The swine flu is now being referred to as the H1N1 Virus because apparently there are people who believe that you can contract the Swine Flu from pigs and this is having a serious and negative effect on the pork industry. You cannot get the Swine Flu from pigs. Although the A(H1N1) virus was identified in a herd of pigs in Alberta the WHO states that is highly probable that the pigs were exposed to the virus from a Canadian farm worker who recently returned from Mexico. There is no indication of virus adaptation through transfer from human to pigs at this time.

There is no need for panic. In spite of the terrifying word “pandemic” being thrown around liberally, the swine flu has not been classified as a pandemic by WHO (World Health Organization). As of May 3rd the WHO reports that 18 countries have officially reported 898 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection. According to Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, all of the cases in Ontario to date are considered mild and they can all be traced back to people who have travelled to Mexico.

What should you do if you have flu-like symptoms? Health officials advise that you:
•    Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and dispose of the tissue immediately.
•    Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze or use an alcohol-based hand cleanser.
•    Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth to stop the spread of germs.
•    Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
•    Stay home from work or school and limit contact with others if you get sick.
•    Follow public health advice.

For more information consult the WHO website or contact
the ServiceOntario INFOline at 1-800-476-9708. If you have flu-like symptoms and believe you may have swine flu, call Telehealth at 1-866-797-0000 immediately.

Let’s all make the mothers in our lives feel really special this year. May 10th is right around the corner. Mother’s Day doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Love is free. What do you have planned? An Air Miles survey revealed that 71% of collectors surveyed plan to take Mom out for a special meal, 57% are planning to buy flowers, and 23% are giving Mom a gift of jewelry. Here are some great ideas for Toronto Moms.

•    Take a trip to the Toronto Islands
•    Treat Mom to a round of golf
•    Make Mom breakfast in bed
•    Give Mom a spa treatment
•    Take Mom to brunch
•    Clean up the yard
•    Take Mom to the Toronto Zoo
•    Enjoy a Mother’s Day Tea Tasting at the Bata Shoe Museum
•    Take Mom to a Mother’s Day Cream Tea at the Spadina Museum
•    Participate in a Wildflower Walk for Mom
•    Enjoy a Mother’s Day Brunch and Hike at Kortright
•    Participate in the Mother’s Day ROMwalk

We often take Moms for granted. They give us so much and get so little in return. A recent Angus Reid poll reports that:

•    73% of women surveyed treat themselves to something special less than once a week.
•    81% of women surveyed said they deprive themselves of something they want at least occasionally because they don’t want to feel guilty.
•    65% of women polled felt that women don’t do enough for themselves in order to achieve a daily sense of wellbeing.

Let’s make Moms know how much they are loved and appreciated.

Do you feel confident having one or two drinks and then driving home? According to Ontario’s new impaired driving laws which took effect on May 1st, even a blood alcohol level of 0.05 and 0.08 which is the “warn range” will get your license suspended for 3 days. If you are caught with a similar blood alcohol level a second time your license will be suspended for 7 days and you will have to attend an alcohol education program. A third time will result in a license suspension for 30 days and you will have to complete a remedial alcohol treatment program and have an ignition interlock condition placed on your license for six months. Roadside license suspensions cannot be appealed and will be recorded on your record.
These measures may seem drastic but statistics show that drivers whose blood alcohol level is from 0.05 to 0.08 are about seven times more likely         to be involved in a fatal collision than someone who has not been drinking and in 2005, one of every six fatally injured drinking drivers had a blood alcohol level of less than 0.08. What do you think know?

The reality is that it appears that we are moving towards zero tolerance. An Ontario law that would impose a zero blood alcohol limit on all drivers 21 and under is expected to come into effect during the summer of 2010. How long do you think it will take until that law will be imposed on all drivers? Most of us feel comfortable driving after we’ve had one or two drinks. Are we deluding ourselves?

In these days of company closures and massive layoffs Porter Airlines continues to defy the odds and is once again in expansion mode. They have already begun to expand the Island Airport. The costs are estimated at $45 million which is all privately funded. The expansion will allow Porter Airlines to double its traffic and create 300 infrastructure jobs. Phase 1 will include new aircraft gates and office space and should be complete by November. Plans for Phase 2 include a second passenger lounge, 10 bridged aircraft gates, and Canadian and U.S. customs checkpoints scheduled for completion in the spring of 2010. All this is being done without a penny of taxpayers’ money or government handouts.

Toronto Island residents are still protesting that the airport is there, let alone that it is being expanded. They don’t want an airport on their doorstep. Porter’s aircraft are designed for urban areas and emit low levels of noise and according to an environmental assessment the expansion would have no significant impact on the local community. None of this will satisfy the Island residents who want to return to a time that doesn’t exist any longer. The Island Airport is here and so is Porter Airlines. Protesting is not going to change that.

Time marches on and so does Porter’s expansion plans. They will increase its fleet to 18 Bombardier Q400 planes this year, with more on order. New Canadian and U.S. cities are being added to its routes. The new 10-gate terminal will be able handle more than a million passengers. It appears that Porter Airlines is recession-proof.

What a payday for anyone who bet on Mine that Bird! The horse went off at 50 to 1 odds and scored the second biggest upset in Kentucky Derby history and the second biggest payday.

In case you are under the impression that Mine that Bird was a broken down nag, he is the son of 2004 Belmont Stakes winner Birdstone which makes it even more amazing that Mine that Bird was purchased by Toronto horse trainer Dave Cotey two years ago for only $9,500. Mine That Bird won four races, three of them stakes races, at Woodbine last year and was voted Canada’s top two year old male. Dave Cotey decided to sell the horse because he is a gelding and could never earn any money from breeding. Last fall a New Mexico group bought Mine that Bird for $400,000.

Clearly no one thought that Mine that Bird was a Derby contender with odds at 50 to 1. Not only did he contend, but we won by an impressive 6 ¾ lengths for a purse of $1.4 million USD. Jockey Calvin Borel ran a magnificent race holding him back and then bringing him home along the rails before he broke away and scored an amazing win. Calvin Borel’s nickname is Bo-rail because he uses the strategy of bringing the horse up along the rails as often as possible and this is a strategy that clearly works for Borel. He won the Derby two years ago astride Street Sense the same way.

Mine that Bird paid off $103.20, $54 and $25.80; place was worth $8.40 and $6.40, and a show ticket paid $12.