May 31st is the deadline for all stores to hide their cigarettes and all tobacco related paraphernalia from plain view. It will be illegal for any tobacco products to be displayed at any time, including during restocking or inventory checks. This is the last stage of the Smoke Free Ontario Act which became a law in 2006. Without cigarettes on display consumers will have to look through a binder in order to make their selection. The law even prohibits customers from touching the cigarettes before they pay for them.

Out of sight really means out of sight. The province is suggesting that in order to comply with the law that cigarettes be kept in overhead containers or drawers that are below the counter and totally invisible to customers. Doors that open in view of the customers are not acceptable. There are approximately 10,000 convenience stores in Ontario and at least half of them won’t be ready to hide their tobacco products by the May 31st because the store owners didn’t get the specific requirements until the end of January 2008. Many small stores derive the lion share of their income from the sale of cigarettes. In addition this new law will cause them to lose their retailing allowances, which are incentive fees that are paid by tobacco companies to ensure that their products are prominently placed. The special containers will also prove to be a financial hardship for many small shop owners with prices estimated in the average range of $2,500.00. The fines for noncompliance have yet to be finalized, but is assumed that first time fines would likely be $200.00 - $300.00.

It seems to me that we are being hypocritical. We have not banned the sale of cigarettes because we want to continue to raking in the huge tax dollars that generate. But, we want to make it as big a hardship for stores to sell them so that we can appear to be doing the right thing in the war against smoking. In the meantime the illegal cigarette trade is growing exponentially. What are we doing about it? Perhaps it time to take a real stand and make the sale of cigarettes and all tobacco products illegal instead of these half-hearted measures that continue to line the government’s pockets. Do you think that the sale of cigarettes should be banned altogether? Do you approve of the latest measure to hide all tobacco products? Do think that this will have an impact on teenage smoking?

I’m a big fan of Ontario wines and the wonderful wineries in the Niagara Peninsula and Prince Edward County. I had no idea that essentially what was an enormous home-brew facility existed in Little Portugal on Dublin Street. The problem with this quasi-winery where the wine was allegedly made and sold by Confira Imports and Distributing Limited, is that this facility was totally unregulated and as a result large amounts of the wine may be unsafe and could pose a health risk.

The illegal wine was not sold through the back door in the dead of night. It was actually sold in local convenience stores in Toronto. Red and white wine was sold by the 4-litre jug to the stores for $10.00 and they in turn resold it to the customers for $13.00 - $14.00. I assume that you had to know the owner of the store in order to buy the wine because it obviously wasn’t kept in plain view on the shelves. But, the community certainly knew about it, as is evidenced by the fact that it was someone in the neighbourhood who complained to the police about the bootlegged wine. It is apparently very easy to find, as long as you know where to look.

Acting on the tip, the police had the warehouse under surveillance for 5 weeks before making their move. When the Toronto police arrived at Confira’s warehouse on Dublin Street they found wine stewing in uncovered containers, two cats wandering around, and a dead spider floating in one of the vats. The equipment was unclean. They seized 46,680 litres of red and white wine. So far the owners of Confira and 6 store owners have been charged with unlawfully keeping, offering, and selling liquor. Confira could be fined as much as $500,000 and each individual could be fined $250,000. In spite of the unclean conditions and the health risk, there have not been any reported cases of illness as a result.

Do you know anyone who buys bootlegged wine?

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?

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.

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

Come down to the Second Annual Toronto Green Living Show from April 25 – April 27 at the Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place.

Everyone talks about “living green”, but this show will teach you how to do it by making practical changes in your life. Over 400 exhibitors and industry experts will be on hand with information, suggestions, and solutions in areas including energy, building, transportation, education, business, home and garden, fashion and beauty, food and beverage, health and fitness, and travel.

The Toronto Green Living Show hours are:

Friday, April 25th from 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Saturday, April 26th from 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Sunday, April 27th from 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Tickets for adults are $12.00 if you buy them at the door but only $10.50 if you buy them online. Students and senior pay $9.00 at the door or $8.00 online. Take public transit, parking is expensive. The 509 Harbourfront streetcar from Union Station or the 511 Bathurst streetcar from Bathurst Station will get you there.

Some great features of the show include:

• Main Stage presentations by celebrities and environmental experts
• Hundreds of new products
• CANÜhome - a beautiful, sustainable, and affordable one-story housing unit
• Organic Marketplace where you can shop for local, organic, fair trade products
• Test, Ride and Drive - experience green transport first hand by test driving battery, hybrid, and fuel cell electric vehicles
• Eco-friendly fashion shows
• Green Living Kids Zone - family activity centre with crafts, games, live performances, and speakers
• Organic wine, beer, and spirits lounge where you can sample and learn about organic beer and wine and the local wineries and breweries that make them.

