Following the 40 day Occupy Toronto protest, officials with the City of Toronto announced that damage to the grass at St. James Park was a staggering $60,000.00.

While donations from Torontonians have been pouring in, RTF Water Saver Canada wanted to also play its part in a big way and offer its new eco-friendly seed so that area returns to its green and healthier look it once had.

RTF Water Saver Canada, distributors of RTF Water Saver Grass Seed out of Mississauga, received confirmation from the Parks Department with the City of Toronto that they will be involved in seeding St. James Park.

Ryan Streatch, National Agent and Spokesperson for RTF Water Saver, states: “We are very pleased to play a role in helping restore St. James Park as we know its value and importance for Torontonians.”

Streatch adds, “While this is a costly project, this is not about the money, it’s simply about giving back. Our company and the City of Toronto know that RTF Water Saver Grass Seed will help revitalize the park on many levels. In all, our generosity is a win-win for the city and the taxpayers.”

RTF Water Saver Grass Seed it is an exhilarating new solution in Canada that assists in making that green and healthful lawn. Healthful due to its quick germination and thick dense root system ensuing from RTF (Rhizomatous Tall-Fescue) patented technology; the only tall-fescue that self-repairs and fills in thinning turf grass and bare spots. In addition, RTF Water Saver Seed offers characteristics that can really help as a great foundation for our pesticide-free surroundings, in water conservation and reducing water bills. It’s a water sipper, rugged for heavy foot traffic, soft to touch in bare feet with resilience to drought, disease and insects (i.e. grubs, chinch bug).

While city officials in Toronto estimate that the damage to restore St. James Park may end up being $60,000.00 following the 40 day ‘Occupy Protest,’ a Canadian seed company is willing to foot the entire bill of its new eco-friendly seed so that area returns to its green and healthier look it once had.

RTF Water Saver Canada, distributors of RTF Water Saver Grass Seed, are looking to begin talks with Mayor Rob Ford, Councillor Norm Kelly, chairman of the parks and environment committee, and Councillor Pam McConnell. RTF Water Saver Canada is fully committed to ensure that taxpayers aren’t left on the hook to pay for all the extensive damage caused by occupiers

Ryan Streatch, National Agent and Spokesperson for RTF Water Saver, states: “We understand the situation facing city officials in Toronto in order to restore the grass in the park.”

Streatch adds, “We know how costly this project is and this is our way of giving back to a city that has been saddled by tremendous debt as of recent. As well, we know that RTF Water Saver Grass Seed will revitalize the park on many levels. In all, our generosity is a win-win for the city and the taxpayers.”

RTF Water Saver Grass Seed it is an exhilarating new solution in Canada that assists in making that green and healthful lawn. Healthful due to its quick germination and thick dense root system ensuing from RTF (Rhizomatous Tall-Fescue) patented technology; the only tall-fescue that self-overhauls and fills in thinning turf grass and bare spots. In Addition, the seed is a green option with resilience to drought, disease and insects (i.e. grubs, chinch bug). An RTF lawn is an eco-solution for our pesticide-free surroundings, and in helps with water conservation and reducing water bills, demanding smallest water treatment.

Times are changing in a big way here in Toronto, ON, Canada.

More and more private companies are offering amazing alternatives on the accommodation front. One example worth checking out is CanadaSuites.com. This company is offering upscale living right on the corner of College and Bay Streets.

Trust me I am in the know on this one. As a journalist who travels to the city quite often, I now use them religiously for short and long term rentals. I used to stay at hotels in the downtown core but those days are long gone. With www.greathoteltoronto.com I am saving loads of money and I am getting way more value on the accommodation front than I would at any hotel in downtown Toronto.

While I am a professional and need short and long-term rentals, I know penning a story on what www.greathoteltoronto.com offers will only benefit other professionals or families alike seeking a place to call their own while stay in the heart of downtown Toronto.

Compared to the big hotels downtown you will be saving quite a bit of money if you book a private condo suite with www.greathoteltoronto.com . They offer one bedroom fully furnished units that sleep up to 4 to 5 people for $132.95. They also offer two bedroom suites that sleep up to 5 to 6 people for $198.95. They offer short and long-term rentals and are accommodating. With www.greathoteltoronto.com you just arrive, pay and the place is all yours for the length of time you want. Yes, it’s all about you. Their motto, so I was told, is quite simple: “You Pay, You Stay.” I spent years staying at hotels in the downtown core during my visits to the Big Smoke, as they city is called. However, this has all changed and I am trumpeting to all professionals and families alike who need short or long-term accommodations to book with www.greathoteltoronto.com . As well, they don’t have all those extra hidden fees like some hotels do which crop up surprisingly on your bill come check-out time.

