City Life Magazine Vaughan Toronto August/September 2011

INSIDE DITCH THE FRYING PAN & EAT RAW!

Publication Mail Agreement 40026675

THE FOUR SEASONS OF YABU PUSHELBERG

FEEL YOUNG AGAIN WITH YOGA

ANDRE AGASSI ON BREAK, FAULT & LOVE PLUS

The beauty of a hug, the new Fiat 500 & City Search

p. 30

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CONTENTS

Aug/Sept 2011 Volume 9 Issue 4

ON THE COVER 30 Break, Fault, Love: The highs and lows of tennis legend Andre Agassi

Andre Agassi

43

30

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 26 Funny as Helberg: Q&A with a comical sitcom star 41 Living in the Moment with CBC radio’s Laura Di Battista 52 Risky Business: Get real with Brett Wilson 54 Great Reads: Not just for rainy days

Yabu Pushelberg

13

46

Making it Raw

PHILANTHROPY 14 Chef’s Challenge: Celebrity chefs cook for a cure 68 A Second Chance at Life: Franca Carella’s life mission changes thousands 72 The Beauty of a Hug: Spiritual leader Amma’s warm embrace 78 The Good Deeds Page: Embrace the power of giving

Designer Notebook

58

FIAT

BEAUTY 28 Taming of The Strands: Get your look under control 55 Bare It All: Soothe and smooth with BodyBare Laser, Skin and Wellness Clinic 62 Poetry in a Bottle: From Vera Wang to Bottega Veneta FASHION & STYLE 24 Fall Trends: Guest fashion editor David Clemmer offers seasoned advice 33 Hazelton Lanes Shopping Centre: Yorkville’s hottest must-haves 34 La Closette: Your wardrobe consultant 36 EDIT by Jeanne Beker: Canada’s fashion icon cuts her own cloth 57 N’b Tween Kidz: Your tweens deserve the latest trends 74 City Search: Try some of the city’s best on for size 76 L’Oro Jewellery: The Insiders on Everything Desirable FOOD & DRINK 12 Making it Raw: Chef Francesco Comito’s cool recipes 16 Chef’s Back-to-School Sandwich Recipe: Say goodbye to PB & J

4 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

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18 The Quality of Sapore by Zafferano: Take your taste buds to Tuscany 20 Edible Arrangements: There’s only one thing sweeter than sending flowers 22 Food & Entertaining: Wow your guests HOME DÉCOR 42 Always a Season Ahead: Yabu Pushelberg’s latest project is designed to impress 46 Designer Notebook: A few wise ways to brighten your abode AUTOMOTIVE 58 The Feel of a Fiat: Get the specs on this fast, affordable car HEALTH 38 The Midwives Club: Not as exclusive as you think 64 Heart-to-Heart with Neena Kanwar: The founding of North America’s largest provider of nuclear cardiology 66 United Medicine Group: The Balancing Act of Integrative Medicine 78 Enlightening Yoga: It’s not a stretch: yoga can reduce the symptoms of fibromyalgia MONEY MATTERS 80 Plastic Makes Perfect Sense: Expanding your child’s horizons GENERAL INTEREST 48 Changing the World One Brick at a Time: Vivian Risi recalls an inspiring encounter 54 Montessori School House: Expanding yourr child’s horizons IN EVERY ISSUE 6 Publisher’s Note 8 People & Places 37 Editor’s Picks es!

77 Readers’ Survey: WIN fabulous prizes!

82 Horoscope: Let the stars light your way

City Searchh

14

Chef’s Challenge

33

Hazelton Lanes

As

PUBLISHER’S NOTE PUBLISHER / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michelle Zerillo-Sosa • michelle@dolce.ca

“I HATE THE GIVING OF THE HAND UNLESS THE WHOLE MAN ACCOMPANIES IT.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS & MARKETING Angela Palmieri-Zerillo • angela@dolce.ca ART D E PARTM E NT CREATIVE DIRECTOR Fernando Zerillo • fernando@dolce.ca SENIOR DESIGNERS Christina Ban, Omar Cushnie WEB PROJECT MANAGER Steve Bruno EDITORIAL BEAUTY/HEALTH & TRAVEL EDITOR Angela Palmieri-Zerillo FASHION & HOME DECOR EDITOR Michelle Zerillo-Sosa COPY EDITOR Simona Panetta

I sit down to write this letter, I am amazed at how the universe brings people together. When I was 13, I had heard about Franca Carella, a woman known to show concern for the community. I finally met her two months ago, and her love for life and people has opened my eyes to the need of connecting people.

It’s hard to describe the feeling of serenity and peace that I experienced when I first visited her charity, the Vitanova Foundation. All I know is that I felt like I had stepped down a merry-go-round where I could think about what really mattered in life. Her soothing voice is still in my mind, and her kind ways are what one should aspire to (see page 68).

After my visit, I felt a sense of peace like never before. I wanted this feeling in my heart to continue, so I hoped to find a way to give, and not just take. By take I mean taking this peace with me. I began thinking of ways that I could give back to help Vitanova and its clients. I thought of The Good Deeds Page (see page 78), to feature community volunteers that are making a difference.

What I did not expect was that the universe was bringing people together effortlessly. The best part was that the people in our community are generous without expecting anything back.

Giving is such a wonderful act. Take tennis legend Andre Agassi as a prime example (see page 30). The retired athlete chose to focus his life on providing education for disadvantaged kids in his hometown.

Until next time, stay happy and give generously.

FOLLOW ME

Michelle Zerillo-Sosa Publisher/Editor-In-Chief

MANAGING EDITOR Simona Panetta • simona@dolce.ca

@dolcetweets

PROOFREADER Simona Panetta WRITERS Michael Hill, Madeline Stephenson CONTRIBUTING WRITERS David Clemmer, Athaina Tsifliklis SALES/EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Athaina Tsifliklis INTERN Laura O’Marra CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Omar Cushnie, Neeva Kedem, A.J. Leitch - Modrew Photography & Design, Michael O’Neill, Sal Pasqua, Lily Stein, Dean West PUBLISHER

ADVERTISING T: 905.264.6789 • Toll Free: 1.888.68.DOLCE info@citylifemagazine.ca OFFICE MANAGER Lina Posteraro FRONT COVER Andre Agassi Photo by Michael O’Neill

DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Susan Bhatia City Life Magazine • Volume 9 • Issue 4 • Aug/Sept 2011 City Life Magazine is published bi-monthly by Dolce Publishing Inc. 111 Zenway Blvd., Unit 30, Vaughan, ON L4H 3H9 T: 905.264.6789 • 1.888.68.DOLCE F: 905.264.3787 info citylifemagazine.ca • www.citylifemagazine.ca Subscribe online at www.citylifemagazine.ca or by calling 905.264.6789, TOLL FREE 1.888.68.DOLCE. City Life’s yearly subscription fee is $13.80. We accept Visa, MC & AMEX. Send cheque or money order to Dolce Publishing Inc. 111 Zenway Blvd. #30, Vaughan, ON, L4H 3H9 Publication Mail Agreement No. 40026675 Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: Dolce Publishing Inc., 111 Zenway Blvd., Suite 30, Vaughan, ON L4H 3H9 All rights reserved. Any reproduction is strictly prohibited without written consent from the publishers.

DISTRIBUTION AND CIRCULATION Inquiries about where City Life Magazine is available for sale should be directed to: Transmedia Group Customer Service: 905.428.7541 ISSN 1206-1778 Next Issue: Oct/Nov 2011 The opinions expressed in City Life Magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or advertisers. Dolce Publishing Inc. does not assume liability for content. The material in this magazine is intended for information purposes only and is no way intended to supersede professional advice. We are proud to be a Canadian company that has successfully published magazines for the past 14 years without any government funding or financial assistance of programs to cover editorial costs. It has all been possible thanks to the wonderful support of our readers and advertisers.

©2011 Dolce Publishing Inc. • Printed in Canada

6 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011 2011

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PEOPLE & PLACES 1

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Produced By Angela Palmieri

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1. 2011 MAYOR’S GALA Close to 1,000 guests joined Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua at the 2011 Mayor’s Gala, the city’s premier annual fundraising event in support of Vaughan’s not-for-profit and community organizations. This year’s gala, Our Journey – Our Future, marked Vaughan’s 20th anniversary and emphasized its generous and compassionate characteristics. “We will get the subway, we will get a hospital, we will create jobs, but we will never move this city forward by leaving people behind,” said Mayor Bevilacqua. www.city.vaughan.on.ca 2. 10TH ANNUAL COSTI GOLF TOURNAMENT Hosted by football player Damon Allen, the 10th Annual COSTI Golf Tournament at DiamondBack Golf Club was a day of exciting contests and skills competitions. The tournament, followed by an auction and gourmet dinner, helped raise over $20,000 for COSTI’s youth services, including the arts therapy program and the renovation of COSTI’s 50-bed shelter in Toronto. With the help of many generous sponsors, donors, and participants, this year’s event was a huge success. www.costi.org

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1a) Sensational acrobatics by Zero Gravity dazzles guests. 1b) Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua delivers an inspiring and powerful speech, paying tribute to community generosity towards those in need. 1c) Members of the Vaughan City Council join Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua after his keynote address. 1d) City manager and gala chair Clayton Harris, with wife, Anna Marie. 1e) The Mayor’s Gala Committee is thrilled with the turnout of the event. 1f) Simone Soman brings the crowd to a standing ovation with a beautiful performance. 2) Damon Allen, Rob Fisher, Bruno M. Suppa, Marcela Trichilo, Danny Fantini and John Spina. Photo: Render Media. 3) The Woodbridge Strikers show excitement and team spirit after becoming champions of the tournament. 4) An engaging conversation about cancer and support with Tina Dezsi and Yvette Maxwell. Photo: Denise Wilkins.

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3. WOODBRIDGE STRIKERS On June 4 and 5, 2011, the Woodbridge Strikers West U-9 Boys brought their dedication and passion to the field, and were rightfully crowned champions of the 2011 Barrie Spiritfest Soccer Tournament. The boys played with strong defence, allowing only one goal to enter their net throughout the entire tournament. They 5a) Fashion show co-host Josie Barrila, and fashion show director and Ride to Conquer Cancer participant Mauro Orrico. 5b) A baby model showcases children’s clothing from Zero 20 Bambini. owe their victory to the hard work and continued support from families and 5c) Model Micaela Ponte is stylish in Ya Ya & Co. clothing. sponsors. www.wscstrikers.com 5. ILLICET: IT IS CONQUERED On June 9, 2011, just before Mauro Orrico embarked on a two-day journey for the Ride to Conquer Cancer for 4. STILETTOS FOR THE CURE Princess Margaret Hospital, he hosted a fabulous fashion show. Complimentary champagne and hors d’oeurves On June 7, 2011, more than 250 amazing women were served as guests kept their eyes glued to the makeshift runway at Julius Banquet Hall. Pieces by 10 came together for the first-ever Stilettos for the unique clothing stores were showcased that evening, as models were photographed and fashion was celebrated.

Cure event. Featuring over 400 pairs of donated www.paradigmpromotions.ca, www.conquercancer.ca stilettos, the evening included a shoe auction, live entertainment by comedian Richard Ryder and singer Michelle Peavey, pink carpet photos, and a fun photo 6. 6TH IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT booth. A dedicated team of volunteers spearheaded The Immaculate Conception Parish is blessed with the support of so many generous sponsors, volunteers and by co-chairs Tina Dezsi and Tamara McKee raised committee members. On June 29, 2011, the 6th Annual Golf Tournament was celebrated to raise funds for more than $15,000 for the Heather Griffith Breast ShareLife – a charity benefitting people with special needs, the elderly, children, immigrants and refugees. The Assessment Centre at Lakeridge Health Oshawa. event garnered 150 enthusiastic golf players, for a fun day of sportsmanship, followed by a delicious gourmet dinner www.digyourheelsin.ca at the Cardinal Golf Course. The Golf Committee thanks all the sponsors for their contribution. www.iconception.org

8 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

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SMILE MAKEOVER The best investment you’ll ever make

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Dental Implants are the tooth replacement that most resembles natural teeth. Angie looks better, feels better and eats more comfortably.

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PEOPLE & PLACES

Produced By Angela Palmieri

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7. MONTE CARLO INNS GOLF AND SPA TOURNAMENT Following its 12-year trend, the Annual Monte Carlo Inns Golf and Spa Tournament was a huge success. Taking place at Hockley Valley Resort on June 8, 2011, the event raised an astonishing $22,000 for the Darling Homes for Kids – a palliative care hospice centre for children. Thanks to the generous hearts of suppliers, customers, and guests, Monte Carlo Inns is making a difference in the lives of many families. www.darlinghomeforkids.ca, www.montecarloinns.com 8

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7a) Golf participants take a break from the tournament with Dominic Meffe, president of Monte Carlo Inns, and Carmela Meffe. 7b) Dr. Sheila Kemp speaks on behalf of an amazing foundation – The Darling Home for Kids. 8a) Anisa Trotta, Sandra Hilson, Valerie Wall and Susan Haddow share a laugh. 8b) Wendy Humphreys, Sylvia Clements, Asha Singh and Christine Humphreys test their skills on a nine-hole course. 8c) Jennifer McLuskie, Amelia Fratnik, Carrie Andrews and Sue Talsma show some sportsmanship. 9a) Ines Curialse, St. Emily’s vice principal; Maria Alati, York Region School Board superintendent; Maria Carnovale; School Board Trustee; Donna Hackett, St. Emily’s principal; and Michelle Maio, Angel Hair Committee Chair. 9b) Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua, Roslyn from the Angel Hair Foundation and the inspiration for the event – Aliyah and Eva. 10a) Team Bleach Ball Strikers, KIK Custom Products, show their passion for volleyball. 10b) Team Vertically Challenged, Clover Tool Manufacturing Ltd., is all smiles after a fun day in the sand.

