Hedley Concert Benefits Free the Children!

Hedley Headlines Concert for Change!

limited Tickets for Concert For Change featuring HEDLEY May 31 in Lindsay, Ontario are STILL AVAILABLE! We've been hearing rumours that they are sold out, buttgere is good news - they are NOT! Get yours today! Proceeds from Concert for Change will fund participation costs for local youth in the Kawartha Lakes area to attend the Me to We Take Action Academy and be donated to Free the Children.

Purchase tickets online or in person at Stratta in Lindsay.

Concert for Change Discount Group Tickets Available

Here is some very exciting news for your classmates, friends, and clubs. Have 25 or more friends? You con SAVE SAVE SAVE! Here are super new reduced ticket rates for groups over twenty five. - Purchase 25 Tickets or more SAVE 10% - Purchase 50 Tickets or more SAVE 20% That's right! If you purchase a block of 25 tickets you can save 10% on ticket costs. If you purchase a block of 50 tickets you can save a whopping 20%. That’s right, buy with your friends and save mad money. Ladies and gents get jazzed this deal is too good to pass up. See more details about this event : Kawartha Lakes Mums: Concert for Change Features Hedley Follow >Concert for Change on Facebook too!

Cash for Ontario & Quebec Schools Green Apple Grants

Schools! Apply before March 31st . Get $1 K for Green Initiatives!

Metro is donating $1 million  to help schools with Green initiatives they undertake on their grounds ,or in their communities. Has your school applied yet?

I haven’t been able to find the criteria for Quebec schools yet. Here are the guidelines for Ontario schools:

1. School Qualifications

   • Must be a registered elementary or high school in Ontario.
   • Must submit application no later than March 31, 2011 (submissions will be evaluated on a first-come first-serve approach)
   • Must have approval from class teacher/ project leader and school principal.
   • Must register online at www.greenapplegrants.ca
   • Must meet all criteria as outlined below.
   • Must execute the project/ program by June 30, 2011
   • Eligibility is subject to change without notice.

2. Grant Criteria

   • Environmental initiatives can take place within school property, outside on school grounds or within the school community.

     • i.e. Purchase of new recycling bins, tree planting on school property or weekly clean-ups of community playground

     All environmental initiatives must support at least one of the following environmental goals:

     • Ecological resource management: water savings, energy savings, raw material (ex. paper, compost), etc.
     • Ecological waste management: waste free lunches, etc.
     • Protection of eco-systems and biodiversity. ex. tree planting, park or river bank cleaning.
   • Environmental initiative must support school curriculum criteria (See www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum )
   • Must submit application no later than March 31, 2011
   • All projects must contain an "awareness" component, and raise consciousness amongst students and/or the community.
   • Accepted projects must be viable in time, and do so without the continual support of the Green Apple School Program (the Selection Committee will ensure that the program does not finance the same project two years in a row).

3. How to Apply for the Green Apple Grant

• Applications must be completed online at www.greenapplegrants.ca no later than March 31, 2011
• The Green Apple School Program concludes on June 30, 2011
• Applications will require the following information:
  • Describe your idea in 3 to 5 bullet points.
  • Briefly describe how you plan to execute the idea.
  • What positive impact will the project have on the environment?
  • Who is involved in the project? (Class, school, community?)
  • Are the results of your project measurable? If so, how?
  • How does this project support school curriculum criteria?

4. Funding

• Funding will be paid directly to the selected school to cover the expenses of their environmental initiative.

  • Metro will invest up to $1 million per province (Ontario & Quebec) to support the Green Apple School Program. Grants worth $1,000 each will be awarded to selected applicants.
  • Any one school can receive a maximum of two Green Apple Grants during the school year. Two separate environmental initiatives must be submitted in order to be considered for two separate grants.
  • All funding must support the selected school's environmental initiatives and those initiatives must meet criteria. The class/school must provide a one page Summary Report once the project has been completed.
  • If a grant is awarded, a cheque payable to the school will be mailed to the Principal. The Store Manager will contact you to make arrangements for the presentation of the certificate.
  • Grants will be announced and posted on www.greenapplegrants.ca as they are awarded.

Good luck to all schools!

Please leave a comment if this has been helpful, or if you know of another grant program for Canadian schools or green initiatives.

Thanks!
Suzanne

Ontario Family Fishing Weekend: Try Ice Fishing!

Bridgenorth Winter Panfish Festival: Highlight of Ontario Family Fishing Weekend

My daughter, and her girlfriends had a blast at this event! After you caught  a fish, you turned it in for a ticket to win a prize. All fish caught were cooked, and shared among the participants, so everyone had a taste of fresh panfish.
Saturday, February 19, Bridgenorth Winter Panfish Festival organizers hope to lure families out to Bell Rotary Park on Chemong Lake in Bridgenorth, Ontario for some free family fun. While the ice fishing festival takes place, Saturday, the Ontario Family Fishing Weekend, runs from

HST in Ontario

Just received this Forward:

To sign the HST petition go to www.unfairtaxgrab.com


Hello Fellow Taxpayer,

This summer (2010) the Ontario Government is set to put into force its new harmonized GST/PST sales tax which will apply a 13% sales tax to everything we purchase.


