weekly diversity reporter canada

CROSS ROADS: exploring the immigrant experienceC

anada’s immigrant experience hasbeen exhaustively chronicled in print,but rarely depicted in art. Haris sheikhis setting out to redress the balance —and the Pakistani-Canadian painter is

off to a powerful beginning with his solo exhibition,Cross Roads, which will be travelling to various partsof British Columbia in coming months.

drawn from his 12 years in this country, the Pak-istani native pours his soul into the 13 oil-on-boardpaintings on display. The exhibit focuses on culturalshock and loss of identity, which finally leads to solitude.

“This is my journey,” he said during the openingof his solo exhibition, Cross Roads, at the PromenadeGallery in Toronto. “I came from a civilization that’sthousands of years old to a new land of highways andtall buildings. Lots of people who’ve embarked on asimilar journey feel lost and disconnected. This iswhat I’m trying to convey in this show.”

sheikh judiciously employs lines to symbolizecrossroads between cultures. The lines divide theolder cultures, usually depicted in two dimensions,and the modern world, usually depicted in three di-mensions.

sheikh says he includes the third dimension inhis paintings because the mix creates emotions.

another recurring image in sheikh’s paintings,all done within the past six months, is the Whirlingdervish. “It’s a spiritual dance to reach the highestspiritual level. also, the fundamental condition of ourexistence is to revolve,” sheikh explains. In the paint-ing Journey of the soul, sheikh depicts several of thedervishes with their heads missing to symbolize thedisconnectedness experienced by newcomers.

“When one leaves his country, relationships arecut off, families and culture are left behind,” he says.

“In Canada, it’s difficult to sponsor families be-cause the rules are so strict,” he adds. “It’s a void thatwe can’t compensate with any other thing.”

not all sheikh’s paintings are symbolic. One ofthe largest pieces powerfully documents the ill-fatedjourney of the Komagatu Maru, which sailed to Van-couver in 1914 carrying 356 passengers from Punjab,India. although all those on board were British sub-jects, they were not allowed to land in Canada, andthe ship was forced to return to India.

Given similar incidents in recent years, sheikhisn’t sure a lesson has been learnt.

“In a couple of years we will marking the 100thanniversary of the Komagatu Maru,” he notes.

To see more details on Cross Roads or book anevent in British Columbia go to: www.diversityreporter.com/crossroads.

Wednesday October 10, 2012

www.diversityreporter.com

02

CLASS 3 Driver required with Airbrakes ( NOC 7511 )Canrun Transportation INC is looking for experi-enced drivers for long routes. Must be reliableand able to make quick decisions. Must be ableto write read and communicate in English. Knowl-edge of Farsi is an asset. The candidate musthave a clean drivers abstract and 3-5 years of ex-perience. The Compensation is based on experi-ence. All benefits will be included. Please sendyour resume to [email protected]

AJ sweets INC. A Halal sweet shop/restaurant ishiring full time an experienced sweet maker(preferably a Muslim) to work from Surrey location.3-5 years of related experience required. Must beable to make Pakistani (speciality), Hindi and Ara-bic sweets. 16.50/hr+ benefits after 90 days.

Send resume to [email protected]

Roshan super market is looking for a full timemeat cutter ( butcher-NOC 6251 ), preferably aMuslim, to work from Coquitlum location. Thecandidate must have 2-3 years of experience inthe related field. Must be able to cut, gring andtrim meat, poultry and fish. Wages- 16.00/hr andmedical benifits after 90 days. Please send resume to [email protected]

HELP WANTED

Speciality food maker/Sweets ( Mithai Maker ) required. ( NOC: 6252 )

Meat Cutter Wanted

VICTORIA, BC: To commemorate the Townshipof Esquimalt’s 100th anniversary of incorpora-tion, Mayor dean Fortin presented Mayor Bar-bara desjardins with a gift on behalf of the City ofVictoria at an Esquimalt Council Meeting last

night. The gift consisted of a commemorativebronze plaque which will accompany two newburgundy, steel adirondack chairs and a sidetable to be installed along the songhees Walkwaynear Head street this fall.

“Victoria and Esquimalt share a long and im-portant history — we are two communities joinedby land and community spirit,” said Mayor deanFortin. “The plaque reflects this sentiment and wehope this gift brings many years of enjoyment toresidents and visitors of both communities.”

The City of Victoria celebrated its 150th anniver-sary of incorporation on august 2, 2012. The Town-ship of Esquimalt celebrated its 100th anniversaryof incorporation on september 1, 2012. Celebratoryanniversary projects and events are being heldthroughout the year in both communities.

Plaque honoursfrancophone role inVictoria health careVICTORIa - To highlight more than 150 years offrancophone contribution to the Victoria-health-care system, a plaque was unveiled today at theRoyal Jubilee Hospital. The interpretive panelcommemorates the merging of the Hopital fran-cais with the Provincial Royal Jubilee Hospitalin 1890 and will be installed in the Heritage Gar-den next to the Pemberton Memorial Chapel atthe hospital. The bilingual panel reads: In Feb-ruary 1860, sosthenes driard and Jules Rueff,two French businessmen and philanthropists es-tablished in Victoria, met with some fellowcountrymen and dr. nicolet M. Clerjon (origi-nally from Paris). Together, they founded theFrench Benevolent Mutual society. Its missionwas to provide affordable health care to the resi-dents of the city. By becoming a member, onecould be treated for free in the hospital that thesociety opened a few months later. In October1890, after 30 years of operation, the FrenchHospital amalgamated with the Provincial RoyalJubilee Hospital. The project was initiated bythe Historic Francophone association of Victoriaand supported by the Greater Victoria spiritCommittee society to commemorate the 150thanniversary of the City of Victoria. The panelwas funded by the Canada-British Columbia Co-operation agreement on Official Languages.

03 Wednesday October 10, 2012


OTTAWA: Most citizenship applicantswill soon be required to provide up-front objective evidence of their lan-guage ability at the time they apply,Citizenship, Immigration and Multicul-turalism Minister Jason Kenney an-nounced today.

This change will be implemented asof november 1, 2012. Currently, Citi-zenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)assesses the language ability of appli-cants, aged 18-54, solely through inter-actions with CIC staff and by using theresults of the citizenship knowledgetest.

“Extensive research has consis-tently shown that the ability to commu-nicate effectively in either French orEnglish is a key factor in the success ofnew citizens in Canada,” said MinisterKenney. “We believe it is important thatnew citizens to be able to participatefully in our economy and our society.”

The Citizenship act already re-quires that applicants be able to com-municate in one of Canada’s officiallanguages. This regulatory change willnot increase the language level requiredbut will change the way that citizenshipapplicants aged 18-54 demonstratetheir language ability.

Under the old rules, there was noobjective way to test language abilitiesof applicants. Under the new rule, ap-plicants must provide objective evi-dence that they meet the languagerequirement, achieving the CanadianLanguage Benchmark/niveau de com-petence linguistique canadien 4 inspeaking and listening, when they filetheir application. applicants will be re-

quired to submit acceptable evidence,such as:

– the results of a CIC-approvedthird-party test; or – the evidence ofcompletion of secondary or post-sec-ondary education in English or French;or – the evidence of achieving the ap-

propriate language level in certain gov-ernment-funded language training pro-grams.

While CIC will continue to use theapplicant’s interaction with CIC staffand with citizenship judges as part ofthe language ability assessment, the

new regulations mean that applicantsmust first provide objective evidencethat they meet that requirement whenthey file their application. CIC will re-turn the applications of those who donot provide evidence of language abilityup front, enabling CIC to focus re-

sources on processing those who domeet the requirements.

The requirement for adult appli-cants to provide objective evidence oftheir language ability with their citizen-ship submission applies to every appli-cation received as of november 1, 2012.

Minister Kenney Announces new Language rules for citizenship Applicants

Creating Economic Opportunities for Canadian and Irish YouthDUBLIN, IRELAND: Citizenship, Immigra-tion and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Ken-ney announced today that Canada will seek todouble the number of Irish youth that arriveannually through the International ExperienceCanada (IEC) program.

Beginning in 2013, Citizenship and Immi-gration Canada will increase the number ofspaces available for Irish youth in the programby 1,000 to 6,350 and will seek to nearly dou-ble the current quota to 10,000 beginning in2014.