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8. BPW BRAMPTON LADIES GOLF TOURNAMENT The 16th annual women’s charity golf tournament of the Business and Professional Women’s Club of Brampton was once again a raving success. Over 100 golfers embarked on a nine-hole course at Caledon Country Club to raise over $5,000 for the Wellspring Chinguacousy Cancer Support Centre, the Salvation Army Honey Church Women’s Shelter, and ‘Walk with Me’ – a human trafficking survivors program. www.bpw-brampton.com 9. ST. EMILY’S ANGEL HAIR FOR KIDS DAY In 2009, two students, Eva and Aliyah, were diagnosed with cancer, and since then, St. Emily’s Elementary School has been showing Vaughan what it means to support one’s community. On June 13, 2011, the 3rd Annual Angel Hair Day for Kids united the entire school as staff and students watched 28 female students and 16 male students cut their hair to help provide wigs for young cancer patients. In attendance was Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua, who spoke to the St. Emily community. “When I look at you, I am so confident about the future of the city,” he said. www.achildsvoicefoundation.ca

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11a) Claudio Chiappetta, organizer; Jimmy Daigle, 2011 tournament winner; Terry Favot, 2011 tournament winner; Aurelio Calabretta, organizer. 11b) Long-time supporters Dave Zingone, Aurelio Calabretta, Sergio Sosa, and Valerio Zingone of Altima Kitchens.

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10. HEATWAVE BEACH VOLLEYBALL York Region caught some volleyball action as Heatwave York Beach Volleyball Challenge for SickKids celebrated its sixth year on June 18, 2011, at the Sports Village in Vaughan. Two dozen corporate co-ed volleyball teams squared off for fun in support of a great cause. To date, the Heatwave tournaments have raised more than $2 million for childhood cancer research at SickKids. www.heatwaveevents.com 11. 12TH ANNUAL REBEL GOLF TOURNAMENT The weather was perfect for a day on the greens at Glen Eagle Golf Course in Bolton. With the help of dedicated volunteers, the first-ever shotgun start tournament was hosted. With 110 players, 22 corporate hole sponsors, and over 30 raffle prizes, $15,000 was raised for the Down Syndrome Association of York Region. This brings the grand total of fundraising to an inspiring number of almost $90,000. www.dsayr.on.ca

10 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

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LIFE’S

SIMPLE PLEASURES

Combining a range of fresh fruits and vegetables, Francesco Comito’s creations are healthy delights that burst with flavour.

Make it

Raw Ditch the frying pan – Francesco Comito proves that food doesn’t need to be cooked to taste delicious. Written By Michael Hill

L

ike most Italians, Francesco Comito was born into a family of kitchen connoisseurs where food wasn’t just appreciated, but celebrated. “I was always trying to help her,” he says, reminiscing about his mother’s culinary exploits, “asking if I could do this or that. And then I would start to feel calm and relaxed around food and that is where my passion began.”

In 2000, Comito journeyed west to try his luck on the Canadian dining scene, and soon landed a sous chef position at a happening restaurant in Vaughan.

Health issues, however, began to stifle his progress; issues he attributed to an imbalanced diet lean with fruits and veggies and weighted with pastas and meats.

Sick of constantly popping medication, Comito took his health into his own hands and back to its natural roots.

12 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

His friends suggested eating more greens, but he took it even further: Comito got raw.

Or more importantly, he kept his food that way. Adopting vegan culinary practices, Comito unearthed ways to not only ingest his daily allotment of protein and iron through raw greens, but the additional essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that energize the body and help prevent cancer and heart disease. “You can make a lot of www.citylifemagazine.ca

Photo By A.J. Leitch - Modrew Photography & Design

Available in health food stores throughout the GTA, Comito’s raw regimen has garnished a healthy following of nutritious gourmands.

“You can make a lot of raw dishes which are so healthy for you, plus it’s entertaining, too, to discover new things.”

– Francesco Comito raw dishes which are so healthy for you, plus it’s entertaining, too, to discover new things.”

With newfound vigour and a refreshed disposition towards life, Comito cultivated his own business, Make It Raw, distributing a variety of surprisingly delicious uncooked creations, including pizza, salads, raw burgers, raw snacks, and more, to health food stores throughout the GTA – shops like Noah’s Natural Foods, The Big Carrot and Nature’s Emporium. One bite of Make it Raw’s Sensation Bar will have you hooked.

Comito also teaches classes on how to make raw produce irresistible. “I try to bring my experience and expertise on cooked cuisine, and try to show how I can incorporate it doing it raw, but making it look cooked,” says Comito, who is also filming a vegan cooking show throughout the summer.

He highly recommends daily “juicing,” such as blending broccoli, wheat grass and celery, to provide plenty of energy for the day ahead. “All the essentials in the chlorophyll are like the blood, and that is why it is so important to get enough chlorophyll. By juicing, it

HEALTHY TIPS While hile meats are a great source of iron and protein, many dark green leafy veggies also contain plenty of iron. Avocados are also a great source of protein and “good fats,” and leave you feeling satisfied. “I find them to be a good replacement for warm food,” says Make it Raw chef Francesco Comito.

LASAGNA RAWTALIANO INGREDIENTS: “PASTA” medium zucchini (thinly sliced using a mandolin or by hand with a sharp knife) 1 tbsp (5 ml) olive oil 1/2 tbsp (3 ml) salt 5

Place in a bowl and allow to sit for 20 minutes

SAUCE 1 cup 1 1 1 tbsp 4 or 5 2 tbsp 1/2 tbsp

(250 ml) sundried tomatoes Roma tomato clove garlic (15 ml) chopped onions leafs fresh basil (30 ml) olive oil (3 ml) sea salt

“CHEESE” goes es immediately to the body, to the bloodstream.” Protein shakes with avocado and banana are also great to get you invigorated.

While raw foods may not be for everyone, one bite is all it takes to sway the skeptical. As Comito encourages, “Let’s make it raw, baby!” www.makeitraw.com

www.citylifemagazine.ca

1 cup 1/2 cup 1/4 tsp 1 tbsp

(250 ml) cashews soaked overnight (125 ml) water (1 ml) sea salt (15 ml) olive oil

ASSEMBLY: Lay the thinly sliced zucchini so each slice slightly overlaps, making a square shape, and top with sauce and cheese. Add a second layer of zucchini noodles and continue to add the cheese and sauce; repeat until you have four layers.

Garnish with fresh basil.

City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

13

CHEF’S CHALLENGE: COOKING FOR A CURE

▶ Bobby Flay, host of this year’s Chef’s Challenge.

2011 CELEBRITY CHEFS

Cooking may be the name of the game, but raising funds for cancer research is the real aim.

Written By Michael Hill

W

hen six culinary masters enter a kitchen arena – cooking utensils at the ready – leading a team of amateurs into gruelling cooking combat, who will walk out the winner? Why, Mount Sinai Hospital, of course.

Top left: Host of David Rocco’s Dolce Vita. Top right: Host of Restaurant Makeover and owner and executive chef of Mistura and Sopra Upper Lounge, Massimo Capra. Middle left: Last year’s Chef’s Challenge winner, host of Pitchin’ In and owner and executive chef of Ruby Watchco, Lynn Crawford. Middle right: Host of The Heat with Mark McEwan, head judge on Top Chef Canada, and owner and executive chef of North 44, Bymark, One and Fabbrica, Mark McEwan. Bottom left: Host of Chuck’s Day Off and executive chef at Garde-Manger, Chuck Hughes. Bottom right: Host of Bitchin’ Kitchen, Nadia Giosia.

That’s because these cuisine-creating warriors won’t be taking up arms against each other, but instead, will be turning their blades towards cancer at the second Chef ’s Challenge. Six iconic Food Network celebrity chefs will gather at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Nov. 26, 2011, to whip up food and

hopefully And so able to inspire people people, hopefully. when you get called for something like this, I think you can’t help but want to get involved.”

Joining Rocco is other Food Network stars Chuck Hughes, Lynn Crawford, Mark McEwan, Massimo Capra and Nadia Giosai. The event is hosted

by Boy Meets Grill star and The Early Show (CBS)’s food correspondent, Bobby Flay.

With their eyes on the grill, their minds on the food, but their hearts on the cause, each chef is hungering for the opportunity to exercise their expertise

“My customers support me year-in, year-out, and when they come to me and ask me to support them and their charity work, I’m there for them.”

– Mark McEwan funds, all in support of breast and ovarian cancer research at Mount Sinai.

“I feel I have the responsibility to get involved in my community,” says David Rocco, host of David Rocco’s Dolce Vita, and one of six celebrity chefs competing in the Chef ’s Challenge.

“I’ve been blessed to have the good fortune of doing what I do, and being

14 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

in support of a worthy endeavour. “My customers support me year-in, year-out, and when they come to me and ask me to support them and their charity work I’m there for them,” says McEwan, host of The Heat with Mark McEwan and Top Chef Canada’s head judge.

Each civilian participant must raise a minimum of $2,500 to sit in attendance, www.citylifemagazine.ca

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and the 60 highest fund-raisers will earn the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities alongside these renowned chefs.

Those top 60 are split up into teams of 10, and each celebrity chef guides one of those teams in a cook-off.

Last year’s winner, Lynn Crawford, host of Pitchin’ In, is hoping to repeat her triumphantly delicious performance, but is simply satisfied to be working with such compassionate characters that sincerely care about the cause. “Everyone who wants to participate in this event has huge hearts and tremendous enthusiasm to make a difference. I think all of the participants are winners,” says the owner and executive chef of Ruby Watchco.

“I have a few aces up my sleeve,” says Massimo Capra, host of Restaurant Makeover, when asked about his strategy this time around. A competitor through-and-through, the owner

“Everyone who wants to participate in this event has huge hearts and tremendous enthusiasm to make a difference. I think all of the participants are winners.”

– Lynn Crawford and executive chef at Mistura and Sopra Upper Lounge feels participants must acknowledge ingredients as tools – a means to an end – if they are to achieve victory. “Food does not have to be something that we revere,” he says. “We have to actually understand it and use it to our advantage … we go too much for the fluff and not enough for the value and the quality,” adds the chef, who likes to incorporate locally grown ingredients into his recipes.

For Bitchin’ Kitchen’s host, Nadia Giosia, patience and love is the key to success in the kitchen, a lesson she learned early in life from her gastronomic grandmother. “Watching her made cooking a mystery and challenge that was much more than learning to follow a recipe. It forced me to experiment with tastes and ingredients and learn them for myself,” says the former Internet cooking star.

Chef ’s

BACK-TO-SCHOOL

SANDWICH

RECIPE INGREDIENTS: 1 3/4 3/4 2 1 1/2 1/4 12 6

1 rotisserie chicken, about 2 1/4 pounds cup mayonnaise cup finely chopped celery tablespoons dill pickle relish tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon teaspoon salt teaspoon ground black pepper thin slices of Panera Bread Country loaf leaves romaine lettuce, torn

Chef Sylvain Clissa Bakery Market Manager

METHOD: 1. Using your fingers, remove and discard the skin, bones, and excess fat from the chicken, placing the chicken meat in a large bowl. Tear or chop meat (you should have about 3 1/2 cups).

2. Add mayonnaise, celery, relish, tarragon, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Stir until thoroughly combined.

Spoon onto the bread, adding a lettuce leaf to each sandwich.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS. PREP: 20 MINUTES

55 Square One Drive, Mississauga, Ont. 9350 Yonge Street, Richmond Hill, Ont. 1020 Centre Street, Thornhill, Ont www.panerabread.com

If you don’t have a Panera Bread Country loaf, try Panera Bread Sourdough Rolls or thinly sliced white whole grain, honey wheat or rye loaf.

Chuck Hughes, host of Chuck’s Day Off, aspires to share his passion for food with his team – an appetite that arose while congregating with his family around the dinner table. “There is something really primal about coming together and eating and that has always interested me. With the restaurants we really wanted to create this feeling – basically we are looking for that first kiss – that feeling or experience but with food,” says the tattooed executive chef at Garde-Manger.

Last year’s event set the bar, raising $1.1 million; a number that will hopefully be devoured by this year’s event. To see how you can donate, and possibly participate in this year’s Chef ’s Challenge, visit www.chefschallengeforacure.com

16 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

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Plated to Perfection

Come and experience our Warm & Inviting Florentine Atmosphere Under the soft glow of flickering candlelight, an intricately fashioned dish is placed before you, made with the steady hand of Vinsanto’s masterful culinary experts. Celebrating its fifth anniversary, Vinsanto continues its tradition of serving only the most delectable fare with the most wonderful wines, all complemented by the warm and attractive atmosphere of an extraordinary establishment.