Things That Were Not Subject To The Current 8% PST Will Be Now Taxed
As a result, things that were not previously taxed under the current Ontario Provincial Sales Tax (PST) will be taxed at 8%.

The new 13% tax will therefore apply to things like your internet bill, electric bill, your gas bill, your water bill, condominium fees, insurance premiums, and every other good and service you purchase. There are almost no exemptions.

The current Ontario PST tax does not apply to services, nor does it apply to the purchase of certain goods. The new 13% tax will therefore extend the old 8% PST tax rate to the purchase of all goods and all services.

The New 13% Tax Will Apply To The Purchase of All New Homes
The new harmonized GST/PST will also apply to all purchases of all new homes. If a person were to purchase a new $1 million dollar home in Toronto , they would have to pay roughly $200,000 in taxes as a result of the Ontario land transfer tax, the new city of Torontoland transfer tax, and the new harmonized 13% GST/PST.

Think about that and what that would do to real estate values in Toronto.

It will cause property values to fall and kill the new home construction industry and the jobs it creates.

And it won't be long before you'll hear our elected representatives telling us that, because of the harm that has been inflicted to the new home construction industry by the new 13% tax, it would be "fair" to extend the new 13% tax to sales of existing homes.

The New 13% Tax Is An Assault On Your Primary Residence
Canadians have had two things that they have always been able to count on as being tax free - things that they could use to save money and accumulate wealth. They are your: (a) primary home; and (b) RRSP. That's it.

The extension of the new 13% GST/PST to homes is simply a tax assault by the government on your primary home. They want to tax your primary home and you will suffer because of it.

Why? Because if a purchaser has to pay almost $200,000 in taxes to buy your $1 million dollar home, the purchaser is going to pay less to you for your home. The purchaser will reduce the amount he or she is willing to pay to you in order to pay all the taxes.

The New 13% Tax Will Effectively Raise Your Income Taxes
Currently, the combined Federal/Ontario income tax rates are roughly 25% on the first $20,000 of taxable income, 42% on the next $40,000 of taxable income, and 46.5% on each dollar of taxable income over $60,000. On top of that you have to add the "Fair Share Health Tax" of up to $1,000 each of us has to pay.

If the Ontario Government gets away with implementing their new harmonized GST/PST sales tax of 13%, the top effective income tax rates in Ontario will be as follows (since you can't spend any of your tax paid dollars without paying the new harmonized 13% GST/PST tax):

38% on the first $20,000
53% on the next $40,000
59.5% on every dollar over $60,000

On top of that, you have to pay your Ontario Fair Share Health Tax, your city realty taxes, your city garbage fees, your city water fees, your city street parking permit fees, your annual Ontario and new city of Toronto vehicle license plate fees, your Ontario land transfer tax, your new city of Toronto land transfer tax, your gasoline taxes, your liquor taxes, your air departure taxes, your entertainment taxes, and so on.


OF ALL THE MONEY YOU WORKED HARD TO EARN, WHAT PERCENTAGE ARE YOU REALLY KEEPING FOR YOUR OWN USE? 25%? 20%? 10%?

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH - FIGHT BACK
THIS HAS GOT TO STOP HERE OR WE WILL ALL SOON BE WORKING FULL TIME FOR THE VARIOUS LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT IN ONTARIO.

YOU CAN ALREADY SEE HOW ARE LIFESTYLES ARE DECLINING BECAUSE OF THE ENORMOUS TAX LOAD WE BEAR.

AS A RESULT, I URGE YOU TO TAKE THIS ISSUE SERIOUSLY AND TO FILL AND AND SIGN THE PETITION AT www.unfairtaxgrab.com AGAINST THE NEW HARMONIZED GST/PST TAX SET OUT BELOW.

I WOULD ALSO ASK YOU TO SEND THIS E-MAIL ON TO OTHERS THAT YOU KNOW AND ASK THEM TO DO THE SAME.

IF WE DON'T WORK TOGETHER ON THIS ISSUE THE NEW HARMONIZED 13% SALES TAX WILL BECOME A REALITY NEXT SUMMER..

THANK YOU.

To sign a petition go to www.unfairtaxgrab.com

Thousands say "no" to the HST Dalton McGuinty claims "no one is complaining" about his unfair tax grab. You proved him wrong this week.. On Wednesday we sent out a request asking you to send a message to the McGuinty Government about the HST. Almost instantly our email box began to fill. By the end of the day we'd received nearly 2,000 messages.

