Bay observer 10 2015

Fabulous Blenheim Palace

Deja vu for the Spoons Steve Martin borrows some art from AGH

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THE BAY OBSERVER

OCTOBER, 2015

A FRESH PERSPECTIVE FOR HAMILTON & BURLINGTON

WWW.BAYOBSERVER.CA

VOL. 8, N0. 10

Closer election in Burlington?

The federal election race in Burlington could turn out to be the closest in more than 50 years. In the closing days of the long campaign, Conservative candidate Mike Wallace (r) participates in the Hope In High Heels fundraiser in aid of Halton Women’s Place and Liberal hopeful Karina Gould (l) discusses strategy with supporters Faryan Tayyari and Richelle Papin. NDP candidate David Laird, meanwhile, says the Liberal campaign has been seriously damaged by the provincial government’s decision to sell Hydro One. Photo by Denis Gibbons

NOISE BYLAW ENFORCERS WERE CONFUSED ABOUT SARCOA JURISDICTION

BY JOHN BEST

THE BAY OBSERVER

The Bay Observer has learned that up until last summer there were conflicting opinions about whether the city’s noise bylaws applied to Sarcoa, because the night spot was at that time located on federal land that was leased to the Hamilton Waterfront Trust. A published report in August of 2014 quoted a city bylaw enforcement officer as saying the federal property was not subject to municipal enforcement, although in the same interview acknowledging that nonetheless the city had filed charges against Sarcoa. Retiree Erich Buss

who lives in Burlington and complained about the music, quoted another Hamilton bylaw officer as saying the Sarcoa situation was “a jurisdictional nightmare because Sarcoa is on federal land.” Additionally Hamilton Police, to whom all afterhours noise complaints are forwarded, also were under the same impression. “I would phone the afterhours number every weekend, and the officer would tell me the same thing, that they didn’t have jurisdiction,” said Buss . The Bay Observer attempted without success to learn how the bylaw Continued on page 2

BY DENIS GIBBONS THE BAY OBSERVER

Balmy temperatures and the Toronto Blue Jays amazing drive for an American League playoff berth helped push the federal election to the backburner in September as Burlingtonians enjoyed the final days of summer.

But with Statistics Canada GDP figures pointing towards a technical recession in the economy, Conservative leader Stephen Harper visited the city to announce that if his government is re-elected, it would create a new advance manufacturing hub there.

In a riding that has elected a Conservative MP three times in a row, it was a surprising development.

Mike Wallace took the seat by a landslide in 2011, securing 54.2 per cent of the vote, with Liberal Alyssa Brierley second at 23.3 per cent and David Laird

third at 18.8.

“It will be a one stop shop for Canadian businesses that need help translating their innovative ideas into real-life products,” Harper said.

Wallace, running for the Conservatives for the fourth time in a row, said the hub would help small and medium-sized companies develop prototypes.

“We have partners in the area like McMaster University and Siemens,” he said.

Wallace also said he’s finding experience at the top is the key issue in the campaign.

“It’s mostly about leadership and whether they think I have done a good enough job for Burlington,” Wallace said.

“It’s about whom they have the most confidence in to run the country. If you Continued on page 2

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NEWS

OCTOBER, 2015

Closer election » from page 1

On Saturday October 31st, Sir Thomas More school will be hosting its 16th annual Halloween 4 Hunger Campaign in the school cafeteria. St. Thomas More Catholic Secondary School hosts an annual campaign every Halloween in which hundreds of volunteers collect canned goods from the local community to donate to the Neighbour 2 Neighbour Center.

Neighbour 2 Neighbour Center aids and supports over 6000 residents in Hamilton, almost half of those being children. The goal to alleviate and prevent poverty in the community is a common vision shared between the volunteers at the Neighbour 2 Neighbour Center, the student volunteers at St. Thomas More, and the community. Halloween 4 Hunger is the 2nd largest one-day food drive in Canada This year the students will be canvassing to over 23, 000 homes on the West and Central Hamilton Mountain. If they surpass this year’s goal of 80, 000 pounds, they will have collected over 600, 000 pounds since our first campaign 16 years ago! Pictured, last year’s collection.

Sarcoa jurisdiction » from page 1

officers and police came to be under the impression, subsequently refuted, that they lacked authority to enforce the noise bylaws; but nobody appeared to recall the source, although. one person familiar with events did say that there had been extensive discussions during this period with the Hamilton Waterfront Trust.

Bill Young, director of Municipal Law Enforcement told the Bay Observer, “we don’t take instruction from the Hamilton Waterfront Trust”, pointing out that even in the period where conflicting views on the enforceability issue existed, that a charge had been filed against Sarcoa. All of this was occurring at a time when angry residents from Hamilton and Burlington stormed a Committee of adjustment hearing to protest an application from

Sarcoa for exemption from the noise bylaw.

The question of the enforceability of the noise bylaw takes on significance now as Sarcoa threatens legal action against the Waterfront Trust for allegedly signing the owners, Sam Destro and Marco Faiazza, to a lease that expressly contained language acknowledging they would be allowed to play music on the patio.

The operators maintain that it was on the strength of that understanding that they poured $4 million in leasehold improvements into the former Discovery Centre, transforming it into an upscale nightclub. Sam Destro told the Bay Observer that the intent to have patio music was made clear to the Waterfront trust from the beginning, in meetings that at times involved both staff and board members, and that their plans were

applauded. “At no time during our negotiations was any noise issue ever raised with us,” said Destro.

The music has ceased since late July this year and the owners report a sharp drop in revenue a result.

Before the renovations were made, the Waterfront Trust, as landlord, submitted a development application to the city for approval. The plan made no mention of the combination patio bar and stage that was ultimately placed on the patio, but instead referred to it as a “building …in the middle of the patio serving as a bar area.”

City planning staff told the Bay Observer that had the structure been identified in the planning application as a stage for music, or had the lease talking about live music been circulated to city legal and planning staff that red flags would likely have been raised.

An excerpt from an application filed by the Hamilton Waterfront Trust for the Sarcoa patio renovations describing the bar-stage area as simply a “bar area.”

compare the three leaders, I think Stephen Harper stands head and shoulders above the others.”

NDP candidate David Laird, however, says nobody he has talked to expects that another Harper government would actually follow through with the promise.

“It’s an indication the Conservatives are not polling well in Burlington – an ad hoc, on-the-fly announcement,” he said.

Laird said the current fight by retired employees of Stelco to maintain their pensions also is a major issue locally.

The company, which is owned by U.S. Steel, could go into bankruptcy.

“Our policy is to give pensioners first access in case of that,” he said.

If voters don’t know Laird by now, they never will. He is running federally for the sixth time.

Liberal candidate Ka-

rina Gould outlined her party’s plans to preserve the manufacturing sector "After a decade of watching manufacturing jobs disappear under Stephen Harper no voter is going to believe that he suddenly cares about the sector,” she said. “Over the next 10 years a Liberal government will invest $60 billion in the kind of productivity enhancing infrastructure that all sectors, including manufacturing, need to compete in the 21st century.

“Strong economies produce goods. Manufacturing is the number one investor in research and development. It provides good jobs outside urban areas as well as in urban centres. We will help manufacturers to modernize and to reach new markets. We will help small and medium-sized enterprises in emerging markets and help them gain a foothold in Europe.

We need to be prepared

for the Canada–European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement."

Gould believes the Burlington community deserves a strong voice in Ottawa, not Ottawa's voice in Burlington and says she is committed to bringing the issues that matter most to Burlingtonians to the table.

Green Party candidate Vince Fiorito founded the Friends of Sheldon Creek Watershed volunteer stewardship community organization, which is a City of Burlington recognized delegation. He has worked to restore natural habitat in the Sheldon Creek Watershed.

There are only 325 new homes in the riding than were there in the last federal election of 2011.

In the last election there were 93,000 eligible voters in Burlington. Chief Returning Officer Patricia Barr said there likely will be about 95,000 this time.

NEWS

OCTOBER, 2015

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SPOONS GO BACK TO SCHOOL

tables and throwing eggs at the wall in the school cafeteria,” Deppe recalled.

Horne remembers ducking to avoid being hit with an egg.

“We got caught in the middle of it because we were putting on the show,” she said. “It was right at the time of the cross between punk and new wave. Punk came out of socialism in Great Britain and was associated with rebellion. When they couldn’t decide what our show was supposed

Monday morning.

Baker, some felt unfairly, arranged to have the band banned from playing at any other school in southern Ontario.

The band got its name when Wickens tossed a spoon at Horne and splashed her with soup, during a rehearsal.

Derrick Ross replaced Shepherd in 1979. Shortly after that Rob Preuss, who was only 15 at the time, took over for Wickens.

The Spoons rehearsed at

The Sound Shop on Plains Road, where Deppe had a part-time job and bought his first guitar.

“We didn’t even send out any demo tapes,” Depp said. “We did our first album with Daniel Lanois in Hamilton. All along we’ve been very lucky to be aligned with very important people.”

The Spoons went from playing in front of 500 people to a crowd of 60,000 at The Police Picnic at the CNE grandstand in 1982.

The Police was an English rock band, which won six Grammy awards.

They also appeared on television on the very first episode of Much Music They would help define the sound of pop and new wave in the 80s with hits including ‘Nova Heart’, ‘Romantic Traffic’, ‘Old Emotions’ and ‘Tell No Lies’. Their album ‘Arias & Symphonies’ would go on to be named one of the 20 most influential albums of the 80s by ‘The Chart’ magazine and their song ‘Nova Heart’ was included in Bob Mersereau's book ‘The Top 100 Canadian Singles.’

In the summer of 1983, the band attracted 5,000 fans to a concert at Canada’s

Festival Seeking Committee Volunteers

Music Festival has provided a platform for emerging local artists to perform as well as bringing higher profile acts to Burlington.

The Festival is currently recruiting for year

round planning committees such as Fundraising, Sponsorship and Security as well as seeking members to form a new Grande Festival Parade/ Field Show Advisory

to be, they just took things into their own hands.”