Monday - Friday: Open for lunch • Monday - Saturday: Open for dinner • Sunday: Private functions only

City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011 28 Roytec Road at Weston Road 905.264.3991 www.vinsanto.ca

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17

ADVERTORIAL

Not only is the dining exceptional, Sapore’s classy bar is ideal for casual cocktails or a romantic rendezvous.

THE QUALITY OF WHEN YOUR PALATE DEMANDS ONLY THE FINEST FARE, TURN TO ONE OF VAUGHAN’S BEST.

“Quality is No. 1,” says local restaurateur Steve De Vittoris, owner of Sapore by Zafferano, Sapore North, Spumante and Zafferano. “We buy only top-quality ingredients for all the food that we make. It’s something that I pride myself on.”

epicurean clientele. “We make our own pasta on the premises,” says De Vittoris.

“This not only means our dishes are always fresh, but that we consistently maintain our superior standards.”

But quality doesn’t just end with the entrees, it also requires the creation of a welcoming atmosphere in a comfortable setting. It means fashioning a timeless

“When customers tell me they had the best time at my restaurant, well, it just makes – Steve De Vittoris my day.”

A veteran of the Toronto dining scene, De Vittoris believes that a quality meal begins with ingredients. This means ensuring all his establishments serve, at minimum, AAA-grade meat, such as succulent Black Angus beef, tender USDA Prime strip loin and mouth-watering Australian lamb.

It also entails preparing from scratch all pasta in-house to guarantee only the freshest gnocchi, fettuccini and linguini is presented before the anxious palate of

décor that exudes authentic charm with a team of servers that make guests feel at home. “When you come into my restaurant in the evening, I want you to feel like you’re dining in Tuscany or Florence,” says De Vittoris, whose first Vaughan estabishment, Zafferano Ristorante, was voted best Italian restaurant for seven straight years by the Vaughan Citizen’s Readers’ Choice Awards. “You never get tired of the décor.

The stone and stucco combination gives a relaxed and stylish atmosphere.”

18 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

Sink your teeth into tender, mouth-watering AAA-grade beef, grilled to perfection.

At the end of the day, De Vittoris feels quality is something that others will enjoy and acknowledge. “You work so people can come into your restaurant and have a really good time,” he says.

“When customers tell me they had the best time at my restaurant, well, it just makes my day.” www.saporebyzafferano.ca www.zafferano.ca www.citylifemagazine.ca

Photography By Sal Pasqua

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or the discerning tongue of a critical gourmand, quality is a special word. It encompasses an unwavering posture towards high standards, exceptional creations and gastronomic excellence. For restaurateurs, it means never settling on a second-rate product and always delivering the best meal possible, one that exceeds the expectations of guests that crave quality.

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Having an Edible Arrangements delivered to your doorstep is bound to put a smile on your face.

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Satisfy any sweet tooth with pineapple daisies, bananas and apples covered in peanut butter and chocolate.

This truffle bouquet is made with fresh apple and pear, dipped in delicious chocolate, cinnamon, coconut and almonds.

“Based on the fact that it’s a franchise, we have that support behind us,” says Cannella. Staying true to what Edible Arrangements stands for, the Vaughan location ensures a quality safe product each and every time. With recyclable foam, plastic as opposed to wood skewers, and food-safe paint, every basket is made with attention and care. Cannella says of her staff: “They take that extra measure to make sure that everything that they produce is something that they can be proud.” www.ediblearrangements.ca

“It’s always being sent to someone s with the intention tha they can share with the that people peop around them.” – Tiziana Cannella

20 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

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Be it an elegant evening or a casual dinner with friends, Zafferano is sure to delight.

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FOOD

ENTERTAINING Good food and drink are necessities when creating an inviting atmosphere for any occasion. Bring warmth to your home, and delight your guests with the help of these new appetizing finds.

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22 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

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COLOUR

The fall season is looking bright – as bright as fall can be.

Orange is the colour of the season, along with coffee, cedar, phlox (eggplant for the vegetarians out there), and bamboo.

There’s a whole range of colours to complement orange – have fun with it!

THE ’70S

Reliving the ’70s is always a blast!

Glam it up or go full-on bohemian, either way, you will bring this fun, sexy and sophisticated look to life. Key items include the floppy hat in felt or wool, along with high platforms and mid-calf boots.

High-waisted pants are also ideal for a longer, more elegant silhouette.

Get them in tweed or wool and with or without the bottom flare.

Jumpsuits and bowtie blouses are also an easy way to perfect fall’s hottest look.

Guest fashion editor David Clemmer, CEO of Judy Inc., and wardrobe consult on the W Network’s Style by Jury.

FALL TRENDS

Abel Munoz has the perfect shoe this season.

Written By David Clemmer

PLEATS

Get in on the fashion scene with the latest must-haves.

THE JEAN JACKET

The season’s must-have item. Not the boxy kind from back in the day but a more tailored blazer-esque fit to accentuate your silhouette. Opt for a shorter crop to streamline your body and longer tapered sleeves to make this look even sexier. What’s perfect about this look is its versatility – dress it up, dress it down, layer it, wear it over a nice pair of leggings or over a dinner dress to tone things down.

ACCESSORIES

Give your wardrobe a little kick with this season’s got-to-have items. A choker necklace and cuff bracelet add instant impact to any outfit. Take things up a notch with identical cuffs on each wrist.

MEN’S FALL TRENDS

Low and behold! Pleats are in in a big way. They’re definitely the fashion detail of the season – appearing on dresses, shirts and skirts. Vertical pleats are great for achieving a taller, leaner silhouette, and helping to conceal any imperfections. Take care, now: too many pleats around the waistline and you’ll find yourself with a bad case of front bum.

This fall, we see a range of industrial references in men’s fashion – overalls, boiler suits, and construction gear.

The general look is loose and rugged, but with exceptional detailing that includes external pockets, toggles, clasps and zippers. Fabrics vary from light and flowy to heavy and stiff. The fitted overall with matching jacket is a great look, too. Make a monochromatic statement while getting a slimmer, more tailored look. Dungarees are also a great option, especially if worn with a simple T-shirt. Suspenders are also a key item.

Wear them with a baggy pair of dark wash jeans to achieve this season’s industrial appeal.

24 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

www.citylifemagazine.ca

MONNALISA

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Check out our video on citylifeTV.ca C

BOSS

FUNNYas

Simon Helberg dawns a grey blazer from Alkemy, white oxford shirt by Banana Republic, dark wash denim jeans from Blessed and Cursed, and a belt by Billionaire Mafia.

HELBERG The Big Bang TTheory’s heor y’s Simon Helberg rg ssteps teps out of the palace alace ooff Geek-dom too sshare hare a it y LLife. ife. laugh with CCity

W

hen told I would bee inter viewing Simon n Helberg, erg, best known for his is role as Howard Wolowitz on the hit TV show The Big Bang Theory, I thought it was because our female writers were just too afraid of being seduced by an overly sexual, Jewish aerospace engineer. Not one to be afraid, I stepped up to the dish, only to be delighted by a witty conversation with a humble and humorous actor.

Q. Howard’s the most sexually forward character on the show. What’s the worst pickup line you’ve ever used on a girl?

Oh gosh. You know, I never was somebody for pickup lines. I think my flaw was being too honest. I didn’t have the game that Howard has; Howard may have a terrible game, but he has a game.

I would walk up to talk to somebody, a girl at a party, and then immediately tell them I loved them, and I think that we could be amazing together … Howard just naturally fumbles everything, I had

“IT’S JUST SO MUCH FUN DOING SOMETHING WHEN YOU’RE NOT WEARING A TURTLENECK.” – Simon Helberg

to work hard to screw it up. So, I never did the pickup lines. I might have had more luck if I had, I don’t know.

Q. Battlestar Galactica’s Katee Sackoff has showed up several times to give Howard relationship advice. Have you ever actually had a dream about her?

[Laughs] No, it was dreamlike meeting her, because it was just so surreal, getting into a bathtub with somebody

26 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

yyou haven’t even really said ‘hello’ to. At the end of it, she said the only thing she could do to keep from laughing was to squeeze her little toe, and I said, ‘That wasn’t your little toe.’ It was definitely pretty bizarre and fun meeting her like that. She’s great.

Q. You and your wife, Jocelyn Towne, have been working on a more dramatic Indie film, I Am I (iamithefilm.com). Have you been looking to try dramatic roles as opposed to comedies?

I’m always looking to do something that’s different and that’s appealing to me, I have no preference, really … It is a little more appealing at this point to do things that are different from Big Bang, and maybe less sort of broadly comedic, and I definitely totally love doing dramas … You find that a lot in theatre and plays that aren’t just dramatic or just comedic, just well-written, human stories … It’s just so much fun doing something when you’re not wearing a turtleneck. www.citylifemagazine.ca

Hair & Makeup Styling by Alison Christian, Fashion Styling by Devon Poer, Photography by Lily Stein

Written By Michael Hill

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THE STRANDS

Need moisture or a volume boost?

City Life’s favourite hair products restore and prevent damage for healthy hair.

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Produced By Angela Palmieri / Written By Laura O’Marra

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1. Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment Improve your dry, damaged hair by 64 per cent after just one use!

Restoring shine and strength to even the most brittle hair, this product uses a natural golden elixir as its essential ingredient. This balmy product is sure to help rejuvenate even the driest of hair. www.ojon.com 2. Aromachologie Soothing Concentrated Mask Nourish your dry scalp with the moisturizing Concentrated Mask. Infused with essential oils and nutrients, this hair product helps restore your roots to a natural balance so your locks will be soft, shiny and healthier in no time. http://ca.loccitane.com 3. Organix Cherry Blossom Ginseng Shampoo Cherry blossom and ginseng mingle to create an aromatic sensation that works wonders on your hair. Organic active ingredients such as rice milk and bamboo extract revitalize your hair to give it volume and healthy shine. www.beautypureandsimple.com 4. Alterna Dry Oil Mist Protect your hair from damaging styling tools by applying this gentle mist prior to use. Organic bamboo and kendi oil work together to strengthen hair, eliminate frizz and protect your strands from harmful heat so your gorgeous locks maintain their natural beauty. www.alternahaircare.com 5. TreSemmé Curl Defining Spray Tame your curls with this new humidity resistant styling spray. Alcohol-free and moisturizing, this product banishes frizz without leaving your hair hard or crunchy. With a few simple sprays, you will have radiant, natural-looking curls. www.tresemme.com 6. Josie Maran Argan Oil Rich with vitamin E, this 100 per cent pure argan oil will moisturize more than just your hair. Quench your dry skin or cuticles with this oil, gentle enough to be used daily. Anti-aging properties keep your skin and hair healthy and conditioned. www.josiemarancosmetics.com

28 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

5 6 www.citylifemagazine.ca

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City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

29

BREAK, FAULT, Tennis celebrates the legendary feats and unmatched contributions of Andre Agassi, an athlete the sport will never forget.

Written By Simona Panetta

his last Wimbledon appearance in 2006, the same tournament that embraced him with his first Grand Slam win, he stepped onto the sacred grounds of the All England Club wearing a necklace given to him by his son, a choker of block letters spelling ‘Daddy Rocks.’ He certainly did cause seismic effect in his young days, juxtaposing the very essence of tennis refinement by sporting hot lava tights, denim shorts and mullet toupees. During that tumultuous period of his life, however, he was just a boy, tormented by his hate for the lonely sport of tennis; a manchild choked by his unfound identity while finding his volleys and fine-tuning his backhand. Long before his departure from the game, the American athlete did break free from breaking convention with the clothes his enthusiasts often imitated; with John Varvatos and the sentimental accessory that spheres his neck now part of his signature look. He didn’t know then who he was as he took centre court, but the sport and his devotees certainly recognized him as a world-class competitor that defined the difference between winner-of-the-match and enduring champion. His fans, then and now, have reason to be wistful these days, because this is the Summer of Andre.

Five years into his retirement, Agassi is now officially part of tennis history, having been inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame and the Rogers Cup Hall of Fame in July 2011. “I fell in love with tennis far too late in my life, but the reason that I have everything that I hold dear is because of how much tennis has loved me back,” said Agassi during his induction ceremony speech in Newport, Rhode Island.

30 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

“I’ve grown up in front of you. You’ve seen my highs, my lows, I didn’t always live carefully. I didn’t always pay tennis the respect it deserved,” continued the 41-year-old, who met his wife, German tennis legend and fellow Hall of Famer Steffi Graff, at a tournament. The couple shares two children, Jaden Gil, 9, and Jaz Elle, 7.

The famous face of tennis will also be one of four tennis greats to take part in the inaugural Rogers Legends Cup this August at the Rexall Centre. He will be joined by former peers John McEnroe, Michael Chang and Jim Courier. “It’s a great way to stay connected with people I spent a lot of time with over the years and come up there to Toronto and be able to sort of play, hopefully well enough, to create a little nostalgia,” said Agassi in a recent news conference.

