Courtesy of mynews.ctv.ca

Fall is one of the prettiest times of year and the leaves will be coming into their most vibrant in the next few weeks. Do you know why leaves change colour in the fall? The major factor in why leaves change color in the fall is the length of day and night. Chlorophyll is the green pigment in trees and plants. It absorbs sunlight and helps photosynthesis occur so that a tree can make its own sugar for energy and growth. The fall brings less sunlight and cooler temperatures so photosynthesis slows down, causing the chlorophyll in the leaves to break down and as a result we have breathtaking colours. The best fall colours occur when there has been a warm, wet spring, a summer that’s not too hot or dry, and a fall with plenty of warm sunny days and cool nights.

There are many places to take in the breathtaking scenery in Ontario and some places right in our own backyard in Toronto.

• High Park
• Ashbridge’s Bay Park
• Trinity Bellwood’s Park
• Centre Island
• Muskoka
• Algonquin Provincial Park
• Renfrew County
• Huntsville
• Lake of Bays
• Beaver Valley
• Caledon
• Haliburton Highlands
• Elora Gorge
• Kingston, Rideau Waterway and the Thousand Islands
• Oro-Medonte
• Orangeville
• Hockley Valley
• Monocliffs Provincial Park
• Erin

 

Courtesy of paradise-islands.org

It’s official. Sunwing Travel has completed the merger with Signature Vacations. The reality is that this merger will probably cost consumers who are looking for deals on sun destinations because it will result in less capacity in the market which will cause prices to go up. Of course, everyone is saying that nothing will change for now, but it surely will in the not too distant future when the consolidation begins in earnest.

Over the last five years Sunwing Travel’s revenues have increased from $30 million to $660 million. At the other end of the spectrum is Signature Vacations that lost $20 million in the first half of the current financial year. Obviously Sunwing will control the merged company. Sunwing expects to have a competitive advantage as a result of the merger, giving it more clout with suppliers in negotiations for better deals.

In addition to Sunwing Signature other players in the sun destination vacation market are Transat, Air Canada, and WestJet. The more players in the market, the better for the consumer. Competition drives prices down. All we can do now is wait and see how this merger will affect the prices of sun destination vacations. <-->

Courtesy of AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel

Guy Laliberte, founder of world renowned Cirque du Soleil, has the honour of being Canada’s first space tourist, but not the world’s first space tourist. He is the 7^th paying space tourist to travel to the International Space Station and he may be one of the last for several years because NASA is retiring its shuttle program. After the mothballing of the US shuttle program the Russian space agency will be sending the US astronauts to the lab. Along with 2 astronauts - U.S. astronaut Jeffrey Williams and Russian cosmonaut Maxim Surayev - Mr. Laliberte blasted off into space aboard the Russian Soyuz TMA-16 spaceship for a 12-day trip that will end at the International Space Station on Friday, October 2^nd. He will return to earth on Sunday, October 11^th.

Although Mr. Laliberte has received a lot of negative publicity for spending $35 million on a space flight, or flight of fancy, instead of using the money to do some real good in the world, he says that he plans to use the publicity to draw attention to the importance of access to clean water on Earth. While in space Mr. Laliberte will not only be a passenger but he will be taking part in some scientific experiments while visiting the International Space Station.

In case you have grandiose plans to go into space, contact Space Adventures to make your reservation.

Courtesy of dinemagazine.ca

I’m sure that most of you have seen the classic movie with Julie Andrews and our very own Christopher Plummer, but have you seen the Mirvish hit play of the same name? In celebration of the Sound of Music’s first anniversary on stage at the Princess of Wales Theatre, there will be a FREE Sound of Music lunch time concert on Friday, October 2^nd at 12:30 PM at Nathan Phillips Square which is located right in front of Toronto’s City Hall. And that’s not all! If you come dressed as a nun you will have a chance to win free tickets to the Sound of Music on Saturday, October 31^st, Halloween night, at 7:30 PM at the Princess of Wales Theatre. One pair of tickets will be given out to the first 99 nuns that appear in Nathan Phillips Square.

This fantastic event will be hosted by Breakfast Television’s Kevin Frankish. All of your favourite Sound of Music characters will be on hand to delight and entertain you - Maria, the Captain, the children, Mother Abbess, Sister Berthe, Sister Sophia, Sister Margaretta and some of the other nuns. This is your opportunity to see some world-class theatre absolutely FREE. Come out and enjoy!

Courtesy of monado.files.wordpress.com

The festival season is winding down and after a summer of eating, drinking, and film, it’s time to celebrate literacy. Word on the Street is an important event that takes place across Canada in Toronto, Vancouver, Kitchener, and Halifax on Sunday, September 27^th. All of the events are FREE and it’s a great family friendly event.

Where: Queen’s Park

When: September 27^th from 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM

What can expect to see? Famous authors will be on hand reading from their new books, most notably Margaret who will be reading from her new novel “The Year of the Flood”, and using LongPen technology her appearance will be broadcast to Word on the Street events in Halifax and Vancouver. There will be an amazing selection of books and magazines and you can get great deals. I got a fantastic price on a magazine subscription last year. Bring the kids along and take them to the Children’s Activity Tent, Children’s Reading Tent, Little Readers’ Tent, and the TVO Kids’ Stage. There will be food on site at the world food market.