Their suites at the corner of Bay and College Streets are upscale, classy in every sense and they are professionally decorated. The décor inside, equipped with modern kitchens, makes one feels as if they are staying at a five star hotel. That’s right www.greathoteltoronto.com gets it on so many levels when it comes to ensuring their guests are more than satisfied.

All of their condo units are all equipped modern kitchens and the best in appliances, and there are walkout balconies. As well, each suite they offer business guests two Large Plasma LCD TVs, fireplaces, in suite washer and dryer, WiFi Internet access, unlimited calling in the area, a cable TV package with plenty of choices, and two Ipod docking stations. The building itself has a pool, hot tub, exercise/training room and is also handicap accessible.

What’s even better is that their suites are not at all far from downtown and the city’s entertainment district, The Toronto Convention Centre, The University of Toronto, Ryerson University, The Sick Kids Hospital, The Waterfront, The CN Tower, The Royal Ontario Museum, as well as the Air Canada Centre, Massey Hall, The Molson Canadian Amphitheatre and The Rogers Centre. Lots of shops and restaurants fill the local neighbourhood, so you have plenty of choices for eats and drinks on your downtime.

If you are looking at short of long-term condo rentals, then check out www.greathoteltoronto.com to learn more about their exciting deals they offer.

Trust me, you will save money and live in style in downtown Toronto.

By Paul W. Fitzgerald (Travel and Hotel Blogger – www.TravelBlogToronto.com)

Toronto, ON, Canada, is now known as a popular city that hosts literally hundreds of conventions throughout the year.

It’s just amazing to see the diverse sorts of conferences being hosted in this cosmopolitan city. You name the profession or the fad and you will find a conference to match here it here in the City of Toronto.

What’s even more exciting now is that you can attend your conference of choice and live in total style. That’s right, with the growth of all sorts of new conferences means new alternatives for accommodations. Take www.ConventionInToronto.com as one example. This is a company that is renting out superb condo suites on the corner of Bay and College Streets. Their suites are better than staying in a hotel, trust me on this one. You book with them and you are right downtown, right with all the action. As well, they offer very competitive rates for conference attendees: education/higher education, medicine, dentistry, arts and culture, law, policing and security, fire services, science and technology, business and finance, immigration, and government (municipal, provincial and federal) – to name a handful.

More and more people now are going this route – booking private condo suites so they can avoid the busy hotel life that comes with the long line ups at check-in/check-out time. When you book a luxurious suite with www.ConventionInToronto.com you have a place to call your own, a home away from home while attending your convention. I tried them out while in the city covering the Toronto International Film Festival as a journalist just this past September. I am sold on their condo units and from here on in I, like lots of other convention goers that come to the city, will book with www.ConventionInToronto.com. . I felt like I was a Torontonian and had my own place for rest and relaxation. They have great deals and they are accommodating for guests on so many levels. Getting to and from the Toronto Pearson International Airport is easy as it’s only about a 30 minute drive by car/taxi. Union Station is only as stone’s throw away from where they are located.

Compared to the big hotels downtown you will be saving a bundle if you book a private condo suite with www.ConventionInToronto.com. They offer one bedroom fully furnished units that sleep up to 4 to 5 people for $132.95. They also offer two bedroom suites that sleep up to 5 to 6 people for $198.95. They offer short and long-term rentals and are accommodating. As well, there are no surprises on your bill. We all know with hotels there are extra fees for “this that and everything” you can imagine. With www.ConventionInToronto.com you just arrive, pay and the place is all yours for the length of time you want. Yes, it’s all about you. Why bother spending $250.00 to $450.00 a night for a hotel in the same neighbourhood. With CanadaSuites.com you are downtown and have all the amenities you need at your fingertips. Book with them and you will be staying at an upscale condo suite and you will be saving plenty of money. Traveling can be expensive and if you can stay in the finest place for a lower price, then go for it – that’s what I say.

Their suites at the corner of Bay and College Streets are upscale, classy in every sense as they are professionally decorated. The décor inside, coupled with fully modern kitchens, makes one feels as if they are staying in Manhattan, NY or London, UK. That’s right www.ConventionInToronto.com gets it on so many levels when it comes to ensuring their guests are more than satisfied.