Police did not have to be called, however, and discipline came in the form of reprimands in the office of Principal James Baker on

By DENIS GIBBONS THE BAY OBSERVER

Ghosts are said to haunt Ragian Castle, the medieval fortress in Wales where Burlington’s most famous rock band recorded the album Vertigo Tango in 1988.

Now The Spoons are bringing some more pleasant musical spirits out of the closet to the auditorium of the school three of them claim as their alma mater.

The band will headline a concert at Aldershot high school, Oct. 24, to raise funds for the school’s Seat Yourself Auditorium Refurbishment Campaign.

Formed in 1980, the original band included Gord Deppe (lead vocals and guitar), Sandy Horne

The Sound of Music Festival is looking for volunteers. The festival, well

(vocals and bass), Brett Wickens (keyboards, synths) and Peter Shepherd (drums). Deppe, Horne and Wickens were students at Aldershot.

“It made so much sense to come back,” Deppe said.

“Aldershot was a very artsy school with a great music program. The school was very important to us in many ways.”

Deppe had been a saxophonist in the Aldershot school band, Horne played the trumpet and Ross the drums. Preuss had been a member of the band at Nelson high school.

The Spoons first and only show at Aldershot got students so excited it almost caused a riot.

“They were smashing

into its 4th decade has a volunteer base of of more than100 year-round com-

mittee members and an additional 800-plus onsite volunteers. The Sound of

Wonderland, more than twice the number the British group The Hollies had drawn. The Hollies were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.

The Spoons also played at the official opening of the World University Games in Edmonton.

Gord Deppe’s autobiography ‘SpoonFed’, released through Manor House Publishing, is available through Chapters and Indigo stores and quickly became a best seller in its genre on Amazon.

Lots of use has worn out the auditorium at Aldershot, which was built in 1961, and it is in dire need of new seating, lighting and sound upgrades The Burlington band’s concert will contribute to a $120,000 campaign to help refurbish seating, modernize lighting and sound systems and build a new stage at the auditorium.

The Spoons’ lineup for the Oct. 24 concert will include Deppe, Horne, keyboard player Casey MQ and drummer Chris McNeill.

Tickets at $35 each can be purchased online at ald. hdsb.ca. Receipts are available through the Halton Learning Foundation Committee and a new Programming Advisory Committee. For more information visit soundofmusic.ca/volunteers or email volunteers@soundofmusic.ca

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NEWS

OCTOBER, 2015

Art Gallery of Hamilton scores coup by loaning Lawren Harris painting to Steve Martin show For years it has been clear that Steve Martin is much more than a wild and crazy comedian. Since his days on Saturday Night Live he has branched out as an actor, novelist, semiprofessional magician and Grammy-winning banjo player.

He is also an art collector, who is a great admirer of Canada’s Group of Seven member Lawren Harris; so much so that Martin is now working with an American curator and Andrew Hunter of the Art Gallery of Ontario to stage a traveling Lawren Harris show. And the Art Gallery of Hamilton will play a role by loaning Harris’ Icehouse Coldwell, Lake Superior to the travelling exhibit.. Martin visited a number of Canadian Galleries last year, seeking Lawren Harris paintings, including

Lawren Harris' Icehouse Coldwell, Lake Superior part of the AGH Collection.

AGH. Steve Denyes, manager of communications, says it was a low key visit and that Martin “couldn’t have been more pleasant to deal with.” The show opens later this month in Los Angeles before moving on to Boston and Toronto. “(Harris) is Canada’s greatest artist and nobody in America with a few exceptions knows who he is,” Martin told the New York Times. Martin tried to get the show into the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York but was unsuccessful. It will be on display at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Lawren Harris was born into the Massey-Harris fortune and was one of the founders of the Group of Seven. No fewer than 10 of his works are in the Art Gallery of Hamilton permanent collection.

NEWS

OCTOBER, 2015

AROUND THE TOWN Photos Courtesy of Cyndi Ingle Photography Haunted Cruise with Haunted Hamilton: A soldout crowd gathers to hear ghost stories, legends and superstitions on the Hamilton Harbour Queen Cruise Ship on September 26th.

Adam Mikitzel, solo violinist, serenades the crowd.

"Spooky" Stephanie Lechniak, of Haunted Hamilton shares stories of ghost ships and more!

Crowd line up to get on board the Hamilton Harbour Queen for a night of ghostly fun.

The What is Beauty Photo Exhibit and Gala, presented by the Hamilton Fashion Syndicate, took place on Wednesday, September 9th at Baltimore House. Featuring the work of over 20 local photographers, the show is on until October 7th.

Supercrawl Fashion Zone models Melissa Marchese and Ashley Stennett.

Hamilton Fashion Syndicate members and Supercrawl Fashion Zone organizers (from left to right): Vivieen Masney, VM Administrative Services; Patricia Lynn Bebee, Blackbird Studios; Kerry Wade, Blackbird Studios; and Yolanda Pierces, Vespidame.

They face new challenges every day. The sex ed. and health curriculum can help. The first updates since 1998 will help parents and teachers give kids the skills they need to stay safe. Find out what kids will learn grade by grade at ontario.ca/hpe.

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Paid for by the Government of Ontario

Attending the gala were Jane Tokarz, Maureen Corcoran, and Ron Ferguson.

5

BBAY C OMMENT AYCCOMMENT OMMENT BAY 6

OCTOBER, 2015

Published Monthly by The Bay Observer, HAMILTON, ONTARIO

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JOHN BEST: Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

OPINION

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EDITORIAL

Getting a handle on policing costs While the government of Ontario seems powerless to mess with the public sector arbitration system that is the chief cause of spiraling police costs—mainly around salaries-- the UK has taken decisive steps to control costs. The Cameron Government has reckoned that since crime is down significantly in the UK the cost of policing should go down as well. In Ontario we apparently operate on the upside-down logic that lower crime means we have to spend even more to keep it that way. Police forces in the UK have been told to expect budget cuts…yes cuts… of 25 to 40 percent between now and 2020. The UK police force body count stood at 144,000 in 2010 when cuts began. That number is now down to 125,000 and could drop to 100,000 before it’s over. As in Canada only a small percentage of police interactions with the public involves actual crime—in the case of Britain less than 30 percent. The cuts in Britain have not gone without some humorous imagery leaked to the media to create public resistance to cuts. The media are filled with horror stories. They claim cutbacks have resulted in a chronic shortage of police cruisers resulting in some officers having to jump on buses to investigate crimes. In one case at least, police actually pursued a suspect via double decker.

Police have tried to come up with innovative ways of dealing with the austerity.

One force said they would save money by not fully investigating burglaries in even-numbered homes. Instead homeowners might be asked to email details of their burglaries to police. A lot of this is deemed to be doomsday posturing. Still the British government is not backing down. The minister in charge of police told a gathering of police unions, “we have reformed your pay and pensions, reduced police spending, and yes, there are fewer officers overall, but…crime is down more than a quarter.” The UK situation may eventually be forced by economic necessity on jurisdictions like Ontario unless the province starts to get serious about tackling spiraling policing costs.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Remembering Bill Powell Jr.

The ethical mess in Sudbury Sudbury Liberal fundraiser Gerry Lougheed has now been formally charged by the OPP with bribery for attempting to induce prospective Liberal candidate Andrew Olivier to withdraw from the 2014 provincial nomination race for the riding. In a meeting that was taped by Olivier, a quadriplegic who could not take notes, there is little doubt that Lougheed openly offered Olivier a variety of jobs and appointments in return for his withdrawal—a clear violation of the Criminal Code and punishable by up to seven years in prison. But the Liberals go too far when they claim that Pat Sorbara, Wynne’s Chief of staff who also tried to persuade Olivier to withdraw has been exonerated by virtue of not being charged. In her conversation with Olivier Sorbara said, “We should have the broader discussion about what is it that you’d be most interested in doing, and then decide what shape that could take, that would fulfill that is what I’m getting at, whether it’s a full time or a part time job in a (constituent) office, whether it is appointments, supports, or commissions, whether it is also going on the (Liberal party executive)…we would just need to better understand what is it that you most want to do.” Clearly Sorbara was also offering Olivier a job. The only reason she wasn’t charged was because in the time between Lougheed’s meeting with Olivier and Sorbara’s, Premier Kathleen Wynne had phoned Olivier and advised him that she preferred a different candidate. It is argued that Sorbara’s job offers couldn’t be seen as a bribe because the Premier had already made up her mind about thwarting Olivier’s candidacy. Legally there may be a distinction between Lougheed’s actions and Sorbara’s but ethically it is hard to see much difference. Both were holding out the power of the premier to reward in order to achieve a desired outcome. Furthermore, Lougheed opened his remarks with Olivier saying he was coming to him on behalf of the premier, and that he had just been in conversation with the premier and Sorbara. The premier has denied authorizing Lougheed’s actions, but now that he has apparently been made the scapegoat in the affair, Lougheed has little to lose. Could we be seeing an Ontario version of the Mike Duffy trial?

The court date for Lougheed has been set for November 18th.

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JOHN BEST By any standard a review of the life and career of Bill Powell Jr., who died last month reveals a man driven to make his mark on Hamilton’s cultural scene. Until his retirement in 2000, Bill Powell was a one –man arts dervish.

At one point in the 1990s, Powell was simultaneously running the two large summer arts events, another arts festival in Waterloo region, an indoor winter Festival of Friends, Buskersfest and a travelling festival that toured the southern United States and Mexico. In the 1960’s the son of former Mayor Bill Powell Sr. left behind a teaching career and the possibility of the priesthood to strike out on a career in the shaky business of running coffeehouses and art galleries. He and his wife Lynne, purchased property on Augusta Street establishing the Ebony Knight coffeehouse—a venture that did not survive.

More successful was the Knight II coffeehouse that introduced Hamiltonians to the likes of Joni Mitchell, Murray McLauchlan, Bruce Cockburn, Brent Titcomb and other Canadian folkies. One aspiring musician was current CHCH weatherman Matt Hayes who offered a fond recollection.

