welcoming place of contentment and peace. People usually spend a lot of time and money to make sure their homes are protected against burglars and thieves, but they sometimes don’t realize how much damage natural forces can cause.
Even if they do, they will often go no further than insuring their property against damages triggered by environmental forces. While this isn’t a bad idea by any means (especially in areas where the risks of taking such damages are high), weather-proofing your home may save you a significant amount of paperwork and effort — and, of course, a huge amount of worry.
When the storm is raging and trees are falling right at your roof and/or electric power lines surrounding your home, it’s already too late — and that’s why taking preventive measures is the first thing to do.
Firstly, listen to storm warnings and never underestimate them — even if the storms are not expected to be strong. Weather is often very unpredictable, and a mild summer storm can quickly turn into a havoc-wreaking tempest. Make sure that you and your home won’t get caught by surprise.
Shield Your House
There are three main ways in which storms can cause harm to your home: wind, rain, and lightning.
The best way to protect the house against the first two is to keep it literally “shielded.” For example, a good roof can take a considerable amount of natural damage, so make sure there are no cracks, leaks, or loose shingles, etc. It’s also important to keep the roof clear of any kind of debris. The same applies for walls and interior ceilings: walls soaked with water can cause a wide range of damage, ranging from mould to decreased structural stability, so fix any leaks you’re able to find.
Additional advice: if you’re thinking of reconstructing your property, you might consider metal roofing. Contrary to a popular belief, it has no greater chance of being struck by a lightning. In fact, a metal roof helps to prevent a fire because it dissipates electrical charges, and it is also non-combustible.
It’s also essential to provide your windows with storm shutters or any similar kind of protection. Apart from guarding your windows from the damage caused by strong winds and flying debris, they also improve their thermal efficiency and add a decorative touch to your exterior. You should also consider installing special storm windows and storm doors.As a short-term and quick solution, you can cover the windows with plywood sheets — simply nail them at the body every few inches.
Outdoor Preventive Measures
Unless you live in an area of hurricanes or tornadoes, you probably don’t have to worry about your roof being blown off. However, strong wind during a storm is still able to break branches, or even cast whole trees down. A fallen tree may cause severe damage to your house or the power lines leading towards it. If you have trees in your garden, make sure they’re trimmed properly. It’s best to get rid of all tree limbs near windows and power lines.
Rainwater and humidity can rot wood, which presents a danger to porch railings and steps. Don’t forget to check them regularly and fix any materials that look weak.
Flooding doesn’t only concern people near rivers. Heavy storm rainfall can cause water leaking into your basement. To prevent this, check for appropriate drainage around your home. If there are ditches around your house, make sure they’re clean of debris. The same applies for roof gutters, which also need to be checked for damage and debris.
It’s also a good idea to invest in zero flood barriers and some silicon sealant, which can be used on door and window rims to stop water seepage when necessary.
Be Ready When The Lightning Strikes
Lightning is probably the most feared danger of a storm, but it’s also the least usual. Nevertheless, its power can be immense when it strikes.
When there are signs of an approaching storm, the first thing to do is to simply unplug all the electronic devices in the house to prevent surge damage. It’s the most basic, most foolproof, but also the most often overlooked method of protection against lightning. Another option is to invest into surge protectors, which should effectively protect your appliances in most cases.
Every house should have a lightning protection system. Most of these systems include a network of lightning rods, metal conductors, and ground electrodes designed to provide a low resistance path to the ground for potential strikes. This is probably no news to you, but did you know that there are similar means of protection available for trees as well? Check out this page to learn more about protecting your trees from lightning.
Finally, be prepared for a blackout. As we’ve witnessed recently, storms usually cause a lot of damage to power lines, which sometimes results in massive blackouts. Though you can do nothing to protect power lines outside your own backyard, you can always buy a standby generator for your house. It’s a backup electricity system that automatically starts itself immediately when its transfer switch detects a power loss.
Although, on the other hand, spending an evening by candlelight has its magic as well!
June 15th, 2011 · No Comments · Articles about The Julie Kinnear Team, FAQ, Toronto Press
Priya and Ram
Satisfied & Very Happy Clients! More happy clients! Priya & Ram were referred by some friends in the same neighbourhood who had used The Julie Kinnear Team previously.
The Toronto Star had a fascinating story about how both The Junction in Toronto’s West End, and Riverdale in Toronto’s East End are both vying for community supremacy for enviro friendly idea – to become the first carbon – neutral urban community on earth.
Our southern neighbour is still far from housing market recovery, says State of the Nation’s Housing, a recent report from Harvard University. The statistics are chilling and show little sign of improvement.
The number of new construction hit the post-war low in the last year. The new home inventory has only 183,000 units. Despite this fact, prices continue to fall sharply. The fresh update of the Case-Shiller national home-price index shows a 4.2% drop in the first quarter of 2011 and a 4.1% drop for the whole of 2010. Around 11 million homeowners are stuck with negative equity. Almost half of them owe at least 25% more than their property is worth. Add another 4 million who have overdue payments, or are in foreclosure process.
In the 2006-2010 period, US households lost period 58% of house equity, which fell from $14.9 trillion to $6.3 trillion on a national level. The supply of new homes for sale was 7.3 months in March 2011, up from 7.1 months a year earlier and still well above the long-run average of 6.2 months. Home sales dropped by 5.7% despite the homebuyer tax credit, which ran in 2010. Negative equity in many houses means that many regions are hit by spiralling problems, since homeowners cannot move out of the troubled areas with high unemployment.
Luckily for US homeowners, there was also some positive news. The rental market shows signs of improvement, with the vacancy rate dropping from 10.7% to 9.4%, the lowest rate since 2003. Nominal rates began to rise slightly in 2010, and the number of people who do not intend to continue to rent after the next move rose slightly, from 41% to 46%. This will put some much-needed pressure on demand. However, there is still a long way to go for the US real estate market.
Over the last year, market conditions tightened markedly. The increasing competition between sellers and buyers has led mostly to higher price gains. This May, both sales and prices recorded substantial gains. According to the Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB), sales in May went up 6 per cent compared to the previous year (9,470 sales were recorded in May 2010), to reach a total of 10,046 closed transactions.
Although sales rose, both new listings and active listings moderated considerably. New listings fell by 15 per cent compared to the May 2010 numbers, from 18,840 to 16,078, while active listings plummeted by more than a quarter (-27 per cent) from the May 2010 number of 25,414 to 18,481 in May 2011. TREB President Bill Johnston commented on the situation: “Positive economic news and low borrowing costs led to strong sales through the first five months of the year, including the increase in May. At the same time, the market has become much tighter compared to last year, due to a substantial dip in new listings.”
Jason Mercer, TREB’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis, said that, over the past three months, seller’s market conditions emerged, but the robust price appreciation will hopefully lead to a more balanced market this year, with more households listing their properties. It took 23 days on average to sell a property in May 2011, and the average price was $485,520. The price average went up 9 per cent year-over-year, with single-detached houses in the City of Toronto being the driver of the price hike. The median price went up by 6.1 per cent, from $376,750 recorded during May of 2010 to $400,000 in May 2011, which suggests that above-average priced properties contributed more to the rise of the average price. This was mainly achieved by detached housing sales, which made up for 41.7 per cent of all sales in the region, with the median price of single family detached homes being $505,000. Condo townhouses were the only residential housing type that didn’t experience a price rise, maintaining a median price of $305,000.
Both the annual average and median price have been gradually rising from 2001, but the difference between the rate at which they increase has been slowly growing, too. A significant difference between these two prices was recorded in 2007, but the yet biggest difference is expected in 2011. This means that the upscale housing market is continuing to gain greater momentum than the rest of the housing market.
Canada’s reputation has suffered again. We have been placed by OECD among countries with little or no enforcement of the Anti-Bribery Convention, in the worst position among G7 countries. As you can see here, we share the alarming red colour with countries like South Africa and Brazil, and our only accomplices from developed countries are Australia and New Zealand.
It’s easy to see why we ranked so poorly. Despite the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act having been active for 13 years, we have prosecuted only two cases of bribery which resulted in a single sanction against a company in Alberta. Meanwhile, the United States had almost 170 cases resulting in 88 sanctions, and Norway (with only 5 million citizens) had six cases resulting in five sanctions.
Does this finding mean that we don’t bribe foreign officials? Not really, it mainly means that we don’t care much as a country about corruption. Don’t be misled, though: we are not the most corrupt nation. Together with Belgium, Canada ranked first in the Bribe Payers Index 2008, meaning that foreign businesses least expect Canadians to bribe them. Similarly, our internal perception of corruption is among the best in world. Nevertheless, once a Canadian commits bribery abroad, he or she is not likely to be prosecuted at home.
OECD recommendations are clear: more funds to the Public Prosecution Service of Canada are needed to deal with bribery abroad, we must ensure sanctions are effective and not just symbolic, and we must not consider economic interest during prosecution.
It isn’t surprising to see that Canada and Australia hesitate to apply harsh consequences for bribing foreign officials. Just a few years ago, bribing abroad was generally tolerated as a ‘business activity,’ and it was even tax deductible in many countries. While the western world committed to putting a stop to these harmful activities, resource-rich exporters with important economic ties to the third world have large economic interests at stake. Winning a deal in China, Indonesia, or any similar country often calls for grey activities. We can’t reserve our ethical practices for deals made in Canada, however: we should stand up to our old moral principles everywhere to limit corruption and prove that we aren’t just concerned with cold economic calculation.
If you’ve ever been to an open house, you were surely asked to sign a guest book or a sign-in sheet. This is common practice throughout North America, and beyond. You may have wondered, however, what these sheets are for and how the information you enter is used.
What Are Open House Sign-in Sheets?
To “define the terms,” a sign-in list or a guestbook belong to the agent hosting the open house. This is the agent with whom the visitors tour the house — usually the buyers’ agent. The seller’s agent in fact seldom meets open house visitors, unless he or she actively promotes the house or acts on behalf of buyers as well.
Why Visitors Sign a Sign-in Sheet
Sign-in sheets are supposed to record buyers’ leads and collect feedback on the house and its presentation. Visitors’ impressions are invaluable to any agent because they allow her or him to make changes to the presentation, price, or market positioning of the house if need be. While the hosting (buyers’) agent will be there to hear the feedback in person, the seller’s agent must rely on the hosting agent’s account.
As for the leads, the buyers’ agent may use visitors’ information to contact them about their interest in buying the house, or may include them in a mailing list promoting similar properties in the agent’s portfolio. Put simply, the sign-in sheet is also a marketing tool for real estate agents.
Respecting Your Privacy
All agents must respect your privacy, however, and must provide you with a way to opt out of future communication, including newsletters and house listings. If you decide that you do not want to be contacted, the agent must honour your prerogative.
If an open house visitor is interested in the toured house, though, he or she should indicate that on the sign-in sheet. The agent will then follow up with her or him on that particular house.
What Sellers Know
As I mentioned above, the sign-in sheet should remain with the hosting agent. Of course, the seller’s agent is informed whenever a buyer expresses serious interest in the property — it is, after all, in both agents’ interest to close the transaction.
Additionally, Realtor® courtesy prompts the hosting agent to share the number of visitors and a summary of their comments with the seller’s agent as well. This allows the seller’s agent to benefit from clients’ feedback, too.
Just to make sure, the hosting agent will share the contact information with neither the seller nor the seller’s agent. The contact information is essentially a reward for the agent hosting the open house.
By the same token, sharing buyers’ information with sellers’ agents may prompt the latter to circumvent the buyer’s agent and negotiate directly with the buyer. For these reasons, it is common practice for buyers’ agents to retain the sign-in sheets and most of the information disclosed therein.
To Sign or Not to Sign
Many open house visitors don’t feel comfortable signing guest books and disclosing their contact information. This is understandable — especially if they’re not particularly interested in the house or are not absolutely serious about buying a house in general.
It is the agent’s job, then, to convince the visitors that their information will not be misused or disclosed, and that their requests will be respected. Some agents provide specimen materials and newsletters next to the sign-in sheet, so that visitors can see what they can sign up for. All agents should provide the opt-out option by default.
Why should you sign at all, you might ask, if you are requesting “no contact?” Even when you know that you do not want to be contacted, it is still good practice (and even advisable) to record your visit in the sign-in sheet. Open house showings often take place in another person’s home and they may like to have some proof of your visit if problems arise as a result of the open house showing.
Problems can arise for you as well: imagine that you lose or forget an earring, a phone, or a laptop during an open house visit. Having signed the “attendance sheet” will make it much easier for you to go back and ask for the owner’s permission to look for your lost item in his or her house. If you have signed as John Doe, Lady Gaga, Bin Ladin, or Michael Jackson, then I wish you good luck trying to recover what you’ve lost.
Let me know in the discussion if you have any more questions or concerns about open house showings and I will do my best to respond.
May 21st, 2011 · 1 Comment · Toronto Real Estate News
house lantern
Realtors® are professionals who work on your behalf as sellers’ agents and try to attract the best buyer for your property. Sometimes, though, people have misconceptions about real estate agents’ work.
Sometimes the smallest mistakes can cost dearly. This is particularly true financially speaking of your home-sale listing. There are many houses on the market, and if you want to sell yours quickly, you had better stand out.
Assuming you have got your pricing and marketing right, you should be getting lots of open house requests, right? Well, this is surely the case, as long as buyers feel drawn enough to come and see your house “in person.”
In contrast to the 80s and 90s, open houses are often attended by people who already know your house very well and are seriously considering buying it. This is because the initial tour-de-la-maison usually takes place online. It is therefore absolutely necessary that you upload the best possible pictures of your house onto MLS and other online listing services.
The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) has revised its forecast for housing activity via the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) Systems of the Canadian Real Estate Boards and Associations for 2011 and 2012. According to the update, sales activity in Canada is expected to reach 441,100 units this year. Although this represents a 1.3 per cent decrease from 2010, it is still a slight improvement from the 1.6 per cent decline forecast in February, as activity in British Columbia was stronger than expected in the first quarter of 2011. CREA also expects national sales activity to rise by 2.6 per cent to 452,500 units in 2012.
“Home buyers expect mortgage interest rates to rise and are mindful of their current and future debt levels. They’re doing their homework to better understand how their mortgage payments and family budget might change down the road before they make an offer,” Gary Morse, the President of CREA explained. “That said, even though mortgage rates have increased recently, they remain very attractive and are keeping financing within reach for many homebuyers. Some housing markets are hotter than others, so buyers and sellers would do well to consult their local REALTOR® to understand how supply, demand and prices are evolving in their housing market.”
Despite unsurprising activity in the first quarter of 2011, luxury property sales in Greater Vancouver went up unexpectedly, pushing average sale prices upwards both for the province and nationally. This also made the average price forecast revision necessary.
CREA also predicts that home sales activity will regain momentum after declining in the second quarter as economic recovery continues.
Find out more about the updates at CREA's official site.
“So, it has 2 floors, 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a big garden… and, oh! It’s a little bit haunted.” This probably isn’t a description you would hear from your realtor when being introduced to your potential home. Nevertheless, there are certain houses with a history that makes them special. The history of these so-called “stigmatized” properties can be colourful — ranging from indebted former owners who ran away from executors to scenes of terrifying, horrendous crimes. So what types of stigma are usually recognized by the public? What is the legal status of such properties, and are there any known stigmatized houses in Toronto? Read on to find out!