All of their condo units are all equipped modern kitchens and the best in appliances, and there are walkout balconies. As well, each suite they offer business guests two Large Plasma LCD TVs, fireplaces, in suite washer and dryer, WiFi Internet access, unlimited calling in the area, a cable TV package with plenty of choices, and two Ipod docking stations. The building itself has a pool, hot tub, exercise/training room and is also handicap accessible.

What’s even better is that their suites are not at all far from downtown and the city’s entertainment district, The Toronto Convention Centre, The University of Toronto, Ryerson University, The Waterfront, The CN Tower, The Royal Ontario Museum, as well as the Air Canada Centre, Massey Hall, The Molson Canadian Amphitheatre and The Rogers Centre. Lots of shops and restaurants fill the local neighbourhood, so you have plenty of choices for eats and drinks on your downtime.

If you are planning on attending a convention or a conference, check out www.ConventionInToronto.com to learn more about their exciting deals they have for short and long term rentals. I would also highly suggest that if you are planning on organizing a convention or a conference to give them a call and take advantage of their amazing deals for your attendees. Your conference or convention will be a smash hit when booking with CanadaSuites.com.

Is there such a thing for your lawn? A new grass seed that’s arousing interest of homeowners, research professionals and personalities in every sense?

What is the stimulant that’s causing all this excitement?

Called RTF Water Saver Grass Seed, it is an exciting new solution in Canada that aids in producing that green and healthy lawn. Healthy, because of its rapid germination and thick dense root system resulting from RTF (Rhizomatous Tall-Fescue) patented technology; the only tall-fescue that self-repairs and fills in thinning turf grass and bare spots. Also, this seed is a green option with high tolerance to drought, disease and insects. An RTF lawn is an eco-solution for our pesticide-free environment and it also requires minimal water treatment.

This new seed that was launched nationally only this past spring is innovative on many levels. While only a seed, across Canada it is being hailed as a beneficial and unique option for homeowners and municipalities in protecting and preserving our environment.

“There are many who joke that RTF Water Saver grass seed is like the new aphrodisiac for the lawn care industry in Canada,” laughs Ryan Streatch, National Agent and Spokesperson for RTF Water Saver Grass Seed. He explains: “It’s true in a way though as it works and does wonders for your lawn. Research professionals and personalities agree RTF grass seed is a real sustainable solution as an eco-friendly product; an outdoor option in Green Home Building and efficient homes”

Dr. Michael Brownbridge Ph.D., Research Director, Horticultural Production Systems at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre in Ontario, is conducting an independent two year evaluation of the new seed. He states, “Pest control starts with a healthy lawn. RTF Water Saver grass seed may have some unique properties that make it resilient to drought stress and pests.” He further adds, “These are great characteristics that can really help in light of the pesticide bans in several provinces, and will make a great foundation for a sustainable lawn.”

Owen Reeves, an esteemed gardening expert on the Marilyn Denis Show, just featured RTF Water Saver grass seed as a “must have latest and greatest product for 2011.” A number of media outlets in Canada and homeowners alike now dub the new product as the “seed that could” and “cost cutting the grass cutting” as it produces amazing results for your lawn.

“We knew there would be an immediate demand for the new product as many provinces have implemented pesticide and water bans. So far the feedback from consumers has been fantastic. The growing trend of busy families and aging citizens has created a demand for high quality, low maintenance landscapes. RTF Water Saver grass seed helps achieve this ideal lawn,” adds Streatch.

Pesticide and water use bans in many parts of the country make this an ideal alternative to traditional lawns of Kentucky Blue grass mixtures. RTF Water Saver seed establishes quickly and insect pests don’t like the bitter taste of the lawn. Weeds won’t proliferate in its dense self-repairing turf. It’s also a water sipper, staying greener during droughts. These environmentally sustainable properties offer consumers improved value; it is easier and less expensive to maintain.

For government and commercial applications, it will mean lower maintenance costs because of less watering, fertilizing and repairing. Its ruggedness is perfect for areas that get a lot of foot traffic such as sport fields. It is suitable as a no-mow option for golf course roughs or highway applications.

The new innovative seed is available at select stores and distribution centers Canada-wide. For more information visit the website www.RTFwatersavercanada.com

By Paul W. Fitzgerald (Travel and Hotel Blogger – www.TravelBlogToronto.com)

We all know that Toronto, ON, Canada is a vibrant locale to do business. There are many business people who visit the city from across Canada and around the world on a daily basis – all of whom want a quiet place to rest and relax after a long hard day of meetings, presentations and traveling through the city and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

I am one of them – a business person that is who travels to the city quite frequently. I enjoy the city for its forwarding thinking approach and its endless business opportunities – it’s all addictive on many levels.

