By L. IAN MACDONALD, Special to the Gazette
Well, of course U.S. President Barack Obama and the Democrats on one side, and House speaker John Boehner and the Republicans on the other, came to an 11th-hour deal on the American deficit and debt crisis.
Obama agreed to cut spending by $2.1 trillion over the next 10 years, in return for Congress raising the federal debt ceiling by a similar amount over the next two years.
Obama and Boehner, along with senior leaders of both parties, reached a deal on Sunday. It passed the Republican-dominated House of Representatives on Monday, and cleared the Democratcontrolled Senate on Tuesday.
You don't see that every day. But then, it was no coincidence that Aug. 2 was the U.S. government's own imposed deadline for raising the debt ceiling. After that, the U.S. Treasury announced months ago, it would simply run out of money to pay its bills.
The consequences of failing to do so were unthinkable.
First, credit-rating agencies had already let it be known that they would downgrade the credit rating of the United States from gilt-edged AAA to AA, automatically raising the cost of issuing government treasuries.
This would only have aggravated the U.S. deficit and debt situation.
(Canada had its AAA rating renewed last month, reflecting a strong economy and a solid federal fiscal framework.)
Second, with no spending authority to pay its bills, the U.S. faced a potential default on its debts. The "good faith and credit worthiness" of the United States would have been in question.
Third, a run on the U.S. dollar was a real possibility. And that could have put the greenback's status as the world's reserve currency in question. One reason the loonie has been trading around $1.06 U.S. is that our dollar is a petro currency and oil is back to the $100-per-barrel range.
Another is a flight to safe havens like the Canadian dollar.
Fourth, even the possibility of any of the above could be enough to trigger another stock-market meltdown and global financial crisis.
Just last week, the Dow had five consecutive losing sessions on the prospect of no deal in D.C., losing four per cent on the week.
In an extremely volatile session on Monday, the Dow opened up nearly 150 points on the good news of a deal, only to plunge 250 points by the lunch hour, before rallying to close down only 11 points. Elsewhere, global markets were awash in red on Monday, and opened down sharply in Asia on Tuesday.
Deal or no deal, there's no shortage of challenges and uncertainty.
The U.S. unemployment rate remains close to recession levels, at 9.2 per cent in June, nearly two points above Canada's at 7.4 per cent. Ontario alone boasts of creating more jobs in June than did the entire United States.
The U.S. youth-unemployment rate, at 18 per cent, isn't just an economic issue, it's a social problem. Manufacturing jobs are going unfilled because of a shortage of qualified technical-school graduates.
The U.S. housing market has lost about 30 per cent of its value since 2007.
At a moment when the U.S. economy could do with some additional stimulus, it's no longer available to Obama. Part of his deal with the Republicans is no new taxes, so that's out. And even while he gets to raise the debt ceiling by $2.1 trillion over two years, which gets him past the 2012 presidential election cycle without another such unedifying spectacle, he's agreed to cut spending by about the same amount over the next decade.
It sounds like a lot of money, but in terms of the U.S. deficit and debt, it's just a down payment on the deficit. The U.S. deficit of $1.6 trillion in the last fiscal year was 10 per cent of GDP. And this, in a country whose debt is now a shocking $14.3 trillion, up from $6 trillion when Bill Clinton left office in 2001. Think of more than doubling your household debt in the last 10 years.
The structural deficit problems of the U.S. can be stated in these simple terms: Washington spends more than $3 for every $2 it raises.
Part of the reason for that is systemic gridlock in Washington. There isn't really much accountability in a system that enables the president and Congress to blame one another for nothing getting done.
U.S. voters knew they were electing a divided government last fall when they gave Republicans, with the Tea Party insurgency, control of the House of Representatives.
But if they thought their government was dysfunctional then, look at it now.
imacdonald@irpp.org
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
All the home staging in the world won't sell an over-priced home.
“All the home staging in the world won’t sell an over-priced home.”
That’s what Nairn Friemann, a great New York home stager, told us during my first day of home staging training back in 2007. I was reminded of those words today as I went out to preview homes for sale here in Montreal’s West Island and saw a beautiful home that’s just come on the market. The home is gorgeous: not too country and not too modern, a well-renovated kitchen, nice lot, no loud colours to turn off buyers, no disproportionately large furniture eating up entire rooms, stylish accessories, lovely art and lots of light. But it’s over-priced…by quite a bit. And the agent knows it.
The owners of this home have undoubtedly heard from all of their friends that their house is absolutely stunning. And it is. But friends don’t tell you that the windows need replacing, that the garage floor is a wreck, that the roof is at the end of its life, that the low ceiling in the basement will be a problem for many buyers, and that the bathroom hasn’t been updated. (In the case of the bathroom, friends are impressed that you’ve actually managed to do so much with so little!).
But these are things that a real estate agent will consider and point out, especially a buyer’s agent.
Now, I'm both a Montreal home stager and a Montreal West Island real estate broker. So I loudly sing the praises of home staging and what it can do to help homeowners sell their home more quickly and for top dollar.
But what staging won't do is sell an over-priced listing. So sellers, when pricing your home, listen to your agent, not your friends – because all the staging in the world won’t sell an over-priced home.
Property Wire Canada
Jean Paul Gaultier - Fall 2011 Couture
Vogue
By Hamish Bowles
The hypnotic instructions of a ballet mistress and a ballet master to their classes, and the demand of the demonic choreographer in Black Swan to his hapless ballerina to embody the qualities of both the Black Swan and the White Swan, at the opening of Jean Paul Gaultier’s show, signaled the designer’s intention to explore a dark side of the fairy-tale world of tutus and feathered headdresses.
The jacket of his opening number—cut like a trench over a suave pantsuit—was given an explosion of tutu ruffles to create a bustled peplum, and romantic ballet-length skirts in sturdy tweeds had the unexpected embellishment of feathers at the hem that evoked the headdresses of ballet’s traditional swans. Gaultier used feathers with great imagination throughout the collections—tufts of multicolored marabou simulating camouflage prints or an Icelandic sweater; a feathered cockerel embellishing the sleeve of a black evening coat; and the bands of iridescent pheasant plumes streaking a full tulle skirt—with a bodice elaborately embroidered to simulate those feathers. Sadly, many of these refined effects are lost in the designer’s madcap and fast-paced show that made one long for a leisurely salon presentation.
