Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2017 i Zoomer Magazine

ON DEC. 6, 1917 a French freighter packed with explosives collided with a Norwegian ship in Halifax Harbour, igniting a manmade blast that wasn’t equalled in size until the advent of the atomic bomb, destroying a swath of the city, killing 2,000 and injuring thousands more – including some thrown blocks from where they’d stood seconds earlier. Two new books mark the centennial of the tragedy, The Great Halifax Explosion: A World War I Story of Treachery, Tragedy, and Extraordinary Heroism by John U. Bacon, offering a perspective of international scope and the blast’s implications for the future of warfare, and The Halifax Explosion: Canada’s Worst Disaster by Ken Cuthbertson, who attempts to get to the bottom of the cause of the collision while recounting the heartbreaking and heroic aftermath.…

WHEN A LOYAL customer came shopping after a double mastectomy, the Quebecbased lingerie retailer La Vie en Rose took the opportunity to develop a speciality bra, in consultation with her, and Muse, its post-mastectomy collection, was born. Launched in 2010, the bra comes with patented removable figure-balancing pads – the combination of a weighted gel and microbeads gives the pads a natural movement and shape while being lighter and cooler than traditional silicone prosthetics. Other features include firm cups, straps positioning closer to the centre of the cup for a closer secure fit and, because treatment can increase sensitivity, the bra’s cups are lined with super-soft microfibre. This fall, the company introduced two breast cancer survivors, Caroline Perron, 45, and Brett McCully, 31 as Muse spokespeople. The company found McCully…

EAST ENDERS TORONTO has been seeing a hotel boom of late, with Bisha opening in September and Hotel X set to revitalize the iconic Ontario Place space by the lake. But Riverside, a neighbourhood just east of the Don Valley, is on the hotelier set’s radar. The Broadview Hotel has opened in another iconic, somewhat notorious spot, Jilly’s Strip Club. When reimagining the original 1891 building, an example of Romanesque Revival style architecture, Toronto-based Streetcar Developments chose to maintain its facade, preserving the vintage feel. A boutique property with 58 rooms, the Broadview also fea tures a restaurant and rooftop bar. thebroadviewhotel.ca For more on Toronto’s east end, go to www.everythingzoomer.com/broadvieweast- end. For the cornbread recipe, go to www.everythingzoomer.com/recipe-cornbread. LONDON Across the pond, Michael Achenbaum of Gansevoort hotels in New…

LAST JULY, when Sears Canada announced it would pursue bankruptcy protection, one of the first moves the company made was to ditch its unfunded pension obligations, leaving thousands of retirees at risk of losing their retirement security and peace of mind. Other companies like Nortel, Target Canada and Indalex Canada have all tried similar tactics to escape their pension obligations when facing bankruptcy. To prevent more companies from following this cynical game plan, CARP launched its Put Pensioners First campaign. More than 12,000 Canadians have signed the petition, calling on governments to: amend the bankruptcy laws so pensioners rank ahead of secured creditors in priority of repayment of obligations. make company-funded pension insurance mandatory for all provinces. Ontario retirees have some protection. All pensioners should have at least as much.…

6 STRESSBUSTING HOLIDAY SOLUTIONS “WHEN IT COMES to any stressful times in our lives, it is important to take care of your physical health. Focus on eating right, daily exercise and getting enough sleep,” says Louisa Jewell, author of Wire Your Brain for Confidence: The Science of Conquering Self-Doubt and the founder of the Canadian Positive Psychology Association. “Many people do not realize the importance of nurturing physical health to stay psychologically happy during stressful times.” Here, her tips for handling holiday stress. Family tension Navigating family issues at holiday time can be tricky. Often people tell me that family members are the most toxic people in their lives. Recognize that some people will always show up this way in your life and will never change. Rather than get upset…

CREATING JUST the right mood when you’re hosting a gathering or overnight guests can be as simple as paying attention to your colour scheme – and science. Much research has been done on the correlation between colour and emotion, including a study of college students asked to assign feelings for colours they were shown. Unsurprisingly, blue was linked with calm and yellow with happy. Aside from such universal associations, we’re also affected by a colour’s intensity, says graphic designer and textile artist Susan Anderson: “The minute you put white in a colour and raise it into a very high pastel, whether it’s a warm colour (yellow) or a cool colour (blue), it’s going to give a sense of comfort.” Anderson has been teaching colour psychology at Toronto’s Sheridan and Seneca…

