STRATUS UPDATE - Whatever Vaughan

STRATUS 

UPDATE 

Trish Stratus 

goes from 

wrestling 

ring to the 

yoga mat 

PLUS 

Love matches made 

in virtual heaven 

Secrets of a 

perfect lawn 

Cover Photography by 

Steve Apost • Studio Six 

Readership of over 200,000 in Vaughan & beyond Volume 5 Issue 2 

S U M M E R • 2 0 0 9 

whatevermagazine.ca

CONTENTS 

Stratus-faction 

Trish Stratus earned her fame on the 

wrestling mat; now she’s rediscovering 

herself on the yoga mat… 14 

Finding love 

in cyberspace 

Internet dating is fast gaining 

mainstream acceptance as 

the stigma around online 

relationships dissipates… 42 

6 WHATEVER MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2009 

Get fresh at the 

farmers’ market 

As people become increasingly 

health-conscious, farmers' markets 

are enjoying a renewed 

surge in popularity… 65 

INSIDE 

About Us ..........................................................................07 

Magazine Team ................................................................08 

From the Publisher’s Desk................................................11 

COVER STORY 

Life in the Stratus Sphere ..........................................14 

IN THE COMMUNITY 

How I learned to be the change..................................22 

York Region residents declutter for a cause................25 

Bennett strikes right note at gala................................25 

Kick-a-thon nets $10,000 for hospital ........................28 

Sordi heads new CIBPA board ....................................28 

Weight! There’s more to lose says contest winner ......30 

Event Calendar… ......................................................30 

City puts best face forward at cancer care gala ........32 

HOME & GARDEN 

Give your house guests the five-star treatment ..........34 

How to keep your lawn looking perfect ......................36 

Bring the outdoors in..................................................40 

LIFESTYLE 

Love connection ........................................................42 

Collingwood calling ....................................................48 

European vacations with a difference ........................52 

HEALTH & FITNESS 

Do your genes make you look fat? ............................54 

FAMILY MATTERS 

Offering shelter from the pain ....................................56 

BUSINESS & FINANCE 

Investing in hard times ..............................................58 

Electrical College opens in Vaughan ..........................62 

MENUS & VENUES 

Get fresh with farmers’ markets ................................65 

Farmers’ markets in your neighbourhood ............68 

Did You Know?....................................................70 

Salad days ................................................................74 

COFFEE BREAK 

What’s in your stars, Just for laughs, Mind games ......80 

Puzzles, cartoon ............................................................81 

DON’T MISS OUR EXPANDED COFFEE BREAK SECTION, WITH HOROSCOPES, HUMOUR, PUZZLES & MORE! Turn to Pages 80/81

ABOUT US 

WHATEVER Magazine is produced by 

Whatever Publishing Inc. The magazine is 

published four times a year. 

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are strategically distributed throughout 

Vaughan. Our distribution area includes 

homes and businesses in Concord, Maple, 

Kleinburg, Thornhill, Woodbridge and King 

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than 200,000 per issue. 

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Reproduction in any form, including in print 

and online, as well as storage on digital 

media, is expressly prohibited without the 

prior written consent of the publisher. 

CONTACT US 

W 

Whatever Publishing Inc. 

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UPDATE 

Trish Stratus 

goes from 

wrestling 

ring to 

yoga mat 

PLUS 

Love matches made 

in virtual heaven 

Secrets of a 

perfect lawn 

W 

Readership of over 200,000 in Vaughan & beyond Volume 5 Issue 2 

S U M M E R • 2 0 0 9 

W 

Founder & Publisher 

FRED VALLOZZI 

Managing Editor 

FILOMENA ROSATI 

Editor & Creative Director 

ARCHIE D’CRUZ 

whatevermagazine.ca 

Associate Creative Director 

DAVID SEIGEL 

Art Director 

BILL ARGYRIS 

Customer Service Manager 

NADIA MOLISANI 

Account Executive 

JOANNA VALLOZZI 

Senior Graphic Designer 

DAVE MARZOLA 

Graphic Artist 

GINA SALITURO 

Writers 

LYNDA TANEDA 

GLEN PELOSO 

CHERYL ANTAO-XAVIER 

MONICA DE LIZ 

ALAN HOFFMAN 

SABRINA GOETTLER 

JULIE CARD 

MARNIE SIGMAR 

JEFFREY RUBY 

DANIELA DiSTEFANO 

LETTY VELASCO 

Photography 

MATHEW GUIDO 

LUCA VIOREL 

W 

www.whatevermagazine.ca

Summer’s here, time for some fun! 

WELCOME to our Summer issue! Just 

the sound of that should fill us all 

with an air of optimism. Summer is 

a time of focusing on being active, getting out 

and enjoying people, food, activities, fairs and 

community events. This community is in full 

gear and we urge you to get out, participate 

and celebrate! 

With the school year ending soon, the streets 

will be full of students enjoying the summer 

and commuters will be enjoying the lighter 

traffic – signs that summer is in full swing. 

In this issue, our cover story focuses on former 

wrestling superstar Trish Stratus who has 

discovered the joys of yoga. She has set up one 

of the city’s most attractive yoga studios right 

here in Vaughan. How does someone go from 

wrestling to yoga? Find out in our cover story. 

As always, we look to our community for 

inspirational stories. This community is full 

of dedicated people working for causes greater 

than all of us. Both the Yellow Brick House 

and young Daniela DiStefano are examples of 

institutions and people making a difference. 

If you are entertaining out of town guests, you 

“25 YEARS OF MAKING IT HAPPEN” 

A VERIATION 

OF MUSIC AND 

ENTERTAINMENT FOR 

ANY OCCASION 

FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESK 

may gain an insight or two on how to prepare 

the ultimate guest room. Glen Peloso always 

serves up elegance and creativity and who 

wouldn’t feel like a queen or king in this 

newly renovated guest room? 

While you are out and about this summer, do 

make time to visit one of the farmers’ markets 

to take advantage of locally grown produce 

and in turn help our local farmers continue 

to do what they do. 

Be sure to also travel north to Collingwood 

where there is something for the young 

and the young at heart. You really should 

experience the Elvis festival at least once 

in your life… 

Whatever you choose to do, enjoy your 

summer. It will be over before you know it! 

Fred Vallozzi 

Founder & Publisher 

D I S C J O C K E Y A N D 

E N T E R T A I N M E N T 

S E R V I C E S I N C . 

v e r i a t i o n m u s i c . c o m | Va u g h a n | 9 0 5 . 851.8 0 93 


COVER STORY 

Strike a pose: Trish Stratus at 

her yoga studio in Vaughan. 

PICTURES 

Studio Six Photography 

by Steve Apost 

www.studiosix.ca 

MAKEUP 

Victoria Fedosoff 

www.victoriafedosoff.com 


Wrestling superstar turned 

yoga guru Trish Stratus 

has earned worldwide 

fame over the course 

of her storied career. 

Yet all this might not 

have come to pass 

had it not been for 

a teachers’ strike.

LIFEINTHE 


SPHERE 

Stratus takes on an opponent on her way 

to one of seven WWE championship titles. 

By DAVID SEIGEL 

Dr. Stratus. Would Dr. Stratus please report 

to emergency?” This could very easily have been 

‘PAGING 

a phrase routinely heard by Trish Stratus if not for a 

teacher’s strike and a few breaks. 

As it turned out, her journey instead led her to superstardom through a 

storied professional wrestling career, an impressive TV résumé, and now 

a successful yoga studio which recently celebrated its first anniversary. 

Stratus's journey from pre-med student to the most decorated World 

Wrestling Entertainment women's champion of all time to yoga guru 

was certainly not a typical one. 

Born and raised in Richmond Hill, Trish Stratus grew up believing she’d 

become a doctor. “When I was young, I was always fascinated with math 

and science,” she says. “I liked dissecting things in school and taking 

them apart. I even asked my parents to get me a microscope for 

Christmas one year!” 

She attended York University and studied genetics through biology and 

kinesiology, volunteering once a week at York Central Hospital. Her 

path to becoming a doctor seemed completely laid out. 

Then in her third year in 1997, the university professors went on strike. 

Her studies interrupted, she found herself with some time to kill. Stratus had been 

athletic throughout high school and university, playing soccer, field hockey, volleyball 


COVER STORY 

and basketball. So she signed on to 

work 

at the front desk of a local gym. One 

of the members spotted her and 

introduced her to Bob Kennedy, the 

publisher of Musclemag and Oxygen 

magazine. After some further training 

and sculpting, Stratus appeared on the 

cover, becoming almost an instant 

fitness modelling star. 

As her fame was growing, Stratus 

appeared on a wrestling radio show 

called The LAW, where she showcased 

her natural charisma, along with 

immense knowledge of the wrestling 

industry. Having been a fan since 

she was a child, she truly loved the 

business and it showed. Rumours 

quickly began flying that she had 

joined Vince McMahon’s World 

Wrestling Entertainment, the largest 

wrestling promotion in the world. 

Eventually, WWE caught wind of these 

rumours, learned about Stratus and 

determined that they should actually 

pursue her. In 1999, she signed a 

contract and took the first step on 

the path to superstardom. 

Stratus’s wrestling career has been 

well documented. She won the WWE 

women’s championship an 

unprecedented seven times (and in 

fact retired in 2006 as the champion, 

“I’ve always felt that everything was frantic – I had 

millions of things running through my head. Yoga 

made everything so much easier. I could just step 

into the ring, do my thing and step out. I was able to 

focus, relax and pretty much tune everything out.” 

the only WWE performer to do so). 

Along with a handful of female 

performers, she helped revolutionize 

women's roles in the business, 

combining athleticism with eye candy 

to create compelling matches and 

storylines. Before this, for the most 

part, women were simply valets or 

“managers”, who were more of a side 

dish to the main course. 

After retiring, many opportunities 

presented themselves. Stratus featured 


The Stratusphere yoga studio, which recently celebrated its first anniversary. 

in a number of TV projects, including 

a stint on CBS reality series Armed and 

Famous (in which she trained and 

became an acting police officer). She 

also hosted The Second City’s Next 

Comedy Legend search and was excited 

to have her own travel show, Travel + 

Escape Stratusphere. 

“I essentially got to travel the world, 

and instead of just seeing airports 

and arenas, I really got to experience 

cultures and native activities which 

was incredible!” 

As part of her global adventures, 

Stratus got to experience Meke dancing 

in Fiji, reindeer racing in Norway, 

Maori fighting in New Zealand and 

paragliding in North India. 

Stratus is recognized and admired in 

hundreds of countries all over the 

world. And yet, not only has it not 

gone to her head – she almost acts as 

if it never happened. In 2006, just after 

her retirement, she married her high 

school sweetheart Ron, who is a 

successful contractor. Even while she 

was constantly on the road, the couple 

maintained and built their 

relationship. 

“Ron and I knew we wanted to be 

successful separate entities before 

we became one together,” she said. 

How did the difficulty of distance 

between them affect their 

relationship? 

“It didn’t,” says Stratus. “Imagine the 

average couple. They work all day and 

see each other for dinner and a few 

hours each day. We’d spend all of 

Tuesday through Thursday together 

every week, and the time apart made 

our hearts grow fonder. And 

everything still feels fresh!” 

Of course if Ron hadn’t been her true 

love, the three-time WWE ‘Babe of the 

Year’ certainly would have had no 

shortage of eligible bachelors lining 

up to try to win her heart. 

“I never dreamt of being famous,” she 

says, “and I NEVER thought I’d take 

the path I did.” 

And this path has now led her back 

to the GTA – to Vaughan specifically – 

where her Stratusphere Yoga Studio 

recently celebrated its first anniversary.

COVER STORY 

Stratus’s journey to yoga. The 

obvious question for many is why 

a world famous and multi-talented 

performer decided to open a local 

yoga studio. It all began 

while she was still 

wrestling. Throughout her 

career, Stratus experienced 

a number of injuries – 

broken bones, pulled 

muscles, lacerations and 

more. 

Eventually she started 

getting some bad 

headaches, so she went to a 

doctor and learned that her 

neck was in terrible shape. 

“To be exact,” she jumps in, 

“he said ‘you have the neck 

of a 50-year old’”. 

Like all wrestlers, she 

knew what she’d put her 

body through, and wasn’t 

shocked. “During one of 

my title reigns, when I was 

on the road, wrestling four 

times a week, 8-20 minute 

matches, plus travelling 

and not getting enough 

sleep, I’d get out of bed, 

and it would take 30 

minutes to just feel 

normal.” 

As it turned out, Stratus 

had degenerative disc 

damage. After some 

extremely intense matches, 

she sat 

up one day and simply 

couldn’t move. Doctors said 

she had a herniated disc 

and that she would have to 

rehab it. Although she wrestled less 

while staying on the program, 

eventually 

she needed to take time off for rehab. 