Defining stigmatized properties
A stigmatized property is a property that buyers or tenants avoid for reasons unrelated to its physical condition or features. These usually include a murder or a suicide that took place inside the property, often accompanied by a belief that the house may be haunted — which is, of course, a very controversial concept.
Some of these homes, which were also used in television or film, can also be stigmatized by an increased number of fans wanting to visit the house. The house at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New York is one of the most famous examples, as it was used in The Amityville Horror. In November 1975, Robert DeFeo Jr. shot and killed six members of his family there. The next homeowners, George and Kathy Lutz, moved in with Kathy’s three children 13 months after the killings, only to leave the house 28 days later, claiming to have been terrorized by paranormal phenomena while living there. After the film was released, the house had been renovated and the address changed in order to prevent sightseers from disturbing the neighbourhood.
Most people believe that the seller has a duty to disclose any such history of the property; however, the law is a little bit unclear on this matter.
What types of stigmatized properties exist?
Several kinds of stigmatized properties are recognized by various jurisdictions that have passed resolutions or statutes to deal with them. They are usually separated by disclosure — the amount of information required to be disclosed by the seller depends both on the local law and the type of stigma.
The most common types are:
1. Public stigma
known to a wide range of the population
must always be disclosed in almost all jurisdictions
examples: Amityville Horror house, home of the Menendez brothers
biggest turn-offs: unwanted attention, bad reputations, psychological effects
2. Criminal stigma:
ongoing commission of a crime that took place within the property
full disclosure required by most jurisdictions
examples: a chop shop, drug den, or brothel
Biggest turn-offs: bad reputation, unexpected visits – for example, uninformed drug addicts may come to your house expecting to purchase illegal drugs
3. Murder/suicide stigma
murder/suicide took place inside the property
realtors required to disclose the information by most jurisdictions
biggest turn-offs: psychological effects, fear of possible paranormal phenomena
4. Debt stigma:
applies if former homeowners were indebted
particularly pronounced if the collection agency uses aggressive tactics
biggest turn-offs: danger of being harassed by debt collectors, who are not aware that a debtor has moved out already
5. Phenomena stigma:
the house is renowned for hauntings, ghost sightings, etc.
very controversial type of stigma
disclosure required by many, but not all jurisdictions
biggest turn-offs: somehow, people don’t feel good about the presence of a ghost in their house
6. Minimal stigma
known to, or taken seriously by, only a small group
unlikely to affect the ability to sell the property
realtors usually decide to disclose this information on a case-by-case basis
Of course, there may be many other types of property stigmas, but this categorization is one of the most common.
Laws are unclear in Ontario
Let’s say you are planning to buy a house in Toronto and you want to learn as much as you can about the property. Unfortunately, Ontario has no laws that require disclosure if a house is stigmatized. A seller is not obliged to disclosed any information about murders, suicides, or anything else untoward that might have happened in the home. Realtors, on the other hand, should disclose any factor that may have an impact on property value, including psychological factors. Nevertheless, they still have to be careful to avoid error, misrepresentation, and concealment of these facts.
There have already been many calls for clearer legislation in this matter, but this area of the housing market remains tricky. Drawing a clear line between important and unimportant information can be difficult. A house having been the scene of a crime is a fact, but can the presence of an apparition be a fact? If the neighbourhood believes that the property is a former drug den, though it has never been proven, does it make the house stigmatized?
There has been an obvious tendency in the Canadian real estate industry recently to embrace full disclosure of all the information. It is probably based on the assumption that the more that is told, the lower the probability of being sued for having concealed some fact. In any case, if you’re a buyer, the best idea would be to simply ask for as much information as you can. You have the right to know everything you need to make a choice.
Is stigma always a bad thing?
Though the label “stigmatized” carries negative connotations, there have been cases when a stigmatized property was sold more easily than usual. Some realtors even reported buyers actually “battling” for an allegedly haunted house. There are houses that even benefit from the notoriety. For instance, the Lizzie Borden residence in Fall River, Massachusetts is now a successful Bed & Breakfast that allows guests to sleep in the rooms where the infamous axe murders took place. There is gift shop in the house as well.
Stigma often affects price of a property in a negative way. On the other hand, research shows that time will usually soften most stigmas. Although they have the ability to discourage buyers and therefore decrease the value of the property, it is typically much easier to sell the house again for a much better price after some time has passed.
Stigmatized properties in Toronto
Though the Toronto police maintain a list of marijuana grow operations, there’s no publicly available list of the local homes that have been the sites of suicides, murders, or other crimes. However, you can still keep an eye out for any “haunted” properties in Ontario by simply visiting this website: http://torontoghosts.org/.
The website claims to be ”Canada’s oldest established website & group devoted to ghosts and hauntings” and it is run by the Toronto and Ontario Ghosts and Hauntings Research Societies. It is a non-for-profit group dedicated to the study of paranormal events involving ghosts or hauntings, which is trying to approach the problem from the scientific point of view, claiming to work from an agnostic standpoint. The website provides many reports of ghost sightings in the City of Toronto and the whole Province of Ontario.
After all, haunted houses are the most curious type of stigmatized properties. Probably the most known haunted house in Toronto (maybe even the most famous haunted house in Canada) is the former home of William Lyon Mackenzie, the leader of the Upper Canada Rebellion, a newspaper editor and Toronto’s first mayor. Mackenzie’s ghost is reputed to haunt the house, which now serves as a museum. The stories of ghostly activities were first reported in Toronto’s newspapers in the 1960s. Although sceptics argued that it was just a gimmick to improve attendance numbers because the museum wasn’t doing very well at the time, paranormal activities have been reported continuously since then and even today, many visitors come to Mackenzie house hoping to see apparitions.
How about you? Would you buy a house that is reported to be haunted?
May 13th, 2011 · No Comments · Done Deals, Toronto Real Estate News
109 FRONT ST E
“They added so much character and charm, it was really cool,” agent Julie Kinnear says. “When you invest in kitchens and bathrooms, it pays back.”
This suite also contains more space than newer counterparts in the area, which is home to an increasing number of restaurants, designer shops, waterfront amenities and the Distillery District. “King East is pretty hot and hip,” Ms. Kinnear says.
In the last article of the series, we’re going to take a look at some simple but uncommon ways to save water outdoors.
1. Drought-resistance is the first thing!
Whether you’re planting a new lawn or over-seeding an existing lawn, it’s always a good idea to use drought-resistant grasses. Additionally, there are many shrubs and plants that don’t need as much water as other species. Native plants are also better, as they use less water and are more resistant to local plant disease. Have you ever heard of xeriscaping? If not, you’ll be interested in our upcoming article on this matter. Stay tuned!
2. Surround your trees and plants with a layer of mulch
Mulch has two main effects: it slows the evaporation of moisture and prevents weed growth. And it looks good as well! Add 5-10 centimetres of organic material to increase the soil’s ability to retain moisture. Press the mulch down around the drip-line of each plant — forming a slight depression will minimize water runoff. As for the lawn, letting the grass grow a little bit taller (8-10cm) helps to keep water in the soil as well.
Position your sprinklers carefully so the water finds its target and avoid watering on windy days. You should also water your lawn only when it’s necessary. To find out whether your lawn needs watering, step on the grass. If it springs back after you move away, watering is not necessary. If it stays flat, go ahead and give it something to drink. Remember that overwatering can be harmful to many plants. Also, water the garden early in the morning instead of at dusk — it helps prevent the growth of unwanted fungus.
4. Don’t use the hose while washing your car outdoors
Use a bucket of soapy water instead. Limit usage of the hose only to rinsing. This simple measure can save more than 500 litres of water. To make the use of water more efficient, use a spray nozzle for rinsing. However, the best option is to go for a waterless car washing system — many brands offer this solution these days. Also, use a broom to clean your driveway and sidewalk instead of a hose. It doesn’t take that much time, but it saves a lot of water.
5. Check your equipment for leaks regularly
Even a little hole in your hose or leaks in your sprinkler connections can cause litres of water to be wasted every day. Prevent it by examining them on a regular basis. Don’t forget to clean your sprinklers’ heads from time to time to ensure their maximum effectiveness.
May 13th, 2011 · No Comments · Toronto Real Estate News
Home Alone House
You don’t have to be an actor to become a film star and this famous house, located just 30km north of Chicago, is the indubitable proof. The primary filming location for the first Home Alone film, where a young Kevin McAllister (Macaulay Culkin) heroically fought off burglars, is currently on sale. The house is apparently still as splendid as it looked on the screen 20 years ago and, allegedly, it’s a booby-trap-free zone now!
The current owners, John and Cynthia Abendshien, bought the house just 18 months before it became a film set in 1990. The price of the home was $875,000 US back then, while the current offer stands at $2.4 million. The house was used for shooting most of the scenes in Home Alone and the first four scenes of Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
The red-brick colonial Georgian home, built in 1920, is located at 671 Lincoln Avenue in the village of Winnetka (part of the Greater Chicago Area), about 30 km north of the city in New Trier Township. It is a three-story single family detached house. It features 5 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, a fully converted attic, a fireplace, a detached double garage, and a greenhouse. However, “Kevin’s tree house” in the backyard was demolished after the shooting, as it was built specifically for the film. It is a well-known Chicago-area tourist destination and it’s often cited as an example of “How to Get Your Home in the Movies.”
The kitchen, the main staircase, the basement, and most of the first floor landing were all shot in the actual property. However, most parts of the house were carefully recreated on a sound stage in a high school gymnasium, which enabled the film-makers to perform all those crazy stunts without causing any serious damage to the house.
According to the Toronto Star, the Abendshiens are empty nesters, so it’s probably no surprise they’re looking for something a little less majestic and noble.
“John Hughes had a real interest in filming in community settings, (…) he really wanted his sets and backgrounds to have a real world, a real true neighbourhond and a true home ambience,” John Abendshien claimed in a promotional video for his home.
“This is our home, it is our everyday life… And frankly we don’t think about it all that much. And yet there are times when we are reminded that the house is somewhat of an icon," Cynthia explained. "We’re just a family living here,” she added.
So, if you’re interested in owning a film star, visit the official site to find out more!
The Central Toronto Real Estate Market’s activity is still gaining momentum during the spring months. Increased market activity is nothing unusual for this time of the year; however, this year’s market situation is unique in a few ways. A shortage of listings was one of the market’s most prominent characteristics. Although there have been a lot of buyers and strong demand, many sellers were unable to meet their criteria.
Despite the supply-demand inequity, the market hasn’t turned into a full seller’s market, probably because of the threat of rising interest rates. Listing inventories have begun to grow to unusually high levels. Many buyers have been waiting for the right properties to meet their needs and requirements, boosting the competition for well-priced properties, while sellers with over-priced properties have been naturally quite unsuccessful. The importance of pricing strategy remains a crucial element in the successful sale of properties in the Central Toronto market.
According to TD Economics, the Bank of Canada probably doesn’t intend to continue with interest rate increases in the near future. Though the rise of the Canadian dollar and the impact of inflationary costs are being observed closely, TD Economics predicts the next round of interest rate hikes to come in July.
The prognosis for a solid spring market is good. Interest rates are still historically low, Toronto is still a destination city for immigrants and investors, and house prices are generally well situated.
According to a recent poll conducted by ING Direct, the sixth largest mortgage lender in Canada, Canadians tend to behave surprisingly conservatively when it comes to handling mortgages. The results of the survey show that more than a third (36%) of Canadians carrying a mortgage have conventional mortgages, while three quarters (75%) have mortgages with amortizations of 25 years or less. These numbers are fairly surprising, considering the unusually low values of interest rates.
Peter Aceto, President and CEO at ING Direct, believes that Canadians are simply willing to listen to experts’ advice. “We’ve always encouraged our clients to put a larger down payment on their home if they can, and to pay off more of their mortgage whenever they have the opportunity,” he said. “It looks like Canadians are heeding this advice and considering the impact of their choices, both today and over the long term.”
Citizens of BC were most likely to take out a conventional mortgage. More than a half of them (52%) indicated that they put a down payment of more than 20 per cent on their properties. BC was followed by Ontario (41%), Alberta (31%), and Quebec (27%). More than one fifth (21%) of those who are likely to take out a mortgage in the next 2 quarters plan to take out a conventional mortgage.
Interest rate remains the most important factor when choosing a mortgage provider, according to almost three quarters of respondents (71%). Less than one fifth of respondents are more concerned with other factors, like terms (10%) and prepayment options (6%).
“With mortgage rates making their return to normal levels, it’s natural for homeowners to be looking at rates when shopping for a mortgage, but there are other factors people should consider,” said Peter Aceto. “Putting some extra money towards your mortgage whenever possible really adds up, and can save you thousands of dollars over the life of your mortgage. Flexible prepayment options are certainly a feature homeowners should look for when shopping for a mortgage.”
Nearly two thirds (64%) of Canadians living in Alberta plan to repay their homes before the end of their amortization period, while citizens of Quebec are least likely to pay off their mortgages sooner, as 32 per cent indicate that they don’t have such plans. One fifth of Ontarians (21%) and British Columbians (20%) don’t plan to repay their mortgages early.
In a decade-old building set alongside a ravine in Hoggs Hollow, this two-bedroom plus den corner suite lingered on the market for four months last fall.
“It was big and on the main floor with outdoor space, so it was good for somebody downsizing from a house,” says Ms. Kinnear.
Sometimes even small measures can result in a great change, and that’s why we bring you yet another handful of small, instant tips for making your life a little bit greener!
Try organic food. By consuming organic meats, produce, dairy products, et cetera, you’ll reduce the number of pesticides and genetically modified food that you eat. Also, it is better to support locally produced groceries. Organic food is one thing, but getting it from local resources is good both for the economy and the environment since the food has less distance to travel and it doesn’t need as much packaging and preservatives. This reduces the amount of waste produced and makes the food healthier.
Buy all-natural cosmetic products. A huge amount of beauty and cosmetic products are made with artificial chemicals and fragrances. Look for all-natural products instead — not only is their production much more eco-friendly, but they’re also often much healthier and much less hostile towards your body because they’re made with natural plant extracts. Try to avoid beauty products packaged in unrecyclable containers and those that have been tested on animals as well.
Avoid synthetic clothes. Wearing all-natural clothes is usually much more comfortable and healthy than wearing those made of synthetic fabrics. Many of these clothes also contain unhealthy chemical dyes. Try buying clothes made with natural fibres, such as cotton, hemp, and wool. Look for those made with all-natural dyes, such as vegetable or herbal dyes. A lot of energy and material is wasted during the production of synthetic clothes, so let’s try to reduce the amount!
Leaving the house? Check all the lights, air conditioners, appliances, and other electronics to make sure they’re all turned off. If you’re leaving for a longer period, you might even want to unplug all the cords from the walls. It’s not just a safety precaution: a small amount of energy is still wasted when an appliance is turned off and plugged in.
While travelling, stay in green hotels. The number of ecologically conscious hotels is slowly growing. If you’re worried about your carbon footprint, choose green hotels during your travels. You can find more information on “travelling green” here.