“Everything about the Canadian Open www.citylifemagazine.ca

Photo By Michael O'Neill

A

t

LOVE

[now the Rogers Cup] fit my game. I love the surface, I love the court speed,” said Agassi, who in 14 visits to Canada won three titles. “Agassi is still one of the top drawing players in the world, even though he is retired,” says Karl Hale, the tournament director for the Rogers Cup in Toronto. “Our fans really wanted to see him … the feedback has been absolutely tremendous … ticket sales have gotten much better than in 2009 when we had the women here last.” A former player and coach, Hale caught his first glimpse of Agassi when he participated in the same tournament as him decades ago. “He was the young up-and-coming star that everyone was watching and looking out for.

Even back then, everybody knew he would be something special, which obviously he turned out to be.” This year, Canadian tennis breaks ground as a combined televised event, with the ladies tournament in Toronto and the men’s tournament at Montreal’s Uniprix Stadium to be aired simultaneously.

do the right work to get better and to achieve those levels and hopefully be as good as he thinks I can be. I think it’s something special when you hear these kind of great comments from the guys you watched and you grew up hoping to be like so much.” Raonic also reminisces about Agassi’s legendary battles with arch-nemesis Pete Sampras, American greats that sparked the sport with the energy of competition. Today’s tennis has Switzerland’s Roger Federer and Spain’s Rafael (Rafa) Nadal as their replacements, with Hale paralleling Agassi’s aggressive baseline style, strong service return and flair to the latter. Who can forget the final of the U.S. Open in 2002 – the final final between one of the most intense rivalries in tennis history.

Sampras is one side of the grid, geared to thrash his classic serve. Agassi leans forward with a tightly strung Prince, the baseline genius ready to scorch through his opponent’s most deadly weapon. Fans grip their seats at Arthur Ashe Stadium, eager for a fifth set, to

Lovers of the sport still can’t shake just how right it felt when Agassi recaptured the glory of his No. 1 days in 2003 as the world’s oldest (33 years old) top ranked seed. Nor can they fail to overlook the highlights of a glorious career that continues to be remembered by die-hards and gives budding players a forum to study upon. “I watched many, many of his matches and he was very inspirational to me,” says Canadian Milos Raonic, the nation’s first to reach a career-high rank of No. 25. The 20-year-old sensation from Thornhill, Ont. won’t be participating in this year’s Rogers Cup due to hip surgery to correct an on-court injury, but remains encouraged when I tell him how Agassi, who underwent wrist surgery and suffered from sciatica during his career, recently praised his game by telling me that he has, “Everything it takes to be at the top of the world.” A flattered Raonic reciprocates the feeling. “I really appreciate him saying such kind things about my game, especially someone of his stature that played some great tennis and won so many Grand Slams and achieved so many great things in tennis. It’s motivating – it makes me want to get on the floor and want to

I FELL IN LOVE WITH TENNIS FAR TOO LATE IN MY LIFE, BUT THE REASON THAT I HAVE EVERYTHING THAT I HOLD DEAR IS BECAUSE OF HOW MUCH TENNIS HAS LOVED ME BACK. – Andre Agassi

▼ A doubles match: Andre Agassi and Rafael (Rafa) Nadal greet Pete Sampras and Roger Federer at centre court during the Hit for Haiti fundraiser event in 2010. Federer and Nadal represent today’s generation of rivalries not seen since the days of Agassi-Sampras.

▼ Team Agassi-Nadal at charity event.

“

”

take the game’s best server against the game’s best service returner to a battle past midnight, one last time. A final win for a retiring Sampras leaves an era of golden men’s tennis not seen since the days of Bjorn Borg-John McEnroeJimmy Connors to the history books.

With his own story to tell, Agassi revealed the pendulum of emotion he endured while swaying from rock bottom – his 1995 loss to Sampras at the U.S. Open was his hardest psychological hit – to his victorious culmination in perhaps one of the best sports autobiographies around, Open (Random House of Canada Limited, 2009). With the help of Pulitzer Prize winner J.R. Moehringer, Agassi pens

www.citylifemagazine.ca

Eight-time Grand Slam champ and Tennis Hall of Famer Andre Agassi visits Toronto this summer as a legend.

City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

31

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shocking personal confessions, such as his loveless marriage to actress Brooke Shields and lying to tennis officials about his use of crystal meth. The book moves like an all-court player, with Agassi’s painstaking photographic memory detailing his swift return to the top in 1995, the year he proclaims to be the ‘Summer of Revenge,’ after falling from No. 1 to No. 141 and reading rancorous remarks from Boris Becker in the newspaper.

Hailing from a city where anything is possible, the native of Las Vegas struggled with self-induced angst and a devotion to perfectionism before he acknowledged his potential. Turning pro at 16, Agassi was a natural since his infant days, swatting tennis balls in his crib with a paddle his father taped to his hands. Determined to shape his youngest child into a No. 1 tennis champ, the elder Agassi had his seven-year-old son working on his game on a tennis court in the family backyard with a terrifying ball machine Agassi nicknamed the ‘dragon.’

He rebelled before he rose, especially when he was sent away to a famed tennis academy he describes “a prison,” at age 13. While his tennis tightened, his marks tumbled, and he dropped out of school with an eighth grade education. He wanted to quit tennis right from the beginning, but as most reluctant heroes, came undone with thoughts of the bigger picture, acute to the idea that there was a reason for him to stay committed to the sport, to become a legend. “… Something in my gut, some deep unseen muscle, won’t let me,” writes Agassi in the first chapter of his book. “I hate tennis, hate it with all my heart, and still I keep playing, keep hitting all morning, and all afternoon, because I have no choice. No matter how much I want to stop, I don’t. I keep begging myself to stop, and I keep playing, and this gap, this contradiction between what I want to do and what I actually do, feels like the core of my life.” Before winning the Australian Open in 1995, a now-bald Agassi had his hair shaved off – a cathartic release of his personal demons.

As stirring as his career might have been, the unstrung hero of tennis is now considered one of the greatest philanthropists in sports. Instead of cashing in on his prize money and endorsement deal cheques to blend into the landscape of a city shaking with excitement, Agassi chose to give back what tennis gave him by providing a platform of edification for kids to realize their own potential. Receiving the ATP Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award in 1995 for his efforts in helping disadvantaged youths was just the beginning. He went on to establish the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation in 1994, which has raised millions for at-risk youths in southern Nevada. The man who once reinvented the game of tennis in the 90s now attempts to reform the American school system, debuting a much-needed charter school called the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy in the suburbs of Las Vegas in 2001.The school is a model of hope, and Agassi wants 75 more schools just like it in the near future. “I think it’s important to all of us, it’s our future … Personally, I found my feeling, a powerful void of lack of education in my life … I felt very overmatched, I felt very overwhelmed by the cultures, travelling the world. I was lucky to fall back on tennis. I really

32 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

Cont’d on page 34

www.citylifemagazine.ca

STEP IT UP Slip on a pair of python print Manolo Blahniks from Browns, for a look that’s bold and sophisticated. www.brownshoes.com

BRONZED BEAUTY This five-shade terracotta bronzing powder by Guerlain is available at Andrews, and gives the skin a natural-looking glow. www.andrewsco.com

PRETTY WOMAN Marina Rinalidi is home to trendy and top-quality clothing that makes every woman feel confident and sophisticated, day or night. www.marinarinaldi.com

Hazelton Lanes

A DIME A DOZEN Have fun with accessories like these coin earrings by Gas Bijoux, and you’ll be sure to turn heads. www.fabricetoronto.com

Written By Athaina Tsifliklis

I

magine yourself in the centre of luxury at Hazelton Lanes Shopping Centre.

Its Oval Square is bringing together Yorkville residents, tourists and fashonistas to celebrate the finer things in life.

“This is going to serve as a community hub for events, fashion shows, concerts, celebrity appearances, cooking demonstrations,” says Marcella Abate, marketing manager at Hazelton Lanes. Surrounding this newly developed home base are high-end brands, fabulous food and stylish people. Hazelton Lanes houses hand-picked fashion pieces from around the world in stores like Hugo Nicholson, a newly opened TNT, 45-minute complimentary dog sitting, and a Whole Foods Market to accommodate every shopping need. www.hazeltonlanes.com

BUTTER ME UP Add a splash of colour this fall with Butter London nail products, which are free from harmful chemicals like formaldehyde and toluene. www.andrewsco.com

TRUE-BLUE The definition of fine jewelry is wrapped around this ring, with 18-karat yellow and white gold, glamorous diamonds and a blue topaz stone. www.serliandsiroan.com SHOO-IN A leather and suede sandal

by Tod’s is the perfect season-transitional shoe.

Complete the chic look with a weave purse by Oryany. www.hazeltonlanes.com www.citylifemagazine.ca

ARTFUL ACCESSORY Siam Gallery Jewellery offers one-of-a-kind pieces like this green fossil agate necklace. Made to look like a work of art, each jewelry item is handcrafted with precious gemstones by owner and designer Lek Nasuwan. www.siamgallery.ca

City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

33

ADVERTORIAL

Cont’d from page 32

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looked at my life and, where would I be if it wasn’t for tennis.

Unfortunately, so many children don’t have the opportunity of falling back as a professional athlete, it’s very rare that that achievement happens. So where do these kids end up? …

We are failing to educate them; it’s a huge consequence for society,” says Agassi, who dedicates about 70 to 80 per cent of his time towards the school. Before thanking the sport that has given him everything – his wife and kids and the meaning of life – Agassi’s efforts in affecting change were addressed by a sprightly Simone Ruffin, the first valedictorian at Agassi Prep, referring to him as a ‘hometown hero’ before introducing Agassi to the crowd at the Tennis Hall of Fame induction ceremony. A legend off and on the court, Agassi went on to explain that, “Tennis is a lonely sport, probably the most lonely. You’re out there with no team, no coach and no place to hide. That’s why tennis players not only talk to themselves, but answer. And yet all that loneliness eventually teaches you to stand alone.” His role model is Nelson Mandela.

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hether you need a wardrobe consultant, image advisor or personal stylist, La Closette is opening doors everywhere. La Closette’s dynamic team is powered by the fashion-conscious duo MT Meikle and Liza Amlani. Not only do they have a keen sense of what’s hot and trendy but a realistic view of wearable style.

“We believe women should love what they wear and feel confident and empowered, as well as looking fashionable. We help our clients be stylish and classy with their look but we also want to help them be smart with their fashion choices and not get caught up in trends that won’t take them from season to season,” says Meikle.

Assessing a client’s look using their own personal style, body type, age and lifestyle while introducing current up-todate fashion into their wardrobe in an intelligent way is La Closette’s calling. “By working with multi-functional pieces and accessories that help build a wardrobe, and not just a single item, our clients are given options that they may not have had before,” says Amlani. www.laclosette.com

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Agassi is the first man to capture four Grand Slams and an Olympic gold medal. His wins include Wimbledon, 1992, the U.S. Open, 1994 (he was unseeded at the time), the Australian Open, 1995 (his best year); the French Open, 1999, where he captured the crowd at Roland Garros after a heated fivesetter against a determined Andrei Medvedev. His Olympic win, which gives him a Career Golden Slam, came in 1996.

“I was flattered with every win, I was surprised with almost all my wins, whether they be a match or tournament, so again, I always felt tennis and winning at this sport was a biproduct of doing a lot of things right,” says Agassi about his method of approach to preparing for Rogers Cup and other major tournaments. In total, Agassi attained eight Grand Slam singles championships and 17 ATP Master Series tournament wins. But when you ask Agassi to single out an achievement, the athlete measures his success not with the weight of his trophies but with lifting a psychological and physical dumbbell that pushed his endurance to the peak of glory. “I wouldn’t cite one tournament, one trophy or one medal. I’d say I am most proud of the fact that I worked the hardest I could have worked … I didn’t take shortcuts,” he wrote in an email interview in 2008.

During his 2006 curtain call tournament in The City That Never Sleeps – fitting for an athlete that dreamed while awake – his expressive eyes revealed something lacking in the arena of sport: the human element. The former enfant terrible of tennis delivered an endearing speech, bow and signature double-handed kiss to the four corners of the world, for his fans and the game that parented his adolescence. The Hall of Famer is now all grown up. “It’s no accident that tennis uses the language of life: service, advantage, break, fault, love; the lessons of tennis are the lessons of maturity.” www.andreagassi.com For Rogers Cup Presented by National Bank schedule and tickets, go to www.lovemeansnothing.ca

34 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

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Jeanne Be Beker showcases her style exp expertise with the new fall/w fall/winter collection.

Comple Complete with bomber jackets, fitted pants, and trendy sweat sweaters, EDIT gives women fun function and flare.

e n n a Je EDITby

BEKER

Written By Athaina Tsifliklis iklis

W

hether we’re looking at the fashion world through our televisions, computer screens or up-c lose-and-personal at LG Fashion Week, we often feel like we’re universes away. Jeanne Beker, fashion journalist and television personality, has made the fashion realm more relatable, more understandable, and definitely more enjoyable. “The lifestyle that I lead may look enigmatic,” says Beker, “but I’m always stressing how there are so many situations in my life that really have nothing to do with the high life.”

“THE LIFESTYLE THAT I LEAD MAY LOOK ENIGMATIC, BUT I’M ALWAYS STRESSING HOW THERE ARE SO MANY SITUATIONS IN MY LIFE THAT REALLY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE HIGH LIFE.”