During that time, she started doing 

physiotherapy to start the healing 

process. A month into physio, WWE 

asked when she was coming back, but 

she knew she wasn’t ready. After a 

second month, she still wasn’t ready. 

She started to question whether or 

not she’d be able to come back, as her 

quality of life was suffering as well. 

Finally, she had a life-altering 

conversation with her friend and coperformer 

Amy Dumas (Lita), who had 


broken her neck a couple of years back. 

“Amy said that the only thing that 

allowed her to move was yoga,” Stratus 

“While I loved the 

(wrestling) business, 

there were aspects I 

hadn’t liked such as the 

travel, but I started 

realizing how lucky I was 

to be doing it and even 

looked forward to it!” 

recalls. “She took me to a hot yoga 

class. The heat makes it easier to 

stretch and really feel the effects. It 

was a 90-minute class. For the first 

time in months, I was able to 

move without feeling the 

strain 

or pain.” 

She continued to do yoga, 

and eventually realized yoga 

was helping her, while 

physiotherapy wasn’t. Within 

two-and-a-half-months, she 

was not only back, but she 

was better than ever. In fact, 

anyone who watched her 

matches noticed increased 

flexibility and versatility. 

“I invented a move that 

nobody had ever done, where 

an opponent would run at 

me to strike me in the face, 

and instead of ducking down, 

I leaned back into a 

controlled bridge like in the 

movie The Matrix (which I 

called the ‘Ma-Trish’). The 

crowds loved it! And I would 

never have been able to do 

that before the injury. Yoga 

helped me attain new levels 

of flexibility and control I’d 

never even imagined.” 

Her soreness had 

disappeared, but even more 

interesting was that her 

perspective had changed as 

well. “I’ve always felt that 

everything was frantic – I 

had millions of things 

running through my head. 

Yoga made everything so 

much easier. I could just step into the 

ring, do my thing and step out. I was 

able to focus, relax and pretty much 

tune everything out and have inward 

time.” 

Stratus explains that this allows a 

person to deal with stress and issues 

differently. 

“While I loved the business, there 

were aspects I hadn’t liked such as the 

travel, but I started realizing how lucky 

I was to be doing it and even looked 

forward to it!” 

On the road, she’d eagerly seek and 

find yoga studios to attend. “I really 

love how universal yoga is.”

COVER STORY 

After a couple of more years in 

wrestling, she retired and explored 

other opportunities, but she continued 

to really enjoy and build a passion for 

yoga. In 2007, Stratus took it further 

by becoming Ashtanga (a discipline of 

yoga) trained and certified through the 

program at Yoga Plus with instructor 

Carmela Savoia. 

With this new knowledge and passion, 

only one thing made sense. Working 

with her favourite contractor Ron, 

she located a space just outside of 

Vaughan Mills and designed her own 

yoga studio. 

“I wanted three rooms, including one 

hot, so people could enjoy different 

styles and types of yoga,” says Stratus. 

The entire studio was built with 

a “greener stratusphere” in mind. 

The cushioned cork floors provide 

thermal insulation while resisting 

moisture and decay, and cork 

manufacturing preserves trees. 

Fluorescent lighting, low-voltage 

halogens and dimming switches 


are used to reduce energy costs. 

Many more green-conscious steps 

were taken during the design phase 

of the studio (a full list is available 

at the studio’s website at 

www.stratusphereyoga.com). 

In 2008, she opened the studio and 

hasn’t looked back since. She feels that 

while Toronto urbanites have embraced 

yoga, there’s still a large market in the 

suburbs that has yet to try it. 

“There wasn’t much up here – I always 

had to go downtown. So I figured why 

not try in my own neighbourhood,” 

she says. 

“It applies to rehab, it complements 

a workout, it helps give balance to a 

busy lifestyle… everyone up here 

could find it to be useful in their lives.” 

And for this blossoming market, 

Stratus has had the foresight to 

surround herself with a talented group 

of yogis. “I found the best teachers in 

the GTA – most of which were mine – 

and now they are part of the 

77 Woodstream Blvd., Vaughan 

Diamond Sponsor: Gold Sponsors: 

Stratusphere family.” 

So what could possibly come next 

for this entrepreneurial diva? New 

studios? Nutritional items? Yoga and 

fitness videos? Movies? Kids? All of 

these suggestions are met with a 

twinkle in her eye and a "Maybe". 

“Martha Stewart is known as ‘the 

domestic diva’”, Stratus notes, “I want 

to be known for promoting balanced 

living. Carbs and Proteins, Family and 

Work, Travel and Home… everything 

in the right balance can create true 

harmony in one’s life.” 

With her incredible attitude and 

passion, why should the sky be 

the limit when she can aim for 

the Stratusphere? 

Bring your copy of Whatever and get 

Trish Stratus’ autograph at the Summer 

Stratusfaction Event Saturday, August 22 

at Stratusphere! For more information, 

visit www.stratusphereyoga.com W 

June 25, 2009 

Produced by the City of Vaughan 

In support of the Vaughan Health Care Foundation 

For more information, please contact Anna Dara at 905-832-8585, ext. 8028 

www.vaughan.ca


It was a Spring Break with a difference for 20 university students who 

took the time off to help with community projects in the Peruvian Andes. 

How I 

learned 

to be the 

change 

By DANIELA DiSTEFANO 

ON our first day in the town 

of Urubamba, Perú, under 

the snow-capped Chicon 

mountain, our Nexos Voluntarios 

project coordinator Maricarmen 

Valdivieso told us that the people 

we would meet in the next seven 

days would remember us for the 

rest of their lives. 

As our group gathered on the 

wood floors of the organization’s 

local headquarters for orientation, 

we knew it was the beginning of a 

profound journey; however, we did 

not anticipate the tremendous 

amount of accomplishment, gratitude, 

and inspiration we would return to 

Canada with. 

Our service project started bright 

and early the next morning with 

breakfast at local café La Esquina. 

The meal consisted of bread with 

jam, and coco leaf tea to help with 

the altitude adjustment – after all 

we were 11,000 feet above sea level 

in the Peruvian Andes! 

We then traveled to Escuela Villa 

Marcelo, the local elementary school 

where we would assist in the setting 

up of a library and cafeteria. As we 


PICTURES FROM A SPRING BREAK ALBUM… Top, Daniela with a local family for whom she 

brought clothing and school supplies donations for their children. Centre row, from left, two 

students at the school; homes in the town of Urubamba; Daniela helping to paint the school 

caféteria. Bottom, a group photo of the students who went on the trip. 

stepped onto the rocky dirt road, we 

were greeted by many curious faces 

eager to know what this bus full of 

“gringos”, as they so affectionately 

called us foreigners, was doing in 

their community. Though a little 

apprehensive at first, I have never felt 

so welcomed by complete strangers, 

and within days I felt like a member 

of the community. 

Our senses overwhelmed with the

strong summer sun on our 

foreheads, crisp mountain air in 

our lungs, and the reflection of a 

vast green mountain range in our 

sunglasses, we made our way into 

the schoolyard to be greeted by some 

big brown cows casually enjoying 

their breakfast. We then met the 

school principal, Signor Hector, who 

would be working with us on the 

various tasks. He may have had the 

title of “director” at Villa Marcelo, 

but throughout the week we 

witnessed Hector as a painter, cook, 

tile setter, contractor and even a 

musician, going over and above his 

role as chief administrator to ensure 

our service learning experience 

would run smoothly. 

“Hola!,” I greeted one curly-haired 

boy curiously eyeing our group as 

we made our way around the school, 

“como te llamas?” 

“Me llamo Yahweh,” he exclaimed, 

so proud to introduce himself to our 

group. This was all the conversation my 

limited Spanish could handle, but the 

connections I made with Yahweh and 

the other children as we played soccer 

in the schoolyard or enjoyed some corn 

would not be lost in translation. 

The organization we worked with, Nexos 

Voluntarios (www.nexosvoluntarios.org), 

promotes social development in Peru 

through impact-driven voluntary 

activity. They assist motivated 

individuals from around the globe who 

are looking to take part in health, 

business, education and environmental 

development projects that have the 

power to bring change to Peruvian 

communities and give volunteers an 

integral and well-supported experience 

of social immersion. 

Every morning for the next few days 

we put on our purple “Be the Change” 

T-shirts and headed out to Villa 

Marcelo with the Nexos coordinators 

Maricarmen and Connie. 

Four days, a bucket of grout, a few 

sheets of sandpaper, a 50 pack of 

travel wipes, and many coats of paint 

later, the library and caféteria were 

ready to welcome students. What a 

week! It was strenuous and sometimes 

uncertain, but none of us had ever 


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been part of such a worthwhile project 

in our lives. 

The purpose of the Alternative Spring 

Break program is to provide students 

with a hands-on experience that will 

enhance their academic careers and 

inspire their future endeavours. 

I learned a great deal about the 

challenges non-governmental 

organizations (NGOs) like Nexos 

Voluntarios in Perú are working with. 

Poverty affects 40% of the population. 

The country is in need of social 

development, especially in rural areas, 

but the people do not lack talent and 

enthusiasm, rather they lack 

opportunity. As a volunteer I am 

proud to say I provided the students 

at Villa Marcello with the resources 

for them to become aware of the 

possibilities life holds, and to build 

the inspiration to attain them. 

Whatever I have given to the children 

and families in Urubamba in time and 

effort, they have paid me back ten-fold 

with a new-found knowledge and 

gratitude I can incorporate into every 

aspect of my life. I found something in 

me that I didn’t know was there; it was 

the confidence to use the gifts I have 

been blessed with as a Canadian 

citizen to create positive change 

for others at home and abroad. 

A week ago, 20 University of Western 

Ontario students were unknowingly 

walking past each other on campus, 

but in a few days we built a union, 

provided resources for the future of a 

school, and cultivated friendships and 

experiences that will be with us long 

after graduation. I know I could not 

fix the problems of an entire country 

in one week, but there is no denying 

I learned and shared more than 

ever expected. 

Maricarmen told us the people in 

Urubamba would remember us for 

the rest of their lives. Six thousand 

kilometres away back home, I find 

myself thinking of my trip to Peru 

every day. My mind is filled with 

incredible knowledge, and my heart 

filled with memories of a community 

of people that I too will remember for 

the rest of my life. W


York Region 

residents 

declutter for 

a cause 

YORK REGION residents helped 

raise some $1,200 for local 

community shelter Yellow Brick House 

at a charity garage sale held recently. 

Hosted by Royal LePage Your 

Community Realty, Yellow Brick House 

capital campaign chairperson Vivian 

Risi and volunteer staff, the first 

National Garage Sale for Shelter in 

Vaughan raised funds for the shelter 

through the Royal LePage Shelter 

Foundation, a program dedicated to 

ending violence against women and 

children in communities across Canada. 

Local residents joined realtors and staff 

in donating household items for the 

sale. Items for sale included everything 

from clothing and books to furniture 

and toys. The garage sale, part of a 

nationwide effort, attracted more than 

100 bargain hunters in Vaughan. 

More than 80 communities across 

Canada took part in the National 

Garage Sale for Shelter raising funds 

Bennett strikes right note at gala 

LEGENDARY entertainer Tony 

Bennett was a guest performer 

at the Colours of Hope Gala held last 

month in support of York Region's 

Empowerment Through Achievement 

(ETA) Women's Shelter. 

The event, with 900 people in 

attendance at the Liberty Grand in 

Toronto, raised $650,000 for the cause. 

Music for the evening was provided 

by the Nu Rythum Band. W 

Bargain hunters sift through toys at one of the tables set up at the charity garage sale. 

Tony Bennett with some of the guests at the 

Colours of Hope gala. 

and awareness to end family violence. 

“Money raised from our garage sale 

will support the Yellow Brick House 

and its much needed capital for a 

second shelter in York Region,” said 

event organizer Michelle Risi. “This 

not only provides the Royal LePage 

Shelter Foundation with much-needed 

financial support but it also raises 

awareness of women struggling with 

domestic abuse issues.” 

The National Garage Sale for Shelter 

raises funds in support of local shelters 

and helps restore hope to more than 

30,000 women and children across 

Canada. Since 1999, the Royal LePage 

Shelter Foundation has donated more 

than $9 million to charities and has 

become Canada’s largest public 

foundation dedicated exclusively to 

funding women’s shelters and violence 

prevention programs. W 

Over $60,000 was raised for Sunnybrook Hospital's Breast Cancer Wing at a special event held at the West River Event Center recently. Around 480 people 

attended the Team Galati ‘Black and White with a Touch of Pink Gala’, chaired by Vicki Galati and Pino Galati. The event was emceed by Dan Castello with 

Anthony Gennaro the live auctioneer. Blue Soul started the evening off with some blues music and Platinum DJ kept the dance floor jammed until 2am. 



THE new Milan Sports Centre in 

Vaughan was host venue for a 

48-hour charity soccer Kick-a-thon – 

the first ever event of its kind in 

Canada – held recently to commemorate 

the facility’s grand opening. 