IN BRITISH COLUMBIA, soon you’ll be able to move into an intergenerational residence with your elderly parents. At a long-term care facility in Saskatoon, the residents run the show. In upstate New York, two modern, ranchstyle homes – each with 10 residents – sit side by side nestled in a residential community. In Nagoya, Japan, the parking lot is purposely situated a good walk away, so that staff has a chance to relax and slow their pace a bit by the time they reach the main entrance. And at a group of homes in Australia, you could live out your life with a handful of trusted caregivers instead of dozens of strangers. If these seem like “dream homes” compared to the nursing-home nightmares that might keep you up at night,…

Cannonball Sauvignon Blanc 2015 Sonoma County, California Vintages #478859, $23 The winery’s motto is “dive in” – and this racy Sauvignon Blanc will make a splash on any patio or dockside table. Somewhat lush in texture, with complex notes of lime, preserved lemon and tropical fruits, this good sipper is nice with salads, grilled vegetables and white pizza. Ravenswood Old Vine Napa Valley Zinfandel 2014 Vintages #963405, $23 For fans of robust but smooth-sipping reds, you can’t do much better – plus a little Petite Sirah added for extra power. With classic Zin flavours of cherry and blackberry jam, baking spice and vanilla and some juicy raspberry, too. Great with saucy barbecue and wings. Mumm Cuvee Napa Brut Prestige LCBO #217273, $30 The venerable French Champagne house has been…

THIS IS AN ACTOR’S worst nightmare,” Liam Neeson quipped after easing, undetected, into a room full of waiting journalists at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) – no small feat (or feet) given the 65-year-old stands about 6-3. The Oscar-winner arrived to talk his Watergate-era biopic, Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House, in which he plays the titular hero, an informant better known as “Deep Throat.” What was your initial reaction to the Mark Felt script? LIAM NEESON: I was reasonably ignorant of [Watergate]. I grew up in Ireland and we were going through our own troubles then. And then I thought of four different actors who could have been better cast as Mark Felt. I always do that anyway on every project. I think…

NAT KING COLE’S classic echoes through the Toronto television studio, where audiences sing and sway and lose themselves in live performances of standards from the Great American Songbook through to 1950s rock ’n’ roll. And at centre stage is Marilyn Lightstone, her own mystic smile on full display as grand marshal of VisionTV’s five-part series Your All-Time Hit Parade (both ZoomerMedia properties). The actress, artist and novelist, who starred as Miss Muriel Stacey on Anne of Avonlea and The Road to Avonlea, is also known for her distinct pipes, both as a singer and as the voice of Nocturne on The New Classical FM along with ZoomerMedia television stations One and the aforementioned VisionTV. She created and hosts Your All-Time Hit Parade but also takes on an entirely new role:…

MADE TO MEASURE Staying active as we age has shown many health benefits, including for those with diabetes – almost 50 per cent of whom in Canada are over 65. And, when you consider that 90 per cent of all diabetes sufferers are over the age of 45, it’s time to make matters into our own hands. Getting your muscles moving, for example, helps the body better manage insulin. On the prevention front, findings out of India have shown that a brisk walk for 30 minutes daily can reduce the risk of the disease by one-third. Plus, researchers from New York State’s Binghamton University are working on a glucose monitor that can be worn while working out. Unlike more unwieldy conventional blood glucose monitors, the Binghamton sensor is worn like…

“You can get from the city to the beach, country, ski fields and mountains all within a day. It’s incredible,” says Curtis Stone, award-winning chef, best-selling author and television host, when describing his home country of Australia. Although it isn’t the usual destination that Canadian snowbirds look to when escaping winter, with 30°C sunshine, similar cost of living, and direct flights from Vancouver to Sydney, Brisbane and, starting mid- 2018, Melbourne, it should be on our radar. Get Tan “Whether you like a bush beach, tropical beach or a surf beach – there’s something for everyone,” says Stone. He’s not exaggerating – Australia has nearly 26,000 kilometres of coastline dotted with a whopping 10,685 beaches, each with a different vibe, from the high-energy crowds at Bondi Beach to the laid-back…

94% of clientr recommend a CHIP Reverse Mortgage Offer for Members The first step in getting a reverse mortgage is to find out how much your house is worth. As a CARP Partner, HomEquity Bank is offering CARP members a cash rebate of up to $250 towards a home appraisal. Visit www.chip.ca/carpor call toll-free 1-866-680-2447 today! THERE ARE VARIOUS REASONS WHY A homeowner might consider a reverse mortgage. Perhaps your home needs a few updates or a main-floor renovation that will allow you to age in place. Maybe you’re looking for extra cash to keep up with rising monthly bills, or you want to pay off a high-interest debt. Perhaps you want to fund that dream vacation or cottage so you can start enjoying your retirement. If you’re over…