“I was in a band called Southern Wood. We played at the Knight 2 Coffee House on Augusta which was a successor to the original Ebony Knight club. In some ways that is where I developed my personality—I had to talk

Editorial Contributors: Editorial Editorial Editorial Contributors: Contributors: Contributors: Alex Reynolds, Roy Green,

Alex Reynolds, Roy Green, Alex AlexBen Reynolds, Reynolds, Roy Green, Green, Guyatt,Roy David Carll Ben BenGuyatt, Guyatt,David DavidCarll Carll

between songs while my bandmates were tuning their guitars. Bill was so encouraging, so nurturing and even many years later when I would run into Bill he would talk about our band.

I thought that it was neat that he remembered our name. He booked us as opening acts for Canadian legends like Stan Rogers and David Essig. He may have been the first person to record Jackie Washington—he certainly did a lot to promote Jackie’s career. When I see events like Supercrawl, I think they owe their beginnings to the Festival of Friends.”

As the coffeehouse fad started to abate in the 1970’s Bill and Lynne embarked on what would become a quarter-century chapter in their lives—the creation of the Festival of Friends.

After forming a not-for-profit corporation and scrounging some grant money from the City of Hamilton, the first Festival of Friends made its debut in Gage Park in 1976. The headliners in that show reflected the Powell philosophy of showcasing Canadian talent— John Allan Cameron, Shirley Eikhard and Ray Materick. The event was an immediate success, attracting 100,000 visitors. Subsequent years would see crowds that would double and triple the initial turnout. The roster of talent that performed in subsequent Festivals was a who’s who of Canadian and Hamilton musicians—in addition to McLauchlan, Cockburn and Titcomb, performers like Valdy, newcomer Tom Wilson, Sneezy Waters, Long John Baldry (then living in Dundas), Stan Rogers; and local talent like Rita Chiarelli, Mark McNeil and Jim Witter.

In its 12th year the Festival began to Continued on page 7

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OPINION

OCTOBER, 2015

Think…then vote ROY GREEN If you begin each February hoping to successfully bid for a scalper’s ACC tickets to a Blue Jays World Series game in October, or, if each early summer you plot your place on the route for the Tiger Cats Grey Cup parade, or even (and this historically at least is a much greater long shot) each September you begin dropping loonies into a jar in order to have the coin on hand to purchase a Leafs Stanley Cup final ticket, that’s OK. If you’re excited to watch the next ones to occupy NHL rosters, but now wearing Bulldogs livery, you’re a fan and you display your loyalty each time you slip on your replica game jersey.

If, however, you’re approaching October 19 with sufficient political party ardour that you’re considering submitting to body art, stop!

No biceps, forearms or other skin should display an alphabet commitment to any crew trolling for space in the Chateau by the Rideau.

There is far too much at stake to unquestioningly deliver lawn sign, never mind torso space to the Conservatives, Liberals, New Democrats or Greens.

Voting is serious business and the robo calling, door knocking and general urgency displayed by political parties as they sniff for your support underscores this fact.

It’s fine to support a philosophical view of how a society should develop,

but we should never assume a political party which includes that philosophy in its branding meets our personal definition of conservative, liberal, or more liberal.

Assess not just the promises, but whether those promises deserve your support. Investigate. Question. Determine. Then vote. And even if you surprise yourself with your eventual selection, you will have completed personal due diligence.

Let’s by all means bray ourselves silly roaring “Go Leafs Go,” chanting “Oskee Wee Wee,” joining thousands of Raptors faithful beseeching “Deeee-Fence,” barking our approval of a certain crew of Bulldogs and backing the Jays with all the roaring necessary to assist in bringing the World Series trophy north for a third time.

However, on October 19, none of us can afford to be fans. None of us. If your instincts are to cast your lot with a political team to which you’ve always and unquestioningly delivered your vote think about it first. I’ll write it again, examine that political team’s stated objectives and the viability of promises rolled out. If objectives fail match yours, or the viability of campaign promises fails to withstand your scrutiny, vote accordingly.

Political parties have a great deal to answer to. Whether it’s the crews of Stephen Harper, Tom Mulcair, Justin Trudeau or Elisabeth May, they are applying for a job. A well-paying and exceedingly well-pensioned gig. They will have the responsibility to steward Canada’s direction perhaps only temporarily, but certainly with impact.

Let’s make them earn our votes and then we can get back to being fans.

TONGUE IN CHEEK

‘Robo-Cat-Calls’ BEN GUYATT Well my good reader, have you heard about a company that has promised talking robots by the end of this year that will fulfill all of your sexual desires?

Letter from the editor » from page 6

attract serious corporate sponsorship and the roster of performers was expanded to include the Nylons, Dan Hill, Jeff Healey and Burton Cummings. Few who were there will forget Cumming’s solo performance in 1996 in front of over 50,000 rapt fans. It was a two-hour show with two encores.

In 1989 the Powells developed an ambitious second summer festival, Earthsong. It was intended to showcase international talent and culture.

It started in Dundurn Park, but was forced to move to Princess Point after some members of Hamilton City Council objected to holding festivals on a historic site. Earthsong soon ran into controversy at Princess Point as Westdale residents complained about noise and traffic.

Despite the success of the festivals, the public acclaim, the hordes of out-of-town visitors they attracted and the spin-off economic benefits that accrued to Hamilton; financing the festivals was a never-ending grind.

Almost from the beginning Bill Powell had found himself continuously at odds with Hamilton City Council over grants, which started out at $40,000 but were repeatedly trimmed back.

could not these devices be considered an amputated robot?

However, these perfunctory paramours are probably better than the dolls that presently exist. Granted smokers and those without bicycle pumps may have a difficult time bringing their date to life not to mention if things get wild he or she may puncture and fly right out the window or go for a spin on the ceiling fan.

What if you are single? Is a robot going to be as passionate as a human being? The only upside I can see to having a robot in the boudoir is that after the lovin’ you can simply turn over and hit the off switch to avoid the inevitable questions about your feelings. What if during the throes of ecstasy you spill your wine? One electrical short could send you to heaven in record time and the robot to the junkyard. Fifty Shades of Grey would turn into `Fifty Shades of Singed Everything Grey’.

Can you imagine taking your robot to dinner? Aside from the obvious stares of the other patrons, how would it work?

“I’ll just have the small Greek salad,” she said. “And for you, sir?” asked the waiter with a curious eyebrow. “Oh he’ll just have some juice from the electrical outlet. Is there one near or do we need an extension cord?” she answered for her date.

It seems to me the fairer sex has the advantage regarding robots. Let us face the cold… um… hard facts, gentlemen.

Your mechanical doppelganger is good to go at any moment without the help of a little blue pill or a can of Fix-A-Flat.

Imagine our collective horror, sirs if `Mr. All-Night-Long’ truly can perform all night long and is available in schematics that put us to shame.

I suppose women could be jealous of the female robot too. Considering the billions spent worldwide by the ladies on plastic surgery the last thing they want as competition is a life-size Barbie.

To quote the British playwright and poet, William Congreve, `Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman scorned.’ This leads

me to the terrifying fact that eventually these robots will assume emotions and if they do, what is the point of having those battery-operated, polyurethane lovers in the first place? Isn’t that what humans are for? Perhaps even more frightening is the thought that one of these motorized lovers could turn on you and pound you into a pool of protoplasm.

I believe the type of person that would purchase one of these robots is the same kind of person who texts people who are sitting in the same room. We as a society have become very socially inept and communication-impaired so that we have lost the human in being. Isn’t it ironic that we are now turning to levers, pulleys, circuit boards, foam and plastics to feel like we are human again?

The propagation of our species may be adversely affected with the advent of these walking, talking, winking, flirting and lascivious Lolitas. At present the family unit is under constant stress as it is. Add a life-like artifice to replace mom or dad and the once fun family gathering to play a game of Scrabble will begin a losing streak that will last a millennium. Forget chess, checkers and any other game for it will actually turn into a `bored game’. As for video games how do you win against an opponent who has the same internal components as the game itself? Speaking of which, what if your robot takes a shine to one of your household appliances? You think your hydro bills are bad now. Wait until you have little toasters running around, popping up and down, here, there and everywhere.

Nothing can replace the touch, passion and mystery of the human being as far as I’m concerned. I would rather my human experience involve all the good, the bad and the ugly… but then again as I age I might get too hideous for the lasses. What was the name of that company again?

Ben Guyatt is a stand-up comedian and a published author. Visit his website at www.ben guyatt.com and follow him on Facebook. He also hosts The Ben Guyatt Show every Sunday at 9 pm on AM 900 CHML.

Science fiction fantasy has taken on a whole new meaning but this does pose some ethical questions and creates several dilemmas.

If one is married or in a relationship and uses one of these robots would that be considered cheating? If it is then there are a plethora of both men and women who have already demonstrated infidelity by the use of specific, standard gadgets currently available. In a way

Almost annually the media would carry stories of threats by the city to cut grants countered by Powell’s threats to kill the festivals. Finally in 1999 Earthsong folded. And year later, after staging the 25th annual Festival of Friends, Bill Powell announced he was retiring to devote his time to his passion for painting. Bill Powell’s health began to deteriorate about five years ago, but in recent months he had improved somewhat. His death, the result of an infection, was unexpected.

Bill Powell was by his own admission a hustler, of a very specific sort—an arts impresario—a renaissance man. His intensity sometimes rubbed people the wrong way, and he collected his share of detractors. In his heyday, investigative journalists took a couple of runs at him looking for any evidence of malfeasance, but came up short. In his field of nurturing indigenous music and art, Bill Powell’s impact on the Hamilton creative scene in the heady years of the 1980’s and 1990’s, was arguably equal to that of his more mainstream counterparts, Boris Brott, Daniel Lipton, Peter Mandia and Tom Burrows. It was a cultural golden era in Hamilton and Bill Powell was rightfully in the middle of it.

Maya, Grade 8.

Current HSC theatre luminary, future star on the world stage.

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Bay Observer - October 2015.indd 1

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BURLINGTON

OCTOBER, 2015

Coppley... A Canadian Brand name since 1883 For Fall 2015, Coppley is redefining what style and substance are all about.