“When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.”
~Sophia Loren
Wow the spring seems to be flying by! Mary and I have been so darned excited about our trip that we've planned for her 50th birthday in Italy and now the time has finally come. Can't wait to share our stories!
It seems as though a brand new era of heroes has been ushered in by the Internet. They help to save the world everyday – by signing online petitions, copying special facebook statuses, and sometimes even changing their profile pictures! If you feel like now is the right time to ask “whats going on here?!", you’re probably right. Well, welcome to the age of slacktivism!
The boom of social networking sites has created many new possibilities for all kinds of activism. Unfortunately, it also made being a slacktivist even easier than before. The current generation is a lazy generation – and really, why would people risk getting arrested for joining a demonstration that gets out of hand when they can show their support with the click of a mouse, sitting safely in front of their computers?
What’s slacktivism, actually?
The word itself is a portmanteau (a blend of two or more words or morphemes) made out of the words slacker and activism. It usually describes “feel-good” measures in support of some cause that have little or no practical effect whatsoever. Taking these measures requires minimal personal effort and the only real result is the false feeling of satisfaction that the slacktivists experience afterwards, along with inspiring/annoying their friends, colleagues, or another witnesses of their “activism”.
This phenomenon isn’t entirely new or necessarily connected with internet. Slacktivist activities include, for example, joining a community organization without contributing to the organization’s efforts in any way, wearing awareness ribbons or awareness bracelets with political or environmental messages, putting a ribbon magnet on a vehicle, etc.
“Come join us!”
Are you a fan of the Earth Hour? Well, without dedicating more than one hour per year to energy saving, you’re not going to make much difference. Posting pictures of cute kittens also doesn’t make anyone an animal rights advocate – yet many people who claim to be great animal lovers won’t go any further.
These days, people don’t even have to wear a Greenpeace t-shirt to pretend to be an environmentalist, it’s as simple as joining an adequate Facebook group. In any case, Facebook presents great soil for any kind of slacktivist activity. Do you remember when you were asked to replace your profile picture with your favourite childhood cartoon character to fight child abuse? Though the real effect of a “measure” like this is practically zero, the wave of massive picture changing spread all over the world. And there are many other absurd examples: women supporting breast cancer awareness by changing their Facebook statuses to promote what colour their bras are, or people signing online petitions to stop rampant crime.
Furthermore, there are thousands of Facebook groups that support or oppose some cause. However, many of these groups and pages are created only for the purpose of hoarding as many members (and their personal information) as possible. Once a certain number is reached, the pages are used for marketing and reaching potential customers. In the end, by joining a Facebook group, you might become a victim of abuse yourself.
Still, many people argue that even this kind of activity can be important, as it raises awareness. Others claim that they don’t really take it seriously and it’s “just for fun” or “harmless.” While the first argument might be partially true, the others certainly aren’t. On the contrary, succumbing to the mentality of “I’ve just saved thousands of children from being abused by changing my avatar” might demotivate people from taking some real action.
Can it be turned into activism?
Why is slacktivism so popular? Maybe because it’s the easy way. For many slacktivists, virtually supporting a cause via a social networking site is not about true devotion to making a change. They just need to satisfy their own needs to be perceived as “good“ people with the “right” opinions. While there’s nothing wrong with expressing an opinion, pretending to be something you’re not just isn’t very honest.
But let’s try not to be too judgemental. Sometimes even small steps can make a big difference, and slacktivism can be turned into activism with some real effects. However, people need to become more informed about how much impact their actions are going to have.
Therefore, if you’d like to start a change yourself: next time someone asks you to post a cartoon to help children, try posting something meaningful instead. For example, find some good child assistance agency or start a discussion on the matter. Or, even better yet, volunteer, send a donation, then change your avatar and say, “I have changed my profile picture because I just helped some children through a donation to this charity." Try to educate people around you and inspire them to make a real difference themselves.
Maybe it’s time we asked ourselves whether we have what it takes to walk the walk and not just talk the talk.
“Bill has been likened to Garbo in that, until now, no one has known a thing about him. Intensely private, and with an aversion to any kind of recognition”
May 1st, 2011 · Comments Off · Kinnear's Krazy Kontest
It’s Royal Wedding Madness!! We wish the happy couple love and happiness always! This month’s gift card is to Queen’s pasta! Its a Bloor West Village gem!
Just answer the following skill testing question for your chance to win!
One correct answer to the following skill-testing question will be drawn:
In what country did Prince William propose to Kate Middleton?
Are they heading up, are they bound to fall, or will they remain stable? Those are the million-dollar questions, and of course, we’re talking about housing prices. It seems like nobody can really be sure what’s going to happen next. It is not unusual for experts to have differing opinions on the matter, and they seem to be split over the future of housing prices in Canada once again.
There have been quite a few articles predicting a steep correction of the Canadian housing market circling around the web recently. However, pessimistic prognoses have come and gone many times before, but the situation on the market is pretty much the same.
It’s a funny coincidence that two contradictory articles were published close together on the Globe & Mail’s website. George Athanassakos, a finance professor and at the Richard Ivey School of Business in the University of Western Ontario and a columnist for the Globe & Mail, is pessimistic. He claims that optimists believe that the increase in home prices in Canada is a result of a strong, real demand from homeowners — very much unlike the U.S., where construction surpassed actual demand greatly and was largely fuelled by speculators.
Although he doesn’t oppose this assumption, Athanassakos points to the other side of the coin. “Canada’s high house prices in relation to incomes, combined with record household debt levels and overinvestment in residential construction, will cause a severe correction in the real estate market,” he wrote in his column. “Home prices are simply way out of line, especially when viewed in relation to household income. The ratio of house prices to income has historically averaged about 3.5 in Canada. It now stands at about 5.5. It is difficult to see how income growth in the future can bring this ratio close to the historical average within any reasonable period — so it follows that house prices will have to decline.” Read the full article here.
Only two days later, a press release by The Canadian Press entitled “Home prices to ‘creep up’ this year” came out. Although not entirely optimistic, the article claimed that, “Despite the soaring values in Canada’s most expensive housing market, prices nationally are expected to stabilize or only creep higher this year amid ‘tepid’ improvements in employment,” using a report by Royal LePage Real Estate Services (RLRES) as its primary source.
The release further quotes Phil Soper, president and chief executive officer of RLRES, who said, “We expect house prices will continue to creep up, but most of the excess demand created by the initial drop in interest rates has been satisfied and affordability continues to erode slowly,” and who also expressed a belief that, “While low interest rates continue to drive demand, the tepid pace at which employment levels are improving is tempering the rate of home price appreciation in many Canadian cities.” See the full release at The Globe and Mail website.
Both sides seem to have valid and defensible arguments, so where does the truth lie? It’s probably somewhere in between. If the current price growth is unsustainable in the long run (and it likely is), then a correction is inevitable. On the other hand, Canada’s economy is performing well enough, fuelling demand constantly, so the market correction doesn’t have to be so steep.
What’s your opinion on the future of Canada’s housing market?
April 26th, 2011 · No Comments · Toronto Real Estate News
Just a quick note to let you know how we can help you or anyone you refer to us.
Another happy customer! We were first contacted by Linda, who was referred to us about selling her condo. She was frustrated that her home had not sold and had been on the market for a total of 113 days with no offers!
Some time has passed since we published our first article on the subject of water-saving; therefore, we think it’s about time to present you with another handful of useful tips!
Last time, we wrote mostly about changes that require some kind of special effort, or maybe even investment. Nonetheless, there are some ways to save water that require only a minor change of your habits. For example, you can simply:
Take shorter showers. A long, hot shower is one of the most enjoyable times of the day for many people. However, spending less time in the shower equals saving a lot of water. Another way to cut down on water use is to turn off the shower before soaping up, and when you’re done, turn it back on to rinse. Finally, you should prefer taking a shower to taking a bath in order to save water. This doesn’t mean you should forget about bathing totally, but by showering most of the time instead, you can save 400 litres of water per week.
Turn off the water after you wet your toothbrush. It’s pretty simple thing — so simple that you might easily forget. The water doesn’t have to be running while you’re brushing your teeth. Just wet your brush and fill a glass for mouth rinsing. Letting the water just pour down the sink wastes up to 9 litres per minute.
Rinse your razor in the sink. It’s a similar case to number 2. There’s no need to rinse your razor with pouring water. Fill the sink with warm water instead. It works just as well as running water.
Wash dishes without water pouring down the sink. Washing dishes can be done without having to let the water run all the time. If you have a double-basin, fill one with soapy water and one with rinse water. If you have a single-basin sink, put washed dishes in a dish rack and rinse them with a spray device, or in a pot full of hot water. You can apply a similar strategy to cleaning vegetables: rinse them in a stoppered sink or a pan of clean water.
Stop using the toilet as an ashtray or wastebasket. This probably isn’t the most common problem, but there are people who have this bad habit. If you’re one of them, keep in mind that every time you flush a cigarette butt, facial tissue or other small bit of trash, more than 20 litres of water gets wasted.
Boil only as much water as you really need. Don’t overfill the kettle when making a single cup of tea. Another option is to boil more water than usual, make more tea and leave it in a vacuum (thermos) bottle afterwards. This way, you’re not just saving both water and energy, but you can also get a hot cup of tea anytime you want!
That is all for today. Stay tuned — more advice about water conservation in your garden is on the way!
The latest GTA Realtors mid-month resale housing figures release reported a 3 per cent decrease in listings activity year-over-year. According to the report, 4,444 sales were done during the first two weeks of April. The number of new listings went down by 21 per cent compared to the first two weeks of April last year.
Despite the decrease, TREB (Toronto Real Estate Board) President Bill Johnston considers this kind of sales activity quite strong.
“If this level of activity is sustained for the remainder of the month, we could see April transactions close to last year’s record result. Positive economic news has kept households confident in their ability to purchase and pay for a home over the long term," he said.
The average selling price for firm deals increased by 12 per cent over the average price of $430,271 reported during the first two weeks of April 2010, reaching $483,165 in 2011.
Jason Mercer, TREB’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis, believes that tightened market conditions (which resulted in increased competition between home buyers and rapid acceleration of the average price growth rate) are responsible for the unexpectedly low number of homes listed for sales so far in 2011.
“The strong rate of price growth reported for the first two weeks of April should entice more households to list their homes for sale. This would result in more balanced market conditions and more moderate rates of price growth,” added Mercer.
The full report is available here: http://www.torontorealestateboard.com/consumer_info/market_news/news2011/pdf/nr_mid_month_0411.pdf
According to the current Royal LePage House Price Survey, the average price of a Canadian home went up by between 3.5 and 4.3 per cent, respectively, in the first three months of 2011, compared to 2010, when the market’s post-recession recovery was still under way. Although the amount of year-over-year price appreciation declined slightly in the first quarter, home values have been rising continuously since the second quarter of 2009.
Low interest rates, along with the recovering economy, were the main factors responsible for Canada’s housing market activity in recent years. This has led to increases to the average home price across the country. The national average price for a detached bungalow rose 4.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2011, compared to the same period in 2010, reaching $341,355, while standard two-storey homes went up by 3.5 per cent, to $379,388. Finally, standard condominiums stood at $237,919, which is a 4 per cent increase from 2010.
“The rate at which Canadian homes are appreciating may well have peaked for the next year or so,” commented Phil Soper, president and chief executive of Royal LePage Real Estate Services. “We expect house prices will continue to creep up, but most of the excess demand created by the initial drop in interest rates has been satisfied, and affordability continues to erode slowly, allowing the listings supply to catch up. In most markets, lower single-digit percentage increases are more likely for the balance of the year.”
So far in 2011, some markets have continued to experience significant price gains year-over-year. Vancouver, Montreal, and Halifax have benefited from favourable regional demographic shifts and healthy local economies.
“Canada’s real estate market has maintained momentum coming out of 2010, indicating that the post-recession recovery is continuing,” Soper explained. “While low interest rates continue to drive demand, the tepid pace at which employment levels are improving is tempering the rate of home price appreciation in many Canadian cities. The exception to this trend can be seen in markets like Vancouver, where foreign buyers, particularly from China, are driving demand in select mid-to-high priced markets, and driving up the regional average reported home prices at a surprising pace. In Montreal and Halifax, demand from first-time buyers and purchasers of luxury homes are creating significant year-over-year gains in home values.”
However, not every local market is performing so well. In St. John’s, the market is cooling down after a long period of double-digit price increases. The city of Calgary is still adjusting to the great pace at which its home prices have appreciated lately, despite positive medium-term prospects for Alberta’s major cities.
So, what’s the situation in Toronto? Our city’s detached bungalows and standard condominiums made healthy gains, rising by 4.5 per cent and 3.7 per cent, respectively. First-time buyers seem to be concerned with potential increases to interest rates and developers who are rebuilding or renovating homes into larger units, and these concerns evidently help keep the demand high.
For the full summary of Canadian markets, please see this document.
April 18th, 2011 · No Comments · Green Lifestyle, Green News
First Impression Prototype
Recycled Island
It’s great when someone takes something ordinary and turns it into something extraordinary — but when someone finds a way to turn waste into something useful again, it’s truly amazing. So, consider this idea: let’s take all the plastic waste floating around in the Pacific Ocean and build a fully habitable, sustainable island from it! Sound crazy? Believe it or not, the project called Recycled Island is very real — at least on paper.
What is it about?
Principle Section Urban
Habitat Recycled Island
Recycled island is a research project conducted by WHIM architecture, an international architecture company from Rotterdam, Netherlands. The project aims to find a way to build a habitable, floating island in the Pacific Ocean out of all the plastic waste floating around in the water.
The general idea is to recycle the plastic waste on the spot and to recycle it into a floating entity. The new land should be positioned in the heart of the Oceans current, the North Pacific Gyre – somewhere between the Hawaii islands and San Francisco.
Recycled Island
Urban Habitat
In the beginning, builders will have to collect and clean a huge amount of plastic. The waste will be recycled and reformed into floating platforms that will form an island of approximately 10,000 square kilometres (depending on the amount of waste that can be obtained from the water and recycled). At the end of the process, the island should contain not just beautiful beaches and urban habitat, but it should also provide conditions for agriculture and seaweed cultivation. The island is designed as a fully green, self-sufficient, and ecological environment.
Recycled Island Overview
This will not only rid our oceans of a huge amount of plastic waste — creating new land and constructing a sustainable habitat is also one of the main goals of the project. Within the next 30 years, approximately 200 million people may become climate refugees, according to Greenpeace. Drought, melting ice landscapes, and flooding are the main causes that force people to leave their homes. That’s why finding a way to create a brand new, sustainable habitat is so important.
If you’re eager to find out more, you can check out the project’s official website.
While WHIM’s project sounds a bit unbelievable and almost impossible, there were already some more humble but successful attempts to create an island from waste in the past.