And Gaultier continued to ring the changes on the iconic pieces that he loves. Trench coats were reenvisioned in liquid jersey, draped like the magnificent Madame Grès dresses currently on display at the Musée Bourdelle, and his biker jackets were transformed into masterpieces of elegantly tailored sobriety.
The smoky-eyed ghosts of Nijinsky and Nureyev also haunted the runway as Gaultier showed men’s couture for the fearless few—a Grès-draped white jersey cummerbund that cinched a tuxedo pant, for instance, or the sweeping capes that are emerging as a strong statement this couture season.
For a finale piece, Gaultier sent the flame-haired French pop icon Mylene Farmer, wearing a biker jacket with an exuberantly feathered and bustled net skirt that evoked the fantasy costumes that Gaultier’s idol Yves Saint Laurent created for the gamine French dancer Zizi Jeanmaire in the early sixties, out to the strains of Jeanmaire’s hit song “Mon Truc en Plumes.”
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Concrete structure collapses in Ville Marie tunnel
MONTREAL - A large piece of concrete fell inside a Montreal highway tunnel Sunday morning, closing the roadway in both directions.
According to Montreal police Const. Anie Lemieux, the concrete fell just after 9 a.m. on the eastbound side of the Ville Marie Tunnel.
"The information that we have is that a structure collapsed ... near the Hotel de Ville Ave. overpass," Lemieux said. "No one has been hurt, and no one is trapped inside."
Engineers from the Transport Ministry are on-site to investigate the cause of the collapse and to ensure the rest of the tunnel is structurally sound. Although it wasn’t affected by the accident, the westbound portion of the Ville Marie was closed for inspection but has been re-opened.
“We won’t reopen the tunnel until we know it’s safe to use,” said Caroline Larose, a spokesperson for the Transport Ministry. “I can assure you the MTQ checks its structures, inspects them, repairs them has a $4 billion plan to invest in refurbishing them this year. Work is done to keep our infrastructure in shape.”
The concrete was a transversal beam installed directly over the roadway. It had been shaped into a grill-like structure with holes to allow light and air to filter into the tunnel.
At least one lane in the eastbound direction had been closed prior to the collapse as a result of repair work to the Tunnel’s walls. A tunnel linking the new CHUM hospital to the Champ de Mars metro station was being dug about 500 meters east of the where the beam collapsed. It remains unclear if the construction had anything to do with the concrete falling. There were workers on the site Sunday morning, but none of them were injured.
“Some of the people working here got quite a scare but we were all very lucky that there were no cars under the beam. It could have been much worse,” said Pierre Dacosta, who was working in the tunnel’s walls at the time of the accident. “You stay in shock a bit after it happened but it’s part of the job.”
Larose said that Transport Quebec conducts regular inspections on all highway infrastructure, but wouldn't say when the last inspection had been carried out.
Approximately 100,000 cars pass through the Ville Marie tunnel each weekday, said Larose.
Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Concrete+structure+collapses+Ville+Marie+tunnel/5186168/story.html#ixzz1TjMXvWot
Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Concrete+structure+collapses+Ville+Marie+tunnel/5186168/story.html#ixzz1TjMPGEvW
Friday, July 29, 2011
House Again Seeks Votes, After Failing to Pass Debt Plan
New York Times
WASHINGTON — House Republican leaders, who had abruptly put off a vote on their proposal to raise the debt ceiling and cut government spending, called their rank and file back into another closed-door session on Friday to resume their overnight search for the last few votes they need.
President Obama was expected to comment on the deepening impasse shortly, and there was no clear sign what the next step would be. Among the several possibilities were changes to the House bill, an attempt by Senate Democrats to leapfrog forward with their own plan, or a new attempt to reach a compromise on the part of all the major players.
In an effort to break the logjam, Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader, called on Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, to meet with him on Friday to try to resolve to the stalemate, given the failure of House Republicans to advance their own budget proposal.
“My door is open,” Mr. Reid said as the Senate convened. “I will listen to any idea to get this done in a way that prevents a default and a dangerous downgrade to America’s credit rating. Time is short, and too much is at stake, to waste even one more minute.
“The last train is leaving the station,” he said. “This is our last chance to avert default.”
Mr. McConnell, who had earlier been working with Mr. Reid on a fallback plan, abandoned that attempt and has been supporting the effort by the House speaker, John A. Boehner, to push through a proposal that would raise the debt limit in two stages — an approach flatly rejected by Senate Democrats and the White House. Mr. McConnell also had been talking with Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. but broke the conversation off while the Boehner plan was pending.
Mr. McConnell, too, came to the Senate floor and offered little indication that he was ready to deal, accusing Democrats of devoting recent days to undermining the House plan. “Our Democratic friends in the Senate have offered no solutions to the crisis that can pass either chamber,” he said.
Mr. Reid said he would be moving within hours to force votes on his own plan to cut spending by about $2.5 trillion over 10 years and raise the debt limit through 2012, a move that would lead to a crucial showdown vote over the weekend. He said he would be making changes to his measure to attract more support but made clear that he considered the Senate plan the final effort to avert a default next week.
“There will be no time left to vote on another bill or consider another option here in the Senate,” he said. “None.”
Mr. Reid said he had also had a “sobering” conversation on Friday with Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner about the consequences of a default.
“It is really precarious for our country,” he said. Just minutes from a roll-call vote on the plan pushed by Mr. Boehner, Republicans stunned the House on Thursday by interrupting the debate and turning to routine matters while Mr. Boehner and his lieutenants tried to pressure reluctant conservatives into backing their plan. The House then went into a recess and shortly before 11 p.m., the leadership announced that no vote would be held.
The surprise postponement threw the endgame of the debt limit clash into confusion and raised concerns among some on Capitol Hill that the government was lurching toward a default. The White House and Senate Democratic leaders had been waiting for the House to act before making their next move with an eye on the Tuesday deadline set by the Treasury Department for raising the debt ceiling or facing the possibility that the government would not be able to meet all its financial obligations.
Republicans had expressed confidence throughout Thursday that they would round up enough recalcitrant conservatives to pass their plan, but they obviously miscalculated.