HOLIDAY ENTERTAINING GETS tricky once the food has been eaten and the presents are opened, leaving guests cradling half-empty wine glasses and wondering, “What now?” Cue a boomer throwback to the days when games were played on the kitchen table instead of online. As board game-based cafes gain prominence with millennials, there’s no reason not to channel your own childhood and bring the fun back home. Board games stimulate the brain after a big holiday meal, and they get all your guests socializing. Newer games make for a communal learning experience while classic ones with a modern twist, like Monopoly: Ultimate Banking, which employs bank cards and digital features, allow for cross-generational appeal that’ll entice players of all ages to the table. The ensuing revelry will do wonders to break…

IN JUNE OF 2013, this magazine published Moses’s Zoomer Philosophy “The End of the Road: When Do We Stop Driving and Who Decides?” Keeping both justice and practicality in mind, Moses advocated for: Standardized, statistically reliable driving tests to be administered not just to aging drivers but all drivers at various intervals. Readily available training and retraining programs for all adults, as codified by the Young Drivers of Canada program. If necessary, a graduated licensing system for certain adult drivers (similar to the one now in use for new drivers) to be determined not by age but by test score, so that drivers who are only comfortable with driving in daylight hours or on city streets but not major highways, can continue to drive with those restrictions. That we accept…

Go Glam Check into Beverly Hills The City of Angels has been having a bit of a renaissance of late. No longer merely the object of New York snobbery, with cracks about smog, cosmetic surgery and driveby shootings, Los Angeles has surpassed its East Coast cousin as the nexus of cool chic. Be it the restoration of Hollywood Boulevard to its former glory and epicentre of the film business or the revitalization of its downtown core, the L.A. of rightthis- minute is a sprawling canvas for artists, entrepreneurs and anyone who seeks reinvention and redemption in equal measure. But what does that have to do with me, you ask? When it comes to enjoying all the West Coast has to offer, age is not a factor, and certain hotel chains…

BRAIN GAMES #52 It’s a Gas ACROSS 1 Toast topper 4 Necklace fastener 9 Deserve, as an honour 14 Granny, in Göttingen 15 Milk bag? 16 Winter hub in many Canadian towns 17 Required high sch. course 18 * Host of Mr. Dressup 20 They’re rounded up or down at the checkout 22 Putin’s former employer 23 Smelted stuff 24 Bears: Sp. 25 Make room for on a bench, say 29 Like Alberta, resource-wise 31 Point-of-view pieces 32 Mauna ___ (Ocean Spray drink) 33 Castle circler 35 Felinophobe’s unlikely pet 36 CO2, and what is represented within each answer to the starred clues 41 Town resident: Abbr. 42 Gin-flavouring plum 43 Ma or Pop’s bro 45 Go out on ___ (be daring) 48 Guided through the door of 50 *…

THE FLIP SIDE I read Connie Proteau’s “Only the Lonely” (October) with interest, but maybe someone should write an article that focuses on the CARP survey statistics flipped on their head; that means, pay attention to the fact that 91 per cent were not starved for company, 90 per cent had someone to turn to and 85 per cent were happy with doing things alone. Figure out what they are doing right and use that information to help the 10 per cent who had issues with isolation and loneliness. Keep doing the good work, CARP. —Sue L.T. McGregor, via email MAN UP “A Place For Men” (October) has encouraged me to try to start a local Men’s Shed Group. Retired men usually miss the camaraderie of working with others. Being…

Men have more collagen in their skin and produce more sebum, so they visibly age more slowly. Thus, the topic of “sensitive skin as you get older” doesn’t impact them as much. However, for some mature men, “sensitive skin relates to conditions including rosacea, eczema, psoriasis,” says Rivers. Gentle cleansers and unfragranced moisturizers (try Nivea Men’s Sensitive Skin Moisture Cream, $9) can calm skin, but shaving may be a challenge. Instead of that hollow-handled disposable, try Gillette’s ProShield Chill razor ($15) with friction-easing, lubricating strips surrounding the blades. To minimize irritation, prep with beard oil before applying shaving foam and use a gentle glycolic acid scrub weekly to unclog pores and protect against ingrown hairs. TRY: American Crew Ultra Gliding Shave Oil, $15; Biotherm Anti-Irritations and Anti-Redness Shaving Foam, $22;…