Building on the greys and indigo blues so in demand by our clients, greyed browns, purple, bottle green, rust and mustard are becoming more prominent, reflecting the rich tones of the season. Carefully selected from only the finest Italian mills, the fabrics for Fall 2015 feature worsted or Photo Matinique

very light brushed finishes for jackets, pants and suits . This confers a sense of subdued sophistication that delights the eye and enlivens the imagination.

Coppley styling has been updated to include trimmer silhouettes in jackets and pants. Lapel widths on jackets are wider and well balanced. All aspects of the Coppley garment add an elegant and sophisticated

Alex Cuba @ The Burlington Performing Arts Centre When: Oct 17, 2015 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm Where: 440 Locust Street Phone: 905-681-6000 Website: www.burlingtonpac.ca Regular Price: $45 + $2.50 Fee and HST (You Pay $53.68) Series Price: $40.50 + $2.50 Fee and HST (You Pay $48.60)

look to your wardrobe.

From October 1st through to October 11th, at Scrivener’s Men’s Apparel during their Coppley Custom Event , one can ‘Design your own look’ ….

Choose your style, select fancy linings, contrast buttonhole threads, and other enhancements that provide uniqueness to your look. .... and from October 1st -October 11th, save 20%.

Three-time Latin Grammy Award winner and two-time Juno Award

JEANS MATTER, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! JOELLE GODDARD-COOLING Gentleman, trust me for a minute. Getting the proper fit and a good quality denim into your wardrobe puts you totally on the right path to an updated look. I was at the airport recently waiting for a flight and doing a little people watching.

This is where it became more evident than ever that the slimmer cut jean, no matter what size the guy, completed the business casual look.

Several men had the most beautiful sports coats, impeccable shoes and accessories and way too baggy jeans, taking the look from polished to just a bit sloppy. Now you are

thinking that you just want to be comfortable on your flight, in the car, at your desk, when working or traveling in your denim.

The thing is, with all the new technology in stretch denim fabrics, you can have it all!

Larger guys truly look trimmer in a slimmer cut jean –look around and see this for yourself.

When wearing denim to the workplace, which is becoming more and more acceptable, I suggest you keep your washes clean and dark, especially when you are wearing a dress shirt, or a sport coat. When traveling for business, consider wearing the jacket from the suit you are packing as your

blazer with your jeans on the plane. Maximize your wardrobe with versatile pieces that take your from the plane to your meetings to dinner to a casual event.

Denim really works here!

Ladies – are you a bit tempted by the return of the bootcut and the flare? Fantastic! I love the silhouette on so many people and believe that it will be a cut that is back on the shelves again at a lot of retail locations. Will it replace the skinny or straight cuts? Absolutely not. Why? We live in Canada, that is why!

Nothing is easier in the winter than tucking that jean leg into a boot and heading out the door both put together and ready for the elements. Rock the flares and bootcuts now and in the Photo Fidelity Denim

winner Alex Cuba brings his smoky Spanish vocals and incredible guitar-work across genres and cultures through his magnetic pop/ soul hooks. His talent as a songwriter has lead him to co-write with major label artists artist such as Nelly Furtado and Jason Mraz.

Alex was born and raised in Cuba where he studied guitar with his music teacher father and played bass in a pop singer’s band, before moving to Canada and launching a career performing his own Latin soul works. spring/summer when the ground is dry and stick to your skinnies when you are treading through snow and slush.

One more thing to remember when you are purchasing a flare is that you truly have to commit to a length. Heels or flats?

A slimmer leg can be rolled up to accommodate either but there is just no rolling up a bootcut or flare. If you love the silhouette so much, as some people do, get two pairs in to your rotation, one hemmed to flats and one to heels. Please always bring your shoes with you to get the perfect length when getting them shortened.

There you have it folks, jeans matter!!

Joelle GoddardCooling and her husband Jeff Cooling are the owners of Joelle’s and Jeff ’s Guyshop and are partners with Lou Frasca and Dan Bishop at Scrivener’s Men’s Apparel.

All three businesses are located on Brant Street in Downtown Burlington.

BURLINGTON

OCTOBER, 2015

Fairhome – Inspiration for You and Your Home Fairhome has been a mainstay on Brant Street in Burlington downtown for eleven years. Recognizable by the large red awning on its’ second story window, this home décor and gift store has built a reputation for excellent customer service, a warm and welcoming shopping experience and a selection of merchandise that is unique and affordable.

Since moving from Oakville in 2004, Fairhome has grown from a fabric store into the current interior decor and specialty gift shop, offering everything from custom sewing and drapery, interior decorating and accessorizing services to furniture, linens, cards and jewelry.

Owner, Janet Sachade, opened a furniture showroom in 2013 on the upper level showcasing a wide selection of slipcovered and upholstered furniture, lamps, original and print artwork, Mennonite made and painted furniture, as well as rugs. “The showroom is a series of inspirational vignettes that enable customers to envision how the pieces might look in their homes, to ‘sit in the

seats’ and try different options for cushions, and take their time in a relaxing atmosphere,” said Sachade.

While the business has evolved to stay ahead of the changing retail environment, Sachade has stayed true to the business’ core values of personal service, attention to detail, sourcing distinct items, and being active in the local community.

Fairhome has become a destination for sought after brands such as Emma Bridgewater tableware, that comes from the U.K., and popular lines like Four Seasons Furniture, Brighton jewelry, Dash & Albert rugs, and FIESTA® Dinnerware to name a few. Customers come from as far as Niagara, Mississauga, Oakville, and everywhere in between for these staples.

Complementing these core lines are gifts and décor items that are beautifully merchandised in the store.

Displays are often purchased “as is”. For Halloween, a favourite occasion of the Fairhome staff, the store comes alive with witches and goblins that you won’t find at the big box stores.

A Tradition of Quality and Excellence

At Christmas, the exquisite storefront windows draw in customers to a winter wonderland of beautifully themed displays. Fairhome is a 4-time winner of the Burlington Downtown Business Association’s Christmas Window Display competition.

“To stand out as an independent business you have to be able to offer your customers something beyond the mass produced product.

We offer our customers an experience at Fairhome,” says Sachade. “This is evident in the personal phone calls clients receive about new product, seasonal workshops and the carefully thought out displays throughout the store”.

“I think our customers appreciate that we are part of our local community; they can connect to me and my staff, and feel a sense of belonging to something bigger than just Fairhome.”

Fairhome is located at 468 Brant Street, downtown Burlington. For store hours and detailed information about custom sewing and interior decorating services, visit www.fairhome.ca

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HEALTH

OCTOBER, 2015

THAT’S NOT MUSIC IN THOSE EARS DR. DAVID CARLL TINNITUS is best described as phantom ear noise. Descriptive terms are as ubiquitous as the number of people with this affliction which most of us will experience either occasionally or progressively in our lives making it a universal problem.

Some describe a roar, others a hum, buzz, hiss, water flowing, ringing, even clicks. The problem may come on gradually, suddenly, be intermittent affecting one ear or both. In many cases there is accompanying hearing loss. There was a time when tinnitus was blamed on “old age” and/ or industrial sound expo-

sure. It is absolutely true an older population is more predisposed to the affliction but the age spectrum has certainly expanded.

Industry, guided by government safety regulations has cleaned house when it comes to hearing protection; but offsetting workplace noise improvements, there are now thousands of headsets bombarding younger ears with proven harmful high decibel readings. High speed motorsports with whining engines and recreational snow, land and water vehicles are all current contributors to hearing loss. Its rare that one would see a small child wearing protective ear baffles at a sports facility but the “roar of the crowd” from a hundred thousand enthusiastic fans is provably harmful. Hopefully, the near future will see this protection in common usage as demonstration of responsible parenting.

The important first step in diagnosing the problem is an attempt to determine a specific cause. In a young child this may involve a medical exam to determine the presence of a simple source such as ear wax compacting against the drum(s) preventing normal sound transmission. The same applies to allergies or infection causing middle ear fluid retention or Eustachian tube obstruction.

Smokers are notoriously likely to have Eustachian obstructions from chronic inflammation. For reasons not fully understood, people with low thyroid and/or diabetes are more frequently predisposed to tinnitus.

The demographic where I want to focus primarily is seniors who can be divided in to two groupings, those with a benign age related problem and those with a more serious underlying internal pathology. A visit

to the family physician may quickly solve the problem if it’s ear wax. A review of current medications is equally important. Aspirin can be a culprit as can some antibiotics, diuretics and cancer medications. Sometimes a clicking may indicate joint problems with the jaw. A clue here may be the appearance of the problem at night in association with teeth grinding. However, if the tinnitus is of sudden onset especially if accompanied by hearing loss and/or dizziness, immediate medical attention

is imperative to forego a possible impending stroke.

Pulsating hearing canal noises need to be assessed in relation to atherosclerosis changes in neck and head blood vessels and/ or elevated blood pressure.

Alcohol consumption needs to be looked at because alcohol dilates blood vessels and affects blood pressure. Rarely, a benign type of ear tumor called an acoustic neuroma can be at fault. I’ve previously written about vertigo and Meniere’s disease and won’t revisit those.

A Healthy Gut MARIA MUSITANO In this quest to fight ageing, Maintaining a healthy gastrointestinal tract is unbelievably important to your overall health. Not only does your gastrointestinal (GI) tract break down your food into essential elements (vitamins, minerals and amino acids), it also activates or deactivates the digestion process. Your GI is the defense against intrusive invaders like viruses and bacteria that are responsible for ‘leaky gut”.

Seventy percent of your protective immune systems cells and antibodies live in your GI tract.

Practically every known illness or symptom can be linked to an unhealthy GI. Some examples are gastric discomfort, headaches, skin conditions, joint and muscle pain, autoimmune disorders, chronic inflammation, allergies, asthma, menstrual pain and irregularities, osteoporosis and depression.

Trillions of bacteria (flora) live inside your GI tract and under normal healthy conditions these flora assist in digestion and processing the foods you eat every day.

The gut provides a safe shelter for the friendly bacteria; however the sanctity of their home is constantly being challenged by pathogens (bad bacteria) that create a war for space. Bad bacteria can overtake the good flora if you if you eat too many poor quality foods that are filled with sugar and low in fiber, take continual acid reducing drugs, antibiotics or a lack of exercise in your routine.