Officials and aides said opponents had multiple misgivings about the measure, which Senate Democrats had already said they would reject as soon as it reached the Senate desk. The legislation would provide a $900 billion increase in the federal debt limit in exchange for slightly more than that in spending cuts. A second increase of $1.6 trillion in 2012 would be tied to the ability of a new special committee to produce a proposal to save an additional $1.8 trillion.
Failure to pass the measure would represent a significant defeat for Mr. Boehner, the first-year speaker who has invested significant political capital in trying to get his fractious majority behind the legislation, which had the strong support of the entire leadership team. It could also bolster Senate Democrats in their push to raise the debt ceiling by enough to take the Treasury Department through 2012.
WASHINGTON — House Republican leaders, who had abruptly put off a vote on their proposal to raise the debt ceiling and cut government spending, called their rank and file back into another closed-door session on Friday to resume their overnight search for the last few votes they need.
President Obama was expected to comment on the deepening impasse shortly, and there was no clear sign what the next step would be. Among the several possibilities were changes to the House bill, an attempt by Senate Democrats to leapfrog forward with their own plan, or a new attempt to reach a compromise on the part of all the major players.
In an effort to break the logjam, Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader, called on Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, to meet with him on Friday to try to resolve to the stalemate, given the failure of House Republicans to advance their own budget proposal.
“My door is open,” Mr. Reid said as the Senate convened. “I will listen to any idea to get this done in a way that prevents a default and a dangerous downgrade to America’s credit rating. Time is short, and too much is at stake, to waste even one more minute.
“The last train is leaving the station,” he said. “This is our last chance to avert default.”
Mr. McConnell, who had earlier been working with Mr. Reid on a fallback plan, abandoned that attempt and has been supporting the effort by the House speaker, John A. Boehner, to push through a proposal that would raise the debt limit in two stages — an approach flatly rejected by Senate Democrats and the White House. Mr. McConnell also had been talking with Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. but broke the conversation off while the Boehner plan was pending.
Mr. McConnell, too, came to the Senate floor and offered little indication that he was ready to deal, accusing Democrats of devoting recent days to undermining the House plan. “Our Democratic friends in the Senate have offered no solutions to the crisis that can pass either chamber,” he said.
Mr. Reid said he would be moving within hours to force votes on his own plan to cut spending by about $2.5 trillion over 10 years and raise the debt limit through 2012, a move that would lead to a crucial showdown vote over the weekend. He said he would be making changes to his measure to attract more support but made clear that he considered the Senate plan the final effort to avert a default next week.
“There will be no time left to vote on another bill or consider another option here in the Senate,” he said. “None.”
Mr. Reid said he had also had a “sobering” conversation on Friday with Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner about the consequences of a default.
“It is really precarious for our country,” he said. Just minutes from a roll-call vote on the plan pushed by Mr. Boehner, Republicans stunned the House on Thursday by interrupting the debate and turning to routine matters while Mr. Boehner and his lieutenants tried to pressure reluctant conservatives into backing their plan. The House then went into a recess and shortly before 11 p.m., the leadership announced that no vote would be held.
The surprise postponement threw the endgame of the debt limit clash into confusion and raised concerns among some on Capitol Hill that the government was lurching toward a default. The White House and Senate Democratic leaders had been waiting for the House to act before making their next move with an eye on the Tuesday deadline set by the Treasury Department for raising the debt ceiling or facing the possibility that the government would not be able to meet all its financial obligations.
Republicans had expressed confidence throughout Thursday that they would round up enough recalcitrant conservatives to pass their plan, but they obviously miscalculated.
Officials and aides said opponents had multiple misgivings about the measure, which Senate Democrats had already said they would reject as soon as it reached the Senate desk. The legislation would provide a $900 billion increase in the federal debt limit in exchange for slightly more than that in spending cuts. A second increase of $1.6 trillion in 2012 would be tied to the ability of a new special committee to produce a proposal to save an additional $1.8 trillion.
Failure to pass the measure would represent a significant defeat for Mr. Boehner, the first-year speaker who has invested significant political capital in trying to get his fractious majority behind the legislation, which had the strong support of the entire leadership team. It could also bolster Senate Democrats in their push to raise the debt ceiling by enough to take the Treasury Department through 2012.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Growth plan in off-island poses threat to St. Lazare's identity: mayor
Plans to limit residential sprawl in the greater Montreal area over the next two decades could threaten St. Lazare's city-within-a-forest identity, according to Pierre Kary, the town's mayor.
"Twenty years is a blink of an eye in terms of residential development," Kary said. "As mayor, it is my role to ensure that residents benefit from change rather than be negatively impacted.
"I cannot just allow development in St. Lazare to go unmanaged, or managed from Montreal or by developers" he added. "We want development, but we want development that is right for St. Lazare."
In May, the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal, the umbrella planning organization for Montreal Island and its suburbs, presented a proposal - called the Plan métropolitain d'amenagement et de dévélopment (PMAD) - that would slow the march of housing subdivisions off the island.
St. Lazare, which has a population of just under 20,000, is part of the Montreal Metropolitan Community, which covers 82 municipalities with a total population of 3.7 million.
"Under the PMAD's plan for sustainable development, objectives are set out to better receive 530,000 people and 320,000 new homes within the MMC in the next 20 years," Kary said.
He said that in order to deal with that increase, minimum density levels are being set for each region.
For the region of Vaudreuil-Soulanges, which includes St. Lazare, the average density for new residential developments will be 16 housing units per hectare for 2011-2016; 18 housing units per hectare for 2017-2021; 20 housing units per hectare for 2022-2026 and 22 housing units per hectare for 2026-2031.
"This contrasts greatly with the housing density within our perimeter of about 3.4 housing units per hectare," Kary said.
Kary noted that the average density is measured over the whole MRC, which is comprised of 23 off-island communities, not just in St. Lazare.
However, he added, St. Lazare is one of the municipalities with the most available land for residential development with much of the 518 hectares available in 2006 still available for residential development.
"We are among those with the most land available," he said.
"With the PMAD, we become a municipality even more attractive for residential development ... and moreover for development at a much higher density than is typical for our community."
Kary said a jump from 3.4 residential units to 16 units per hectare would be "dramatic for St. Lazare," which has equestrian areas that are at a density of about one unit per hectare.