Over 60 teams and 900 participants 

were involved in the event, which 

raised a grand total of $10,000. The 

cash will go to the Vaughan Health 

Care Foundation in support of the 

future Vaughan Hospital. 

The event was a tremendous success 

with former AC Milan star Daniele 

Massaro, a member of Italy’s 1982 

World Cup winning squad, and seventime 

WWE women’s campion and 

Stratusphere Yoga Studio owner Trish 

Stratus in attendance. 

The two stars greeted spectators and 

signed autographs for fans. 

There was a family fun zone with 

free giveaways, fantastic prizes and 

food for all. 

The 48-hour non-stop indoor soccer 

The Village at Vaughan Mills 

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Kick-a-thon nets 

$10,000 for hospital 

Representatives from the Vaughan Healthcare Foundation, Milan Sports Centre and City of Vaughan 

at the Kickathon ribbon-cutting ceremony. 

tournament was co-presented 

by Steeles Paint and TLN. 

The Milan Sports Centre is the first of 

its kind. The beautiful 93,000 sq. ft. 

facility located at Balda Court has five 

fields and is the first to boast the 

highly rated Geofill turf in Canada. W 

Sordi heads new 

CIBPA board 

JASON SORDI, Bank Manager of RBC 

Royal Bank Markham and a board 

member of the National Capital 

Commission (NCC), has been elected 

president of the Canadian Italian 

Business and Professional Association 

(CIBPA). At 32, he becomes the 

youngest president of the association 

which was founded in 1952. 

Meanwhile CIBPA's immediate past 

president Robert Sacco retired his 

seat to Richard Barbaro, with the 

result that for the first time the entire 

executive and board is composed 

entirely of “next generation” 

Canadian Italians. 

The CIBPA executive: President, Jason 

Sordi; Vice President, C. Mario Paura; 

Corporate Secretary, Loreto Grimaldi; 

Treasurer, Angela Romita-Nalli. Board 

of Directors: Mario Bartelli, Eddy 

Burello, Lui Cossidente, Michael 

De Rose, Grace De Santis, Anthony 

Gennaro, Nick Toritto. W


Weight! There’s more to 

lose, says contest winner 

Work in progress… Dawna, left, at the start of the program, and right, at the completion of the 

challenge. She aims to lose 50 lbs by July. 

IN our last issue we looked at the 

journey of Dawna Borg, a local 

Vaughan resident and winner of The 

Real Transformation Challenge. Dawna 

recently completed her intensive fourmonth 

program which helped her shed 

a total of 30 pounds (22 of which were 

body fat) and 37 inches. 

The Real Transformation Challenge 

was put on by local Vaughan 

businesses: Real Fitness for Women, 

U Weight Loss Clinic, Textures Hair 

Salon, Longo’s Grocery Store and 

Renaissance Spa & Laser Clinic. 

Dawna, 59, was picked from a large 

pool of applicants for the all-expenses 

paid $7,000 transformation package. 

She met with a personal trainer and 

nutritional counselor several times 

a week over the last 16 weeks. 

“It’s hard to believe that four months 

have passed. There were fears, 

anxieties, rocky roads, plateaus and 

time management issues to deal with 

throughout the challenge,” admits the 


busy Toronto real estate agent and 

mother of four. “I cannot believe how 

much I have learned throughout this 

process. I have learned that it is not a 

lot of work to make a healthy lifestyle 

happen. It is just a change in priorities 

and choices that we make… the 

program really has had a major impact 

on my life.” 

Dawna worked vigorously with Mike 

Meschino, who was recently voted 

Vaughan’s #1 Trainer in the annual 

Reader’s Choice Awards. 

“As I reflect back on the past four 

months, I can’t believe that in such 

a short time this is the same person. 

Dawna has made more than a full 

transformation… physically, mentally 

and emotionally, she is new and 

improved,” said Mike. 

Dawna understands that her journey 

has just begun. “I will be continuing 

with my program until I reach my goal 

weight. I want to lose a total of 50 

pounds by my birthday in July.” W 

EVENT CALENDAR 

Concerts In The Park 

When: July 7, 21, 28 and Aug 11, 7:30 p.m. 

Details: The City of Vaughan celebrates its 15th 

annual series of professional summer concerts 

presented by TD Canada Trust Music. 

Concert Schedule: 

July 7 – Tony Paglia presents the best inspirations 

from Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett; 

Woodbridge Expansion Area District Park, 

100 Sunset Ridge, Woodbridge 

July 21 – Elevation, a tribute to U2 recreating 

their groundbreaking sounds and performance; 

Mackenzie Glen District Park, 220 Cranston 

Park Avenue, Maple 

July 28 – Rumours, the classic rock’n’ roll hits 

of Fleetwood Mac come to life with this tribute 

show; York Hill District Park, 501 Clark Avenue 

W., Thornhill 

August 11 – Windsong, a crowd-pleasing high 

energy band delivering the best in R & B, Soul 

and Dance; Chancellor District Park, 

430 Chancellor Drive, Woodbridge 

Contact: 905-832-8585, ext. 8200 

Website: www.vaughan.ca 

Electrical College of Canada 

Open House 

When: June 17, 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. 

Where: 91 Friuli Court, Woodbridge 

Details: Anyone interested in pursuing a first or 

second career in the electrical field is invited to 

learn more about Vaughan's first-ever Electrical 

College of Canada at their inaugural open house. 

Call or email the college for more information or 

to obtain an application. 

Contact: 905-264-1412 or e-mail 

info@electricalcollege.ca 

Website: www.electricalcollege.ca 

Heatwave Beach Volleyball 

for SickKids 

When: June 20 

Where: The Sports Village, 2600 Rutherford Road 

Details: Play Beach Volleyball for SickKids this 

summer and help find a cure for childhood cancer. 

This event offers a chance to do some corporate


Vaughan Celebrates 

Canada Day 

When: July 1, 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. 

Where: Mackenzie Glen District Park, 

220 Cranston Park Ave., Maple 

Details: Celebrate Canada’s 142nd Birthday 

at the City of Vaughan’s family event with free 

concerts on the outdoor stage with headlining 

performer Suzie McNeil. Other activities will 

include a free Kidz Zone, with inflatables, face 

painting, water park, playground, and much 

more. Enjoy great food for sale. Parking is not 

available on site. Free bus shuttle from local 

lots will be available. 

Contact: 905-832-8585, ext. 8200 

team building with a difference. Register early 

and start raising pledges today. 

Contact: 416-237-0123 

Website: www.HeatwaveEvents.com 

City of Vaughan Mayor’s Gala 

When: June 25, 6:00 p.m. 

Where: Primavera Hospitality and Convention 

Centre, 77 Woodstream Blvd., Vaughan 

Details: Spend a “Night at the Oscars” at this year’s 

annual Mayor’s Gala, the City of Vaughan’s premier 

annual fundraising event in support of our new 

hospital. This year’s theme is the Oscars, come 

in black tie, or dressed as your favourite celebrity. 

Net proceeds will benefit the Vaughan Health Care 

Foundation. Several sponsorship levels are available. 

Contact: Anna Dara at 905-832-8585, ext. 8028 or 

by email at anna.dara@vaughan.ca 

Summerlicious 

When: July 3 to 19 

Where: 150 restaurants in the GTA 

Details: Summerlicious promotes Toronto’s restaurant 

industry and is the perfect opportunity to 

satiate restaurant lovers with the best of the city’s 

eclectic cuisine. Take advantage of prix fixe offers 

at 150 of Toronto’s finest restaurants. Each restaurant 

will offer a special three-course menu where 

patrons can sample the establishment’s delicious 

fare. The prix fixe menus are available at lunch 

and dinner at the following price points (some 

restrictions may apply): $15, $20 or $30 lunch 

menus, $25, $35 or $45 dinner menus. Prices 

do not include beverages, taxes and gratuity. 

More details and restaurant listings: 

www.toronto.ca/special_events/summerlicious 

CITY WIDE SERVICE 

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ROSE GIUSTINI, Sales Representative 

If you’re buying or selling, you 

need a professional to ensure 

that you are paying the least 

or receiving the most for your 

property. Let me help you make 

the best deal, call or email me 

at rose-g@sympatico.ca. 

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Stepping out in style for a good cause… some of the models at the fashion show. 

City puts best face forward at cancer care gala 

A SELECT 

group of the GTA's glamorous and chic came 

together at the Eagles Nest Golf Club last month for 

Most Wanted, a by-invitation-only gala fundraiser benefiting 

cancer care at Princess Margaret Hospital. 

The gala honours Concetta Guglietti (born DeGasperis), and 

founders Jim DeGasperis and Marco Guglietti said they are 

committed to this annual event. 

“We plan on honouring Concetta by carrying forth this event 

year after year and increasing our donations to this worthy 

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cause that touches so many of us,” they said. 

This unique, sold-out event of 275 celebrated a passion for 

food, fashion and life and continued a strong commitment 

to help find a cure for cancer raising over $30,000. 

The highlight of the evening was a fashion show under a 

white tent with iconic Fashion File host Adrian Mainella. 

The show featured Escada’s Pre-Fall 2009 collection, 

Canadian designs from Greta Constantine with accessories 

from Rita Tesolin, and V Hazelton menswear. W

HOME & GARDEN 

Give your house guests 

the five-star treatment 

Your guests are likely already out of sorts since they aren’t able to 

sleep in their own bed. Here’s your chance to be the perfect host. 

By GLEN PELOSO 

AGUEST ROOM is a great addition 

to a house in that it can help to 

change a house into a home. Having 

house guests is not only a lovely thing 

for your guests but is also a nice thing 

for the homeowner as there is no 

lovelier way to truly connect with your 

friends and family than to share your 

home with them. For the client's home 

featured in this issue, we wanted to 

create a room that was both elegant 

and comfortable so that no matter 

who the guest was, they would have 

a relaxed night. 

We started by having the carpet 

replaced and we choose Carpet One 

Floor & Home to provide us with 

a wool carpet. Not only is this an 


excellent eco-friendly choice in that 

wool is a completely renewable source 

but it is also great as it works well for 

those that have any sensitivity to the 

chemicals that are normally associated 

with polyester blended carpets. It is 

very soft underfoot and is a great 

wearing choice for those occasions 

when the traffic to and from the guest 

room is heavy. 

The next thing to deal with was a good 

quality bed. All too often people use 

the ‘old’ mattress in the guest room, 

which unfortunately isn’t the best 

choice for the guest. Remember that 

your guest is already out of sorts in 

that they are not able to sleep in their 

own bed which is always the most 

comfortable sleep for them. Asking 

them to sleep on an old and used 

mattress is adding insult to injury. For 

this bed, we chose a Sealy Posturepedic 

semi-firm mattress to ensure that our 

guests would have a ‘hotel-like' sleep 

every time they stayed with our client. 

Having taken care of the function of the 

space, we now turned our minds to the 

form. We started with the wall colour in 

a deep grey which works as a perfect 

neutral colour for the space. It is 

neither overly masculine nor feminine, 

so it suits all of our guests. The addition 

of the sleigh bed in a cream colour 

provides us with a clear centre to the 

room and adds a solid focus. 

The next order of business was the 

side table which we chose from Zilli 

Home Furnishing, a fine furniture 

store in Vaughan, with accessories 

from French Feathers in Woodbridge. 

We selected a venetian mirror cabinet

so that they didn’t hold too much 

esthetic weight in the room as the 

headboard wall already had much 

happening with the door, the 

bathroom adjacent to the wall, night 

side-lamps etc. They also add a bit of 

sparkle to the space so that it feels a 

bit like a boutique hotel suite in one 

of the world's finer hotels. 

The window on the opposite wall was 

slightly small in scale, so in order to 

make it appear larger and more opulent 

we combined the venetian blinds with 

floor to ceiling draperies (from National 

Draperies) that hide the edges of the 

window to give the illusion of a larger 

windowscape. We chose silk in a toneon-tone 

grey stripe to enhance the 

height of the space and provide 

additional elegance to the room. 

The window covers worked very well 

with the exceptional quality sheets 

made with one hundred percent 

Egyptian cotton. Many think that 

thread counts make a big difference; 

and it's true… high thread counts are 

better, but beyond 400, the difference 

is very minimal. This was one of the 

things that we learned at David’s Fine 

Linens who specialize in very high 

quality linens and where we got the 

bedding for this guest suite. 

Finally, we crowned the room with an 

interesting ceiling fixture (from Prima 

Lighting – also in your neighbourhood) 

which is a combination of crystals and 

a semi transparent shade, and spread 

around some simple artworks. 

We also topped off the bed frame with 

a series of mirrors to pull together the 

venetian mirrored night side-stands 

and the full length mirror on the 

opposite side of the room. 

