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Post Media Network Inc. Threatens Legal Action Against Windsor Square

2010-09-08T07:21:00.003-04:00

Once again Post Media Network (The Windsor Star) is threatening independent writers/bloggers to shut them up. The latest legal threat is aimed at The Windsor Square, who often quote the Star in their effort to explain and critique articles as well as give a different perspective and uncensored opposing point of view.

The Windsor Star doesn't want people to hear all views and perspectives, they clearly want to be the only voice with the ability to form your opinion for you - no thinking required on your part and no voice because your comments on the Windsor Star site are routinely censored or reported to the police something else they don't want you, the reader, to know. I found out that you can get censored simply for warning others about the Windsor Star reporting comments to the police.

This is for you, if you believe this city is more than a one-horse town and everyone deserves to be heard or if you believe you have a right to know the real truths behind the articles the Windsor Star posts.

W Star Legal

Windsor Square

Appointments Not Always a Priority

2010-06-29T12:21:00.004-04:00

Temporarily
Invisible

Service That Leaves a Bad Taste In Your Mouth

2010-06-29T12:04:00.004-04:00

This was posted on Vent, June 23, 2010
We're reposting this so that others will pay close attention to the foods they order from this eatery in case of food allergies, etc...

"Franco's pizza at Banwell and Tecumseh road delivered a 28 piece vegetarian pizza -- with ham and bacon on it. When I called to complain, the guy in charge said it's not possible to have meat on it and was going to send a driver to look... I suggested he should come personally because he's the one calling me a liar.

My husband brought the pizza pieces embedded with meat, back to show the guy. The guy said that doesn't mean anything, the whole pizza would have to have meat on it, which it did. He offered to make an eight piece replacement for the 28 piece pizza. My husband told him no - came back home, picked up the entire pizza and brought it back to show him.

He left the pizza.
The guy laughed when hubby told him we're calling the BBB.... I guess the consumer really has no say in anything.

Someone suggested calling the main branch of the company and reporting them. I found out they're not affiliated with each other but I have this particular branch owners name. I'm calling today to speak to him.

Realistically I wouldn't be able to eat anything from this place because it's dirty. If I can't trust to get food that isn't contaminated by other foods .... how can I trust that it isn't also contaminated by foreign bits of things, animal feces, bugs or anything else.... or that they'll sabotage my future pizza with something to get even for complaining. We've all heard about employees spitting (or worse) in someone's food -- I've even seen hidden video of things like this.

The guy (last night) tells me it's "not possible" to have meat on my pizza and even when my husband brought the pizza with the meat embedded in it back to show them, the guy said that doesn't mean anything....

Total jacka$$"

Fr. Paul Charbonneau Has Died

2010-03-23T00:03:00.003-04:00

Fr. Paul Charbonneau, founder of Brentwood recovery home, has passed away at the age of 87 from congestive heart failure.
He was the guiding force behind the recovery of many addicts at the 46 year old centre. Tonight, Brentwood Recovery Centre and the thousands of people who have felt the impact of Fr. Charbonneau's care and guidance, are mourning a great loss.

Windsor Star article

Save Lucy

2009-09-18T11:59:00.004-04:00

Lucy is a 34 year old Asian elephant living at the Valley Zoo in Edmonton Alberta. She is socially isolated in a little enclosure, has medical problems and must endure extreme cold Alberta weather. Join the campaign to save Lucy by moving her to a sanctuary where she can be with other elephants, to socialize and roam free.

Check out these sites to learn more about how you can help Lucy.
Save Lucy
Sign the Petition to save Lucy

Join Bob Barker (Celebrity - Original Host of "The Price is Right"), William Shatner ("Captain Kirk" of the original Star Trek series), Debbie Leahy (Director of PETA), Margaret Atwood (Author).... and thousands of others, to help save Lucy from a life of isolation.

Shocking Video on Texting & Driving

2009-08-27T09:50:00.003-04:00

Graphic PSA on Texting & Driving: This was the subject of today's Lynn Martin show on AM 800 CKLW
Do you think this public service announcement is too shocking and do shock advertising and PSA's work? Do you think this video should be shown on T.V. in the evening hours to shock and scare people?

Very graphic and may be disturbing to sensitive viewers.

Should Canada legislate everything you cannot do while you're driving?

Mississauga: Couple asked to take down Canadian flag

2009-08-10T08:51:00.004-04:00

A Mississauga couple were asked to take down the flag they have on a tree in the front yard of their home, for the past three years. It appears the flag has upset or "offended" someone.

"Rose Whittemann and Richard Field put up the flag about three years ago, but only recently received a message from the company that manages their housing complex, saying they would have to remove it.

"Our landlord received a letter claiming that we've either offended or upset somebody by having the flag," Whittemann said.

The company said if the couple did not remove the flag, maintenance workers would take it down and they would be charged a $200 fee. Whittemann and Field relented."

Source: CTV Toronto

I find it outrageous that someone can become upset, offended or in any way have their panties bunched up in a knot over our nations flag and an act of support and patriotism. I find it even more upsetting that this couple was bullied into taking it down and threatened with it's removal by maintenance workers at a charge of $200., if they didn't comply.

As an act of support, I would like to ask everyone to fly their Canadian flags and send us a picture of it to add to our Oh Canada album. Please include the city ( and other information you might want included e.g. photographer etc...)

Wow! What a Weekend

2009-08-02T18:58:00.011-04:00

This was one of our busiest weekends so far this summer.
We started off Saturday with the London Ribfest, a trip to Port Elgin, a hike over the Menesetung Bridge and through the Tiger Dunlop Heritage Trails in Goderich and a look at the Salt Mines.

Then Sunday we visited Fort Malden in Amherstburgh for the Military Heritage Day, followed by a walk around town to see the cars and their proud owners at the Amherstburg's Gone Car Crazy and travelled to the Emancipation Day Celebrations at Windsor's Civic Plaza. Finally an opportunity to taste jerk chicken (vicariously), which I was told, is very spicy but soooo good.