"Our government is focused on creating aproactive, nimble immigration system thathelps us grow Canada's economy," said theMinister.

The IEC provides opportunities for Irishcitizens between the ages of 18 and 35 to traveland work in Canada for up to one year. In ex-change, young Canadians can likewise travel toand work in Ireland.

Young people who come to Canada as partof their working holiday are given an openwork permit, allowing them to work for anyCanadian employer.

The Minister also announced changes tohow the working holiday category is struc-tured. Currently, Irish citizens can participatetwice in the IEC for a maximum of 12 monthseach time. Beginning in 2013, Irish youth willbe eligible to participate in the IEC only oncebut for a period of up to two years. The changewill eliminate the need for people, who are al-ready residing and working in Canada, to dis-rupt their employment and leave the countryin order to apply again.

"Relations between Ireland and Canada arealready close, based on family ties, historicallyrooted cultural affinities, and shared demo-cratic political traditions," said Minister Ken-ney. "The expansion of the Canada-Ireland

working holiday agreement will not only helpbuild a stronger Canada but will alsostrengthen the ties between the two countries."

Mr. Eamon Gilmore, Irish Minister of For-eign affairs and Trade stated: "I had the op-portunity last March to visit Toronto and tomeet with some of the participants of the IECprogram, as well as with some of the compa-nies seeking to hire Irish workers. at that time,it was clear that the program could be en-hanced to better meet the needs of participantsand prospective employers. I am delighted thatwe were able to bring forward these changesthat will benefit both our countries in the com-ing years."

The significant expansion of the Canada-Ireland IEC program complements the trans-formational changes the Government ofCanada has announced to Canada's immigra-tion system in recent months. These changeswill lead to a fast and flexible system that is fo-cused on economic growth and creating jobs inCanada.

among the recent changes are regulatoryreforms proposed for the Canadian ExperienceClass (CEC), which is Canada's fastest growingeconomic immigration program. The proposedchanges would make the program more flexiblefor applicants who are working in Canadaunder international agreements, such as theIEC.

Minister Kenney concluded by saying: "Theproposed changes to the CEC will make theprogram more flexible and give many peoplewho are temporarily working in Canada with amore re as permanent residents and eventuallycitizens, if they so choose.

That includes many young people who arein Canada as part of their working holiday,who may have found a good job and want tostay and build a new life here."



04

Despite attacksagainst place of worship, community stillseeks dialogue

It is with great sadness that we hear once

again of vandalism conducted against a

place of worship in Port Coquitlam. sadly,

this is the second act of vandalism against

the mosque in the last 18 months.

While the RCMP are investigating this act

as a possible hate crime, the Muslim com-

munity are also reaching out in search of

answers. Members of the Muslim commu-

nity I've spoken with said they would wel-

come the opportunity to speak to those

responsible and have them learn about be-

liefs.

I think it is commendable that even though

the mosque was targeted with the clear in-

tent to offend, the group would welcome

the opportunity to speak to those responsi-

ble and have meaningful dialogue. We can

all learn from the determination of the

local Muslim community to overcome

racism by fostering understanding and tol-

erance.

as the investigation continues we hope the

people responsible are apprehended, but

it’s equally important to have them par-

ticipate in a dialogue so they can develop

a greater understanding of our differences

and our commonalities. We must all do

our part to combat racism and to promote

tolerance of all faiths and culture in our

incredible and diverse province.

RAJ CHOUHAN, MLABURNABY-EDMONDS

Pregnant women, children and people with dis-abilities are among those who have been leftdestitute on scotland’s streets, according to thescottish Poverty Information Unit (sPIU) whichis based at Glasgow Caledonian University. TheUn benchmark is aimed primarily at raising in-comes in developing countries.

The report’s author, Morag Gillespie ofsPIU, said the levels of poverty she found were“dreadful” and that many interviewees were lit-erally penniless with no legitimate means of in-come.

The report states that 1,849 destitute peoplewere given emergency grants from a charity

called the Refugee survival Trust from 2009 to2012.

almost half (49 per cent) were homeless, in-cluding families with children, 26 people withmental health issues, four disabled people andfive pregnant women and two new mothers. Theasylum seekers came from 67 countries, mostoften Iran, Iraq and Eritrea. some intervieweeshad been in the asylum system for more than adecade.

The independent study was commissionedby the British Red Cross, Refugee survival Trustand the scottish Refugee Council.

sPIU recommends urgent changes to theasylum system, including support for pregnantwomen and measures to help the homeless andorganisations supporting them.

The report says the United Kingdom Borderagency (UKBa) should allow asylum claims tobe submitted in scotland and that “end-to-endsupport” — including accommodation and a sys-tem of cash payments — should be given to peo-ple through all stages of the asylum system untilthey are either granted status or leave the UK.The report also called for asylum seekers to begiven the right to work if they remain in the UKfor six months or more.

Gary Christie, of the scottish Refugee Coun-cil, said: “Every day our case workers deal withpeople who are in desperate situations. We seepeople who have been tortured in Iran yet havebeen refused protection; others fleeing for theirlives from the violence of war in somalia butwho don’t meet the terms of the refugee conven-tion or pregnant women whose cases have beenturned down and don’t qualify for any supportuntil they reach 32 weeks. While families aresupposed to receive support until they leave orare granted status, our research shows that, ter-rifyingly, some are falling through the gaps.” —THE GUARDIAN, LONDON

FAILED ASYLUM SEEKERS IN SCOTLAND“Hundreds of failed

asylum seekersare living inScotland on lessthan the UN’sglobal povertytarget of £0.77($1.25) a day

LUMINESCENCE: The silver of Peru, featuring more than 140 arti-facts assembled from private and national mu-seum collections, as well as from the PatronatoPlata del Peru.

ExhIBITION: Oct. 5 to dec. 16, 2012 at theUniversity of British Columbia, 6393 nW Ma-rine drive, Vancouver, BC



By SanDy naiman

Paul Burrill’s future looked grim in 2009. Hisgrade nine marks were plummeting. He struggledin Burnaby, B.C.’s public school system. needingredirection, his parents sent him to Robert Landacademy (RLa) near Welland, Ontario.

This June, Burrill at 17, was valedictorian athis 2012 graduation. Here’s how his military-styleeducation changed his life:

• Initially homesick, he made his classmateshis family. “now I consider every boy here abrother.”

• He learned quickly to achieve short-termgoals, realizing his capabilities were “more than Iwas allowing myself to achieve.”

• Burrill’s extracurricular activities “weren’texactly ideal, ” but at RLa, rock climbing, boxing,wrestling and jumping out of a plane were activi-ties “that made life really worthwhile.”

• Teachers spent endless hours ensuring stu-dents fully comprehend course material, learning

time management, productive study skills anduniversity preparation. “They really care aboutour future.”

• Burrill boosted his averages from 55% toover 80%. He’s enrolled in the University ofBritish Columbia’s Bachelor of science degreeprogram, then will pursue wildlife studies.

• academics are central at RLa, but the school“develops the whole boy,” teaching social deport-ment, how to always look presentable. “We ironour clothes.”

• students are prepared for the disciplines ofthe workforce. Wake-up time is 6 o’clock everymorning.

• Respect for the students’ superiors is crucial.They’re mentored in leadership skills. “I feel con-fident I’ll succeed in any situation in the future.”

• staff and classmates are there to talk to andwilling to listen, all the time.

• “I’ve achieved more and learned more valu-able lessons here than any other education systemin Canada could teach me,” Burrill says.

ACADEMY GRADUATE GIVESHIS 10 BEST LIFE LESSONS

Ahomeless 13-year-oldFilipino last week won avery prestigious awardfor his commitment toimproving the lives of

fellow street kids.Business news Online reports that

Cris "Kesz" Valdez, who lived off atrash dump and slept in an open tombfor the majority of his childhood, wasawarded this year'sInternational Chil-dren's Peace Prize in The Hague onseptember 19, receiving $130,000 inprize money.

"You are wonderful," nobel Peacelaureate desmond Tutu, who awardedthis year's prize, told the resilient teen.