Spiral Island
Spiral Island I in 2000
by Wikimedia Commons
Richart Sowa, a British artist, musician, and environmentalist, has already succeeded in building two artificial islands known as Spiral Islands I and II. The first island was located in a lagoon near Puerto Aventuras, in the Cancun region of Mexico. Sowa began the construction in 1998, using approximately 250,000 empty plastic bottles to support a structure of plywood and bamboo, on which he poured sand and planted many plants. There was a two-story house on the island, along with a solar oven, a self-composting toilet, and three beaches. The size of the island was 20×16m. Mangroves — some of them more than 4.5 metres tall — were grown on the island as well. Their main purpose was to help keep the island cool.
Unfortunately, the first island was completely destroyed by Hurricane Emily in 2005. Despite the tragedy, Sowa didn’t give up on the idea, and he built another island in the waters of Isla Mujeres (The Island of Women), not far from the location of the original island. The construction began in late 2007, and since August 2008, Spiral Island II has been opened for tours.
The second island is about 20 metres in diameter and was built from about 100,000 bottles. It has beaches, a house, two ponds, a solar-powered waterfall and river, solar panels, and mangroves. With help from volunteers, Sowa continues to make improvements to the island to this day.
Conclusion
Recycled Island
Plastic Beach
It is clear that WHIM’s idea of Recycled Island would be enormously expensive and very difficult to achieve. On the other hand, Sowa’s Spiral Island has already proven that such a concept isn’t totally impossible. In any case, it is questionable whether this concept can be implemented at such a great scale.
Ocean pollution and climate changes are problems that are both very real. Though they may not seem too pressing, climate change is already affecting the planet, so it may be prudent to consider preventing future damage. So, what do you think? Will people be able to live on artificial islands made of plastic waste any time soon? Will the oceans become free of all our waste once again, or is it just an environmentalist’s dream?
Have you ever wondered why spring is the traditional big cleaning time of the year? For one of the most likely explanations, we’ll have to turn back time and return to the days before people started using electricity. After the winter, everything in the house was usually covered with soot from the candles, fireplaces, kerosene, and lamp oils used to keep people’s homes warm and bright during the winter. So, when the spring came, every bit of the house had to be cleaned to get rid of the layer of soot.
Though living conditions have changed considerably over the years, it still feels great to refresh your home during these early spring days, while nature is reviving itself. Here we provide you with a handful of tips to make your spring cleaning a little more efficient.
Devise a system first. Make a plan and stick to it. Run through all the unnecessary, old stuff accumulated in your home and think about what you can get rid of right away and what can be reused. Remember to sort out things that can be recycled. You should also consider donating some items that someone else might need. Just remember: good organization can make your spring cleaning much more efficient.
Make your own household cleaning supplies. It’s truly the greenest way to clean your home! Most of your household can be cleaned with a combination of hot water, vinegar and baking soda or washing soda. Lemons are great natural cleaners as well. You can add a few drops of essential oil, if you like the scent. This way, you’re reducing the amount of waste, and you won’t have to worry about any toxins you may otherwise be spraying around your home.
Reduce cleaning waste. Using an entire roll of paper towels isn’t the most eco-friendly way of cleaning. Try using reusable microfiber cloths or sponges instead. The same applies for your mop — ditch your disposable one for a reusable one.
Focus on places you don’t clean so often. Of course, most of us clean our homes at least once a week, but there are several often-overlooked spots you don’t want to miss during the big spring clean. Vacuum out the refrigerator coils, for example – the appliance will get much more efficient again. Try also deep-cleaning your carpet, washing your drapes, etc. A good method for cleaning the carpet is to mix borax and essential oil together, sprinkle over the rug, let it sit, and vacuum afterwards.
Plan ahead. Sticking to the plan will make your 2012 spring clean much easier. Try to prevent stuff from accumulating in your home further, get rid of unnecessary items instantly. Remember, compulsive hoarding can become a serious problem!
But seriously, the most important thing is not stressing yourself – keep in mind that you’re doing all of this to make your home a better place to live.
April 15th, 2011 · No Comments · Green Lifestyle, Green News
Spring is a time for wet clothes and wet towels-which means your dryer definitely gets a workout! Studies show that only 3 percent of dryers in Canada are natural gas-which means that 97 percent of Canadians are missing out on significant savings.
Natural gas dryers offer faster drying times, and can save you money on your energy bills over electric dryers. Lifetime appliance cost estimates indicate that, even if you have an existing electric dryer, replacing it with a gas dryer is likely an economical option. (Check out Natural Resources Canada's handy savings charts.)
If you do decide to get a natural gas dryer, you'll need a licensed heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) technician to install it for you. When buying a dryer, keep these tips in mind:
Buy a dryer that's the right size for your use. If you tend to do small loads of laundry, a compact dryer will work well for you. If you save up your laundry for "laundry day," you might benefit from a machine with a bigger capacity. Drying small loads in a standard or large-capacity dryer wastes energy and costs you more money.
Look for moisture-sensing and other features. Some machines will automatically shut down when they sense that clothes are dry, meaning your clothes won't over dry and you won't be spending extra money. Adjustable temperatures can also help you only use the heat you need.
For more information, take a look at Natural Resources Canada's section on natural gas clothes dryers.
*Information provided by Enbridge Energy Club Newsletter.
The seasonally adjusted rate of housing starts was 188,800 units last March, up from 183,700 units in February 2011. The information was provided by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). All starts in this release are seasonally adjusted annual rates, with the exception of actual starts.
The seasonally adjusted annual rate of urban starts went up by 0.4 per cent to 163,500 units last month, as urban multiple starts stood at 101,400 units (an increase by 6.6 per cent). Conversely, single urban starts went down by 8.3 per cent to rest at 62,100 units.
The growth was strongest in Ontario, where urban starts increased by 13.6 percent, followed by an 11.5 per cent increase in the Atlantic Region, and by an 8.5 per cent growth in Québec. On the contrary, March’s seasonally adjusted annual rate of urban housing starts went down by 23.4 per cent in BC, and by 19.3 per cent in the Prairies.
Finally, CMHC has estimated the rural starts at a seasonally adjusted rate of 25,300 units in March 2011.
“Housing starts moved higher in March mostly because of increases in rural starts,” explains Bob Dugan, Chief Economist at CMHC’s Market Analysis Centre. “Urban starts saw little change as the increase in Ontario’s multiples segment was offset by a decrease in British Columbia’s multiples and a decrease in single housing starts in the Prairies.”
The ability to understand the market is the key to financial success. Nobody can predict the exact movement of a market trend (unless she or he is a gifted prophet), but the right combination of proper information, good analytical skills, and a bit of intuition can help you make the right decisions about buying or selling real estate.
We cannot help you to improve your analytic skills or intuition, but we can help you to get the right data. With that in mind, we have collected all Toronto Real Estate Board data for the GTA from 2004 to 2010, and we present them comfortably as real estate statistics. While TREB regular market updates are a big help for realtors, it is not so easy to analyze long-term trends. Our database helps you to run your own statistical research and draw your own graphs.
You can use them for your investment analysis, to follow market trends, or maybe just for your class project at university. Visit the Toronto Real Estate Statistics Database to give it a try.
This updated two-storey house in the west end had more than 60 visitors between private showings and two open houses.
“A 30-foot lot rarely comes up,” says agent Julie Kinnear, who explains that most properties on the treed street are 25-feet wide and share a driveway. “The 30-foot lot allows for it to [have] a private drive.”
April 11th, 2011 · No Comments · Toronto Real Estate News
TREB’s regular housing report for the last month is out, so let’s take a look at the current market situation.
9,262 transactions through the TorontoMLS® system were recorded by Greater Toronto REALTORS®, which is the second best March result ever, with the number of transactions down only 11% from the record March result of last year.
The report quotes Bill Johnston, the President of TREB: “The strong home sales reported in March and throughout the first quarter of 2011 have been based on a solid affordability picture and improving economic conditions in the GTA and country-wide.”
Jason Mercer, TREB’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis, believes that competition among buyers was tighter this March compared to last year. “With more competition between
buyers, we have seen a strong but sustainable rate of price growth,” he explained.
The average selling price for the last month went up to $456,147, an increase of 5 per cent in comparison to March 2010. The strongest average annual price growth (approximately 7 per cent) was reported for condominium transactions and semi-detached houses.
Finally, the median price stood at $385,000 this March, up from $370,000 recorded the year before.
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) released a report showing positive housing starts numbers in the Greater Toronto Area.
According to the report, new home construction remained strong in February. Housing starts reached 2,986, which is a 19 per cent increase from last year.
Of the more than 5,000 starts that were recorded in the first two months of this year — the second best performance since the peak of activity in 2003 — condos accounted for nearly 40%. It seems they’re becoming the driving force for the construction industry in the GTA; they’ve almost doubled since the same period in 2010.
Completions in the same category went up as well. Over 3,000 condominium apartments were completed in the first two months of the year. The volume of finished projects has lowered the number of condos under construction down to only 30,000, which is the lowest number since early 2008. Experts expect this level to hold throughout the year since the number of condominium construction starts should match the number of completed constructions.
This condo construction activity is a reflection of the growing popularity of this housing type among first-time buyers, downsizers, and renters.
We’ve always tried to present to you as many properties as possible, but in a digestible way. While in the old days, realtors were equipped only with simple websites and print leaflets, the rapid growth of broadband and Web has given realtors the opportunity to take you for a home visit without leaving your chair.
While almost every real estate professional makes videos, ours seem to be good enough to receive kudos from renowned real estate photographer Larry Lohrman. He analyzed our videos in the recent post on his real estate photography blog, using them to explain how a good video can generate interest. It’s not the first post about Julie Kinnear Team videos from Larry – he already wrote about the importance of narration in his October post and used our video as an example.
I’m happy to see such a positive reaction from a professional, because it confirms that we offer the best service to all our clients when it comes to marketing your property.
Collect rainwater in a barrel. You don’t have to pay for all the water you use – get a few barrels and start storing rainwater in them! Rainwater can be used in many ways. First of all, it’s much better for gardening then the water from your plumbing. You can also use it for washing your car, mopping the floors, or even flushing the toilet. Have a look around the shops to see what tubes they offer. Eventually, if you’d like to be even more eco-friendly, go ahead and make one yourself!
Grocery bag from an old t-shirt. Old t-shirts can be reused in many ways, but one of the the most innovative ideas is to use them as grocery bags. How? Just turn the t-shirt inside out and stitch along the bottom hem. Turn the t-shirt back and cut along the arm holes – and your brand new grocery shopping bag is complete!
Use shopping lists and stick to them. It might seem trivial, but have you ever gone shopping to buy some bread and milk, and afterwards returned home with plenty of stuff you never intended to buy in the first place? Sometimes it’s hard to resist our temptations, but it helps to prepare a detailed shopping list and adhere to it. Buy only the things you really need.
Read the news online. Approximately 6.4 million newspapers are printed in Canada everyday, and most of them never get recycled. If you don’t like the idea of contributing to this huge waste of trees and natural resources, try reading the news online. It might feel weird at first, but reading the news online is actually quite comfortable, and it can also save you a lot of time. The majority of newspapers have a free online version, so you won’t miss any important news – on the contrary, online news is much faster, as it’s being updated continuously.
Use lemon as an all-purpose cleaner. Did you know that an equal amount of lemon juice and water added to a spray bottle can work as an effective kitchen and bathroom cleaner? Additionally, this “lemon cleaner” can be also used on walls – just don’t forget to test it on a small spot first.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our tips, stay tuned for more!
Tim Burton, that macabre cinematic genius, was born and raised in the rural suburbs of Burbank, California. After years of hard work he has written, directed, or produced critically and commercially successful films like Sleepy Hollow, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and his most recent venture, Alice in Wonderland. He is also married to the lovely Helena Bonham Carter and recently became a father. All in all, he’s a great example of a success story. But how did he get to the top?
The Museum of Modern Art (better known as MoMA) in New York City organized an exhibit to answer that question. Pulling together various artifacts from Burton’s private collection, costume designers who worked on his films, and other donors, they succeed in painting a portrait of the man whose unique style has made him a standout among directors.
The show was a huge success in the Big Apple, with Burton securing a space as one of the highest crowd drawers in the history of the museum, third only to Picasso and Matisse! This triumph prompted the exhibits’ move to downtown Toronto last November. Over 700 items from the original display have made their way into our lovely city, all for film and in particular, Burton lovers, to enjoy. Personal drawings dating back to the 1970s and 1980s, sculptures from his first stop animation films, notes to his actors (including one to Johnny Depp regarding a line in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), and iconic costumes such as Edward Scissorhands’ suit and Ed Wood’s infamous angora sweater are all there to see. TIFF Bell Lightbox, the venue running the exhibit, does an excellent job incorporating objects with media: as you peruse sketches and poems, television screens play his Timex commercials, music videos, and early shorts.
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride
One of the highlights is an extremely rare reel of his first films, made in high school, which he wrote, directed, and even starred in. They’re an intimate touch and easily one of the best parts of the exhibit. A special collection within the exhibit focuses on Burton’s time in Burbank establishing himself as an artist and animator before hitting the big time. Funnily enough, some of his earliest works featured references to Planet of the Apes, a film he actually remade in 2001. He certainly has come a far way from the boy who won a poster contest in high school.
After you have finished your trek through the exhibit, and perhaps strolled back to certain favourite pieces, feel free to head across the hall and into the Canteen. The in house restaurant, co-owned by master chefs Peter Oliver and Michael Bonacini, offers affordable and delicious fare. Anything from a full sit down meal to a sandwich on the go, or even just a granola bar is there for you to enjoy. I tried their smoked salmon sandwich and house blend of iced tea, both of which were satisfying and delicious.
I had an excellent time at the exhibit and, despite being a huge fan for years already, learned a lot of things I didn’t know about one of my favourite filmmakers. It was a great way to spend an afternoon, and one that I have already recommended to friends and family.
If the Tim Burton exhibit sounds like something you’re interested in, you had best hurry over as the display closes April 17, 2011! Luckily for you, TIFF Bell Lightbox has extended their hours to accommodate demand. The display is open Monday noon to 6PM and Tuesday through Saturday from 10AM-10PM. For the shortest wait in line possible, order tickets online and have them ready when you arrive. Tickets cost about $20 each.
Have you ever found yourself thinking about what possible purpose some random piece of junk from your home could serve before throwing it out? There are many things we’re used to throwing into the trash without hesitation. Nevertheless, some of them can be reused in quite original ways — all you need is a bit of creative thinking. Let’s take a look at some interesting, simple recycling ideas!
1. Are there some forgotten toilet paper rolls left on your bathroom’s floor? You don’t need to throw them out: they can be used to extend vacuum cleaner reach, to prevent wires from entangling, as kindling, and more!
2. Do you buy eggs in cardboard or polystyrene cartons? You can use them as storage or an organizer for many small items – jewellery, small toys, chess pieces, etc.
3. We all have some old broken CDs or DVDs that can’t be played anymore. Nevertheless, they can still be used as driveway reflectors or as coasters. If you are a creative person, you can even find use for them as original decorations.
4. Modern optical computer mice operate smoothly on most surfaces. That makes old mousepads almost unnecessary. Almost – because you can always put them under houseplants to prevent water from damaging floor, or cut them for use as appliance feet or to level furniture.