I'm guessing there are a whole lot of people not sitting at their computers this weekend, if the turnout at the various functions is an accurate indicator. If you were one of the lucky people out there, we'd love to see your pics.... in the meantime, check out ours by clicking on the links in this blog entry.

The links open in new windows.
Enjoy!

Tecumseh Girl Needs Your Votes

2009-07-18T15:30:00.003-04:00

"Chelsea Durocher is hoping to become the next Miss Teen Canada-World and she needs your help."

Shoreline Week

Durocher, the reigning Miss Teen Ontario-World, is asking the community to vote for her in the online People's Choice Awards. Visit MissTeenCanadaWorld.com, become a VIP member and cast your vote for Chelsea. The contestant who receives the most online votes, will win the People's Choice Award and automatically make the top 20.

The Miss Teen Canada-World pageant is at 8 pm, July 25th
at the John Bassett Theatre-Metro Toronto Convention Centre
255 Front St. W., Toronto, ON M5V 2W6 Get Your Tickets

Click here for a list of all contestants.

Chatham Ribfest 2009

2009-07-04T18:19:00.004-04:00

If you haven't gone yet, there's still time.
It's at Tecumseh Park in Chatham Ontario

More Ribfest Pics Here

Happy Canada Day

2009-06-30T23:12:00.004-04:00

This house has come to be known as the "Canada House" and is located at 1004 Lincoln Ave in Windsor, Ontario. The home is owned by Dan Beaudoin who designed and painted the house himself. It is a great display of Canadian patriotism.

Video of "The Canada House" appeared in the online edition of the Windsor Star, June 30th, 2009.
This man's house is incredible and a must see.

Enjoy!

If you have photographs that showcase Canadian patriotism, we would love to include them in our gallery.

Fireworks 2009

2009-06-25T22:39:00.005-04:00

Fantastic, beautiful, loud and not long enough - that's what I thought of last nights fireworks on the river. I took a million pictures (give or take 900,000 or so) but wasn't particularly interested in capturing it on video, as I did last year.

I think the pictures turned out really well, visit the gallery and see for yourself

Enjoy!

RedBull Air Race

2009-06-13T20:31:00.004-04:00

Day one and the city was buzzing with excitement.
There was so much going on downtown.
We had a great time and managed to get some nice pictures of the race (some bird's eye view as well) - a quick lunch at Peppers and a casual stroll about town before we called it a day.

Take a peek at the pics in the gallery

Any complaints? Yes, the cost of admission to Carousel
Didn't that used to be free?

CAW Warns Parents & Coaches of Sport's Leagues

2009-05-29T21:21:00.005-04:00

"Playing field mowers are scabs, CAW warns
Union says it may stop funding children's sports leagues if coaches, parents cut grass during strike"

That was the headline to a story in The Windsor Star, May 29 - by Frances Willick

I really wasn't going to mention this strike at all.
It's ugly and both sides have issues but this warning is very disturbing.

The CAW may stop sponsoring children’s sports leagues if coaches and parents take to the baseball diamonds and soccer fields with lawn mowers during the city workers’ strike.

“We don’t have a habit of funding scab organizations,” said Gary Parent, secretary-treasurer of CAW Local 444.

Mowing the sports fields would be tantamount to being a scab, he said, and that sort of interference would “absolutely” affect the council’s sponsorship.

“That would be taken into deep consideration,” he said, adding the council would have to investigate to find out who was maintaining the fields.

Holding the city hostage and making threats like a regular school yard bully might not be the way to deal with this. I'm sure when the dust settles there will be people on both sides that won't forget what's happened and some hurt feelings will linger. We really don't need the bad publicity nor do we need another black eye when all eyes will be upon us soon. Realistically, Gary Parent has already announced his upcoming retirement (if memory serves me correctly), so he won't be the one to clean up the mess this war of words will leave behind.

Click here to read the original Star article.

Local Wine route

2009-05-25T13:53:00.002-04:00

After about an hour of driving around sightseeing in the county, we found ourselves spontaneously following the local wine route on Saturday. It was a fun day and I bought some delicious wines from Colio, Pelee Island, Black Bear, Mastronardi and Aleksander wineries. Prior to this day, we had only visited Rush Creek Wines, where I bought almost a dozen fruit wines.

For more information and location, click here

New Drinking & Driving Law: Effective May 1, 2009

2009-04-30T09:47:00.000-04:00

New Drinking & Driving Law: Punishing you before you break the law
3-day licence suspension, $150 fine for blood alcohol level between .05 and .08

Currently, you have to reach .08 on a breathalyzer to get a 12 hour license suspension with no monetary fine or administrative fee. Apparently, Ontario cannot reduce the blood alcohol threshold to .05 or zero tolerance ("probably with good reason" Brian Ducharme speaking this morning on AM 800 CKLW), so this is a way around it.

The Intelligencer

These suspensions will be on your permanent driver abstract, will affect your insurance for 3 to 5 years, and can't be disputed. I'm in complete favour of zero blood alcohol levels for drivers but something seems terribly wrong with a law that punishes you BEFORE you break the law.

Earth Hour 2009

2009-03-27T18:40:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow at 8:30 pm we'll be turning off our lights for Earth Hour.
We hope everyone joins us from 8:30 - 9:30 pm on March 28 to vote for Earth Hour
Your light switch is your vote.
Click your lights off and cast your vote for Earth Hour.

Slideshow of Earth Hour 2008

Visit Earth Hour 2009 and see how you can take part.

Stumbling, Bumbling Sled Dog: 'Sorry, This Is My First Iditarod'

2009-03-12T12:25:00.001-04:00

PUNTILLA LAKE, AK—After running directly into the grandstands during the Iditarod's ceremonial start and veering 55 miles off course late Tuesday to chase a marmot, Siberian husky and rookie sled dog Melvin apologized to his musher and fellow canines Wednesday for making a complete fool of himself in the early stages of the annual 1,150-mile race.

"First Iditarod jitters, I guess," Melvin told reporters

Poor Melvin... read more

BuyDomestic.net recommends a page from The Onion.