Valdez survived by scavenging off adumpsite since the age of two; he wasviciously abused and was forced to seekhelp after he was badly injured, accord-ing to Global Post.

However, he had a remarkable ideato help other homeless children.

at the age of seven, Valdez founded"Championing Community Children,"a charity that raises funds to hand outnecessities to street kids in Cavite City.GMa reported that Championing Com-munity Children has handed out morethan5,000 gifts, including sandals,clothes, candy and toys, to poor chil-dren living in the slums around Manila.

To date, Valdez has been able to

help more than 10,000 at-risk children,reports GMa news.

according to Business World On-line,246,000 Filipino street children

are subject to abuse, violence and childlabor every day. Valdez's message tochildren around the world: "Our healthis our wealth!Being healthy will enable

you to play, to think clearly, to get upand go to school and love the peoplearound you in so many ways."

Most of the prize money will go

directly into the charity. But Valdezhopes to someday realize his dreamsof getting an education and becominga doctor.

1 in 10 Campbell River citizens are foreignborn according to BC stats. This means thereare many ethnic groups to learn from righthere in our community. The ‘Cultural Ex-changes’ project, hosted by the ImmigrantWelcome Centre starting this fall throughsummer 2013 is showcasing eight ethnicgroups sharing arts based customs such astraditional food, dance, crafts, stories andmusic. Workshops are free and open to thepublic. To learn more or become part of theproject you can contact diversity ProjectsCoordinator, shannon Briggs, at 250-830-0171.

Taking part is the Filipino association,Italian Cultural association¸ Guru nanaksikh society, Laichwiltach Learning Program,the Cree and dené community and the syriancommunity. Video clips of the workshops willbe shown during Multicultural Week this no-vember, the Winter Festival, Lunar new Yearand Canada day 2013.

“Community interest in learning aboutunfamiliar cultures is growing,” said Rachel

Blaney, Executive director of the ImmigrantWelcome Centre. “We are happy to facilitatethese exchanges to increase awareness andunderstanding of the diversity that lives inCampbell River.”

Past project “stories of Campbell Riverthrough Graphic Recording” was recentlychosen to present ‘best practices’ in Vancou-ver this October to funders and other multi-cultural and anti-racism organizations. “I amhonoured that the Province sees CampbellRiver’s commitment to be inclusive and enddiscrimination and we are excited our projectwas chosen as a positive example for othercommunities in British Columbia” said shan-non Briggs, diversity Projects Coordinator.

The Immigrant Welcome Centre servesthe Comox Valley, Campbell River and northIsland. They provide services to immigrantsto help them integrate and settle intoCanada. Over 350 clients have been served inthe past six months, as immigration contin-ues to bring innovative and skilled newcom-ers to the community."

HoMeLess FiLipino Boy wins international children’s peace prize, $130,000

Want to learn about culturesbut have no time to travel?



06

Sat. Nov 3, 10am - 2:30pmRichmond Rd at Cedar Hill X Rd.16 STALLS: Jewellery, Linens, Books, silentauction, Baking, Preserves, Handcrafted gifts,sewing, Knitting, “Good as new” items, Toys,International treasures, Christmas store,Plants, specialty china, and Handbags. Thriftshop open (incl. white elephant, china, andgarage sale). Lunch $8.00 (11:15am & 12:45pmsittings). Coffee shop. ADMISSIONS FREE. CASH ONLY. ATM ON SITE.

St. Aidan’s UnitedChurch Annual BazaarI

T was here that Bhagatsingh was hanged todeath on March 23, 1931,for his role in the LahoreConspiracy Case Lahore

city officials have finally given in toa long-standing demand of peaceactivists regarding the renaming ofshadman Chowk after revolution-ary freedom fighter Bhagat singh.

The decision was announced onsaturday, his 105th birth anniver-sary.

dawn on sunday reported fromLahore that district Coordination

Officer noorul amin Mengal haddirected the City district Govern-ment to rename shadman Chowkas Bhagat singh Chowk. It washere that Bhagat singh was hangedto death on March 23, 1931, for hisrole in the Lahore Conspiracy Case.

Renaming the roundabout hasbeen hanging fire since 2001 whencivil society activists began de-manding that shadman Chowk’sold name be restored. after Bhagatsingh was hanged there, the placebore his name till 1947 when it waschristened shadman Chowk.

For years now, on Bhagatsingh’s birth and death anniver-saries, peace activists have beenconverging at the roundabout topay tribute to the revolutionary sonof the soil. at the previous suchgathering in March, they eventhreatened to go to court if theirdemand was not met. These vigilshave not always been easy becausethose participating in them oftenget billed as traitors for honouringthe memory of someone perceivedto be an ‘Indian’ hero.

In fact, over the last couple of

years, these activists had made it apoint to refer to shadman Chowkas ‘Bhagat singh Chowk’ to registertheir determination to challengethe official historical narrative thathas sought to project Pakistan’shistory through a narrow prism.

according to Madeeha Gohar,whose theatre group ajoka, hasdone a play on Bhagat singh titledMera Rang de Basanti Chola, Pak-istan needs to acknowledge therole of others outside the MuslimLeague in the fight for independ-ence; irrespective of caste or creed.

it’s now Bhagat singhchowk in Lahore

SHADMAN CHOWK

Plaque honours francophone role in Victoria health careVICTORIA: To highlight more than 150 yearsof francophone contribution to the Victoria-health-care system, a plaque was unveiledtoday at the Royal Jubilee Hospital. The inter-pretive panel commemorates the merging of theHopital francais with the Provincial Royal Ju-bilee Hospital in 1890 and will be installed inthe Heritage Garden next to the Pemberton Me-morial Chapel at the hospital. The bilingualpanel reads: In February 1860, sosthenes dri-ard and Jules Rueff, two French businessmenand philanthropists established in Victoria, metwith some fellow countrymen and dr. nicoletM. Clerjon (originally from Paris). Together,they founded the French Benevolent Mutual so-ciety. Its mission was to provide affordablehealth care to the residents of the city. By be-coming a member, one could be treated for freein the hospital that the society opened a fewmonths later. In October 1890, after 30 years ofoperation, the French Hospital amalgamatedwith the Provincial Royal Jubilee Hospital. Theproject was initiated by the Historic Francoph-one association of Victoria and supported bythe Greater Victoria spirit Committee societyto commemorate the 150th anniversary of theCity of Victoria.



Smoke alarmswear out

We replace all sortsof things in ourhomes on a regularbasis. so why is itso hard to re-member that

smoke (and carbonmonoxide) alarms need to

be replaced too? They are working 24/7/365 soit makes sense that they don't last forever. Firesafety officials remind us to replace all smokealarms every 10 years. For CO alarms, theyneed to be replaced every 7-10 years dependingon the manufacturer. This is true whetheralarms are battery operated or hardwired. sothe next time you're in a hardware store, pickup another “decade of defense” for your fam-ily's peace of mind.

Hi-tech combo-alarmsounds for smokeand gas leaks

While yoursmoke and car-bon monoxidealarms silentlygo about theirbusiness day-inand day-out –unless there isdanger – thecompany that

sells the most of these life-saving devices inCanada is busy finding ways to make them bet-ter and last longer.Market leader Kidde says it has recently intro-duced two advanced combination smoke andCO alarms that are Canadian firsts. These new“intelligent” combo alarms react more quicklyto real fires while at the same time are betterable to differentiate between false alarms andthe real thing. One unit is battery powered,while the other is hardwired with a batteryback up in case of a power outage.They take direct aim at a major consumer com-plaint of all alarms – that they go off too easilyif you burn the toast or the turkey. For carbonmonoxide alarms, consumers often find it con-fusing that they need to be replaced every sevenyears while smoke alarms need replacing every10 years. so in both these new Kidde combina-tion alarms, the smoke and carbon monoxidesensors feature the same 10-year lifespan and10-year warranty. “Innovations that makealarms smarter and last over 40 per cent longerare an industry breakthrough,” says CarolHeller, a home safety specialist at Kidde. “Wehave been protecting Canadian families since1917 and with technology advancements suchas these we will continue to do so.”

