The Bloor-Yorkville Wine Festival is now in its 10th glorious year and has been renamed Santé: Toronto International Wine Festival. From May 5 – 10 wines of the world will take centre stage in Toronto, with a focus on new world wines from Australia and California.

Some of the incredible festival highlights include:

• Over 10,000 participants
• 375 great wines
• 42 international wineries from 12 countries
• 22 celebrity chefs
• Deconstructing Dinner Seminars
• Ultimate Winemaker’s Dinner
• International Wine Tasting
• Sip, Savour & Shop
• Savour & Learn
• Santé Finale

Santé, a celebration of wine, is designed to appeal to all wine lovers. You don’t have to be knowledgeable or be a collector. This is a fabulous opportunity to taste and learn. If you love wine and you love to dine then you must try Santé in the City – select restaurants have partnered with Festival wineries to create fabulous wining and dining experiences. Follow the link below to the complete list of participating restaurants, dates, and prices.
http://www.santewinefestival.net/list_OF_restaurant.html

Just when you thought that air travel couldn’t possibly get any worse, the latest from Air Canada may make you rethink your travel plans. Citing fuel costs as the reason, economy class passengers who buy Tango and Tango Plus tickets will have to pay $25.00 extra to check a second bag on North American flights, effective on July 15th.

This is the latest in a series of cash grab schemes instituted by the airline in an attempt to generate revenue without announcing a fare hike. Do they really think that we don’t understand what they are doing?

If you have excess baggage, this news may make your heart stop! Economy passengers who check in more than two bags will be charged $100.00 for each additional bag on North American flights and $225.00 on international flights. This is absolutely unbelievable. I cannot imagine how families traveling with children are going to afford air travel. Air Canada’s cavalier response to these concerns was the following quote by Air Canada spokeswoman Isabelle Arthur, who said, “If you choose to pack lighter, then you will not pay this fee”.

Of course this new cash grab scheme won’t affect business class travelers. It will only affect those who it will hurt the most – families and people who head off for an annual holiday. Air Canada has clearly taken its cue from some of the U.S. airlines who instituted similar policies. United Airlines, Continental, Delta, Northwest, and US Airways will begin charging customers an additional $25.00 for checking second bags in May.

Porter Airlines said it has no plans to introduce any new fees in the near future. Will this latest airline surcharge make you rethink your travel plans? Will this help swing you over to Porter?

The TTC is the poster child for a union who should not have the right to strike. Everyday the TTC is used by approximately 1.5 million people. The City of Toronto cannot function without an operational transit system. The residents of Toronto cannot get to their jobs and earn a living with the TTC on strike. If that is not the definition of an essential service, then I don’t know what is.

Union President Bob Kinnear, a megalomaniac and bully, pranced around beating his chest in victory last week when he declared that he accepted an agreement that made no concessions. The TTC didn’t get a good deal, they got a deal that what utterly stupid for the people of Toronto. If the TTC got everything that they wanted, then why wouldn’t the union members ratify the agreement? Instead they rejected the sweetheart deal and went out on strike at midnight on Friday night with a mere 90 minutes notice instead of the 48 hours notice that was promised. Countless numbers of people were left stranded all over the city. Others woke to the news on Saturday morning with no means to get to their jobs.

Some say that the deal was rejected because mechanics were concerned about job security because new bus repairs are covered on warranty and not the responsibility of the TTC. Another theory is that the maintenance workers were very upset that they didn’t get the “highest paid” clause that the drivers got. The reality is that David Miller gave away the store and the union still wouldn’t ratify the agreement. It’s time for the mayor to take back control of the city, and have the TTC declared an essential service. Once that’s done they should be given a fair contract for all parties. If the union doesn’t like it then these overpaid prima donnas can go out and find another job and perhaps another union boss who has a grip on reality.

In the meantime the legislature sat on Sunday and quickly passed back to work legislation. There was some service on Sunday afternoon and full service is to be restored by Monday morning. If the union or any union members defy the legislation fines of $25,000 per day for the union and $2,000 per day for individuals could be imposed. The bill imposes mediation and arbitration and must take into account the ability of the city and the province to pay. It will be interesting to see what comes of this.

