I had never heard of a school without written tests and homework, except for those few alternative schools that operate outside of the mainstream, until I recently read about the Prince of Wales elementary school in Barrie. This new style of teaching is referred to as transactional, or working together as opposed to the old style of teaching that most of us know, now referred to as transmissional, where teachers simply impart information.
The whole environment of the classroom is transactional and the new style of learning is cooperative and collaborative. The desks are not all in a row with the short kids in the front and the taller kids farther back. The teacher does not sit at a desk in the front of the classroom. Students sit where ever and how ever they please, on the floor or at desks, working alone or in groups. The teacher moves about the room talking to students about their work and giving them instant feedback.
The Canadian Education Association reports that only about 1/3 of 32,000 students across the country, from Grades 5 to 12, are interested in class. That’s a dreadful statistic. These new transactional schools are looking for ways to interest students in learning and are trying things like forgoing the classics in favour of graphic novels and accepting a voice recorded essay instead of a written one. Some schools are even allowing older students to design their own courses. Is this a great idea? I don’t know. Certainly life could be complete if you don’t read Moby Dick, but learning to write an essay is an important skill and will be required in institutes of higher learning.
Is this style of teaching a good idea in the long run? There haven’t been any long term studies to see what happens to these students once they have to transition to a traditional environment in college or university. While I applaud the concept of interesting students in the process of learning, I don’t know if it is a great idea to de-program students for what they will encounter in college and university. The very environment that encourages learning may put these students at a deficit later on. Are we helping them now and hurting them later? What do you think?
If you are truly eco-conscious and want to make the ultimate statement, you can die green by choosing to have a green funeral. Most of us don’t take into consideration that burials contaminate the ground with toxic chemicals, concrete, and metals. Cremation is not eco-friendly either with approximately 27 litres natural gas required to cremate a 150-pound body. In Ontario we have eco-friendly burial options. Smith’s Funeral Homes in Burlington, Ontario is the first Canadian funeral business to be certified by the Green Burial Council. They are making an effort to reduce their carbon footprint by:
Supplying biodegradable caskets that have no metal, plastics or harsh chemical finishes
Offering containers for cremated remains that are biodegradable and made of 100% recyclable materials
Planting a tree in memory of the deceased for every funeral that they handle
Use 100% recycled paper products
Using plant-based embalming fluids
Using energy efficient lighting
Recycling
Cobourg, Ontario is home to what is believed to be Ontario’s first eco-friendly burial ground. Located on a half hectare meadow, every effort is taken to ensure that everything related to the burial is as environmentally friendly as possible. And, eco-friendly burials may also save you a considerable amount of money.
Nothing is put into the ground that is not harmless and biodegradable
No pesticides are used - weeding is done by hand
No markers, headstones or concrete vaults are permitted – wildflowers or shrubs mark the burial location
Small commemorative plaques may also be placed on one of several fieldstones scattered around the meadow
There are vast differences in the outcome of public sector and private sector strikes. The union is omnipotent within the public sector but becoming impotent in the private sector. The tragedy is that unions have not come to grips with this new reality and as a result they irreparably damaging the lives of the rank and file in the private sector. Such is the sad case of the employees at the Lever Brothers soap factory.
In 2002 Unilever sold the Lever Brothers soap factory to Korex Don Valley. With the purchase Korex inherited the best paid workers in the soap manufacturing business at $25/hour with benefits. This is indeed an incredible wage for unskilled labour. The reality was that the company was no longer financially viable. When the contracts were renegotiated the workers agreed to a five-year wage freeze, cuts to disability benefits and the loss of their defined-benefit pensions in exchange for job security. When that contract expired in June 2007 Korex wanted more concessions. In June 2008, 160 workers went on strike to protest a new contract that they said wiped out seniority rights. The factory continued to run at a reduced rate until May 2009. Korex Don Valley has now filed for bankruptcy. The remaining 110 workers who are members of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada local 132-0 now have no jobs and very poor prospects.
According to Korex the strike went on far too long and as a result they lost their consumers. The union has only one job – to represent the rank and file. Why would they have encouraged prolonged strike action with a company who was not on solid footing financially? If these unfortunate and ill-advised workers had it all to do over again I’d be willing to bet that they would be happy to accept Korex’s concessions and continue working. Who is going to hold the union responsible for the livelihoods of these 110 people, many of who have worked 30 years or more at this same factory?