Is your home safe whenyou're not around?Whether you have a young child who spends timeat home with a babysitter, or a teen who comeshome after school to an empty house, your homeshould be as accident- and injury-proof as possi-ble. These precautionary measures will help en-sure your children's safety when you're not home:CHILDREN OF ALL AGES:g Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectorsstrategically; check their batteries regularly.g Invest in a fire extinguisher; instruct your care-giver or older child in its use.g Make sure your child or caregiver has emer-gency phone numbers and knows what to do ifan emergency arises.YOUNG CHILDREN: g Make sure your caregiver understands thelevel of supervision your child requires and isCPR-certified.g Childproof your cabinets, electrical outlets,stairways and toilets.g Never leave poisons within reach. Safe KidsCanada reminds that poisons include medica-tions, cleaning products, gardening/pest controlproducts, car supplies, health and beauty prod-ucts, art supplies and other toxic substances.g Examine your home for potential choking orstrangulation risks – toys with small parts, dan-gling drapery cords, etc.

THE Canadian association of FireChiefs (CaFC) along with fire depart-ments and primary school teachersacross the country, have a new tool tohelp kids and families be better pre-

pared in case of fire: cute and fuzzy bunny rabbits."Know Two Ways Out" is this year's theme for

Fire Prevention Week which runs October 7 – 13.since rabbits live in underground warrens, theyalways have at least two tunnels leading to safety.so firefighters and educators will use bunnies incampaign safety materials as a symbol of the wis-dom in knowing and practising two ways out ofevery room in your home if ever there is a fire.

Fire Chief Rob simonds, president of theCaFC, says families who create and practise an es-cape plan together, with two ways out of everyroom if possible, have a better chance of escapingduring a real fire emergency.

"an escape plan helps families respond morequickly and calmly when faced with a real fire sit-uation," Chief simonds says. "When a smokealarm sounds, everyone needs to know what to doand where to go. Planning two ways out of eachroom, ahead of time, greatly increases yourchances of getting out without injury."

Carol Heller is a home fire safety specialistwith Kidde Canada, reported to be the largestsmoke and carbon monoxide alarm company inCanada—and is a major partner in the CaFC's FirePrevention Week campaign. Heller says that inaddition to having an escape plan, families mustalso consider two more obvious factors to avoidfire tragedy.

“If a false alarm has caused you to take thebatteries out of your smoke alarm, or remove itfrom the ceiling, it won't be there when you needit most,” she says. “so when your kids come homefrom school excited to create an escape plan, alsomake sure smoke alarms are installed and fullypowered on every storey of your home.”

as well, Heller adds, "Remember that smokealarms wear out. so replace them every 10 yearswhether they are battery operated or hardwiredinto your home's electrical system.”

Kids get 'rABBit reAdy'for fire emergencies

That extra nip in the fall air provides anearly warning that increased vigilance is re-quired to protect your family from carbonmonoxide, known as the “silent killer”.

For one Ontario man, it is an especiallystark reminder. In late 2008 John Gignac, aretired firefighter, lost his niece, her hus-band and their two children to carbonmonoxide (CO) poisoning. a blocked chim-ney vent forced the deadly gas from theirgas fireplace back into their home. sincethen, Gignac has established the Hawkins-Gignac Foundation for CO Education andspends his retirement imploring others toprotect themselves from CO with one simplestep: installing a Csa-approved carbonmonoxide alarm.

“My niece Laurie Hawkins and her fam-ily had no chance because they did not havea CO alarm,” Gignac says. “If they did, theywould still be with us today.”

Carbon monoxide is colourless, odour-less and tasteless. so without a CO alarm,humans cannot detect its presence. despite

the average home having several potentialsources of the deadly gas, studies show thatnearly 60 per cent of Canadians have not in-stalled a CO alarm.

“Over the past four years I have spokento dozens of groups and hundreds of peopleand the comments are almost always thesame,” Gignac says. People tell me theydon't need a carbon monoxide alarm be-cause they have electric heat. But when Iask them if they have a gas appliance orwater heater, or a wood-burning or gas fire-place, or a garage or carport attached totheir house, they all get a horrified look ontheir face. Because any one of those can bea source of CO and their families have beenat risk for years.”

In addition to being impossible to de-tect, CO also has another nefarious trait.symptoms of carbon monoxide exposuremimic the flu, without the fever. It is rou-tinely responsible for thousands of clinicand hospital visits each year, and is com-monly misdiagnosed. Prolonged or extreme

exposure causes nausea, dizziness, confu-sion, the loss of physical mobility, braindamage and ultimately, death.GIGNAC OffERS ThESE fIVE COSAfETy STEpS:+ Have a licensed inspector check heat-

ing systems and other fuel-burningappliances, including fireplaces, everyyear.

+ Install one Csa-approved CO alarm oneach storey of your home and outsideall sleeping areas.

+ Check outside to make sure all exhaustflues and vents are not obstructed.

+ Replace CO alarms every 7-10 yearsdepending on the manufacturer,whether battery operated or hard-wired.

+ Change batteries at least once a year."Most CO alarms cost in the range of

$30, just about 2 cents a day over theirlifespan, a nominal price to pay for thesafety of yourself and your family," Gignacadds.

Carbon monoxide leaks are deadly — and odourless



08

Victoria Immigrant & Refugee Centre Society Annual General Meeting 2012PerSonaL reFLeCtionS oF VirCS-aGm

BY NANCY HUM

It was my red-eye psychology class at8:30 in the am. The prof came in, wentto the board, wrote in big, bold letters,E.G. BORInG. Half asleep, I thought tomyself, Yup, you got that right. Turnsout, E.G. Boring was not so boring afterall, a respected and prominent memberof the old psychology group, big enoughfor us to study him, not that I rememberanything else from that lecture. Everserved on a board, been to an aGM, i.e,annual General Meeting? Usually,they're like that guy's namesake, BOR-InG! If you get elected as director, youget to be a member of the board, and at-tend bored meetings, where nothing getsresolved, E.G. BORInG!!

Enter VIRCs. I accepted the positionof board member of this most worthy or-ganization a year ago, was re-elected thisyear. I can truly say I was not a memberof the bored, but a part of a real hardworking board. We dealt with difficultand challenging issues, had some turbu-lence, but weathered the storm, and havelanded strong and intact. Our aGMThursday night was nOT boring. Char-layne Thornton-Joe, guest speaker, citycouncillor, conveyed greetings from themayor and city, saying VIRCs "served avital need in the community, congratulat-

ing us on 23 years of successfully servingthe needs of immigrants and refugees.""There was a genuine feeling of trans-parency and honesty here" said aaronHall, real estate agent and new memberof the board. The aboriginal blessinggiven by Marian Thomas, spoke of peace,forgiveness, and hope for the future. aguest from Toronto commented to methat he was very impressed,

"It was great to see so many childrenhere at an aGM, that they were so in-cluded, like a big friendly family." anotherguest said, "The food is great; the peopleare happy and smiling, and the atmosphereis positive." I second that. The staff andvolunteers did a fabulous job in organizingthe meeting and the food. "Yum saysHum". "I feel like I'm coming home again",said david Wang, newly elected member ofthe board. "They (VIRCs) were my familywhen I came here ten years ago. now, I'mworking at UVic and now I'm home again,and want to give back."

a picture is worth a thousand words,as you will see in the photos. My per-sonal philosophy is:

"Fewness of words, abundance ofdeeds." You will also see that reflected inthe work of VIRCs. as the veterans of theboard welcome the new members, we canguarantee you will not be bored. To me,the acronym of aGM means we are allGathering Momentum for a fabulous year!!



dECORaTInG your home for theholidays is an age-old tradition. asanother festive season approaches,it may seem as if many décor ideasare a little tired, so this year, why

not come up with a with a fresh take on sometried-and-true classics? sally Morse, director ofcreative services for window fashions companyHunter douglas, offers the following tips on howto expand your concept of seasonal décor:g Rustic Touches – natural elements help set

the stage for your décor, whatever its style,and make your home feel more warm andinviting. Try filling a vase with dry arrange-ments or a large bowl with pine cones for afestive and eye-catching centrepiece. Gar-lands are also great for an outdoor porch,for winding around bannisters or for drap-ing along mantelpieces.

