Cutting the cord on expensive cable

If you hate your cable and internet bill, keep reading this article.Cable and Internet can set you back $100 to $200 every month. Luckily you have some alternatives, particularly for cable. The problem of course is that there are only two major providers. All the smaller cable and internet providers use Rogers and Bell infrastructure so that there is not a lot of competition. It really comes down to a having two private companies with a shared protected monopoly. This explains the lack of service when you call them for anything. It also explains the movement of people that call themselves “cordcutters”.“Cordcutters” are people that got tired of the high fees and poor customer service and looked for ways around streaming content.There are options out there. For starters, pick-and-pay cable is finally coming to Canada. The Federal agency that oversees the cable industry gave all cable companies until March of 2016 to provide a new service. Starting in two months all cable companies will have to provide the following new items:• “basic” bundles for $25• all channels not included in the basic package are to be offered in small packages or individuallyYou want the sports channels, but not the other 200 odd channels that come with it? You will have more options now with traditional cable companies. However, this is not the solution for everyone. For many, maybe cable TV does not offer all you need so many people have now switched to internet media streamers.You can get a lot of content directly to your TV through a media streamer connected to the internet. Through the box you can search for content, order a TV series, download movies, etc. There are dozens of models, but they come in two basic forms: paid boxes and free boxes.The most popular paid boxes are Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV. While they provide access to some free programming, they largely depend on consumers ordering content services like Netflix, Amazon, Cineplex, NHL Gamecentre Live, VUDU, etc. Apple TV on the other hand has limited options to free content. The boxes range from about $100.00 and ordering the services you want as opposed to a package with 300 channels you don't watch can save you some money.The free programming based boxes also offer access to some of the same paid content, but they also offer alternatives to watch some of the same shows and live events without having to fork over the money. Some of the most common alternative media streamers are Xbox, PS4, Android TV and Chromecast. These range widely in price. They can go from $50 to $500. Depending on what you need and your budget, you may not need to pay for any services after you buy the hardware but you need a good internet connection.The last method may be the easiest and most economical to set up. It provides you with up to two dozen high definition channel, requires only a one time purchase and installation and requires no monthly payments of any kind, internet or cable. Your trusted old antenna is not your grandparent's antenna any more. By law, all major TV broadcasters now have to provide HD TV over the airwaves. In Downsview a good antenna can get you up to 26 channels from Canada and the US.Have you cut the cord yet?For more information and resources you can go here:http://cordbreaker.cahttp://www.canadiancordcutting.com/