5. What do you do when you run out of toothpaste? If you simply throw the empty tube out and go buy a new one, there’s a better solution. Clip off the cap end of the toothpaste tube and use hot, soapy water to clean the tube completely. You can now use it as a guard for knives or scissors, so you won’t cut yourself when you reach for them in a drawer. Another option is to clip off the bottom and fill the tube with icing. Now you have a cake decorator you can use over and over again!
Sometimes it doesn’t take much to turn waste into something useful. Don’t you agree? Feel free to add your own interesting and handy ideas for reusing household products.
Last week, home price indexes (HPI) for January were released for both the U.S. (Case-Shiller) and Canada (Teranet). Both home price indexes were set at 100 in January 2000. Between 2000 and 2006, U.S. home prices more than doubled, reaching their peak at 206.52 in July 2006. That was just before the housing bubble burst, and home prices fell by 32.4% before plummeting to 139.26 HPI points in April 2009. Canadian home prices have, similarly, more than doubled during the last decade, and peaked at 204.59 HPI points in August 2010. However, they have remained relatively stable since then.
Some experts have speculated that the Canadian real estate market is headed for a steep correction. Here’s a short excerpt from a recent Wall Street Journal article, “Housing Booms North of the Border:”
“As much of the U.S. housing market limps along, home prices north of the border are on a fresh tear, fired up in part by a borrowing binge that has sent Canadians’ debt to record levels—and now higher than their notoriously profligate U.S. neighbors—while income growth pokes along. All that has raised worry at the country’s central bank, which repeatedly has warned about rising debt levels, and among some economists, who say the market is ripe for a correction—maybe a steep one.”
David Madani, an economist at Capital Economics (an independent research consultancy based in London), believes that Canadian housing prices could be expected to drop by 25% in the following three years. This correction is warranted by the now-inflated ratio of house prices to income.
“House prices have risen to almost 5.5 times disposable income per worker, well above the long-term historical average of 3.5,” said Madani.
What do you think? Is the Canadian housing market truly headed for a steep home prices correction?
Fluid milk is one of the most popular and common beverages in the world. In 2006, Canada made it to the top ten per capita consumers of cow’s milk and cow’s milk product. The consumption of fluid milk alone reached 81.28 litres per capita in 2009. Unfortunately, this number doesn’t only represent a lot of milk — it also represents a huge amount of waste. How can we contribute to reducing dairy product related waste?
Plastic milk jugs are made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE), or plastic number 2. Though they are safer for food than other plastics, not as toxic to produce, and widely recyclable, their recovery rate is only about 50 per cent. Furthermore, recycled milk jugs are usually downcycled – which means they usually end up as plant trays, non-food packaging, and other not easily recycled items.
Paper milk cartons or polycoated gable-top cartons are made from virgin paperboard. However, they’re not always accepted in municipal curbside recycling programs. So what options are we left with?
The best option is also the rarest – yes, we’re talking about glass bottles. Originally invented in 1884 by Dr. Hervey Thatcher from New York, they served as the only method of milk distribution, but were slowly replaced by plastic-coated milk cartons in 1932. These days, glass bottles can be hard to find. Your best chance to run into some old-school, glass-bottled milk is to check out health food stores in your hometown.
Another way to get glass-bottled milk is through various food delivery services. Look for the ones that specialize in delivering fresh farm food, organic food, etc.
Why glass bottles? Most importantly, they can be reused. “Reuse” always comes before “recycle,” and even when there’s no other option left, glass can be recycled very easily. Additionally, many people claim that glass-bottled milk somehow tastes better — perhaps because glass doesn’t hold odours like plastic does. Moreover, glass bottles don’t leak, and they keep milk colder and fresher since the air can’t get in.
And finally, we shouldn’t overlook their nostalgic value – don’t they bring back memories from your childhood?
April 1st, 2011 · Comments Off · Kinnear's Krazy Kontest
Happy April Everyone! When I think of April, I think Easter, I think chocolate and I always think and CRAVE the Laura Secord Easter Egg. If you haven’t had one, its a must! This month’s Kontest gift card is for Laura Secord! We hope you all have a wonderful Easter and a great April!
Just answer the following skill testing question for your chance to win!
One correct answer to the following skill-testing question will be drawn:
Canada’s largest green consumer show has announced its first names for participants in the Green Business Forum. If you’re eager to join the discussion concerning the topic of “Greening Of Canada’s Resource-Based Economy,” go ahead and take a little sneak-peak at the participating speakers.
Anyone interested in gaining a better understanding of key economic and environmental issues from the perspectives of major economic players who seek common ground on the ever-competing goals, profit vs. the planet, should definitely pay attention to this event. The Green Business Forum will take place on Friday, April 15. Starting at 7:30 A.M., CBC’s Evan Solomon will moderate the debate between an influential line-up of experts from each camp.
An introduction to the topic will be provided by Andrew Heintzman, Dr. Rick Smith, and Gerald Butts. They will discuss the powerful force of capitalism along with its potential to act as a catalyst for broad social change. Who are these speakers? Andrew Heintzman is a Canadian author and venture capitalist. He is the co-founder and president of Investeco Capital, an environmental investment company, and the author of The New Entrepreneurs: Building a Green Economy for the Future. Mr. Heintzman also participated in several other green publications and magazines.
Dr. Rick Smith is a prominent Canadian environmentalist. He has been serving as Executive Director of Environmental Defence Canada (EDC) since 2003. He is also the co-author (with Bruce Lourie) of Slow Death by Rubber Duck: How the Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Life Affects Our Health. To illustrate how everyday pollutants easily accumulate in the human body, Smith and Lourie experimented on their own bodies, raising and lowering levels of toxic chemicals in their blood and urine through the performance of common activities. As Executive Director of EDC, Dr. Smith has greatly influenced many nation-wide environmental issues.
The last man to take part in the introduction to the forum will be Gerald M. Butts, the president and CEO of the Canadian chapter of global conservation organization, World Wildlife Fund (WWF-Canada), since 2008. Before that, Mr. Butts worked as an aide for the Government of Ontario.
The panel discussion will begin right after the introduction. Opening speakers will be joined by several representatives from some of the most prominent industry sectors, including:
1. Forestry
- Avrim Lazar, President & CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada
- James Lopez, CEO of Tembec, one of Canada’s largest forestry companies
- Tim Gray, Program Director of The Ivey Foundation, a private charitable foundation dedicated to forest preservation
2. Oil
- Eric Axford, Senior Vice President & Operations Support of Suncor Energy, an integrated energy company specializing in production of synthetic crude from oil sands
- Dr. Marlo Raynolds, Senior Advisor to the Pembina Institute, a Canadian not-for-profit think-tank focused on developing innovative sustainable energy solutions
3. Mining
- Julie Gelfand, Vice President for Sustainable Development of The Mining Association of Canada
These industry sectors represent 12 per cent of Canada’s GDP and over 850,000 direct jobs.
The most alarming question is: in the light of growing threats of climate change and resource scarcity, can we find the best way to approach both economic and environmental issues surrounding them? Come and listen to what the keynote speakers have to say and address your questions directly to them.
More speakers and a detailed schedule are still to be announced. We’ll make sure to let you know as soon as new information is available!
Foreign buyers from Europe and China have been driving the Canadian resale market up recently, as their relentlessly fought multimillion bidding wars push prices higher, despite the slowdown of more ordinary home sales.
The demand is greatest in Toronto and Vancouver, where mostly Chinese and European buyers seem to be attracted by the country’s steady market, its economic relations with their home countries and high-quality education system welcoming towards foreigners.
Since the beginning of the year, 22 houses were sold for $1-million more than their asking prices in the Vancouver area. Moreover, Toronto market recorded 150 sales above the $1.5-million mark in the first two months of this year, setting a record over last year’s 141 such sales during the same period.
Ross McCredie, the president of Sotheby’s International Realty Canada, believes that these buyers aren’t simply looking for investments.
“There is a very strong demand out there, and it’s real,” he claimed. “Without the foreign buyer, who is largely Chinese, our market would look completely flat.”
Apart from boosting the real estate market, this active interest in living in Canada confirms the country’s persistent image of a welcoming, multicultural and attractive place to live.
“It was actually a pretty big house for a typical detached, three-bedroom house there because it was a four-bedroom house originally,” agent Julie Kinnear says.
“[Plus] it’s in a very demand pocket because its right across from Bedford Park school, so it would work well for a family … and you’re right near the subway.”
March 29th, 2011 · No Comments · Green Lifestyle, Green News
When you throw that soup can into recycling, does it just become another can? Yes, but it doesn't stop there! Thanks to recycling, steel can be transformed into concrete reinforcing bars, chains, pipes, and car parts. This greatly reduces costs, pollution and energy used - reusing steel cans alone reduces energy use by 74%! Every tonne of recycled steel cans saves 1.36 tonnes of iron ore. Think of that next time you have soup for lunch!
It is a well-known fact that Canada is one of the most water-consuming countries in the world. Most of the consumption can be attributed to our highly demanding industry, but common households share in the responsibility.
However, saving water is not difficult. In fact, there are many little things you can do that make a big difference. While some might seem obvious, other will surprise you. Today, we begin a short series of articles dedicated to decreasing water usage at home. Get inspired to make a difference!
Of all developed countries, Canada ranks second only to the U.S. in terms of highest per capita water use. To maintain our lifestyle, we spend about 1.5 million cubic metres or approximately 4,400 litres-per-capita-per-day (lcd) of water (based on total water consumption divided by population). That is 65 per cent above the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) guidelines!
Consider this: the amount of fresh water needed for one person to survive is approximately 5 litres per day. To meet the requirements for sanitation, food preparation and daily hygiene, 60-80 lcd are required. However, the average Canadian uses over 300 litres a day in domestic water use alone! So where does the rest of the water go? How can we prevent wasting water in our households?
Let’s begin with some basics:
1. Fix any hidden water leaks
The number-one thing to do is to check for possible water leaks. If your property is metered, the easiest way to do this is to read your water meter and write down the number. Afterwards, stop using water completely. Check the meter again after a few hours – if it has moved, there’s a leak somewhere and it should be fixed.
A significant amount of water could be leaking from your toilet. To see whether this is the case, put a little food coloring in your toilet tank. Don’t flush. If the color begins to appear in the bowl within 30 minutes (without flushing), there has to be a leak. Don’t worry about repair costs; most replacement parts are cheap and easy to install.
If you have a garden, don’t forget about pipes, hoses, faucets, and couplings. Leaks outside the house are often overlooked since they’re not as visible. However, they can be just as wasteful as leaks indoors. Check for them frequently and use hose washers at spigots and hose connections to prevent leaks.
2. Put plastic bottles in your toilet tank
To reduce the amount of waste water, put some sand or pebbles inside each of the two plastic bottles to keep them submerged. Fill the bottles with water, seal them, and put them in your toilet tank. Be careful to put them away from the operating mechanism. This little trick may save more than 30 litres of water per day.
However, you need to make sure that at least 10 liters of water remains in the tank —otherwise, the toilet might not flush properly and users will hold the lever down too long or do additional flushes to deal with waste. You might consider buying an adjustable toilet flapper, which enables you to adjust the flush rate to an appropriate setting.
Thinking of installing of a brand new toilet? Consider buying a “low flush” one. These toilets can save 70% of water used for flushing and cut overall indoor water use by about 30%.
3. Only use your dishwasher and clothes washer for full loads
It might seem obvious, but many people just don’t like to hold off washing their dishes or clothes. However, automatic dishwashers and clothes washers should be fully loaded for optimum water usage. Avoiding pre-rinsing dishes saves water greatly as well – even most dishwashing soap makers recommend skipping this step.
As for the clothes washers, don’t use the permanent press cycle, as it uses an added 20 litres for the extra rinse. Remember to adjust water usage for partial loads!
Old washing machines should be replaced as soon as possible. New, high-efficiency washers use much less water and energy per load. Front-load washers tend to be much more water-saving, so keep that in mind while looking for a new washing machine.
We often take fresh water for granted, but at some point, our needless wasting of water resources might turn against us. Fortunately, there are many small things like these you can do to make a big difference when it comes to water conservation. Stay tuned for more tips!
The Canadian real estate market continued its slowdown in February as home sales dropped 1.6 per cent from the previous month and 5.9 per cent from the previous year. According to the CREA (Canadian Real Estate Association), the decrease was the smallest year-over-year decline in nine months. It appears that the market is regaining its balance from the highs it underwent in early 2010.
“Most local housing markets in Canada are well balanced, but there are still a number of buyers’ and sellers’ markets,” said George Pahud, the president of CREA.
On the other hand, the price gains remain unbalanced. The national average increased by 8.8 per cent year-over-year to $365,192 in February. However, the average prices have been influenced by a record number of multimillion-dollar sales in some parts of the Greater Vancouver Area.
The CREA’s senior economist, Gregory Klump, commented on the situation: “When you take Vancouver out of the equation, the year-over-year increase in the national average price drops to 3.4 per cent.”
Additionally, the CREA expected many sellers to put their homes on the market early in 2011, believing that they would have regained confidence with the return of better prices. This expectation was confirmed by last month’s 1.5 per cent listings increase, which built on January’s 4.3 per cent gain.
At the current sales pace, it would take 5.7 months to sell the entire housing stock on the national market, according to inventory statistics from the end of February. This is a small change from the 5.5 months reported in January, when the inventory reached its lowest level since April of last year.
Starting next month, new mortgage rules announced by the Finance Department in January will probably prevent price increases. The updated rules will make the maximum payback period 30 years. This will result in higher regular payments than under the previous rules, when 35-year amortization was preferred by almost one third of home buyers. Although the rule changes will increase the monthly payment on a $300,000 mortgage at four per cent interest by $105, the total interest paid will be reduced by $42,288 because the mortgage is repaid five years sooner.
Klump concluded that “national average price gains may recede after tighter mortgage regulations take effect in March.”
The Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) has published market data for the first two weeks of March 2011. 4,138 home sales were reported during the first half of the month, which is a 5 per cent year-over-year decline. The number of new listings went down as well, decreasing by 15 per cent compared to the first two weeks of March 2010.
“A positive economic outlook for the Greater Toronto Area, including steady growth in jobs and incomes, has kept households confident in their ability to purchase and pay for a home over the long term,” says Bill Johnston, president of TREB.
Home prices went up nationally and Toronto’s local market was no exception. The average price for transactions in the first half of this month was $460,196, rising 4.6 per cent from the same time period of last year.
According to Jason Mercer, TREB’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis, the current market conditions are tighter than they were in March 2010, “resulting in more competition between buyers and sustained upward pressure on the average selling price.”
Mercer further predicts that the annual price growth rate in Toronto will range between three and five per cent for the remainder of 2011.
It is such fun writing this newsletter – along with the website it seems to be an extremely popular way for our JKT community of friends and clients to stay connected. So please be sure to submit your news for each newsletter. I love hearing others news as well!
Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh!" he whispered. "Yes, Piglet?" "Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw. "I just wanted to be sure of you."
“Do you think it’s clean air you’re breathing?” is not just a paraphrased quote from the famous Matrix dojo fight scene, but also a serious question about the air quality in your home. Most people are unaware of an important fact: the air we breathe inside our houses, apartments, schools and offices may be highly polluted. This might sound disturbing, but don’t panic – there are many simple ways to clean the air in your home.
