Award honours Richmond Hill captain

By

-

1:31 pm

WHILE FOR SOME choosing a career path is a struggle, for Scott Sedore there had always been an inner fire burning.

“To be honest with you, I always wanted to be a firefighter,” Sedore says. “So all through school, I directed everything I did towards it.”

For more than 20 years, Sedore has served as a member of the Richmond Hill Fire Department, and captain for the past six years at station 8-1 at Yonge Street and Major MacKenzie Drive.

Recently, the 41-year-old was presented with the Chief ’s Award, an annual recognition presented to the firefighter that “has demonstrated spectacular leadership, in an informal or formal manner, whereby the recipient has led others to improve themselves in all aspects of the fire service and effecting positive change.”

“Scott is a very positive captain,” said Chief Steve Kraft, regarding the selection of Sedore. “He has a great attitude. He gives back time to the community.We get a lot of requests for Scott. When people have community events, they actually want to know [if he] is working.”

Providing turkey dinners to families in need, distributing pumpkins and candy at Halloween and regular hospital visits are just some of the ways that Sedore and his crew give their time and energy to the community.

“It’s just about having some fun while you’re at work,” Sedore says. Additionally, for the fourth year, Sedore and crew constructed a float as part of last month’s Santa Claus Parade, the only crew in Richmond Hill to participate.

A women’s car care clinic, in conjunction with Richmond Hill Hyundai, to inform the public on what to expect after a car collision is also planned for this month. Sedore credits his crew and their commitment to community service.

“They’re a good bunch of guys, who actually just like to do stuff like that, and you don’t see that very much any more,” he says.

A summertime barbecue is also something Sedore and company undertake for L’Arche Daybreak, a Richmond Hill support organization for men and women with intellectual disabilities.

“We love going up because they are just so appreciative,” he says.

For Sedore, the personal reward of his efforts is simple.

“If you can give a little bit back, just to see the smiles on kids’ faces, and even the parents’ faces, when you go out and do your work, it makes you thankful for what you’ve got.”

Now you gotta cut loose…

By

-

11:15 pm

0

LADY OF THE DANCE

LEAH MILLER

Q: The season three auditions are underway. What’s the most side-splittingly hilarious thing you’ve seen?

Well, one of my favourites was a girl named Bisma who auditioned in Montreal. She was a little odd as a dancer but fully believed she was going to win the show. Hilarious! I’ve never met anyone like her.

Q: If you could dance a ballroom duet with anyone — ever — who’d it be and why?

[Judge] Jean-Marc Généreux! He is the most wonderful person. I’d feel comfortable with him, and I know he’d be a patient teacher.

Q: What are you hoping to get for Christmas this year?

I just want to spend time with my husband and my family!

LAST SEASON’S WINNER

TARA JEAN POPOWICH

Q: You have three tattoos. Any plans to commemorate your big win with a fourth?

No definite plans quite yet, but I am thinking about getting something to symbolize how amazing this year has been.

Q: Which was the superior dance trend: the electric slide or the Macarena?

I remember doing the Macarena at all my school dances, so I would have to say Macarena over the electric slide. It’s the one dance that all of my friends could do with me.

Q: What can fans expect of the Top 10 Tour show?

Some of last season’s favourite duets and solos with some fun dialogue in between.

T.O. TWO-STEPPER

EMANUEL SANDHU

Q: What’s a Christmas tradition around the Sandhu house?
Fighting. Then eating. Then fighting. Then eating.
Q: Which SYTYCDC judge was the toughest to impress?
Those were the judges? Oops.
Q: Of all the stars you’ve met since you started this show,
whom were you most nervous to meet? I’m more nervous of not
meeting stars.
Q: If you could resuscitate a dance style, what would it be?
Contemporary pole dancing. Why not? Skin is always in.