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Local food map lands more farms

2009-03-11T17:52:00.001-04:00

Local food map lands more farms

http://communities.canada.com/windsorstar/blogs/offthehill/archive/2009/03/10/local-food-map-lands-more-farms.aspx

Phog Lounge Voted No. 1

2009-02-26T12:27:00.000-05:00

Windsor's very own Phog Lounge, beat out some heavy-weight clubs across Canada in the CBC Radio 3 poll, by being voted top live performance venue. The five year old club attributes it's success to it's dedication and support of independent music and it's love for enriching the Windsor community with live performances.

When asked what they would do to celebrate if they were to win, owner Tom Lucier said;

If we won, we'd likely have to have a big event in our HUGE parking lot attached to our building. We'd need permission from the landlord, and the city, but we'd likely throw a massive outdoor party, with a big stage outside and the small stage inside...staggering performances inside and out. It would be a city-wide party, and everyone within 300 miles would know that they were invitied to see what Windsor has to offer to the cultural fabric of Canada.

Phog is located at:
157 University Avenue West
Windsor , ON N9A 5P4
519-253-1605

Source CBC Radio 3

Valentine's Day Pictures

2009-02-16T11:23:00.001-05:00

I added some pictures of the Valentine's day event at [name removed] on our pics page. It was a fun time and the place was hopping.

My compliments to the owners and managers for putting on a top notch party with festive decorations and free munchies and chocolate hearts at each table. Excellent!

Nutella Cheesecake

2009-02-09T14:22:00.000-05:00

Nutella Cheesecake

1 cup graham cracker crumbs or chocolate cookie crumbs
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp sugar

2 package cream cheese (room temperature)
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
Nutella

Mix the graham cracker crumbs (or cookie crumbs, whichever you decided to use) together with the sugar. Add the butter and mix together. Press the mix into the bottom of a non-stick round pan, probably about 9 inches. Place it in a 325F oven for about 10 minutes. Once done, remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Mix together the cream cheese and sugar until well blended and smooth. Add one egg at a time, mixing well as you add each egg. Take a small bowl and pour about 1/2 cup of the batter into it. Pour the rest of the batter into the pan with the cookie crust. Now take the reserve batter you set aside and add a dollop of Nutella. I added Nutella until I got the colour I wanted, which was a dark rich brown, as well as making sure the batter had the taste of Nutella.

Take the reserve batter and add a spoonful to the batter. Use a toothpick to swirl the nutella batter into the white batter. Add the Nutella batter by the spoonful until you get the look of a swirly cheesecake.

Place in the oven at 350F and bake for about 50 minutes or until the centre doesn't jiggle anymore. I suggest adding a water bath in the oven to prevent the cake from cracking. What I mean by this is just add a pan of water next to the cake.

Once the cake is baked, set it aside and let it cool. Then place it in the refrigerator and let it chill for about 4 hours. Before you remove the cake from the pan, just run a knife along the edge to loosen it.

From WindsorEats.com http://www.windsoreats.com/blog/?p=592

Nutella is made in Brantford, Ontario. Read the Nutella site FAQ

Exploding "bath bombs, balls and fizzies"

2009-01-30T21:10:00.000-05:00

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that at least 13 people have been injured by exploding bath balls, also knows as bath bombs and bath fizzies.

A buildup of carbon dioxide blows the caps off the jars of Spa Factory's Aromatherapy Fountain kits and Spa Factory's Bath Benefits Kits.

Health Canada acknowledged the products were sold in Canada and are in the process of gathering information and will be issuing instructions for consumers regarding the recall. Both agencies agree that comsumers should stop using the products immediately.

These products were sold between August 2008 and January 2009, at Target, Wal-Mart, Sam's Club and toy stores across the U.S. and cost $13 U.S. for the Bath Benefits Kit and between $30 and $50 for the Aromatherapy Fountain.

"The purple caps on the recalled products are found on Spa Factory's Bath Benefits Kit (model 37836), Deluxe Spa Fantasy Aromatherapy Fountain (model 37908), Spa Fantasy Aromatherapy Fountain (model 37837), Spa Fantasy Aromatherapy Fountain (model 54892) and Spa Fantasy Aromatherapy Fountain (model 54857) "

quote source: CBC.ca

The importer of the Chinese product is JAKKS Pacific Inc. of Malibu California and they have recalled 516,000 of the kits so far and are offering replacement caps with vent holes.

CBC.ca goes on to say, "After testing potential solutions, we found that placing two small holes in the caps adequately allows all built up pressure to escape, thereby preventing the caps from flying off," the company said on its website. "

I found the website http://www.jakkspacific.com/ and the Spa Factory section, but didn't find any information about the recall, even when I did several searches on their site using as many key words as I could think of ....

If you've purchased the product or you have questions or concerns'
You may contact the company at — 1-877-875-2557 (toll-free, North America only) or 1-909-594-7771 x560 — Monday - Friday, 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM Pacific Time (GMT – 8), excluding holidays.

You may write to the company at:
JAKKS Pacific, Inc.
21749 Baker Parkway
Walnut, CA 91789

Source: CBC.ca

Canada Garlic Made in China?

2009-01-23T12:19:00.001-05:00

After weeks of searching for Canadian garlic instead of the readily available Chinese variety, we were delighted to come across Canada Garlic brand and purchased a 2.2 pound (1 kg) bag.

Today I took a couple of pictures to include in this blog post and discovered that it is actually a product of China.

Here's a bit about Canada Garlic, as posted on their website:
"Canada Garlic is the largest garlic grower, importer, packer, distributor and processor of garlic in Canada." they also state, "Our priority is customer satisfaction and we believe that working hand-in-hand with our customers allows us to better understand and meet or exceed their expectations."

Well, understand this: My expectations are simple. If the product represents itself as a Canadian made or grown item, that is what I am laying my money down for.

A product with the name "Canada Garlic", based in Mississauga, Ontario, with a website called www.GarlicCanada.com, is representing itself as Canadian selling Canadian produce but has the audacity to sell a product of China. I feel deceived, disgusted and outraged that we can't even count on honesty from our produce suppliers.

