Because I am a girl: changing how I view school

 

As a girl, sometimes it can be very hard to learn in school. I’ve struggled in school with my academics. In grade 6, I started going to tutoring at More Than Marks tutoring and they helped me to study more. I knew that if I was going to grade 7, something would have to change. Since tutoring, I’ve seen a drastic change in my academics as well as my socializing.I went from being a girl who was just getting by in school to getting A’s on my test and also being student of the month. I personally realized that it’s not just about doing the work or practicing, it’s really about taking the responsibility to say “Yes, I want to learn”. I can make my parents proud by achieving more in school and in life, which leads to success.

Some girls like me may think that they can’t get good grades and improve in school but if you try your hardest you will get to where you want to go. By simply asking for help when needed you can help yourself and others. For example, my family and friends have made me feel more confident about myself and they have made me feel proud. Tips that I’ve personally used are: hanging around responsible people and being respectful to others. Also, it’s very helpful to listen in class and pay attention so that you don’t fall behind. A quote I made up for myself was, “Fill up your car with hope, motivation and courage and then start driving and you’ll get to your destination!”

We will make every Vote count

It’s written right there on the Liberal’s Real Change website, posted during the 2015 election: “We will make every vote count.”Right before the 2015 election, the Liberals wanted to change our voting system, and they wanted it done ASAP. In fact, they stated they were “committed to ensuring that 2015 will be the last federal election conducted under the first-past-the-post voting system.”This is great news for our democracy.Our current system is called, first-past-the-post voting. In this system, if the candidate you voted for in your riding doesn’t win, your vote is lost. As a result of this, more than half of all votes don’t count in current elections and majority governments are elected with less than 50% of the popular vote.Thanks to our voting system, here are your options when the political party/leader you like best is in third according to polls:

• Rather than vote, stay home because your vote won’t count.
• Vote for the party you like most and accept that your vote won’t count.
• Vote for second best because you don’t want your vote to be wasted…

Option (c) is called “strategic voting” which means you just wait around and watch the polls to figure out what everyone else is doing so you can figure out whom to vote for to block the worse option. Yes, make up your mind based on what you think other people might do. Not very inspiring, is it?In the 2011 federal elections, and for the first time ever, the Liberals were a victim and not a beneficiary of strategic voting. It’s ironic, since Liberals always tell NDP and Green voters to vote strategically to block Conservatives. In the end, the Liberals ended up in third place for the first time ever. And man, were they bitter about it.Thanks to our first-past-the-post system, the Liberals ended up with almost 20% of the votes but only 11% of the seats in parliament. That meant almost half of all Liberal votes were effectively wasted and ignored. Another silly by-product of the election was that Harper got a majority government when 60% of people voted against him. A majority government means that one party has 100% of the power until the next election.So, the Liberals began talking about changing the voting system to make “every vote count”. It only took a historic colossal defeat for the Liberal establishment to finally talk about doing the right thing.Proportional representation makes every vote countLuckily, there is currently a voting system that counts every vote. That system is called proportional representation and it appears in far more countries than our system. In fact, 7 of the top 10 countries as ranked by the Legatum Prosperity Index have a form of proportional representation. Only one country, Canada (ranked 6^th), uses first-past-the-post voting.In proportional representation, the percentage of seats a party receives in parliament is proportional to the number of votes they receive across the province or country. That means if your candidate doesn’t win the seat, then your vote still has an effect on the make-up of government. No more wasted votes.In 2011, under proportional representation, the Liberals would have received 20% of the seats because they received 20% of the votes. The Conservatives would have had a minority government with 40% of the seats in parliament. A minority government means politicians have to compromise with other parties in order to table a budget and make things happen. This means that even if the party you wanted loses, they (and therefore you) still have a say on policy.Proportional representation makes every vote count, diminishes the need for strategic voting and only creates majority governments when they are deserved.Will the Liberals improve our democracy or simply help themselves?The results of this past election may in fact be a terrible blow to electoral reform. With a country-wide anti-Harper swing, strategic voting gave the Liberals a majority government (with only 39% of the vote!).We saw that the Liberals became serious about changing the voting system when they thought it could benefit them. Now that our unfair electoral system has benefited them again, will they change it?If they do, my bet is that they will go for preferential/ranked ballot because it is the system they believe will benefit them the most. In this system, you rank your first, second, third, etc. choice when you vote but it does not fix the fact that your first choice will likely get ignored. As such, millions and millions of first place votes will get wasted again. Ranked ballot systems are a terrible choice for creating multi-party democracy and easily create majority government even though the winner gets less than 50% of people’s first choice.The Liberals like this because they believe they are everybody’s second choice and thus ranked ballot will benefit THEM the most.In their platform, the Liberals said they would “convene an all-party Parliamentary committee to review a wide variety of reforms”. Sounds fair, right? They can easily stack the committee with politicians to get the result they want.The real way to make every vote count is proportional representation, a system of government that respect’s people first choice on how they believe their country and province should be run. What the Liberals do on improving our democracy above all will determine if they are serious about real change.