LAST SEASON’S RUNNER-UP

VINCENT DESJARDINS

Q: What advice would you give to guys
who fear the dance floor? Just be yourself
and do it with confidence and people will like it.
Q: You started in ballroom. What’s your next best style?
Contemporary because you can get really emotional.
Sometimes dancers think too much about their technique. To be
a good dancer requires technique and emotion.
Q: What’s the most recent album you downloaded? The last
was Michael Jackson. He’s one of my idols.

HOMETOWN SOCK HOPPER

MELANIE MAH

Q: As a Torontonian, are you nervous about the T.O. tour date?
I can’t wait! It’ll be nice to be home, too.
Q: Your most embarrassing dance memory? When I was little, I
was at a dance recital, and I was so excited that I peed my
pants. I was mortified, but, looking back, it was pretty funny!
Q: In rhyme, tell us how dancing makes you feel. Dancing
makes me feel the best, and in my krump I pop my chest!

December’s most important date

By

-

3:59 pm

0

THE BUZZ AROUND the December UN climate summit in Copenhagen is increasing. Some of you may be wondering what it’s all about. Why is this one meeting so important? And does it really matter if it succeeds or fails? The answer is that it matters a lot, especially if we want to tackle global warming rather than just talking and arguing about it.

Global warming is a global problem requiring global solutions. The atmosphere doesn’t stay within federal or provincial boundaries. It is a global commons. Greenhouse gases emitted in Canadian provinces mix with those from every other part of the world and affect everyone.

It has the same impact on the environment whether it came from a smokestack in Toronto or a taxi’s tailpipe in Kuala Lumpur. Every nation must do its part.

And each country needs reassurance that others are also acting. We need a global agreement that is legally binding with rules clearly outlined.

The science of climate change is evolving rapidly. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s last report is now two years old, and the research in that report is more than four years old. Recent scientific information shows that the impacts of climate change are happening much more quickly than expected. The polar ice cap is melting at an astonishing rate.

Ocean levels are rising more rapidly than predicted. And weather-related disasters are mounting.

Leading scientific institutions such as the U.S.National Academy of Sciences, the U.K. Royal Society, and the Royal Society of Canada have declared that current scientific information points to a need for immediate action.

We have no time to waste. Copenhagen is our moment.

In fact, two years ago the world agreed that the Copenhagen summit would be the deadline for forging the next global agreement to strengthen and build on the Kyoto Protocol. Kyoto was always considered to be the first step by industrialized countries, whose fossil-fuel-powered growth created the problem.

Establishing the legal framework was an important part of that first step, as were very modest emission reductions. But Copenhagen has to be more than just another small step. Science suggests the issue is urgent, so this step needs to be much bigger.

Industrialized countries need to accept binding commitments to reduce their global warming pollution much more dramatically in the next phase of the Kyoto Protocol, after 2012. But we also need to craft a companion treaty to Kyoto, one that lays out the kinds of actions that major developing countries, like India and Indonesia, will take to curb their emissions.

A recent study commissioned by Global Humanitarian Forum president and former UN secretary general Kofi Annan indicates that 50 of the world’s poorest countries collectively produce less than one per cent of the global greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.

Yet, these very same countries have been disproportionally affected by climate change. Thus, an essential part of any fair climate agreement must include support from industrialized countries to poorer nations — support in the form of financing and clean technologies so that poorer nations can wean themselves off fossil fuels.

It is now up to our global leaders — presidents and prime ministers, ministers of finance and environment — to be visionary, to look beyond shorter-term political timelines and imagine a future world of security and prosperity where our homes and workplaces are fed by clean energy.

And it is up to global citizens to ensure that they do. Visionary leadership requires active and engaged citizens. Your efforts have never been needed more to help make this happen.

Post City Magazines’ environmental columnist, David Suzuki, is the host of the CBC’s The Nature of Things. Dr. Suzuki is also the author of more than 30 books on ecology.

Three wise recipes

By

-

3:14 pm

0

THE START OF the holiday winter season brings with it fun, food and most importantly, feasting.

For so many families, whether they are celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or any other occasion, food and especially dessert are central parts of celebrating the holidays. Pies, cakes, tarts and my favourite, cookies, make frequent appearances during the stormy winter months.