Buyer beware is the bottom line.

Mailbag Response From Our Readers

January 23, 2009 4:45:11 PM
re: Canada Garlic
http://www.diytrade.com/china/4/products/1774141/Organic_Garlic_Can.html
This didn't come from me but if your interested look more into Canada Garlic. They sell processed product that is "product of Canada" but its all done in China.

February 4, 2009 12:40:32 PM
A reader sent me a message using our contact form, to let me know that I can purchase Canadian garlic from a Saskatchewan company called M & M Garlic. This is their website address: www.MMGarlic.com
Thanks for the information :)

Congratulations Mr. President

2009-01-20T12:23:00.000-05:00

Today I witnessed the making of history.
The inauguration of the 44th president of the United States of America and with it, the promise of a new beginning for America and it's northern neighbour, Canada.

"Starting today we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America"

President Barack Obama,
Inaugural speach
Tuesday, January 20th, 2009

Congratulations President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama

The Walmart Effect

2009-01-14T15:57:00.000-05:00

Its Chinese imports have displaced nearly 200,000 U.S. jobs
June 26, 2007 | EPI Issue Brief #235
by Robert E. Scott

China?s entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) was supposed to improve the U.S. trade deficit with China and create good jobs in the United States. But those promises have gone unfulfilled: the total U.S. trade deficit with China reached $235 billion in 2006. Between 2001 and 2006, this growing deficit eliminated 1.8 million U.S. jobs (Scott 2007). The world?s biggest retailer, U.S.-based Wal-Mart was responsible for $27 billion in U.S. imports from China in 2006 and 11% of the growth of the total U.S. trade deficit with China between 2001 and 2006. Wal-Mart?s trade deficit with China alone eliminated nearly 200,000 U.S. jobs in this period.

The manufacturing sector and its workers were hardest hit by the growth of Wal-Mart?s imports. Wal-Mart?s increased trade deficit with China eliminated 133,000 manufacturing jobs, 68% of those jobs lost from Wal-Mart?s imports. Jobs in the manufacturing sector pay higher wages and provide better benefits than most other industries, especially for workers with less than a college education.

China has achieved its rapidly growing trade surpluses by purchasing more than $1 trillion in U.S. Treasury bills and other government securities over the past few years in order to artificially and illegally reduce the value of its currency and thereby lower the cost of its exports to the United States and other countries. It has also repressed the labor rights of its workers and suppressed their wages, making its products artificially cheap and further subsidizing its exports. Wal-Mart has aided China?s abuse of labor rights and its violations of internally recognized norms of fair trade behavior by providing a vast and growing conduit for the distribution of artificially cheap and subsidized Chinese exports to the United States.

China trade and U.S. job loss

Exports support jobs in the United States, and imports displace them. However, an increase in exports will not support the creation of new jobs if, for example, a domestic firm exports parts that used to be shipped to a domestic auto assembly plant, and those products are used to build cars that are then sent back to the United States.1 Thus, the net effect of trade flows on employment must be based on an analysis of the trade balance. This Issue Brief calculates the employment impacts of growing trade deficits by using an input-output model that estimates the direct and indirect labor requirements of producing output in a given domestic industry. The model includes 200 U.S. industries, 86 of which are in the manufacturing sector.2

The model estimates the labor that would be required to produce a given volume of exports, and the labor that is displaced when a given volume of imports is substituted for domestic output.3 The job losses presented here represent an estimate of what total employment levels would have been in the absence of growing trade deficits.4

U.S. exports to China in 2001 supported 189,000 jobs, but U.S. imports displaced production that would have supported 1,190,000 jobs, as shown in the bottom half of Table 1. Therefore, the $84.1 billion trade deficit in 2001 displaced 1 million jobs in that year. Job displacement rose to 2,763,000 in 2006. Growth in trade deficits with China has reduced demand for goods produced in every region of the United States and has led to job displacement in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Source: Economic Policy Institute

Winter Bites 2009

2009-01-09T13:52:00.000-05:00

It’s time to give winter a kick! WindsorEats.com invites you to a week long event, the first of it’s kind in Essex County.

From January 18 to January 24, 2009 diners can visit any Winter Bites participating restaurant and indulge in a 3 course meal of an appetizer, entrée and dessert for only $25.

Each restaurant will offer a unique Winter Bites menu where diners can select from 3 appetizers, 3 entrées and 2 desserts.

Prix-fixe menu events have been done with great success in cities like Chicago, Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto. It was time to bring that same concept to Windsor.

Participating restaurants include:

Bamboo Catering Co.

Cafe Morena

The Chop House

The Gourmet Emporium

Mancuso's Trattoria

Mazaar Lebanese Cuisine

Mezzo Ristorante & Lounge

Mick's Irish Pub

Per Bacco Ristorante

The Pour House Pub

Thai Silk

Three...A Tasting Bar

World Marathon Ethiopian

WindsorEats is celebrating 5 years of success in 2009 by hosting events throughout the year. Since their launch in June of 2004, WindsorEats.com has become the leading guide to food and dining in Windsor and Essex County promoting all the region has to offer to thousands of visitors every month, throughout the world.

So get out, kick those winter blues in the butt and head out for Winter Bites for great deals at great restaurants!

Reservations are recommended to ensure a seating upon your arrival. The $25 3-course meal is per person and does not include beverages, taxes or tip.

Visit http://www.windsoreats.com/winterbites

Is Corporate Canada Being Hollowed Out?

2009-01-07T20:13:00.000-05:00

Mergers and acquisitions
Is corporate Canada being 'hollowed out'?
Last Updated May 27, 2007
CBC News

The recent spate of foreign takeovers of familiar Canadian companies has turned up the heat on a familiar debate in this country — whether such takeovers are desirable, and if not, what should be done?

The federal Liberals have called for a three-month moratorium on approvals of all foreign takeovers of Canadian firms. The federal New Democrats have called for an emergency debate on the issue. The governing Conservatives, pointing out that there are conflicting views on this subject, promise to review Canada's competition policies.