New Democrat Members of Provincial Parliament did their best to read them into the record in the Legislature, but they simply ran out of time. The good news is: there are more debates to come and we'll be sending you details about how to keep up the fight against this unfair tax grab. In the meantime, you can read a transcript of the debate here.

Together we can stop the HST. PS - Urge your friends, family and other concerned citizens to sign the petition at www.unfairtaxgrab.com.

New cell phone / car law (ON) Info

Submitted by: ad_diva

Ontario's Bill 118, an amendment to the Highway Traffic Act, came into effect as of September 01, 2009 and prohibits drivers from using handheld devices with display screens while operating a vehicle on the road. 
Here's a summary of the of the new rules:

Not Allowed:

* Holding or using a wireless communication device (cell phone/Blackberry) or a portable electronic entertainment device (iPod, PlayStation Portables) while driving is prohibited

Violation of the new rules can carry a fine of $500. Demerit points will not be included but depending upon the violation, police will have the option to also use existing careless driving laws for additional penalties.

Allowed:
        * Commercial GPS units along with similar dashboard-mounted devices that provide gauges and displays relating to logistical or navigation uses are permitted
        * Using a cell phone or wireless communication device in hands-free mode, as long as you're not holding it during use, is permitted
        * Using any device while pulled-over or parked in a way that you are not disrupting traffic, is permitted
        * Systems used by Ambulances, Fire Departments, & Law Enforcement are exempt.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * 

Comments from the Cheap Seats:

Studies  show that even talking on a hands-free device is more impairing than drunk driving. In some countries, hands free devices are not allowed to be used while your vehicle is in gear.

What do you think -Is the new law toothless or  will it make a difference?

How to Save on Property Taxes (ON Srs. & Persons with Disabilities)

There is nothing as sure as death & taxes, but there may be some relief in sight!
Property Tax Relief for Low-Income Seniors and Low-Income Persons with Disabilities: "Low-income seniors and low-income persons with disabilities who own residential property may be eligible to receive relief from property tax increases that resulted from assessment reform.

Under the Ontario Fair Assessment System (under section 373 of the Municipal Act), municipalities are required to defer or cancel property taxes or provide other relief in respect of tax increases resulting from assessment reform on residential properties owned by low-income seniors, low-income persons with disabilities, or their spouses.

Municipalities have the flexibility to determine the amount of tax relief and the form of relief, and they are responsible for determining who will be eligible for relief."

Click Here for more Info

Get Hatched, Matched and Dispatched Online - ON Govt. Tool

Ont. Online Certificate Application Center

Had a really frustrating time filling out the birth certificate application for Sneaky Pete. I'd get it almost finished, click next and a nasty message would pop up saying

"The online application is not available at this time. Please try later." Can a computer be sarcastic?  

I would have gone crazy if it hadn't been for my trusty RoboForm tool bar. RoboForm took the info  I  typed  into it, and plugged  it into the form  with a click of my  mouse. Always double check your forms. Oops! Must have typed something in the wrong space. 'Eensy weensy spider' is not my maiden name!

What?
Apply for birth, death or marriage certificates if they took place in Ontario. (You can register 10 to 16 weeks from when the birth, marriage or death took place, depending on the event.)
How Long Till it Arrives?
See the Money back Guarantees:

• Online Birth Certificate – 15 days
• Online Marriage and Death Certificate – 15 days
• Premium Online Service – 5 days
• Service Standard for Paper Applications – 6 to 8 weeks
• You can also get Emergency Service

See  Terms and Conditions
Still Waiting?  You can track your application

Government Forms

If you're dealing with the government, you'll need to deal with a form.

Here are the links to Government Forms

   (Under Development

Government of Canada Forms

Provincial Forms

Ontario

Quebec (online tools & forms)

Images from Here

How to Find the Cheapest Gas Prices in Canada - Handy Tool

Use this handy tool from Gas buddy & help fight high gas prices.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Find Cheap Gas Prices
1.Type in your City & Province or Postal Code
2. Click the Green Button

City,Prov or Postal Code (e.g.. Toronto, ON)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sign up for gas buddy and you could win great prizes like free gas, by reporting all the gas prices you see. Earn points and use them to enter the draws.

Health Hazard Alert! Salmonella in Sprouts!

Sprouts Alive & Sun Sprout Brands-(Onion & Alfalfa-Onion Mix)

All Best Before codes up to and including August 27, 2009 of the following products are affected:

Brand	Product	Size	UPC
Sprouts Alive	Baby Onion Sprouts	70 g (2.5 oz)	0 69022 00032 0
sun sprout	Alfalfa & Onion Sprouts	135 g (4.76 oz)	0 57621 13506 2

These products were sold in Ontario, the Maritimes, and  Quebec.