All in all, the reports we received 

from both the home owner as well as 

their guests confirmed that the room 

was a complete success. A couple of 

guests even suggested that the owners 

should rent the room out by the night 

and augment their incomes. However, 

the home owners are accepting 

nothing but the gratitude of their 

friends and family. W 

• Glen Peloso, Principal Designer of 

Glen Peloso Interiors Inc., designs 

spaces for commercial, corporate and 

residential clients. He is a regular host 

of design shows Restaurant Makeover 

and Take This House & Sell It. For more 

information on Glen Peloso Interiors, 

visit www.glenpelosointeriors.com. 


HOME & GARDEN 

You fertilized your lawn in the Spring and got rid of all 

the weeds. Now if you can only keep it in great shape! 

How to keep your 

lawn looking perfect 

MOWING: Keep the blades sharp and 

avoid low mowing heights 

By SABRINA GOETTLER 

AHEALTHY lawn is not as hard to achieve as 

some may think. Lawn care falls into three 

categories – mowing, watering and monitoring. 

Mowing. The height at which your lawn is 

maintained is vital to its health and longevity, 

as is the equipment used for its upkeep. 

Additionally, as with most garden elements, the 

design of the space is important as well. By 

following some fairly simple general rules, one 

can easily and successfully create a lawn that 

you can be proud of. 

Equipment. Properly maintained equipment is 

essential to the long term success of your lawn. 

Sharp blades ensure a clean cut; dull blades, by 

contrast, can tear the grass blades instead of 

cutting them, leaving the lawn susceptible to 

disease and desiccation. 

Height. Remove only one-third of the height of 


WATERING: One inch of water in the 

morning is more than adequate 

MONITORING: Watch for infestations 

which can destroy your lawn 

the grass blade to allow for a healthy and 

vigorous lawn. A low mowing height creates a 

weak root system and allows for weeds to grow 

and out-compete turf grasses. 

Clippings. When a lawn area is maintained at 

the appropriate height, clippings from mowing 

can be a great source of nutrients for the turf. 

Soil microbes will break down this material 

during the growing season. If the area starts to 

feel spongy, collect the clippings for a month 

and allow decomposition to catch up and 

return to leaving the clippings on when the 

lawn area has balanced itself. 

Design. Additionally, the early stages of 

planning your garden and lawn area should 

take into consideration how the lawn 

interrelates with its surroundings. Lawn areas 

extending to the base of buildings and 

structures requires the use of trimmers. It's 

better to leave the trimmer in the shed and 

Continued on Page 38

New Owner For Local 

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MOLLY MAID INTERNATIONAL is 

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Woodbridge, Vaughn, Maple & North 

York, Ontario. 

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For more information please contact 

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or visit us at mollymaid.ca. 


MOLLY MAID provides the freedom of 

having your home professionally 

cleaned – allowing you to do the things 

you would rather be doing. Trained, 

bonded and insured staff arrive at your 

home and clean from top to bottom 

with your individual needs in mind. 

Regular MOLLY MAID service is based 

on a free in-home estimate. Oliver will 

visit your home to discuss your needs 

and determine the frequency of service 

that is required - weekly, alternate 

weekly, or on a monthly basis. One time 

cleanings may also be scheduled. 

HOME & GARDEN 

Continued from Page 36 

plan your garden with planting beds 

surrounding your home. A more 

balanced aesthetic is achieved, apart 

from being environmentally-friendly 

by decreasing the need for machines. 

Watering. To ensure deep root growth 

and a well established lawn, water in 

the morning. The quantity of water 

required for a turf area is dependent 

upon soil type, grass species and 

mowing height of the sward. As a 

general rule, one inch of water 

provides adequate moisture for a lawn 

with shady areas requiring less. Also 

remember that lawns have periods of 

dormancy during the drier summer 

months. Your lawn will return to its 

normal vigour when the heat 

dissipates and wetter periods return. 

Monitoring. It is important to monitor 

the grass regularly to prevent major 

infestations. However, a few pests in a 

lawn area should not set off alarms, as 

most insects do not cause damage; in 

fact, they can be beneficial in some 

situations and are great indicators as to 

what is really going on in your garden. 

If in doubt, consult a professional. 

As we move towards more 

environmentally friendly solutions for 

our gardening and lawn needs, 

products are being introduced that 

take these considerations very 

seriously. A mix of fine fescue grasses, 

Eco Lawn is a great solution to the 

challenges associated with maintaining 

a healthy lawn because it requires less 

water and mowing than traditional 

turf swards. Visit www.eco-lawn.com 

for more information. 

A healthy lawn is a competitive lawn. 

By maintaining, watering and caring 

for your lawn, weeds and pests can be 

kept at bay. A well balanced lawn is 

vigorous and dense, creating a 

beautiful blanket of green for your 

house and its surrounding 

neighbourhood. W 

• Sabrina Goettler is the senior designer and project 

manager for Oriole Landscaping Ltd., Toronto. She is a 

graduate in horticulture and landscape design from the 

University of Guelph and Ryerson University and sits on 

the Toronto chapter board of directors for Landscape 

Ontario. Over the past 20 years, Oriole Landscaping 

(www.oriolelandscaping.com) has been an award-winning 

provider of services in design, construction, maintenance 

and consultation.

HOME & GARDEN 

Bring the outdoors in 

Indoor plants 

can add a 

breath of fresh 

air to any room 

By SABRINA GOETTLER 

WE all require an infusion of green 

in our homes, having flowers 

indoors can really brighten a room 

and make it come alive. 

There are plants that can be depended 

on to flower in your home; they just 

require a certain type of care. 

Among the indoor flowering plants 

available, Orchids, Hibiscus, Oleander, 

and African Violets are the most 

readily available. Other short-term 

flowering plants like Cyclamen, 

Chrysanthemums, and Kalanchoes are 

best replaced when they are finished 

blooming – the time and attention it 

takes to attempt to get these plants to 

re-bloom are often out of proportion 

to the cost of treating yourself to a 

new flowering plant. 

Indoor flowering plants need fertilizer 

to stimulate blooms. A common 

flowering plant fertilizer is 15-30-15, 

which can be found at any garden 

centre. Fertilize at the recommended 

strength twice a month from May to 

the end of August or once a week at 

half the recommended strength. Do not 

fertilize at all during the winter months 

as the plant does not need the food as 

it is not producing enough new growth. 

Orchids are actually fairly easy to get 

to bloom yearly; a single stem can hold 

its blooms for up to three months. 

Phalanopsis (Phal for short) is the 

easiest and the ideal variety of orchid 

to start with. Phals benefit from very 

bright, indirect light – a foot away from 

a south or west facing window is ideal 

as long as they don’t bake on a hot 

windowsill. They will live in less light 

but flowering is greatly reduced. To 


Orchids are fairly easy to get to bloom yearly, and can have flowers right from February until June. 

help force a new spike of flowers, 

make sure the Phal is getting bright 

light during the day and cool night 

temperatures. Often having it near 

an open window at night during 

September is enough to get a new 

spike started. Orchids grown this way 

will have flowers in February right 

through to June. 

Hibiscus and Oleander both require 

high light conditions to bloom. They 

can be kept inside over winter as long 

as they are pruned back by one-thirds 

in the fall and watered sparingly 

during the winter months. 

Hibiscus will benefit from the brightest 

window you can give it in the winter, 

while Oleander can actually go 

dormant and will be okay in a cooler, 

darker location like the basement or 

a heated garage. Oleander is quite 

poisonous and isn’t a plant of choice 

if you have pets that like to chew. 

African violets are the heroes of the 

low-light home: they prefer morning or 

indirect light and will flower repeatedly 

with little attention. Just remember 

that when watering an African violet 

to avoid getting water on the leaves – 

water sitting on the foliage produces 

ugly, necrotic patches that 

permanently mar the leaf. W 

• Sabrina Goettler is the senior designer and project 

manager for Oriole Landscaping Ltd., Toronto. 

(www.oriolelandscaping.com).

LIFESTYLE 

LOVE 

CONNECTION 

Internet dating 

gains mainstream 

acceptance as 

the stigma 

around online 

relationships 

dissipates 


By CHERYL ANTAO-XAVIER 

WHEN David Seigel first checked out internet dating sites 

looking for a compatible female friend, this dating 

option had what he calls a “massive stigma” attached to it. 

It was commonly scoffed at as a desperate measure for the 

desperate. That was almost a decade ago. Today, single again, 

Seigel is once again checking out internet dating and finds it 

a radically different scenario. There is huge choice, both in 

site options and potential ‘dates’. 

“Now the stigma is gone,” says Seigel. “A lot of ‘normal’ people are on 

these sites. They do it for kicks mostly, but I can’t even count how many 

ladies have put up profiles saying ‘my friend met her boyfriend/husband 

on here, so I thought I’d give it a try’.” 

At 31, Seigel, a Vaughan advertising agency executive, is not interested in 

the bar scene and most of his friends are married. Going online to search

for a compatible companion seemed 

the perfect option for him. 

“I am very busy with work, my dog, 

sports, etc… so online dating just makes 

all the sense in the world. It’s like a 

catalogue. You can see pictures, you can 

learn somebody’s likes and dislikes… 

it’s almost like going on a first date 

before you even meet someone.” 

“This is just a no-pressure way to meet 

new people,” says Seigel. “On a lazy 

evening when there’s nothing better to 

do, you can go online, visit these sites, 

and before you know it, you’re chatting 

with five new people you never would 

have even come across otherwise. And 

if you connect enough with one, 

you’ve got plans next weekend.” 

Many years ago, Seigel tried JDate 

(www.jdate.com, a site for Jewish 

singles through which he met his 

former partner) but now recommends 

the site Plenty of Fish 

(www.plentyoffish.com), which he 

says “is the big winner for me. It’s 

extremely casual, very easy to use and 

has thousands of members in the GTA 

alone. It seems that a lot of people on 

this site are looking to meet people 

and just see what happens.” 

The monthly traffic to internet dating 

sites ranks in the millions, and across 

North America, singles looking for the 

perfect relationship or a casual date 

flock to such mainstream dating sites 

as Match, Yahoo! Personals, eHarmony, 

Friendster, American Singles, OKCupid, 

True and others. The proliferation of 

websites span the gamut from the chat 

rooms of social networking sites to sites 

that are exclusive to race, religion, 

sexual orientation and a myriad of 

interests. There is no doubt that online 

dating is a huge phenomenon that is 

fast replacing traditional matchmaking 

methods as the first choice for those 

looking for love or a casual relationship. 

In a 2002 article for American 

magazine Wired, writer Rufus Griscom 

saw the trend coming: “Twenty years 

from now, the idea that someone 

looking for love won’t look for it 

online will be silly, akin to skipping 

the card catalog to instead wander the 

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LIFESTYLE 

stacks because ‘the right books are 

found only by accident.’ How likely 

is it that the book of your dreams will 

just fall off the shelf and into your 

arms? Dating and 

mating will never be 

the same,” he wrote. 

In the downside to 

internet dating there 

is the omnipresent 

fear of unsavory 

hookups. Though 

most of the prominent 

dating websites have 

measures in place to 

bulwark or weed out 

internet predators, this 

danger will continue 

to lurk in cyberspace 

and find new ways to 

circumvent blocks. 

In a parody of online 

dating, a YouTube 

video plays out the 

dangers of 

unmoderated 

matchmaking over 

the internet. The 

video shows a man 

and woman sitting at 

separate tables in a 

restaurant meeting up 

with ‘dates’ picked 

from highly-exaggerated profiles 

on internet dating sites. From aging 

paramours to psychopathic crossdressers 

the characters that showed 

up at the dates were nowhere close 

to their posted profiles. Point made: 

ultimately you are on a blind date. 

“One of the big problems I’ve heard of 

is people lying in their profiles,” says 

Seigel, “from an inaccurate or 

misleading picture to flat out lying 

about themselves. Seems pointless to 

lie, as you’ll get caught anyway, but 

some people feel it’s worth it to get 

someone to the table and try to win 

them over once they’re face to face.” 

Seigel’s views are echoed by online 

dating subscriber Tasha Montes, a 

former Montrealer who now lives in 

Brooklyn, New York. 

“You can never really be sure just how 

sincere or insincere a person truly is, 


but then I don't think you can tell that 

face to face at times either,” she says. 

Montes found love and a husband on 

social networking site www.Hi5.com. 

Single and searching… David Seigel with his 

dog Rocky 

“ 

YOU CAN GO ONLINE, 

VISIT THESE SITES, 

AND BEFORE YOU 

KNOW IT, YOU’RE 

CHATTING WITH FIVE 

NEW PEOPLE YOU 

NEVER WOULD HAVE 

EVEN COME ACROSS 

OTHERWISE. 

” 

Her story is a modern day internet 

romance come true. 

“The best way to describe the final 

outcome of my experience is that it 

was nothing short of 

amazing! Not only did 

I meet a wonderful 

person, but he soon 

thereafter became my 

husband and now we 

are expecting our 

second child together. 

If things had not 

worked out the way 

they did, I truly 

believe I would do this 

(online dating) again.” 

special' scene.” 

