Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2017 i Zoomer Magazine

AS WE CONTINUE to mark Canada’s 150th with curated commemorative content in this issue and those for the remainder of 2017 and, while our special celebratory issue remains available on newsstands until the year’s end, we pause to acknowledge an occasion just as momentous – at least to us – as Zoomer begins its 10th anniversary year. You may or may not recall our firstever cover, but I will never forget the shiver of gratitude and relief I felt when, after weeks of trying through his management for confirmation as our deadline loomed, I received the call from Bryan Adams letting me know that Wayne Gretzky had agreed to be photographed by him for it. Gretzky was our first choice, not simply because of his iconic status as a national…

Zoomer’s philosophy is contagiousAllure magazine features 72-year-old Helen Mirren on its cover and rails against anti-aging, with editor-inchief Michelle Lee saying the term is “subtly reinforcing the message that aging is a condition we need to battle.” Brazil man, 76, wins Handsomest Elderly Man 2017 contest and says seniors should stay healthy because “the abyss isn’t very far away” His victory speech wasn’t exactly “I’m going to Disneyland!” but it’s inspiring in its own way. “Tell us, ma’am – how exactly did your husband become embedded in the ceiling?” Researchers develop spring-loaded steps to help people with mobility issues climb the stairs easier. Basically, Woody Allen is going to outlive us all Study shows that neurotic people may enjoy greater longevity. This is why George Carlin performed “Seven Words You…

You might call it “Oundjian’s 3rd” – the third act for Toronto Symphony Orchestra music director Peter Oundjian, whose career as a star violinist was cut short by a repetitive stress injury in his hand decades ago. He transitioned to both conducting and, eventually, taking the reins at the TSO and, now, as the 61-year-old prepares to step down following the 2017/2018 season, we wondered what the maestro’s prepared for Act 3. Mike Crisolago: What was it that made you decide to step away from your post at the TSO after 14 years? Peter Oundjian: It’s always good to have people ask you that question rather than, “Why did you wait so long?” [Laughs] I had hired pretty much half the orchestra, and we have done some lovely touring, some…

THE ER IS OFTEN A VERY BUSY and crowded place. The beauty of the ER but also what makes it so crazy is that all are welcome, and people are prioritized on the severity of their medical issue. On average, Canadians visit the ER more often and wait longer than people in other Commonwealth countries. So ask your doctor what off-hours coverage their office has; many share an on-call system whereby off-hours and holidays are covered by a doctor. This could save you from hours in the ER. Here, a few more tips. If you are severely ill, call an ambulance. You may not be safe to drive; paramedics can begin life-saving treatment en route; an ambulance can usually get there faster; and the ambulance will know the best place…

wHEN IT COMES TO finances, there are all kinds of questions that leave people scratching their heads and then sending off an email to me asking for help. Here are the two most common queries I receive. HOW DO I FIND A GOOD FINANCIAL ADVISER? Most people realize that they need some help managing their money. The problem is finding someone they trust at a reasonable cost. There are a lot of financial advisers out there, some unscrupulous, but most of those I have met are dedicated professionals who have the best interests of their clients at heart. But just because they are good doesn’t mean they are right for you. Here’s my seven-step solution to finding a good financial adviser. 1 The starting point is your personal priorities. You…

CARP PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE FOR 2017 On Sept. 28, 1972, I flipped the “on” switch for a local independent UHF television station I co-founded in Toronto called CityTV. Coincidently, that same day registered the largest audience recorded in Canadian television history, up to that point. Alas, the viewers were not tuned into the première of my upstart little Channel 79 but rather to the CBC as it broadcast what would become the Hockey Game of the Century: Team Canada’s Great Victory over the Soviets and Paul Henderson’s epic winning goal. Forty-five years have flown by, but the memories of that series and the athletes who pulled it off remain etched in our hearts and minds. CARP is proud that the players of that iconic Team Canada ’72 have recently endorsed and…