Every time I visit Toronto, a cosmopolitan city in every sense, I always discover something new; something unique.

My last visit was a real game changer on the accommodation front.

You see, for years I have been relying on hotels in the downtown core of the city that is dubbed “the big smoke” as my home away from home. However, my journey of hotel hunting has been halted altogether after I tried out condo living instead.

That’s right there are many companies out there who offer you suite rentals right in the downtown core of the city. While doing a web search and after speaking with close business associates in the know, I went through CanadaSuites.com and rented one of their nice places located on the corner of Bay and College Streets. It was my first time and it for sure will not be my last.

I was more than impressed with my decision to try them out. The places they offer are luxurious and are classy, professionally decorated. The décor exemplifies urban living – like it’s all yours for the taking. I felt like I was important, like the place was my own home. Their condo units are all equipped modern kitchens and the best in appliances, and there are walkout balconies. As well, each suite they offer business guests two Large Plasma LCD TVs, fireplaces, in suite washer and dryer, WiFi Internet access, unlimited calling in the area, a cable TV package to die for, and two Ipod docking stations. The building itself has a pool, hot tub, exercise/training room and is also handicap accessible.

What’s even better is that their suites are not at all far from downtown and the city’s entertainment district, The Waterfront, The CN Tower, The Royal Ontario Museum, as well as the Air Canada Centre and the Roger’s Centre. Lots of shops and restaurants fill the local neighbourhood.

If you have meetings downtown, you can get their quickly and if you have to travel throughout the city or around the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), you can get to Union Station in no time, and if you are driving you don’t have far to go for highway access.

Now I want to touch on the pricing of their places – which blew me right away. I did the math and trust me if you book one of their places you will be saving lots and lots of money compared to staying at hotels. On average I spent between from $175.00 to $295.00 (per night) for a nice hotel in downtown Toronto. CanadaSuites.com offers you a much better deal: their one bedroom fully furnished units that sleep up to 4 to 5 people starts at $132.95. You can grab their large two bedroom suite that sleeps up to 5 to 6 people for $198.95.

Trust me their suites are worth it if you are on the road traveling. You have the choice to dine in or dine out. Choices are what I like when being away from home. Also, what I really liked was the peace and comfort of having your own place. Hotels now seem crowded and I don’t always feel like I was getting the rest and relaxation I needed after having a long day of meetings, presentations, and business gatherings.

There are certainly a number of companies out there that offer condo rentals (short and long term) as alternatives to hotel living. I am sticking with CanadaSuties.com. I am sold on what they have to offer – luxurious living at its best at a much better price tag.

If you or your company is looking to save money and have its employees live in style, then visit www.CanadaSuites.com to learn more about their exciting deals.

It’s worth it as it’s living at its best while on the road doing business in the “Big Smoke.”

If you’ve been wondering what Royal Design Inc. has been up to the past few months, let me assure you that this well-known company based out of Richmond Hill, ON, has been more than busy the past few months designing, overseeing the finest details and finally opening some magnificent properties in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and beyond.

“This year has been wonderful and yet at the same time crazy, and it’s all not over,” said Jolanta Lukus, one whom many credit as the ‘master creator’ of a large number of amazing projects. “We are always growing on so many levels,” she added.

As a journalist long fascinated with her work, I reached out and asked her to share some images and materials so I could learn more about the latest projects that are shaking up the design world.

But she had something better for me in mind.She offered a day trip to view a few new hotels she just designed.

It was an offer I could not refuse.

So, at her request, off I went with my pen and camera in hand with one goal and mind: to try and figure out what makes Jolanta tick and discover how her creativity turns into reality.

It was a special kind of field trip. It was an experience I soon won’t forget.

Power hospitality players call on Jolanta Lukus to make their hotels into distinct masterpieces

The lobby of the new Hilton Garden Inn here in Brampton, ON, provides the very first clue that it’s not your typical suburban like hotel.

This place is far beyond different. It’s enticing and it speaks to you in so many ways. And while you are traveling, you could not have picked a better spot to call home. These walls and spaces speak with tremendous meaning. There’s a sense of hope and prosperity that exists here, you can just feel it. This is urbane living at its best.

Only a stone’s throw away from the Toronto Pearson International Airport, the nation’s busiest airport for all types of jet-setters, and nestled right next door to the renowned Pearson Convention Centre, this place immediately shouts out character, mystique and seems a definitive locale of where the classic and new-age frontiers meet in its own sort of unique avant-garde way.

