The Rogers Cup Tennis Tournament, taking place at the Rexall Centre from August 11^th – August 19^th, has a new sponsor – Emirates Airline. They will be launching the first ever direct air service between Dubai and Toronto.

The Rogers Cup is one of the 10 Tier 1 tournaments on the tennis calendar and they draw the best tennis players in the world. Only the Grand Slams have more prestige and importance. In spite of this, after the government declared it illegal for the cigarette companies to sponsor sporting events a few years ago, our tennis tournament was in grave danger of not being able to continue operating. The big money that everyone expected to step up to the plate and sponsor these events – the banks and insurance companies leap to mind – did not. Rogers and Rexall did.

 I have nothing against Emirate Airlines and I’m personally delighted to hear that the Rogers Cup has a new sponsor. However, I am saddened that our own major corporations don’t sponsor our own event to the level that they should. Do you think that Canadian corporations are doing enough to sponsor sports and cultural events?

Do you enjoy a lovely stroll in an idyllic setting? Then you’re in luck! From June 6^th – September 12^th you are invited to enjoy free 90 minute tours of the Toronto Botanical Garden and Edwards Gardens. The Toronto Botanical Garden, situated on 4 spectacular acres of land, is comprised of 12 themed gardens that are all on a scale of a modern urban garden. It is designed so that Torontonians can get ideas and inspiration for their own urban gardens. The Edwards Garden is a former estate garden and is now a public park owned and administered by the City of Toronto. On the uplands there are roses and perennials, while in the valley there is a children’s teaching garden and an arboretum on the upper level, with rockery below.

In addition to adding great beauty to the city, the Toronto Botanical Garden is a great learning centre offering courses, workshops, and lectures, in addition to providing access to their horticultural library to children and adults alike. The George and Kathy Dembrowski Centre for Horticulture is a magnificent building that plays host to many private functions including weddings and corporate events.

Come out for a free tour on Wednesdays at 7:00 PM, rain or shine. Admission is absolutely FREE and you don’t have to register in advance. The meeting place is the Toronto Botanical Garden shop. The address is 777 Lawrence Avenue East. For more information call 416-397-1340 or follow the link below.

http://www.torontobotanicalgarden.ca/

We all know that golf is good for business. As a matter of fact some companies have “strongly suggested” to their employees that they take up the game in order to further their careers. Men and women alike are working on their games, all for the purposes of taking advantage of every possible angle to improve their prospects. It’s a hardship, but they are obviously all extremely dedicated to their work.

The brainchild of the Sheridan Institute of Technology and Kaneff Golf, a company who operates 6 golf courses in Ontario, is the “Golf for Business” course. It is not just a “learn to golf” course. Instead, it incorporates the learning of the game of golf with the etiquette and the subtleties of doing business and networking on the golf course. All sessions are given by a Kaneff Golf instructor.

This kind of course gives a whole new meaning to continuing education, doesn’t it? Interested? For more information follow the link below.

I’ve been searching high and low for some information on my favourite summer festival – the Yonge Street Festival – and I just found out that someone has made the decision to wipe it off Toronto’s agenda. The nebulous reason is that someone, in their infinite wisdom, has decided that Toronto has too many summer festivals. What kind of a reason is that? The Yonge Street Festival is probably the only one that appeals to everyone – children adults, seniors, men, and women. It is not dedicated to promoting any particular cause, ethnic group, entertainment genre, or religion.

For an entire weekend, Yonge Street at the intersections of Dundas, St. Clair, Eglinton, and Lawrence were closed off to traffic and everyone in their respective neighbourhoods came out to mix, mingle, eat, drink, and enjoy the entertainment. And, we wandered up and down the street visiting other festival sites. The mood was fabulous and the entertainment was great. But I suppose the festival was doomed because there was no special interest group lobbying for its continued existence. And there was no special occasion to celebrate, a big parade, or fireworks.

Last year over 1 million Torontonians came out for the 8^th annual Yonge Street Festival. I only have one question. After what could only be considered a success, why couldn’t it have continued?

In order to attract families traveling, the Toronto Hilton is debuting themed hotel rooms, guaranteed to delight the kids. The 2 themes are Barbie and Hot Wheels. The Toronto property is the first hotel in the chain to offer the themed rooms. The Barbie room will be predominantly decorated in pink with a pink accented bed, while the highlight of the Hot Wheels rooms is the car-shaped bed. The themes are each carried out with meticulous detail including a themed room service menu served on Barbie or Hot Wheels dinnerware. Barbie and Hot Wheels packages are available which include an overnight stay in a themed room, breakfast for the family the next morning, and a gift for each child at check-out.

 
This partnership between Hilton and Mattel is not only a great way to market Hilton Hotels and Mattel toys to families, but it will also benefit children in our community. A portion of the proceeds each time a Barbie or Hot Wheels room is occupied will be donated to the Sick Kids Foundation in support of research at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children. 

Does your garden need fluffing? Did you even know that a garden could be fluffed? In Toronto’s hot real estate market, the curb appeal of your home can make the difference in how quickly your house sells and it can greatly affect the selling price. Garden fluffing isn’t just for folks with large yards. As a matter of fact garden fluffing can be of great benefit even if you don’t have a yard. Outdoor spaces, whether they are backyards, terraces, or balconies can have a great impact on the perceived value of your home. In recent years we seem to be using our outdoor spaces more and more. We eat outdoors, relax outdoors, and even work outdoors. I use my balcony as an extra room in the summer.

Garden fluffing may involve nothing more than a little sprucing up – pretty flowers in planters, new patio furniture, or pressure washing the deck. Or it can be pretty pricey – landscaping, or replacing driveways and walkways. There are professionals called “home stagers” who will professionally fluff your yard, terrace, or balcony. I did a google search for home stagers in Toronto. Follow the link below for the results.

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=home+stagers+in+toronto&btnG=Google+Search&meta=cr%3DcountryCA

Finally, a one-fare pass for commuters who use the TTC, Mississauga Transit, and the GO system called Presto! But, don’t get too excited yet. It’s just a pilot project for now. Presto will be tested out by 500 volunteer commuters for at least 6 months. And preferably these commuters will use a combination of the TTC, Mississauga Transit, and GO.

Presto is essentially a debit card that will be embedded with a computer chip and antenna, and loaded with a dollar value. Commuters will be able to load value to their cards online or at transit kiosks which will be strategically located. The cards themselves will not contain any personal information so you will not be at risk if your card is lost or stolen. The information will be kept securely in a central computer.

If Presto works as it is intended, commuters will no longer have to worry about passes, tickets, tokens, and exact change. Instead they will simply tap Presto on an electronic reader that will deduct the lowest applicable fare. Everything comes with a price and if Presto becomes a reality it is estimated that it will cost the TTC $300 million to launch and then another $25 million annually in operating costs.

Are you a commuter who is currently using multiple transit systems? Will Presto make a big difference for you? How about those of you live and work in the GTA, do you want $300 million in your transit dollars to go to Presto?