While loneliness in old age is often perceived to be a women’s issue, men are equally at risk of suffering due to a lack of social connections. When Ken Burger, 82, of Kelowna, B.C., retired at the age of 75, he missed the camaraderie of working with others, using his hands and mind and having a sense of accomplishment in his day. “I was getting very depressed just sitting around and doing nothing and then I spent a month in the hospital being treated for depression,” he says. “Then I found out about the Men’s Shed group – I was hooked right away.” After joining the Okanagan Men’s Shed, Burger got a new lease on life. Twice a week, he and about 30 fellow members get together to work on…

The Endocannabinoid System Each of us has an endocannabinoid system (ECS), just like a nervous system and a digestive system. It’s involved in many bodily processes, including pain-sensation. Some medical conditionsaffect the proper functioning of the ECS, leading to pain. The ECS naturally produces chemicals similar to those in cannabis. Thesechemicals pass messages between the brain and body parts through neurons and receptors. The Cannabinoids in Cannabis The cannabinoids in cannabis supplement the cannabinoids normally produced by the ECS. They bind to pain receptors and alleviate the pain signals sent to the brain. THC (delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol)causes the psychoactive effects or “high” felt from cannabis. It helps with symptoms such as inflammation and pain, insomnia, and nausea and vomiting. CBD (cannabidiol) has almost no psychoactive effect. It helps with inflammation and…

Photographer Caitlin Cronenberg’s body of work is diverse. From fashion shoots to TIFF and Cannes Film Festival photo diaries – for W Magazine and the New York Times, respectively – to the cover art for Drake’s 2016 album Views and the June Sky (Delta) cover featuring Justin Trudeau. Add to the list directing music videos and web content. She is currently working on her second book of photography, The Endings, which will be published in 2018. For her first Zoomer assignment, “A Woman’s Tale” (pg. 41), she captures the distinguished team behind the television adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace. “Because the directors aren’t selling their films – they’re already classics – they’re more relaxed. So the interviews have been some of the funniest and frankest I’ve ever done,” says…

“It was just a dream,” Tragically Hip front man Gord Downie declares in Long Time Running, the new behind-the-scenes documentary about the now-legendary sold-out Man Machine Poem Canadian tour last summer in the wake of the singer’s brain cancer diagnosis. “It’s the best I ever felt on stage. I wanted the shows to go on forever.” Hip fans that crammed arenas from Victoria to the band’s hometown of Kingston, Ont., – including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau – felt the same way, tearfully cheering on Downie, outfitted in metallic leather, a Jaws T-shirt and feathered hat, as he roared, and exemplified “Courage” from the stage. Helmed by award-winning director Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier, the inside look at the Hip’s final goaround gets the gala presentation treatment for its world…

One night in 1879, famed author Mark Twain tucked his young daughters into bed and regaled them with a fairy tale of his own creation. Now, 138 years later, the notes he composed about that story, discovered among his writings, form the basis of a new Twain tome The Purloining of PrinceOleomargarine – the tale of a boy who talks to animals and sets out to save an endangered prince – expanded and illustrated by the husband and wife team of Philip C. Stead and Erin Stead. While the grandkiddies cosy up with Twain, you can dig into John Le Carré’s latest, A Legacy of Spies, in which the 85-year-old author calls back to classics The Spy Who Came in From the Cold and Tinker Tailor SoldierSpy by bringing…

In 2015, Canadian professor, researcher and writer Timothy Caulfield took a deep dive into the recesses of pop culture, from celebrity health gossip to Goop, in his award-winning book Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything? Now, as lifespans continually increase, the 54-yearold shines a light on the fad diets, detoxes, genetic tests and other methods humans turn to in an effort to stave off mortality in A User’s Guide to Cheating Death – a six-part series set to air on VisionTV (a ZoomerMedia property). “Now that we are living longer, we want to live better, too. We call it cheating death, but I think a lot of it really is about living a healthy life,” Caulfield says from his Alberta home. “Something I think that has been emphasized over the…