One can’t deny that a warm plate of sweet treats left steaming on the mantle can make for the perfect accent to any holiday home. Moreover, they’ll ensure that guests will arrive from far and wide to help engage in sweet celebration! This is also the perfect time to involve kids in cooking activities and these simple recipes can make for a fun and easygoing afternoon in from the winter cold.

So heat up the oven, gather together and try out these three tantalizing treats to suit every holiday occasion.

CHRISTMAS COOKIES

HANUKKAH RUGELACH

KWANZAA CONFECTIONS

ROSE’S TIP

BAKING TIPS FOR COOKIES

Cookies are the trademark for the holidays. They are easy to make and fun to eat. To bake perfect cookies try these tips.You can substitute oil, butter and margarine for one another. Oil gives a cookie a crisper texture and butter a softer texture. Use a whisk, hand beater or food processor to mix cookies. Cookie dough, except meringues, can be frozen and then baked frozen. Add a couple of minutes to the baking time. Bake in the centre of the oven to avoid burning the cookies.

Post City Magazines’ culinary columnist, Rose Reisman, is author of 17 cookbooks, a TV and radio personality and a health and wellness expert. Visit Rose at www.rosereisman.com.

Counterfeit hooch hurts Icewine rep

By

-

2:59 pm

0

NOT SINCE NEW Zealand hijacked the Sauvignon Blanc grape has one country so successfully dominated the international market with a wine style.

Eiswein is a German invention that dates back to the late 18th century when a freak drop in temperature froze the Late Harvest grapes in Franconia before they could be picked.

Today true vine-frozen Icewine (Eiswein) is made in many countries, but it is Canada that has co-opted Icewine and made it its own.

The date when the wine world first became aware of the product was June 1991.

The place: Vinexpo in Bordeaux. Inniskillin Vidal 1989 won the Prix d’honneur in that year’s Challenge Internationale du Vin competition. Since then, Icewines from Ontario and British Columbia have been winning gold medals in virtually every competition.

Although Icewine accounts for only six percent of Canadian wine production, it is the industry’s most celebrated wine.

The success of Canadian Icewine in the Chinese market has created twin challenges for the industry: the emergence of locally produced Icewine and counterfeit products.

In the fall of 2007, China’s Tonghua Grape Wine Co. purchased a 75 per cent stake for $7.1 million in an Ontario wine company that specializes in Icewine production. And three Chinese companies have begun to make Icewine in China. But the most immediate threat to Canada’s supremacy are the knock-off products.

Vincent Hanna, vicepresident of Peter Igel Wines & Spirits, a Toronto-based company that deals in bulk wines, was in China on business in September 2007.

He visited 14 stores in Shanghai, and in every one he found fake Icewine. Not only are Canadian vintners losing revenue, but the quality of the knock-offs is harming the reputation of the wine.

Ontario’s Pillitteri Estates is one of the world’s largest exporters of Icewine with 90 per cent of its production (38,000 cases of 4.5 litres) going to export markets, mainly in Asia. Its exasperated proprietor, Charlie Pillitteri, says, “Imitation is the highest form of flattery, but people are making Icewine in their garage and selling it in China. It’s ridiculous.”

Despite unscrupulous producers of fakes made in basements in Toronto and Vancouver and the looming threat of enormous Chinese production, Icewine is an economic boon to the Canadian wine industry.

When Canadians travel abroad, they are more likely to take Icewine as gifts than maple syrup.

Post City Magazines’ wine columnist, Tony Aspler, has written 14 books on wine and food. Tony also created the Ontario Wine Awards. He can be heard on 680News.

A bargain in Bayview

By

-

2:41 pm

0

LISTING PRICE $799,000

ADDRESS 11 Canary Cr.