Wanting guests to be immersed in the life of intrigue and the forward thinking moment as they step inside, designer Jolanta Lukus knew she needed something over the top – something extraordinary.

And then it hit her one day during the planning phase for design: connecting the local landscape of this multi-cultural subdivision with the activity of air travel patrons would ultimately create a hub of innovation that gives guests a sense of belonging.

She was right.

Hailing from Poland and a world traveler herself, she gets it on so many stratums when it comes to style and design.

“People feel like they are stepping into a whole new world when they arrive here,” said Jolanta, who is the President & CEO of Royal Design Inc. “In a way it’s like where the past and the future fluently connect – people really like the look and feel of the entire hotel; people feel like it’s their true home away from home – we were able to create something that influences how people feel in this space that is relaxed, cozy and warm. It’s amazing what colours and design elements can do for the eye.”

Jolanta, who is a well-known hospitality designer, was called for design duty by Bhulesh Lodhia, the President and CEO of JM Hospitality, and his team for the new hotel placed at the corner of Steeles and Airport.

“I find her creativity and style is just excellent,” he said during the recent grand opening ceremony of the new hotel which took place on October 5, 2011.

While Jolanta welcomes the compliments from a higher-up and other notable commercial real estate gurus – all of which seems the norm these days for her growing business based out of Richmond Hill, ON – her biggest reward, albeit compliment, comes from her personally viewing the completion of such a major style and design project like the Hilton Garden Inn.

One’s eyes will never be bored after seeing her work when visiting the Hilton Garden Inn.

Large silver-themed pendulums hang from the ceiling of the main lobby. Marble and granite countertops abound, and there is plenty of room to relax in the lobby. An eloquent style in-house bar and restaurant connects from one end of the lobby and at the other end is a meeting room that mirrors a library-like setting, designed in a classic and contemporary sense: fire place and flat screen TV included.

Well crafted-electric fire places in the lobby bring the sense of warmth and homecoming for any visitor to the hotel and the silver-beige and gold like ambience colours provides friendly, connotations – so calming for the eye. Down from the main lobby there is a state-of-the-art pool with a Jacuzzi with lounge chairs all lined up for those seeking that moment of relaxation, and not far down the hall is a nicely designed work-out room complimented with large flat screen TVs. It’s a true urbanity experience here at this locale. There’s no doubt, once you visit once, you will come back again.

The airy guest rooms, to put it bluntly, are simply out of this world – many of which are like mini apartments that accommodate the long term stay traveler. There are other rooms of course which provide exceptional hospitality for those on shorter visits. The carpets, neatly designed throughout the entire hotel, were made out of scratch – handmade – which is most obvious to the eye.

During a tour of the hotel, Jolanta had the right words that eloquently described her talent for design: “I dream of ideas and I see inspirations in so many things surrounding us in everyday life. I have visions of creating great landmarks, and creating great places that will make Toronto equally as dazzling as cities like New York, London, and even Paris.”

So how does she bring her creativity to life?

“I honestly don’t know how I do it, everything comes so naturally,” she explained. “I guess what I do is just like mixing a great tasty drink. I put all the right ingredients into a jar and then shake it up. And then somehow, after a lot of work and laughter, it comes out as the great tasting mixture that makes one crave for more.”

Her inventive approach in style and design is also evident at two other hotels she also recently designed and opened:the Springhill Suites by Marriottand the Homewood Suites by Hilton – both adjacent to one another along Applewood Crescent in Toronto-Vaughan, which are also in close proximity to the Vaughan Mills Mall and the coming-up extension of the Subway.These two new hotels also have workout rooms, and pools and Jacuzzis that are complimented with inimitable lighting of sorts, futuristic in every sense which is exquisite to the eye.

One can immediately label both properties with this brilliant designer, there’s no doubt about it.

I distinctly recall standing in the lobby as a guest arrived. He stood at the main entrance and in a tone of amazement asked if he had arrived at the Ritz or the Springhill Suites. A staff member of the hotel at the check in desk piped in: “This is the Ritz of Vaughan and you are at the right place.”

A roar of laughter then filled the room.

Springhill Suites has a spring like seasoned theme – bright green colours meshed nicely in with the lounge and bar area. Green apples and distinctive splashes of water with a background of sky blue colour are also sprinkled throughout the walls in the lobby as well as the bar and restaurant area. Trendy-worldly coloured lights light up tables from underneath and the lobby is decorated with swirling-like chairs complimented with sliding silver-lining type drapery. Look above and there are plenty of flat screen-TVs that blend nicely with the futuristic like-décor.