City Council bans the use of Hookah’s in Toronto

Late last year, Toronto city council overwhelmingly voted to ban the use of hookah’s inside licensed hookah lounges.The new law is expected to come into effect April 2016 bringing associated amendments to the Municipal Code Chapter 545, Licensing. Hookahs or water pipes are used to smoke tobacco and another herbal product known as shisha. Shisha is tobacco combined with molasses or honey that is used for smoking. The tobacco in cigars and cigarettes contains industrial chemicals and artificial additives while shisha is made of only natural substances and comes in a wide variety of flavors.Currently, only non-tobacco shisha can legally be smoked at hookah businesses. Hookah smoking has been popular among people from Middle Eastern and North African countries but has become widespread in North America amongst youth and adults with many establishments in Toronto permitting entry to minors.Toronto Public Health has estimated that as of April 2015 there were at least 60 Toronto businesses offering the use of the hookah on their premises. Data from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care shows that Toronto has the highest number of hookah businesses in Ontario, with the majority of these businesses being licensed as eating establishments and some as entertainment or retail stores.In 2014, a study was conducted which determined that the hookah presents health dangers for users in addition to those exposed to second-hand smoke. Data obtained on indoor air quality at hookah establishments demonstrated that the use of any substance could result in negative health consequences. Furthermore, Toronto Public Health presented the results of an air monitoring study at 12 indoor and 5 outdoor hookah cafes in Toronto which found alarming levels of fine air pollutant particles and carbon monoxide. Researchers determined that employees and customers at indoor hookah cafes are exposed to air pollution at levels that are considered harmful to human health. Outdoor hookah cafes showed less harmful levels than indoors, but air quality levels were still poor. High levels of nicotine in the air in indoor locations alluded to the fact that tobacco shisha is smoked in contravention of the Smoke Free Ontario Act at hookah businesses, exposing staff and patrons to the health risks of tobacco use, nicotine and second-hand tobacco smoke. In Ontario, Peterborough, Orillia, Bradford West Gwillimbury and Barrie have already prohibited hookah use in indoor public places regardless of whether tobacco or herbal shisha is being used.Some Canadian cities have already banned the use of the hookah. In 2013, Alberta passed legislation barring the smoking of tobacco-like substances and excluding of smoking these products in hookahs in public places where smoking was already prohibited. Recently, Nova Scotia also passed similar legislation which took effect in May. Use of the hookah was challenged in British Columbia as being a violation of The Charter of Rights. It is worth noting that the Court did not uphold the same sentiment.More to the point is the fact that the use of the hookah weakens the hard fought accomplishments of the Smoke Free Ontario Act, enacted in 1994 and last amended in 2015, by making hookah use socially acceptable.A lawyer representing 14 owners of hookah establishments said his clients are willing to be regulated by the City as they want to stay in business. It appears City Council does not agree. Although I am not a smoker, I do wonder, what ban is next? What makes drinking or gambling safer than smoking?

Toronto City Council approves traffic light at Sheppard Ave. and Bakersfield St.

When you are travelling north on the Allen Road and are headed for the Finch and Keele area most drivers avoid the journey around what I call the Sheppard Avenue hump by turning north on Bakersfield Street.Bakersfield Street is the first street just west of the railroad underpass on Sheppard Avenue.   That route allows you to go due north and then cut across Toro Road in a straight line to Keele Street. It shaves your trip by about 3 kilometers.   Unfortunately, the trip cannot be done in reverse because a concrete barrier across Sheppard Avenue prevents you from turning left.   To return most drivers turn left at St. Regis Road and access Sheppard via Tuscan Gate.I am happy to report that Toronto Council at their December meeting approved a traffic signal for the intersection of Sheppard West and Bakersfield Street.   A new street, called Viti Street will be created by extending Bakersfield Southward to establish the main vehicle entrance to the new subway Station.   Bakersfield will be widened at the South End to accommodate the flow of Traffic.   That’s good news for everyone except the used car dealership that parks cars for sale all over the street.Bakersfield Street.   A new street, called Viti Street will be created by extending Bakersfield Southward to establish the main vehicle entrance to the new subway Station.     Bakersfield will be widened at the South End to accommodate the flow of Traffic.   That’s good news for everyone except the used car dealership that parks cars for sale all over the street. The new subway station will be an important hub because it will function as a dual TTC/Go transit crossover. The go station for the northwest commuter line from York Region is located just across the tracks on the east side.   Now, Instead of having to travel all the way down to Union Station to access Toronto, commuters from the North will be able to disembark at the new Go Station and access the subway system in Downsview. This will take thousands of cars off Toronto streets when people who live north of the City discover that they can now more conveniently travel to work by TTC.For Downsview residents, it means less traffic congestion, better transit access and now they won’t have to travel to the Allen Road in order to drop someone at a subway kiss and ride.