Now a staunch 

recommender of this 

form of meeting 

people, Montes says: 

“It was a positive 

experience overall. 

I highly recommend 

trying internet dating 

to anyone with an 

open mind looking 

for a new approach 

over the everyday, 

very boring and 

sometimes frustrating 

‘let's meet someone 

“I can only say that at the end of the 

day you must trust that little voice 

inside your head but never be too 

afraid to open a new door and walk 

right on in, you may just be pleasantly 

surprised. And live happily ever after.” 

The stories of ‘happily-ever-after’ 

endings to internet dating are legion 

and proudly touted by every major 

matchmaking website in Cyberland. 

But the not-so-happy experiences 

happen and to avoid trouble for their 

subscribers, some dating and 

networking websites offer important 

tips on the do’s and don’ts of internet 

dating. The hugely popular 

www.match.com cautions against 

using personal email addresses and 

revealing one’s true identity and 

personal information until one is 

comfortable with the relationship. 

Another important tip: block and

LIFESTYLE 

immediately report 

offensive or threatening 

behaviour. 

Niche sites to the fore. 

The market for internet 

dating has been dividing 

rapidly into niche 

markets that cater to 

specific races, religions, 

sexual orientation and 

interests. According to 

internet dating expert 

Mark Brooks of 

onlinepersonalswatch.com 

there are unmistakable 

signs that niche sites are 

grabbing market share 

away from the 

mainstream dating sites. 

In an article in 

TechCrunch, Brooks 

wrote: “It’s apparent that 

a growing proportion of 

users is looking for more 

focused experiences with 

those who share 

particular interests and 

desires; this despite the 

fact that users can find 

more fish in the 

proverbial sea at 

mainstream sites.” 

According to Hitwise, a company that 

monitors online activity, top niche 

sites based on religion are JDate (for 

Jewish singles), ChristianMingle, 

ChristianCafe, ManHunt (for gay men) 

and Adam4Adam (also for gay men). 

Popular sites based on race are Black 

Christian People Meet, Amigos (for 

Latino singles), Asian People Meet, 

Love From India and Shaadi (for 

Indian singles). 

For Muslims, chatting online with 

suitors chosen by their parents is 

proving to be an acceptable way to 

get to know their future spouses. 

Arranged matches are common in 

Muslim marriages and since dating 

or pre-marital relationships between 

singles is frowned upon, online 

‘dating’ has become very popular with 

a generation that has been raised on 

the internet. 


Happily married… Tasha Montes with her 

husband Carlos and son 

“ 

NOT ONLY DID I 

MEET A WONDERFUL 

PERSON, BUT HE 

SOON THEREAFTER 

BECAME MY HUSBAND 

AND NOW WE 

ARE EXPECTING 

OUR SECOND CHILD 

TOGETHER. 

” 

Canadian Muslim 

playwright Zohra Zoberi 

writes of arranged 

marriages in her plays 

Questionably Ever After 

and Window Shopping for 

Lasting Love. 

In one scene in the latter 

play, Zoberi has a young 

girl of marriageable age 

protesting to her mother 

that she should not be 

expected to marry 

someone she has not 

seen. The mother 

replies: “You can talk to 

him on the internet and 

before you get married 

you will know each 

other quite well.” 

“It is nowadays quite 

common for Muslim 

boys and girls to first 

connect through the 

internet,” says Zoberi, 

who is in an arranged 

marriage herself. “The 

rules have altered quite a 

bit. Nowadays there is an 

exchange of photographs, 

and communication 

about their likes and dislikes before 

they finalize their decision.” 

Best profile forward. If pictures and 

profiles must speak a thousand words 

for you, it’s worth putting your best 

image forward. 

“Pictures need to look good and have 

variety (one dressed up, one more 

casual, maybe an activity shot),” says 

David Seigel. 

“Profiles need to be short and snappy. 

Nobody wants to read an essay. People, 

especially online, don’t have a large 

attention span. So you really need to 

make a great impression with pictures 

and a few lines of text. You just need 

to be natural and true to yourself.” 

“After all,” he says, “it’s better to attract 

one person who likes the real you than 

50 who are hoping for and expecting 

someone else.”. W

LIFESTYLE 

PICTURE: ISIS PHOTOGRAPHY 

Collingwood 

CALLING 

Revitalized Ontario heritage town has a lot to offer visitors 

By JULIE CARD 

IF you haven't been to 

Collingwood in a while, 

this summer is the perfect 

opportunity to get 

reacquainted. You will find that 

a lot has changed, but the charm 

and beauty is still the same. With 

Georgian Bay on one side and 

the Niagara Escarpment on the 

other, the natural landscape lends 

itself well to the outdoor sports enthusiast 

while the pampered princess will be very 

satisfied with the shopping, dining and 

spa options. 

The Town of Collingwood boasts a rich, 

architectural heritage that dates back to the 

late 19th century and you’ll find that many 

of the buildings have been restored to their 

original greatness. A stroll down Hurontario 

Street is a delightful way to spend the day 


PICTURES: JULIE CARD 

Top, artist Keli-Ann Pye-Beshara at a 

Canada Day celebration in Collingwood. 

Above, an Elvis tribute artist. 

Friday Night Street Party during 

the Elvis Festival in Collingwood. 

with many shops, cafés and restaurants 

to choose from. A croissant from Café 

Chartreuse is simply divine, made from 

scratch every morning, and if you close 

your eyes you can easily imagine yourself 

in Paris as you munch away. 

Chef owned restaurants like Brunello 

27 on 4th, The Stuffed Peasant, Azzurra, 

Tesoro and Catch 22 Fresh Market 

Grill are all great options. The 

Admiral’s Post Pub has a great 

patio and yummy pub fare and 

JD’s is the hot spot for nightlife. 

The Farmers' Market is open 

every Saturday morning, offering 

fresh baked goods, organic 

produce and handcrafted 

jewellery, to name a few. Across 

Pine Street you will find Dags & 

Willow Fine Cheese and Gourmet 

Shop. Boasting over 100 varieties of cheese 

from around the globe, plus fresh prepared

foods and gourmet products, this is 

a must for the gourmet food lover. 

If you love the history behind small 

towns, a drive or a stroll down 

Heritage Drive will take you to 

Millennium Park… just look for the big 

white building that has Collingwood 

Terminals written in big block letters. 

There are outdoor plaques with photos 

that explain the history of 

Collingwood, and the view is beautiful. 

Collingwood has a fantastic trail 

network, perfect for family bike riding. 

Trail maps are available at the 

Welcome Centre in the Museum and 

at all sporting goods shops. 

For the more athletic types, nearby 

Blue Mountain has a gondola to take 

you and your bike up the escarpment 

for a heart pounding ride down. If you 

are an outdoor adventure seeker, Free 

Spirit Tours offers caving, rock 

climbing, canoeing and kayaking. 

More than 1,000 feet in length, the 

new zipline at Scenic Caves Nature 

Adventures is a thrill ride for those 

who dare. Suit up in a seat harness 

Criminal Defence Lawyers 

LAURA PORCELLI BOOTH • PAUL M. COOPER 

COOPER BARRISTERS 

Areas of Practice 

• Bail Hearings 

• Impaired Driving 

• Assault & Violent Crimes 

• Fraud, Theft & Property Offences 

• Youth Offences 

and helmet; riders are clipped securely 

to a pulley that glides along the zipline 

cable. The most challenging aspect is 

stepping off the escarpment into midair, 

like a leap of faith. 

The ride is a 30-second plunge of 

increasing speed and possible spin 

high above the ground with velocity 

reaching about 45 km/hr. A secondary 

pulley slows the rider before the end 

of the zipline. With a vertical drop of 

approximately 150 feet, the zipline 

descends one-fifth the height of the 

The Zip Line at Scenic Caves 

escarpment, offering a bird’s eye 

panoramic view of Georgian Bay. 

The zipline is the grand finale to the 

three-hour guided Eco Adventure Tour 

which includes a treetop canopy walk, 

two ziplines of 300ft and 1,000ft, the 

Suspension Bridge, and caves/crevasse 

tour. The little ones can enjoy gem stone 

mining and the brand new train ride. 

If you are looking for the perfect 

summer getaway to rejuvenate your 

body, mind and spirit, you can try a 

Summer Cleanse Retreat. Nourish your 

Confidential Representation 

18 years in business 

24 hour service 

40 Snidercroft Road, Unit 4, Vaughan • Back in Vaughan after 12 years 

For Free review of your case call for an appointment or visit us at 

416.784.5777 • www.cooperbarristers.com 

PICTURE: JULIE CARD 


LIFESTYLE 

cells with fresh, organic smoothies, 

juices, soups and teas. Invigorate your 

body with hikes on the Glades trail at 

Blue Mountain and gentle morning 

exercise. Enlighten your mind with 

workshops on meditation, goal setting 

and manifesting, and raw gourmet food 

preparation. For more information, call 

Sarah at 705.444.ENRG. 

There is absolutely nothing better than 

treating yourself to a day at Le 

Scandinave Spa Blue Mountain. The 

Scandinavian Baths are renowned for 

their ability to cleanse the skin and 

provide a sense of well-being. Relax in 

the Finnish sauna, Norwegian steam 

bath, thermal and Nordic waterfall as 

well as hot baths and cold plunges. 

Complete the experience by enjoying 

the serenity of the Solaria, relaxation 

areas and outdoor fireplaces. All day 

bath access is only $44. 

The Collingwood Festival for Canada 

kicks off at 8 am on July 1 with the 

annual pancake breakfast in front of 

Town Hall. At noon, the festivities 

move to the Federal Building, for the 

Citizenship Reaffirmation Ceremony 

3 COURSE DINNER 

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• Superb Italian Cuisine 

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during which everyone is invited to 

reaffirm his or her Canadian 

citizenship and receive a certificate 

commemorating the occasion. The 

downtown merchants will be hosting 

sidewalk sales. 

Music in the Park starts at 2pm at the 

Station at 45 Saint Paul Street. The 

Station grounds will be abuzz with 

food vendors, children’s activities 

and family fun. Enjoy live musical 

entertainment, featuring performances 

by local entertainers. The finale of the 

day is of course the spectacular 

fireworks beginning at dusk. 

The 15th Annual Collingwood Elvis 

Festival, the largest of its kind in the 

world, takes place from July 23 to 26. 

New features this year include the first 

ever Collingwood "Clambake" Beach 

party on July 25. Rodney’s Oyster 

House of Toronto will prepare a 

seafood feast, by digging an authentic 

8ft x 10ft pit layered with rocks, 

pounds of seaweed, and loaded with 

treats from the sea including oysters, 

clams and crab. 

Dance the night away to live 

entertainment from renowned band, 

The Lincolns. Also gracing the stage 

will be two Elvis Tribute Artists 

Champions throughout the night. 

Tickets for the Clambake are $75 per 

person and can be purchased online 

at www.collingwoodelvisfestival.com. 

Enjoy Kidsfest during the day with 

massive inflatables, children's 

activities, a baby friendly zone, and 

great food - authentic Coke floats, 

burgers and more! Kidsfest takes place 

from July 24 to July 26, starting at 

9am every day. For more information, 

email roxevents@gmail.com. 

The Collingwood Jazz and Blues 

Festival takes place on August 14 and 

15 and will include a New Orleans style 

Jazz Parade. For more information visit 

www.collingwoodjazz.ca. 

For more about Collingwood, visit 

www.mycollingwood.ca where you 

will find events, activities, trail maps, 

links to restaurant menus and lots 

of great photos. 

Collingwood is waiting for you! W 

665 Millway Avenue, #17, Vaughan • 1 block west of Jane off Langstaff 

For more information visit www.ciaobellaristorante.com

Exquisite historic properties in some 

of the most culturally-rich, quiet corners 

of the globe – that might be reason 

enough to book your next vacation with 

villa travel pioneers HomesAway. However, 

their reputation as industry leaders from 


MARKETING FEATURE 

European vacations 

with a difference 

the likes of the New York Times, Forbes, 

CNN and many more, has been earned for 

much more than great bricks and mortar. 

This Toronto-based firm knows Europe’s 

most beautiful back roads like no one else 

and that translates into an extraordinary 

Villa Barocca – one of 

HomesAway’s properties 

– dominates the bay 

looking down on the 

Italian town of Positano, 

with its gravity-defying 

houses clinging to the 

steep hillsides above the 

turquoise sea. 

Why bother with 5-star hotels when you can stay in a luxury villa, get 

shown around by locals and enjoy the authentic flavour of the country? 

local insider experience for every 

HomesAway guest. The people at 

HomesAway call it “smart luxury” – luxury, 

yes, but with a focus on authenticity, 

value and helping guests step effortlessly 

into the gentle rhythms of local life.