What a great way to get free advertising and publicity. The $1.00 house is now the most talked about property in Toronto. Omar Ibrahim, the owner of the 2-storey house located at 93 Badgerow Avenue, came up with this publicity stunt to get his house noticed. And that he did. The story has appeared everywhere. Obviously he has no intentions of selling the house for $1.00. In a market that is not as hot as it was (Toronto’s residential unit sales dropped 13.4 % and new listings dropped 7 %) Mr. Ibrahim felt that an extra edge was needed to create interest in his property – a semi in Riverdale with three bedrooms, new flooring, appliances, fresh paint, and a finished basement.

I was actually disappointed to hear that this marketing strategy is not new. According to real estate broker Tony Bassels, in 2004 a house in Willowdale was listed for $1.00. In 16 days it sold for approximately $960,000. The interest generated by the $1.00 listing was believed to have contributed to the high sale price. Mr. Ibrahim has done his homework well. He buys, renovates, and sells houses. In January 2008 he purchased the property at 93 Badgerow Ave. for $342,000. Clearly he will not be selling the house for bargain basement prices. Quite the contrary, he is hoping that the interest generated by the $1.00 listing will drive up the interest in the property and the selling price. It will be interesting to see if lightning strikes twice and if this marketing strategy works again.

It seems like only yesterday that we were practically ready to riot when gas prices in Toronto hit $1.10 per litre. Sadly, that now seems like a bargain as we watched the prices for regular gas sky rocket to $1.20 per litre in Toronto.

Consultants MJ Ervin & Associates attempt to explain away this spike in gas prices with the following:

• The soaring price of oil
• Regular maintenance of the refineries reduce the supply of gas which drives the prices upward
• As the summer months approach the demand for gas increases and supports the higher prices

This all sounds like double-talk to me. I find Liberal MP Dan McTeague’s explanation much more believable. He says that the refiners are plain and simply gouging consumers. He does not see the market fundamentals supporting the rising prices. Look at the facts and decide for yourself.

• A year ago the price for a barrel of oil was $64.00 USD
• The current price for a barrel of oil is approximately $116.00 USD

If this is the reason why we are paying so much at the pumps then why is the price per litre in Toronto $1.20 and according to the latest AAA survey the average price of regular gasoline is at a record high in the US at $3.386 US per American gallon which converts to $0.91 a litre in Canadian money. Why are we paying almost $0.30 more per litre? It’s no wonder that Canadians are flocking across the border to fill up their cars. And we are being warned that we can expect the prices to soar to $1.40 per litre. It’s time that we demanded answers from our politicians and stop just accepting their double talk and nonsense excuses when we can purchase gas for $0.91 per litre in the US.

On May 1st EcoCab will be arriving in Toronto. It’s already all of the rage in 50 cosmopolitan cities around the world and Toronto is now poised to join that illustrious group. They actually look like a futuristic motorized rickshaw and in fact EcoCab runs primarily on the pedal-power of a trained driver, and can be supported by 2 small self charging 12 volt batteries that regulate the motor in addition to powering the front, rear, and indicator lights. It can reach speeds of up to 12 km per hour.

The service is absolutely free of charge and free of any emissions. EcoCabs are not a new fangled invention. They have been around since 1997 and were the official transport service of the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004 and the 2006 soccer World Cup in Germany. They are designed and manufactured in Germany. An ideal vehicle for short-distance urban transportation they can navigate with ease through busy city streets. They should prove invaluable during Toronto’s summer festivals by offering free shuttle service.

On April 21st the media will have a chance to get a sneak peak at the EcoCab from 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM at Yonge – Dundas Square. It sounds like a very novel idea. But, I have a ton of questions. The service is free, but there is no such thing as free. What kind of revenue will be derived from the vehicles? Who is going to be buying and maintaining the EcoCabs? How many are being purchased? Who is going to provide the training in their operation? Are people going to apply to be EcoCab drivers? What happens in winter? Have you ever seen or taken a ride in an EcoCab?

Plato was right was he coined the phrase “Necessity is the Mother of Invention”. http://www.storeyourdorm.ca/ provides student storage services in Toronto, Southwestern Ontario, and in Montreal – on and off campus. This great idea was developed by students living away from home and looking for storage solutions during the summer months that met their needs and budgets.

They have thought of everything so that students that are scrambling to write exams, finish papers, pack up and move all at the same time can move and store their belongings efficiently and affordably. They deliver:
• Cardboard boxes
• Packing tape
• Labels

Store Your Dorm works 7 days/per week from 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM and allows the student to select the moving day and time of their choice for pick-up and for drop-off. Everything is stored in secure, climate controlled areas and insurance up to $1,000.00 is included in all of the packages. Most of the employees are students, so students support their own. And there is no money or secured credit up front. Payment is not taken until the items for storage are picked up.