g Metallic accents – There is no better sea-son to go extreme with our love of metallicand shimmer than the holidays. There arelimitless ways to introduce this decorativeelement into your home décor. Forstarters, take an ordinary wreath and giveit some pizzazz by adding silver- and gold-painted pine cones or dress up your diningroom table by placing low votives in a glassbowl and surrounding them with tinsel orChristmas tree balls.

g Table Trimmings – The dining room tableis the focal point of holiday gatherings, soit's important not to neglect your holidaytable decorations. Find inspiration fromnature by using evergreen clippings andwire to form tiny wreaths that can slip overpillar candles.

also, consider using a holiday-coloured run-ner on your table for a different take on the tradi-tional tablecloth. Or, dress up a simple placesetting with a whitewashed pinecone. Picking atheme for your table décor is another way to cre-ate a festive setting. Ideas such as blue Christmas,winter wonderland or holiday minimalism are

trusted favourites and offer lots of possibilities.g Lighting – as the temperature drops and

the daylight begins to recede, it's a goodtime to start thinking about investing innew window fashions that will enhanceyour lighting, without relying on overheadartificial lighting. an instant improvementcan be made with Hunter douglas silhou-ette window shadings, which feature softfabric vanes suspended between sheer fab-ric facings that work to draw light deep

into the room, thus maximizing daylightingefficiency. nothing makes a room feelwarmer and more inviting that a warmpool of natural light filtering in through thewindow dressings.

g Holiday Cards – Wondering what to dowith all those holiday greeting cards? Con-sider buying a wide red ribbon and eitherpinning or stapling each of your holidaycards in a row down the length of the rib-bon. Then, drape the ribbon over your liv-

ing room or foyer door and finish by tyingthe leftover ribbon on the handle of thedoor on the other side. Your friends willundoubtedly be touched and warmed whenthey see their card hanging on your door.

• More is More – Holiday cheer is meant to bespread around to all. apply this concept to yourholiday décor and sprinkle some of that cheer allover your home. From wintry centrepieces tobold, red accents to decorative candles, the op-tions are limitless. so go overboard.

How to freshen up your holiday décor


Wednesday October 10, 2012 10



IF you have any doubt what astalemate the nHL lockout hasbecome, consider this: talks tooka step backward last weekend be-cause the league and the nHL

Players' association could not agree onwho should pay for a) an extra trainer onthe road and b) for each player to have hisown hotel room.

Players felt teams should pay for both,especially since an extra trainer is a safetyissue. apparently, some teams only travelwith one. as for single rooms, well, they'vebeen fighting for that since Matt stajanmade Joe nieuwendyk watch The FifthWheel. Right now, you can be solitary ifyou've played 600 nHL games.

The league, of course, feels otherwise,that these are added costs and shouldcome out of hockey related revenue.There's no consensus and everybodyleaves grumbling.

It's no wonder that, sometime thisweek, the nHL will announce the cancel-lation of regular-season games, with clubsexpecting it will happen two weeks at atime. Michael Russo of The Minneapolisstar-Tribune tweeted Monday that theword "cancel" may not be used as therewill be hope for an 82-game schedule ifthis mess is solved soon enough.

That may not be so simple, with atleast one player saying there would be re-sistance to jamming too many back-to-back games into a shortened calendar.The path to consensus is littered withlandmines.

WHY WE'RE HEREa combination of mistrust, miscalcu-

lation and misplaced optimism has every-one trapped in labour hell. With recordrevenues and the highest average salary inhistory, there was a hope from moderateson both sides that cooler heads would pre-vail.

The players now believe the ownersalways intended to lock them out. Theowners now believe the union's refusal tostart negotiations until July meant it

wanted to force the league to do it.The nHL horribly misunderstood

how much its first "offer" would anger theplayers and stiffen resolve. The players,believing many of the high-revenue teamswould not want a stoppage, underesti-mated league commissioner GaryBettman's ability to keep his collective inline.

Right now, it is total gridlock andthere are still no good answers to thequestion: "What brings the thaw?" Theno. 1 response remains "I don't know."

so how will this be solved? Here aresome guesses:

SOMEONE MAKES A CONCESSIONBoy, this seems incredibly unlikely

right now. One source (a smart guy, too)had a real good take on this. He pointedto former nHLPa boss Bob Goodenow'ssurprise 24 per cent rollback offer in2004.

Goodenow threw it on the table and itbecame part of the dynamic. It never wentaway. When you consider most playersweren't told that proposal was coming,then you can understand why they wereso upset when it became part of the pack-age with a salary cap.

There is a sense both sides rememberthat very well and don't want to make con-cessions that blow up in their face as badlyas that one did. You have to think bothhave something in their back pockets theyknow could create movement. But theyaren't ready to make them yet becausehistory indicates doing it too early endsbadly for you.

Of course, the other problem with aconcession is that neither side is in themood to make one right now.

ONE SIDE COLLAPSESWe'll see when -- or if -- this happens.

Ultimately, the players have the most tolose. But on Oct. 15, they get their escrowcheques. Last year, everyone paid 8.5 percent of their salary into these holdings.They'll get almost all of it back. If the plan

is for the nHL to squeeze the oppositioninto submission, it will take longer.

The players are furious right now. It'sa different kind of anger than in 2004,when they knew a lockout was coming.This time, the rank and file thought itcould be avoided and are deeply disap-pointed it's gone this far. They are simplynot willing to concede anything at thispoint.

We'll see where we are if this goes intodecember. Just 20 per cent of players hadcontracts going into 2005-06 when thelast lockout began in september 2004.Right now, only 27 per cent are undercontract for next year. a good chunk arelooking at a second season without asalary. The risk is enormous.

But while the owners are hoping theunion collapses, many of these same play-ers (and their agents) believe most teamsdo not want a work stoppage. after talkingto several people who attended the nHL'sseptember board of governors meeting,my sense is that while most want to playeventually, Bettman has more thanenough support right now.

There are some owners who are deadset against him (hint: one of them has aname that rhymes with James dolan), butthe majority are willing to see where thisgoes over the next couple of months.

Obviously, the high-revenue teams,especially those in Canada, are aching tostart. But if Phoenix is ever going to havea chance, I can't imagine how it's good for

the Coyotes, coming off their most suc-cessful season ever, to ruin that momen-tum. same with the Florida Panthers, whoended a decade-long playoff drought andwon the southeast division. The Los an-geles Kings should probably ask theTampa Bay Lightning what happens if youdon't get that "stanley Cup bounce."

That said, there are a few things youhave to understand about how thingswork atop the nHL. dolan may besupremely annoyed, but the nHL consti-tution makes it very clear that if Bettmandoesn't support a deal, 75 per cent of own-ers must vote against him.

Bettman is brilliant at keeping own-ership under control. He's right up therewith david stern and Bud selig when itcomes to herding cats. and the nHL is notlike the nBa, where dallas Mavericksowner Mark Cuban walks in and un-abashedly racks up the GnP of a smallafrican nation in fines. It would be un-usual for the newer owners (Montreal andToronto, for example) to challenge.

If this does go into december, manyof them won't be happy with either thecommissioner or Boston Bruins owner Je-remy Jacobs, who is another huge obsta-cle. There are some in the nHLPa whoare hoping for this scenario. Being hopefulis one thing, having it actually work issomething else.

NBC SPORTSI include the network as a factor solely

because of this story indicating the nBCsports network is in a ratings freefall. ThenHL is its prime live property. Curious tosee if this becomes a factor.

THE COURTSI am the first to admit I have no idea

if the nHLPa's motions in alberta and/orQuebec have any chance of success. Idon't know the legalities. What I do knowis this: nHLPa executive director donaldFehr has a history of going this route.

Many people forget that the 1994baseball strike did not end with a can-celled World series. The next season wassupposed to begin with replacements asthe two sides could not even agree onwhat to order for lunch. But just beforethe games were to start, Fehr won an un-fair labour practices complaint againstMajor League Baseball. MLB was forcedto bring back the real players under theterms of the expired collective bargainingagreement (Think about that one when-ever anyone mentions replacement play-ers in the nHL).

again, I have no idea if the courts willin any way be a factor, but I'm includingit because of Fehr's history -- and he's cer-tainly trying.