THINK THE GREATEST legacy is Jack’s gift of love and friendship.” I was surprised when I heard those words in former Ontario premier Bob Rae’s eulogy for Jack Rabinovitch. Not that I doubted Jack’s capacity for profound relationships. But as a successful businessman and philanthropist he had so many accomplishments of a more concrete kind. He founded the Giller Prize (later known as the Scotiabank Giller Prize), which glamourized Canadian literature, and he was instrumental in building the Princess Margaret Hospital (now the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre) on University Avenue in Toronto. I had never heard about that latter endeavour until the funeral – ironic given my connection to the institution. I have often learned wonderful things about friends and acquaintances at their funerals. Note to self: take more time…

The line wasn’t in the script. IT WAS DAY 1 on the set of the six-part television series Alias Grace, based on Margaret Atwood’s awardwinning 1996 novel, which itself was based on the true story of Grace Marks, an Irish immigrant to Upper Canada who was convicted for a notorious 1843 double murder. (Whether she committed the murder, abetted it or was innocent is still unknown; the shifting nature of “truth,” filtered through the sexism of the era, is the story’s real subject.) Sarah Polley had written all six hours of the screenplay, and Mary Harron (American Psycho) was directing them. Atwood herself was there to do a cameo, as a neighbour scandalised that Thomas Kinnear (Paul Gross), a wealthy unmarried landowner, was flaunting his lover, Nancy (Anna Paquin), and…

UXURY CARS USED to be so reassuringly obvious. They had leather seats and extra legroom. They were shiny, costly and envy-inducing. But now investment bankers are buying $90,000 pickup trucks for weekend diversions, and celebrities like Jay-Z and Drake favour a matte finish for their Maybachs. Once as downmarket as you can get, matte is now a custom luxury feature that can add as much as $5K to the cost of a vehicle. And thanks to the singular vision of billionaire-inventor-futurist Elon Musk, Tesla has also done its part to complicate the luxury market by making electric cars fast and sexy. Increasingly, eco-consciousness is less crunchy granola, more a signifier of status. L If you like old-school luxury, however, comfort is your priority and the Lincoln Motor Company knows it.…

HOW DESPERATE is the federal government to increase tax revenues? Desperate enough to divert into its own coffers money that many Canadians would prefer to donate to charity. A little backgrounder. In 2015, the Harper government proposed changes that would have eliminated the capital gains tax in cases where private corporations disposed of shares or real estate and donated the proceeds to qualified charities within 30 days. It was an overdue amendment. Public corporations have been able to do this for nearly two decades. The proposal was unique in one way though; it was supported by all parties in the House of Commons, including the then-opposition Liberals. However, the charitable-works community was pretty much blindsided when the proposed changes were absent from incoming Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s 2016 budget. “I…

All through November, and all across Hong Kong, is The Great November Feast. It’s an entire month of indulgence you won’t want to miss, a showcase of the latest in the world of wines and spirits to culinary-themed tours of Hong Kong neighbourhoods. Check out the “Foodie Streets” where you can walk up an appetite, including entertainment galore in Lan Kwai Fong and Queen’s Road East. During the feast period you can enjoy classes such as how to cook with wine and how to make that classic Hong Kong cuisine, dim sum. And then there is the world-renowned Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair from November 9th to 11th. In November, there truly is no shortage of events to keep foodies busy.…

WHEN THE place of birth on your passport says Come By Chance, you get through customs pretty quickly – “C’mon, Come By Chance?” My response: “Yes, my parents met in Heart’s Delight, married in Heart’s Content, honeymooned in Conception Bay, and I was born in Come By Chance.” Of course, only the last part is true, and I have an older sister but, as any Newfoundlander can tell you, there’s no reason to let truth stand in the way of a good story. And Newfoundlanders are nothing if not good storytellers: Michael Crummey, Cathy Jones, Shaun Majumder, Rick Mercer, Donna Morrissey, Gordon Pinsent, Mary Walsh and Alan Doyle – as you’ll see next. My parents’ stories of mummers (neighbours dressed in disguise who drop by to entertain with a song…