INTERSECTION Bayview and Sheppard

AGE Unknown

LOT 50 by 120 feet

DAYS ON THE MARKET 22

AGENT Barry J. Sklar

SPECIAL FEATURES Granite, marble hardwood accents, finished lower-level family room, two wood-burning fireplaces

NEXT…

A reasonable Richmond Hill retreat

By

-

2:41 pm

0

LISTING PRICE $439,900

ADDRESS 79 Roseview Ave.

INTERSECTION Yonge and Major Mackenzie

AGE Unknown

LOT 50 by 148 feet

DAYS ON THE MARKET 3

AGENT Daryl King

SPECIAL FEATURES Wood-burning fireplace, spacious garden, French doors leading to custom deck, breakfast bar

NEXT…

Stellar talent on display in rude and crude show

By

-

2:39 pm

0

THE TOXIC AVENGER is Aubrey Dan and Dancap’s second major show they produced themselves, both of which are about New Jersey: Jersey Boys, of course, is the brilliant musical about the Four Seasons pop group. And now The Toxic Avenger, a wildly entertaining, crude, silly but delightful small-scale musical (five actors, all brilliant, playing more than two dozen parts) at the refurbished Music Hall, a 90-year-old theatre on Danforth Avenue. Its opening (and most of them, hilarious) song is, fittingly, “Who Will Save New Jersey?” Dancap clearly will.

The musical opened off-Broadway to wildly positive reviews this past spring, winning the Best New Musical Award. The script, while uneven, is filled with guilty pleasures: blind-girl jokes, vulgar exchanges, perfect parodies of Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan at their weakest and a subject dear to billions today — environmentalism and political corruption. The plot is hardly worth noting (a nerdy fellow is dumped into toxic waste and turns into a monster eager to save his beloved state from being polluted to death), based on a terrible, amateurish movie that lacked the musical’s wit, zany jokes and superb acting.

Toxie, as the title character is called, is played flawlessly by the very young Evan Alexander Smith, and Brittany Gray is brilliant as the voluptuous, oversexed, stunned blind girl Sarah. (Yes, there’s a song sung by our hero, “Thank God She’s Blind,” and once you see Toxie, you’ll know why he’s thankful.) Our much-loved local stage icon, Louise Pitre, plays three roles, two major, and her singing and acting genius displayed in Mamma Mia and Les Miserables have not lessened. All are good, but the man who plays Black Dude in countless roles, Daren A. Herbert, is astonishingly gifted.

The Toxic Avenger is not perfect. Joe DiPietro’s script drags at times, and David Bryan (of Bon Jovi) writes decent rock songs but few are memorable. It’s often vulgar and occasionally obscene but exceedingly funny throughout, and one senses that it could run for years: with dozens of its 1,000 seats selling for $20 each and rush seats for $15 — little more than a movie! — a whole new generation of theatre-goers (well, above the age of 13) may discover the magic of live theatre. Dancap, has hitched its wagon to another very successful show.

Prince Charles brings Britain to Bayview

By

-

11:53 am

0

PRINCE CHARLES VISITED Evergreen Brick Works as a part of his 11-day excursion to Canada in November.

The prince requested a visit to the environmental and sustainable community hub, which is nestled alongside the Bayview Extension in the Don Valley.

“The prince is knowledgeable on the pillars we’re trying to promote at Brick Works,” said Anthony Westenberg, manager of public relations for Evergreen. “Because he was in his element, he asked educated questions.” Local chef Jamie Kennedy escorted Prince Charles around the venue while a sample farmers’ market was underway.

“My official role was to shepherd him around and just be there for him,” Kennedy said.

“I was struck by his ability to engage quite sincerely. He blanked out all the noise around him.”

Kennedy helped prepare lunch for 100 executives that were taking part in a forum Evergreen held at BrickWorks the same day.

Beloved comedian makes rare Toronto appearance

By

-

11:10 am

0

A half-century ago at the prompting of a disc jockey, Bob Newhart decided to take a stab at stand-up comedy. It took. So much so that his 1960 debut comedy record, The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart, won a Grammy Award as Album of the Year and went straight to number one on the charts, topping the likes of Elvis Presley in the process. He has had two hit television shows, and a few that didn’t stick, as well as countless movie roles and stand-up appearances. At 80, he still plays a handful of shows each year, and Toronto is lucky enough to be on the schedule this year. Mark your calendars, Dec. 4.