Discover the genius within your child

The UCMAS Mental Math Program is revolutionizing the way children are learning life skills through math. These days it isn’t easy to stimulate a child for a long period of time without them reaching for electronics. When children have fun learning while in an encouraging environment surrounded by peers, their brains are given the opportunity to grow and excel in a healthy way. If you are looking for an after school program that will stimulate or child and help them in school then keep reading.UCMAS is a unique program that was developed in Malaysia in 1993 and has been offered in Canada since 2004. It promotes whole brain development by stimulating both sides of the brain. Children are taught time management, memory, concentration, problem solving and how to multitask. Students range between the ages of four to 13 and they learn math with the use of an Abacus.“I grew up in the area so I know that such a program can improve scores in standardized testing, and will definitely have a massive impact on student success in this community,” said Mathan Thava who runs the only UCMAS program in North York (located right at Keele St.and Finch Ave.). “Programs fill up quickly and batches usually start around the beginning of a new school semester (September and January),” said Thava. Each level runs for four months, after completing a level there is a ceremony and children are presented with a certificate of completion and moved on to the next level. Children are encouraged to help one another which promotes self-confidence.“This mental math program teaches a child’s brain to problem solve at a high level using focus and concentration,” said Thava. UCMAS opens the door to a student’s proficiency and confidence in math while laying down the foundation for children to develop fundamental learning skills that will ensure success in school and in their daily lives. “We are teaching kids to utilize their full capacity and levels of concentration to become better at math and use those skills to lead a fulfilling life,” says Thava.Programs are developed by experts in child development as well as psychologists alongside carefully selected program specialists. UCMAS is an ISO 9001:2008 certified program.Contact the Aizen Academy to register for the UCMAS Program today!UCMAS North York @ Keele & FinchAizen Academy Inc. - Mathan Thava1290 Finch Ave West Unit 22Toronto , ON M3J 3K3Cell (647) 990-0864 - Office (416) 665-4756 Present this newspaper to receive a 35 Value Student Kit FREE.

Syrian refugees settling in Downsview at The Toronto Plaza Hotel

The lobby of the Toronto Plaza Hotel, located on Wilson Avenue near Downsview Arena, hums with laughter, conversation and the scampering of Syrian children running and exploring their temporary home. Women chat in groups, many of them holding their pregnant bellies, and the men converse separately; some smoke outside in clusters while five boys play soccer.The Toronto Plaza Hotel will be home to around 400 Syrian refugees until COSTI Immigrant Services can relocate them to permanent housing.As an active and passionate participant of NGO projects overseas, General Manager Rehan Chaudary welcomes the newly landed refugees and is happy to take part in his own NGO project right at home.The refugees arrived earlier this month over a four-day period, in accordance with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s promise to approve 25,000 refugees to live in Canada. The hotel has rented 100 rooms for its uncommon guests and expects 80 more by the end of this week.“It has really been affecting the business,” says Chaudary. “The tourists aren’t used to so many guests and local travelers are not always happy to see the Syrians. We still have walk-in traffic and our banquet halls are open, but right now we are fully catering to our Syrian guests.”The hotel is doing everything they can to accommodate the needs of the refugees.The hotel restaurant, Greenery Restaurant, has Muslim cooks who prepare halal meals for the Syrians three times a day, free of charge. The hotel also has a medical team on standby to assist the pregnant women –one who just gave birth –and tend to the children, which Chaudary describes some as “in pretty bad shape.”Chaudary has hired a few Arabic-speaking employees who communicate with the refugees and who have placed signs written in Arabic around the hotel. The language barrier has been extremely difficult for the staff as almost none of the Syrians currently residing in the hotel speak English.Recently, on January 10 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., The Clothing Drive [an initiative to collect winter clothes for Syrian refugees] and Let Them be Kids [an initiative to collect toys for Syrian refugee children] held a pop-up shop at the hotel. Volunteers gave the refugees donated winter clothes, toys and other necessities, while COSTI Immigrant Services works to fulfill the refugees’ necessities of permanent housing.COSTI has hired extra staff to speed up the housing process as they have never handled so many refugees in such a short period of time. The agency, however, strives to find the refugees homes, assist them in the employment process and offer them free English lessons.The Syrian refugees at Toronto Plaza Hotel have endured significant hardships these past few years, from losing their homes to watching bombs go off in front of them. It has been a difficult journey for them as they have fled their violence-stricken country to an unfamiliar place where they do not know the language or the culture. The Downsview community, however, has been displaying its generosity through donations, sponsorships and simply by welcoming the refugees into the community.

