Loonie for the Loonie!

Wednesday saw the Canadian Loonie briefly reach the 99-cent US mark in the overseas trading markets – inching closer to parity with the US dollar.
The Loonie drifted down 0.14 cent to close at 98.5 cents US on Wednesday making the 99-cent rise short-lived. But SWEET none the less! The release of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Canada Wednesday morning slowed the dollar’s ascent, forcing the minor drop before close of market.

This is the first time in almost 30 years that the Canadian dollar has been on-par with the US dollar. That means the first time in MY LIFETIME that the Canadian dollar has been so strong.

This rise may be not be totally attributed to a strong Canadian economy, The U.S. currency also plummeted to a new low Thursday against the 13-nation Euro, which traded above $1.40 for the first time since it was introduced in 1999.This is a great time for Canadians to spend their money in the US, with internet shopping sites like Ebay very affordable on the very best deals around. There has also been a sharp increase in Canadian holidaymakers booking trips because of how much you can get with the Canadian dollar.

After reading several American based websites, there are a lot of Americans (espeically those so close to the border) who are disappointed their money will not get them the deals they are more accustomed to receiving driving north. This decline in the US greenback, will also affect the number of American holidaymakers. With their currency not providing them with the big-bang-for-the-buck, as well as concerns for value will drive people to stay home.

The biggest economic concern is in the manufacturing sector, which may see loss in jobs when companies will have to outsource to keep costs low and keep competitive in markets.

Canada (specifically Montreal) was again seeing a rise of Hollywood movies looking to shoot in the historic Quebec city, with the rise of the Canadian dollar many of these movies may look elsewhere to shoot to conserve their movie budgets.

Even with the scary economic concerns, I’m proud of the Loonie – the little dollar that could. . .

Sources:

Fox News

CityNews

SeattlePi.com

CTV.ca

X-Rates.com

An Afternoon in Ste Anne De Bellevue

After our lunch with Mr and Mrs G on Saturday, we decided to work off some of our maple surup hangover with a walk along the water in Ste Anne De Bellevue.

It was a beautiful brisk day, the winds were strong and the current was heavy.

The water is much lower than usual for this time of year, normally all the rocks in these pictures are covered, and there are no small peninsulas in the water.

It was glorious to be outside in the fresh air, wind in my hair, colour in my cheeks.

I haven’t felt that ‘alive’ in a long time.  It was very refreshing!

Traffic Songs

Recently I’ve started listening to my husband’s radio station “CHOM 97.7“, its a classic rock station and is quite a soft and mellow change from my normal listenings to one of CHOM’s sister stations with its barrage of new music, repeative riffs and bass-filled banging tunes. My ears have stopped ringing and I am finally hearing the music.

I spend a lot of time stuck in traffic, so people watching has become an afternoon hobby.

I have discovered over my time of Montreal traffic people watching that there is a secret society, a club if you will, among fellow “stuck in traffic-ers”. This club – similar to the Free Masons – is known, but never spoken of. Perhaps a fight club with out the fighting. (Just don’t tell Edward Norton I’ve broken the first law of fight club, please).

CHOM has shown me the light, and let me enter this secret yet widely visable club.

I’ve often questioned what the heck people are singing to when in the car – and now I know. Its CHOM.

Over the past several weeks, I have been conducting rigerous experiments to confirm these findings.

At every stop light and stop sign. On the 40 past St Jean in the Gridlock, or on Des Anciens Combattants Boulevard in Ste Anne de Bellevue in stopped traffic jams I see them, the members of the secret society belting out tunes, jamming on air guitars, and keeping beat on steering wheel drums.

I thought this station that keeps all armchair (or driver’s seat) disc jockeys in unison was a fable, a story. . .
I see CHOM listeners everywhere. They are many. . . .

I’ve let my hair down, and tuned my air guitar. . . . .I’m in the Spirit to Rock!

And Revisionist history is pretty good, too.

(For those that want to listen to CHOM live on their computers, simply log onto their website, and choose listen now!)

Remebering Anastasia of Dawson College

12:45 September 13th 2006 Kimveer Gill opened fire on the students at Dawson College in downtown Montreal Quebec.

His bullets flew and hitting 19 people, killing Anastasia Rebecca de Sousa (above).

Its a blessing that the 18 other victims (8 who where in critical condition that day) all survived to live another day.  But we must remember Anastasia this day!

A tree will be planted at the school in her memory, just after the moment of silence.