Besides supporting the ecosystem of the good bacteria; your GI tract also has a brain of its own. The magnitude and complexity of the abdominal and intestinal nervous system is immense – it contains as many neurons as the spinal cord. This is where the term “gut instinct” comes from.

This nutritional support begins with what you’re eating. Your balanced meals should contain mainly local or organic vegetables, lean proteins, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats.

Remember to eat slowly, be mindful and chew your food.

Supplements are a must such as multivitamins, amino acids as well as Omega 3 fatty acids to balance your immune and inflammatory response system.

If you are using Proton Pumps Inhibitors (PPI’s) or other stomach acid suppressors you should take a pharmaceutical grade

Reassuringly, for most it is a nuisance condition probably best managed with sound countermeasures while avoiding loud sound sources in future.

There is no medication specific for this problem though some individuals with high levels of anxiety, even depression may need these issues managed. Since most people describe the annoyance factor as most prevalent at bedtime, often a soothing background melody is adequate. My personal preference is seaside waves. probiotic. By taking these drugs you are decreasing the acid and enzymes in your stomach that are needed to destroy the bacteria and viruses you ingest.

Long-term, continuous suppression of stomach acid may have important adverse consequences to your health.

L-glutamine, an amino acid can be an amazing aid in healing stomach ulcers, stopping diarrhea, repairing “leaky gut” and helping the body repair its cartilage, tendons, and ligaments.

L-glutamine’s properties make it the primary energy fuel for the small intestine and therefore increase the immune function of the stomach. Pharmaceutical grade is needed to work effectively.

There are other specific amino acids used relieve gastric discomforts such as occasional heartburn and indigestion, upset stomach, mild nausea, bloating, belching, and burping.

Contact me for more information.

Naturally supporting your gut and helping it to function optimally rather than taking drugs to suppress symptoms that disrupt normal GI function is one of the best ways to overcome digestive disorders.

Plan ahead, heal yourself and protect your long term health. You will be amazed at how much better you will feel if you focus on your GI tract.

Maria Musitano, B.Sc.Pharm, Compounding Pharmacist Concession Medical Pharmacy info@concessionmedical.ca

NEWS

OCTOBER, 2015

Bill Powell: in his own words Editor’s note: Bill Powell

was invited by his Pearl Company buddy Gary Santucci to pen some retrospective articles for the Pearl Review about the 1960’s coffeehouse scene in Hamilton, of which Bill was a key player. Following is a edited version of Bill Powell’s personal recollections.

The Hamilton scene My indoctrination to the arts began as I morphed into a beatnik. Jack Kerouac and all that, beard, black attire including beret, my poetry and bongos kind of clashed with my career as a student minister at Ryerson United but somehow it fit.

My sermons were really timely and interesting.

There were over twenty coffeehouses in Hamilton in the 60’s. To name a few – Ebony Knight, Black Swan, Blue Bat, and the Bohemian Embassy. Musicians and cool hippies could crash, practice their skills, or pitch in as a volunteer and help the scene evolve. This gave every club its own flavor and kept the movement

alive. McMaster, Mohawk, several cool churches and the “Y” opened coffeehouses too.

The main focus was around the Black Swan and the Left Bank Gallery on Hughson. Harry Finlay was a seer who brought Stratford’s Black Swan to town with it’s entourage of Perth County Conspiracy, Cedric Smith, Doug McCarthur, Dave Essig, Richard Keelan and Bob Birchill.

They brought music and storytelling to a new light.

The instruments changed from bongos to guitars, twelve strings and dobros, mandolins, banjos, dulcimers, zithers, piano, and even ukuleles.

A very vibrant underground sprung up fed by college and university students waiting for their twenty-first birthday so they could start drinking.

That was the law!

The Beckett Gallery on James Street South was featuring artists like Greg Curnoe, Miriam Simpson, Tibor Nylasi and Johnny Boyle? And a lot of Toronto

or London artists – very few locals. Many other galleries opened to cover locals. In the hey- day there were twenty-eight in the Greater Hamilton area.

Oh damn, I’m running out of space and I wanted to mention Karen Kain and Frank Augustine, King Biscuit Boy, the Downstairs Club, the Grange, Johnny Papalia coffee house takeover, Bad Manors, Joni Mitchell and who peed on Chris Kristoferson’s boots.

The Ebony Knight The Ebony Knight had a performance centre on the main floor for jazz and intimate folk music, and a big chess and reading room as well as the kitchen complete with a cantankerous espresso machine.

Downstairs, the mammoth basement was stripped to the boulders and recreated as a cave with stalactites and way cool lighting.

At the top of the stairs to the second floor was the only bathroom (unisex).

One at a time please. The four bedrooms became

residence workshops and the 6 foot x 9 foot closet was Murray McLauchlan’s room. Six foot, seven inch Michelangelo (his only name) set up a leather shop in his room. He made the coolest custom sandals.

Auggie Corvino created a fab art studio for work and classes in another bedroom. Bill Hatanaka and Lorne set up their room for

medieval armaments with foils, swords, cutlasses, and full Kendo outfitting including armor. They held duels on the front lawn to the shock of Main Street motorists.

Up on the third floor was the master’s bedroom (mine) and crash space for performers and anyone else in a jam. At any time, twelve to twenty “artists” lived within the space and it became a 24/7 operation.

At this point, I would like to thank Bob Petrie, Doug Welland, and Dave Ross for

11

helping me to get it going.

To operate beehive such as this, you had to become a “membership” club. Our chess club sold over 1500 memberships. Some of our members were very well known such as Red Le Barr, Johnny Papalia, and Art Tattaglia. On the other side of the room were members of city council and a few off-duty clergy. Unfortunately, council got served last because the other guys give $20 tips.

Continued on page 14

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TRAVEL

OCTOBER, 2015

Following in the footsteps of the Churchills

No trip to Britain can be complete without a visit to the magnificent Blenheim Palace, the ancestral home of the Marlborough dynasty which started with John Churchill, first Duke of Marlborough. The building of the palace was originally intended to be a reward to John Churchill, from a grateful nation for the duke's military triumphs against the French and Bavarians during the War of the Spanish Succession, culminating in the 1704 Battle of Blenheim.

The future British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was born at Blenheim, although his branch of the

family were poor cousins of the palace’s owners.

There is a permanent exhibit chronicling Churchill’s life and achievements.

The main attractions, however are the opulent staterooms, furnished and decorated in a style that favoured grandeur over comfort. The artwork is breathtaking.

Visiting Blenheim is a fairly easy day trip from London. Trains leave Paddington Station for Oxford many times during the day and the trip takes about an hour. The Oxford bus station is adjacent to the rail depot and local buses can be taken from there

to the gates of Blenheim Palace in the village of Woodstock, about 10 miles from Oxford. It is a very long walk from the gates to the palace, so if you have mobility issues you may want to consider taking a taxi, a more expensive option at £25. Both guided and self-guided tours are available. In addition to the splendour of the palace interior, the grounds and gardens are an attraction in themselves. There are minibus tours of the grounds available. The palace also has a public dining room that serves a very good lunch at affordable (for Britain) prices.

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TRAVEL

OCTOBER, 2015

Cruising – A Time To Renew and Rejuvenate Your first day at sea dawns with a dazzling realization – your time is your own to do exactly as you please.

Which of course is exactly how a vacation should be.

On a cruise ship whether you feel like socializing, exercising or finding a solitary spot by the pool to read a good book, Princess can deliver.

Each Day you will have practically endless possibilities that will fill you time creating memories.

Ship board activities from dawn to dusk keep you engaged and entertained.

Enrichment programs offered on board help bring the regions you visit to life with information on ar-

chitectural and art history, and destination photography. A variety of spa offerings help you relax or the fitness buffs can work out in the fitness center. Just follow your mood – wherever it takes you.

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER Evening is a special time on the Ship. Dinner is done, but the night has just begun. And the excitement builds as you and your fellow passengers consider the bounty of choices. The Piazza is buzzing with singers, dancers and street performers.

Bars and lounges are

a great place to enjoy everything from cool jazz to dancing cheek to cheek with your partner. And let’s not forget the signature Movies Under the Stars, the outdoor big screen theatre featuring film classics, new releases, and sporting events. Go ahead capture that feeling – it is exactly why you are here.

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NEWS

OCTOBER, 2015

KATHY RENWALD Later this month I’ll be at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park test-driving cars that are eligible to win Canadian Car of the Year Awards.

Automotive journalists test-drive cars back to back in the same categories.

One of the categories I will judge this year is Family Car, the entries are Chevrolet Volt, Chevrolet Malibu, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and the Volkswagen Golf Sportwagon.

Journalists will have to park all the terrible news about VW when they test the Golf. We will test drive with the burden that the company making cars that many of us like, admitted to cheating US emission tests on a colossal scale. On at least 11 million cars, VW admitted to putting in “defeat devices” on the diesel Golf, Jetta and Passat and Audi A3. The device, which is a software code, makes it so the diesels pass emission requirements during official testing, but when the cars are back on the road the device turns off and the cars emit pollution up to 40 percent higher than the legal limit.

One week after the news broke, VW CEO Martin Winterkorn resigned,

and now everyday a new damming story emerges about the scandal. VW is the biggest carmaker in the world, they also own Porsche, Lamborghini, Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Skoda and Ducati motorcycles.

We know how they cheated but the question is why?

Experts speculate that with the pollution controls not operating at the standards set by regulators, the diesel cars have more power and get better mileage. It seems unthinkable that VW would risk everything for those gains. Their stock value dropped 30 percent in the days after the story broke, they face billions of dollars in fines, lawsuits, criminal charges and a massive recall to fix the cars produced from 2009 to 2015.

I bought my first VW, a Beetle in 1971, than a Scirocco in 1977, a Jetta in 2001 and a Golf this year, all with gas engines. Yes I’m in the cult, I’m a believer, I have the badges, buttons and hats. I like them because they are fun to drive and built like a tank.