THE INTERMEDIARYI always thought this deal would be

done by second-in-commands Bill dalyand steve Fehr. But now even they arehaving trouble creating movement. In thedarkest days of 2005, it was CalgaryFlames owner Harley Hotckhiss, alongwith Trevor Linden, who tried to brokeran agreement. That attempt failed, butHotchkiss was such a respected figure. Heeventually played a major role in gettingthe new CBa done. It said a lot about himthat Bettman would not stand in the wayof the Linden meeting and that the unionwould be willing to do it.

Hotchkiss passed away in 2011. Whohas his vision and steps up in his absence?If someone doesn't do it soon, we're in forthe long haul.

nHL landscape littered with landmines



14

MOsT of us share alove-hate relation-ship with our petnames. some of usfind them cute, while

others abhor them, and celebrities areno exception to this rule. While on onehand, celebs are finding ways to reachout to their fans on social networkingsites, on the other, they want to main-tain a certain distance.

That probably explains why theydon’t want everyone and anyone gettingfamiliar with them using their nick-names. In fact, actors like Govinda (alsoknown as Chi Chi) and salman Khan(who is called salman Bhai) have eventaken offense to being called by theirpet names by people they considerstrangers. While the former brushed itoff later as a way to test who were his‘true friends’, the latter reportedly didnot take too kindly to being calledsalman Bhai by a popular RJ during aradio interview, back in 2009. salmanis said to have coldly directed the RJ tocall him salman Khan, saying, “Call mesalman Khan.” The RJ later explainedthat the actor does not like the fact thatstrangers also call him salman Bhai andit was only when the RJ mentioned thathe looked up to him like his elderbrother, did the actor relent.

another actor, who loathes his petname is Rishi Kapoor. The actor whohated being called Chintu by all andsundry, took a vow that he would nevergive pet names to his kids that couldembarrass them in the future. In anearlier interview, he went on record tosay, “I hate being called Chintu, therewill be no Pintus and Mintus when Ihave kids.” The actor stuck to his gunsand made sure that his kids — Rid-dhima and Ranbir did not have anyshort forms or pet names that wouldmake them turn red in the face.

More recently, actor HrithikRoshan, who is also called duggu, by

his close friends and family, probablyin an attempt to change that sharedthis interesting titbit of informationabout how his fans prefer calling himHRO. However, not everyone minds,actress, Bipasha Basu, loves her petname, and says, “Bonnie is my petname. I was born a bonnie baby, roundplump and healthy so my name is Bon-nie! Media and fans call me Bips! By farI think I have maximum nicknames!Most people have nicknames for me;Bippy, Bipsy, B, Bip, BB, Bipshaw,Bhopu, Basu, Baby Basu, Bona, Beeps!Even though I have a beautiful nameBipasha! nicknames are out of affec-

tion so I am not complaining.” Here’s looking at some of the most

interesting and quirky pet names thatBollywood celebs go by PriyankaChopra The actor has two pet names.Her parents called her Mimi, afterFrench actress Mimi Rogers. Her origi-nal pet name was Mithu. However,since she couldn’t pronounce it as achild, she would introduce herself asMimi. In school, the actor was calledsunshine. actor abhishek Bachchangave her a new pet name, Piggy Chopsthat has managed to stick with her.Ranbir Kapoor actor Ranbir Kapoor’smother neetu singh Kapoor refers to

her son as Raymond. Why Raymond?an insider says, “neetu thinks thatRanbir is a complete man. she evenvoiced this on a talk show saying thatafter God made Ranbir, he broke themould.” sonam Kapoor in an earlier in-terview admitted that she is called Gi-raffe by her dad, anil because of herheight shilpa shetty Her pet name is‘Manya’ but her mom calls her ‘babuchaor Honeybunch Karisma Kapur appar-ently got her name from her dad be-cause her mom liked the Italian actorGina Lollobrigidia and Kareena Kapooris known as Bebo. ajay devgn While hisparents call him Raju, Kajol calls him J.

Celebs’ love-hate relationship with their pet names

The actress has been finalised for siddharthanand’s Hindi remake of the Hollywood filmKnight and day a week back, TOI told you howHrithik Roshanin keeping with his current streakof action films, has signed siddharth anand’s nextproject. The film, an official desi remake of theTom Cruise and Cameron diaz starrer Knight andday, required its hero to have a lean and mean ac-robatic image. and Hrithik, who had recently gotinto superhero shape, fit the bill perfectly. How-ever, the hunt for his perfect partner in this spy-on-the-run romantic thriller was still on. andnow, we learnt that anand has found his leadinglady. Katrina Kaif, who was last seen on the bigscreen fighting goons alongside salman Khan inEk Tha Tiger, has been roped in to play diaz’s In-dian counterpart. The film, yet untitled, goes onfloors early next year. It is produced by Fox starIndia. Infact, when contacted, the CEO of Fox starstudio Vijay singh confirmed that Katrina hasbeen roped in for the venture. “The Hrithik-Kat-rina pairing in Zoya akhtar’s Zindagi na Milegidobara was well received by the audience. Be-sides, both of them are very popular with the

youth,” said singh. declaring that the film will goon floors in February, singh added, “It will be shotin India and also in the Middle East and Europe.”according to a source close to the project, unlikethe generic action thriller, this one will have the

leading lady sharing equal footagewiththehero.“Katrina’s role is as lengthy as Hrithik’s. she willhave to do a lot of action in the film as well. Bothof them will have to undergo rigorous training be-fore the shooting begins,” said the source.

Katrina to play the desi Diaz

Pattinson acceptsStewart didn’tsleep with Sanders

actor Robert Pattinson has reportedly accepted hisgirlfriend Kristen stewart’s explanation that she didnot sleep with director Rupert sanders. Pattinson,26, was said to be reluctant to believe stewart whenshe said she had only kissed sanders who directedher in snow White and the Huntsman. “Kristen andRupert both told their respective partners that theydidn’t sleep together. Kristen was absolutely stead-fast that she only engaged in several make-out ses-sions with Rupert, but never slept with him,”digitalspy.co.uk quoted a source as saying. “Robdidn’t believe her in the beginning, but as time woreon, he accepted her explanation. Kristen has givenRob passwords to her voicemail and e-mail accountto prove she has nothing to hide, and will do any-thing to get his trust back,” added the source.

Justin Bieber vomitstwice on stage during concert

GLEndaLE, aZ: It is unlikely Justin Bieber hasput on a tougher, more professional show thanthe Believe tour opener he pulled off in thedesert on the weekend.The teen idol from stratford, Ont., showed thepoise of a entertainment veteran beyond hisyears when he fought through a stomach illnessthat halfway through the concert saw him vomittwice on stage, forcing him to run off for severalminutes both times. He returned the secondtime with his face in a towel, spilling apologiesto the worried and mostly female audience whokept on singing in his absence.“Right now this is really hard because I’m feelingreally sick,” Bieber told the cheering crowd. “It’snot a great feeling when you’re throwing up infront of a bunch of people. But you know, I feelcomfortable enough with you, that I can be my-self and you don’t judge me.”The only judgment likely to come on this sold-out tour that brings Bieber to the Rogers Centrein Toronto on dec. 1 is adulation, and after sat-urday night at Jobing.com arena it appears welldeserved.It would have been easy enough for the 18-year-old to cut short the scheduled 20-song set. Hemay have the most forgiving, loving fans in showbusiness. The more than 18,000 who watchedhim throw up the other night seemed to careonly about his well-being, as Bieber’s discomfortwas etched on his face.He ran into trouble shortly after “Beautiful,” thesweet duet performed with fellow Canadian andtour opening act Carly Rae Jepsen. But just a fewminutes after being sick he and his guitarclimbed onto a crane that extended over thefloor for two ballads, “Be alright” and “Fall,”from Believe. He threw up again during his hit“never say never,” but came back pledging togive the audience the best concert they’ve everseen.and he didn’t take a note or dance step off as hepowered through the rest of the show.