In spite of ongoing protests, it appears that the death knoll has rung for 39 Toronto school swimming pools. Commencing in June, the pools will be drained for the last time. By June 2009 all 39 pools will be permanently dry. The only pools that are remaining open for now are the ones used for special education classes or city run programs because the city council has agreed to cover the operating costs until 2011.

Shutting down a pool comes with a high cost as well – somewhere between $5,000 to $15,000 - for draining the pool, filter and piping, disconnecting electrical systems, and the removal and disposal of chemicals. What the actual loss of the pools is to the students is immeasurable.

In June 2008 the following Elementary Schools will lose their swimming pools:

Carleton Village Sr PS
Earl Grey Sr PS
Fern Avenue Jr & Sr. PS
Keele Street Jr PS & City Community Centre
Kensington Community School
Queen Alexandra Sr. PS.
Winona McMurrich Jr PS

In June 2008 the following Secondary Schools will lose their swimming pools:

Bickford Centre
Central Commerce Collegiate
Central Technical School (2 pools)
Danforth Collegiate & Technical Institute
Downsview SS
Forest Hill CI
George Harvey CI
George S Henry Academy
Jarvis CI
Monarch Park
North Toronto CI
Riverdale CI
Rosedale Heights SS
SATEC @WA Porter
Ursula Franklin Academy at Western Technical

In June 2009 the following schools will lose their swimming pools:

Allenby Jr PS
AY Jackson SS
Deer Park Jr & Sr PS
Glenview Sr PS
Bloor CI
Harbord CI
Humberside CI
Lawrence Park CI
Malvern CI
Northern SS
Oakwood CI
Parkdale CI
RH King Academy
Stephen Leacock CI
Western Technical-Commercial School
Westview Centennial

It’s inconceivable that we can’t come up with enough money for a program that contributes to the health and well being of our youth, especially when we have so many inflated salaries on the City of Toronto payroll. Do you have any suggestions?

The Toronto Police do really great work, especially with young people. And, unfortunately that work goes largely unheralded because we don’t often think of them as people who are truly concerned and active within our communities. We see them as ticket issuers. Think again.

In the hopes of helping teenagers in Toronto’s most at-risk and in-need neighbourhoods this summer, the Ontario government is investing its money and the Police are investing their time. This is all part of Ontario’s Youth Opportunities Strategy which is dedicated to helping disadvantaged young people to develop skills in the workplace and to feel good about themselves and their prospects for the future. This program began as a 2-year pilot project and has been a resounding success. Last year:
• 1,800 summer jobs were created in Toronto, Durham, Windsor, Ottawa, London, Hamilton, and Thunder Bay
• 159 teens were got jobs with the Police Services
• Over 3,000 teens participated in school-based programs to help youths who are in trouble with the law

As a result, the Ontario government is giving $5.3 million that will allow the Ontario’s Youth Opportunities Strategy to continue. The program provides summer job programs, 35 youth outreach workers, and school-based programs to help teenagers who have been involved in crime. In total 850 at-risk youths will have paid summer jobs. This year 100 teenagers will have the opportunity to actually work for the Toronto Police Service in many different areas including forensics and traffic services. Another 750 teens will have jobs as youth outreach workers. Other communities throughout Ontario will be running similar programs, with 950 jobs funded in Durham, Hamilton, Windsor, Ottawa, London, and Thunder Bay.

For more details follow the link to the Toronto Police Service website
http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/
and Youth Connect which provides comprehensive information on government services for youth.
http://www.youthconnect.ca/

Why in a civilized society should hard working people who work diligently at full time jobs not earn enough to make ends meet? There has to be something seriously wrong with our system for this to occur right here in Ontario, but we aren’t doing anything to fix it.

On March 31st Ontario’s general minimum wage increased to $8.75 from $8.00. With the new minimum wage increase in place the pay cheque for a 40-hour week will be $350 before deductions. Yearly increases are planned, with the goal of reaching $10.25 in 2010. However, according to New Democrat MPP Cheri DiNovo of Parkdale-High Park, the poverty line right now is $10.25. Approximately 200,000 people living in Ontario currently earn the minimum wage. And, approximately 1.2 million people living in Ontario currently earn less that $10.00 per hour. Do the math. This means that almost 1.5 million full time workers in Ontario are currently living in poverty. This is unconscionable!

Ms DiNovo plans to introduce a private member’s bill calling for a minimum wage of $11.00 hourly within three years. Anti-poverty activists agree. People must be able to work at jobs that they can survive on. However many economists are saying that the increase in minimum wage with lead to job losses. There are studies to prove the theory. But, there are studies that prove that raising the minimum wage does not lead to job losses. Both sides agree that raising the minimum wage in an economic downturn will lead to the trimming of jobs. But, wouldn’t that happen in an economic downturn with or without an increase in minimum wage?

I don’t know what the answer is but I do know that the minimum wage should ensure that anyone working full time is not living in poverty.