And it's not just politicians who've been weighing in. Union leaders and public policy groups of all stripes have also made their views known. So, too, have some of the biggest names in Canada's business community.

Gord Nixon, the CEO of Royal Bank, raised his takeover concerns during his recent address to shareholders at the bank's annual meeting. "We have not only seen the disappearance of major Canadian household names, but the loss of Canadian presence in industries where we have long had traditional strengths."

Dominic D'Alessandro, the CEO of Manulife Financial, worried in his address to shareholders that "we may all wake up one day and find that as a nation, we have lost control of our affairs."

Not so fast, says Don Drummond, the chief economist at TD Bank. He wrote in a recent op-ed piece that "the facts don't warrant the hysteria that the Canadian economy is being sold out."

As part of his argument, Drummond cited a recent study done by the Institute for Competitiveness & Productivity, which called the hollowing out argument a "myth." It acknowledges that some of Canada's corporate stars have indeed been bought out, but argues that Canada has created many more global leaders. To give a sense of the debate, here are excerpts from the Institute's report, as well as from the address by Manulife's CEO.

The following is an excerpt from an address to shareholders given May 3, 2007, by Dominic D'Alessandro, president and chief executive officer of Manulife Financial Corp.

'I believe that ownership matters a lot' I'd like to touch upon … the extraordinarily large numbers of Canadian companies that are being acquired by foreign interests.

In 2006, more than 100 of our public companies were taken over, and the list includes some of the oldest and most well-established companies across a broad spectrum of industries, everything from hotels to retailing, to metals and mining. And the trend continues.

I sometimes worry that we may all wake up one day and find that as a nation, we have lost control of our affairs.

I think we ought to have a vigorous debate about the extent to which it matters whether or not ownership of our economy resides in Canada or elsewhere. As you probably all know, I believe that ownership matters a lot. It matters not only for economic reasons but, more importantly in my opinion, for our own sense of self esteem and pride in our country.

It may surprise some of you to hear me express misgivings about foreign ownership given that our own company has successfully invested — and been welcomed as an investor — in so many countries around the world. My concern is not rooted in any chauvinism or in any antipathy towards foreign investment. Far from it. I happen to believe that globalization is a very positive development and that trade and investment across borders is to be encouraged. Canada benefits mightily from being "open for business" and we mustn't do anything to change that.

Manulife president and CEO Dominic D'Alessandro listens to a question during the company's annual general meeting in Toronto on May 3, 2007. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press) My concern stems from the fact that the world is awash with capital and that the consolidation trend in many industries will inevitably continue. We are a small country with a relatively small population. Canadian companies typically aren't of a size to be global players. All too often, decisions affecting the future of important firms and the communities that they sustain are made solely with a view to the short-term financial consequences. I find it particularly bothersome that so many of our natural resource companies — which I would argue represent unique and irreplaceable assets — are now owned elsewhere.

I know that I am touching upon a very delicate subject here and that for many people, particularly some economists and other "big picture" types, any suggestion that the "markets" should be other than totally unfettered is an anathema. I appreciate, too, that even under the best of circumstances, our ability to shape our destiny will always be in question. But, this doesn't mean that we shouldn't try, or at the very least, debate the matter.

So what are some actions that we might consider taking? Well, what if we were to consider the feasibility of adopting ownership restrictions for certain sensitive sectors of our economy that would be similar to those that now apply to our financial institutions? After all, I would argue that it is a demonstrable fact that public policy regarding the ownership of our banks and insurance companies has served the country well; there is no shortage of competition in the financial services sector and the services available to Canadians are as comprehensive and as affordable as exist anywhere in the world. It is also a virtual certainty that absent the ownership restrictions all of these institutions, that we are all so proud of, would be owned elsewhere. Might it not be the case then, that such an ownership policy could be usefully extended to other sectors of our economy?

Securities regulation is another area where some useful debate could be undertaken. Many feel that Canada now has the most bidder friendly environment in the world and that this may not always be in our country's best interests. Under our rules, shareholder rights plans — also know as takeover defences or "poison pills" — fall away after a very short 60 or 90 days, leaving the target company's board with far too little time in which to explore alternatives.

On announcement of a bid for control of a Canadian public company, financially savvy buyers have the virtual certainty of knowing that a change in control transaction is highly likely to succeed, absent competition or anti-trust issues. These investors quickly acquire significant amounts of the target company's stock. The result is that for all practical purposes, the board is left with no choice but to accede to a takeover.

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/mergers/hollowed-out.html

The ABC's of Offshoring

2009-01-07T20:08:00.000-05:00

Offshoring is in a sense an extreme form of outsourcing, applied in the context of globalization. Outsourcing refers to a decision by a company to have some activities conducted outside the company – activities that are necessary to its operations, but not considered strategic or related to its distinctive strengths.

The concept of offshoring can be understood more or less narrowly. In the narrow sense, offshoring refers to the transfer of production capacity from a site within a country to a site in another country, and then importing for national consumption the goods and services that had previously been produced locally. Offshoring must not be confused with the relocation of companies and the location of production and investments abroad. Companies are relocated when the production site is moved to another country in order to be closer to that market and sell the product there. As for the location of production abroad, this is a form of foreign investment. The present paper interprets offshoring in the narrow sense of the word only.

Offshoring is actually a very old practice, which economists refer to as the specialization of labour. However, improvements in the transport of merchandise, the development of free trade, access to qualified and cheap labour, and above all the huge growth in telecommunications have accelerated offshoring so much that it now includes trade in services and has become one of the cornerstones of the global economy. Some observers have even gone so far as to say that offshoring is simply a new form of international trade.

The specialization of labour is now increasingly becoming a kind of “vertical” specialization by country for each stage of production, and this trend will increase in the future. This specialization has already seen the emergence of companies devoted to a specific stage of production, and the existence of international companies that locate different stages of production in different countries.