Australian actress joins ‘Dhoom 3’ cast

There is an australian twist to “dhoom 3” withmodel-turned-actress Tabrett Bethell joining thelikes of aamir Khan and Katrina Kaif in the actionthriller, which marks her debut in the Hindi film in-dustry. “Please welcome the lovely Tabrett Bethellwho joins the cast of ‘dhoom 3’ today,” co-star UdayChopra tweeted Thursday night. “dhoom 3” is thethird instalment of the successful action-adventure“dhoom” franchise and it also stars abhishek

Bachchan and Uday Chopra who were in the firsttwo films. Bethell started her acting career in 2008with TV series “ Legend of the seeker” and thenstarred in small screen thriller “The Clinic”. she wasalso seen in movies such as “strangers LoversKillers” and “anyone You Want”. Prior to acting,she was a cheerleader for the australian rugbyleague team Cronulla sharks and was also associ-ated with Chadwick Model agency.



Pour-over coffeemaking is back

Coffee lovers go to great lengths to get totheir coveted caffeine fix as fast as humanlypossible. But too often we pull away from adrive thru only to realize the mix is off, leav-ing us wishing we could get a “do over”. andthanks to the rejuvenation of the pour-over,coffee drinkers are getting a coffee routine“do over” – convenience without the sacrificeof quality.The pour-over system was born over 100years ago when mother and wife, MelittaBentz experimented with a brass pot and herson's blotting paper. she poured hot waterover coffee grinds held in the paper “filter” tocreate a treat for her husband. The currentpour over method works much the same – acone system and filter is placed on top of amug, filled with coffee grinds, and boilingwater is manually poured over grinds to cre-ate a single cup of coffee.“What many coffee drinkers may not realizeis that they don't have to sacrifice quality forconvenience, they can still have great coffeein an instant,” explains Bill Ivany, presidentof Melitta Canada. “Even with all of the ad-vanced options available in brewing, themanual pour-over system is still revered asthe best brewing method by coffee expertsaround the world – and it can be done in amatter of minutes from anywhere.”

How to brown-bagyour lunch withutmost nutrition

Between wakingup in the morn-ing, getting thekids ready, andheading out towork on time –packing a lunchmight be the lastthing on your to-do list every

morning. although purchasing a meal fromthe cafeteria is a convenient option, it can beextremely hard on your health, not to men-tion your wallet. Instead of relying on fastfood fare, take matters into your own handsby creating tasty meals that you'll want to eatcome lunch time. “For lunch, I need a nutri-tious meal that will keep me satisfied to din-ner, and not just any meal will do,” explainsKorey Kealey, a food and entertaining spe-cialist. “Whether it's last night's leftovers orsomething special I whipped up on the week-end, there is more to homemade lunch thanjust peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.”

dinner parties are a dime a dozen during the hol-iday season. and while you mingle your way fromone soiree to another, it's important to rememberto be a gracious and pleasant guest. To remind usof our dinner party etiquette, here are some tipsfrom food and entertaining specialist, KoreyKealey:

do bring a gift. a bottle of wine, a box ofchocolates or even an aromatic candle can go along way. But remember if you bring flowers, alsobring a vase. The last thing you want to do is makethe host dig around for a proper place to displaythe arrangement.

don't bring an unexpected guest. Your hosthas likely set the table and prepared the food fora specific number of people. If you want to bringsomeone with you, make sure you clear with thehost in advance.

do offer to help the host and bring a warm ap-petizer to lessen the work she has to do. But don'trely on her oven. While the main course bakesaway, consider bringing your dish in a slowcooker, such as the Crock-Pot Cook & Carry, tokeep it warm without cluttering the host's kitchen.

don't be late. It takes a lot of work to plan ameal for a specific time. showing up late can re-ally throw the host in for a loop and dramaticallyalter the outcome of the meal. Be sure to arrivewithin 10 minutes of the suggested time.

do offer compliments and send a thank younote. The host has gone through a lot of trouble tothrow a memorable event and will appreciate hon-est praise. a “thank you” as you leave for the nightis great, but to really show your host your appre-ciation, send a hand written note to say how muchyou enjoyed yourself.

IT could be as small as tak-ing the stairs, or resistingthe urge to shake salt onyour dinner, and it couldadd healthy years to your

life. The Heart and stroke Founda-tion, in partnership with desjardinsFinancial security, has launched afree mobile app to help Canadiansmake important lifestyle changesthat could reduce their risk of heartdisease and stroke. Called the 30days Mobile app, this tool givesusers a customized risk profileshowing the long-term impact oftheir daily health choices – thenguides them to break bad habits andadopt a healthier lifestyle in 30 daysor less.

Forty per cent of Canadians havethree or more risk factors for heartdisease and stroke, but 80 per centof premature cases of these diseasesare preventable. This app was de-signed and developed by experts toempower us with the informationand support we need to reduce risksand live longer.

“We want to help Canadians taketheir heart health seriously,” says

david sculthorpe, CEO of the Heartand stroke Foundation. “Heart dis-ease and stroke are a leading causeof death. We know that nine out of10 adults have at least one risk factorfor heart disease and stroke. Ournew app gives Canadians the powerto take control of their health andlower their risks.”

some risk factors, like familyhistory, age, gender, or ethnicity, are

out of your control. But luckily, thereis something you can do about otherfactors, like obesity, diet, physicalactivity, smoking, high blood pres-sure, stress, and high blood choles-terol.

The more unhealthy habits andrisk factors you have, the higher be-comes your chance of developingheart disease or having a stroke.and, when certain risk factors occur

together, the risk becomes evengreater.

The 30 days Mobile app helpsusers inventory these health and riskfactors by completing a mini-assess-ment. Users then prioritize the riskfactors that are most important tothem and highlight what motivatesthem most.

Key features, such as tracking ofprogress, reminders, positive rein-forcement and social support are in-cluded to ensure that the user is ableto sustain the recommended healthybehaviours.

Overcoming these unhealthyhabits and reducing risk factors canbe overwhelming, so the app helpsusers achieve a healthy heart by sug-gesting simple and practical dailychallenges. after only 30 days, indi-viduals will be more aware of howtheir everyday actions impact theirheart's well being.

The free app is currently avail-able in English or French for iOsdevices only (iPhone, iPad andiTouch) and can be downloaded atapple app stores or at heartand-stroke.ca/YourRisk.

Reduce heaRt disease

factors with new mobile app

Curry gives vegetariandishes a kickVegetarian food is more than just salad. Great vege-tarian dishes can be savoury, sweet or even spicy. Foryour next vegetarian nosh, take inspiration from theEast and experiment with easy curries for a dish thatwill even please meat lovers.Remember, simmeringis key when it comes to creating a great curry dish.allowing the spices to infuse all of the ingredients inthe dish creates an extra dimension of flavour.Forbest results, simmer your meal to perfection slowlywithout having to watch the stove with a Crock-Potbranded slow cooker The only thing you'll need to dois pick up enough naan bread to accompany the dish.

CHICK PEA CURRYPrep time: 10 minutesserving: 4High: 1 ½ - 2 hoursINGREDIENTS: 1 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 medium onion,chopped (about 1 cup), 2 tbsp Patak's Original Tikka Cook-ing Paste, 1 tbsp Patak's Original Madras Curry Paste, 1 can(540 mL) diced tomatoes, drained, 1 can (540 mL) chick-peas, rinsed and drained, 1/2 tsp granulated sugar, 3/4 cupwater, 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, Patak's Naan Bread

PREPARATION+ In a medium non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium-

high heat. Add onions and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes oruntil lightly golden brown.

+ Transfer to Crock-Pot and add the cooking sauce,curry paste tomatoes, chickpeas, sugar and water;stir to combine.

+ Cover and cook on High for 1 ½ to 2 hours or on Lowfor 3 to 4 hours until hot and bubbling.

+ Serve garnished with cilantro and warm Naan bread.

COOK, ENTERTAIN AND FUNDRAISE TOGETHERFall isn't just a great time to reconnect with familyand friends after the summer, it's the perfect op-portunity to support a great cause like the Cana-dian Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF), especiallyin October which is Breast Cancer awarenessMonth.

With Cook for the Cure, presented byKitchenaid, you can combine entertaining withfundraising. Whether it's an intimate dinner orfull-fledged family affair, you can turn your fallgathering into a Cook for the Cure party by askingyour guests to make a donation to the CanadianBreast Cancer Foundation in place of traditionalhostess gifts. Register your party online atwww.cookforthecure.ca and Kitchenaid will do-nate $50 to help the cause.