Consumers often underestimate the importance of air quality. They take it for granted that because their homes are clean, their indoor air is clean as well. However, airborne particles such as dust, smoke, mold spores, and pet dander can be widespread in even the cleanest of homes. Many people also seal their homes tightly to save energy. This is not a bad idea in terms of heating costs, but it reduces natural circulation and traps all those airborne pollutants inside.
It’s also common to assume that healthy adults aren’t endangered by the effects of bad air quality, but poor indoor air doesn’t just put children, the elderly, and those suffering from asthma and allergies at risk — it can threaten everyone. Mold spores, for example, can even induce asthma or similar breathing difficulties.
There are many air purifiers available on the market, but if you’d rather go for a green solution, we recommend the following options:
In the last of our regular 5 Instant Green Changes articles, we mentioned the use of air purifying plants. Just to remind you, while all plants are capable of purging toxins from stale indoor air, research by NASA indicates that some house plants are exceptionally efficient in filtering out toxins, pollutants and carbon dioxide from the air we breathe. Philodendrons, spider plants and pothos are most efficient in removing formaldehyde, while gerbera daisies and chrysanthemums are best for battling benzene, a potentially dangerous carcinogen.
You should allow one houseplant for every 9 square metres of living area. The more vigorous the plant, the more air it can filter. Keep in mind that when it comes to removing tobacco smoke or dust from the air, your plants are going to need some help from a dehumidifier or an air conditioner.
The following plants made it to NASA’s top 10 list: bamboo palm, marginata, aloe vera, Boston fern, Janet Craig dracaena, English ivy, Australian sword fern, peace lily, rubber plant, and weeping fig.
It has been proven that diffusing essential oils into the air is one of the best ways to purify the environment we live in. These oils possess certain anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and antiseptic properties which (along with the negative ions and oxygenating molecules that are released when essential oils are diffused) all help to reduce chemicals, bacteria, and other pollutants in the air.
In fact, cinnamon bark oil, oregano oil and Thieves (a blend by Young Living Essential Oils) were tested by Weber State University and shown to be able to kill 100 per cent of airborne bacteria when diffused into the air.
Common paraffin candles are made from petroleum sludge that pollutes the air every time you use them. Beeswax candles, on the other hand, are a great improvement over paraffin: when they burn, they clean the air effectively while offering a pleasant honey scent, a friendly, golden flame, and the longest, cleanest burn of any candle.
Beeswax is the only fuel able to produce negative ions, which help remove pollution from the air. It is recommended to choose yellow beeswax, which is lightly refined. You should avoid white beeswax, as it is often bleached with chemicals.
To sum up, the best air purifying solution would probably be to equip your home with both electronic and natural air purifiers, while supporting them with essential oils or candles — at least from time to time. This should create the ideal atmosphere in your home or in your workplace. Happy breathing!
Ever wonder what becomes of all those newspapers you recycle? Repulped newspaper can become roof shingles. But that’s not all, that’s just one of many products. Others include new newsprint, boxboard for cereal and shoe boxes), wallboard, ceiling tiles, egg cartons, animal bedding and mulching material.
Recycle one tonne of old newpaper and save 19 trees. Toronto typically recycles 100,000 tonnes of newspaper annually – that’s giving more than two million trees a tomorrow. And that’s totally worth it!!
March 16th, 2011 · No Comments · Green Lifestyle, Green News
Green Living Show 2011
Canada’s largest green consumer show dedicated to educating the public about easy and workable solutions for leading a sustainable lifestyle is happening in less than a month (April 15-17). Why should you visit Toronto’s Direct Energy Centre to attend this year? Read on!
Although the 2011 Main Stage Schedule and Business Forum line-up are still work in progress, some brand new attractions have already been announced. Let’s check them out one by one.
1. TD Energy Fair
The goal of TD Energy Fair is to educate people about making sustainable energy choices. The amount of freely available information on this topic is often overwhelming and the weight of financial decisions makes it even harder to make the right choices. TD Stage, located in the centre of the Energy Section of the show, will be there to provide some expert advice and education. You will discover all the necessary information about environment trends, renewable energy options, financing for renewable energy projects, green building and sustainable investing. In addition to hearing expert speakers and attending panel discussions, you’ll be able to visit TD representatives any time during the Green Living Show to address your questions directly to them.
2. Earth Day Canada EcoMentors Conference
Clara Hughes
at the Green Living Show 2010
Pay attention, students! The Green Living Show, in partnership with Earth Day Canada, presents the Earth Day Canada EcoMentors Conference. The goal of this series of workshops and training sessions is to provide the education and necessary tools for students to lead environmental programs within their schools and communities. And it comes with a bonus, too: all students who register for the conference receive free admission to the Show!
3. Green Jobs Forum
A must-visit for both employers and employees looking to green up their business or career. The Canadian job market is full of rapidly expanding and evolving green career prospects and these expert panels present a great opportunity to learn something new about them. Be sure not to miss them!
4. The Good Eats Market
Time for a little refreshment! Visit Fiesta Farms, sample and stock up on sustainable food from some of Ontario’s best farmers and food processors, and learn how to incorporate local, sustainable food into your daily life.
5. The Beer Experience
Photo by Tom Sandler
Now there’s something for beer lovers! The Beer Experience will be providing samples from some local brewers. Are you aware of the fact that an average Canadian consumes 77.2 litres of beer per year? Environmentally unfriendly production, shipping, and cold storage go hand in hand with such high volume consumption. Drinking locally brewed beer, however, can reduce your carbon footprint. How? Come and ask the brewers yourself!
This is all the information about the show for now. Stay tuned, though, as we’ll be bringing you new information concerning the line-ups as soon as it becomes available. In the meantime, you can visit the event’s official website for more details.
March 16th, 2011 · Comments Off · Kinnear's Krazy Kontest
Wendy Wildfong and Sonny Aggarwal are the JKT's March Grand Prize winners. They will both get a choice of a $500.00 gift card to Cadillac Fairview Malls or Home Depot.
Congrats and Happy Shopping!
Ontario has recorded three months of consecutive growth, as housing starts grew by 29% in February, hitting 62,000 units, which represents a remarkable increase from 48,400 units in January. While multi-family construction (condos, row houses and town homes) was most responsible for the growth, single detached housing overcame the expectations as well.
“Ontario new home starts activity has exhibited a seesaw pattern in recent months, suggesting the downtrend in activity since the spring of 2011 is levelling out,” said CMHC’s regional economist Ted Tsiakopoulos. He also believes that “Buoyant resale and new home market conditions since the final months of 2010 [and] an improving economy coupled with the fear of rising rates later this year implies housing starts should move convincingly higher by the second half.”
The Toronto market played an important part in the housing starts increase with the condominium segment becoming the driving force behind the growth for the local construction industry this year, according to Shaun Hildebrand, CMHC’s senior market analyst. Apart from that, current housing start statistics present good news after the disappointing building permit numbers in January, which showed a 19.5 per cent construction intentions decrease from December. Those figures are expected to start growing later this year, given the number of sales for multi-unit dwellings in the last quarter of 2010.
In the national measure, housing starts went up by 6.6 per cent to 181,900, with Ontario leading the way.
Economy vs. environment: an everlasting debate with valid arguments on both sides. Luckily, there are some cases in which saving money goes hand in hand with saving the environment. Living green is one of them — at least most of the time. But how about green driving?
Thinking green when deciding which car to buy is one of the few completely foolproof ways to save money. The more kilometers your vehicle will get out of each litre of gas or diesel, the less you’ll spend on fuel throughout the year — and you can save a lot.
But it’s not only about saving your money at the pumps, it’s also about protecting the environment. Fuel-efficient vehicles give off fewer emissions and decrease our country’s dependence on oil. Reasons for going for a green car seem quite obvious, however, one important question still remains: how to choose the right one?
If you need a little help, simply check out this useful tool on the website of Natural Resources Canada. Its database provides an excellent source for fuel consumption ratings of various makes and models of vehicles for a specific model year and it can help you select the most fuel-efficient vehicle for your own daily needs.
The 2011 nominees are Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt, Lexus CT200h, Fiat 500, Ford Fusion Hybrid and Honda CR-Z Hybrid. Do you agree with the nominations, or would you rather vote for another car? Feel free to share your opinions with us!
Check out one the season finalists on Dragons Den. Ethical Ocean is an online ethical marketplace aiming to increase the awareness and consumption of ethical products and services in North America. Our goal is to transform the market by connecting buyers and sellers through one easily-navigated website that amasses every type of ethical product imaginable.
The BlackCreek Summer Music Festival will launch its inaugural season at the Rexall Centre, the main tennis court for the Canada Masters tournament at York University.
The festival kicks off June 4 and runs 14 weeks, into September. The event will be opened by the famous Spanish tenor Plácido Domingo, known for his versatile, strong voice and distinctive dramatic tone throughout his vocal range. Joining him as a special guest will be Sondra Radvanovsky, internationally recognized soprano star of the Metropolitan Opera. Other confirmed artists include such renowned names as James Taylor, Diana Krall, Tony Bennett, Helen Mirren, Jeremy Irons, Jane Krakowski, James Earl Jones and the London Symphony Orchestra — and more are still to be announced.
The festival is focused mostly on classical music, jazz and opera, but it also includes international pop, country and world musicians. Throughout the 2011 season, it will feature a wide range of various programs, all performed “under the stars.”
The Rexall Centre, which will hold all the festival performances, was built in 2004. It’s the main tennis court for the Canada Masters tournament and it’s also the home of the Toronto offices of Tennis Canada and the Ontario Tennis Association. The stadium has replaced the National Tennis Centre that closed in 2002. Its main arena holds 12,500 spectators but, for the festival shows, the amphitheatre will provide seats for between 11,000 and 14,000 spectators, with 41 private luxury boxes included. The exact number of seats will depend upon specific configuration for the individual performances.
“The Rexall Centre, with its ideal octagonal amphitheatre configuration, has been re-imagined as a brilliant new concert venue,” said Kevin Albrecht , CEO of iSport Concerts Ltd. and the BlackCreek Limited Partnership, producers of the Festival. “It will offer excellent sightlines; state-of-the-art lighting, video, and sound design; and, most importantly, an intimate connection to the stage. The BlackCreek festival will provide a superior entertainment experience; one that is affordable, offers accessible programs from a wide-ranging menu and has been designed to appeal to music lovers of all generations and from all walks of life.”
BlackCreek Summer Music festivals organizers intend the event to become an important cultural destination not only for the city of Toronto, but for the whole of southern Ontario and its surrounding regions.
Jeff Melanson, Cultural Advisor to Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, thinks that Toronto has been lacking this kind of event. As he explains, “Despite its vast size, Toronto — with some 8 million people living in the Greater Golden Horseshoe area centered around the GTA — has not, until now, seized the opportunity to create a large-scale, outdoor summer destination for audiences to see and hear an eclectic mix of the world’s leading musicians, singers and entertainers. BlackCreek changes that dynamic and at the highest level of artistry. This is a private sector initiative and an unparalleled opportunity for all of us. I for one cannot wait until opening night.”
Well, neither can we! Check out the festival’s website for more information.
TREB (Toronto Real Estate Board) published its regular market report for the last month. So how did the market do in February?
In total, 6,266 transactions were reported through the TorontoMLS® system, which is 14 per cent lower in comparison to the record sales reported in February 2010. Nevertheless, last month’s sales were still 50 per cent higher than sales in February 2009, when the recession took place. This number is also slightly higher than the average February sales over the last ten years.
TREB’s Market Watch quotes Bill Johnston, the president of TREB, who believes that “continued improvement in the GTA economy, including growth in jobs and incomes and a declining unemployment rate, has kept the demand for ownership housing strong.”
Both the average selling price and the median price went up from last year. While the average selling price reached a value of $454,423, which represents a more than five per cent increase from February 2010, the median price increased from $366,300 recorded during
February of 2010 to $379,000 recorded last month.
“Market conditions remain quite tight in the GTA," said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis. He also believes that the competition between home buyers is high enough to promote continued price growth.
We are very glad to see that Toronto is constantly showing signs of a healthy housing market.
March 4th, 2011 · No Comments · Favorite Weblogs, Toronto Press
Our extraordinarily talented client and artist Mary McLorn Valle has been honoured this year to participate in the exclusive Art Project this year. Julie has collected some of her work and gets compliments regularly on them!
The Art Project show is at Exhibition Place Friday, Saturday & Sunday – March 4,5,6.
Spring is slowly knocking on the door and we will experience the beautiful time of Nature's awaking once again. As usually, we bring you the monthly round of instant green changes, to feel a bit greener during this period of time!
Use houseplants as air purifiers. While all plants are capable of purging toxins from your stale indoor air, a research by NASA showed that some houseplants are exceptionally efficient in filtering out toxins, pollutants and the carbon dioxide from the air we breathe. Philodendrons, spider plants and pothos are most efficient in removing formaldehyde, while gerbera daisies and chrysanthemums are quite successful in battling benzene, a potentially dangerous carcinogen. And they can do much more. But beware! Some of these plants can be harmful to pets or little children, so make sure to take safety precautions.
Borrow books from public libraries instead of buying new ones. How many books do you have in your home library? How many of them have you read more than once? It takes 15-20 trees to make paper for an average-sized book. So much paper is wasted on useless paperwork these days, yet so little can be done to save so many trees.
Buy a new, high-efficiency washing machine. How old is yours? Maybe it’s time for an upgrade. Modern, front-loading machines are usually more efficient than the old, conventional, top-loading ones. Due to their construction, they are able to save about 40% of the water needed to wash your clothes while saving 50-60% of energy each load. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?
Let the Sun heat your apartment. Winter is slowly coming to an end, but it’s still pretty cold out there, which means our heating systems still have a lot of work to do. Why not help them out a little? On sunny winter days, take advantage of the sun’s heat. Open the curtains and blinds of west- and east-facing windows to warm your apartment. If the room is getting too hot, simply close radiator valves or turn down thermostats — just don’t forget to reset them when the Sun is no longer warming the room. Closing your curtains and blinds at night might help keeping your home warm as well.
Start carpooling! Did you know that two people sharing a 50 km (return) commute 5 days a week will each save $50 on gasoline in one month alone, assuming the gas price is $1.10/litre? There are many websites where you can offer or search for a ride share, so don’t hesitate — it’s not only a way to save both money and environment, but also a great way to make new friends!
According to RBC’s February report, owning a home in Canada became slightly more affordable at the end of 2010. In the fourth quarter, RBC Housing Affordability Measures fell between 0.4 and 0.8 percentage points at the national level, and the majority of provinces marked declines in homeownership costs.
“They call it a two bedroom [plan], but really it was three or four bedrooms,” agent Julie Kinnear says. “I haven’t seen that before by any other builder.”
Surrounded by the entertainment, fashion and financial districts, this 1,381-square-foot corner suite was only open for private showings given tight building security.
“The big deal is the proximity to Bloor,” agent Julie Kinnear says. “You’re away from the sounds of the [subway] train … but it’s easy enough for you walk out to a vegetable stand or bakery to get your Sunday morning breakfast.”
It took just over a week to sell this 2,330-square-foot house on a quiet, treed street nearby the popular restaurants, shops and cafes of Bloor West Village.