Frédérique Sachwald(5) has noted that the fragmentation of production processes is characteristic of modern economies. Instead of specialization in a product within a given country, we now have specialization at each stage of production within a given industry. This fragmentation has grown since the 1980s, and emerging countries are now gradually increasing their ability to perform increasingly complex tasks, including design and some development work. In short, offshoring increasingly goes hand in hand with globalization.

source: http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/library/PRBpubs/prb0459-e.htm

Team Canada is Gold

2009-01-06T20:37:00.000-05:00

Congratulations Team Canada on your fifth straight championship win
Thanks for bringing the gold home and good luck in the 2010 tournament in Regina and Saskatoon.

We're proud of you on the ice and your heartfelt rendition of our national anthem, "woo" and all!

Self Checkout Counters

2008-12-18T09:27:00.001-05:00

Self checkout counters, increase the profits to the corporations while reducing their payroll.
Reduced payroll means LESS employees.
Demand more cashiers and say "NO" to the self checkout counters.

Here's how I put my money where my mouth is:
About a month ago, we were shopping at the Tecumseh Road East Canadian Tire store and they had only one cashier working.
The line grew and grew until finally another cashier came up and announced that we could use the self checkout registers. As people slowly moved towards the self checkout, I said, in a voice for all to hear, that we should not cash ourselves out, and should demand they open another cash register.

I continued, "why should we ring our own products through just so the corporations increase their profits and reduce their payroll" . Looking at the cashier, I said, "please tell your managers to open more cash registers because none of us are going to cash ourselves out"

With that, the people who left to check themselves out, returned to stand in our line.
Within minutes, another cashier arrived and opened another register.

One more person had work that day thanks to collective opposition to corporate greed disguised as automation and progress.

Spotlight: Tea Paradise

2008-12-05T17:28:00.000-05:00

Tea Paradise is a family owned and operated local business located at 25 Amy Croft Dr, Tecumseh

I spent a very pleasant morning with my mother, sipping on freshly steeped Minty Ginger tea at Tea Paradise.
Since mom is the reason I love tea and all things healthy, it was only fitting to bring her to one of my newest favourite places to buy my hard to find tea varieties. Mom loved the cleanliness of the place and the relaxed atmosphere, and did not hesitate to say so.

Just in time for the holidays, they are offering twenty percent off everything and a special on loose tea - buy 2 bags of loose tea and get the third one (of lesser or equal value) free. But the special is over on December 19th and the shop will be closed from December 20th till January 4th.... so hurry in for tea and snacks for yourself or gifts for your friends and loved ones.

Help For The Holiday

2008-12-04T10:09:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, this is a reality faced by many people in this turbulent time of lay-offs and shut-downs of major manufacturing plants as well as the smaller "feeder" plants. Please help by donating goods to Coats for Kids, Salvation Army, St. Vincent De Paul, or other charitable organization in your area.

The Salvation Army
The Unemployed Help Centre
Goodfellows
Goodwill Industries
Royal Canadian Legion
United Way
Drouillard Place

Night on the Town

2008-10-26T12:18:00.000-04:00

Original title:
Classy Facade Cracks and Shatters

This entry has been moved.
The comments have been disabled and all existing comments are only available to the webmaster.

Rise Grand Opening

2008-10-14T16:25:00.000-04:00

It's official!
Rise Nite Club (800 Wellington Ave) will be opening on October 18th, 2008 featuring Canada's top male and female flair bartenders performing live, GoGo dancers and other "surprises". Rise is expected to be a fun and exciting dance club with a large U-shaped bar, pool room with lounge, large main dance floor with an elevated lounge area, stand-up tables, lower lounge and much more.

Their entertainment director is busy planning new contests with quality prizes. Their DJ seeks out new and fresh music to get you dancing. Their head bartender will be testing new and fun drinks as well, and according to their website, " RISE is the most exciting club to ever come to Windsor" with "the largest light and sound system in southern Ontario pumping out the best Top 40 tunes along with the best of the retro "high-hair" days of yesterday. Dance, house, retro, rock & R/B is what to expect. All the great club anthems of today AND the great sing-alongs you love."

I can't wait to mingle among the movers and shakers, celebrities, media .... I'll be taking pictures at the grand opening and adding them to this post. Be sure to arrive early to get the best booths or call to make reservations, at 258-7473

See you there
:)

VQA: is 100% Ontario

2008-09-19T02:08:00.000-04:00

That's right! You don't need to step outside the province for a great bottle of wine. Look for the VQA Medallion and you'll be sure to taste the essence of Ontario wines. The VQA, which stand for Vintners Quality Alliance, is a set of standards for winemaking excellence.

The VQA Ontario site explains, "VQA is your assurance that the wine you choose is made from 100% grapes grown in Ontario and its unique viticultural areas. All VQA wines are verified to confirm their origin and tested to ensure they meet a rigorous set of quality standards." ... read more

Here are the basic VQA regulations as listed on the WinesofOntario.org website:

"To claim Ontario as its origin, a wine must:

Be made from 100% Ontario grown grapes of approved varieties.
Wines bearing more specific origin (sub-appellations) must be 100% from the stated area
Meet minimum sugar levels (ripeness) at harvest as set for each grape variety.
Be made from a minimum of 85% of grapes grown in a single vintage (year) and indicate the vintage on the label."
... read more from the Wines Of Ontario website

Healthy Skin, Local Products

2008-09-07T20:52:00.000-04:00

Today I started a new skin care regime using local products from Jamieson Laboratories which I purchased at the local Sears store. Rosie was fabulous and helped me select just the right products for my skin type and took the time to explain to me the correct way to use them. I spent a great deal of time at the cosmetics counter with Rosie and another lady (sorry I didn't catch her name), and really enjoyed the excellent customer service from such friendly people.

I purchased the Jamieson Unique Foaming System Facial Cleanser, Jamieson Purifying Elixir Facial Toner, Jamieson Vitamin A Retinol Vital Day Moisturizer, Jamieson ProVitamina A Retinol Renewal Night Cream and the Jamieson Vitamin E Eye Cream with APKCo10 & Vitamin K.

So far I'm loving how quick and easy the products are to use and the way my skin feels....
Price-wise, it was easy on the pocketbook as well ;)

Reitman's, Made in Canada?