"We have an identity, a brand," he said. "Our brand is that of singlefamily homes on large lots with plenty of trees favourable to our equestrian community - a city within a forest.
"The PMAD, if not properly integrated into a new urban plan, can be a threat to our identity."
The mayor said planning is needed as 16 to 22 housing units per hectare is not possible in sectors that don't have the required infrastructures.
"Many undeveloped sectors will have to be on septic systems, like most of our territory," he said, noting that the town also has a number of wetlands that need to be protected since they are important for the water supply in the town, which is entirely dependent on underground wells.
Kary acknowledged, however, that change is coming, and even though St. Lazare is now the most youthful town in Quebec, with 30 per cent of its population under 30 years old, it must prepare for an increase in an elderly population over the next two decades.
"We are facing a new reality," he said.
"Although it is anticipated that the demographics are such that there will be an increase of 35-to 54-year-olds, the real demographic change will be the increase of 65-to 84-year-olds.
"Housing units for this demographic is scarce in St. Lazare," he said.
"With the required densification and change in demographics, we will have to find a way to protect our citywithin-a-forest brand while increasing the housing density and offering a diversity of housing options, including catering to the older demographic.
"This requires planning ... and is more than just protecting our brand or identity," said Kary, adding that all of the municipalities in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges MRC "will have to work closely to develop a regional plan for residential development."
A public consultation meeting for the southern part of the Montreal Metropolitan Community, which includes the Vaudreuil-Soulanges MRC, will take place Oct. 19 at the Exporail Le Musée férroviaire canadien, 110 St. Pierre St. in St. Constant.
© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette
"Twenty years is a blink of an eye in terms of residential development," Kary said. "As mayor, it is my role to ensure that residents benefit from change rather than be negatively impacted.
"I cannot just allow development in St. Lazare to go unmanaged, or managed from Montreal or by developers" he added. "We want development, but we want development that is right for St. Lazare."
In May, the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal, the umbrella planning organization for Montreal Island and its suburbs, presented a proposal - called the Plan métropolitain d'amenagement et de dévélopment (PMAD) - that would slow the march of housing subdivisions off the island.
St. Lazare, which has a population of just under 20,000, is part of the Montreal Metropolitan Community, which covers 82 municipalities with a total population of 3.7 million.
"Under the PMAD's plan for sustainable development, objectives are set out to better receive 530,000 people and 320,000 new homes within the MMC in the next 20 years," Kary said.
He said that in order to deal with that increase, minimum density levels are being set for each region.
For the region of Vaudreuil-Soulanges, which includes St. Lazare, the average density for new residential developments will be 16 housing units per hectare for 2011-2016; 18 housing units per hectare for 2017-2021; 20 housing units per hectare for 2022-2026 and 22 housing units per hectare for 2026-2031.
"This contrasts greatly with the housing density within our perimeter of about 3.4 housing units per hectare," Kary said.
Kary noted that the average density is measured over the whole MRC, which is comprised of 23 off-island communities, not just in St. Lazare.
However, he added, St. Lazare is one of the municipalities with the most available land for residential development with much of the 518 hectares available in 2006 still available for residential development.
"We are among those with the most land available," he said.
"With the PMAD, we become a municipality even more attractive for residential development ... and moreover for development at a much higher density than is typical for our community."
Kary said a jump from 3.4 residential units to 16 units per hectare would be "dramatic for St. Lazare," which has equestrian areas that are at a density of about one unit per hectare.
"We have an identity, a brand," he said. "Our brand is that of singlefamily homes on large lots with plenty of trees favourable to our equestrian community - a city within a forest.
"The PMAD, if not properly integrated into a new urban plan, can be a threat to our identity."
The mayor said planning is needed as 16 to 22 housing units per hectare is not possible in sectors that don't have the required infrastructures.
"Many undeveloped sectors will have to be on septic systems, like most of our territory," he said, noting that the town also has a number of wetlands that need to be protected since they are important for the water supply in the town, which is entirely dependent on underground wells.
Kary acknowledged, however, that change is coming, and even though St. Lazare is now the most youthful town in Quebec, with 30 per cent of its population under 30 years old, it must prepare for an increase in an elderly population over the next two decades.
"We are facing a new reality," he said.
"Although it is anticipated that the demographics are such that there will be an increase of 35-to 54-year-olds, the real demographic change will be the increase of 65-to 84-year-olds.
"Housing units for this demographic is scarce in St. Lazare," he said.
"With the required densification and change in demographics, we will have to find a way to protect our citywithin-a-forest brand while increasing the housing density and offering a diversity of housing options, including catering to the older demographic.
"This requires planning ... and is more than just protecting our brand or identity," said Kary, adding that all of the municipalities in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges MRC "will have to work closely to develop a regional plan for residential development."
A public consultation meeting for the southern part of the Montreal Metropolitan Community, which includes the Vaudreuil-Soulanges MRC, will take place Oct. 19 at the Exporail Le Musée férroviaire canadien, 110 St. Pierre St. in St. Constant.
© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Saturday, July 30: Fifth annual Hudson music festival promises to be bigger and better
Alycia Ambroziak
The Gazette
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Hudson Music Festival takes place on Saturday, July 30th.
There'll be music in the air all over Hudson next week as musicians of all genres - including Montreal blues great James Green, April Wine's Blair Mackay and South African singer Thandie Klaasen - take over the town during the fifth annual Hudson Music Festival.
The music festival, which features both free and paying performances from July 27 to 30, will mesh with the town's July 30 street fair, which also will offer a variety of musical performances as well as the Theatre Sans Fil's giant puppets, food, and arts and crafts.
The music festival's opening grand concert gala takes place July 27 at 8 p.m. at the Hudson Village Theatre and features Klaasen and Geoff Mitchell, Mackay, Brian Greenway and Green, Plastic Utopia and El Proyecto, as well as surprises and live auctions.
Tickets for that event cost $29.
Schedule of concerts:
On Thursday, July 28, thre’s a lot of free performances including the Hudson Swing Trio who will be at Mlle. Clifford’s Floral Emporium and English Tea Room, 60 Cameron St., from 3 to 5 p.m. and a 7 to 10 p.m. salon concert featuring jazz stamdards with Geoff Mitchell and Bob. at the Half Moon Resto-Bar, 422 Main Road. There’ll also be free jazz at Cunningham’s Pub, corner of Cameron and St. Jean, at 7 p.m.