You speak very highly of the audiences up here. Why do you think you appeal so much to us? I think they are like, well, there is an undercurrent of understatement, I think. The Canadians are just, a gentle people. Tell you a story: I was at the Emmy Awards and Martin Short told me this about his first time in New York. It was an absolute snowstorm, blizzard, and he was trying to get a cab. Nothin’ was moving. He said he was trying to cross the street “but the sign keeps flashing ‘don’t walk, don’t walk, don’t walk,’” he says. “There are no cars in sight, but I didn’t walk.” That sums up the Canadians for me.

Do you still get nervous before a performance? You know, I always get not nervous, maybe apprehensive. The adrenaline rush is good, that’s what you want.

But you had a record deal before you even played live. That first performance must have been intense. Well, sure, it was quite an interesting time, but the thing was that was the only offer I had going at that point. There was nothing on the horizon, so I thought, “You’d better learn how to do this; it’s your only thing.”

Who was your biggest influence starting out? Jack Benny. I don’t think you can teach timing to somebody, only you can hear in your head. But he was influential just by the time he would take; the silence that he would use and his bravery. As a comedian, he was very brave to take the time it took to tell the story.… He would never rush, and it was that much better.

Are you still working on new material, or do you think you have enough now after 50 years? I don’t know.…You’re just trained to keep observing and that’s what you do. I can’t turn it off. If I go on vacation, I’m not going to not look at anything that is funny, not notice anyone for two weeks. You can’t help yourself, that’s just what I do.

You grew up in Chicago. Are you living in L.A. now? I had to get away from the Toronto, Chicago–type winters.

You know you’re playing in December right? Ya [laughs]. I’ll probably have to buy some clothes, when I get there. I might not break even on the date.

No time like the present for T.O.’s sultry jazz chanteuse

By

-

11:10 am

0

Born into the family business, Emilie-Claire Barlow grew up in a home filled with music, instruments laying about waiting to be played. Her parents were professional session musicians: Mom sang, Dad played the drums. And it didn’t take long for Barlow to follow suit.
“It was a very natural, normal part of my life,” says Barlow, on tour in support of her new (seventh) album Haven’t We Met?, which brings her to the Enwave Theatre in Toronto, Dec. 4 and 5.

Barlow spent as much time hanging out in a studio as most kids do watching TV. By the time she was seven, she had the headphones on while laying down tracks on her first commercial jingle. And she hasn’t stopped since.

“My mother was singing a jingle, and they needed a kid’s voice on it,” Barlow explains. “They asked me if I was interested, and that was that.”

Barlow started her first jazz quartet in high school, while attending Etobicoke School of the Arts, and released her debut album, Sings, in 1998. She’s been nominated for Juno Awards for Best Vocal Jazz Album in 2002 and 2008 as well as winning Female Jazz Vocalist of the Year at the 2008 National Jazz Awards.

“I always just loved to sing, I knew that … and I loved music theatre, and that really solidified my love of the great American songbook, the standards,” says Barlow. “So that is where I fell in love with that repertoire.”

From Gershwin and Rodgers & Hammerstein to Brazilian bossa nova, Barlow oozes charm and sophistication to breathe new life into these timeless classics.

“They are well-crafted songs that can hold up to many different interpretations,” she says. “That’s exciting to me, taking a song and just trying to make my mark on it.… And there seems to be an endless supply of incredible songs from the ’30s and ’40s, and that’s been an inspiration.”

But Brazilian singer Rosa Passos is one artist she keeps coming back to year after year, including a song on each of her records.

“She has the most charming voice. She’s almost girlish yet extremely sophisticated in her way of singing,” says Barlow, who first listened to Passos some 15 years ago. “I didn’t know what she was saying, but I just fell in love with her and started learning her songs phonetically.”