Montreal is no stranger to school shootings – with the December 1989 rampage of Marc Lepine at the Ecole Polytechnique, where 28 people where shot (14 of them succumbing to injuries – all victims were woman)

I took a quick gander at Wikipedia under “school shootings” and frankly my eyes welled to see how EXTENSIVE the entry was, the dozens of instances of kids killing kids.  Or adults murdering children.

Here is the link if you are brave enough to read for yourself – School Shootings Wiki 

I’m reminded of so many of these events that have happened in my life time, and happened in the last 15 years!

The Amish school shooting occurred on the morning of Monday, October 2, 2006, when a gunman took hostages and eventually killed five girls (aged 7–13) and then killed himself at West Nickel Mines School

The Columbine High School massacre occurred on Tuesday, April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School. Two students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, embarked on a shooting rampage, killing 12 students and a teacher, as well as wounding 24 others, before committing suicide.

The Dunblane massacre was a multiple murder-suicide which occurred at Dunblane Primary School in the Scottish town of Dunblane on 13 March 1996. Sixteen children and one adult were killed, as well as the attacker who committed suicide. It remains the deadliest attack on children in United Kingdom history.

The Virginia Tech massacre was a school shooting comprising two separate attacks about two hours apart on April 16, 2007, on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. The perpetrator, Seung-Hui Cho, killed 32 people and wounded many more, before committing suicide, making it the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history.

81-year-old Montreal nun found beaten to death

Once in a while a news story happens that truly makes you sit back in your chair, take a deep breathe, and wonder about what kind of sickos are out there – and on our streets.

Montreal had one such story yesterday.

A frail elderly nun, who devoted her life God’s work, was senslessly murdered.

Who in their right (or wrong) mind could harm a nun?

Story source

Final Curtain

Ed “Honest Ed” Mirvish passed away today, just shy of his 93rd birthday.

RIP : YEHUDA (EDWIN) “Honest Ed” MIRVISH JULY 24, 1914 to JULY 11, 2007

Honest Ed was the founder and name sake of “Honest Ed’s Bargain Emporium” in Toronto Ontario. Ed not only was a great Canadian business man, philanthropist, restaurateur (Ed’s Warehouse), and believer in the city of Toronto:  It is my opinion he single-handed brought a dying and desolate Theater district and back to glory, truly making Toronto the Broadway of the North.

Ed brought “Mama Mia” “The Lion King” “The Producers” and “Hairspray” among others to theater lovers in TO. Ed spent tireless amounts of time and money restoring the old theaters to historic acuracy – not forgeting to upgrade them with the finest sound systems, rigs, and amenities. The Royal Alexandra Theater, The Princess of Wales Theatre and the Pantages Theater all received Ed’s royal treatment.

Today is a sad day. . . . You’ll be missed Honest Ed.

Picture Source Sign Picture Source Ed at the Princess of Wales Theater Picture Source

Nicolin Gublin

Recently a work colleague and I have been discussing getting original artwork done of our pets.

The pet portrait artist works in digital medium, doing fun vibrant colours over existing images.  Andy Warhol meets Max Headroom if you will. . . . .

Anyways, I was telling my work mate about a artist based here in Montreal that I like.  I own 5 prints by her.  I’d love to own more of her work, specifically one of her large pieces of art, or her furniture.  The artist’s name is Charlotte Nicolin of the NicolinGublin Gallery. 

The art is bold, loud, fun, whimsical and all together ‘feel good’.

The studio/gallery is located in the Old Port in Montreal, and its my “Tiffany’s”  of the Old Port, I’ve never left the gallery without a smile on my face.  Its how I imagine Holly Golightly feels walking out of Tiffany’s in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”
Photo Credits : All pictures are from the NicolinGublin gallery website, and copyright to NicolinGublin, please support local art and add a piece of her work to your collection.

Make it Legal, eh, Man

According to a report by Reuters,  Canadians smoke more weed than other industrialized countries, touting an impressive statistic that 16.8 percent of all Canadians between the ages of 15 and 65 have toked reef in the past year.   This is apparently more than 4 times the global rate.

With powerful and moving statistics like these, its no wonder the pot-heads are out in full force campaigning for the legalization of their favorite non-medicinal plant.

I for one am impressed something got the lazy pot-heads off their asses. . . .

 

(Wo)Man in the Mirror

With Canada Day, and American Independance Day last week, I was certainly well surprised to learn my blog has been bestowed with another award.   Not only is this award a very cool award, this one is named after me too. . .  . .

 

The Joey: A Star-Spangled Maple Leaf, For Tirelessly and Intelligently Promoting Canadian-American Relations.