A grand concert featuring the Foggy Hogtown Boys’ high energy bluegrass at the Hudson Village Theatre (tickets cost $29) and at 10 p.m. there’s a Grand Party HMF at the Chateau du Lac, 460 Main Road, featuring James Green and Friends who will be offering electric blues, R &B and Soul and Funk. Tickets for that event cost $10.
*Friday, July 29, features a lot of free music throughout the town as well as the Grand Concert with the Montreal Guitar Trio at 8 p.m. at the Hudson Village Theatre. Tickets cost $10.
Some of the street music includes a free concert of fusion of Gypsy and western swing by Hot Swing Sauce with Pat Loisel from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Aux Gourmandises, 429 Main Road in Hudson. The Hudson Legion is holding a $13 barbecue and music night from 5 to 7 p.m. featuring the G. string Band with Phil Gail. There’s a free Jam Night at Woot’s, 3239 Harwood, hosted by Soul Fusion from 6 p.m. to midnight and at 10 p.m. there’s free music featuring Jeff Star and Paulo at Cunningham’s and dance music at the Chateau du Lac.
*On Saturday, July 30, the street fair and music festival mesh together during the day with live music throughout the town as well as a concert gala, and musical presentations at night.
There’s a lot of free music at various stages around town:
The Royal LePage State at the corner of Cameron and St. Jean will feature more than 30 local musicians between noon and five p.m. and B.J. and the Rippers from 5 to 11 p.m.
The Hudson Village Stage, 28 Wharf Road, will also feature talented local musicians hosted by Night Shift between noon and 5 p.m.
Dead Yet will perform from noon to 5 p.m. at the Churrasco Stage, 518 Main Road.
The Sofa Kings will be at the Remax Stage, 471 Main Road, from noon to five p.m.
The Flamenco duo Marta and Richard will perform from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Syrrah Tapas and Bar a Vin, 3187 Harwood. There’ll be an open Jam night at the Half Moon Resto Bar, 442 Main Road, beginning at 7 p.m.
The Grand Concert features the BluesVille Express at 8 p.m. at the Hudson Village Theatre. The cost is $29. The Franklin Electric/John Matte will perform at the Chateau du Lac at 10 p.m. The cost is $5.
*Sunday, July 31, the last day of the music festival, features three events:
The Brunet Plus Hudson youth Showcase from noon to 3 p.m at the Hudson Village Theatre. MC is Austin Beauchamp. The cost is $5.
There’s a Double Salon concert from 4 to 6 p.m. at Mullan’s Music Hall, 586 main Road, featuring Rob Lutes and Rob Macdonald and Cecile Doo – Kingue Trio. The cost is $29.
The Ken Hodgson stage at the Willow Place Inn, 208 Main Road is the site of the Grand Concert closing with carte blanche to Jim Norcross, featuring Emily Lamarche, Kiko, Scarlett James and many surprises.
For more information about tickets, venues, festival passes, call 450-458-5633 or go to www.hudsonmusicfestival.ca.
The Gazette
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Hudson Music Festival takes place on Saturday, July 30th.
There'll be music in the air all over Hudson next week as musicians of all genres - including Montreal blues great James Green, April Wine's Blair Mackay and South African singer Thandie Klaasen - take over the town during the fifth annual Hudson Music Festival.
The music festival, which features both free and paying performances from July 27 to 30, will mesh with the town's July 30 street fair, which also will offer a variety of musical performances as well as the Theatre Sans Fil's giant puppets, food, and arts and crafts.
The music festival's opening grand concert gala takes place July 27 at 8 p.m. at the Hudson Village Theatre and features Klaasen and Geoff Mitchell, Mackay, Brian Greenway and Green, Plastic Utopia and El Proyecto, as well as surprises and live auctions.
Tickets for that event cost $29.
Schedule of concerts:
On Thursday, July 28, thre’s a lot of free performances including the Hudson Swing Trio who will be at Mlle. Clifford’s Floral Emporium and English Tea Room, 60 Cameron St., from 3 to 5 p.m. and a 7 to 10 p.m. salon concert featuring jazz stamdards with Geoff Mitchell and Bob. at the Half Moon Resto-Bar, 422 Main Road. There’ll also be free jazz at Cunningham’s Pub, corner of Cameron and St. Jean, at 7 p.m.
A grand concert featuring the Foggy Hogtown Boys’ high energy bluegrass at the Hudson Village Theatre (tickets cost $29) and at 10 p.m. there’s a Grand Party HMF at the Chateau du Lac, 460 Main Road, featuring James Green and Friends who will be offering electric blues, R &B and Soul and Funk. Tickets for that event cost $10.
*Friday, July 29, features a lot of free music throughout the town as well as the Grand Concert with the Montreal Guitar Trio at 8 p.m. at the Hudson Village Theatre. Tickets cost $10.
Some of the street music includes a free concert of fusion of Gypsy and western swing by Hot Swing Sauce with Pat Loisel from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Aux Gourmandises, 429 Main Road in Hudson. The Hudson Legion is holding a $13 barbecue and music night from 5 to 7 p.m. featuring the G. string Band with Phil Gail. There’s a free Jam Night at Woot’s, 3239 Harwood, hosted by Soul Fusion from 6 p.m. to midnight and at 10 p.m. there’s free music featuring Jeff Star and Paulo at Cunningham’s and dance music at the Chateau du Lac.
*On Saturday, July 30, the street fair and music festival mesh together during the day with live music throughout the town as well as a concert gala, and musical presentations at night.
There’s a lot of free music at various stages around town:
The Royal LePage State at the corner of Cameron and St. Jean will feature more than 30 local musicians between noon and five p.m. and B.J. and the Rippers from 5 to 11 p.m.
The Hudson Village Stage, 28 Wharf Road, will also feature talented local musicians hosted by Night Shift between noon and 5 p.m.
Dead Yet will perform from noon to 5 p.m. at the Churrasco Stage, 518 Main Road.
The Sofa Kings will be at the Remax Stage, 471 Main Road, from noon to five p.m.