Dufferin Finch BIA – New Growth Is Coming to the Area

 The Dufferin Finch Business Improvement Area represents the area bounded by Sheppard Avenue, Keele Street, Steeles Ave and Dufferin Street. It is a remarkable organization with 2,500 businesses employing over 32,000 people. The BIA has been in operation since May 2014 and is already having a strong positive impact. It is well on the way to improving the lives of those who make a living here as well as the lives of the residential neighbourhoods to its east and west.The importance of this area has not been obvious in the past. Successful businesses worked individually and the advantages of working together were not exploited. This has all changed thanks to the visionary leadership of the local City of Toronto Councillor, Anthony Perruzza and the members of the Dufferin Finch BIA Board of Directors.The Dufferin Finch BIA provides practically everything needed to carry on life. Here you can find ergonomically and attractive workplace furniture at Teknion, a wide array of medical and recreational facilities at the Champagne Centre, nutritious foods through retail outlets and wholesalers such as Fiera Foods, lawyers, building contractors, real estate brokers, packaging companies such as Luv2Pak‎, fuels, cars, clothing and almost anything else you can think of.The Dufferin Finch BIA's importance has always been facilitated by a well-developed and easily accessible system of local roads, arterial roads and highways (Allen Road, Hwy 400, and Hwy 401).All three orders of government have provided basic public transit and soon we will see significant improvements through the Finch West LRT with its Keele Street terminus and the new GO Station close to the Chesswood and Sheppard intersection, provided by Metrolinx. The TTC's University-Spadina Subway Extension to York University will greatly improve speeds and comfort for riders as well. Importantly, these new connections will transform the area into a hub for commuters and will attract new investment into the area.There is much going on within the Dufferin Finch BIA area and its surroundings. It is well worth taking notice and appreciating.For more information: http://dufferinfinchbia.ca/index.htmlEditor: Joe Pantalone

Just how safe are we in our homes?

After listening to a client's experience involving hercondominium management and home monitoring system company, I became acutely aware of a false sense of security that we may develop by simply paying to have our homes and personal belongings protected. For those living in condominiums, it is an accepted and necessary practice for condominium management to hire independent contractors that do on-site repairs and maintenance. It is also expected that, prior to hiring contractors, the management will perform the necessary due diligence required to hire reputable companies as well as advise unit owners of any entry to their home for maintenance/repair purposes. A contractor was hired, by my client's condominium, to complete work in her unit. The contractor gained entry to her unit through her balcony doors while she was out for the afternoon. This method of accessset off her motion sensor triggering an alarm at her monitoring company. As the contractor did not know her code to deactivate the alarm, the monitoring company called the home in an attempt to reach my client. They also called several other names on her contact list but were unable to reach anyone. It was a full 26 minutes from the time the contractor set off the motion sensor until the condominium security guard arrived at my client's home. An exterior patrol was performed and the premises was found secure and intact. As my client's front door was found undisturbed, the monitoring company declared the incident a false alarm. Some wise words were offered from Police Constable Tawton, Duty Operations of the Toronto Police Force, "Realistically, all access points should be checked and ensure they haven't been breached". There are at least two lessons to be learned from this incident.1.Choose your security company wisely by thoroughly researching and asking questions.• Ask about response times to alarm detection and what specific services are offered by the company; i.e.who is called to respond to alarms?• Asks friends for recommendations;• Compare coverage being offered;• Ask about warranties that come with the package;• Question prospective monitoring companies on how they determine if there is in fact a false alarm.Note: The Toronto Police Service Alarm Response Policy outlines general rules for the public on thistopic and describes the circumstances in which the Police will respond to a request from a registered central monitoring system. The Police Department has established a cost recovery program which allows the implementation of a charge of $130.00 for any call responded that has been determined to be a false alarm.Editor: Joy Lewis