Can you believe?

         When it comes to product labeling, the award for first place goes to Unilever for a product they dubbed, “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!” It isn’t; and to be truthful I’m not quite sure what it is. You know; it’s the white and yellow tub that sits on the margarine shelf in the supermarket; the one that is periodically put on sale for $1.It was the name of the product that induced me to try it and I have to admit that it’s the taste that keeps me using it. Although when I read the ingredients I can’t fully understand why I keep eating it.The package boldly proclaims “Made with Sweet Cream Buttermilk” but on the ingredient list, in tiny letters, says, “Buttermilk powder (milk)”.   Product labeling regulations in both Canada and United States require ingredients on package labels to be listed in the order of their quantity from largest to smallest. They don’t have to give the quantities (ie. reveal their recipe) but they must provide you with the ingredients.   In this product, buttermilk comes after salt so you can infer from this that the entire one pound (454 gram) tub of margarine contains less “sweet cream buttermilk”; err sorry, “buttermilk powder” than it does salt.What happened to the “sweet cream buttermilk”? In fact there is no milk at all. On the original package they did discretely mention, in small letters, that it was “margarine”, sort of in a whisper. Now it has become a “SPREAD” although they call it a “buttery spread” (whatever that means).   It should be re-named; “Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter or Even Margarine Spread!” Wikipedia tells us that the product was developed in 1979 by the J.H. Filbert Company based in Baltimore Maryland before it was bought out by Unilever.   Unilever is a multinational corporation. It owns more than 400 brands.   They brought “almost butter” to Canada back in 1991.I love their commercial. A handsomely masculine bearded guy kneading dough at an outdoor market smiles and says to a couple of attractive women, “I love making the kind of food you really love putting in your body” 100% taste, 0% artificial preservatives, purified water (just like it comes out of your tap), “just a pinch of salt”.   Oops…that pinch of salt is actually 90 milligrams per tablespoon, which is much more than the pinch in the Canadian product which contains 60 mg. of salt per two teaspoons.If the Canadian teaspoons are metric teaspoons and the tablespoon is a U.S. tablespoon the salt content will be even higher, 133 mg, that’s more than double!   I telephoned the company to ask but the consumer representative didn’t know.Oh by the way, the fine print on their web site candidly confesses to unavoidably using some genetically modified oils (just a trace) but not to worry; there may even be less than the “sweet cream buttermilk” in their Canadian Product.   Sorry but the healthier version hasn’t come to Canada yet.   As their website proclaims, “Now that’s something you can feel good about.”The “can’t believe” website boldly avers: “We believe that what we take out is just as important as what we put into our buttery spreads”.Their commercial ends with, “It’s time to believe.”But is it?