You can really tell how solid they are in the sort of back-to-back comparison driving done at car of the year testing. I really like the Kia’s and Hyundai’s for instance, but when you hop in a VW after testing those cars there is a difference.

The way they steer and handle, the way the door sounds when it closes, it feels authentic and like their is a long tradition of building cars for people

who like to drive.

VW has been pushing their “clean diesel” to a skeptical North American public for years. I have too.

I liked their diesel cars and tried to tell people they didn’t stink and pollute like old diesels. Now we all seem like dupes.

Some of my fellow auto writers at the Toronto Star think the VW scandal will blow over. I’m not so sure.

The leaks are starting to come now, engineers at VW who tried to blow the whistle on the scam in 2011 were disregarded, electronics manufacturer Bosch warned VW in 2007 not to use the testing mode software they made for VW for anything other than internal purposes.

It’s going to get uglier for VW employees, dealers, for people who bought their diesels. The damage to the environment is already done, but continues while a fix is found for those millions of cars.

On top of all this, it’s auto show season. The time when executives tout their new cars. They seem always to be faster, lighter and more fuel-efficient than last year’s models. I don’t know what story VW will be telling because the script is changing rapidly.

But the jovial, backslapping, king of the universe aura we usually see at auto shows will be missing from the VW caravan as they face thousands of believers that have been turned into skeptics.

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Bill Powell » from page 11

In the evening as the club filled and it got late, whole new crew of waitresses would arrive as they had just finished their “duties” at the Town Manor (you figure it out!)

You may think it got rowdy, but not so. Everyone appreciated the moment and were very polite – almost church like.

It wasn’t all music at the Ebony Knight. There were some really good performing poets and workshops.

John Bryden and his buddy mounted Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” in the cave downstairs. Very scary and at the climax, John sealed his buddy in the wall. OMG! He may still be there!

You may think that pot was king and it may have been, but not around the club. The Mounties never found anything when they visited unannounced. We had a rule and Ace Clark enforced it. No pot or smoking of same in the club or you were tossed out. Consequently, people coming to the club would make a detour to stash their stash in the hedge or other flotsam and jetsam outside. Any dealers that got in were invited out the back for a “discussion”, after which they never came back. Another problem was

runaway mature-looking teens, especially girls. Once they were outed, we called their parents. Not all clubs were as strict, but most tried to be.

Imagine sitting in your living room and listening to Neil Young, Gordon Lightfoot, and Murray McLauchlan. And they didn’t just sing songs, they told stories of their life experiences and jokes, really funny and almost true jokes. You could hear every note and every word because the audience did not talk. If a member of the audience interrupted the performance, the waitress would come up and shush them. If they continued, they were asked to leave and the audience applauded.

The Ebony Knight had a bouncer, a hefty biker in leathers named Ace Clark.

We didn’t need him for our crowd, but he filtered out the drunks trying to follow the attractive femmes who were members. After all, we were across the road from the Town Manor and the Elmar. Ace was intimidating, but after the coffeehouse, he became a minister to the less fortunate. So much for the “evil” people labeled the Beatniks and Hippies.

Bring back coffeehouses back There is a strong case for coffeehouses to start up again. In the 60’s it was

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the drinking age law of 21 that gave coffeehouses an audience. Today, tech science and computers have created a vacuum for intellectual pursuits on an informal, human level. Texting is fine, but the spoken word is better.

The need for coffeehouses grows, but City Hall has effectively stamped them out. You would have to spend thousands just to serve a sandwich. Washrooms are another problem. Tens of thousands are needed to bring you up to compliance. Back in the 60’s we did not worry and nobody complained. We just forged ahead in the kitchen and in the loo.

Where are they now?

Many of the performers kept the faith and played on.

Murray McLauchlan, Amos Garrett, Fred Purser and hundreds more that will be mad I don’t mention them, like Cedric Smith. Many of the others got real jobs. Steve Hayes, an incredible pianist is now a doctor in the United States. Joni Mitchell is now a visual artist after a long musical career. The Hamilton gold mine was discovered by many well known artists from Toronto and beyond.

International performers on cross Canada tours would connect and play to fill in blanks on in tour schedules.

It was always busy, always great.

NEWS

OCTOBER, 2015

15

Aggressive middleman threatens to bankrupt sewer backflow program A program that was established in 2007 to protect Hamilton homes from sewer backups could be $1.5 million in the red by the end of this year. The reason according to a city staff report is an aggressive campaign by a private company that is acting as a middleman between homeowners and local plumbing firms.

City staff say the company approaches homeowners using door to door and telemarketing techniques to talk them into signing up for the City’s sewer backflow protection program and thus qualify for an up to $2,000 rebate from the city. The Residential Protective Plumbing Subsidy Program, as it is called, was established after disastrous flooding resulted in extensive basement flooding in the city’s east end a few years ago. Under the plan homeowners could have the backflow valves installed and qualify for a subsidy from the city of up to $2,000.

Concerned that there was a lack of real competition among local plumbing firms installing the valves, the city instituted a policy requiring homeowners to obtain 3 quotes before work would proceed.

Instead of lowering costs, the staff report says, “What has been observed is that instead of prices coming down, some contractors are partnering up to provide the quotes and dividing the work up amongst themselves utilizing the full grant amount. Instead of 3 independent contractors visiting the home and providing solutions, a single

contractor or representative may visit the home and provide the additional two quotes from contractors who have not visited the property.

Shane McCauley of Hamilton Public Works told the Bay Observer that there is essentially one firm that is acting as a broker, supplying homeowners with the quotes and parcelling

out the work—charging a commission to the local plumbers. “In some cases it results in backflow valves being installed where they are not the correct solution,” he said. Because it is necessary to break the basement floor to install the valve and the fact that the valve has to be exposed for maintenance, some homeowners are

experiencing groundwater leakage in their basements where there had been no problem before.

The other problem is that the aggressive marketing tactics are creating unusual demand resulting in installations that may not be needed. Presumably homes that had been the most susceptible to flooding in past had already taken

advantage of the program before the aggressive brokering had begun. Since the middleman got into the act last spring, the number of subsidy applications has soared, after the program had operated within budget for years. Essentially the city has exhausted the $2.5 Million it had allocated to the program for this year, and projects a $1.5 Million shortfall by the end of the year. Since its inception the program has assisted 7,400 property owners and spent over $17 Million.

The staff report says the company may be misrepresenting itself at the door, “While the information that they are providing is technically accurate, a number of residents have got the impression that this organization is representing the City. Staff from Hamilton Water met with the president of the company in May 2015 to discuss our concerns about the way the company represented themselves and their messaging.”

Councillor Lloyd Ferguson suspects it’s a case of good old fashioned price fixing and he wants legal staff to see what can be done about it.

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ST JACOBS SPARKLES

OCTOBER, 2015

St. Jacobs Sparkles

Thursday November 12 to Sunday November 15, 2015

Experience the spirit of the holiday shopping season at St. Jacobs Sparkles! With thousands of twinkling lights and lots of old fashioned charm, the Village of St. Jacobs really does sparkle! Retailers have been as busy as Santa’s elves planning in-store sales, draw prizes, festive food sampling, and extended shopping hours to ensure Sparkles visitors have a jolly good time.

Ride a horse-drawn trolley along the main street.

Pause to listen as Victorian carolers sing familiar festive songs. While you are here, look forward to eating very well at restaurants in the Village core and indulge yourself in a few take-home treats like fresh baked Christmas cookies, traditional Christmas cakes, puddings and more from the Stone Crock Bakery. Shop, play, eat and then enjoy a blissful night’s sleep as you

dream of sugarplums. Stay over at DH Food & Lodging, a delightfully refurbished 1852 country inn located in the heart of the Village or book a Sparkles getaway at one of the fantastic hotel properties nearby in the Market District (a short walk to St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market open Thursday and Saturday all year).

Visit www.stjacobs.com to plan your St. Jacobs Sparkles spree or call 1-800-265-3353 for more information.

ST JACOBS SPARKLES

OCTOBER, 2015

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Discover St.Jacobs

A Unique Shopping Experience

Handmade Pottery & Weaving

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CITY OF HAMILTON SEEKING INPUT ON WEST HARBOUR GO STATION PUBLIC ART COMPETITION

Diversity by William Frymire

It’s About Time by Vesna Jocic

INFINITY: Steel City’s Transit Landmark by Solidoperations

Bead Maze by Laura Marotta

The Passenger by Brandon Vickerd

Transition by TH&B Collective

6 area artists have been shortlisted to provide public art at the new West Harbour GO station. Now the public will get a chance to offer their opinions on the work. This public art project was initiated by and is partly funded by Metrolinx.

A jury of volunteer citizens, stakeholders and artists reviewed 34 artist submissions for a new permanent public art work to be installed in the plaza of the GO Station, The jury short-listed six artist proposals for public consultation. Before the winning

proposal is selected, the City of Hamilton is seeking public feedback.

Members of the public can learn more about the goal and themes for the project, review the artists’ proposals, select their preferred proposal and provide comments via

the City website at www. hamilton.ca/publicart by October 9, 2015 (please select the West Harbour GO Station link).

Proposals may be reviewed and comments can be provided in person at: Tourism Hamilton Information Centre, 28

James St. N. (The Lister Building), during regular hours, until October 9, 2015.

Comments collected will be provided to the citizen jury to be considered among other criteria such as artistic excellence, response to context, and

technical issues in their determination of the winning proposal. These comments and a Jury Report will also be posted to the project webpage.

The winning artist will receive $75,000 for the fabrication of their work and delivery to the site.

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OCTOBER, 2015

IS THERE A WAY I CAN SAVE ON HOME INSURANCE PREMIUMS? Our home is our castle... it gives us shelter, provides heat, and it protects our family and our valuables. In return, we protect our home with insurance, but home insurance can be pricey. As insurance premiums rise, and in some cases, replacement coverage is reduced, we are left to wonder if there is anything we can do to combat the costs involved to protect our home.

Is there a way to lower your home insurance premiums? Yes, and a qualified heating and cooling contractor may be able to help.

Did you know that products such as smart thermostats, tankless water heaters and leak detection devices can lower insurance premiums?