As of noon today, Friday, July 24th, VIA Rail has ground to a halt. The only trains still operating are the ones on the Sudbury-White River and Victoria-Courtenay routes which are operated by third parties on VIA Rail’s behalf. Yet another strike, this time Canada-wide, threatens an already crippled tourism industry, particularly in Toronto which has become extremely adversely effected by the civic workers’ strike. Each day it is estimated that 12,000 passengers use VIA Rail across Canada, which operates 503 intercity, transcontinental, and regional trains each week along its 12,500 km long route network.
This time it is 340 locomotive engineers that are on strike. The issues are wages, benefits, and scheduling changes. The strike, clearly meant to be as disruptive as possible, has come at one of the busiest travel times of the year. The last thing that the public wants is another strike. When people are losing their jobs in a challenging economy, the prospect of a strike for wages, benefits, and scheduling is not going to garner any sympathy. When are the unions going to wake up and join reality?
In anticipation of the strike VIA Rail started canceling long distance passenger routes earlier in the week so that passengers wouldn’t have the misfortune of being stranded. Unfortunately no alternative transportation will be provided during the strike. However, Greyhound has offered to add buses to its scheduled if needed. Passengers can get a refund for any unused VIA Rail tickets.
For the latest information check the VIA Rail website, or call 888 VIA-RAIL (888- 842-7245) or 800- 268-9503 if you are hearing impaired.
Caribana, from July 14 – August 3 is Canada’s largest outdoor festival with 1.3 million attending last year. Not only a major attraction for Torontonians, Caribana is a huge tourist attraction, especially for our American neighbours to the south. Now in its 42nd year, Caribana celebrates Toronto’s diverse population and multicultural society. It is an exciting cultural event featuring
Caribbean music - Calypso, Soca, Reggae, Hip Hop, Chutney, Steel Pan and Brass Bands, authentic Caribbean cuisine, and visual and performing arts.
Featured Events:
Caribana Launch at Yonge/Dundas Square on Tuesday, July 14th from Noon – 2:00 PM
Caribana Tent Villages at Yonge/Dundas Square on Tuesday, July 14th from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Calypso Monarch Finals at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, CNE on Saturday, July 18th from 7:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Junior Carnival at Yorkgate Mall on Saturday, July 18th from 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Caribana Gala at the Liberty Grand – Exhibition Place on Friday, July 24th at 6:30 PM for Cocktails and 7:30 PM for Dinner
Caribana King & Queen Show at Lamport Stadium on Thursday, July 30th from 7:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Pan Alive at Lamport Stadium on Friday, July 31st from 7:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Caribana Parade at Exhibition Place & Lake Shore Blvd on Saturday, August 1st from 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
The Caribana Parade is always the highlight of the festival. There is nothing else that can compare. It begins at Exhibition Place and moves west along Lakeshore Boulevard. The Caribana Parade is a feast for the senses with unimaginable colour and pageantry – it’s Mardi Gras on Lakeshore Boulevard! Come out to Caribana and find out what 1.3 million already know.
In this case the ombudsman will be an ombudswoman and her name is Fiona Crean. I certainly don’t envy what sounds like a Herculean task and most likely a thankless job. The job of the ombudsman is to receive and investigate complaints made by individuals against public officials and then to resolve the complaints. Considering the amount of corruption in the city, Ms Crean will most likely have her hands full. According to Ms Crean, “I’m not in the business of making decisions. I’m in the business of helping city council hold the civil service accountable. My role is to make recommendations.” That’s all fine and well, but who is going to hold city council accountable? It’s no small surprise that some members of city council are not supportive of Toronto having a new ombudsman. Their argument is that the city can’t afford the $1.2 million start up budget for the program, but you have got to believe that closer to the truth is their reluctance for anyone to be delving into their somewhat questionable practices.
In the ideal world the office of the ombudsman will be able to quickly and efficiently resolve complaints in addition to identifying problem areas that need to be dealt with. Problems that are not the purview of the ombudsman will be directed to the appropriate departments. The $1.2 million dollar budget will cover the ombudsman and a staff of seven. They will start taking complaints in late April. The office of the ombudsman does not have a website yet. However if you have any questions you may address them on email ombuds@toronto.ca or by phone at 416–392-7062.