Salmonella

Food contaminated with Salmonella may not look or smell spoiled. Eating food contaminated with these bacteria may cause salmonellosis, a food borne illness. In young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems, salmonellosis can cause serious and deadly infections. In otherwise healthy people, salmonellosis may cause short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Go to emergency if you think you may have salmonellosis.

Read the The Canadian Food Inspection Agency report for updates.

Check the Consumer Beware List-Protect Yourself

Before you sign  on the dotted line, check the Consumer Beware List from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.You can enter the name of an individual, or business to search the database or search by category

Ontario Consumer Beware List

Watch for this post for further links to other provinces & territories.

Goin' Fishin' Ontario for Free!

My daughter is in Ontario with her Grandfather and called with an urgent message- Quick - What's in season? Thinking it would be fairly easy information to find, I plugged in the request into my search engine and took hours to get an answer.

So, to find what's in season in Ontario check this map (page 3 of the pdf) and find the region number.Then use the region number to open an information bulletin from this list.

Note: Not everyone needs a fishing licence.

The following people fish for free:

1. Residents of Ontario and Canada under 18, or 65 years of age or older, with their birth certificate.
2. Disabled Ontario and Canadian residents, eligible for with either:
• a Canadian National Institute for the Blind National Identity Card; or
• an Ontario Ministry of Transportation Accessible Parking Permit.
3. Ontario and Canadian residents in with their birth certificate and accompanied by and requiring the direct help of another person to fish and follow fishing laws due to a condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability, a learning disability or dysfunction, or a mental disorder.

Remember catch and possession limits and some
size limits can be different under a Sport Fishing Licence
than for a holder of a Conservation Fishing Licence
• S - refers to limits under a Sport Fishing Licence.
For example: S – 4 = catch and possession limit of four.
• C - refers to limits under a Conservation Fishing Licence.
For example: C – 2 = catch and possession limit of two.
NOTE: all size limits refer to total length (including Lake Sturgeon}

So kids grab your grandparents and go fishin' it's free!

Read more regulations here.

Ontario Gas Prices

A great site to help you find the best gas prices in your area or in Ontario. They also have a handy gadget you can install on your home page that list the current reported prices for up to five of your favourite Ontario destinations.

Want to help fight high  gas prices? Scope out and report all the gas prices you see! Earn participation points, then use them for sweepstakes entries at ontariogasprices.com

Points are collected by active participation in the web site features. Points are awarded in the following manner:

Points Member Activity

150       Post/Update A Gasoline Price

100       Vote In The Weekly Opinion Poll

80         Use The Tell-a-Friend Feature

20         Post a Message In The  Forum

25        Read a Recent News Item

100      Become a Member

Rules To Collecting Points:

Points are awarded to a maximum of 5 times per day, per feature. Exceptions to the above rule: Opinion poll points are awarded to maximum of once per week. Points awarded for using the Tell-A-Friend feature are limited to a total of 1200 points.

How It Works - Ontario Gas Prices

Celebrate Your Pet Day -June 13th, 2009 Bowmanville Ontario 1pm - 4pm

Here's a great way to have fun & help animals too!
The Bowmanville Vet Clinic is hosting a Celebrate Your Pet Day, an activity filled afternoon to raise money for the Durham Humane Society Rebuilding Fund. In December, the shelter burnt down, 150 animals lost their lives, and now they are raising funds to help get them back on their feet.
Camel Rides - take a ride on one of the Bowmanville Zoo's camels
Penelope, the baby Gibbon from the Bowmanville Zoo will be visiting with her keeper for a meet and greet.
Mickey the Wonder Dog (as seen on television) will be performing some of his amazing tricks!
BBQ and refreshments
Teddy Bear Surgery - bring in your injured teddies and repairs will be performed on them in our surgery suite by a real veterinary surgeon!

Clinic tours and information booths on pet health
Exotic animal display from D & D Exotics

Durham Avicultural Society will be here with some of their avian friends (birds)
Silent auction including many different items including pet carriers, pet gift baskets and much more

Sparky the Fire Dog will be coming by to visit with everyone
**PET SHOW**-Enter until Jun 7th

• AND MUCH MORE!!

All proceeds collected from the day will be donated to the Durham Humane Society Rebuilding Fund.
Bowmanville Veterinary Clinic Services

We're Goin' to the Zoo- How about You?

One of the best zoo deals I know is the Riverview Park and Zoo in Peterborough, Ontario. Free admission, playground, disc golf,splash pad and picnic area. It even has a 15 min. train ride (tickets $2). 

Toronto Zoo gives out free passes to kids with their report card and they have special free admission days. On SmartCanucks there's a posting about Coca Cola Day (free kids admission with a Coca Cola label). Watch the zoo's special events page for more updates. or you could win 4 family passes from Attractions Ontario.

What’s great about your zoo?