Her down-to-earth persona is flawlessly translated into her very own clothing line – EDIT by Jeanne Beker. A working mom herself, Beker understands the need for clothes that “aren’t really that fussy, but still make a style statement.”

Her collection features clothing staples that can be mixed and matched, including her Jeanne Jeans, that now come in three different cuts and colours – deep plum, deep green, and deep brown. “We dress them up or we dress them down,” says Beker. “As long as they really fit well and are comfortable,

then they can be really empowering.”

The aviator bomber jacket is the piece in the fall/ winter collection that will make you look instantly stylish. Beker takes what she calls the “no-nonsense basics,” and adds a “fashion-forward twist” to create cape jackets, striped shirts, and chic sweaters for women of all shapes and sizes. Blending the best of haute couture with the best of mainstream fashion, Beker continues to create pieces that connect to every woman’s lifestyle. www.thebay.com

36 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

www.citylifemagazine.ca

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City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

37

Midwives The

Club

MEMBERSHIP ISN’T EXCLUSIVE TO AN ALTERNATIVE BIRTHING EXPERIENCE THAT IS HELPING TO RELIEVE OVERWHELMED OB/GYNS.

L

Written By Simona Panetta

Lucy Sanna was pregnant with her second child when her maternal instincts for an alternative care option kicked in. She had mused about midwifery during her first pregnancy, but as other women before and after her, wasn’t so certain about its scope of practice. She wondered about its quality of care, safety and benefits.

She wondered if there was a fee. Heeding the referrals of others, she placed a call to a midwifery clinic near her place of work in Etobicoke, Ont. “I was trying to figure out what to do. I have two cousins of mine who went with midwives as well, and they tried to convince me from the beginning with my first [pregnancy] to go, and the second time, I said, ‘that’s it, I’m going to do it,’” recalls the Bolton, Ont. resident. Nine months later, Sanna welcomed a full-term, healthy baby girl she and her husband named Mariah.

Apart from selecting baby names and paint chips for the nursery, women in Canada have choices when it comes to where, how and who will deliver their little one. But with more babies being born, a maternal health-care crisis looms due to a shortage of delivering doctors and a slowly growing number of midwives.

Sanna’s decision on a midwife-assisted pregnancy reflects the burgeoning interest of Canadian women who are considering the alternative birthing experience. While Sanna – as well as other women – expressed initial hesitancy in embracing the practice, others like her are pushing past the archaic perceptions of a practice that smoothly

38 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

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transitions women into motherhood while relieving pressure off delivering doctors and obstetricians. “More women are hearing about midwifery, are knowing that it’s an option,” says Kara Brockington, who received a bachelor of health sciences in midwifery degree in 2004. “I would say seven years ago [that] I wasn’t seeing that quite often.

A woman would come to us in her second pregnancy and she would say, ‘I didn’t know I could have a midwife.’”

Brockington is employed at Midwives of York Region in Newmarket, which has hospital privileges at South Lake Regional Health Centre. In February of this year, the clinic expanded into Vaughan with Family Care Midwives, which services women in Woodbridge, Thornhill, Richmond Hill, Concord, King City and Oak Ridges. The practice, which has hospital privileges at York Central Hospital, is open to helping women in other areas as well.

According to The Canadian Perinatal Surveillance System’s Canadian Maternity Experiences Survey (MES) 2006 – 2007, 71.1 per cent of women praised their labour and birth experience with a midwife as a positive experience.

“It was always, ‘here are your options, this is your pregnancy, this is your birth.’ My midwives would check with me before proceeding with everything.

I felt in control of my situation,” says Sanna.

Midwives are recognized health-care professionals that provide primary care to low-risk healthy women during pregnancy, labour and birth with a personal and attentive approach. Once a family physician confirms a pregnancy, one can contact a midwifery practice that services her area to schedule prenatal appointments at its clinic, just as you would do with a doctor. No referral from a general practitioner is needed.

Conducting care in groups of two, midwives are trained in spontaneous vaginal deliveries. They stay by your side for the duration of your delivery – sometimes up to 24 hours. A midwife’s post-partum care brings many benefits to a tired mom, with home visits up to six weeks after delivery. “I would see them every couple weeks and the last

four weeks every week, and they were with me the whole delivery,” recalls Sanna. “It’s nice, too, because instead of getting nurses that are changing shifts, I had my two best friends there, my midwives, that I had known for nine months. I had my friends there that were going to help me through this and they knew what they were doing.”

Lucy Sanna with daughters Cassandra, 3, and fourmonth-old Mariah. The mother-of-two experienced a successful encounter with midwifery while pregnant with her second child.

‘‘

I HAD MY TWO BEST FRIENDS THERE, MY MIDWIVES, THAT I HAD KNOWN FOR NINE MONTHS. I HAD MY FRIENDS THERE THAT WERE GOING TO HELP ME THROUGH THIS AND THEY KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING. – Lucy Sanna

’’

Long waiting lists and an increase in calls from expecting mothers signals a midwife movement, says Kara Brockington, registered midwife at the Midwives of York Region.

www.citylifemagazine.ca

Every two years, midwives must recertify in CPR, neo-natal resuscitation, post-partum hemorrhaging, breached deliveries, and other emergency skills. If a complication or emergency caesarian-section is needed, transfer of care to a delivering physician or OB/GYN is immediately arranged.

Registered midwives also provide pregnant women with the same tests that doctors order, like genetic screening and ultrasounds. They can prescribe various medications, and some are now able to administer an epidural if you so choose to have it. Midwives are considered colleagues by medical doctors, and have hospital privileges, allowing an expectant woman to decide between an at-home or hospital birth.

However, those unfamiliar with the practice may circulate uninformed views of midwifery, which include untrained labour coaches using aromatic oils during at-home births. “The demand for midwifery has spread through word-of-mouth … but there are myths out there,” says Lisa Weston, a midwife and president-elect of the Association of Ontario Midwives. “A lot of people think you have to pay for midwifery care. Clients say, ‘when I tell people the kind of care I got and that you came and did home visits and that someone was available for me all the time by pager, they asked me how much I had to pay for it. They were amazed when I said they didn’t.’” In 1994, Ontario became the first province in Canada to regulate and support midwifery. The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care fully funds midwifery services.

According to a Statistics Canada report, there were 377,886 live births across the nation in 2008. A disparity between the rising number of births and available human resources in Canada is placing a strain on our maternal care p

City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

39

system, with demands to quality care outweighing supply. The Canadian Institute for Health Information says that in 2009, there were 1,767 OB/GYNs in Canada, with 704 practising in Ontario. The majority of expectant mothers in this nation receive prenatal care from an obstetrician, gynecologist or family physician. A 2008 report by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) says that overburdened obstetricians (who prefer to practice in populated urban cities) deliver about 80 per cent of babies in this country, making the need for obstetrical care urgent in a climate where women become pregnant later on in life and/or have pre-existing conditions.

Low-risk, healthy women can be placed under the primary care of midwives, who deliver about three to four per cent, or about 45 babies each per year. There are close to 1,000 registered midwives across Canada, of which 528 reside in Ontario, says a representative from the Canadian Association of Midwives.

Ladies Receive

This low number, coupled with the hands-on approach of a midwife, results in long waiting lists at midwifery clinics. Appointments with a midwife are often 45 minutes long, filling the silent gap left with brief appointments by beleaguered OB/GYNs. Solving the shortage of maternal care in Canada is critical.

and the Multidisciplinary Collaborative Primary Maternity Care Project” in 2006, which urges a collaborative approach between maternal healthcare professionals. Goals to increase the availability and quality of maternity services for all Canadian women include reducing key barriers so that a collaborative approach can be fulfilled.

A joined force of obstetriciangynecologists, family physicians, registered nurses and midwives is required to advance women’s health, advises Dr. André Lalonde, executive vice president of the SOGC. “The problem we are having with health care right now is that everybody is in kind of their own area in their little box; everybody has their own separate practice. What needs to improve in Canada is to break down these barriers. People should be working in groups; you should be able to go to a prenatal office where you have midwives and doctors working in the same office.” The efforts of the SOGC include a 2003 policy statement entitled the “National Birthing Strategy

If you’re one of hundreds of thousands of women pregnant in Canada each year, you’ll know that the excitement of having a baby goes hand-in-hand with providing quality care for baby and you. “A pregnant woman has a lot of choices in Canada,” says Dr. Lalonde.

“She can contact a family physician, she can contact a midwife, she can contact an obstetrician. I think the three professions in Canada provide essential services for women – they are [all] very competent.”

www.midwivesofyorkregion.com www.sogc.org

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y Gir l Cit

IN THE MOMENT WITH

LAURA DI BATTISTA Written By Simona Panetta

Host of CBC’s Here and Now, Laura Di Battista.

W

hen she’s not keeping Torontonians in on the news, Laura Di Battista has her own story to tell, one that involves how she loves her city well. “There’s a few places that you can look at in Toronto where you just see nothing and then the horizon. It’s just so calming,” says the life-long resident of the Beaches area, where she lives with her husband and daughter.

The Toronto-born journalist is most known for making waves as an on-air personality, asking the questions we all want the answers to, without having the courage to ask them ourselves.

“WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT THEIR NEIGHBOURHOOD, AND I THINK ALSO OUR DIVERSITY AND OUR TOLERANCE FOR EACH OTHER IS REALLY SPECIAL.” – Laura Di Battista

It’s mid-morning and Di Battista scans the dailies, sweats out a workout and dives into research before going live at 3 p.m. “The best part of my job is that I leave here every day … and get to, you know, explore all these great stories in the city.” As host of CBC’s popular afternoon drive program Here and Now, Di Battista accompanies drivers home with fresh takes on local and world news.

Photography By Neeva Kedem

Her aggressive networking landed her the radio gig at CBC this year. When she’s off the clock at 6 p.m., she explores her passions: reading, gardening, travelling and cooking her favourite meal of risotto with porcini mushrooms for her family.

A famous face on the Toronto scene, she, along with other renowned personalities, was a casualty to the cuts Rogers Communications Inc. made to Citytv last year, where she spent 26 years of her career. “Someone gave me some really good advice after I was let go and it was, ‘you know, there’s a reason someone wanted you in the first place, and that, they can never take away from you, and someone else will want that, too.’” Ever the optimistic, Di Battista was determined to move forward. www.citylifemagazine.ca

When she’s not doing what she does best, Di Battista enjoys the best of Toronto, like shopping at Yoka and dining at her favourite restaurants Vivetha and Green Dragon. “Not only do we have great neighbourhoods, we have people who are really passionate about their neighbourhood, and I think also our diversity and our tolerance for each other is really special.” www.cbc.ca/hereandnowtoronto

City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

41

George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg are never stumped when it comes to designing.

Always a Season Ahead:

YABU PUSHELBERG Written By Madeline Stephenson

ONE PROJECT AT A TIME, YABU PUSHELBERG PROVES THAT IT’S WHAT’S INSIDE THAT COUNTS.

2 City 42 CityLife LifeMagazine Magazine Aug/Sept Aug/Sept2011 2011

www.citylifemagazine.ca

2

3

5 1

4 1. A plush bedroom in Toronto’s Bennington Heights neighbourhood.

2. The future of Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Toronto.

3. Concept of Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences lobby.

4. Residents will soon be knee-deep in Yabu Pushelberg’s waters.

5. W Hotel, Times Square, New York 6. Louis Vuitton, Hong Kong.

7. Bymark restaurant, Toronto

you’ve ever had a nightcap at the W Hotel in Times Square New York, sipped a Lipstick Martini at Toronto’s Bymark, waltzed into Tiffany & Co. on Wall Street or snagged a bag at Louis Vuitton, Hong Kong, then it’s fair to say you’ve already shaken the figurative hands of George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg. With their innovative personalities strewn like rose petals across the interiors of international landmarks, this interior duo has become globally known for leaving its 21st century signature on every space. “No matter what type of project it is, interiors should evoke an emotion,” says Pushelberg, who speaks for one half of the award-winning Yabu Pushelberg design firm.

6

7

There’s another reason why their names might ring a bell. The ambitious partners were commissioned to design the entrance lobbies, spa, ballroom, conference facilities and hotel rooms for the highly anticipated Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Toronto at Bay Street and Yorkville Avenue. Yes, the same hotel that recently made headlines for breaking a record with the sale of a $28 million penthouse, the priciest www.citylifemagazine.ca

City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

43

condominium quarters in Canadian history. “The premise behind the Four Seasons was to create a hotel that was a more contemporary Four Seasons Hotel; to create a Four Seasons Hotel that looked to the future, but at the same time was not trendy – a hotel that had longevity and was tasteful. Particularly, a hotel that represented the Four Seasons brand in a more modern way,” says Pushelberg, who likes to dine at Toronto’s trendy Ruby Watchco and shop at the self-designed upscale fashion and furnishings retailer Lane Crawford in Hong Kong. The luxury property-to-be will consist of east and west towers and is expected to come to life by summer 2012. “I think it is representative of us, which is important,” he adds.

Owning personal digs in New York City (Calvin Klein, Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman are neighbours), the Hamptons, and Bennington Heights in Toronto, you can say that Yabu and Pushelberg live for the indoors. “It’s important that each interior has its own identity,” says Yabu.