It starts with their Trip Advisors. Dubbed 

“Top Villa Agents” by Condé Nast 

Traveler magazine for the past four years, 

these seasoned world travellers have visited 

each property personally and take 

great pains to match travellers to the 

right digs, considering everything from 

location and amenities to décor. 

They individualize each stay to the 

unique needs and interests of a client, 

and then obsess about the details of 

bringing it all together. The company’s 

handbooks document this in-depth 

regional knowledge for guests to take 

along en route. Customized to each house 

and region, these handbooks are a rich 

resource of current information about 

each home, nearby villages, services and 

must-see sights and sites – details not 

found in any off-the-shelf travel guide. 

Most of all, however, it’s HomesAway's signature 

Local Host concept that truly sets 

them apart. This is no mere concierge 

service. The folks at HomesAway know no 

amount of research can replace the 

insights and connections of someone who 

actually lives there – a personal entrée to 

those subtle experiences that locals know 

truly define their region. Guests say it’s 

the next best thing to visiting a dear 

friend living in the region. 

So how does all this translate into actual 

life at a HomesAway villa? Recent guests of 

HomesAway stayed at the stylish Les Trois 

Fontaines in the heart of the Lubéron in 

Provence. They were asked to describe 

their perfect day in Provence. Put together 

with the insights and connections of their 

veteran Local Host Janine Guignard, it 

went something like this: 

9:30 a.m. Café et croissants at La 

Cafe de France 

This quintessential Provençal café in Isle 

sur la Sorgue (Europe’s Mecca for 

antiques) sits opposite the only church in 

town, Notre Dame des Anges – a perfect 

representation of Baroque art and architecture. 

We lingered over our coffee, surveying 

the awakening village life and 

reading the titles of the daily press. In 

time, we set off for a wander through the 

narrow streets to gaze into quaint shop 

windows… and practiced our French 

along the way. 

11:00 a.m. Rendezvous with 

renowned Chocolatier, Florian 

A good friend of Janine, Florian is a genuine 

chocolate-making virtuoso. Florian 

Villa Senese in Tuscany offers country-house splendour just minutes from Siena. 

invited us behind the scenes of his beautiful 

chocolate boutique to share his life’s 

passion. We watched him artfully coat the 

lovely confections, all by hand. With black 

chocolate up to his elbows, he then invited 

us to try… We did and, of course, sampled 

generously the decadent results! 

12:30 p.m. Lunch with the 

locals riverside 

Leaving Florian, we headed down towards 

the Guingette, as Janine suggested, to 

dine with locals under the shade of the 

plane trees. Near our café on the banks 

of the Sorgue, children swung from ropes 

attached to the trees and cast themselves 

squealing into the clear cool river. We 

looked on in amusement while lunching 

on sumptuous trout, caught from the 

same waters earlier that day… an 

absolutely idyllic spot and something 

we’d never have found on our own. 

2:00 p.m. Navigating the Sorgue 

As the day grew warmer, we drove to La 

Fontaine de Vaucluse and jumped into a 

kayak for a paddle down river, splashing 

and laughing all the way. The first to arrive 

got the beers, as agreed. A bit of playful 

exercise in these meandering cool waters – 

a perfect tip for our après lunch activity. 

5:00 p.m. The pool, petanque 

and pastis 

Back to the villa and after a lazy swim in 

the pool, we met 6:30ish on the lower terrace 

for a petanque tournament. Janine’s 

suggestion of a cool glass of pastis and 

olives from the market for nibbles was 

perfect to keep us going while the local 

chef 'Laurent' bustled about the kitchen 

preparing our Provençal feast. Kudos to 

our Trip Advisor Lauren for finding him! 

7:00 p.m. Savouring local 

flavours al fresco 

We won’t soon forget the menu that night: 

salade musclun au petit chevre, cavier 

d'aubergine, tomate confit with lavender 

honey roasted lamb, a selection of fine 

local cheeses, charlotte aux fraise for 

dessert and of course ample rations of 

excellent wine to complement all those 

authentic local flavours. 

Recounting the day’s adventures, we 

soaked in the dance of the sunset’s brilliant 

colours across the Lubéron stretching 

out before us in all its glory for our 

al fresco dinner that night. 

Soon the stars began to sparkle above, 

and in the afterglow of the great food, 

great wine and great times, we began 

pondering possibilities for tomorrow. 

Smart luxury travellers are in luck 

these days. HomesAway president Evan 

Wood says travelers who want this sort of 

smart luxury are in luck these days. 

“So many of our properties are being 

offered at unprecedented discounts which 

can make them half the price per person 

of a comparable hotel, but with far superior 

amenities, privacy and service,” he 

said. “And with the insights and connections 

of our Local Hosts, you don’t have 

to spend a fortune to really experience 

a region like a local insider. However, if 

you want a private performance by a 

renowned opera singer in your villa, well, 

we can do that sort of thing too.” 

■ Current HomesAway deals can be seen 

at: www.homesaway.com/promotions. For 

more info, visit HomesAway.com or call 

419 920-1873; toll-free 1-800 364-6637 

or email stay@homesaway.com. 


HEALTH & FITNESS 

Genetic testing offers new age solution to a weighty problem 

Do your 

genes 

make you 

look fat? 

By JEFFREY RUBY 

“We are at the beginning of a personal 

genomic revolution that will transform 

how we take care of ourselves.” 

– Time Magazine 

IT is being hailed as the next medical 

revolution, and with good reason. 

Personal genetic testing is one of the 

hottest new areas in health care as it 

offers the possibility of personalizing 

the drugs that we take or medical 

procedures that we have based on our 

DNA and genetic makeup. 

Personal genetic testing also offers the 

opportunity to create “personalized 

lifestyle plans” which are specific 

healthy living recommendations 

related to nutrition, exercise and 

behaviour management based on your 

genes to help you lose weight, get in 

shape or best deal with stress. Finally, 

you can stop blaming yourself and 

begin to understand that your genes 

play a large role in gaining and losing 

weight. It’s like having an internal GPS 

guiding your weight and lifestyle plan. 

Using a simple cheek swab, you can 

take a test that can provide your 

genetic profile and identify key 

susceptibility genes associated with 

weight gain. Genes trigger various 

physiologic and metabolic actions in 

the body. When some of these genes 

vary from the norm they can increase 


Genetic testing 

takes weight 

loss to the 

next level by 

identifying 

genes that are 

connected to 

your likelihood 

of gaining 

weight and 

providing 

lifestyle 

suggestions. 

your risk of conditions, such as weight 

gain. Managing your weight is 

essential since being overweight can 

lead to secondary diseases including 

heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer 

or joint injuries. 

It is important to remember that your 

genes are only part of the story. There 

is a genetic and environmental 

component to one’s weight and healthy 

lifestyle. Your lifestyle choices still 

matter. Knowing your lifestyle genetics 

doesn’t take the decisions out of your 

hands. Rather, it makes your weight 

and lifestyle planning that much more 

personalized and focused. You can then 

make lifestyle choices in nutrition, 

exercise and behavioural management 

that are most appropriate for you. 

Genetic testing for weight loss was 

developed in order to move away from 

the generic “one size fits all” approach 

that has dominated the commercial 

weight loss industry for years to 

something far more personal. The 

solution to losing weight and healthy 

living lies within the realization that 

it must be managed from a complete 

lifestyle approach – not simply by 

dieting or exercising alone. 

Genetic testing takes losing weight to 

the next level by identifying genes 

specifically connected to your 

likelihood of gaining weight and 

providing genetically driven 

recommendations. These suggestions 

could include changes in what and 

how you eat, the intensity of exercise 

that you require or your ability to 

manage your behaviour specifically 

based on your DNA. 

With personal genetic testing, qualified 

practictioners can stop guessing at 

what will work for someone and use 

the test results to provide affordable 

personal coaching that will be most 

effective for each individual to lose 

weight and live a healthy life. W 

• Jeffrey Ruby is the founder and president of Newtopia, 

a lifestyle company dedicated to coaching people to lose 

weight, get fitter and enjoy an overall sense of wellbeing. 

For more information, visit www.newtopia.com.


By MARNIE SIGMAR 

DOMESTIC abuse is a serious and 

pervasive issue. The facts speak 

to that: 

• Half of Canadian women (51%) have 

experienced at least one incident of 

physical or sexual violence since the 

age of 16. 

• Every minute of every day, a 

Canadian woman or child is being 

sexually assaulted. 

• One to two women are murdered by 

a current or former partner each 

week in Canada. 

• Every year in Canada, up to 360,000 

children are exposed to domestic 

violence. 

Anna (name changed to protect her 


privacy) truly understands and 

appreciates the value of an organization 

like Yellow Brick House, a non profit 

organization in York Region that has 

been providing shelter, counselling and 

support to abused women and their 

children for over 30 years. 

Anna, a former Yellow Brick House 

resident, was a victim of domestic 

violence for over 40 years. While with 

her husband, she endured devastating 

physical, emotional and mental abuse. 

For years, she spent her nights in a 

living room chair hoping she would be 

able to hear her abuser approach her. 

For years, she lived in fear. For years, 

she was isolated from the outside world. 

When Anna reached out to Yellow 

Brick House, she knew the abuse she 

was enduring was escalating to a very 

dangerous point. She contacted the 

organization through the 24-hour crisis 

OFFERING 

SHELTER 

FROM 

THE PAIN 

For over 30 years, Yellow Brick 

House has been providing help 

for abused women. A major 

new campaign is now under 

way to help raise funds for a 

second shelter in York Region. 

line and was safely guided to the 

emergency shelter. 

She recalls from her days at the shelter 

“I was away from my home for the first 

time in years. I was frightened and 

alone. I was sharing a room with 

another woman and her two children. 

The shelter was full. Babies were crying, 

mothers were fussing, counsellors were 

very busy – and I felt peace for the first 

time I could remember.” 

Anna worked very closely with trauma 

counsellors at the shelter. The 

counsellors helped her realize that 

leaving her abusive situation was the 

right thing to do – for her and her 

children. Both individual and group 

counselling were made available to her. 

For the first part of her stay, she rested 

and told her story. “Telling counsellors 

about what I had endured was very 

liberating,” said Anna. “I had been


Yellow Brick House emergency shelter residents feel an immediate sense of safety and peace. 

keeping this terrible secret for so many 

years and had been kept away from 

everyone for so long that it felt 

tremendous to be able to share and 

have someone listen.” 

Shelters for abused women do more 

than provide emergency housing and 

food for women and their children. 

They offer counselling and support to 

help women build their lives, provide 

programming for children who have 

witnessed violence to help them heal, 

offer legal advice and provide 

assistance with finding affordable 

housing. Well beyond the services and 

programs, counsellors work with each 

resident to help them build their self 

esteem, strengthen their self 

confidence and work toward a life free 

of violence. 

Yellow Brick House also focuses on 

raising awareness about the issue of 

domestic violence in York Region 

communities and schools through the 

Public Education Program. The 

organization is committed to 

challenging and eradicating the beliefs, 

values, systems and structures that 

support and perpetuate sexism and 

violence against women. 

When Anna left her home to seek 

safety at Yellow Brick House, she left 

everything behind: her home, her 

belongings, all she had gained from 

years of hard work… and her husband. 

This move was the most courageous 

move of her life. 


“I realized I was in serious danger. 

Finally, I decided that leaving was the 

best thing to do. I was right and it is the 

best thing I have ever done,” said Anna. 

She admits she was very scared when 

she first made the decision to leave, 

but felt an immediate sense of relief 

when she arrived at Yellow Brick 

House and realized how supported 

and welcome she was. 

Since its inception, Yellow Brick House 

has responded to the growing need for 

emergency shelter for abused women 

and their children. In addition to 

emergency services, the organization has 

developed innovative programs to help 

respond to experiences of abuse and to 

work toward its eradication. The gravity 

and tragedy of violence against women 

and their children cannot be overstated. 

Yellow Brick House provided 

emergency shelter and supportive 

counselling and services to nearly 

4,000 women last year alone, an eight 

percent increase in services from the 

year before. Even so, 540 women and 

children had to be turned away due to 

lack of space. 

With the exponential growth in York 

Region, an economy that is resulting 

in increased cases of domestic violence 

and too few shelter beds, Yellow Brick 

House is now pursuing funds to open a 

second emergency shelter in the south 

end of York Region where services for 

domestic violence victims do not exist. 

The “Second Shelter, Second Chances” 

campaign aims to raise $4 million to 

build this much needed shelter in 

Markham. The need for this expansion 

is supported by statistics gathered on 

women abuse in York Region. As 

indicated in a Yellow Brick House 

capital needs assessment report in 

November 2007, York Region has all 

the high risk factors associated with 

woman abuse. These include rapid 

population growth, lack of affordable 

housing, lack of adequate 

transportation and a growing 

population of diverse cultures with 

unique needs. According to municipal 

figures, the population has increased 

by 61 percent since 1991 and is 

projected to grow another 25 percent 

and reach 1.3 million by 2026. 