Hundreds of people lined up for the famous annual Turkey Giveaway at Downsview Park

Thanksgiving is the time of year when we reflect on our blessings and show gratitude for the little things. It is a great time to get together with friends and family to share food, drinks and laughs. For the ninth year in a row the Downsview Park Merchant’s Market gave away hundreds of frozen turkeys, bags of potatoes, cranberry sauce and/or pasta at their annual event on the thanksgiving long weekend. This event gives families, who normally wouldn’t be able to afford a big turkey dinner, the chance to enjoy this holiday stress free. It builds the community and ensures the inclusion of all during this time of year. The Merchant Market fully funds and oversees all costs associated with the giveaway and vendors from the Farmer’s Market donate hundreds of pounds of potatoes. Thousands of visitors stopped by the market on Sunday, October 11 to participate in the successful event. MPP Judy Sgro and Liberal candidate Michael Levitt participated in the lineups. There was fantastic entertainment by Naomi that sang while people waiting in line for their turkey. “It was truly wonderful to see so many smiles on so many faces as residents picked up their turkeys. We love the opportunity to give back to the community every year.”For more information on this event contact: bobborielly@gmail.com or dpmarket@msn.com.By: Maria Solis

An aspiring, 11 year-old, goalie with over 30 silver and gold medals

“Determined would be the best word to describe him, he believes this is what he’s going to do for the rest of his life.” Joseph Macri is not your average 11 year old boy; he’s an aspiring goalie with over 30 silver and gold medals. Since age four he’s been on the ice and loving every moment. He’s now a “top goalie, every year at every level” says his proud father, Pino Macri. From a young age he demonstrated passion for the game. Most kids don’t wake up in the morning wanting to get on the ice and learn to play hockey, but Joseph loves it. Although he’s had several Triple A offers, his father decided to hold off so that Joseph could focus more on his skill building. He is now playing Double A and also plays with the Toronto GT Capitols and on his school hockey team. Joseph takes hockey “very seriously” says his dad. “He’s on the ice 13 times a week; gets up at 6:00 a.m. every morning to practice and does an hour and a half of dry land training in the afternoon.” This past September, Joseph received a scholarship to attend PEAC, an elite school for athletes that specializes in hockey, lacrosse, figure skating, soccer, rugby and baseball. The schools mission is to further the development of student-athletes and to help them become respectful individuals, top level performers in their sport, and life-long learners who are career-oriented. When asked how he felt to be attending PEAC, Joseph said: “Good! I feel proud of myself.” Every kid in the school trains specifically to their sport. Goalie training includes an hour and a half Monday to Thursday and one hour of strength training per week. Fridays are used to catch up academically and for tournaments that also go through the weekend. The school has the highest ratio for athlete to coach and Joseph is the youngest goalie, training alongside two 16 year old goalies that have been drafted to the OHL. To Joseph, the hardest part of being a goalie is “the concentration in the game, it’s hard to stay in the game.” But when asked how he prepares for a game he says: “I think about it in my head and visualize the game and focus really hard.” His training includes a lot of learning to control the ice and speed intolerance. Robb Nelson, Managing Director at PEAC described Joseph as “hardworking, ambitious and hungry to get better and wants to be the best.” Joseph’s determination, dedication and passion for hockey has impressed many people he’s come to know. His coaches have nothing but great things to say about him and are so proud of his ability to take direction and defend the game as a goalie. "In all my years in hockey development... even at the NHL level... I have never met an individual with more courage than Joseph! As a net minder his passion to stop a puck is second to none. I would recommend Joseph to any coach looking for a goalie with a great attitude and willingness to battle every shot he faces!” Tim Turk, Goalie Coach Joseph and Pino Macri would like to give a very special thank you to: Tim Turk, goalie coach; Joe Venuto & Trisha Kalezic, of Impact Hockey; Robb Nelson from PEAC; and to Todd Miller of the OHL Barrie Colts and all coaches for their years of hard work with Joseph. Joseph’s favourite NHL team is the Montreal Canadians and his favourite player is Perry Price, goalie for Montreal Canadians. Watch out for this kid, his proven potential and good work ethic will likely get him into the NHL one day!By: Maria Solis