Here you feel alive and no matter the weather outside, springtime here is always in. Green and blue colours proliferate and there is no place like home.

At Springhill Suites the rooms themselves are beyond eloquent in every sense. It makes one feel as if they are staying in the heart of upscale Manhattan, NY. While amenities are plenty in each room, the design speaks to you in so many ways. There are sliding glass doors for the shower, and sliding wooden doors for the bathroom. There is plenty of smart space throughout the room for sleeping, working, or relaxing. Here you feel more than at home.

At the Homewood Suites the very daring and adventurous use of the colour purple and fuchsia calls out at you, but in a friendly and invigorating way. Perhaps this is an indication of freedom and boldness here and beyond while you step inside a whole new world that is all yours for the taking.

The large sized lobby seems all decked out with the most unusual finishes, like leather looking tiles, stitched vinyl on the walls, sparkling coloured crystal, mosaics and details beyond imagination. The seating has luxurious fabrics and pillows and all the flowers add to the decor which is so beautifully done. No corner seams unattended. The lobby almost offers that you have entered into true royalty, a hallmark of Royal Design Inc. Welcome and please join this special club.

The rooms here are also flawless all with a high-end feel on many levels, and they too carry the same colour schemes right inside the rooms – that purple looking tint that brings out a lively and comforting feel. Here you feel affluence and relaxation and it’s all yours for the taking. This is where one encounters the finest in urbane style and design. That’s right this is real living while on the road.

All three of these hotels are each unique and distinct – they are all finished to the top with completely decorated areas with all hand made flower arrangements and some even with unique custom photography from Jolanta’s very own vast collection – a hobby that she explored and now turned into a business via Royal Distinction Inc., a sister company of Royal Design Inc.

Her signature of creativity and innovation in design is apparent at each hotel.“When I take on each project, I plan carefully and know how to bring ideas to life,” said Jolanta. “Each project for me has a special meaning and I know how to turn my ideas into reality.”

Her talents and ambition far exceed the local area as she is now taking on style and design projects for hotels in Europe and Africa.

Asking her what’s next on her design-to-do-list, she smiled and said, “Naturally the right thing for me to do next would be to concur the Middle East.” After a brief pause and while displaying an even bigger smile, she added, “Well I’m already working on it”. She lets out a big burst of laughter, confident in every sense and also contagious too. She remains a true innovator, a winner in her own right.

She further states, “Every hotel that I have designed has a global personality glove like no other – this I know. My designs are classic, sophisticated and over the top. In a lot of ways, I feel like I’m pushing the envelope in the hospitality design world – where the competing properties must step up to the plate and get equally amazing – so we can live and stay in beautify spaces… If only these walls could talk.”

But then again these walls do talk in their own sort of way, grounded on Jolanta’s creativity that is.

As each project is completed, she craves more style and design work – like a global traveler her work is never really done. The completion of one major project sparks a new one. It’s a creative cycle that she is involved with that seems to go on forever.

She doesn’t mind at all. The more projects she takes on means the more chances she has to express her inner self while connecting a global experience for others.

For Jolanta there are no glass ceilings, the sky is the limit; the world is her oyster.

BONE CHURCH, CZECH REPUBLIC

With a sprinkle of sand from the Holy Land, a 13th-century abbot created one of the most sought-after burial lots in Central Europe – Sedlec Ossuary, in the city of Kutná Hora – eventually resulting in a cemetery and church housing the remains of up to 70,000 people. The Thirty Years War, fought in the 1600s, contributed heavily to the overcrowding, and by 1870, the boneyard was in dire need of attention: A local wood carver was asked to liven up the small church using the bones; today, visitors can appreciate his gruesome efforts. Skulls and bones are geometrically arranged on walls and ceilings as art, coats of arms and morbid candleholders, while a giant chandelier made of every bone in the human body hangs overhead. A display of skulls reveals the effectiveness of medieval weapons. The church is one of the most popular attractions in the Czech Republic, but that doesn’t make it any less disturbing.

MUSEUM OF MEDIEVAL TORTURE, ESTONIA

Old Town in the Estonian capital of Tallinn seems innocuous enough. Cobblestone alleys, art galleries, onion-domed churches and cozy pubs greet tourists looking for the cheaper, less trafficked charm of Europe. Those seeking horror have come to the right place too. In the stomach-churning Museum of Medieval Torture, a local collector has amassed more than 60 weapons and devices once used to deliver the most heinous forms of suffering. There’s the faithful stretching rack, lead-poisoning chastity belts, branks masks, garrotes and a well-used chopping block, where you can still see the grooves of the executioner’s axe. You can practically feel the anguish of the heretics, thieves and innocents who were victims of these tools.