This is also a company with a social conscious. Their concerns are the environment and ending violence against women on campuses across Canada. This year they are planting 1 tree for every new customer that they acquire and they are increasing their use of recycled materials while simultaneously reducing paper advertising on campuses. Store Your Dorm will be pleased to have a female employee present at the time of pick-up and/or delivery upon request. If you have a student that is looking to store their belongings for the summer, let them know about Store Your Dorm.

The TTC is operated normally this morning. The threatened strike by Local 113 of the Toronto Transit commission was averted, not because the union participated in honest negotiations with a sincere desire not to strike and cripple the city, but because as stated by Bob Kinnear, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113, NO concessions were made. What kind of negotiation involves no concessions? The answer is strong arm bully tactics and the knowledge that the city could not afford to literally strand 700,000 hard working Torontonians who depend on the TTC.

The union, representing 8,900 TTC workers, negotiated a 3-year deal that includes 3% salary increases each year, and improvements in life insurance and dental coverage. They will now be the highest paid transit operators in the GTA. Incredibly there is actually a clause in the agreement that if workers another transit operator earns more money at the same position, then the TTC workers will get an automatic pay raise. Have you ever heard of such idiocy!

Toronto’s world traveling Mayor, David Miller, was happy about the deal and praised the negotiators. Is he completely mad? There was no negotiation. The union got everything that they wanted. Why isn’t David Miller setting the wheels in motion to declare the TTC an essential service and as such remove their right to strike? Dalton McGuinty publicly stated that he would support such action. When is this madness going to stop? The unions are in complete control of the city and David Miller seems to be oblivious to it all. I don’t know about you, but I want a Mayor who is prepared to stand up for the people of Toronto, not spend taxpayers’ money on trips to China.

Let’s have the TTC declared an essential service – which they are in case no one noticed – and remove their right to strike once and for all!

Toronto schools are in crisis. First came the announcement of the swimming pool closures. The protests continue and alternatives are being sought. Clearly the dust hasn’t settled on this issue yet, and now comes another bombshell – a plan to close schools with poor enrolment.

This issue is more widespread than originally thought. Changing demographics and rising housing prices have literally forced families from the city into the suburbs. It has been reported that:
• 93 of 560 schools in the city of Toronto are operating at less than 50% capacity
• Each year Toronto has declining enrolment to the tune of 4,000 fewer students
• Since 2001 the enrolment in the Toronto District School board has declined by 30,000 students

In order to balance the budget this year $74 million has to be cut from the budget and these under utilized schools seem to be a good place to start – at least on paper. The trustees will be meeting to discuss establishing a standard optimal school size, the distribution of schools, grade structure, integrating middle schools with the lower grades, and other factors that contribute to the management and allocation of assets. The current recommendations are for elementary schools with 450 students and high schools with 1,200 students.

Clearly school closures seem to be a logical and necessary step to balancing the budget and to make the most efficient use of the existing resources. Needless to say emotions will run high and no matter what decisions are made, many people will be unhappy. Do you think that it is a good idea to close schools with less than 50% enrolment?

Using a tape measure may save your life! How big is your waist? The Heart & Stroke Foundation wants you to know that if you have a big waist due to excess fat that you are at risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Take out your tape measure and use the following guidelines:

• Men with a waist measurement of more than 40 inches or 102 centimetres are at high risk for heart health problems
• Women with a waist measurement of more than 35 inches or 88 centimetres are at high risk for heart health problems
• Men of Chinese or South Asian descent with a waist measurement of more than 35.4 inches or 90 centimetres are at high risk for heart health problems
• Women of Chinese or South Asian descent with a waist measurement of more than 31.5 inches or 80 centimetres are at high risk for heart health problems

Waist circumference DOES NOT diagnosis an illness. It serves as a warning to go and see your family physician and get yourself checked out. Medical intervention may be required. It’s easy to do, requires no special equipment or skill, and is extremely accurate. Everyone should be aware of 3 factors – weight, cholesterol level, and waist circumference. Just because you have a small waist doesn’t mean that you are not at risk. Other risk factors are smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, a sedentary lifestyle, poor nutrition, diabetes, and family history.
For more information on healthy waists and how to measure yourself properly, here are two useful resources:

How to take your waist measurement
Waist to hip ratio calculator