“Cook for the Cure parties help me share mylove and passion for food with my friends andfamily while supporting a great cause,” saysworld-renowned chef and Kitchenaid spokesper-son, Lynn Crawford.

To help you get into the spirit and host yourown Cook for the Cure party here's how you canadd some fall flair with an autumn inspired menu.

PUMPKINSnothing says fall like a pumpkin pie straight

from the oven, but there is more to pumpkinsthan just pie. Why not try pumpkin soup, whichmakes a delicious appetizer and can be preparedin advance and heated up when needed. as anadded bonus, pumpkins are also great for you,since they contain carotenoids that help reducethe risk of cancer.

CINNAMON

Cinnamon is an ingredient in many deliciousfall recipes, but why not make cinnamon the star.Cinnamon cookies can be a delicious dessert orparty favour for your guests, while remindingthem of their favourite fall recipes. Whip up abatch with a Kitchenaid stand mixer the day be-fore your party, and your guests are sure to comeback for more.

APPLESHost an apple picking party, which is a great

way to get outdoors and bond with your guests.Once you have your bushel head back to yourplace to cook up something delicious with yourloot - apple pies, apple cider, applesauce, the pos-sibilities are endless.



18

By anthem man

METaLLICa were in Vancouver onaugust 24 & 25 for a couple ofconcerts. What made theseshows special was that they werebeing filmed for an upcoming 3-

d movie scheduled for release next year. That's right:of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world,they walk into ours. The theme of the shows was "TheFull arsenal"; they played something from every erathat Metallica has touched, using unique stage propsfrom said eras.

The opening two songs, and first three of four,were from their second album "Ride The Lighting"."Creeping death", which tells the story off Mosesleading the Isrealites out of Egypt, started the showoff with a feverish pitch and breakneck speed thatsent the crowd into chaos. next up, the slow hammerpunch of the bass-heavy "For Whom The Bell Tolls"slowed it down while turning up the intensity. all thewhile the crowd could be heard through the ear-pierc-ing onslaught of the heavy guitar riff. as the setmoved on the show stopping moments continued.

Metallica’s war epic, "One", started off with a fierypyro show that was second to none. next came"...and Justice For all", a nine minute journey basedon the '79 al Pacino movie of the same name. For thissong, a 20-foot high statue of Blind Lady Justice wasassembled, only to be toppled over as the song’stheme of a cynical view of bought justice is revealed.The stage was something of a marvel. shaped like an"H" with a thick middle, it stretched near the fulllength of the arena. This vantage point gave the banda full view of the crowd. The unique set up made op-tions limitless. numerous mics set along the perime-ter of the stage gave singer/guitarist James Hetfieldample opportunity to make sure that every angle wascovered and that every concert goer felt that theywere being sung to personally.

1991's The Black album played a big role in theshow. "Enter sandman", "sad But True", "WhereverI May Roam" and "nothing else Matters" were allthere. "Master Of Puppets", "Battery", "(WelcomeHome) sanitarium", "Fade To Black", "Fuel" and"The Memory Remains" accompanied the set. Whatstood out was crowd intensity. singing along, waitingfor the moments when Hetfield backed off the micand allowed the 20,000 back up singers to take con-trol and drown out Roger's arena

a highlight of the show was a staged miscue in-volving falling rig pieces and people – yes, people!!Throughout the show the band played on as mics cutout and light towers snapped off and burnt up, whichled to a massive collapse of monitors and towerssmashing to the stage. They even went so far as to en-gulf a crew member in flames and let him run acrossthe stage toward a rescue team and safety. With allthe seriousness and intensity of this iconic band,Metallica sure know how to carry on a joke. This wasnot the first time they've pulled this stunt. The '96tour caused such a commotion it left the crowdspeechless. some were apparently not privy to this in-formation beforehand, as they looked visibly shockedand scared. "They picked the wrong night to film amovie," was my favorite comment of the night. as theband set up for the finale, they didn’t let up on the

gag. Metallica continued to play along as if the chaoshad been a serious accident. They assured the crowdthat the injured were being attended to, called for as-sistants to bring up back-up monitors and lights, andasked for the house lights to be turned on due to allthe destruction that had occurred. Finally, the nightended on a perfect note with "seek and destroy",during which hundreds of Metallica beach ballsdropped from the rafters. nothing like riding homeon the skytrain with a your own branded Metallicabeach ball!!

Metallica has been around for 30 years. Theyhave endured, survived and conquered. They havealso struggled with inner demons (best shown in2004's documentary "some Kinda Monster"), lostbass player Cliff Burton in a bus accident in ‘86, andalmost split up because of Hetfield's alcohol addic-tion. They have realized over the years and throughthese tragedies that Metallica is bigger than any onemember, and even grown stronger through the trou-ble. They came out of nowhere in the early ‘80's.There were plenty of quality bands out there, a for-mula was in place that was working, but Metallicadidn't want to follow, they wanted to lead, and so theyturned up the heat. They played faster, they playedheavier, their songs were longer than the rest. Theyquickly climbed the ladder to take the crown for bestmetal band.

In the early ‘90's while working on a new albumthey were looking to grow as musicians. They had metwith Bob Rock, producer of acts like the Cult, MotleyCrue and aerosmith. Rock simplified Metallica’ssound while not compromising the songs. although"The Black album" would go on to sell upwards of 25million worldwide, it would alienate many of theband’s original supporters. Words like “betrayal” and“sell outs” were commonly expressed. Yikes! Thatsentiment has healed since, mostly due to thestrength of 2008's "death Magnetic." In the ‘90'sMetallica joined U2 and Guns & Roses as one of thetop bands in the world. Embracing this roll theythrived, touring endlessly and making countlessvideos, something they shied away from in the ‘80's.

Metallica are awesome. It's that simple. show-ing no signs of calling it quits, there should be a newalbum out buy end of 2013. I understand heavymetal isnt everybody's cup of tea, but the success ofthese guys is an american dream come true. Theydidn't do what everybody else was doing. Once theyhad built a strong fan base they grew as musiciansto bring metal to the masses, even at the displeasureof many long-time diehards. They dealt with per-sonal and group demons, mourned the loss of aband-mate, and soldiered on. They've even been en-shrined in the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame on theirfirst year of eligibility, a huge honor from an insti-tution that normally shuns the metal genre. Forsome perspective: aC/dC and Van Halen had towait 5 years after they eligible to be inducted intothe Hall. as Metallica continue on their musicaljourney, I will be there, walking right beside themand not missing a beat. You should join me!

METALLICA IN 3-D



When young home buyers come to family forfinancial help, purchasing property can turn intoa tug-of-war. “The dependency of the youngergeneration on their parents has increased in re-cent years,” says Mary sblendorio, a real estateagent on the W network reality series My HouseYour Money, a show that documents prospectivehome buyers that turn to their extended familymembers for financial help.

“In the past, parents have always tried to helptheir kids, if financially capable. now, it seems theparents are expected to 'help' – more like 'finance'– their children's dream homes. The rationale forchildren is that they have been accustomed to liv-ing a wealthy lifestyle and the thought of down-sizing or downgrading is implausible.”

and since both parties have a say in the pur-chase, real estate agents are working harder to en-sure properties appeal to varying age groups. asmore parents accompany their adult children toviewings, homes must be strategically staged toplease everyone involved. This boils all the way

down to the paint colour on the walls.Having been through the process previously,

parents tend to be much more critical in homepurchasing and are a bigger challenge to delight.“The young couple is usually more excited, andfocus on the things on their wish list they are get-ting. In fact, they are excited to just purchasesomething they can call their own,” explains MyHouse Your Money real estate agent ClaudineMontano.

Mixing family and financing is never simpleand when it's a case of generational home buying,conflict is inevitable. The reality series, My House,Your Money on W network chronicles the familydynamic that young home buyers are facing in thecurrent market.

When it comes down to it, winning this war iseasier than imagined for the new home buyers,says real estate agent, Helene Baguley. “Most par-ents or extended family members, even if they areproviding the down payment, want to see theirkids happy at all costs.”

Avoid the home buying clash for cash

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