THE CROOKED TREES OF ALTICANE, CANADA

Not far from the town of Hafford in north-central Saskatchewan is a grove of aspen trees so twisted and gnarled that many locals attribute them to ghosts, UFOs and aliens. Surrounded by perfectly normal trees facing skyward, these crooked trees are knotted and bent, curled like the legs of dead, overturned spiders. Nobody has been able to completely explain the abnormality, but theories range from contaminated soil and a genetic mutation of the aspen tree to the impact of meteorites. A local farmer claimed to see aliens urinate in the area before the trees began sprouting in the 1940s. In an area known for UFO sightings, could this mystery be the result of an alien pit-stop? And could that explain why some visitors to the grove feel a presence, a supernatural force that causes dizziness as they stroll along the wooden boardwalk?

BURIAL CAVE, COOK ISLANDS

“Mind the head,” our guide warned. I wasn’t sure if he was talking about my noggin, or the half-dozen skulls stacked at my feet. While most tourists to the Cook Islands enjoy the coconut tree beaches on Rarotonga, or fly to the stunning lagoons on the island of Aitutaki, a small fraction island hop over to Atiu, population 400, drawn to its remoteness and unusual adventures. It’s here they’ll find the burial caves of Rimarua. Though they’ve never been formally studied, locals believe that centuries ago, during a period of inter-island warfare, dozens of bodies were dumped into a small opening in the ground. This is the same hole I had just lowered myself into, holding onto slippery roots and sharp rocks as I descended into a limestone cave system. The first chamber is no bigger than a walk-in closet. Immediately I noticed the bones, and lots of them; as I edged my way forward on my hands and knees in the dirt, it was almost impossible to avoid them. I squeezed into the next chamber and saw the skulls. Rain has washed them up against the walls, and deeper still. I slid to the bottom of the next shaft and, just for fun, turned off my headlamp. A chill bubbled up my spine. These warriors died a violent death, and they’re resting in pieces, not in peace. If I got lost down here, chances were I would join them. That thought was enough to quickly get me out of the dark, and onto the beach where I belonged.

TRANSYLVANIA, ROMANIA

Would Transylvania live up to its bloodthirsty reputation? I found “children of the night” in this fabled Romanian region, but no vampires. In the city of Cluj-Napoca, nightclubs and bars were slammed with sharp-cheekboned university students, drinking and dancing until dawn. When the sun rose, they vanished to their dorms or apartments, which was slightly suspicious. In the surrounding countryside, I spent a couple of nights in the tiny village of Ture, expecting a spooked and suspicious community. The host of my village stay was an old woman, dressed in black, hobbling on a crutch in her 250-year-old stone house. So far so good, but instead of werewolves and villagers chasing monsters with pitchforks, I found farmers smiling from their horse and buggies, and locals dancing to the sound of violins in an old church. In this part of the world, Vlad the Impaler is a medieval hero who defeated invading Turks, not the vampire that inspired Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula. One of Vlad’s temporary residences still stands in the Carpathian mountains, operating as a busy but hokey tourist trap called Dracula’s Castle. It seems the only monsters in Transylvania are those in your imagination, and the ones that suck tourists’ wallets dry.

This story appeared in today’s Globe and Mail Newspaper (Oct. 20, 2011)

Irving Shipbuilding will be the main company responsible for building the navy’s new warships.

An $8-billion contract for seven non-combat vessels went to Vancouver’s Seaspan Marine Corp. The Davie shipyard of Levis, Que., was the third contender for the contracts and was left on the outside.

The contract will be a windfall for Nova Scotia’s struggling economy and Irving, the owner of the shipyard, has said the winning contract will create about 11,500 in direct and indirect jobs for the region.

Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter had compared the $25 billion contract to winning the Olympics every year for the next 30 years.

“What an amazing, historic day for NS,” Dexter tweeted after the announcement.

He said the contract will help the province turn the corner after 20 years of slow economic growth.

“I think there will be an awful lot of happy people around this province tonight,” he told CTV’s Power Play.

Jim Irving, CEO of Irving Shipbuilding, said: “To every Nova Scotian and Canadian who put up a lawn sign, put a pin on the electronic map or sent us words of encouragement, we can’t thank you enough.”