The Flamenco duo Marta and Richard will perform from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Syrrah Tapas and Bar a Vin, 3187 Harwood. There’ll be an open Jam night at the Half Moon Resto Bar, 442 Main Road, beginning at 7 p.m.
The Grand Concert features the BluesVille Express at 8 p.m. at the Hudson Village Theatre. The cost is $29. The Franklin Electric/John Matte will perform at the Chateau du Lac at 10 p.m. The cost is $5.
*Sunday, July 31, the last day of the music festival, features three events:
The Brunet Plus Hudson youth Showcase from noon to 3 p.m at the Hudson Village Theatre. MC is Austin Beauchamp. The cost is $5.
There’s a Double Salon concert from 4 to 6 p.m. at Mullan’s Music Hall, 586 main Road, featuring Rob Lutes and Rob Macdonald and Cecile Doo – Kingue Trio. The cost is $29.
The Ken Hodgson stage at the Willow Place Inn, 208 Main Road is the site of the Grand Concert closing with carte blanche to Jim Norcross, featuring Emily Lamarche, Kiko, Scarlett James and many surprises.
For more information about tickets, venues, festival passes, call 450-458-5633 or go to www.hudsonmusicfestival.ca.
St. Lazare 1st responders, firefighters now on duty 24/7
Alycia Ambroziak
The Gazette
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Many St. Lazare residents may not yet be aware of it, but their town got a lot safer in the past couple of weeks, as the municipal Medical Response Unit merged with the fire department, providing onsite, 24-hour service.
"Our residents can sleep better now knowing there is someone on duty at the firehall 24 hours a day, seven days a week," Mayor Pierre Kary said last week at the announcement of the June 6 merger.
In effect, the town's 15 first responders, who were on-call volunteers for the past seven years, are now city employees and work out of the firehall at 1875 Bedard Ave.
"We brought the volunteer service as far as we could; it was time to bring it to the next level," said Charlene Vacon, head of emergency medical services for the town.
The first responders receive about 600 calls a year.
"That didn't include calls to the fire department," Vacon said.
As well, all 30 part-time volunteer firefighters have now been trained as first responders.
Now, there will always be two people at the firehall ready to answer any life-threatening emergency, like cardiac arrest, airway obstructions, severe external bleeding, loss of consciousness or delivering a baby.
In fact, first responders helped deliver a baby boy in the early morning of June 6.
"Both baby and mom are doing well," said Fire Chief Daniel Boyer.
First responders will be given the option of training to become firefighters,
Vacon said, adding that any future first respond-ers hired will also take firefighting training.
She said the merger, which cost the town of 20,000 residents about $300,000, will also allow first responders to do more preventive work, like visiting schools and seniors.
The Gazette
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Many St. Lazare residents may not yet be aware of it, but their town got a lot safer in the past couple of weeks, as the municipal Medical Response Unit merged with the fire department, providing onsite, 24-hour service.
"Our residents can sleep better now knowing there is someone on duty at the firehall 24 hours a day, seven days a week," Mayor Pierre Kary said last week at the announcement of the June 6 merger.
In effect, the town's 15 first responders, who were on-call volunteers for the past seven years, are now city employees and work out of the firehall at 1875 Bedard Ave.
"We brought the volunteer service as far as we could; it was time to bring it to the next level," said Charlene Vacon, head of emergency medical services for the town.
The first responders receive about 600 calls a year.
"That didn't include calls to the fire department," Vacon said.
As well, all 30 part-time volunteer firefighters have now been trained as first responders.
Now, there will always be two people at the firehall ready to answer any life-threatening emergency, like cardiac arrest, airway obstructions, severe external bleeding, loss of consciousness or delivering a baby.
In fact, first responders helped deliver a baby boy in the early morning of June 6.
"Both baby and mom are doing well," said Fire Chief Daniel Boyer.
First responders will be given the option of training to become firefighters,
Vacon said, adding that any future first respond-ers hired will also take firefighting training.
She said the merger, which cost the town of 20,000 residents about $300,000, will also allow first responders to do more preventive work, like visiting schools and seniors.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Your Home Equity is like any other investment.
The equity in your home is like any other investment. It needs to be monitored. All homeowners should have their equity evaluated once a year. Now may be the perfect time.
For a free market evaluation call 514.715.4514 or 450.458.5365.
Canadian dollar hits three-year high
TORONTO - The Canadian dollar rose to its best level in more than three and a half years against the U.S. dollar on Tuesday, as debt fears in the United States continued to slam the greenback.
The loonie climbed as high as $1.0625, its strongest level since November 2007, when it hit a modern-day high.
The U.S. dollar fell across the board, plunging to a record low against the Swiss franc, as a speech by U.S. President Barack Obama Monday night gave no sign of a swift breakthrough in deadlocked talks to raise the U.S. debt ceiling.
Commodity prices such as oil also rallied on a weaker U.S. dollar, though investors shrugged off fears that a U.S. default would undermine the appetite for riskier assets, while a run of strong earning reports further boosted market sentiment.
"The political brinksmanship that's being played out south of the border is clearly having an impact on the U.S. dollar," said Jack Spitz, managing director of foreign exchange at National Bank Financial, noting talk of central banks' reserves diversifying out of the U.S. dollar and into other currencies, such as Canada's.
"Pretty well every currency is trading as a safe-haven currency when compared with the U.S. in terms of its current environment but that could change on a dime."
The United States edged closer on Tuesday to a devastating default as Republicans and Democrats were deadlocked over competing plans to raise the debt ceiling, one week before a deadline to act.
At 8:09 a.m., the loonie stood at $1.0620, up from Monday's North American session close of $1.0573.
Spitz said there was no major technical resistance for the Canadian dollar on its way to the November 2007 high, when the currency hit $1.10.
"From a technical perspective, it's air below the calendar low in dollar/Canada until we get to the modern day low," he said.
Psychologically, he noted investors will look at international money market levels, with $1.07 as the next major mark insight.
© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette
Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/Canadian+dollar+hits+three+year+high/5159842/story.html#ixzz1TDiUAC00
Mom, I want to be a vegetarian. What every parent needs to know
By Andrea Holwegner, For Postmedia News
www.canada.com
For Kathleen, who’s mom to three teenage girls, life was a household full of raging adolescent hormones and a revolving door of friendships — so she felt like rolling with change was something she was good at.