In business and in life, the two have been a team since they established their Toronto firm more than 30 years ago, which has since diversified to New York and China. Their future plans include evolving their furniture and furnishing designs and ideally working on a gallery and/or museum space. “We would love to do both because there’s a rigor to it. It’s a more difficult challenge than designing a store or hotel, in a sense, because there’s more inflexibility and we love challenges,” says Yabu.

In fact, it’s the obstacles that particularly inspire Yabu and Pushelberg to continue pushing the envelope when it comes to exploring the infinite possibilities of design, whether its travelling to India to learn about stone carving and lacework or taking on blank-slate ventures that offer opportunities to innovate. “I think personally we have an obligation to always challenge ourselves when it comes to creating new projects. Through that, we’ve become design icons for Canada,” says Pushelberg. “We take on projects that incorporate a challenge to create something that captures the essence of its existence,” adds Yabu. www.yabupushelberg.com

“I THINK PERSONALLY WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO ALWAYS CHALLENGE OURSELVES WHEN IT COMES TO CREATING NEW PROJECTS. THROUGH THAT, WE’VE BECOME DESIGN ICONS FOR CANADA.” – Glenn Pushelberg

Yabu and Pushelberg’s living space is a sweet juxtaposition of then and now.

44 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

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The duo’s Bennington Heights backyard provides a place for rest and relaxation amidst the urban hustle and bustle.

www.citylifemagazine.ca

City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

45

1 k o o b e t o N DESIGNER

City Life’s favourite design sources will fit seamlessly in your home.

Written By Laura O’Marra

7

2 4

3

5

46 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

6 8 www.citylifemagazine.ca

1. Roche Bobois waves its contemporary wand in this dynamic dining room.

Vibrant wool upholstered chairs from the Chabada collection will make any modern interior stand out. With a palette of 18 colours, there’s no need to play musical chairs. www.roche-bobois.ca

add flavour to your life

2. Dazzling plum sequins bring a dash of drama to your home’s décor. Accent a chair, sofa or bed with this fun and fearless Starlight Cushion from Bouclair Home. www.bouclair.com 3. Drop your passport and pick up a paint brush with CIL Paints’ exciting new decorating concept. Destination painting lets you travel around the globe from the comfort of your abode.The Asian-inspired colours seen here are CIL’s Oriental Poppy, Amazing Red, Jade Valley Green and Palace Purple. www.destinationdecor.ca 4. Yanic Simard mixes rustic pieces with sleek, modern elements in this gorgeously diverse bathroom. The talented interior designer’s divergent portfolio makes his work unique and desirable. www.tidg.ca 5. Make a bold statement with Urban Barn’s 100 per cent aluminum Kool Bench Square. This piece brings a modern edge to the traditional plush ottoman, making it the perfect addition to glam up your living room. www.urbanbarn.com 6. A wise decoration that is sure to turn heads, the owl’s dramatic beauty is emphasized by its sleek finish. Standing 16 centimetres tall, hoo wouldn’t want this bird perched on their mantle? www.bouclair.com 7. In a pickle because you can’t find that perfect present? Learn how to make delicious treats and package them for friends and family with Pretty Pantry Gifts: A Recipe and Wrapping Kit for James, Sauces, and Pickles. (Chronicle Books, 2008). www.chapters.indigo.ca

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Aug/Sept 2011

47

ADVERTORIAL

Photo By Neeva Kedem

Vivian Risi relaxes at home with the book that elevated her philanthropy to new heights – Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World, by Bill Clinton.

Vivian Risi with former U.S. President Bill Clinton at his speaking engagement in Toronto.

It

CHANGING THE WORLD

One Brick at a Time:

VIVIAN RISI

was October 2008. Major financial institutions in the U.S. were falling at the pace of leaves and the media was saturated with reports of the tumultuous subprime mortgage crisis, market crashes and a looming global recession. Business owners across an array of industries were feeling their first beads of sweat. “Our economy was greatly affected,” says Vivian Risi, owner of real estate firm Royal LePage – Your Community Realty.

Just before the news broke, Risi had taken on the role of Capital Campaign Chair of York Region’s Yellow Brick House, pledging to raise funds for YBH’s much-needed second shelter.

“You can imagine the pressure I felt knowing that I had just committed to

“BECAUSE WE LIVE IN AN INTERDEPENDENT WORLD, WE CANNOT ESCAPE EACH OTHER’S PROBLEMS.” – Bill Clinton, Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World

raising $4 million. I didn’t want to let anyone down,” she says.

In the midst of her concern, Risi was invited to a conference at Toronto’s Four Seasons Centre, where former U.S.

48 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

President Bill Clinton was speaking.

The event ultimately opened her eyes to the infinite possibilities of philanthropy.

“My brief meeting with Bill Clinton was a brush with greatness,” says Risi, who promptly picked up his book, Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World (Random House, 2007). “The more I read, the more inspired I became. The stories were about real people from all walks of life and every income level.

It expanded my focus to the ongoing bigger picture of giving.”

Motivated to do more, Risi let go of any limiting reservations and began fundraising to her fullest capacity for the Yellow Brick House. “When I take something on, I take it on wholeheartedly. It is our responsibility to ensure a healthy society for tomorrow,” she says. Today, Risi has almost reached her goal, and the second Yellow Brick House shelter will soon be a reality.

“There are no words that can describe what I am experiencing right now, other than never underestimate your inner strengths and the power each of us have to make things happen, ‘how each of us can change the world,’” she says. www.yellowbrickhouse.org www.yourcommunityrealty.com www.citylifemagazine.ca

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Risky Business Take a chance with an ex-Dragon.

Written By Michael Hill

As

Risky Business, Brett Wilson’s new high-risk, high-reward TV show, reveals from start-to-finish how investments unfold.

Photo by Dean West

knowledge, advising and comforting financiers before they embark on their journey.

much as I love the Hollywood classic Risky Business, I’m not sure I want to see a remake where former Dragons’ Den star Brett Wilson rocks out in his underwear to Bob Seger’s Old Time Rock and Roll. What’s that? Wilson’s Risky Business is a high-risk, high-reward investment TV show? That sounds more like it.

Based on the British series Beat the Bank, Wilson’s latest on-air venture creates opportunities for investors and entrepreneurs alike. An investment-inclined couple is introduced to two opportunities and selects the one they fancy to finance; Wilson backs the other. The two sides then have 30 days to see their prospects flourish or fail.

For investors, Wilson believes trust is key – trust in the company and trust in the owner’s knowledge and ability to navigate their entrepreneurial ship.

“I’m often investing in the person,” says Wilson. “I better like the business, but I am not in the position to say that I know their business better than they do.” If you’re feeling uneasy about the person or their business, however, you might want to steer clear.

Aspiring entrepreneurs should be concerned with market assessment and modesty. Ideas may seem highly profitable on paper, but that doesn’t mean they’re infallible, as Wilson explains, “It isn’t always the idea, it’s sometimes a combination of the entrepreneur and the idea.” Understanding how to properly market your business is essential as well.

“IT ISN’T ALWAYS THE IDEA, IT’S SOMETIMES A COMBINATION OF THE ENTREPRENEUR AND THE IDEA.”

“Real people show up with their own money,” says Wilson, who entertained over 700 business opportunities on Dragons’ Den. “We do real follow-ups on real deals in real time and we get real results.”

Ranging from $5,000 – $20,000, these gambles swing from the more reserved, like buying and flipping antique musical instruments, to the heart-pounding, like backing a 19-year-old world billiard champion in a high-stakes game of pool.

But as dicey as these opportunities seem, Wilson doesn’t send these investing adventurers up creek without a paddle. He unlocks the chest to his wealth of

52 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

– Brett Wilson “I love it when people

acknowledge that they don’t know everything.

It’s the guy or woman who knows everything that scares the heck out of me,” he adds. “‘I don’t know, but I’ll find out tomorrow.’ That’s a great answer.”

But you better find out tomorrow – Wilson doesn’t like asking twice.

To see who cashes in and who kisses their coin goodbye, Risky Business debuts September 12 at 9 p.m. on Slice. www.citylifemagazine.ca

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This book is a peephole into the private life of one of the most influential entertainers of the 20th century. Charles Chaplin brought laughter into the lives of those living through war and economic hardship; listen carefully as the star of silent films speaks out. www.penguinclassics.ca

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Administrator of Montessori School House

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child’s mind is like a sponge, constantly absorbing and processing information, determining consequences of actions and understanding how to navigate the world.

Dr. Maria Montessori describes this ability as the “absorbent mind.” She desired to create a learning environment that stimulates and caters to this important aspect of childhood development, and as such, the Montessori School House was born.

Using a “structured freedom” approach, the Montessori School’s teachers (“directresses”) foster a setting that cultivates the child’s imagination, allowing them to be creative and think outside the box, but to do so while working alongside others. Each directress keeps a watchful eye on every student, demonstrating discipline, supportively guiding them, and staying constantly aware of the child’s readiness for specific, new material. This right-material-at-the-right-time mentality keeps children constantly evolving as individuals, but at a pace suitable to their particular personality.

Great Reads Turn over a new leaf with unique reads that are bursting with colour.

Written By Madeline M Stephenson

Cutting for Stone

BY ABRAHAM VERGHESE Abraham Verghese’s background in medicine and upbringing in Ethiopia bleed through the pages of his first fiction, Cutting for Stone. The moving story of twin brothers, Marion and Shiva Stone, was ranked No. 2 on New York Times’ best-selling Paperback Trade Fiction list for over two months. www.randomhouse.ca

Mixing lessons on practical life, language, cultural studies, music and more, creative minds are encouraged, promoting the potential of each child in ways uncommon to traditional educational routes.

Photo by Sal Pasqua

Q: How does the Montessori School create an environment and curriculum that caters to and stimulates the child’s “absorbent mind”, and what are the benefits of this approach?

A: “What a child will find at Montessori School is a venue that caters to their individual needs. An environment that encourages creativity and outside-the-box thinking, but also educates children on how to work with others in a disciplined manner; the opportunity to solve problems their way, but to also cooperate with others. Our directresses act similar to movie directors, setting the stage and pointing the way, but allowing the child to engage the curriculum how they see fit. This not only teaches the child to comfortably operate in society, but to develop their imagination and ability to problem solve in manners superior to traditional educational means,” says Margie Bernadette, administrator at Vaughan’s Montessori School House. www.montessorischoolhouse.ca, 9730 Dufferin St., Maple, Ont. 905.303.0011

The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival BY JOHN VAILLANT

The main character in this gripping true story is a male Siberian tiger. Set in Russia’s Far East, author John Vaillant shines a light on the dark side of instinct, both human and animal.

This tiger doesn’t forget its foes. www.knopfdoubleday.com

54 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

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City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

57

Feel The

S

ince the turn of the 20th century, one car company has been at the forefront of the Italian automotive industry; a manufacturer at the grassroots of Italian car racing; the enterprise that brought the Lancia name to fame; the brand that tamed Ferrari, Alfa Romeo and Maserati, and pulled Chrysler from the abyss of bankruptcy.

An acronym for “Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino,” that brand is Fiat, and with the Fiat 500 once again rolling onto North American asphalt, Canadians can finally grip the wheel of this revived iconic ride.

“The car was made to really appeal to the public, and that’s what it did,” says Remo Ferri, president of The Remo Ferri Group of Automobiles, regarding the original Fiat 500 that launched in 1957. “And of course, the car made so much history, in movies and so on, that it became part of the Italian style in life … It’s part of the Italian heritage.”

of a Fiat

Written By Michael Hill

Originally founded on July 11, 1899, Fiat opened its first factory in 1900 in Corso Dante in Turin. Employing 150 workers and producing 24 cars its first year, Fiat wasn’t just laying the foundation for the Italian automotive industry, but paving the way for Italian racing, winning the Sassi-Superga uphill race in 1902 with the first genuine race car, the 24 HP, driven by Vincenzo Lancia.

In 1908, Fiat expanded, bringing its slanted ‘A’ logo across the Atlantic and into the U.S. market. However, after decades in the New World, a sullied reputation of persistent breakdowns caused Fiat to throw it in reverse and backed out of the American market in 1983. But in 2004, Sergio Marchionne took the wheel as Fiat’s new CEO, giving the brand a contemporary tune-up.

Marchionne’s new direction combined state-of-the-art technologies with Italy’s chic styling, once again winning over consumers. It also saw the resurrection of the small yet practical Fiat 500 in 2007. Traffic jams of enthusiastic drivers swarmed towards the new 500, as over 500,000 were sold in a three-year span – even before cracking the North American market. Like a tailored Italian suit, the little 1.4-Litre seemed to perfectly fit modern motoring markets.

The Remo Ferri Group of Automobiles obtained its first 2012 Fiat 500s in March, and customers raced to the lot. “There’s lots of women, men, younger people, older people, we see all sorts of people,” says Ferri, who keeps a restored 1960 500 in his dealership’s showroom. “It appeals to a lot of people.”

“It gives a lot of bang for the buck,” says Marco Pasquariello, who has already purchased three of the 2012 500s. “A great style as well. A lot of cars look too everydayish, where

The original Fiat 500 that launched in 1957, alongside the new-to-Canada 2012 Fiat 500.