Happy Birthday Canada

HAPPY 140th BIRTHDAY CANADA

From and including: Monday, July 1, 1867
To, but not including : Sunday, July 1, 2007

It is 51,134 days from the start date to the end date, but not including the end date

Or 140 years excluding the end date this can also be written as 51,134 days and can be converted to one of these units:

• 4,417,977,600 seconds
• 73,632,960 minutes
• 1,227,216 hours
• 7304 weeks (rounded down)

Being an Anglophone on St. Jean Baptiste Day

This weekend is the Fête nationale du Québec otherwise known as St Jean Baptist Day.

The Fête nationale du Québec (“Quebec National Holiday”) is an official holiday of Quebec, Canada. The festivities occur on June 23 and June 24 and are organized by the Comité organisateur de la fête nationale (“national holiday organizing committee”). Originally, June 24 was a holiday honouring one of the patron saints of Quebec, St. John the Baptist, and in ordinary conversation the day is still often called la Saint-Jean by Quebecers.

Although the holiday has official status only in Quebec, it is also celebrated by francophones in other Canadian provinces and in the United States as a festival of French Canadian culture. In these contexts, it is more often called Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day.

The origins of the traditional festivities are more than 2000 years old. Among several European peoples, the summer solstice was the object of pagan celebrations (Midsummer). Fires were lit during the night in this period of the year when the days are longest. With the arrival of Christianity, the celebration of the event remained; however, it took a new spiritual significance. The celebration of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste was a very popular event in the France of the Ancien régime, and it is celebrated as a religious feast day in several countries, like Denmark.

The tradition landed in North America with the first French colonists. According to the Jesuit Relations, the first celebrations of this Christian day in New France took place around 1638.

As an Anglophone living in Quebec, I tend to stick closer to home for this holiday. I might be bold to suggest this, but its definaltly a sentiment I feel living here during this time. St Jean Baptist is about English bashing. Granted, it is about being proud and patriotic of all things Quebequois, but at the expense of things English.

Even though this holiday is rooted in history, and weaved in religion, as with all modern day holidays the tradition has been stripped out for something far more commercial and political.

Canada Day (which is this coming week, on July 1st) is “Moving Day” here in Montreal, and isn’t as widely celebrated as St Jean Baptist. (Pretty much all rental agreements start and end on July 1st, pretty much all rental and moving vans are booked for this day)

I don’t know why I feel so uncomfortable with this holiday, I feel very self conscience speaking English this weekend, and more so speaking French.

There are a lot of ‘patriots’ in Quebec . . . lots of people who would love to see Quebec separate from Canada. . . .

*sigh*

I wish we wouldn’t celebrate the desire to separate!

I enjoy having the long weekend. . . . .and watching fireworks. . .  .I wish everyone celebrating St Jean Baptist a wonderful and safe day. . . . .

I Need a Vacation

I haven’t been on a true relaxing vacation in a few years. Sure I’ve taken a little time off here and there. This year I took time off for my Brother in Law’s wedding, but it wasn’t for ‘me’ or relaxing/refreshing/rejuvenating like sitting on the white sands of a tropical paradise with a fruity drink dressed with an umbrella.

I need some time off for myself (and Colin)

In August Colin and I have booked a week off, we will drive up to Sudbury for a few days to see P&K and their house and hopefully head off to a cottage for the rest of the week.

I’m looking forward to no internet, no laptops, no phones, no cellphones, no Blackberry. I am far too attached to these items day to day. . . . .

So We Were Down In Snowden . . . .

Colin and I went to dinner with Chow and Alex tonight to Kanda Sushi in Snowden.

On the walk back to the car after dinner we saw the oddest thing.

A Hasidic Jewish Bachelor Party, at 8:30pm on a Thursday.   Of course the backdrop to the shenanigans was a smoked meat joint called ‘Benny’s’

Gotta love Montreal.

How Duckie! Anaheim Wins the Stanley Cup

With 4 wins in 5 games, the Ducks win their first Stanley Cup.

Poor Senators.

First Episode of Canadian Idol

I guess I feel since I secretly devoted more time to American Idol than I should have or even admitted, I feel an obligation to start to watch Canadian Idol.

So far I’ve actually seen two people who I know on the auditions show.

Adam from “The PAC”  and Shannon from my home town, both I knew from dancing.   Shannon got a gold ticket, Adam – well – it was a golden effort!

Congrats  Shannon. . . .if you get onto the show, I’ll vote for you every week!  Way to go girl!

Official Website for Canadian Idol