Dufferin Finch BIA well on its way to new prosperity

The Keele Street and Finch Avenue West intersection is fast being transformed to a vibrant, exciting hub of economic and urban activity. We know about the new, to-be-opened-in-2017 Finch West Subway Station, as well and the upcoming Finch West LRT, to start construction in 2017 with completion in 2021. This intersection is a main gateway to the Finch Dufferin Business Improvement Area (BIA). The ground-breaking on September 17, 2015 of the attractive, 8-storey 165,000 sq. ft. professional and medical centre, the University Heights Professional and Medical Centre, at 35 Tangiers Road at the south-east corner with Finch Avenue West demonstrates that the Dufferin Finch BIA is well on the way to revitalization and new prosperity. It shows how private investors are betting on Finch Avenue. It is worth noting that 35 Tangiers Road will be a nice place to work, get medical and other help, or shop (there will be retail on the ground floor). The building will have the latest in environmental sustainability and efficiencies (including a green roof). Its 89 units will have an AAA office space designation with a 250 spaces underground garage. This is a change to the type of development that we have seen in the area, and perhaps the first of many new things to come. The fact that Keele and Finch is destined to be an exciting mixed use, urban hub should not be surprising though. The public transit improvements are complemented by Canada’s 3rd largest post-secondary institution at York University to the north and Canada’s first completely digital Humber River Regional Hospital to the South. There is also the massive changes that will be made to the Downsview Park once that takes final shape. The 2,500 businesses and 32,000 workers of Dufferin Finch BIA district will be affected by these changes and so will the neighbouring communities. It is an exciting opportunity to build a better community.By: Joe Pantalone

The future of the busway corridor near York University

 We opened the York University Busway in 2009 when I was Chair of the TTC. It is a bus only roadway linking the Downsview station to York University and was constructed to address over- crowding and reliability issues on route 196, the York University Rocket. The busway is used by the TTC, York Region and Go Transit busses. There are some 1.400 busses a day servicing York University. The busway increased the average speed of route 196 by 41% making it the third fastest TTC route at rush hour and it is now faster than any of the subway lines.  Due to the savings in time from using the busway, service frequency on route 196 was increased while at the same time we were able to lower the operating costs by reducing the number of buses needed to service the route from 20 to 16. Negotiating land for the route with York University was difficult. The University did not want to give up an inch of their land to accommodate the busway. In the end, they only agreed to allow access to their lands on a temporary basis; until such time as the subway was built. Now that the subway is nearing completion and the section northward onto the campus is scheduled to be removed, the city has to decide what to do with the balance of the busway through the hydro corridor. This road cost $37M to construct. $18.4M was contributed by the City of Toronto and the balance paid in equal shares by the Governments of Canada and Ontario. Now that we are constructing the Finch West LRT, expected to be completed by 2021, it appears that the busway will become redundant. I am proposing an alternative to closing it; convert the Busway to an Oil Tanker Route. The busway should be retained, converted to an oil tanker only route and extended westward to connect directly with highway 400. This would provide a unique opportunity to keep the oil trucks away from the Subway stations, reduce wear and tear on the pavement, and relieve some of the traffic congestion in the Finch corridor. In fact, it might be a good way to remove all heavy trucks from Keele Street. So, who will pay for this? Well, the oil companies of course. Before you shed a tear for the big oil companies, as most of the politicians in this election seem to be, consider that the price of a barrel of oil has dropped by half but the price of gas at the pump hasn’t. You can be sure that the oil companies will continue to register even higher profits this year. I would bring back the David Miller Vehicle Tax but this time, instead of putting it on passenger cars, I would put the tax on trucks over 20 tonnes and use that money to extend the busway. I would pass a bylaw that prohibits heavy trucks from using Finch Avenue and Cheeswood Rd, forcing them onto the Busway (now a truck corridor). The city could instead levy a highway 407 type toll on oil trucks. In any case, it could all be done without spending a dime of public funds. It would provide a safe, direct route for trucks into and out of the tank farms without compromising subway safety. Otherwise it’s only a matter of time before we have an oil spill into the subway that would make the Murray Road propane explosion look like a Canada Day firecracker.  