ROYALLY IMPRESSED Where has this photo been since 2001 [cover, September]? It should have been an official portrait. The Queen looks wonderfully approachable, and the Prince elegant. Altogether a “best pic” of the couple anywhere. —Bonnie Weller, via email COME SAIL AWAY I enjoyed Toby Saltzman’s article about her voyage on the Queen Mary 2 [“Life Ahoy!” September]. My wife and I have done that eastbound five times. There is no better way to cross the pond if you have the time. The cost will vary, but we are quite happy with an inside cabin, so we pay only a little more than economy class air fare (just over $1,000 each, plus what it costs to get to New York) and get all that food and entertainment thrown in for…

A lot’s happened in Shania Twain’s life in the 15 years since her last studio album, from Lyme disease-related voice troubles to her break-up with her husband, producer Mutt Lange, who cheated on her with her best friend, to her second marriage – to the spurned spouse of Twain’s unfaithful pal. After all that, plus a tour and a Vegas residency, the 51-year-old returns with a fresh new album called, appropriately, Now, to be followed by a headlining performance at November’s Grey Cup halftime show. And if any questions remain about Twain’s mindset moving forward, the answer lies in the title of the disc’s first single, “Life’s About to Get Good.”…

After a summer of beach reads, this seasonal sixpack allows readers to add a little Canada 150 spirit to their bookshelves. Acclaimed Canadian music historian Nicholas Jennings presents the definitive biography of a national musical treasure with Lightfoot, crafting a portrait of Gordon Lightfoot’s life through interviews with friends, musicians and the singer himself. Meanwhile, former Walrus fiction editor Nick Mount chronicles the stories and scribes who fuelled the rise of Canadian literature in the last century, from Atwood to Richler, in Arrival: The Story of CanLit. Speaking of CanLit, three huge fiction titles arrive this month: That’s My Baby, Frances Itani’s story of identity and belonging amid the ravages of the Second World War that serves as a sequel to her Giller-nominated novel Tell;…

HER FEET MOVE WITH PRECISION, pumping the pedals like an organist. Her ankle boots – four-inch heels – hint at punk. Her blood-red lips give way to a smile more intense. Her cropped hair reveals a honed bone structure. Yet it’s her hands that mesmerize. They fly over, under, in and about hundreds of multi-hued threads, strung across ancient looms that her mother and her mother and her mother before her used to weave their textile magic. We’re in Perugia, in Marta’s workshop, at the Laboratorio Giuditta Brozzetti in the Church of San Francesco delle Donne. The loom has a time-honoured patina, worn where her great-grandmother, the founder Giuditta Brozzetti, laid her own deft hands. This is the origin of the Perugia tablecloth – it’s said the table in Leonardo…

“These ‘senior superpowers’ can be in high demand at aid agencies” WHEN NANCY SEMKIN began planning her early retirement from the corporate sector in 2009, she knew the next phase of her life was going to look markedly different. Semkin, who lives in Toronto, had enjoyed a long, fulfilling career as a director of leadership development in human resources at RBC. “I have no regrets,” says Semkin. “But there was a further need I knew was not being met.” For years, Semkin had pictured herself immersed in humanitarian work. With family obligations and bills to pay, however, the circumstances were never right. As she got older, that changed. Plus, “I had come to the time in my life when I wanted to take on a different kind of challenge,” Semkin…