Francois Guimont, deputy minister of the Public Works Department made the announcement as the Conservative government went to great lengths to avoid appearances of political interference throughout the procurement process.

Another $2 billion in smaller shipbuilding contracts will be announced later.

Rear Admiral Mark Norman, the deputy commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, said the contracts start the biggest rebuilding period for the Canadian navy since the Second World War.

“It’s a great day for Canada and the Royal Canadian Navy,” he told CTV’s Power Play.

Norman said the first vessels could be christened as soon as 2015.

Halifax Shipyard has been in operation since 1889 and Irving Shipbuilding is responsible for about 80 per cent of the Canadian navy’s surface fleet.

Nova Scotia NDP MP Peter Stoffer said he had to give credit where credit was due and congratulated the federal government for its independence in the procurement process.

“I have to say how proud I am and have to give the government credit for the independence of this program,” he said at the press conference in Ottawa. “I have no evidence leading up to know that any political interference in any way, shape or form led to this.”

While they lost out on the biggest contract, lawmakers in British Columbia were excited to take the $8-billion contract.

“You know what? Despite the fact that I was absolutely confident throughout the process, you’re still on the edge of your seat,” Premier Christy Clark said.

“It was like the Olympics there, don’t you think? Trying to wait for them to get through all the stuff that had to happen before they finally made the announcement … You know what this tells us. It tells us that Canada works, so B.C. can get to work.”

Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose said the bidders had to show they would create jobs around the country.

“The benefits of this strategy to the Canadian economy are truly staggering,” she said. “This will result in high-quality jobs for decades to come.”

It is hoped the plan will be a boon for the struggling shipbuilding sector which has gone up and down over the years based on the availability of government contracts.

“This innovative strategy brings predictability to shipbuilding procurement and eliminates boom and bust, providing benefits to the entire marine industry,” Ambrose said after the announcement. “This is truly a win for Canada because we are reinvigorating our shipbuilding industry and making it internationally competitive like never before.”

The Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters group said the contracts will benefit the entire Canadian economy.

“Beyond the benefits for the winning companies and their workers, the shipbuilding contracts will have profound benefits for the entire economy, coast-to-coast,” CME president Jayson Myers said in a statement.

“We congratulate the government on a fair and transparent process that will maximize opportunity for participation and growth throughout all regions of Canada to address the subject matter.”

For years, many African leaders had enjoyed a slice of Colonel Moammar Gadhafi’s oil wealth. They chose him to lead the African Union, they tolerated his claim to be the king of Africa’s tribal chiefs, and they patiently listened to his noisy campaign for a “United States of Africa.”

But there was only silence from most African governments after his death. The eccentric Libyan tyrant had long since worn out his African welcome, and he will not be mourned.

The African Union, which Col. Gadhafi had notoriously headed from 2009 to 2010 as he promoted his dream of continental unity, was conspicuously silent. The AU had remained loyal to the embattled dictator for most of this year, but it finally abandoned him last month, recognizing the Libyan rebels as the legitimate government.

In South Africa, where Col. Gadhafi had cultivated powerful political friends for decades, there was no grief. The South African government issued a brief statement, saying merely that it “noted” the death of the “former Libyan leader.” It said it hopes that the latest events will lead to a “cessation of hostilities and a restoration of peace.”

Col. Gadhafi was a long-time financial supporter of South Africa’s liberation movement, and was praised by former president Nelson Mandela. Yet when the United Nations Security Council voted on whether to allow military intervention in Libya this year, South Africa supported the resolution.

Even in Zimbabwe, where Col. Gadhafi was a long-time ally of autocratic President Robert Mugabe, there was little regret over his violent demise. One member of Mr. Mugabe’s political party called it “a sad day for the people of Africa,” according to a news report. But many other Zimbabweans said they were happy at the Libyan dictator’s death, and some called it a lesson for Mr. Mugabe.

Col. Gadhafi had spent millions of dollars of Libya’s oil riches to support African rulers and to finance the African Union. But in the end, it bought him no enduring loyalty.

On social media across the continent, ordinary Africans expressed little sorrow at the news. “You can’t call those you rule ‘rats and cockroaches’ and expect to leave power honorably,” Kenyan blogger Robert Alai wrote on Twitter.

A blogger in Uganda, Rosebell Kagumire, said the Libyan dictator had funded guerrilla wars that killed thousands of Africans. “He tried to manipulate the dream of a united Africa,” she tweeted.

This story appeared in today’s Globe and Mail Newspaper (Oct. 20, 2011).