How on earth is it possible that 21 token collectors and 62 bus, streetcar and subway drivers earned over $100,000 last year and made it on something called “The Sunshine List” which is a list of city employees who earn over $100,000/year? In total 588 TTC employees earn over $100,000. I appreciate that they are obviously hard working people, but let’s be realistic; they are not discovering the cure for cancer. Many executives with post graduate degrees are not making that kind of money. The maximum base salary for station collectors and operators is $60,000. There is something seriously wrong with the TTC when employees are earning $40,000 in overtime. The TTC is clearly out of control. They have a massive problem with absenteeism and they are paying out ridiculous overtime payments. In 2008 workers off the job cost the TTC $5 million and compensation claims are rising exponentially. This year the TTC is planning to spend $5 million to hire about 950 drivers in addition to cleaners and maintenance workers.
Incredible as it seems, there are 1,500 city employees who are on The Sunshine List – 1,150 have base salaries over $100,000 and the others reached the mark by adding to their base salaries with overtime and other payments. Half of the City of Toronto’s budget goes to salaries and after looking at these figures, it is no surprise. Guess who is paying for all of this nonsense? You and I are paying with our tax dollars. I don’t know about you, but I feel royally ripped off.
Every day we are bombarded by product advertising that claims to make us skinny in no time flat with a miracle pill that will melt all of our fat away, cure any disease under the sun with an all natural supplement, banish wrinkles with a miracle cream that is a virtual facelift in a jar, informs us that we have just won a dream vacation and there is no purchase required… And, this list goes on.
Not all companies make fraudulent claims. There are many fine, upstanding companies out there who spend billions of dollars researching their products and they can provide the appropriate evidence to back up their claims. They are not the problem, the unscrupulous operators are. How can we keep companies honest? Are you part of the solution or the problem? Do you just ignore these bogus ads or do you take action? Would you do something about it if you knew what to do?
The Competition Bureau of Canada
is a governmental agency with a mandate to ensure truth in advertising. Some of the issues that they tackle include:
- Mass marketing fraud
- Health fraud
- False or misleading representations
- Deceptive telemarketing
- Deceptive prize notices
- Misleading advertising and labeling
- Multi-level marketing plans
- Pyramid selling
Instead of ignoring these fraud artists, let’s take them to task and report them to the proper authorities. We can’t demand truth in advertising if we are not prepared to report fraudulent activity when we see it. The next time that you see bogus claims being made, file a complaint and be a part of the solution.
When buying a house, one of the many considerations that home owners have is the potential home’s mortgage rate. Calculating your mortgage rate is as simple as a few keystrokes and a click. Take advantage of a free mortgage calculator to help decide what your home buying price range may be. Simply enter your details into the Canada Mortgage Rate Calculator below:
3. How long you intend to take the loan out for (Amortization)
4. The interest rate you expect to pay on the home loan
If you have a site or blog related to Real Estate, Home Renovations or Home Mortgages, you can easily add this home loan mortgage calculator. It’s completely free!
How to Install the mortgage rate calculator on your blog, website or favourite social media site:
1. Click the “copy me” button on the top right corner of the widget (mouse over to see it).
2. Click on the + sign to embed in your website or click on the logo of your favourite social media websites (Facebook, Blogger, MySpace and more) and follow the directions.
While you’re racing around finishing up your Christmas shopping, take a moment to consider the possibility of making a charitable donation and sharing your good fortune with others. There are many worthy causes. Here are a few for your consideration.
• The Toronto Star Santa Claus Fund provides gift boxes to 45,000 needy children.
• The Scott Mission provides shelter for 45 men each night, serves meals daily, provides free clothing for the needy, serves 40,000 each year through their food bank, and provides free toys for children.
• CP24/CHUM Christmas Wish supports individuals and families with your financial donations and new unwrapped toys.
• Variety, The Children’s Charity in Ontario works with young people with disabilities providing integrated sports and life skills programs, and applied research and learning programs.
• World Vision Canada allows you to purchase the basic necessities for children in need from their online catalogue - a sheep costs $150, an HIV and AIDS care kit costs $60.
• UNICEF Canada supports the neediest children around the world.
• Daily Bread Food Bank provides food relief programs, such as food banks and meal programs, in addition to advocacy support in resolving issues that may accompany hunger like access to social benefits, housing, immigration, and employment.
• North York Harvest Food Bank encourages you to donate financially or drop off a non-perishable food donation to any fire hall, Loblaws, Real Canadian Superstore, or Fortinos in northern Toronto.
• The Salvation Army serves nutritious meals to seniors, shelters homeless families, helps men and women overcome addictions, provides after-school programs, and sends inner-city children to summer camp.
• Canadian Red Cross helps Canadians and people around the world affected by disasters.
• Goodwill helps fund job training and other career services that help people become successful at work. In 2007, Goodwill was able to serve 1.1 million people.