As a fundraiser for literacy organizations in Toronto, Word on the Street is launching two Literacy Murals that will be signed by authors and performers on site and auctioned off this fall (date to be determined). Donate a loonie to this worthwhile cause and you too can sign the mural.

How can you get to Word on the Street?

• Take the subway to either Queen’s Park Station or Museum Station on the University section of the Yonge-University-Spadina subway line.
• Take the 506 Carlton West Street Streetcar and exit directly south of Queen’s Park.
• Take the 5 Avenue Road Bus and exit at Queen’s Park.

Courtesy of olg.ca

Lotto Super 7 is being replaced by the new kid on the block - Lotto Max. If you are at all sentimental the last Super 7 draw will be on Friday, September 18^th. Like your old friend Lotto Super 7, Lotto Max is a national lottery with draws taking place every Friday night. Tickets for the first Lotto Max draw to take place on Friday, September 25^th will go on sale on Saturday, September 19^th.

Unlike its Super 7 cousin, you can’t buy 3 chances to win for $2 or $3 including Encore. Lotto Max tickets are $5 for 3 chances. Each chance is a row of 7 numbers from 1 – 49 and to win the jackpot you must have all 7 numbers. Jackpots will start at $10 million. They will grow until they are won or reach $50 million, which ever comes first. Once the jackpot reaches $50 million it will go into “Maxmillions” mode, which means that the main jackpot will remain at $50, but there will be additional prizes of $1 million, each with its own draw and set of winning numbers, separate from the main Lotto Max draw.

I don’t think that I am going to be too quick to play the new Lotto Max. Spending loose change on a lottery ticket is a no-brainer, but once I have to take out a bill, well that is a different story. Considering that the odds of winning a jackpot are 1 in 28.6 million per play, putting down my hard earned $5 doesn’t seem like a very good investment when for $5 dollars I could buy 5 items in the dollar store, 2 transit tokens, 10 boxes of facial tissue when my favourite kind goes on sales for 49 cents at Shoppers, 2 cases of 35 bottles of water each when they go on sale for $1.99 at Food Basics, a pint of beer, … What about you, will you be buying Lotto Max tickets?

Courtesy of veg.ca

The 25th Annual Vegetarian Food Fair is on from September 11^th – September 13^th. Admission is absolutely FREE. Let’s do what ever we can to be as environmentally friendly as possible and please bring your own cutlery and plates in order to reduce waste.

Fair Hours:

Friday, September 11^th from 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Saturday, September 12^th from 12:00 PM 9:00 PM

Sunday, September 13^th from 12:00 PM 7:00 PM

Fair Location:

Harbourfront Centre

235 Queens Quay West

The Vegetarian Food Fair is the largest of its kind in North America. Over 100 exhibitors will be on hand displaying new products, conducting workshops, making interesting presentations, and offering cooking demonstrations. This is a fantastic opportunity to explore vegetarian cuisine whether you are a vegetarian, considering the possibilities of transitioning to a vegetarian diet, or are interested in how to add nutritious and ethical foods to your diet. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Keynote Speakers:

Brenda Davis - Registered Dietician and Nutritionist

Colleen Patrick-Goudreau - Author and founder of Compassionate Cooks

Gene Baur - President and co-founder of Farm Sanctuary

These exciting keynote speakers and other presenters will be offering valuable information on how we can live healthy, well balanced lifestyles by making some dietary changes.

Reduce your carbon footprint and leave the car at home. Harbourfront Centre is easily accessible by TTC. From Union Station take either the 509 Streetcar or the 510 Streetcar. Both of these streetcars stop in front of Harbourfront Centre. There is also bicycle parking available on site.

Courtesy of altiusdirectory.com

It’s hard to believe that it’s already September and that the summer is gone. Considering the weather that we had, most of us are still waiting for summer to arrive and unfortunately that ship has sailed. There is always a lot of confusion about what is open and closed on Labour Day weekend. Saturday, September 5^th and Sunday, September 6^th are just regular weekend days and regular weekend hours of operation will apply. Monday, September 7^th is an entirely different story because Labour Day is a legal statutory holiday and that means lots of closures. The TTC and GO Transit will be running on a holiday schedule.

What will be closed on Labour Day?

• Government offices
• There will be no mail delivery because the post office is closed
• LCBO
• Beer Stores
• Most supermarkets – notable exceptions are Bruno’s and some No Frills stores
• Libraries
• Most businesses
• Malls in Toronto, except for the Eaton Centre
• Most stores

What is open on Labour Day?

• Yonge Street from Richmond Street north to Grosvenor
• The Eaton Centre
• Queen’s Quay
• Yorkville – stores will decide individually to open or close
• Vaughan Mills will be open from 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
• Pacific Mall will be open from 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM

What is there to do on Labour Day?