▪“A lot of my feelings of loneliness and isolation are related to having friends and family predecease me.” ▪Despite the fact that almost 50 per cent of us are single, the world caters almost exclusively to couples.” ▪Life changes, and we constantly need to meet more friends.” ▪“I put a lot of effort into ensuring I have contact (real contact, not social media) with other humans. I volunteer and seek out new activities.” ▪“I believe I have a lot to contribute to my community but, because of being in constant pain, I do little and I am quite bored and frustrated.” ▪“Despite keeping busy with social activities, I feel extremely alone.” ▪Our suburbs are not designed to socialize in public spaces or coffee shops. A car is necessary for almost…

CANADIAN SENIORS ARE BIG OPIOID CONSUMERS Canadians are the world’s second largest per capita consumer of prescription opioids after Americans, and our opioid use is highest among seniors. OPIOIDS RELIEVE PAIN WHEN USED PROPERLY Opioids are medicines that relieve acute or chronic pain by acting on specific nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain. Examples of opioids are morphine, oxycodone, fentanyl, hydromorphone, and OxyNEO. THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS WITH OPIOIDS “Opioids are fantastic medicines short-term. If you break your leg, you want to have opioids. In the medium term, they are good for a lot of people. But in the long term, we’re starting to realize that opioids have significant issues, particularly at a high dose.” In the older population, opioids cause sleepiness, constipation, reflux, and problems with the…

BIGGER THAN BOND When Beatlemania became a worldwide phenomenon, Paul McCartney could finally afford his first car. And he did it in style, with a 1964 Aston Martin DB5, a.k.a. the James Bond car. Painted in Goodwood Green, it had reclining seats, pile carpets, electric windows, full leather trim and a black interior with a stitched music-note pattern. McCartney’s urbane ride also had a record player, on which he would presumably spin his hit single from 1965, “Drive My Car.” THE CLUBMAN’S CAR “I am easily satisfied with the very best,” quipped Winston Churchill. And when he wasn’t saving the world from Nazi Germany, he liked to tool around London in the very best car: a 1939 Daimler DB18 Drophead Coupé with two-tone black and silver paint, green leather seats…

Many Canadians choose to include gifts to charities in their wills. Here are some tips on incorporating charitable giving as part of the estate planning process from Douglas Gray, author of The Canadian Guide to Will and Estate Planning (www.estateplanning.ca). ▪ Philanthropy is a noble cause, but family comes first. Ensure spouse and other dependents are adequately provided for in accordance with your wishes. ▪ Ensure the estate has sufficient liquid assets to cover donations without forcing executors to liquidate others to raise cash. ▪ Make sure that you identify the desired charity by its precise full legal name and include its address and phone number; lengthy and expensive court battles have been fought by competing charities in cases where there was confusion. ▪ Ensure that the tax consequences of…

AMAZING CYCLOTHON Love cycling? So does Hong Kong. On October 8th, come enjoy the Sun Hung Kai Properties Hong Kong Cyclothon. It’s the third edition of this exciting event that anyone can enjoy—from amateur to professional, and even those who want to be there just to cheer on the participants as they whiz by. It’s a mega sporting event with a route that allows maximum enjoyment of this city’s amazing urban skylines and spectacular sea-to-sky views. Depending on your skill level, you can choose to do a 50-kilometre team or individual ride; a 30-kilometre ride; or a kids and youth ride. The roads are closed to traffic— a rare treat—so it’s an incredible opportunity to enjoy the Cyclothon’s smoothly paved routes by bike. People come from countries all around the…

MY PARENTS WERE born in a place called Newfoundland in the 1940s. I was born in the same place 20 or so years later. But we were born in different countries. Mom and Dad were born in a country they called Newfoundland, and I was born in a country called Canada. My family never moved homes crossed a border but, in the strangest kind of circumstance, I am a first-generation Canadian. And like many Newfoundlanders my age, I spent my youngest years hearing people of my grandparents’ generation either patting themselves on the back for voting in favour of Confederation just before the 1950s or lamenting how they or those around them voted away their independence as a nation. Some even downright refused to accept the results of the narrow…