58 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

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59

◀ A longtime Fiat driver, Joe Marchese proudly stands next to his new Fiat 500 Lounge, which he notes not only looks great, but has excellent fuel economy.

▲ Marco Pasquariello’s three 2012 Fiat 500s. ▶ Marco Pasquariello (left) poses with Paolo Campli, sales manager at Maranello Fiat, after purchasing one of his three new Fiat 500s.

as this car looks retroactive like the old car, but functional like a new car.”

Pasquariello feels it’s a great city car, economical on petrol and fun to drive.

“You can get around the city pretty quick and you conserve a lot of gas,” he says. Indeed, according to JATO Dynamics, an international information supplier on vehicle specifications and news, in 2010 Fiat ranked No. 1 in lowest average automobile emissions for a manufacturer for the second straight year. The 500 reportedly gets 55 m.p.g. highway driving and 42 in the city.

▶ The old world meets the new age as Marchese lines up his classic 1972 500, which he first bought in 1975, alongside his modern 2012 500.

For Joe Marchese, a longtime Fiat owner, the new styling is certainly a thing to behold. “It’s a beautiful car,” says the Fiat 500 Lounge owner. “It’s got beautiful handling and it’s very, very well designed.”

A Compasso d’Oro Industrial Design award winner, the 2012 500 is a car meant to be seen in, easily standing out on North American streets. Its unique, fashion-forward interior is busy yet clean, and it’s unmistakable exterior styling screams vintage Italian. www.remoferrigroup.com www.fiatcanada.com

60 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

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Produced By Angela Palmieri / Written By Laura O’Marra

1. When Love Takes Over Feminine and bold, you will fall head over heels for Love Struck by Vera Wang. Floral scents like pink guave, mandarin, and a subtle balance of tuberose and lotus blossom will make your Romeo weak at the knees. www.verawang.com 2. Full of Charm Chole’s signature floral scent is elegantly encased in a stunning silver pendant. The solid perfume can go everywhere with you, making this accessory a must-have for any sophisticated lady. www.chloe.com 3. Petals of Love Infused with charm, this feminine fragrance blends a medley of fresh floral, iris and heliotrope scents. Soft powdery notes leave a pure and tranquil trail behind every woman who wears Love, Chloe. www.chloe.com 4. Young at Heart Hints of raspberry and warm vanilla sway gently in this dazzling scent. Marc Jacob’s Oh, Lola! will delight your senses and bring out your youthful spirit. www.marcjacobsfragrances.com 5. Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot Marc Jacob’s Daisy is back, and better than ever. Slightly richer than the original, this Hot Pink edition blends tones of strawberry, jasmine, and birch, making you feel chic and sophisticated. www.marcjacobsfragrances.com 6. Breath of Fresh Air Ô De Lancôme will have you dreaming of summer dews. Fresh citrus notes mingle with sweet honeysuckle, rosemary and undertones of jasmine to create an alluring aroma. www.lancome.ca 7. Standing Ovation Fresh jasmine, guava, and Pink Lady Apple dance in a luxurious blend that pays tribute to Celine Dion’s star qualities. Bring out your own show-stopping personality with this iconic fragrance. www.celinedionbeauty.com

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Neena Kanwar

With her finger on the pulse of health care, Neena Kanwar brings double meaning to the phrase, “follow your heart.”

Written By Madeline Stephenson and Laura O’Marra

With a family history of heart disease and a father who suffered two heart attacks in his 40s, Neena felt inclined to pursue a career in cardiology. In the early ’80s, she obtained a degree in nuclear medicine from the Toronto Institute of Medical Technology, which led to a position at St. Michael’s Hospital as a nuclear medicine technologist. It was there that she became perturbed by the long waits patients endured to see doctors, take tests and receive results, noticing a major gap in the field of health care. “I felt like something better could be done.”

Rather than watch these issues progress, she took initiative, and in a valiant demonstration of faith and ambition, Neena and Vijay sold their family home to finance the development of KMH Cardiology and Diagnostic Centres’ first facility in Mississauga.

“The thought never occurred to me that it wasn’t going to work. I didn’t have any thoughts, my only thought was, ‘this is what I want to do. So what do I have to do to get it done?’” says Neena.

Today, KMH has grown to more than 10 locations across Ontario, Canada and Maryland, U.S., and has provided more than 600,000 cardiology, nuclear cardiology and nuclear medicine diagnostic tests. “It created a different environment on how humans should be respected, treated and how quickly and efficiently testing should be done.

Businesses exist to serve people, and one must give back to communities,” says Vijay, who was named Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year in 2006 for his work as KMH’s president and chief financial officer.

By providing timely services to approximately 90 – 100,000 community members annually, KMH helps detect health problems while still in their early stages, allotting hospitals more time to care for the critically ill. “If you know that there is something wrong with you, then there is the possibility of a cure. We just love what we do. We are able to have an impact on people’s lives,” says Neena.

Neena has overcome several obstacles to get to where she is today, but according to her, having the XX gene

64 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

Photography By Neeva Kedem Pho

On June 21st, 2011, Neena Kanwar validated to a throng of guests at the HSBC Great Canadian Woman Awards that anything is possible. At the time, she was being honoured for her inspiring entrepreneurial success by founding an independent health-care centre in 1988 with her husband, Vijay Kanwar, that has since become North America’s largest provider of nuclear cardiology. “Nobody should be able to tell you that you cannot succeed where others have failed,” says Neena.

has never been one of them. “If you think that being a woman is going to make a difference, than it will, but at the end of the day, if you want what you want you are going to do whatever you can to get what you want. I don’t think it makes a difference if you are a woman or a man,” she says. “Woman is twice smarter than man,” adds Vijay.

Being honoured by a roomful of people isn’t an inaugural experience for Neena, who could easily fill a library with accolades. From her entrepreneurship to numerous philanthropic endeavours, Neena makes it clear that you can’t simply wait around for success to fall on your lap – you have to get out there and grab it. “If you have a goal in mind, or if there is something you really want to do, then figure out how to get it done and do it.” www.kmhlabs.com www.citylifemagazine.ca

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66 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

While conventional medication and therapies play an immense role in health care, UMG works closely with patients to consider alternative methods that will complement their prescribed treatments.

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67

A AT LIFE

SECOND CHANCE AT THE VITANOVA FOUNDATION Written By Simona Panetta

S

ome of us travel down roads that split into darkness until we can’t see where we end up or how we got there in the first place. It’s late afternoon and the sun beats down on idling drivers, frustrated by the wait that comes with a freight train charging through a railway crossing like the speed of life.

The horizon appears as the gate arms rise, and, like the train, cars speed off into unknown destinations. Turning off a traffic-laden Vaughan road, a utopia of green and tranquility draws you towards a place that has driven 15,000 lives toward the right direction.

The Vitanova Foundation is a former private residence-turned-rehabilitation centre based on a client-centred treatment philosophy. I walk through double doors and take a seat on a green couch in the foyer to meet Franca Carella, the monarch of a not-for-profit corporation that has helped to rebuild the lives of individuals and families shattered by substance abuse for more than two decades. As I wait for her visitors to subside, I hear babbles of

water from where I’m perched, across a winding staircase that descends upon an indoor pool. I can see the milky blue water running to the edge, where thick black letters spell ‘Deep End.’ But the words are upside down, meant to be read for those on the other side, those who have hit rock bottom and have yet to – either from shame or denial – be buoyed from murky waters.

Mother Teresa habitually spoke of how humanity suffers from loneliness, how humankind will clutch at straws, searching for reasons to feel optimistic when there is no hope to be found. “I couldn’t tell you any good things about myself, I thought my life was going to end,” says a Vitanova client who asks for anonymity. Well on the road to recovery, it was his use and distribution of psychedelic drugs that brought him to his knees and up the stairs to Vitanova, much to the content of his mother.

His life soon turned around, he says, he now has ambitions. “I was starting to get things back at Vitanova. I don’t feel so alone when I’m out there.” Past

68 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

’’

– Mother Teresa

The work of Vitanova founder Franca Carella is recognized with numerous awards, which include the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal.

clients have gone on to fulfill dream careers, from lawyers and accountants to plumbers and mechanics. A second chance at life is what Vitanova stands for, and it’s here that isolation drowns.

The walls of Franca’s office are covered with plaques and photos that leave new frames resting on chairs. Her eyes are weary yet kind, a beacon of hope in a room where much sorrow has transformed into happiness. “I always www.citylifemagazine.ca

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69

It was during the end of the ‘80s when Franca discovered the need for a substance abuse centre in the community.

At the time, she was running VitaSana, a local magazine reporting on family and community health issues. She received hundreds of letters from parents, desperate to save their drug-dependent children. In their voices, she heard her calling. “Franca’s vocation is motivated by her deep desire to help people,” says Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua.

“As individuals, we are not measured by our status or title but our ability to serve and our willingness to give of ourselves for a higher calling, a higher purpose, like the one she has committed herself to through her work with the Vitanova Foundation. She has been gifted with the great ability to serve, and as a result, has touched the lives of thousands of people in a very meaningful and positive way … through the power of trust, respect and compassion, and driven by a spirit of generosity, she has built an organization that offers a new beginning to many individuals who are seeking hope.” The mayor agreed to be the honorary chair at this year’s annual Vitanova fundraiser, where Franca hopes to raise $200,000.

A trained nurse, Franca travelled to over 40 rehabilitation centres across North America and Europe, studying their practices and incorporating the most effective therapeutic components she found for her program at Vitanova, which asks that individuals recognize

their addiction to be a symptom of what is behind the drug or alcohol use. It was in Italy where she met with Vincenzo Muccioli, founder of San Patrignano, one of the world’s leading drug rehabilitation centres. She asked him how she too could make Vitanova a world-class centre. Muccioli, who passed away in 1995, asked her, ‘how do you love these people you take in?’

Franca immediately responded, ‘I love them right next to my own children.’

Muccioli turned to her and said, ‘You have to extend the love you have for your children and then you’ll make it,’ recalls Franca. She asked her five children how she could possibly do this, and her eldest responded, ‘Mom, your heart is big enough, there’s room for them, too.”

‘‘

SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT I’M EITHER MAKING A LOT OF MONEY OR THAT I’M CRAZY AND THEY ASK, ‘WHY DO I DO IT?’ AND MY RESPONSE IS, WHY DON’T YOU?

‘‘

had faith in God, I always felt there were green pastures somewhere. And there’s purpose for our life or else we would be dead, why would we be alive, just to hold things for ourselves? This is what I don’t understand,” says Franca.

You begin to not understand it either, and question your lack of contribution to a societal problem that takes a toll on our families, hospitals and prisons.

According to a report by the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry in 2007, 11 per cent of Canadians struggle with drug or alcohol abuse. The report estimates that in 2002, Canada spent $23 billion on alcohol and illicit drug use and misuse, including costs of direct health care and law enforcement.

– Franca Carella

Today, Vitanova offers a full-time day program and a shelter with 30 beds. Its core program is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care; the shelter survives off donations.

Aware of the stigma attached to substance abuse, Franca can only hope that the community looks beyond donating to typical causes so that her centre can treat more clients. “Our key to success is that we don’t just give counselling, we do a full-time program for as long as the individual needs.

We don’t just work with the drug addiction, we work with the entire human being and we work with his or her family. We try to bring the family

70 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

back together again,” says Franca.

Currently, there are 80 clients receiving treatment from Vitanova, and Franca needs to help more. “I can feel their pain, I carry that pain, I take it home with me. I want a solution. I want that pain to end and for them to start a normal life and take charge of their emotions.” I look to Franca and ask her why she’s dedicated her life to this mission, why she has yet to retire at age 76. She speaks low but her words are loud. “Some people say that I’m either making a lot of money or that I’m crazy and they ask, ‘why do I do it?’

And my response is, why don’t you?”

When Franca was a young girl, pain accompanied her every step. She was born into a wealthy family in 1935 until communism occupied the then-Italian city of Zara (now Zadar, Croatia) she lived in. She endured the death of her father, a noble, and lived long days in concentration and refugee camps.

Her childhood turned her into the caregiver she is today. “I don’t need an elaborate life like the one I was born in. Or maybe because I was born in an elaborate life and lived in a castle before the Communists took it, maybe because I had everything and I realized that when my father died he didn’t take anything with him and he left nothing for us because the Communists took everything.” Though the scars of that experience continue to haunt her, she is a fond believer in forgiveness, a teaching of Catholicism.

Religion has and continues to play a critical role in Franca’s life. But you don’t have to be of a particular faith to discover greener pastures at Vitanova, you simply just have to believe. “When clients come here they live with love, they are amazed when they are here.

They don’t understand what’s come over them. After two or three days they ask, what’s happening to me? I feel safe. I believe there is something here that I can’t even explain.”

To donate or volunteer, go to www.vitanova.ca Join the Vitanova Foundation on November 27th, 2011 for its annual fundraising gala, Celebration of Life. www.citylifemagazine.ca

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D THE WORL EMBRACING tively collec are es chariti t r-profi

Amma’s various not-fo e known as Embracing the World (ETW) and engag social and al nment enviro , in a variety of humanitarian al endeavours around the world. From providing medic in uake earthq Haiti the in ed supplies to those affect n 2010, to providing $1 million US to the Bush- Clinto for homes 0 40,00 g buildin Katrina Fund in 2005, to work on impoverished individuals in India. Other programs n wome to t ermen empow n, providing education to childre Billion ’s Nation United the of part as g plantin tree and Tree Campaign.