“We cannot meet the need for a second 

emergency shelter without the support 

of York Region residents. The 

community has supported us 

throughout our history, and we need 

them to continue to do so,” said Lorris 

Herenda, Executive Director for Yellow 

Brick House. “We must respond to the 

needs of our community members, our 

neighbours, sisters, aunts, friends.” 

Anna shares, “The counsellors at Yellow 

Brick House are kind and knowledgeable 

women. They helped me gain strength 

and believe in myself again. They are 

angels. I’m not sure what would have 

happened to me if I hadn't found Yellow 

Brick House, but I will never have to 

worry about that again.” 

When Anna left the shelter, she felt 

confident of her ability to live a 

violence-free life. She was provided with 

all of the fundamental needs to start her 

new home and new life. Even though 

she was living independently, she had 

free access to supportive counselling. To 

this day, Anna is in regular contact with 

Yellow Brick House. Her parting words 

were, “Yellow Brick House gave me the 

tools to build a new life. I will never be 

able to thank them enough.” 

The work of this amazing organization 

mends hearts, saves lives and 

empowers women like Anna to live 

free of violence and abuse. To learn 

more about Yellow Brick House and 

to find out how you can contribute 

to the organization’s Capital 

Campaign, visit their website at 

www.yellowbrickhouse.org. W

BUSINESS & FINANCE 

INVESTING IN HARD TIMES 

By ALAN HOFFMAN 

INVESTING in hard times is not for the 

faint of heart. First and foremost, you 

are betting that everyone else is wrong. 

But you may be the one that is laughing 

all the way to the bank in the end. 

In June 2008, the Toronto Stock 

Exchange (TSX) hit its last record high 

at 15,158 points. Leading up to that 

point, it seemed that the current credit 

crunch was subsiding, and things were 

getting back to normal. Commodity 

prices were at a record high, demand 

was strong, and investors were 

celebrating about how much money 

they had made. Boy, how things 

changed in September. 

Investor confidence collapsed in early 

September 2008 with the sudden and 

unexpected bankruptcy of Lehman 

Brothers in New York. A 140 year old 

company was gone overnight! Every 

major stock market around the world 

collapsed, with the TSX being among 

those that lost the least value, shedding 

only 50%. ONLY 50%!?!? Investors ran 

for the exits faster than at any time in 

investing history. We have seen losses 


like this in the market before, but we 

never saw it happen in only a few 

months. That was the difference this 

time. 

The biggest question to ask at this 

point is: What did you do with your 

investments when the sky began to 

fall? Did you hold on for the ride? Did 

you sell it all and buy a GIC? Or did 

you find more money to invest? Let’s 

look at each option, and see which 

investor did the best job. 

If you had held on for the ride, then 

you are now playing the waiting game. 

You are waiting for the market to get 

back to a record high where your 

investments might break even. In this 

case, you could have a number of 

years with zero growth. 

If you cashed out of the market and 

bought GICs, then you have resigned 

yourself to never recovering your 

investments. Even if you decide to buy 

into the market at some point in the 

future, you will probably wait so long 

that you will miss the recovery. 

However, if you continued to invest 

more as the market fell, or made a 

significant investment when you 

thought that the market could not lose 

any more (even if it did), then you are 

in line to reap an incredible benefit 

when the market recovers. 

The fact is that we like buying things 

on sale… except investments. Most 

women can’t resist a sale on shoes, 

and most men can’t resist a sale on 

beer and wings. But strangely enough, 

most people do not want to invest 

when the market is on sale. 

Investing in a down market is actually 

quite easy. The first question is what 

should you invest in. Answer: Any 

company that you hear about in the 

media with a future. If a company has 

good sales, good profits, or even just 

good prospects for the future, then 

invest there. 

Just make sure that you know what 

the company does. Investing in the 

unknown ABC Company that does 

this cool thing with a widget may not 

be the best decision for you to make. 

Other stocks to avoid would include 

any company in trouble. One of your 

best bets would be finding a company 

that has continued to declare 

dividends through the downturn. 

The second big question to answer is 

where do you get the money to invest 

with. Answer: anywhere! You can set 

up an automatic investment plan with 

a designated amount each month. You 

can borrow from your home equity, or 

you can get an investment loan with a 

bank. All options have benefits, and 

each one comes with a warning. Check 

with your financial advisor before you 

decide which is best for you. 

Investing in hard times offers you the 

greatest investment opportunities. 

Statistically, more millionaires are made 

during bad markets than are made in 

good times. This is because during good 

markets the investments are just not 

available at their best sale prices. 

Happy investing! W 

• Alan Hoffman, BBA, is President of Wealth Booster Inc. 

He graduated from the Schulich School of Business in 

1993 and has been a financial planner since 1996.

WHEN Vaughan resident Ralph Cerasuolo was researching career options out of high school, 

he was struck by the absence of literature and education opportunities for anyone seeking 

a career to become a qualified electrician. 

Mr. Cerasuolo, now a Licensed Master Electrician, became even more aware in recent years that 

there was an increasing demand for enhanced electrical apprenticeship training and knew that the 

electrical trade needed a certified electrical preapprentice 

school. He quickly worked to turn the idea 

into reality, and on June 17, the Electrical College of 

Canada (ECC) will be hosting its first official Open 

House for anyone interested in pursuing a first or second 

career in the electrical field. 

“In this current marketplace, there is a definite need to 

offer young adults and/or people changing careers, with 

a place to learn the fundamentals of electrical apprenticeship. 

As an electrician, I have been training new 

apprentices for many years. I can definitely recognize 

what characteristics make a good apprentice and what 

skills and knowledge they need to be successful in this 

field,” said Mr. Cerasuolo, ECC’s director and founder. 

“I wish I would have had the opportunity to have this 

knowledge and information provided to me in this manner 

when I was entering the electrical field,” he added. 

Mr. Cerasuolo has been managing his family’s electrical 

contracting business, Neutron Electrical in Vaughan, for 

15 years. Today, he has built and developed a school that 

offers an Ontario Government approved course-curriculum 

that balances out electrical principles of the trade 

including theory and hands-on installations and 

processes. The school houses a practical learning “inhouse 

wiring lab” for each student to utilize to become 

proficient in the use of electrical applications. 

ECC offers construction and maintenance pre-apprenticeship 

programs and other general interest workshops. 

These courses and workshops teach the basic 

principles of electrical theory and will also show how to 

apply those principles in simulated work environments. 

Also offered will be workshops such as the Certificate 

of Qualification pre-exam course, designed by ECC to 

prepare candidates for the exam administered by the 

Ministry of Training. 

MARKETING FEATURE 

“The electrical apprenticeship program is perfect for individuals who want to go directly into the 

workforce but need marketable skills,” said Mr. Cerasuolo. 

A successful ECC graduate will obtain electrical theory knowledge, practical skills and a complete 

set of hand tools after completing the program, giving each student a jump-start to the beginning 

of his or her electrical career. 

“Upon completion of our electrical pre-apprentice course, our graduates will be able to write an 

exemption exam that will allow them to bypass the first level of electrical apprenticeship offered by 

the ministry of skills and labour,” said Mr. Cerasuolo. “We have approximately 12 students per class so 

students will be able to get a very personalized approach to their electrical apprenticeship education. 

I believe our low student teacher ratio, the enhanced theory curriculum and the practical learning 

environment will be a fantastic opportunity for all of our ECC students.” 

ECC courses are offered five days a week, for 12 weeks. Day and evening classes are available. All 

tools, books and safety certifications are included in the program. There is second career funding 

available for qualifying students. 

It is strongly recommended that ECC candidates have completed Grade 12 math or higher. 

BELOW 

Ralph Cerasuolo, 

director and founder 

of the Electrical 

College of Canada 

Electrical career 

prospects 

brighten with 

launch of new 

Vaughan college 

■ For more information, 

and/or to obtain an Electrical 

College of Canada 

application, please call 

905-264-1412 and/or e-mail 

info@electricalcollege.ca. 

■ For more information on 

specific electrical preapprenticeship 

programs 

and general interest 

workshops, check out 

www.electricalcollege.ca. 

■ The school is located at 

91 Friuli Court, Woodbridge. 


As people become increasingly health-conscious, farmers' 

markets are enjoying a renewed surge in popularity. 

Get 

fresh 

By LYNDA TANEDA 

NOTHING beats the 

taste of fresh fruits 

and vegetables – sweet 

juicy cherries, ripe delectable 

peaches and apricots, mouth 

watering corn-on-the-cob, red 

tomatoes with part of the 

vine still attached to the fruit, 

and a host of other succulent 

produce. 

This is what we wait for all winter 

long, and its what summer in the 

city is all about; fresh seasonal 

produce to complement sizzling, 

grilling meats and seafood on the 

barbecue. But unfortunately most 

of the produce in supermarkets 

lacks crispness, and often looks 

depleted of vitality. This is due 

to the fact that it has been picked 

days before it is displayed, and 

has usually travelled an average 

of 1,000 to as much as 2,400 

kilometres. And with the high 

Continued on Page 68 

The produce at your local 

farmers’ market will always 

be fresher and more crisp 

than grocery store items 

which have often travelled for 

days, from countries as 

distant as 2,400 kms away. 



Continued from Page 65 

prices attached, you would think that it has travelled 

first class. 

Buying food that is fresh is the goal of every consumer, but 

‘fresh’ produce is not always freshly harvested produce. And 

it is no wonder, with food grown in places such as Chile, 

FARMERS’ MARKETS IN 

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD 

Farmers’ markets usually run on weekends, early spring to late fall. 

AURORA FARMERS MARKET 

Held in Town Park, just South of Wellington, in Old Aurora 

CANAL ROAD FARMERS MARKET 

R.R #4 Stn, Main, Bradford (West Gwillimbury) T: 905-775-0046 

CHEPACK COUNTRY MARKET 

11471 9th Line, Stouffville T: 905-640-1819 

GEORGINA COMMUNITY FARMERS MARKET 

90 Wexford Dr., Keswick T: 905-251-6808 

Email: ontarioorchards@rogers.com 

MAIN STREET FARMERS MARKET 

132 Robinson St., Markham T: 905-472-2462 

Email: info@mainstreetmarkham.com 

NEWMARKET MAIN STREET FARMERS MARKET 

Timothy St. (one block east of Main St.), Newmarket T: 905-830-8983 

Email: info@newmarketfarmersmarket.com 

RICHMOND HILL FARMERS MARKET 

(Hillcrest Mall parking lot) 

Yonge Street and 16th Ave., Richmond Hill 

RUSSO FARMS 

10100 Weston Rd., Woodbridge T: 905-832-9955 

27 COUNTRY MARKET 

4381 Hwy 27, Cookstown (Barrie) T: 705-458-1823 

WESTON FARMERS MARKET 

4 John Street, York T: 416-249-0691 

Web: welcometoweston.ca 

WHITTAMORE’S FARM MARKET (& pick-your-own) 

8100 Steeles Ave. East, Markham T: 905-294-3275 

YORK FARMERS MARKET 

7509 Yonge St., Markham T: 905-886-9992 

Holland, California, Florida and even China, much of the 

fruit we consume is harvested while still green and allowed 

to ripen en route. 

Once it arrives at its destination, it is usually stored in large 

warehouses while grocery store buyers make the acquisitions 

for their stores. This process also takes a day or two on top of 

the lengthy travel time. So, how fresh and crisp can it be by 

the time it reaches the dinner table? Not very. 

Produce is meant to be consumed fresh, and even though 

modern refrigerated units are used during transportation, 


the lengthy process from ground to table depletes crispness 

and vitality, turns natural sugars to starches, and shrinks 

healthy plant cells. Not a pretty process. 

Eating is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Enjoying delicious 

food with friends and family should be fun and relaxing. No 

one wants to worry about food that may not be as fresh as it 

should be, and food that may harbour a host of chemicals 

and pesticide residue. 

But there is a way to purchase seasonal produce that is not 

only fresh, but also free from most large-farm pesticides, 

chemicals and other potentially harmful additives that are 

used by large, factory-farmed produce growers in countries 

where food additive regulations are lax. There is also a way 

to purchase food that has been grown without the use of 

chemicals and pesticides. 

Enter the local farmers’ market. 

Why Farmers’ Markets? In the early Fifties, co-op 

farming and communal gardening became the trend, and 

many of these small retailers successfully competed with 

larger grocery stores. Today, as back then, local farmers and 

vegetable producers have once again begun to compete with 

large grocery chains and are offering their harvest directly 

to local consumers. 

Of late, perhaps due to recessionary times or the constant 

reminder from health professionals that we must eat more 

fruits and vegetables, this trend has revived itself. Whatever 

the reason, the consumer has re-directed his or her 

shopping dollar towards local stands that offer nothing short 

of a bountiful local harvest. And since we are eating more 

fruits and vegetables than we were five years ago, people 

are rediscovering the many benefits of buying food that is 

locally grown. 