Hand Sewing 101

West - Humber River-Black Creek Candidate Profile

Getting to know your Federal candidates: York-CentreElection time is just around the corner and Canadians from coast to coast are preparing to participate in a pretty big election. For over a decade our country has been run by the Harper Conservatives, and on Monday, October 19 we’ll be given the opportunity to possibly change that. As citizens of this country we have the right, privilege and responsibility to participate in a democratic election. It’s up to us to do our research, ask questions and equip ourselves with the right tools to elect the right people who are going to represent us on every level of government, in this case federally. As we approach Election Day, ask yourself how the current government makes you feel. If you are not happy then it should serve as motivation to participate in the 2015 federal election. In this issue you can learn more about the three major party candidates running in this election in your riding.Darnel Harris serves as Director and President of Regenesis, a post-secondary based environmental, social justice and community organization. He helped to launch YUM! –York University Farmer’s Market and has secured space for a new community bike centre that serves the Black Creek community. His involvement in Breaking Down the Barriers to Biking in the Black Creek Area, a major research project, has laid the foundation for bike infrastructure and programming at York University and in the Black Creek community. Harris recently earned his Master of Environmental Studies from York University and served as the graduate student representative on York University’ Board of Governors where he served on the Land and Property and Marketing, Communications & Community Affairs Committees, from 2013-2015.Liberal: Judy SgroJudy Sgro has been the Liberal Member of Parliament in York-West since 1999. As Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Sgro championed family re-unification policies and worked to ensure that Canada’s immigration system is fair and compassionate and currently serves as the Liberal Critic for Industry. Prior to joining federal politics, she represented North York municipally, focusing on poverty and crime reduction. She was appointed Chair of the Prime Minister’s Task Force on Urban Issues, during this time she helped to mold a national urban policy on issues like funding for social housing, crime mitigation strategies, and strategies to promote human rights and religious freedoms around the world.Conservative: Kerry Vandenberg Kerry Vandenberg is a former Canadian Armed Forces Officer and is committed to ensuring that families, youth and seniors live in a Canada that is prosperous, safe and affordable. Vandenberg has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Neuroschience from McMaster University and has an MBA from the Schulich School of Business, he has also worked as a business consultant and advisor to elected officials.(ARTICLE CONTD PAGE)We asked each party candidate several questions to better help you understand how they will represent you in the community.Downsview Advocate:“How will your party address the issue of people, with disabilities, living below the poverty line due to the inadequate federal disability pension?”Darnel Harris - NDP:“Within our first six months in office, we will sit down with our provincial partners across the country to put in place a strong plan for change. Here in our community, that will mean people living below the poverty line will benefit from the affordable housing generated from our national housing strategy. We will also increase the Guaranteed Income Supplement to ensure people with disabilities can live with dignity.”For more information or to contact the campaign office visit:http://darnelharris.ndp.ca/aboutDownsview Advocate: “What do you think is important for the community & what would your party do for our community at a local level?”Judy Sgro - Liberal:“The Liberals (Justin Trudeau) and I want to help by; sending families a tax-free, monthly child benefit of up to $533 per child; offering a 7% tax cut to middle-income workers (saving you $600 each year); and sy asking the wealthiest Canadians to pay a little more so you can pay a little less. The Liberal Party has made a decision to generate policy options that put people first.We will address local problems with national solution.”For more information or to contact the campaign office visit:https://judysgro.liberal.ca/Kerry Vandenberg -Conservative:Did not answer any questions.For more information or to contact the campaign office visit:http://kerryvandenberg.ca/ 