The beaut y OF A HUG Written By Michael Hill

Having hugged over 31 million people from around the world, Amma brings joy to one more child with her motherly embrace.

As

A woman’s embrace has wrapped millions across the globe with love, sympathy and hope.

I’m motioned towards the floor, pleasantly asked to kneel behind other huddling devotees, the overwhelming tempest of activity swirling around this single individual sparks mixed emotions of apprehension and exhilaration. Crowds of believers, both young and old, have descended on Toronto’s Doubletree by Hilton hotel, all to bear witness to the worldwide spiritual leader now sitting before me. The woman known as “mother;” the woman now offering me her embrace: Amma.

by millions around the world for her selfless humanitarian efforts and spiritual guidance, but is perhaps best known for her marathon public programs where she sits for hours, hugging all those desiring her touch.

It wasn’t until I casually strolled into the congested lobby, however, that the scale of the night’s event actually revealed its weight. A seemingly endless line of chatter and anxious anticipation filled the foyer: a mass congregation for Amma’s Devi Bhava, and the final night of her 25th North American tour.

After a lengthy speech of rousing anecdotes, metaphors and pertinent wisdom, Amma sits at the head of the hall, surrounded by her following of volunteers and swamis. Many in the crowd clap, chant and pray to the rhythmic music echoing throughout, waiting to join the other 31 million she has hugged before. Some softly sob at the mere sight of her, while others sit silently in deep

Born Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, this renowned guru is celebrated

Her various charities, all housed under the Embracing the World foundation, have selflessly provided over $60 million US in free health care to two million people, provided 32,000 scholarships to impoverished children, and offered disaster relief to thousands plagued by natural catastrophes.

72 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

meditation, perhaps focusing on her recent words.

Finally, my time has come. Although feeling out of place, Amma’s attendants supportively offer cordial smiles, gesturing towards their treasured entity with guiding arms.

Suddenly, I’m affectionately wrapped in Amma’s motherly hold. She speaks softly in her native Malayalam tongue, tenderly kisses my temple and hands me an apple; a mysterious gesture, I am told, that is both rare and profound.

It is said that around Amma, things just happen. It is also said that Amma knows everything about you. I don’t think this is meant literally, however, but more as a statement of her understanding and sympathy towards our needs, our hopes and the love we all crave. And while I’m unsure of what the apple meant, curiously enough, I was quite hungry at the time, and Amma hates wasting food. www.amma.org www.citylifemagazine.ca

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With a progressive approach to traditional business, L’Oro has been placed in a favourable position within the jewelry industry. Among its exclusive brands, Chopard is one of the elite jewelry names partnered with L’Oro. “They are one of the few family owned companies left in the watch industry, and the Chopard family has built an incredible enterprise,” says Derian. “The brand is known to have the ability to be at the forefront of fashion in premium luxury, but still timeless.” Since it was founded in 1860, Chopard has been leaning towards classic and elegant designs. A hands-on approach was taken when L’Oro visited the Chopard factory in Geneva, Switzerland, before introducing the entire collection to its loyal client base in Toronto.

76 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

You won’t be the only one dropping to your knees when you pop the question with this halo engagement ring by Scott Kay.

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The Good Deeds Page Chapter 1: Why Give?

Excerpt from The Power of Giving,

by Azim Jamal and Harvey McKinnon (Tarcher, 2008).

T

here’s no denying that life in the 21st century is demanding. There never seems to be enough time to do all the things that need to be done: keep up with work or studies, spend time with family, earn enough money to pay the rent and buy necessities. With so many challenges to cope with, with you may ask yourself, “Why should I expend any effort in giving?” or “I’m already scrambling to deal with all the demands and pressures on me. How will I find time and resources to give more?” or “No one gives to me, so why should I give to others?”

Probably the biggest gift you will ever receive is the huge investment your parents made in you. But they are not the only ones who have given to you. During the course of your life you have received many things from other people – teachers, relatives, strangers. Schools and hospitals were built with the hard work and tax dollars of those who preceded you. In fact, almost everything you use in your life has been made by someone else. The peace that you enjoy has been delivered by the sacrifice of others.

When you think about it, you know countless people who have made a difference in your life – some negative, some positive. Why not make a decision to have a positive impact on the lives of others, even if they are strangers? http://thepowerofgiving.org City Life would like to express its gratitude by congratulating the following organizations for exercising their “Power of Giving.”

Dimitri Giankoulas, Pure Motivation Fitness Volunteer at Vitanova Foundation by offering motivation and fitness training classes. www.puremotivationfitness.com Claudio Grisolia, Steeles Paint Donated all the tools and paint to re-paint the gate and fence at Vitanova. www.steelespaint.com

Yoga W Enlightening

Written By Madeline Stephenson

hen Kathryn Curtis put her passion for yoga to the test, the results were quite riveting. The PhD student in York University’s department of psychology, faculty of health, is the lead author of a pilot research project that suggests yoga reduces physical and psychological symptoms in women with fibromyalgia, a condition that causes fatigue and chronic pain in muscles and joints. “I was inspired to do this project as I have a deep love for all aspects of yoga, and wanted to be able to make this practice accessible to those who might benefit from it most,” says Curtis.

Eligible research candidates completed an eight-week yoga intervention in which they provided pre- and post-program salivary cortisol samples, attended two 75-minute hatha yoga sessions weekly, filled out multiple questionnaires concerning pain, and took part in a final follow-up session.

In total, 19 female yoga beginners with fi bromyalgia participated. Results showed increased levels of cortisol in post-intervention participants, a stress-reducing steroid hormone that is thought to be less prevalent in women with fibromyalgia. “We found that levels of continuous pain and pain catastrophizing decreased after the yoga program and that levels of pain acceptance and mindfulness increased,” says Curtis, adding that further research is needed to address the results definitively.

This study is in stride with the exploration of physical and psychological responses to yoga. “I think many individuals with pain shy away from yoga, as it is so often portrayed as highly vigorous or athletic, but the practice of yoga is multi-faceted and can be tailored to any body, to any person,” she says. www.news.yorku.ca

Silvain Clissa, Panera Breads Has signed on to donate baked goods and bread to Vitanova and The Good Neighbours’ Club for clients to enjoy. Committed to donate his time by teaching baking classes at Vitanova. www.panerabread.com If you or your organization would like to learn how to spread the power of giving, please email the publisher directly. michelle@dolce.ca Remember: the more you give, the more you have!

78 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

www.citylifemagazine.ca

KIDS’ DESIGNER SHOES NOW IN VAUGHAN! Lif Lif fe is

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This fall, let them step back into the classroom with style.

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City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

79

Plastic

MAKES PERFECT SENSE

T

Debit and credit cards won’t be the only plastic keeping your wallet warm tthiss fall. a Written By Michael Hill

This innovative substrate, known as Guardian®, has already shown its face in 32 countries since the Reserve Bank of Australia embraced it in 1988, and will denote the first time anything other than paper is fully used for Canadian notes.

security features, such as fi ne-line ine printing and raised ink to defend end against forgery. To continue this crusade ade against counterfeiting, the coming ing cutting-edge currency uses an innovative clear window, similar to other international bills. The Canadian dian Polymer series, however, will be the fi rst first to cash-in on a holographic stripee in that transparent space. This stripe will hold a smaller metallic portrait of the individual on the bill, while a second window will house a frosted maple leaf that, if held to a single-point light source, displays the note’s value to add further security. These news notes are not only trickier to imitate, but give a distinct look and feel as well. On the environmental front, the polymer notes are durable and recyclable. Since the BoC’s aggressive anticounterfeiting actions, there has been a significant decline in forged bills.

Since 2001’s sharp rise in counterfeited Canadian currency, the BoC has diligently implemented high-grade

Although visually modern, the new notes hold an air of familiarity by retaining the bills’ conventional size

his November marks a historic first for Canadian currency, as the Bank of Canada (BoC) begins rolling out the latest $100 banknotes, the Polymer Series, acquainting Canadians to plastic money.

If money is power, these polymer banknotes are king. Lasting 2.5 times longer than cotton-based bills, these plastic notes utilize a biaxial-oriented polypropylene substrate developed by Australian manufacturer Securency International.

80 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

The new Polymer Series lasts 2.5 times longer than cotton-based bills, and with heightened security features, these new banknotes are even more difficult to counterfeit.

and colour. The design also expands on the preceding Canadian Journey series by promoting pride in our country’s history. The $100 bill highlights medical innovations with images of DNA, insulin and a female researcher, while the $50 bill features CCGS Amundsen, the Canadian research icebreaker. The $20, $10 and $5 bills will feature the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, the Canadian Transcontinental Train, and Canadarm2 and Dextre, respectively, when they’re released throughout 2012 and 2013. www.bankofcanada.ca www.citylifemagazine.ca

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BByy Ric RRichard Ri Rich i ha ic hard Ravenhawke Ravenha aveenha nhawke hawke wkke ke

st ars

The

Virgo

▶Hart of Dixie star Rachel Bilson says goodbye to her 20s on August 25.

Libra

SEPT 22 - OCT 20

Expect upcoming travel plans. If all goes well, you may soon be sailing into the wild blue yonder, prepared for a new adventure filled with fun and frolic. Make sure to take lots of sunscreen – it’s getting dangerous to go outside for too long these days! While you are at it, sit back and take a breath – you will be glad you did.

Scorpio

OCT 21 - NOV 21

Family issues should be resolving themselves in the very near future.

Sometimes it is hard for people to see beyond what their own vision entails. Do what you can, when you can, and let the rest play out. In the end, people are going to do what they are going to do. All we can do ourselves is speak our peace and then get out the popcorn.

Sagitt arius NOV 22 - DEC 21

Help is on the way. You have been carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders as of late, and it will be nice to receive a little assistance from someone who cares, but may seem highly unlikely. Don’t let the machinations of others get you down, you are strong and it is time to show it, even at times when you may not believe it!

Capricorn

DEC 22 - JAN 19

It seems as though money may be around the corner – all it takes is a little know-how and patience. You have some ideas that require water and sunshine to be able to grow. Don’t be afraid to express yourself

this month!

AUG 22 - SEPT 21

Your upcoming social schedule promises fond memories. Watch for ulterior motives, especially from the people you hold dear. If all goes well, there could be some travel plans in the near future.

An Aquarian figure is admiring you from afar.

when opportunity presents itself. Your time to shine is upon you.

Aquarius JAN 20 - FEB 18

Don’t let other people’s actions get you down or slow you from enjoying life to the fullest. There are many people out there that love and care about you; people that appreciate you for who you are and what you do for them. Ignorance is bliss.

Remember this when it comes to those who know not what they do.

Pisces

FEB 19 - MAR 20

Watch for an old flame from the past that may be surfacing. This could be good as intentions are now pure. Do not view it as opportunity, however, to throw caution to the wind. Just like forgiveness, trust and love must be earned. Take your time and judge for yourself.

Aries

MAR 21 - APR 19

It seems like it’s the usual daily bump and grind for Aries. It may be time to spice things up a little. Rock the boat, shake the tree, and mix it up! Listen to different music or plan a trip. Romance would be nice. Get out a little and break your routine – it will be your key to relaxation!

Taurus

APR 20 - MAY 20

Go Taurus! You have been moving full-steam ahead, and while on one hand it may be exhausting, on the other hand you are gaining incredible ground that

82 City Life Magazine Aug/Sept 2011

you may not even realize! Watch for a Sagittarius figure that may be your biggest support, and although a little ‘talkative’ at times, defi nitely has the sincerest of intentions.

Gemini

MAY 21 - JUNE 20

Be careful: wolves come disguised as sheep to steal your innocence. Ask yourself who has always been there for you and who is in it for themselves, then step back and examine your actions closely. Don’t let selfishness push away those who have stuck by your side.

Cancer

JUNE 21 - JULY 21

This may be a time for drawing closer to family. Our loyal, family oriented friends will be happy about this. With the exception of a few emotional ups-and-downs, this will be a time of reconnecting and reuniting. This is a time where people’s true colours will shine brightly for all to see.

Leo

JULY 22 - AUG 21

There is something for you just around the corner. Keep your ear to the ground and allow your bat senses to tingle. There is a Virgo figure not far away that admires your style. If you play your cards right, this could get very interesting, indeed! Watch and listen.

Richard Ravenhawke 416.898.HAWK (4295) richardravenhawke@yahoo.com www.ravenhawkpsychic.com

www.citylifemagazine.ca

Photo by Helga Esteb

horoscope

ACRO • BALLET • JAZZ • HIP HOP • TAP • LYRICAL • MUSICAL THEATRE FREE registration for all students FREE Student Price Card for students to save hundreds of dollars at nationwide stores Go to spccard.ca for details Voted “The Best Dance Studio” Register for one class, don’t pay the HST in the city of Vaughan Register for two classes, get the third class FREE Register one child, get 50% OFF the second sibling NEW All students eligible for child tax credit & Baby m Mo my e All students receive $50 OFF Birthday Parties Bounc

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