How about converting your oil furnace to natural gas,

or converting that old wood fireplace to natural gas? Fuel conversions can also save on home insurance premiums.

As an added bonus, many of the solutions listed above can also help you save on energy costs.

-Smart thermostats give you the ultimate control over your heating and cooling system by allowing you to control temperatures via WiFi. It is possible to monitor your system from work or even on your phone with a smart thermostat.

-Tankless water heaters are not only more fuel efficient than a holding tank system, they eliminate the costs associated with “standby loss”. Standby loss occurs when a conventional, holding tank hot water heater warms the water

inside the tank without hot water being called for.

Tankless water heaters do not have a holding tank and only heat the water on demand; this feature can reduce fuel consumption.

The cost of oil heating can be 2-3 times more expensive than that of natural gas. The cost to convert to natural gas can be much less than expected, depending on your homes current set-up.

There are options to help reduce Home Insurance premiums and energy costs. If you would like to know more about any of the cost saving products mentioned above, please contact us. Langton ClimateCare has been serving the Greater Hamilton Area for over twenty years.

We are not only a premier heating and cooling contractor in Hamilton, we are also your neighbours.

Langton ClimateCare 979 Main St. East, Hamilton 905.312.9644

Visit us at the Ancaster Fall Home Show October 16 - 18 Offering Superior Customer Service and Competitive Pricing

We Care Maintenance & Protection Plans

Tel 905 312 9644 langtonclimatecare.com

Get ready to welcome winter Is it just me or did summer disappear in the blink of an eye? Wow, that was fast! The nights are getting colder and the days are noticeably shorter. Before we know it the first dusting of snow will be here and winter will be upon us.

As we head into colder weather, we tend to batten down the hatches and crank up the heat.

It’s a good idea to have an HVAC professional come by to shut down the air conditioner and check the furnace to make sure everything’s in working order. You’ll want to change all of your air filters and clean any dust and debris out of your ducts.

Chances are your windows will be closed for the next six or seven months, which means indoor air quality will suffer unless you have an HRV and secondary air filters in your system. If you have a humidifier built into your system, you’ll want to clean and test it — you want about 40 per cent humidity in your home in the winter to reduce condensation on windows and other cold surfaces — and to keep you healthy! If you don’t already have one, installing a programmable thermostat will help reduce your heating costs.

If you have a fireplace (specifically a wood-burning fireplace), inspect the damper and ensure you

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4104 Fairview St. Burlington 905.639.0500 www.opalbaths.com

Bryan Baeumler have a good seal to stop heat loss when it’s not in use. Also have a professional check and clean the chimney if necessary to avoid excess creosote build-up — a dangerous fire hazard. Installing carbon monoxide detectors near fireplaces is also a good idea and provides peace of mind.

Spring and fall are perfect times to poke your head into the attic.

Make sure the soffits aren’t covered and you have good airflow into the attic to avoid ice dams. Ice dams occur when warm moist air rising from your home causes ice and snow on the roof to melt, where it runs down and refreezes above the unheated areas (soffits) of the roof. The end result is water backing up under your shingles causing damage to the shingles and roof framing. Proper airflow through your attic will keep the house warm, the roof cold, and the shingles in good shape.

Do a fall cleaning! Shampoo your carpets and give your home the once over — including vacuuming the heating elements on electric baseboard heaters if you have them. Indoor air quality is the worst in winter so a good scrub will help you breathe easy.

It’s a good time to do a little landscaping. Trim trees and bushes away from the house, as well as any larger limbs that could potentially break under heavy snow and cause expensive damage. Ensure that the grading will direct excess water away from

your foundation — it’s an important step now that will prepare you for the spring thaw and avoid costly foundation or basement damage. After all the leaves are down, be sure to clean out your eaves troughs and downspouts Fall is also a great time to start planning your renovation projects for next year to avoid the spring rush. A great place to do that is at the various Home Shows held in cities across Canada. I highly suggest you head down to one in your area and check it out.

They’re a great resource on the latest and greatest products and services. Hey, you never know, you may even run into yours truly!

That’s a quick list just to get you started. For help getting your home ready for winter, check out baeumlerapproved.com for members in your area.

I’m off to dig out the fall fleece collection!

Bryan Baeumler has filmed over 300 television episodes including his hit series Leave it to Bryan, Disaster DIY, Canada's Handyman Challenge, and House of Bryan, the highest rated series on the HGTV network.

Based out of Ontario, Bryan successfully owns and operates Baeumler Quality Construction, a full service construction and renovation firm, Baeumler Approved, an association of pre-screened quality contractors, trades and services for homeowners, and founded the Baeumler Family Foundation, a charitable organization that provides renovations to families in need of safety, accessibility and security. For more information visit bryanbaeumler. com.

OCTOBER, 2015

19

Simple ways to make your bathroom reno more eco-friendly If you're planning a bathroom renovation in your home this autumn, there are plenty of ways that you can make your project more environmentally friendly.

The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) offers these tips for making your renovation a little "greener":

• Choose low-flow faucets and showerheads. It's estimated that a low-flow showerhead uses 45 litres of water during a five minutes shower whereas a normal showerhead uses as much as 135 litres! With bathrooms accounting for 75 percent of household water usage, it's in your best inter-

FALL GARDENING Though spring and summer are now over, your garden is still very much alive and needs some care to ensure it can handle the harsh winter and save you some work come spring again. Here are some tips to help you maintain your garden: 1. Don't forget to water!

You may think because the weather is cooler, your plants and lawn don't need watering, but that is not the case. Watering will help you keep the beauty of your yard longer and will minimize winter damage to your garden. According to homedepot.ca the roots of

plants are still active in the autumn and they will absorb and store any water they get in order to replace water that gets lost during the winter.

Even when flowers and leaves start to fall off, keep watering trees and shrubs.

This will help keep moisture in the ground and keep roots warmer for a longer period of time, helping plants survive the winter. Water lightly until the first freeze.

2. Insulate your shrubs Have shrubs or trees in your garden? Insulate them with mulch at their base.

This will limit frost penetration and help prevent sudden changes in soil

your family and easily adapt to necessary changes as you get older (i.e. grab bars, non-slip surfaces, lower light fixures, etc.)

• Choose low-energy lighting and exhaust fans, install more energy-efficient, Energy Star windows, insulate the hot and cold water pipes and improve the insulation

est to invest in water-conserving fixtures.

• When purchasing lumber, choose only 'certified' wood products (the FSC is an international certification and labeling system dedicated to promoting responsible forest management of the world's forests.) An even greener option is to use

recycled cabinetry whenever possible. Check Kijiji, have your contractor ask around or visit your local Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

• Choose materials, products and finishes that are low-emission, low-polluting, easy to clean and maintain.

• Create a bathroom design that will grow with

temperature from deep freezing, which will help protect the root system of tender plants.

3. Don't cut perennials too early After the beautiful September we had, it's pretty safe to say that Canadian weather is unpredictable.

Which is why cutting back your perennials too early may actually be detrimental to it. Allow the perennial to be dormant first until the weather is more stable and cooler (late October and November) then begin pruning. Also, trim any damaged or dead branches on trees and shrubs before the first snowfall.

4. Shelter delicate trees and shrubs If we have a winter like last year, we know it will be biting cold and can be especially hard on tender trees and shrubs. To minimize damage caused by frost and snow, homedepot.ca recommends wrapping your trees and shrubs in burlap and securing them with twine. (RMM)

THINK RESALE VALUE FIRST BEFORE MAKING DRASTIC CHANGES TO A HOME OFFICE Home-based business spaces can range from a little office nook in the kitchen to converting an entire garage or basement. Depending on the type of business a homeowner has invested in, working from home has its benefits. But will your home business have an adverse affect come resale?

Countless people are working from home nowadays, so it is not surprising to find many a house with a bedroom delegated as an office. In fact, people often look for a home with a larger number of bedrooms than needed for that very purpose. However, when planning to work from home consider the type of space you require and the impact it will have on potential buyers down the road.

If your business can be run from one simple bedroom conversion, ensure that you stage it as such upon selling - or change it

back to a bedroom if there is not a sufficient amount of bedrooms as per your marketplace requirements.

Should you run a daycare, your basement would presumably require a makeover upon selling. And if renovating a garage for your business, keep in mind you have drastically limited your market for resale. Bottom line is extra square footage that can be used as a workplace is a profitable improvement.

Never lose a room which will usually devalue your house.

Cost is a major factor when creating a home business space. Always keep in mind the future resale. Will you be able to recoup this buyer-specific investment?

This could include custom lighting, built-in cabinets, special paneling, granite counters and high-tech gadgets such as flat-screen TVs and an entertainment system. If designing such an opulent office, it would

in the walls and ceiling.

By taking the time to investigate eco-friendly renovations, you will not only save on your household energy costs, but do your part to reduce your carbon footprint.

For more tips for homeowners, visit www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca. (RMM) be smart to plan it in such a manner that the space could be utilized in other ways…such as a media room or family entertainment centre. When going over the top, be prepared to not regain full value.

Many home businesses require clients to come to their office. Often this requires a separate entrance and washroom facilities. This could be a real plus for potential homebuyers who wish to rent or have an in-law suite!

Think for the future and always plan ahead. There are a zillion things to think of when starting a business from home, but remember it is just that - your home and your investment. (RMM)

20

NEWS

OCTOBER, 2015

Steven Page of The Barenaked Ladies will perform in unique Beatles Project

“MOTOWN THE MUSICAL” ALEX REYNOLDS Broadway blockbusters “Mamma Mia,” and “Jersey Boys,” tread on traditional “moon-June-spoon” musicals which ruled Broadway’s Golden Age. “Motown the Musical,” a theatre-light jukebox tuner continued the doo-wop beat on the Great White Way. Currently on stage in Toronto, this contemporary pop (though now nostalgic) show is adapted from Berry Gordy’s 1994 autobiography “To Be Loved: The Music, the Magic, the Memories of Motown” (he also wrote the book for the musical). It tracks Gordy's founding and running of the Detroit-based Motown record label, highlighting his personal and professional relationships with top line artists Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Kaye and Michael Jackson, among others.