East - York‎ Centre Federal Candidate Profile

Election time is just around the corner and Canadians from coast to coast are preparing to participate in a pretty big election. For over a decade our country has been run by the Harper Conservatives, and on Monday, October 19 we’ll be given the opportunity to possibly change that. As citizens of this country we have the right, privilege and responsibility to participate in a democratic election. It’s up to us to do our research, ask questions and equip ourselves with the right tools to elect the right people who are going to represent us on every level of government, in this case federally. As we approach Election Day, ask yourself how the current government makes you feel. If you are not happy then it should serve as motivation to participate in the 2015 federal election. In this issue you can learn more about the three major party candidates running in this election in your riding.New Democratic Party: Dr. Hal ‎Berman Dr. Berman has been involved with the New Democratic Party since 1984. Berman provides home care to patients through the Temmy Latner Centre at Mount Sinai Hospital. He is also an Assistant Professor with the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, where he manages the end-of-life care education curriculum. And serves as camp doctor at Camp Erin, an annual camp that provides support for children and youth ages 6-17 who are grieving loss. This is Berman’s first time running for public office.“I am excited to be a part of what I hope will be a truly historic election on October 19.”Liberal: Michael Levitt Michael Levitt is a lifelong Liberal and a dedicated volunteer who has worked on federal, provincial and municipal campaigns. He is a founding member of the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee, a member of the Bathurst Manor Action Group and sits on the boards of the Koffler Centre of the Arts and Mount Sinai Hospital. Levitt is a local businessman, happily married and the proud father of two children. If elected, he will continue to focus on the local issues, like the protection of Downsview Park, economic development and opportunities for all York Centre residents. Conservative: Mark Adler Mark Adler has been a Member of Parliament for York Centre since May 2, 2011. He is a member of the House of Commons Finance Committee and Government Operations Committee. Adler works closely with the Department of Public Works and Government Services and is Co-Chair of the Canada-Russia Parliamentary Friendship Group, Co-Chair of the All-Party Interfaith Committee and Co-Chair of the All-Party Eating Disorder Caucus. Throughout his life, Adler has dedicated his time to raise awareness about discrimination and antisemitism.We asked each party candidate several questions to better help you understand how they will represent you in the community. Downsview Advocate:“Polls show that the NDP has a chance, for the first time, to form government. Why should people give the NDP a chance?”Hal Berman - NDP:“In the last decade Canadians have seen their country change from the vision that we hold for it. Our short-sided foreign policy has earned us international ridicule. Our civil rights have been challenged time and time again by a government that would keep power by using fear to divide us. The New Democratic Party has a history of being at the forefront of social change, from Medicare to social assistance.  It is the only party that insists that full time workers be paid a salary that keeps them above the poverty line.  It is the only party that has a clear plan to defend and strengthen public health care, including a National Palliative Care strategy. We are the only ones who will ensure that people can afford to work with the knowledge that their children are safe in quality, affordable, $15 dollar a day daycare.”For more information or to contact the campaign office visit: http://halberman.ndp.ca/ Downsview Advocate:“Polls have shown your party as coming in 3rd, why should people vote for the Liberal party this time, when many walked away from it in 2011?”Micheal Levitt -Liberal:“We’re a new, re-engaged party, presenting new and strong ideas to make Canada better. We have a plan and a team to grow the middle class and provide a fair opportunity to Canadians, or individuals wanting to become Canadian, to better their lives in this country. For almost ten years, this country has suffered from myopic, self-serving government. It’s time for real change.”For more information or to contact the campaign office visit: http://michaellevitt.liberal.ca/biography/Mark Adler -Conservative:Did not answer any questions.For more information or to contact the campaign office visit: http://markadler2015.com/