But something was missing. Primarily, Barlow didn’t know what she was singing about. “It was like a huge piece of the puzzle missing,,” says Barlow, who began taking language lessons. “It helped me to understand the context of the songs, to wrap my head around the language a bit so that I could sing the songs authentically.”

In addition to Brazilian music, Barlow will often add French songs to her repertoire, drawn in by the lyrical nature of the music.

“French is a very musical language, a very singable language,” says Barlow, who includes songs such as “C’est Merveilleux” on her new album. “If a song hits me, it doesn’t matter what language it is in.”

Haven’t We Met? and her just re-released holiday album Winter Wonderland are both available on Barlow’s own label, Empress Music Group. For more information, go to www.emilieclairebarlow.com.

How to get kids to behave without really trying

By

-

11:03 am

0

I was on the phone with a very smart mom. A thinking mom. She, in reference to my kids, said to me: “You want them to date,” thereby giving voice to the great parental fallacy that if we tell our adolescents to do stuff they’ll do it. Parents get into trouble, when we do that, because every time we tell them to do something they don’t do we lose street cred.

But how do you get your kids to do stuff? The answer works for young kids as well as for adolescents. It doesn’t come with a works-every-time-money-back guarantee, because that’s not how life works, and if you expected parenting to go like that, you were horribly misinformed.

But this method usually works pretty well, which tends to be about all we can say for most good things.

It’s not helpful to make our family sound like the army. Do you catch yourself using the following phrases? “Because I told you to.… Because I’m the parent and you’re the kid.… Do this or else.… So Mr. (or Miss) Prince(ss) is too good to wash the dishes?” If yes, it’s time to rethink how to manage your kids’ behaviour, because while the authoritarian approach may produce compliance in the short term, it buys heartbreak down the road, in the form of either willful disobedience or a disempowered kid, and probably broken relationships.

There is a much more powerful tool for managing kids’ behaviour. It both modifies behaviour and builds relationships because it involves catching bees with honey. At camp we call this managing behaviour via targeted validations. Validation is a great behaviour management tool, if you do the following:

Every time you catch your children doing something good, you tell them 1) exactly what they did, 2) what positive characteristic that showed and 3) how you appreciate it.

This sounds like: “Lisa, you cleared the table without being asked. That’s so responsible. Thanks for supporting me.” Lisa thinks: “Wow, Mom thinks I’m responsible. Cool! I’m going to do that again.” Her sibling, listening in, is also having his behaviour managed.

If Mom had said to Lisa, after she cleared the table: “Wow Lisa, you rock,” her sibling would a) be jealous and want to push Lisa off the roof, b) have no idea why Mom strewed Lisa’s path with roses and c) feel resentful that Mom always favours Lisa. Whereas if Mom uses the targeted validation, the overhearing sibling thinks: “Hmm, Mom called her responsible, I want Mom to think I’m responsible too. Maybe I’ll try doing a house chore.”

Let’s say Lisa does her homework without being nagged. Mom says: “Lisa, you did your homework without being told. That’s so mature, I’m proud of you.” Lisa thinks: “Mom thinks I’m mature, I better do more stuff like that.” Her overhearing sibling thinks: “I want Mom to think I’m mature, I’m gonna do my homework too.” As opposed to the untargeted validation, which would produce sibling jealousy and would not manage Lisa’s behaviour either.

You witness your child persisting to accomplish something really hard. Before you read on, imagine the targeted validation you’ll use to get them to do more of that.

I would say: “Lisa, you played that piano piece over and over again until you got it. You showed such perseverance. I’m proud of you.” What do Lisa and sibling think when they hear that?

Let’s try another one: Lisa helps somebody without being asked. What do you say to her? Please don’t read on until after you answer the question. I would say: “Lisa, you helped your little sister tie her shoes without being asked. That’s so generous and I really appreciate your help.” What do Lisa and the overhearing sibling think now?

Like working out, this tool is not an instant parental happy pill, but it produces long-term results. This is how you build better children and teach them required life skills, making them be the best people they can be.