They propelled the label

to r & b, and rock ‘n roll prominence. The musical premiered on Broadway in April 2013, receiving four Tony Award nominations.

Like any good jukebox musical, the hits (over fifty) just keep on coming with catchy classics, tasty harmonies and cool grooves (a description heard again with the revived interest in vinyl recordings).

A re-creation of the 1983 televised quarter century anniversary Motown reunion bookends the musical chronicle. Gordy doesn’t attend the event; downbeat memories of too many singers he made famous leaving him, various lawsuits and bad blood are emotionally troubling.

Flashbacks whisk the audience back to Gordy’s childhood, and the landmark boxing match between his idol Joe Louis and Max Schmeling (he had ambitions of a pugilistic career). Then, skipping forward to the 1950s, Gordy borrows money from his family to get into the record business. He’s already written and sold a couple of songs to Jackie Wilson, but only by owning publishing rights and producing

records can real money be made.

Time-hopping through the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, various acts burst into stardom amid tragic milestone moments of turbulence.

The hit parade reels on seemingly forever in a dramatically slapdash but musically vibrant trip back to the glory days of Detroit, where the vinyl pouring out of an unassuming two-story house took the world by storm, all but paving the city’s streets with gold records.

The indelible styles of the original singers/groups are skillfully recreated by a spirited cast of gifted singers mimicking this crowded collection of pop-chart classlcs. Gordy’s recollections of the era and the artists he discovered form the foundation for a musical that is, if nothing else, a memory jolt for baby boomers. While the narrative is subservient to the songs, fans will relish a joyous trip to past tuneful memories. For yours truly, though the songs were not to my taste, I took enjoyment in the show’s theatContinued on page 22

Led by internationally renowned concert pianist Andrew Burashko, Toronto’s Art of Time Ensemble has, for over 15 years, redefined the classical music experience by fusing high art and popular culture. The ensemble will be accompanied by vocalists Andy Maize, Craig Northey, Glen Phillips, and Steven Page (of The Barenaked Ladies) in the re-imagining of The Beatles’ groundbreaking album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band at The Burlington Performing Arts Centre on November 4 at 8:00pm.

Singer-songwriter Steven Page’s is a founding mem-

ber of The Barenaked Ladies with whom he toured the globe and sold millions of albums.

“I’ve been crazy about The Beatles’ music ever since I was a kid. When we first launched this project three years ago, the aim was to experiment with Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band while staying absolutely true to album’s genius – an enticing challenge, given how dearly fans of The Beatles hold the original music” says Artistic Director Andrew Burashko.

“In a process that’s become characteristic of Art of Time, I delegated each of

the tracks on Sgt. Pepper to an arranger whose sensibilities felt in tune with the song. We’ve embroidered upon the music, pushing the boundaries of the songs without altering the brilliant melodies and harmonies that lie at their core.”

The Art of Time Ensemble – Beatles Project will be seen at The Burlington Performing Arts Centre on Wednesday, November 4 at 8:00pm, tickets can be purchased online at www.burlingtonpac.ca, by phone (905) 681-6000, or in person at the Box Office located at 440 Locust Street in Burlington.

NEWS

OCTOBER, 2015

21

Eric Cunningham remembered Former Hamilton MPP Eric Cunningham who died this past New Year’s Day will be remembered with the installation of a commemorative bench in Algonquin Park, where Eric spent many summers as a boy visiting the cottage of his uncle, the Hon. Justice Gibson Gray. Eric’s wife Heather Hunter told The Bay Observer, she continues to seek justice on his behalf in the courts in Hamilton, in his decade long legal ordeal to obtain compensation for his costs in defending himself against false allegations that he had concealed assets from his former spouse.

The team at Bay Gardens showed their support for the Diabetes Association's No Sugar Tonight 5K Run Fundraiser.

REDUCE STRESS – NEGOTIATE WITH FACTS

You made the tough decision to sell your home. The TV ads make it all seem easy.

The House is now on the market; you have cleaned; you have decluttered; juggled schedules; had a stream of strangers view your home….and then you get that magic phone call from your Listing Sales Representative…. “We have just received an offer on your property!” You make arrangements to meet to review the paperwork. Your mind and heart are racing.

What now???

First and foremost is understanding all the nuances of the Agree-

ment of Purchase and Sale. Your Sales Representative will sit down and go through all the details of the offer…. Agency, Terms, Conditions, Price, etc. A lot of information and sometimes overwhelming at first glance. Always be comfortable asking questions. You may also want to contact your lawyer for additional advice.

Remember that with every offer, you have three potential choices: a) If the terms and conditions match your expectation, you can accept the offer; b) If you do not like anything about the offer, you can reject it completely; c) If there are some terms and conditions you are not comfortable with, you can change these items and “counter” the offer. Countering the offer simply means that you change the terms or conditions of the Agreement of Purchase and Sale

to your satisfaction.

These changes require your initials and the Agreement must then be signed and sent back to the Buyer for their consideration.

NEVER feel pressured to make an instant decision. Yes, there is often a time frame in which to respond which needs to be considered, but that time frame can also be changed and returned to the Buyer for their consideration. Try to reduce your emotional stress in responding to the Offer by using well documented facts such as current market information and statistical data to assist your negotiating position and comfort level. This is YOUR financial future…. not a TV show. Knowledge is power and our office is here to support you with our experience and real estate knowledge. List your home with us and we will help you to the best of our ability.

22

BUSINESS

OCTOBER, 2015

Business Directory Cyndi Ingle Photography BOUDOIR & BEYOND

HHSF STRIDES EVENT A WINNER

cyndiinglephotography.com

More than 600 runners, walkers and volunteers made this year’s Strides for The General, an overwhelming success for the Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation; raising more than $120,000. This year’s event featured four Patient Ambassadors: Riley Dunda from Grimsby, Stroke Patient; Samantha Pickering from Milton, Trauma Patient; Rick Bryce from Dundas; Cardiac Patient; and Dave Knox from Brantford, Trauma Patient. The Ambassadors shared their stories of survival and thanked the hospital staff for saving their lives.

“Motown Musical” » from page 20 ricality.

“Motown the Musical” is rock ‘n rolling at Toronto’s Princess of Wales Theatre through November 1st.

Meanwhile, down the street at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, “Kinky Boots” continues to kick up its heels. Due to popular demand the Canadian premiere production of the Broadway hit has once again been extended through December 20.

Theatre producer David Mirvish says, "We haven't seen audiences respond to a musical like this for more

than a decade. Each night audiences are up on their feet, dancing in the aisles and cheering on the cast!"

“THE BIG SLEEP” Hamilton's Theatre Aquarius raises the curtain on a new season with an intelligent stage adaptation of Raymond Chandler’s first novel published in 1939. The 1946 film noir starred Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.

Dan Chameroy plays the central character Philip Marlowe, the wise-cracking private eye, a tough charismatic detective who doesn’t like guns, gets to

the point with Donald Trump swagger, and is smoothly sophisticated with the ladies.

Marlowe is hired to investigate the perpetrator of events leading to a most convoluted set of murders, double-crosses, seedy pornography, missing persons and seduction.

The complex plot twists and turns like a corkscrew rollercoaster ride with eight actors playing multiple characters. The doubling up and split second costumes changes are easily accomplished by the likeable cast.

The set decoration, utilizing moveable props as well as the lighting design and projected images, creatively enhance the action making all narrative elements easily accessible to the audience. Ron Ulrich’s fluid direction keeps the action moving at a brisk place.

“The Big Sleep” is an old style whodunnit which never threatens and is enlivened by the gum shoe’s wise cracking dialogue.

The Theatre Aquarius production is on stage at the Dofasco Centre for the Arts through October 10th.

To advertise your business here... call 522.6000 THE BAY OBSERVER

BUSINESS

OCTOBER, 2015

23

Beware of false economy in advertising JAMIE WEST I'm always amazed when struggling business owners meet with me and report they've significantly cut their marketing budgets for the upcoming year to "save money". Often the largest portion of their marketing budget is earmarked for advertising, a largely intangible form of message delivery designed to raise the brand profile of a business while in some cases promoting a big sale or event.

The fact is that you cannot "save money" by cutting out advertising . That principle applies for almost

any business you can think of. I don't know of many businesses today that don't have competitors. As long as you have even one competitor, you need to advertise and especially when sales are soft or the economy is putting the pinch on the business. In fact, advertising during tough economic times is often the best time to place a campaign and here's why... it's a near certainty that many of your competitors will stop advertising or cut back. That makes it a great time for you to gain brand presence in the market without their competing messages on the airwaves, in print or online. Secondly, you can almost always buy more advertising for the same money during tougher economic times because the media companies have more airtime and advertising inventory to sell.

Remember, a lot of advertisers chicken out during downturns. You should take that opportunity to "double down" freshen up your creative and march forward into market with a value proposition designed

to increase leads. Notice I said leads not sales.

Another common mistake business owners make in their thinking is equating advertising leads to sales.

Advertising alone does not increase sales. Advertising

should increase leads but it's people who close deals.

I've worked with many businesses both large and small that need a lot of help on the sales side and I will tell them right up front if they can't handle the leads properly then the money they invest in driving those leads into the business will all go up in smoke without good sales people to close deals. Do not make the mistake of thinking your advertising campaigns alone should make you money. They should get you noticed and help raise your brand profile but you need to do the selling.

Make sure that what you're communicating to market matches the actual experience a client or potential client receives from the moment they email you or call otherwise why are you even bothering to advertise? Lastly, be smarter

about buying advertising.

Do not focus on rate. Focus on target audience. Don't focus on whether you read that particular paper or listen to that particular radio station. If your target market does then chances are you should be advertising there. Consult with an ad agency. Most will offer you an initial consultation at no charge and will give you an overview of what you're doing right and likely doing wrong. Whatever you do, keep advertising. Success takes strategy, sustained investment and patience.

If you stop, your competitors will fly past you. If you think you shouldn't advertise because "they don't" then you're leaving lots of money in the market that could be in your cash register. No business I know ever "saved money" by cutting ad budgets. They just didn't make as much.

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OCTOBER, 2015

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