March 1st, 2011 · No Comments · Toronto Real Estate News
The Bank of Canada leads the G7 group when it comes to hiking the interest rate. After raising the rate up to 1% from last June’s record low level of 0.25%, it is expected to raise the rate again in May.
March 1st, 2011 · Comments Off · Kinnear's Krazy Kontest
It’s time for our amazing GRAND PRIZE KONTEST!! All your entries over the past 12 months count towards a chance to win this month’s annual GRAND PRIZE as long as you enter this month…don’t miss out! We thought you’d love a chance to win ONE of the following fabulous prizes, YOUR CHOICE… A $500 shopping spree at any Cadillac Fairview Mall or $500 to the Home Depot. Just answer this skill testing question for your chance to WIN BIG!!
Just answer the following skill testing question for your chance to win!
One correct answer to the following skill-testing question will be drawn:
Julie’s family consists of 4 fur-kids, what are their names?
Just loving the Oscar movie season. I actually watched this one on the plane so didn’t get the full theatre experience which probably didn’t help. Having heard a bit about the story ahead of time the movie unfortunately was not as nerve wracking as if I didn’t know the outcome… so if you don’t know what it is about and don’t want me to spoil it for you … stop reading now, until you’ve seen it! !
This is one of the 10 movies this year nominated for best picture…not my favourite.
January resale numbers in Canada were highest in the last nine months, CREA reports. Toronto recorded the second highest activity, with Vancouver claiming the first place and Victoria earning the bronze.
The increase reached 4.5% nationally in January (Vancouver 14.2%, Toronto 4.9% and Greater Victoria 4.7%) — not surprising, if you take upcoming new mortgage rules into consideration. Tighter rules, which should prevent a US-style housing bubble in Canada, are about to take effect in the middle of March.
After last year’s change of lending standards regarding variable-rate loans (borrowers now have to meet the same standards as if they were applying for a 5-year fixed-rate mortgage), the upcoming change is supposed to release the pent-up steam from the real estate market. According to Flaherty’s proposal, the government cuts the maximum amortization period down to 30 years. Moreover, a mortgage may now cover only 85% of a property’s value.
The market reacted by shifting demand to the beginning of 2011, especially in the key markets. The industry group said that seasonally adjusted sales totalled 39,481 homes in January — up from 37,773 the previous month but down 6.4 per cent from 42,169 a year earlier.
The national average sales price was $343,675 during the month, fed mainly by rising luxury real estate sales.
February 18th, 2011 · No Comments · Green Lifestyle
It's simple enough, but worth remembering! When you leave the house, bring a refillable container for water or coffee. Going shopping? Bring reusable bags, and look for items with less packaging. Think more, about using less!
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) reported 170,400 new housing units in January 2011. This is a slight increase when compared to 169,000 units in December 2010. However, new housing activity in 2011 is predicted to decrease in comparison with the final result of 2010, when 189,300 new units were reported.
The January increase in new housing starts was based on higher activity in the rural segment; other housing segments recorded slight decreases.
The seasonally adjusted annual rate of urban starts decreased by 1.7 per cent to 146,900 units in January. Urban multiple starts moderated by 1.5 per cent in January to 82,900 units, while single urban starts moved lower by 2.0 per cent to 64,000 units.
January’s seasonally adjusted annual rate of urban starts decreased by 19.0 per cent in the Prairie Region, by 7.9 per cent in British Columbia, and by 1.0 per cent in Québec. Urban starts increased by 13.3 per cent in Atlantic Canada and by 10.3 per cent in Ontario.
Rural starts were estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 23,500 units in January.
GTA residential housing market is up for a good start in 2011. Although not being as good as the record numbers reported in January 2010, the residential resale housing market maintained a steady pace with 4,337 transactions taking place through the Toronto MLS system in January 2011.
The number of sales went down by 13 per cent on a year-over-year basis, while there were 9,008 new properties listed in January 2011, which represents a decline of 10 per cent over the previous year. Compared with the previous month, but without seasonal adjustments, new listings jumped by 110 per cent and sales held steady with less than a 1 per cent change.
Bill Johnston, president of the Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) commented on the results: “While off the record pace experienced a year ago, the GTA resale market has started the year on a solid footing. Home buyers in Toronto and surrounding areas continue to benefit from a diversity of housing types for sale at many different price points.”
The average price of home sales reported in January 2011 was $427,037, which is a 4 per cent gain compared with the $409,058 reported in January 2010. The median price in January 2011 rose to $360,000 from the $350,000 January 2010 level. TREB’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis Jason Mercer predicted a growth rate of three to five per cent for the average prices of 2011, which will, in his opinion, guarantee long term affordability.
Detached houses sales contributed to the single family residential market the most, with a 45.4 per cent share, followed by condominium apartments with a 26.8 per cent share. Semi detached houses accounted for 10.8 per cent of the market while condominium townhouse style housing made for 7.7 per cent of the market followed by row townhouse style housing with 7 per cent. The rest of the market consisted of link houses (1.7 per cent), Co-op apartments (0.4 per cent) and detached condos (0.1 per cent).
This is definitely classic Oscar material. Period piece, period costumes, monarchy interest etc.
I have to say I thought it was a unique glimpse into the Royal Family. Loved that it was a true story - that made it so much the more poignant and relevant. They really picked up on little intimate nuances, their marriage, his relationship with his father the King, as well as the early childhood of our current Queen Elizabeth as well as the bond she had with her father. Really made him human/mortal seeming as well, perhaps why the Queen Mum requested that no one release the rights until after her death!
Colin Firth is amazing and is definitely deserving of all the awards he is winning in the title role - apparently people loved him in Pride and Prejudice as Mr. D'arcy - I loved him in the Bridget Jones' Diaries!
What a supporting cast too - Geoffrey Rush really brought to life the role of the unconventional speech therapist and friend Lionel Logue, and of course Helena Bonham Carter is always lovely - she plays the young queen Mum (Queen Elizabeth at the time).
Can't wait for Oscar night to see if their 12 nominations wins them best picture. As a side note - when we went to watch it at the theatre it was pretty funny - the place was filled with a more "mature" crowd. Hilarious - not sure where we fit in - but the rival Social Network movie is totally the opposite in the running this year.
I've also noticed a whole lot of publicity around this movie more than others - so I think they're expecting great things.
Two days ago, the online retail giant Amazon.ca presented a list of the 20 most romantic Canadian cities. And guess what – Toronto didn’t make it to the list!
February 8th, 2011 · No Comments · Toronto Real Estate News
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) released a new report discussing the rate of housing starts and resales in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in 2010.
February selection of Instant Green Changes is ready. Don’t hesitate to make a little step daily to preserve our environment, improve your health and save money. It takes virtually no time, so enjoy and tell your friends!
OK – this is a MUST SEE. I’ve been telling EVERYONE about how much I loved it. It is truly mesmerizing. Natalie Portman transports the audience through her trials magnificently.
This is the sad story of an alcoholic former country music star trying to make a comeback and being pushed too hard by her husband/manager, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, and Tim McGraw.
This movie seems to really divide people - on whether they love it or hate it. It is a bit like the Matrix - science fiction that is hard to figure out what is reality and what is not. Not so much weird space age - as the costumes are fabulous - very retro 1950's. Pretty ingenious in some ways. It has some high points - I love the cast - Canadian Ellen Page, the brilliant late Irishman Pete Postlewaithe, Michael Caine and Leonardo Di Caprio - he and his sidekick Joseph Gordon-Levitt are great together. He is a modern day thief, able to enter your brain to access dreams. Basically it is a dream within a dream or a film within a film. Lots of twists and turns. There is the element of a love story, and family life. But it is darned hard to follow and understand, and that seems to be the big deal for some people, including me. It almost hurts your head you have to concentrate so much. So not quite the relaxing flick. More like you need to focus. I think seeing it in a big theatre is probably ideal where you have no distractions! Despite all the accolades including BEST PICTURE nomination, the director Christopher Nolan did not get a nomination as director for the Oscars, just for screenplay, bit of a controversy! They have 8 Oscar nods, but not my favourite.
I loved this book and strongly feel that it’s a must read for anyone who owns a dog! This book is about Enzo, a mixed breed, and we read this story as told by Enzo…his life, his observations, his family, his experiences and emotions. It will make you laugh and make you cry. I will never look at my dog the same way again.
February 1st, 2011 · Comments Off · Kinnear's Krazy Kontest
It’s February, the month of love. This month’s prize is to Cineplex Odeon! There are so many great movies out right now and the Oscars are just around the corner so make it a DATE NIGHT!!
Just answer the following skill testing question for your chance to win!
One correct answer to the following skill-testing question will be drawn:
Gone With the Wind is one of the best love stories of all time!! What was one of Scarlett’s favorite sayings?
January 31st, 2011 · No Comments · Toronto Real Estate News
Toronto is known as the condo capital of North America. The year 2010 underlined this position - number of large condominium projects was finished and condos take still bigger portion of monthly real estate sales.
New condominium towers are mushrooming downtown and the MLS offers rich selection of units for any type of buyer. Some people say, they would never exchange their house for a condo. Yes, living in a condo or a loft is different experience, than living in a house, both suit different kind of personalities. Who are the typical people, living in a downtown condo?
Burgin and Michael knew each other for a year and then married in front of a Justice-of-the-Peace in 2006 in South Africa. They later had a traditional Italian wedding in Toronto in 2008.
Michael worked as a manager of a business when he first came to Canada. Now he works for the City of Toronto. Burgin has been a theatre performer with CanStage, she has worked for Theatre New Brunswick and Manitoba Theatre. She has also played the role of “Evita” in a musical. Among being a journalist, she is also a professional music theatre performer. She has performed in “Evil Dead” as well.
“It was great because I was in the city for nine months,” says Burgin. “That was with Drayton Entertainment. I’ve done movies for YTV, done a movie with Paris Hilton. I’ve been a working artist, definitely downtown is more inspiring than anywhere north of here which is where I grew up.”
Burgin and Michael currently live in the CityPlace condos in the heart of downtown Toronto. They bought the condos pre-construction and waited three years for it to be built. They moved in the very beginning of April, 2010.
“It was approaching exam time and it was kind of difficult,” says Burgin. “We started packing from my parents’ house. We did it really early and Michael was great. He did everything in one day. We got married in 2008, we bought our condo in 2007. I was working for CanStage at the time." While waiting for their downtown condo, Burgin and Michael saved money living with Burgin’s parents. They remember staying with parents as a great time.
“I’m very grateful we ended up spending those three years at home. My Dad got to know him. My Dad and my Mom, he’s just as much a son as my brothers are. My Dad has a soft spot for the women in his life like me and my Mom and it was a good thing he got to know Michael.”
Burgin and Michael have been living in their condominium now for about nine to 10 months.
“We love it,” Burgin says. “Everything was always downtown for me when I was living at my parents. Now everything is up there. It is amazing to be downtown. My friends are downtown. Going up to York is an hour and half commute. But I love the skyline, can walk outside to anywhere I need to go, I can walk to the grocery store, the library. The winter does not bother me at all. I had not ever worn a heavy jacket before; as long as you’re outfitted it is fine. I love the lights at night; I know we don’t get many stars out here, but to see the skyscrapers and the buildings. I never knew the CN Tower was lit in so many colours. At Christmas it was red and green.” Burgin says downtown living is something that she thinks is geared towards a younger demographic.
“Could you raise a family here? Yeah you could.”
Burgin notes some of the pitfalls of living downtown.
“The downfall of living in a condo though is the price that you pay for a 1,000 square foot condo you could get a semi-detached house if you go further north or further east,” she does say this. “I think it is something that everyone would want to experience at one time in their life.”
Burgin says her Mom is even thinking of living in a condo downtown. “It depends on whether they’ve done it or they haven’t done it. Everyone I meet they say at one time in their life they have wanted to live in a downtown condo. My uncle and aunt’s house caught on fire not due to their negligence. They always wanted to live downtown and the insurance put them in a downtown condo and they found it to be a good experience.”
Burgin and Michael pay about $450 in condo fees a month. Their condominium has a north view.
“We have some heritage buildings just in the distance. We are on the sixth floor so it’s so high. We have a good view of the skyline because nothing will ever obstruct our view. We have a mini-park behind us too and we see everyone with their dogs. No one can really see up. It’s perfect.”
Burgin has advice for those looking for a downtown condo.
“You should shop around. We bought ours pre-construction. You are saving that way, but it already depreciates when you get in. You don’t know what you’re getting. Nine times out of ten it’s always smaller than you think it is.”
Burgin has an interior design background and she was going to study that. “You don’t know physically what it’s going to look like.”
Burgin also advises: “Really know who is living in that area and what kind of people are living in that building. A lot of people in the building are young and renters or young married couples with their first condo. We fit in great. Their building a daycare centre right in front of us. There are a couple of older people living in the building and they must be kicking themselves for moving in. There are parties on Friday and Saturday nights.”
For Burgin, she finds the noise-level in her condo good. Burgin and Michael have plans for the future.
“What Michael and I, our plan is, we’ve been here about nine, 10 months and we say to ourselves that we’re going to start looking this summer for another pre-construction development. Definitely something a little bit bigger and put a down payment for a new development and then move in there or sell or rent this place out as another investment in the works. Getting another condo will pay off for us,” says Burgin.
Toronto neighbourhood
For now, they live their downtown condo dream. It is an ideal place for a young couple – great location, little maintenance, full of life. When the time comes, and their family becomes larger, they plan to start looking for some lovely house in a calm Toronto neighbourhood.
January 28th, 2011 · No Comments · Toronto Real Estate News
How do you imagine your dream home? Several bedrooms, big yard, high quality material used, a fireplace, maybe a pool... Some people have different visions of comfortable living. Very different!
In 1948, the self-proclaimed “Shoe Wizard” a.k.a. Colonel Mahlon N. Haines walked up to an architect, handed him an old work boot, and said “Build me a house like this.” Haines was a successful businessman. He built a shoe empire that stretched from central Pennsylvania to northern Maryland and owned over 40 shoe stores. The Shoe House was a giant advertisement for his shoe business, and he made it available as a vacation spot for elderly couples and lucky newlyweds to spend a romantic week in the shoe, served by a butler and maid! The house changed hands and business purposes several times and today, it is a tourist attraction.
Can you imagine that this house is carved out of a single solid piece of wood? A man named Art Schmock and a friend hollowed it out of a giant redwood log. It took them eight months to do so in 1946, but they never intended to live in it permanently because they made it into a roadside attraction immediately. It’s actually more of a mobile home than a house; besides the fact that it has its own wheels, the interior is furnished like a travel trailer. Nevertheless, you could live in it if you wanted to. It houses a kitchen, bedroom, living room, and dining room that are squeezed into its carved interior, and has a comfortable 7-foot ceiling. The log-house itself is 13 feet in diameter and 32 feet long, and weighs 42 tons, which is quite an astonishing number given that it has its insides removed. Both ends of the log have a door, one of which has two small windows—the log’s only source of natural daylight.