Freshly picked produce loses nutrients quickly. Locally 

grown produce is fresher and tastier than its counterpart 

that travelled halfway around the country, and sometimes 

halfway around the world. 

Local produce does not have to be picked days prior to 

ripening. It is harvested when ripened, and the taste speaks 

for itself. In many instances the produce is picked in the 

morning and sold in the afternoon, thus retaining its full 

flavour, uncompromised freshness and full nutritional value. 

A Win-Win Situation. It is no secret that family owned 

and operated farms are disappearing at an alarming rate. 

Land development has increased enormously over the past 

20 years. In North America, fewer than 1.5 million people 

claim farming as their primary occupation – about half the 

number compared to less than a decade ago. And it is no 

wonder, with margins for local farmers who sell to stores 

being so low. 

The average profit for these farmers is less than 10 cents 

of the retail food dollar. Local farmers who sell directly to


Did You Know? 

• The first farmers' market took place 

in Kingston, Ontario in 1780 

• In Ontario alone, annual sales from 

goods sold at farmers’ markets total 

over $600 million 

• Over 27,000 people in Ontario are 

directly involved in preparing and 

selling products at farmers' markets 

• Ontario’s Green Belt, located just 

north of Barrie, boasts some of the 

world’s most fertile soil 

• Individuals who sell agricultural 

products also grow them 

• If you shop for a large family, or 

prefer to buy in bulk, you can save 

over 30 percent on products at a 

farmers market than you would for 

similar products at a supermarket 

• Agricultural products are more 

expensive early or late in the 

season; to save money purchase at 

the peak of the produce season 

consumers via the farmer's market cut 

the food’s lengthy travel times, the high 

overheads, eliminate the middle-man’s 

fees and get the full retail price for 

their produce. 

In turn, consumers pay a lower 

price for similar products sold at 

large supermarkets. 

Good for the Economy. There is 

an old saying that goes: Money that is 

spent locally is re-spent locally. Buying 

from local farmers' markets boosts the 

local economy. Local purchases redirect 

revenue to the immediate area 

that produces the food. Shopping at a 

local farmers’ market boosts the local 


Berry, berry fresh! A young girl is delighted with her purchase at a farmers’ market. 

economy, and everyone benefits. 

Good Business Starters. Thanks to 

low overhead costs, farmer's markets 

encourage new business. 

People of varied ages and backgrounds 

find local market stands the perfect 

place to start their own business. 

Many of these entrepreneurial 

ventures will eventually evolve into 

store-front markets that carry food 

grown locally. 

Food Grown With a Conscience. 

Large scale chemical agriculture is 

poisoning our soil, our air and our 

water. By buying directly from a family 

operated farm we can help end this 

disastrous practice. By purchasing 

organic food, we all work together 

towards eliminating food that is grown 

using harsh chemicals, pesticides, and 

herbicides, all of which end up in our 

water supply, in the air we breathe, 

and ultimately in our own bodies once 

we ingest the chemically-laden food. 

A Family Affair. Unlike large 

supermarkets, farmers' markets are not 

only a place to buy food, but become a 

local fun spot, as they offer much more 

than just fruits and vegetables. 

Some favourite offerings are herbs, 

organic meats, chocolates, scrumptious 

desserts, maple syrup, honey, and a 

bevy of seasonal garden plants. Many 

provide crafts, photography, 

illustrations, live entertainment, food 

exhibitions, even carnival rides and 

petting zoos for the kids. During 

certain times of the year there are 

corn maze tunnels, Easter egg hunts, 

Mother’s Day themes and other 

seasonal themes. In short, today’s 

farmers’ market provides food and 

fun for the entire family. 

Ultimately, buying locally unites the 

community as a whole by bringing 

together those who share a concern 

for their health, their neighbourhood, 

and the environment. 

Across the country more and more 

consumers are choosing to shop at 

local markets for nature’s best food, 

secure that the food they consume is 

fresh, safe, and the next best thing to 

growing it in their own back yards. W


SALAD 

DAYS 

It’s the perfect way to cool off 

in the hot summer months 

By LETTY VELASCO 

SUMMER days signal hot and humid 

weather and whenever it comes, 

everyone is trying to find ways to stay cool 

and comfortable. This also means that 

people are looking to consume light meals 

that are both cool and refreshing. Salads fit 

these descriptions perfectly, especially 

when we're talking about summer salads. 

Basically, summer salad is just like 

your average everyday salad but 

especially made for the hot season. 

It is made of fruits and vegetables 

that are refreshing to the senses. Of 

course, the most important factor 

to consider is that they should be 

light but still nutritional in value. 

And lastly, they should be easy 

to prepare, since moving a lot 

during summer is definitely 

not an ideal thing to do! 

Just the same, what works well 

in a summer salad is still the age 

old ingredient, lettuce. Lettuce is 

mostly stored cool and is very 

refreshing to the taste. Besides 

lettuce though, there are many other ingredients you can 

throw in a summer salad; let's check out some of these. 

Fortunately, fruits and vegetables are plentiful enough in 

the summer months. Whether you are in a grocery store or 

at a farmers' market, you're sure to find an ample choice of 

these fresh little gems. And with that said, let's start talking 

about vegetables. 

Just about any vegetable goes well with summer salads but there 

74 WHATEVER MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2009

The best part of your barbeque 

isn’t from the grill. 

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Make any occasion special with Edible Arrangements ® 

Our arrangements make a great centerpiece because they’re gorgeous 

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are some that stand out for the 

summer. Cool favourites would be 

tomatoes and cucumbers, and when 

we're talking about summer tomatoes, 

we're talking about various shapes 

and colours that can also make your 

salad very lively. Tomatoes are mostly 

associated with the colour red, but 

yellow and orange ones are plentiful 

in the summer months. Bite-sized 

cherry tomatoes to large beefy 

tomatoes, the variety is just something 

everyone can be excited about. 

Another colourful vegetable that 

is perfect for any summer salad is 

pepper. Bell peppers are very tasty 

and you can get really creative with 

its variety. All pepper types: green, 

orange, red, purple and yellow 

peppers look very pretty in a salad 

dish and the colour makes them 

much fun to eat too. For a little bit 

more crunch, try adding in some 

squash or zucchini into the mix. 

Now, that's one yummy treat for 

the whole family. 

When we're talking about fruit, 

there's plenty to choose from to add 

body to your summer salad. Citrus 

fruits grow in abundance during the 

summer season, as do pears, peaches, 

apples and many kinds of berries. 

Citrus salads are very welcome 

since they are mostly composed 

of juices perfect for the humid 

weather. Try mixing some limes, 

lemons and oranges together for a 

simple citrus salad. And if the sour 

taste of citrus is not to your liking, 

try making a salad composed of 

grapes, bananas and strawberries. 

To top the salad off, put in some 

marshmallows or whipped toppings. 

Add a cherry on top and voila! You 

now have a salad that will make 

the mouth of even the pickiest 

eater water in anticipation. 

In summary, there are quite a 

number of fruit and vegetable 

choices you can toss together to 

form a great summer salad. Using 

a bit of imagination, you can make 

the summer days just as cool and 

refreshing as the salad you can 

concoct. Just be sure to not make it 

too complicated. You won't want to 

be stressing yourself in the summer 

days, right? W

COFFEE BREAK 

JUST FOR LAUGHS 

ROBERT goes golfing every Saturday. 

One Saturday, he came home three 

hours late. His wife asked him, “What 

took you so long?” 

Robert replied, “That was the worst 

game of golf I've ever had. We got up 

to the first tee, and Charlie hit a holein-one 

and immediately dropped dead 

of a heart attack.” 

“That's terrible!” his wife exclaimed. 

“I know,” agreed Robert. “For the rest 

of the game, it was hit the ball, drag 

Charlie, hit the ball, drag Charlie, hit 

the ball, drag Charlie…” 

••• 

SUMMER was over and the teacher 

was asking the class about their holidays. 

She turned to little Johnny and 

asked what he did over the summer. 

“We visited my grandmother in 

Moosomin, Saskatchewan,” he said. 

“That sounds like an excellent vocabulary 

word,” the teacher said. “Can you 

tell the class how you spell that?” 

Little Johnny thought about it and 

said, “Come to think of it, we went 

to Toronto.” 

••• 

A GUY walking along the beach finds 

a bottle. He pulls out the cork, and 

a genie appears and tells him he has 

three wishes. “But,” the genie says, 

“I have to warn you, whatever you 

receive, your worst enemy will get 

twice as much as you.” 

“OK,” says the guy, “First, I want ten 

million dollars.” The genie grants the 

wish and reminds him that his worst 

enemy now has 20 million dollars. 

“Next wish, I want a 30-room mansion 

in the Bahamas.” The genie builds the 

mansion for him, and lets him know 

that his worst enemy now has a home 

twice as big. 

“Fine. For the last wish,” the guy picks 

up a big stick and hands it to the 

genie, “beat me HALF to death.” 

••• 

KNOCK Knock! 

Who's there? 

Dishes. 

Dishes who? 

Dishes me. Who ish you? 


Gemini: Business 

MIND GAMES 

ARIES (March 21-April 19): While your love life has been complicated 

recently, and others may have undervalued your worth, you’re now 

strutting your stuff. Extremely magnetic, the world is appreciating your 

unique style. The energy around you is hard to resist. 

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): A deliciously private love affair might figure 

this month, or you could be working on a creative project in solitude. 

Watch that you “mean what you say, and say what you mean”, 

because the likelihood of misunderstandings runs high. 

GEMINI (May 21-June 21): You have a lot of energy to pour into friendships, 

group projects, or goals this month, dear Gemini. Singles might 

very well meet their match through friends and group associations. A 

business partnership is a strong possibility. 

CANCER (June 22-July 22): Professionally speaking, you’re enjoying 

an invigorating and creative peak. Your professional charisma is brilliant, 

and singles might find opportunities to meet a special someone 

through business events. 

LEO (July 23-August 22): Relationships are likely to be deliciously complicated, 

although at times running counter to your career endeavours. 

Professional pursuits get a lot of attention, but you still manage to find time 

for exciting adventures that break the routine. 

VIRGO (August 23-September 22): Financial creativity runs high 

and you’re in a position to come up with unique and powerful ways 

to increase your income. Career matters might challenge you with 

occasional complications and the need to sacrifice more of your time. 

THINKING SQUARE 

Nine digits (1 through 9) are arranged 

in the 3x3 square in such a way that the 

number in the second row (384) is twice 

that in the first row (192), and the number 

in the bottom row (576) is three 

times that in the top row. 

It is known there are three other ways 

of arranging these digits so as to produce 

the same result. Can you find them? 

LONG & SHORT OF IT 

C 

A 

Which line is longer: AB or AC? 

B

partnership likely 

LIBRA (September 23-October 22): This is a close to idyllic time for 

enhancing or attracting a romantic relationship. Your major focus is on 

a partnership, and putting your own personal agenda aside for the time 

being. Stimulating and spicy moments are par for the course this month. 

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21): Wonderful energy is with you for 

work and health routines. Charisma on the job can mean getting 

noticed for your creativity and flair. Some of you will find an office flirtation 

or romance is heating up. 

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21): An exciting, playful, and 

stimulating month is ahead. There are abundant opportunities to enjoy 

hobbies, entertainment, and romance. Your charm is natural and finds 

an adoring audience. 

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19): Your home and family life is 

lively and spirited. Money-making ideas are abundant this month. You’ll 

have to take the time to sit down and judge how realistic each is before 

acting upon them. 

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18): Focus on domestic life, and 

communications feature strongly. Conversations with family members 

you had earlier are revisited this month, but care should be taken 

in expressing yourself with clarity, as misunderstandings are likely. 

PISCES (February 19-March 20): You are likely to expand your career 

pursuits and business connections. Opportunities on the career front 

can seem to arrive out of the blue, and could come from past connections. 

Impulsive buying is a real tendency. 

SHOW ME THE WAY TO GO HOME 

QUICK ON THE DRAW 

“I’ll take care of this one, 

you can go!” 

SOLUTIONS 

Each of the five men 

(A-E) needs to get to 

the respective house 

(marked with the 

respective letter and 

colour). The problem 

is these five men must 

make their way home 

without anyone crossing 

the route of another. 

In other words no 

more than one route is 

permitted through any 

cell. Men are allowed 

to move from cell to 

cell only vertically or 

horizontally, but never 

diagonally. 

Can you solve 

this challenge?THINKING SQUARE 

B 

D 

E 

SHOW ME THE WAY… 

They’re both exactly the same length. 

Don’t believe it? Go ahead an measure! 

LONG & SHORT OF IT 

Only four solutions exist to this puzzle. 

These are the solutions with the top 

numbers 192, 219, 273 and 327. All these 

solutions are shown in the illustration. 

The first one was actually illustrated 

with the puzzle. 

WHATEVER MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2009 81 

A 

C

STRATUS UPDATE - Whatever Vaughan

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