2008-08-22T21:25:00.000-04:00

I received an eMail and have obtained permission to post it ( anonymously to protect the writer's identity ).
Here's what I recieved:

This is the reply I received from Rietman`s after sending them an email about, their merchandise"Made in China "It is nearly impossible to find anything at their stores that is Made in Canada but are listed on a website for doing just that here`s the link:
http://www.canadianmade.com/retail_clothing.shtml
Thanks .L. C

So let's start at the beginning with her letter to Reitman's

From: L
Sent: Friday, July 25, 2008 11:42 AM
To: Customer Service Reitmans
Subject: Made in Canada

To whom it may concern.

I`m looking to purchase clothing and accessories that are made in Canada , I came upon this website
http://www.canadianmade.com/retail_clothing.shtml
I see your store is listed there but, after going to look at the clothing to my surprise most is 'Made in China "

Thanks for taking the time to read this email hopefully we`ll find Made in Canada clothing at your stores in the near future.

L. C

.... and Reitman's reply to L

We appreciate your concern regarding where a portion of our collection is manufactured. We at Reitmans share your concerns, and are pleased to advise you that we have a code of conduct that is to be strictly followed by all employees who deal with outside suppliers. Reitmans believes that the incorporation of internationally recognized human rights into our business practice results in a higher quality working environment and higher employee morale. Reitmans will only do business with partners whose workers are in all cases working voluntarily, not put at risk or physical harm, fairly compensated, allowed the right of free association and not exploited.

We sincerely appreciate your taking the time to share your views with us and please be assured that they will be heard within our organization.

Feedback from our customers is greatly valued by us and it does significantly influence our future business decisions.

Sincerely,
Tara Satim
Customer Service Representative
Reitmans Division

Cc Nadia Cerantola, Vice-President – Merchandising
Donna Flynn, Vice-President – Merchandising, Sportswear
Robin Kjilaas, Operations Manager - Communications

Get listed

2008-07-14T10:38:00.000-04:00

In order to promote local business and generate buzz about our community, I invite local business owners to advertise with us and get their stores, clubs, restaurants, websites, etc., listed on our site. Check out our Local Business Directory or the Clubs, Events & Entertainers section.

We are also looking for contributing bloggers. Promote your business, events, sales. Express personal opinion on local matters. and more ....

We look forward to hearing from all interested parties.

Festival Epicure 2008

2008-07-08T11:45:00.000-04:00

What a fabulous event!
We were at the Sunday shows from opening untll closing and enjoyed everything. The fabulous foods we sampled from Foia, Koi Sushi & Japanese Cuisine, Nuccelli's Frozen Yogurt, The Gourmet Emporium, and the deliciously refreshing beverages from Gilligan's Juice Bar (classic lemonade and Lemon Cherry --- yummy!), and Walkerville Brewing Company where we sampled (several) Premium Blonde and the Classic Amber lagers while we enjoyed the show as well as people watched ( a personal favourite festival activity ) .

While sipping on our tasty beverages, we enjoyed the terrific Blues/Jazz/Motown sound of Impact 7, the tropical sounds and rhythms from the Mediterranean/Caribbean of Johannes Linstead, the energetic classic music of The Miracles, and the soulfull jazz of Alexander Zonjic.

Walkerville Brewing Company - The Official Beer of Festival Epicure!
Walkerville Brewing Company - World-class beer brewed right here! Served on tap in all your favourite bars and restaurants in Windsor or grab a jug of fresh beer in our brewery Located at Wyandotte E & Argyle in historic old Walkerville. Open to the public.

Escape Latin Night

2008-06-25T08:59:00.000-04:00

Saturday June 28, 2008 there will be a Latin night at Escape Cafe on the River featuring the hottest Latin DJ in Windsor, DJ Ivan.

Drink specials
Tequila shots $3.00
Lime Margarita Pitcher $8.00
$3.50 Corona (before 11 PM)
Mixed drinks - $3.00 (Vodka, Rye, Rum)

$3.00 cover

Dress to impress
I'll see you there

Escape Cafe on the River
152 Riverside Drive West
519.973.8338

Fireworks night June 23

2008-06-22T14:45:00.000-04:00

"Mark your calendars - this year's colossal fireworks over the Detroit River will be happening earlier than usual.
The annual Target Fireworks will go off at 10:06 p.m. on June 23. wrote Rebecca Turcotte, of the Windsor Star ( May 26 )

"This year's fireworks are going to be on a Monday night to coincide with the conclusion of the GM River Days in Detroit," said Joan LeMahieu, president of The Parade Company." ... read more

--- As for me, I prefer to think it's all part of my anniversary celebration - done in grand fashion.
See you there

Hail Caesars Windsor

2008-06-19T07:50:00.000-04:00

Tonight is the grand opening of Caesars Windsor after the casino's $429-million makeover and expansion.. There will be an invitation only banquet and show in the 5,000 seat "Colosseum" featuring the piano man himself, Billy Joel.

Visit the Caesars Windsor website for a full schedule of events and entertainers or the Windsor Star photo gallery to see photographs of the casino, by Dan Janisse

Caesars Windsor
377 Riverside Drive East, Windsor, ON N9A 7H7

Spotlight: Tru Pest Control

2008-06-18T12:00:00.000-04:00

As a gardener and an environmentalist - I care about all creatures great or small. However, I'm not a fan of creepy crawly things all over my house making it impossible to enjoy the calming backyard sanctuary we've created for ourselves. I've become squeamish over the years and found the best solution was to call on the professionals to spray my house and make it as unappealing to the pesky spiders, as they can (without hurting my plants, pets or the environment).

We turned to Rob Trudell of Tru Pest Control. With 21 years of service with commercial and residential clients -- as well as word of mouth testimonials from dozens of neighbors, our choice became abundantly clear ... Give them a call for your pest control management and write to tell us about it -- or add a comment here.

Carousel of the Nations

2008-06-16T12:24:00.000-04:00

Todays Windsor Star headline read, "Record crowds at Carrousel despite weather".