An example of Mimetic architecture, The Longaberger Basket Building is the world’s largest basket, and it’s in fact the seven-story corporate headquarters of the Longaberger Company. The building is a 160 times larger replica of the company’s main product, the hand-woven party basket. It’s 192 ft. long by 126 ft. wide at the bottom, spreading to 208-ft. long by 142-ft. wide at the roofline. It is a magnificent sight — especially at night. And it was not the first crazy idea of Dave Longaberger. His old HQ was a house-sized picnic basket – 23-ft. tall and 48-ft. long.
This extraordinary house which makes you feel dizzy when you’re only looking at it is locally known as “Krzywy Domek” and was built in 2003. The strange architecture was inspired by Per Dahlberg’s (a swedish painter living in Sopot) drawings which were far more crooked, anyway. The building is situated on the Bohaterów Monte Cassino street, which is the North Poland town of Sopot’s most prominent promenade. It’s a popular tourist destination and has a number of pubs and restaurants inside.
5. Ferdinand Cheval Palace a.k.a Ideal Palace, France
Ferdinand Cheval was a French postman who spent 33 years building Le Palais Idéal (the “Ideal Palace”) in Hauterives, a work of great imagination. He worked 93,000 hours alone to accomplish this beautiful castle and to show that willpower could triumph over all manner of physical and mental difficulties. It is regarded as a great example of naïve art architecture. Cheval built the castle out of stones he picked up during his daily mail round and bound them together with lime, mortar and cement. The work is inspired by the Bible and Hindu mythology. A sign on the building says: “Touch nothing” and “Work of only one man”.
A building described as “The ugliest building on Earth” or “Hotel of Doom” is interesting mainly for it’s story. The 105 storey Ryugyong Hotel’s construction began in 1987 in one of the planet’s poorest countries, the communist state of North Korea led by the personality cult leader Kim Jong-il. It’s construction stopped in 1992 and the topped out bare building without windows, and by far the largest building in the country, stood for the next 16 years making Pyongyang’s skyline look like a horror movie. The construction works on the ghost structure resumed in 2008 and the hotel is currently getting a far better looking facade from an Egyptian company.
The only Canadian building in this list of the most strangest buildings is Ontario’s College of Art and Design modern building. Also known as Sharp Centre for Design this mind-boggling building was designed by UK architect Will Alsop, in a joint venture with Toronto-based Robbie/Young + Wright Architects Inc and opened in 2004. It consists of a two-storey box four storeys off the ground supported by a series of multi-coloured pillars at different angles. The remarkable “table-top” superstructure, that takes the form of a parallelepiped (9m high, 31m wide and 84m long), with striking black and white pixellated skin, stands 26m above the ground. No wonder they call it “The university of imagination”.
+1: Wooden Gangster House Sutyagin, Archangelsk, Russia
As a bonus to all these interesting structures I decided to show you a house, that doesn’t exist anymore. The most bizarre wooden building in the world. The construction of this 13 storey, 144-foot-tall building was started by Mr. Sutyagin and his family in 1992 and continued over 15 years without any formal plans or building permit in the Russian city of Archangelsk. Some say, it was the tallest wooden house ever. Unfortunately, the builder and owner had to spend a few years in prison, so the incomplete house started to crumble. This wooden skyscraper was finally condemned by the city as a fire hazard in 2008 and pulled down by the end of 2009.
January 28th, 2011 · No Comments · Green Lifestyle
bicycle by JMC Photos
Toronto bikers get ready! After months of the bike vs. car war, we are approaching peaceful resolution. Toronto downtown should experience the first separate bike lane network soon.
It is maybe even more surprising, since Mayor Rob Ford has not been probably the biggest friend of bikers. However, he maintained no opposition against the plan of public works and infrastructure committee chair Denzil Minnan-Wong, who wants to create interconnected curbed bike lanes along the key roads. Sherbourne street, Wellesley street and even Richmond Street will be affected, as well as smaller roads like roads such as St. George, John and Beverley Sts. The network will have two major north-south and east-west routes, and you will be able to reach the lake at Queens Quay.
Some existing, but not protected, bike lanes will be curbed and separated, adding thus higher level of safety. Some roads will have to sacrifice one of their lanes; authorities plan to prevent potential traffic gridlock by limiting streetcars in favour of subway. Hundred kilometres of bike lanes should cost around $50 million.
Although it may seem as unprecedented victory of bike savvy citizens, it is not correct statement - proposed solution should benefit all citizens. As Andrea Garcia from the Toronto Cyclists Union said: “I think a lot of drivers ride bikes and a lot of people who ride bikes drive cars. We’re all citizens of the same city and people choose to get around differently on one day versus another day.”
So polish your two-wheelers, there is a chance to improve your green lifestyle!
Cleaning supplies, bleach, paint, batteries, old medication, flourescent light bulbs, motor oil, propane tanks/cylinders, etc.
Safe Disposal:
- take them to a Drop-off Depot i.e. Home Depot.
- take them to your local Community Environment Day
Household hazardous waste items contain toxic ingredients and should be used and disposed of with caution. Do not put them in the garbage. Please do not pour motor oil, paints or solvents down your drain or into the sewer.
I recently watched Angelina Jolie’s new movie and must say it was definitely ACTION packed. Although I was quite tired when I put the movie on it definitely kept me up and wanting to watch more.
First thing I did notice as beautiful as Angelina is I do not love her as a blonde.
I recently watched Angelina Jolie’s new movie and must say it was definitely ACTION packed. Although I was quite tired when I put the movie on it definitely kept me up and wanting to watch more.
First thing I did notice as beautiful as Angelina is I do not love her as a blonde.
Angelina plays the character Evelyn Salt who is a CIA agent. The movie starts out with her being tortured for information with her of course denying that she “is not a spy”, you hear that line alot in the movie. The CIA does not come to her defense because that would blow their cover. So her husband and night and shining armor comes to her aid and petitions to have her released.
The movie then switches to life back to normal with her working away at her desk trying to get out of the office early to go home and celebrate her anniversary with her hubby. In walks a Russian spy that is being held for questioning and Angelina is assigned to the case with only 10 minutes to spare. The spy reveals that she is a Russian spy and will be assassinated the President of Russia when he comes to town. He escapes and so does Evelyn. Evelyn goes on the run again stating that she “is not a spy” but manages to kill a ton of people and hurdle from truck to truck while going about 160 on the highway.
We then find out that as a child her parents were killed and she was raised by the very same spy that was in for questioning. To return the favour for her loving husband rescuing her she then watches and lets the “godfather” who raised her kill him! I guess that is what they mean by till death do us part! She must of course prove to him that she has no emotion and could not care if her husband is killed right in front of her?
So she ends up killing him, everyone else including the Russian President. More running from the CIA and then you see her on a private jet with the Russian President (he was wearing a bullet proof vest) and then it was over. So I guess we can assume that she was a double agent after all.
“Given the home’s upscale finishing, “we would have expected the house to sell for a little but more than it did,” says Ms. Kinnear, but “the market’s a little bit softer than normal.”
Link to the video of this Done Deal – featuring Julie!
January 19th, 2011 · No Comments · Toronto Real Estate News
Immediate Info for those ready now to buy – mortgage rules take effect March 18th…Federal Gov’t tightens up lax lending rules is good for keeping our economy growing… Especially with the Bank rate Remaining Ultra Low & Unchanged.
January 16th, 2011 · Comments Off · Kinnear's Krazy Kontest
Kongrats to Diane Buckell! 2011 is the Year of the Rabbit, if you were born in the year of the rabbit you are articulate, talented, and ambitious! Rabbit people are admired, trusted, and are often financially lucky. We wish you all the best in 2011!!
Happy new year! Isn't it wonderful when the world slows down for a bit and there is family holiday time for all... For a special treat my brother Alec joined us in Vancouver, as well we took the ferry out to Victoria to visit our pals the Haydocks.
All of us here at the JKT are feeling blessed as well reflect on last year, and quite excited about the year ahead.
I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.
Yes, it could make excellent financial sense, depending on your situation. Assume you got your Prime Plus Variable Mortgage 2 years ago, you have 3 years remaining until you renew, and your mortgage balance is currently $150,000. Over the next 3 years, your total interest costs will be $19,299. But, if you break your mortgage and take a new one, the next 3 years at today's rates will only cost you $10,061 in interest. After you net out the penalty to break your mortgage, you are better off! Your principal balance will also be slightly lower after those 3 years, which is a further benefit.
New home construction starts in December 2010 were at the level of 171,500 units, going down by 13.5% from 198,200 units measured in November 2010. These are the statistics released by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) which reports units of seasonally adjusted annual rate housing starts. All December statistics are yet to be verified and we will see the actual updated numbers in the January edition of Monthly Housing Statistics by CMHC.
Considerably lower levels in the multiple starts segment, mainly in Ontario, contributed a lot to the drop in December’s numbers. Single-detached houses moved also down, but only gently. The rate of urban starts lost 13.3% compared to the previous month, ending at an estimated seasonally adjusted annual rate of 149,100 units in December. Urban multiples dropped to 84,500 units in December, which is a decline of 20.1%. Single urban starts moved down only by 2.6% to 64,600 units. Rural starts rate fell by 14.5% to a preliminary 22,400 units.
The regional structure of monthly movements in Canada’s seasonally adjusted annual rate construction starts was mixed. British Columbia lead the charts with an increase of 46.8% in urban starts in December 2010. Quebec experienced a rise also, jumping by 13.5%. Prairie Region stood almost still with a gain of 0.7%. Ontario didn’t do well with a decrease by 45.4% followed by Atlantic Canada, which moderated by 9.8% in December.
January 10th, 2011 · No Comments · Green Lifestyle, Toronto Real Estate News
It’s January and we bring you another part of our 5 monthly tips for an instant green change in your lifestyle. They cost you close to no time, save you money, improve your health and you’ll be doing something good for the environment! Just don’t be put off by the “One person can’t make a change” argument.
Feel free to add your own tips on how to make a greener living in the comment section below and we’ll include them in the next month’s list.
Bathe less, shower more. Heating water consumes a lot of energy, costs a lot of money, and too much bathing or prolonged showering can cause health problems, too! Chlorinated water is safe to drink, but when you breathe the chlorine from the hot shower steam, you inhale chlorine in relatively high concentrations which are a hazard to your health. Also install a low-flow shower head that uses only half as much water than a regular one. Only 61% of Canadian households used one in 2007!
Buy unrefined raw sugar (not brown sugar!). When it comes to choosing which kind of sugar to use, there is no doubt that unrefined raw sugar is the best choice both for your health and for the environment. White sugar is completely devoid of all nutrients in comparison with its raw counterpart and is made from raw sugar using a number of chemical manufacturing procedures aimed at bleaching, purifying and filtering to make the sugar snow-white. Oddly, the worst choice is brown sugar which is made by mixing refined white sugar with molasses syrup, then drying it again, so it only adds another step in the process. The shorter the food processing sequence, the lower air pollution and waste produced.
Share a car ride with your colleagues. Car sharing has been a popular topic for a number of years, also actively promoted by the authorities. An average car commuter drives around 20 kilometres a day. Cutting that by half through car sharing saves around 400 kilograms of carbon dioxide over one year, or about 170 litres of petrol. If you’re not participating in a car sharing scheme run by your company, take the time to organize your friends or colleagues with similar commuting habits and save money, have a chat with your driver or passengers and help the environment.
Invest into installing LED lights. Next time you need to change a bulb, consider switching to a LED light. There are plenty of these in electrical appliances stores nowadays. LED lights are far more expensive, but last up to 50 times longer than ordinary bulbs and save 80 to 88 per cent on energy consumption. Unlike fluorescent bulbs, LED lights doesn’t contain highly toxic heavy metals, which represent health hazard, and their light spectrum is closer to natural daylight.
Recycle your Christmas tree. When the time finally comes to undo the bulbs and other ornaments, before the Christmas tree’s needles end up all over your place, think about a proper disposal of your holiday’s symbol. The City of Toronto collects 100,000 natural Christmas trees each year and turns them into compost. Just check your collection calendar for Christmas tree collection day or call 311. They run until late January.
January 10th, 2011 · No Comments · Toronto Real Estate News
picture by melodramababs
4,395 existing home sales for December were reported by Greater Toronto realtors. That concludes this year’s sales and makes the total for 2010 – 86,170, which is down by one per cent compared to 2009.
This is due to market conditions in 2010, which were anything but uniform. During the forst four months of the year, they went from supercharged sales activity to a market drop-off in summer transactions. Then in the fall sales climbed back to sustainable levels again.
Higher borrowing costs, misconceptions about the HST and mainly new Federal Government-mandated mortgage lending guidelines caused a pause in home buying in summer. But buyers then swiftly realized that the HST was not applicable to the sale price of an existing home, that home ownership remained affordable and market conditions improved.
Compared to 2009 average home selling price ($395,460), 2010 average home selling price was up nine per cent ($395,460). In December, the average annual rate of price growth was five per cent.
As Jason Mercer, TREB’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis said, “At the outset of 2010, we were experiencing annual rates of price growth at or near 20 per cent. This was the result of extremely tight market conditions coupled with the fact that we were comparing prices to the trough of the recession at the beginning of 2009”.
In 2011 average selling price is expected to grow at or below five per cent and with this type of growth, mortgage carrying costs for the average priced home in the GTA will remain affordable for a household earning on average income.
January 7th, 2011 · No Comments · Toronto Real Estate News
Picture by akhenaton06
The new home market in the Greater Toronto Area jumped in November as 4,605 new home constructions began, according to the data recently released by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).
This number represents a significant increase of 83% compared to November 2009. While October 2010 recorded the lowest numbers of last year, they rocketed to their highest point since 2008 in a single month. Most of this increase was due to an growth in apartment construction, which is usually the most volatile segment, but positive growth was observed in all segments.
As predicted, the segment of high rise units was largely supported by condominium projects with pre-recession sales, while single-detached starts were on the rise thanks to 2009-signed sales contracts. When we look at the trends of 2010, we can see that single-detached house construction was on a slight downtrend, but evened out at the end of the year. On the other side, denser housing rose steadily throughout 2010 until it stumbled in October and thrived in November.
Last year’s new homes construction starts before adding sums from December already surpassed the previous year total starts and they seem to flatten out at a rate of approximately 30,000 units annually.
I don’t get to hit the theatres near as much as I’d like – but being a bit of a tech junky this one topped my list last Fall & I loved the movie. It was a fascinating story based on real life events. Gave me a real appreciation for Facebook, its young founder Mark Zuckerberg and the speed of implementation. WOW. The huge Hollywood movie actually came out in 2010 and Facebook was only started in 2004. Now that is fast. The exponential growth is jarring. Despite my own misgivings about joining FB, I did eventually and am glad I did – it is a fun way of keeping in touch, and the power to reach so many so fast has been essential to our JKT “people community” business. And the story continues to evolve… Best line was by Justin Timberlake’s character “take out the THE” in The Facebook.
January 1st, 2011 · Comments Off · Kinnear's Krazy Kontest
Happy New Year!! We hope you all had a great holiday break! This month’s Kontest prize is a gift card to the Running Room. Start your resolution to get fit now!!
Just answer the following skill testing question for your chance to win!
One correct answer to the following skill-testing question will be drawn:
On the Chinese Calendar, what is 2011 the year of?