IMAGINE A CLEAN-CUT police detective who gives chase while wearing a bowler hat, impeccably tailored tweed three-piece and, when he arrests the culprit, speaks the Queen’s English. In this case, the Queen in question is not Elizabeth but Victoria – or it was in 1895, the year the Murdoch Mysteries first began solving the crimes of gaslit Toronto. As the time period it covers has progressed in real time, the series has become one of Canada’s most successful dramas and, a decade later, it has a fanatical following and is broadcast in 110 countries. Some of that success is due to the amiable Yannick Bisson, who has played the Toronto Constabulary’s dapper, earnest and unfailingly polite William Murdoch in more than 150 episodes. The popularity of Murdoch Mysteries is a…

Traveling frequently between Canada and the United States usually meant purchasing a US phone plan or getting hit with exorbitant roaming fees every time you wanted to check Facebook, call family back in Canada or stream reruns of Downton Abbey. The new Canada-US Plan from TELUS lets you talk, text and use your usual data plan from back home for one low monthly fee. So whether you’re golfing in Tampa or dodging winter in Tallahassee, having a second home doesn’t mean you need a second phone. Here are ten more reasons you’ll want to stay plugged in while you’re south of the border. BEING ‘CAREFREE’ REQUIRES A SURPRISING NUMBER OF TOOLS Keep your brain relaxed and stress-free by having your phone do the heavy lifting. Download apps that convert currency,…

HUNCHED BEHIND a massive steering wheel in an old-model car sits the stereotypical geriatric driver, peering over the dashboard through Coke-bottle glasses, swerving from lane to lane, all the while oblivious to the mayhem he or she is causing and ignoring the shouting drivers around them. While hackneyed portrayals like these are common fodder for movies or ads – they do a great disservice to those who have been driving the roads safely for more than six, sometimes seven decades. Ultranegative depictions reinforce the mistaken notion that all senior citizens are terrible drivers and bring about calls for blanket testing on all older drivers. Over the past decade, some provinces, particularly Ontario and B.C., have imposed rigorous regulations on the licensing of elderly drivers (see sidebar, next page), requiring them…

DESPITE THE FACT the Orange State has been pounded by a series of meteorological storm troopers in the form of category havoc hurricanes, it is already well on the way to recovery and should be up and running in time to welcome snowbirds when the annual migration begins this winter, says Visit Florida president Ken Lawson. Many areas of the state did not see significant impacts, he said, adding that “areas that were more impacted are rebuilding and planning to reopen as soon as possible.” For constantly updated travel safety information, go to Visit Florida’s Florida Now webpage. As far as prices go, expect a buyer’s market for visitors as suppliers ratchet up efforts to lure Canadians back, and they want Canadians back badly; statistically, we stay twice as long…

I GET SEVERAL E-MAILS each week from snowbirds asking when is the best time to buy U.S. dollars. I wish there were an easy answer, but there isn’t. However, I can offer a few tips that may help you get the best exchange rate. First, let’s look at some recent history. According to the Bank of Canada website, the Canadian dollar opened 2017 at US$0.7443. That meant it took $1.3435 of our dollars to buy one U.S. greenback. The consensus prognosis at the time was that the loonie would head lower, possibly to the US$0.70 range. The rationale was a combination of low oil prices and the expectation that the U.S. Federal Reserve Board would begin to raise its key rate while the Bank of Canada held the line. Those…

NORTH STARS WHAT COULD BETTER REFLECT the complexity of California than a certified organic farmers market under a state freeway? This was my singular thought as I stood on a rainy Sunday morning in Sacramento amid growers’ stands stacked with awesome bounty – persimmons, esoteric nut varieties, citrus in surprising shapes and shades – and overhead the belch and roar of traffic. Even looking up at the underside of U.S. Route 50 between 6th and 7th streets was an esthetic contradiction. “The Bright Underbelly” is the work of local artists, a fanciful mural – like anti-graffiti – covering 70,000 square feet of concrete. Against a background of sky blue, there are vignettes for each of the seasons, birds in flight, wildlife and trees and, on the support pillars, naïve-style text…

KEN DRYDEN, 70, was a goalie for the Montreal Canadiens in the 1970s, during which time the team won six Stanley Cups. He also played for Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series. He has been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. He is a former federal member of Parliament and cabinet minister and is the author of five books, including The Game and Home Game (with Roy MacGregor). His latest is Game Change: The Life and Death of Steve Montador and the Future of Hockey, a subject that is a passion for Dryden. “This is a book about the life of a hockey player, who had CTE,” he explains. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a degenerative brain disease found in athletes,…