Unfortunately, my husband and I weren't part of the crowd. We couldn't get in because we didn't have "a pass" to park. We asked security how we can go about obtaining a pass and were told he didn't know and his only instructions were to not allow anyone to enter without it. We turned our car around - drove around downtown for almost an hour looking for a parking space before we gave up and left, disappointed.

Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County website lists the schedule for the various villages around town from June 20 - 29.

Caribbean Village - 2410 Central Avenue
Chinese Village - 1420 Tecumseh Road E.
Croatian Village - 1701 Turner Road
German Village - 55 Edinborough
Greek Village - 65 Ellis Street East
Hungarian Village - 790 Hanna Street E.
Italian Village - Erie Street
Macedonian Village - 5225 Howard Avenue
Polish Village - 1275 Langlois Avenue
Romanian Village - 1960 Tecumseh Road E.
Scottish Village - 1340 Tecumseh Road E.
Serbian Village - 6770 Tecumseh Road E.
Slovenian Village - 1367 Drouillard Road
St. Dimitrije Village - 2690 Seminole Street
South Asian Village - 1075 Ypres

I can't wait to visit the villages, take in the culture and sample the cuisine (whatever vegetarian foods I find). I hope everyone takes this opportunity to do the same.

See you there!

(I found this on the MCC homepage -- maybe I should've checked it out before I went downtown)
Carrousel Weekend Pass Buttons available at:

Multicultural Council offices: 245 Janette Ave. and 7651 Tecumseh Rd. E.
TD Canada Trust branches around Windsor and Essex County
Holiday Inn Select – Huron Church Rd.
Ray and Kim’s Super Convenience – 352 Ouellette Ave.
Sutherland Global – 2790 College Ave. and 500 Ouellette Ave.
Pet Zown – 25 Amy Croft Drive, Windsor (Lakeshore)

G.M. Transmission Plant Announces Closure

2008-05-13T21:55:00.000-04:00

The Windsor GM plant is closing in 2010, because General Motors has no new product for the plant. 1,400 employees will be put out of work as a result.

The Windsor Star (May 13) reports, "GM Canada told its Windsor employees last month that the company would no longer produce the automatic four-speed transmission they assemble after mid 2010. But there was no word then about the plant's future.
Most of the area's politicians have spent the last 18 months urging GM to find a new product for the Windsor plant and pledging assistance. But the decision to close the factory came down suddenly and without any recourse, MPP Sandra Pupatello (L -- Windsor West) said.
"The finality of it is the only thing I'm taken aback by," said the minister for economic developmet and trade. "They've told me all along they don't have a product."
With GM downsizing all of its North American operations, from assembly plants to component plants producing engines and transmissions, many of the company's workforces on the bubble of closure had been fighting for a share of a diminishing pie."

With this plant closure comes the end of CAW Local 1973
Another sad day for Windsor

What They Say About Us - May 3

2008-05-03T12:38:00.000-04:00

Windsor highway planned
Detroit Free Press - United States
It would create about 12000 jobs in Ontario, mostly in Windsor. The new parkway is envisioned as a way to bypass the surface streets of central Windsor that ...

Auto makers post best April sales on record
Globe and Mail - Canada
Vehicle deliveries jumped 4 per cent last month in Canada, giving auto makers their best April sales on record, but double-digit US declines for more than ...

Cable Acquires FibreWired Burlington Hydro Communications ...
FOXBusiness - USA
"This acquisition, which follows the acquisition of MaXess Networx(R) in the Windsor area, is another step in the enrichment of the Cogeco Business ...

What's next, Ontario jokes?" -- Bob Runciman
Net Newsledger - Thunder Bay,Ontario,Canada
Secondly ... the Canada-Ontario agreement, will now be well and truly honoured by Prime Minister Harper. Finally, the equalization formula has now been ...

cormorant shooting cull at 72
United Press International - USA
WINDSOR, Ontario, May 2 (UPI) -- Canadian environmental officials reported killing 72 double-crested cormorants in a campaign to save a southwestern Ontario ...

Earnings up, jobs down
Windsor Star - Ontario, Canada
In Ontario the numbers edged up slightly to 7.8 per cent from seven per cent in 2000. The number of full-time jobs in the Windsor area shrank three per cent ...

Spotlight: Sweet Pea's

2008-04-21T10:26:00.000-04:00

Spotlight on local merchants:
Sweet Pea's
Children & Maternity

4112 Walker Road
Windsor, Ontario
( 519 ) 969.4040

Fantastic high end products, accessories and fashions for maternity and baby.

I went to the grand opening the weekend of April 5th and left with an armful of maternity fashions, baby clothes and a bathtub.

The store was dressed-up with pastel balloons and delicious looking cupcakes arranged creatively on a tiered rack on the counter next to a beautiful cake adorned with "icing" peas, greeted me. Although I arrived only ten minutes after the store opened for the day, it was already packed with shoppers and a line had already formed for the cash register with women carrying arm loads of children and maternity fashions, toys, baby and child furniture and accessories. I was pleased there was such a great turnout but could feel my heart sink as it beat faster and louder, fearful that items I had seen previously would be gone. I reached the racks and found only two of the Thyme Maternity and Old Navy Maternity shirts I had come to purchase. I was happy and shopped around a bit more and found several more items.

Pleased with my selections, I made my way to the cash register where I filled out ballots as the clerk entered my purchases on the cash register. Speaking briefly with the owner Mackenzie Murphy as she helped show me how to operate the bathtub gadgets. They are not the simple blue molded plastic vessels they used to be when I was a new mom and find Mackenzie extremely helpful in explaining how to properly use the products she sells, even when the store is full of people and activity.

I highly recommend Sweet Pea's for your purchase or sale of maternity fashions of baby clothes and accessories.

Green Tip of The Day

2008-04-21T10:21:00.000-04:00

Go Green:

Man Beats Husky

2008-04-15T11:36:00.000-04:00

An international university student “allegedly” beat his 4 month old dog in an attempt to train it. He was witnessed dragging and lifting the puppy by the neck with the leash, kicking it and slamming it up against a fire hydrant. People followed him home and called police.The dog named Kiki, was found with numerous broken bones including all four legs. source