But when her youngest daughter Cate announced she was no longer eating meat, Kathleen found this was hard to manage.
For a while, Kathleen hoped that she would grow out of this, but after several months of food wars at supper she realized her daughter’s vegetarian commitment was not just a fad.
The good news is that with a little planning you can ensure your vegetarian teenagers get the nourishment they need to grow and be healthy.
Progress gradually
Choosing to start off as a strict vegan who consumes no animal foods whatsoever is grounds for complete disaster.
Instead, I recommend all vegetarians start off slowly. Remind them that they need to be open to embracing new knowledge, foods and cooking skills. Working with a dietitian and purchasing some books and vegetarian recipe books is a good idea.
Make a deal with your teenager that you will support them with their vegetarian diet if they can prove to you they can do it in a healthy way.
Encourage them to start off with substituting a few traditional meat-based meals per week with vegetarian meals.
Then, if this is going well, they should become a lacto-ovo vegetarian who consumes dairy foods and eggs before ever considering complete elimination of all animal-derived foods.
Replace, don’t eliminate
Many teenage vegetarians dislike a wide range of veggies, so when they begin skipping meat, poultry and seafood, it means they could be subsisting on vegetarian pizza, french fries and sweets.
This, of course, doesn’t supply enough balanced nutrition to grow and develop properly. You may think your teenager is old enough to fend for themselves, but I rarely see teenage vegetarians achieve optimal nourishment without help from parents.
Many vegetarians don’t realize it is about replacing, not eliminating.
If your teen chooses not to eat meat, poultry or seafood that supply protein, iron and vitamin B12, they need to incorporate foods such as legumes (beans, lentils and chickpeas), nuts, seeds and soy foods (such as tofu or veggie burgers) instead.
As a rule of thumb, I would suggest aiming to eat these foods at least twice per day. For example, a day that includes black bean soup for lunch and a tofu-based stir-fry for supper is a good start.
If dairy foods are not consumed, be sure to incorporate enough calcium-and vitamin D-fortified beverages and foods: aim to have three to four cups of fortified soy milk or fortified rice milk per day.
Be mindful of eating disorders
At my nutrition counselling practice, we treat teenage vegetarianism as a red flag for an eating disorder. While there are certainly political, environmental and other valid reasons to embrace a vegetarian lifestyle, sometimes the decision may stem from an attempt to lose weight -- so it’s important to understand the underlying reasons.
Signs of a potential eating disorder may include body image dissatisfaction, restriction of junk foods or past foods typically enjoyed, increased exercise, not wanting to eat in front of others, using the washroom after eating, dieting or weight loss.
Body image issues in a growing adolescent and eating disorders do not go away on their own and instead require comprehensive help from health care specialists
Turning a potential eating disorder around early is far easier than waiting until the problem is deeply ingrained.
You, as a parent, have an intuitive sense to pick up on your teenager’s relationship with body image and food — trust this.
Five great vegetarian meals:
- Baked potato topped with canned beans in tomato sauce, grated cheese or soy cheese and a tossed salad.
- Taco salad with black beans, salsa, avocado, taco chips and salad dressing.
- Vegetarian pizza with peppers, onions, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes and cheese or soy cheese.
- Stir-fry with mixed Asian veggies, tofu, sesame seeds or other nuts and teriyaki sauce served over noodles or rice.
- Chick pea or lentil Indian curry with veggies served with naan bread or rice.
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald
www.canada.com
For Kathleen, who’s mom to three teenage girls, life was a household full of raging adolescent hormones and a revolving door of friendships — so she felt like rolling with change was something she was good at.
But when her youngest daughter Cate announced she was no longer eating meat, Kathleen found this was hard to manage.
For a while, Kathleen hoped that she would grow out of this, but after several months of food wars at supper she realized her daughter’s vegetarian commitment was not just a fad.
The good news is that with a little planning you can ensure your vegetarian teenagers get the nourishment they need to grow and be healthy.
Progress gradually
Choosing to start off as a strict vegan who consumes no animal foods whatsoever is grounds for complete disaster.
Instead, I recommend all vegetarians start off slowly. Remind them that they need to be open to embracing new knowledge, foods and cooking skills. Working with a dietitian and purchasing some books and vegetarian recipe books is a good idea.
Make a deal with your teenager that you will support them with their vegetarian diet if they can prove to you they can do it in a healthy way.
Encourage them to start off with substituting a few traditional meat-based meals per week with vegetarian meals.
Then, if this is going well, they should become a lacto-ovo vegetarian who consumes dairy foods and eggs before ever considering complete elimination of all animal-derived foods.
Replace, don’t eliminate
Many teenage vegetarians dislike a wide range of veggies, so when they begin skipping meat, poultry and seafood, it means they could be subsisting on vegetarian pizza, french fries and sweets.
This, of course, doesn’t supply enough balanced nutrition to grow and develop properly. You may think your teenager is old enough to fend for themselves, but I rarely see teenage vegetarians achieve optimal nourishment without help from parents.
Many vegetarians don’t realize it is about replacing, not eliminating.
If your teen chooses not to eat meat, poultry or seafood that supply protein, iron and vitamin B12, they need to incorporate foods such as legumes (beans, lentils and chickpeas), nuts, seeds and soy foods (such as tofu or veggie burgers) instead.
As a rule of thumb, I would suggest aiming to eat these foods at least twice per day. For example, a day that includes black bean soup for lunch and a tofu-based stir-fry for supper is a good start.
If dairy foods are not consumed, be sure to incorporate enough calcium-and vitamin D-fortified beverages and foods: aim to have three to four cups of fortified soy milk or fortified rice milk per day.
Be mindful of eating disorders
At my nutrition counselling practice, we treat teenage vegetarianism as a red flag for an eating disorder. While there are certainly political, environmental and other valid reasons to embrace a vegetarian lifestyle, sometimes the decision may stem from an attempt to lose weight -- so it’s important to understand the underlying reasons.
Signs of a potential eating disorder may include body image dissatisfaction, restriction of junk foods or past foods typically enjoyed, increased exercise, not wanting to eat in front of others, using the washroom after eating, dieting or weight loss.