• Visit the CNE.
• Attend the Labour Day Parade. It starts at 9:30 AM at Queen and University and proceeds down Queen to Dufferin and then south to the Dufferin Gate at the CNE.
• Take in Brazilian Day at Yonge-Dundas Square from 2:00 PM – 7:30 PM. It promises to be a great event and it’s FREE.
• Enjoy the Hispanic Fiesta at Mel Lastman Square.
• Learn all about Dogs with Jobs at PawsWay, located at 245 Queens Quay West.

Courtesy of tiff.net

The Toronto International Film Festival is one of most prestigious film festivals in the world. From September 10 – 19 an incredible list of luminaries from the film world – film makers, actors and actresses, and industry professionals – will all be in Toronto to celebrate the art of film making. Stake out a spot on your favourite patio because this is a just partial list of just some of the celebrities that have confirmed to date.

1. Ally Sheedy
2. Amanda Seyfried
3. Atom Egoyan
4. Chris Rock
5. Cillian Murphy
6. Clive Owen
7. Colin Farrell
8. Colin Firth
9. Colm Feore
10. Danny DeVito
11. Danny Glover
12. David Duchovny
13. Demi Moore
14. Drew Barrymore
15. Edward Norton
16. Ellen Page
17. Emily Blunt
18. Ethan Coen
19. Eva Green
20. Ewan McGregor
21. George Clooney
22. Georgina Reilly
23. Gordon Pinsent
24. Guy Maddin
25. Hugh Hefner
26. Ian Fitzgibbon
27. Isabella Rossellini
28. Jack White
29. Jacob Tierney
30. James Purefoy
31. Jane Campion
32. Jason Reitman
33. Jeff Bridges
34. Jennifer Connelly
35. Jennifer Garner
36. Jimmy Smits
37. Joel Coen
38. Johnny Hallyday
39. Jon Amiel
40. Jonathan King
41. Julianne Moore
42. Juliette Lewis
43. Keanu Reeves
44. Keir Gilchrist
45. Keisha Castle-Hughes
46. Kevin McDonald
47. Kevin Spacey
48. Kerry Washington
49. Kristin Scott Thomas
50. Kyle MacLachlan
51. Liam Neeson
52. Lisa Kudrow
53. Marica Gay Harden
54. Mariah Carey
55. Matt Damon
56. Megan Fox
57. Sir Michael Caine
58. Michael Douglas
59. Michael Moore
60. Michael Sheen
61. Miranda Richardson
62. Naomi Watts
63. Natalie Portman
64. Neil Diamond
65. Neil Jordan
66. Nicolas Cage
67. Oliver Parker
68. Oprah Winfrey
69. Patricia Clarkson
70. Paul Bettany
71. Paul Schneider
72. Paula Patton
73. Penélope Cruz
74. Peter Berg
75. Peter Sarsgaard
76. Philip Hoffman
77. Rachel Ward
78. Ricky Gervais
79. Sir Ridley Scott
80. Rob Lowe
81. Robert Duvall
82. Robin Wright Penn
83. Rossif Sutherland
84. S. Epatha Merkerson
85. Samantha Morton
86. Sarah Ferguson
87. Sarah Polley
88. Sheila McCarthy
89. Sissy Spacek
90. Snoop Dogg
91. Steven Soderbergh
92. Tatiana von Furstenberg
93. Ted Kotcheff
94. Terry Gilliam
95. Tilda Swinton
96. Tom Ford
97. Tyler Perry
98. Viggo Mortensen
99. Willem Dafoe
100. Woody Harrelson

The films this year promise to be outstanding and tickets can be purchased online.

Courtesy of tysonwilliams.com

The Canadian National Exhibition is known by several nicknames – the CNE and the EX – but by what ever name you call it, Torontonians come out in record numbers each and every year to attend the Grand Dame of attractions. The Ex has been around for over 130 years. In that time it has become the largest annual fair in Canada and the fourth largest in North America. Last year over 1.3 million attended. Once again the CNE returns to Exhibition Place, located at 100 Princes’ Boulevard, from August 21^st – September 7^th, marking the end of summer and Labour Day.

This year the Ex is featuring over 500 attractions, a large carnival midway, international entertainment, shopping, great food, and agricultural exhibits. The main attractions are just spectacular:

• Celebrate the Olympic Spirit: A Tribute to the Winter Games
• Movie Magic: Aerial Acrobatics & Ice Skating Show starring Elvis Stojko
• E - Evolution…Emergence…Energy: Nighttime Light Show
• Canadian International Air Show
• FLOWRIDER Mobile Wave
• Daily CNE Mardi Gras Parade
• President’s Choice SuperDogs Show
• The Original Wheel of Thrills

If you buy your tickets by August 21^st you can save up to 31%. You can purchase tickets online however you must have access to a printer to print out your barcoded ticket.

Leave the car at home and take the TTC or GO Transit. Take the subway to Union Station and then the #509 steetcar westbound to Exhibition Place. Or, take the subway to Dufferin Station and then the #29 bus south to Dufferin Gates. Or, take the subway to the Dundas West Station and then #193 Exhbition Rocket. Or take the Lakeshore GO Train to Exhibition Station.