Body image issues in a growing adolescent and eating disorders do not go away on their own and instead require comprehensive help from health care specialists
Turning a potential eating disorder around early is far easier than waiting until the problem is deeply ingrained.
You, as a parent, have an intuitive sense to pick up on your teenager’s relationship with body image and food — trust this.
Five great vegetarian meals:
- Baked potato topped with canned beans in tomato sauce, grated cheese or soy cheese and a tossed salad.
- Taco salad with black beans, salsa, avocado, taco chips and salad dressing.
- Vegetarian pizza with peppers, onions, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes and cheese or soy cheese.
- Stir-fry with mixed Asian veggies, tofu, sesame seeds or other nuts and teriyaki sauce served over noodles or rice.
- Chick pea or lentil Indian curry with veggies served with naan bread or rice.
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald
Monday, July 25, 2011
Michael Kors....American Idol
June 29, 2011
Harper's Bazaar Magazine
Michael Kors: American Idol
Michael Kors, the designer best known for his glam fashions and arch humor, celebrates 30 years in the business. Read the interview below and then check out highlights from his 30 years in the business as well as a behind-the-scenes look at his 30th anniversary show.
By Elisa Lipsky-Karasz
It's just before 10:00 a.m., and inside one of the hulking granite shopping malls on Chicago's Magnificent Mile, a small crowd clutching steaming Venti Starbucks coffees is gawking at the scene unfolding through a shop window. A girl wearing a pink Juicy Couture tracksuit rushes up to the boutique's locked door to get a better snap with her iPhone. The object of her ardor is not Justin Bieber on a VIP shopping trip, however. It's designer Michael Kors, who is oblivious to all the attention as he focuses his charm on the four women he is styling for Oprah Winfrey's very last makeover show.
"Oh! You are more tan than I am," he exclaims in mock anger as he catches sight of one of his charges, a Chicago policewoman he's dolling up. "Let's do a tan-off. My dermatologist is going to kill me, but I lie to her all the time." As he trots around his store, happily kitting out each woman in Michael Kors booty — sequined sheaths, swaths of sand-colored jersey, and gold stiletto sandals — he dispenses as many tips and feel-good mantras as the queen of talk herself. "You're not short, you are petite," he corrects one diminutive woman. "Dress your down look up," he instructs. And "beige plus blonde equals gold," he singsongs to a platinum-maned dame as he selects jewelry. "That's fashion math."
"Fashion math" is just one Kors-ism. There's also "fashion fat," meaning when those who might be an ideal weight in the real world can't squeeze into a sample size. Then there's "fashion fame," which is different from that of, say, Kors's really famous friends, like Gwyneth Paltrow and Michael Douglas. Kors himself has attained this beatific state (where one gets great tables at restaurants but not too much paparazzi attention) thanks mostly to dispensing such quips as a judge on Project Runway. Adoring fans have even gathered them into homemade mashups on YouTube. Such notoriety does, however, mean a lot of time spent chatting with his fans about their shoes, their bags, or their Kors printed caftans, even at such far-flung locales as the Fontelina beach club in Capri, Italy. His business has benefited from such recognition too, with his three lines — Michael Kors collection, Kors Michael Kors, and Michael Michael Kors — collectively drawing $1 billion a year.
But being so approachable would be anathema to many designers. Kors is hyperaware that he is hardly a reclusive artiste: He sends his models down the runway with huge smiles plastered on their faces to punchy, poppy feel-good musical hits of yore and does his very own catwalk finale turn. "We all laugh because he walks the whole runway," says dear friend Aerin Lauder. "Most designers just peek their head out and wave." But intellectual fashion is not Kors's calling card, as many of his designs, though luxe, have a familiar and pleasingly visceral appeal; think the perfect 10-ply cashmere crewneck or a sublime tawny floor-sweeping knitted-fox fur.
"There are two kinds of designers: ones who are very happy locked in their office surrounded by their coterie. The last thing they need to do is to go to a trunk show; they'd go running for the hills," he says, sitting down for a brief break in his swank Chicago hotel suite. "I not only enjoy it, I think, how do you design things that are applicable to life — unless you live it?" He contentedly munches on minibar Pringles and goes on to talk about being a "Gleek."
It's been three decades since Kors started his namesake line, a milestone he recently celebrated with all the trappings of the life he's cultivated. First was an intimate party at the Carlyle hotel after his Fall 2011 show where he was feted by Anjelica Huston, Patti Hansen, and Rene Russo. (Kors used to sneak into the hotel at 15 to see Bobby Short, "thinking I was very glamorous with a coat over my shoulder and a big polka-dot pocket square and tie.") That was followed by a splashy dinner in Paris at the U.S. ambassador's residence, complete with Mary J. Blige performing and a raucous dance party. "I just thought, what a great way to finish the whole thing off and say thank you to everyone who's been a part of the 30 years from around the world," he says.
Being serenaded by Blige while supermodels wearing Michael Kors kiss his rosy cheeks is practically his birthright. "I grew up in a family of people who were obsessed with fashion," says Kors, who was born Karl Anderson Jr. to his mother, Joan, a former Revlon model, on Long Island. A very young Kors would accompany his grandmother Bea Hamburger on her daily buying trips to Loehmann's Back Room. "It was a sport." His grandfather, meanwhile, was a dandy. "If you said to him, 'What do you want to do on Saturday, go to a baseball game?' He would say, 'No, do you want to come with me? I have a fitting at the tailor.'" At a mere five years old, Kors styled his mother's wedding dress for her marriage to his stepfather, Bill Kors (whose moniker he took, simultaneously changing his first name). "The bows are terrible. Take off the bows," he remembers telling his mother, who at that moment became the original sleek Kors girl.
"I was always pushing her," he remembers of advising his mother, who favored low-key, simple fashions. "I was like, 'What about hot pants? Think about marabou. What about palazzos?'" Meanwhile, his grandmother taught him to never underestimate the value of a dramatic entrance. "She liked everything printed, patterned, colorful, embellished; there couldn't be enough. Five days in Florida meant six wig boxes and four furs."
Read more: Michael Kors Interview — Michael Kors Fashion Quotes - Harper's BAZAAR
http://www.harpersbazaar.com/magazine/feature-articles/best-looks-resort-2012
http://www.harpersbazaar.com/magazine/feature-articles/michael-kors-interview
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