City Life Magazine Vaughan Toronto April/ May 2012

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34

CONTENTS 30

Live by design April/May 2012 Volume 10 Issue 2

Sergio Marchionne

22

Day Tripping

46

Kitchen Conundrums

ON THE COVER 30 The Little Fiat that Could: Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne’s bullish outlook steers the conglomerate in the right direction FEATURES 40 Centre Stage: Pulling the curtain back on Aubrey Dan, president of Dancap Productions Inc. 54 The Bits and Pieces of a Hoarder: Lost and alone under the detritus of daily life 58 The Gen-Y CEO: Ambitious millennials prove they belong to Generation Why-Not PHILANTHROPY 28 Ain’t No Mountain High Enough: Motivational speaker Spencer West reaches new heights ENVIRONMENT 26 A Conservation Message for Every Day of the Year: Guest editor Gord Miller provides tips that go beyond Earth Hour 80 Let it Grow: Dishing the dirt on plant products and practices

34

Live by Design

HEALTH 62 Meditation 101: Guest wellness editor Madeleine Marentette makes mind matter

72

Fashion-Forward

68

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ENTERTAINMENT 78 High Roller: Canada’s Wonderland introduces its sky-high Leviathan FOOD AND DRINK 44 Vaughan’s Best Espresso: The results are in: City Life readers raise a toast to their favourite roasts 46 Kitchen Conundrums: Guest food editor Adrian Niman of The Food Dudes heats things up

BUSINESS 73 Robin Sharma’s Best Business and Success Lessons 76 You Should Have Asked: Guest life skills editor Stuart Knight tells us to expand our network through the art of conversation FASHION & BEAUTY 44 Equestrian Dreams: Unearth new fashion and home horizons 70 Come into Bloom: Makeup artist Rita Stirpe offers spring’s beauty must-haves 72 Fashion-Forward: Joe Fresh and Pink Tartan take over Toronto Fashion Week 74 Q&A with Fashion Designer Maher Alami: The Alya Couture founder lays it all on the line STYLE 34 Live by Design: Experience design in every facet of your life FAMILY 71 If You Think Your Children Need More, Think Again: A wake-up call from guest parenting editor Richard Watts REAL ESTATE 50 Get Real: From glistening towers to front yards bursting with flowers, find your next property in the GTA TRAVEL 22 Day Tripping: You don’t have to travel far to feel like you’ve entered another world 68 All Play and No Work at LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort: Leave your laptop and smartphone at home AUTOMOTIVE 66 Range Rover Evoque: The Range Rover marque goes high-tech with a hot new SUV IN EVERY ISSUE 14 Publisher’s Note 16 Editor’s Note 18 People & Places 79 Readers’ Survey: Lucky readers can take home these great prizes 82 Horoscope: What’s waiting for you this spring www.citylifemagazine.ca

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REGENCY ESTATES SITE UPDATE

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he executive community of Regency Estates, an enclave of homes situated in a landmark location, is 70 per cent sold out after just one year of being welcomed by the prestigious community of Woodbridge.

Just steps away from the Boyd Conservation Area and the historic Market Lane shopping square, the exclusive address is currently under construction, and will include sophisticated finishes and well-known quality building. A rarity in the housing world, these homes are being built on deep and wide-sized lots.

Developed by Ami Tamam, president and owner of Beaverhall Homes, Regency Estates reflects the intricacy of a reputable and experienced builder.

It shines in Tamam’s vast portfolio of fine work of exclusive collections. “Our

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vision for this property was to design and build magnifi cent homes. What makes us proud of this project is the response that we’ve received from the surrounding community,” says Tamam, a respected builder recognized for his hands-on commitment in all of his projects.

Vivian Risi’s Royal LePage – Your Community Realty is the exclusive brokerage for this executive development. “From the moment we became involved with this project, we knew it would be spectacular. And just one year after its debut, it is exceeding my expectations – it is even better than what I had envisioned,” says Risi, a broker of record.

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PUBLISHER / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michelle Zerillo-Sosa • michelle@dolce.ca MANAGING EDITOR Simona Panetta • simona@dolce.ca DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS & MARKETING Angela Palmieri-Zerillo • angela@dolce.ca ART D E PARTM E NT CREATIVE DIRECTOR Fernando Zerillo • fernando@dolce.ca SENIOR DESIGNER Christina Ban GRAPHIC DESIGNER Amy Yang WEB PROJECT MANAGER Steve Bruno EDITORIAL BEAUTY/HEALTH & TRAVEL EDITOR Angela Palmieri-Zerillo FASHION & HOME DECOR EDITOR Michelle Zerillo-Sosa COPY EDITOR Simona Panetta PROOFREADERS Amy Bielby, Simona Panetta WRITERS Michael Hill, Madeline Stephenson CONTRIBUTING WRITERS News Canada, Stuart Knight, Irvina Lew, Madeleine Marentette, Gord Miller, Adrian Niman, Angela Palmieri-Zerillo, Richard Ravenhawke, Robin Sharma, D.T., Richard Watts INTERN Cassandra Tatone CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jeffrey Chan, Marina Degteva, Jesse Milns, Valeria Mitsubata, JC Photography Co., George Pimentel PUBLISHER

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OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Dina Mastrantoni FRONT COVER Sergio Marchionne Photo by Jesse Milns City Life Magazine • Volume 10 • Issue 2 • Apr/May 2012 City Life Magazine is published bi-monthly by Dolce Publishing Inc. 111 Zenway Blvd., Unit 30, Vaughan, ON L4H 3H9 T: 905.264.6789 • 1.888.68.DOLCE F: 905.264.3787 info citylifemagazine.ca • www.citylifemagazine.ca Subscribe online at www.citylifemagazine.ca or by calling 905.264.6789, TOLL FREE 1.888.68.DOLCE. City Life’s yearly subscription fee is $13.80. We accept Visa, MC & AMEX. Send cheque or money order to Dolce Publishing Inc. 111 Zenway Blvd. #30, Vaughan, ON, L4H 3H9 Publication Mail Agreement No. 40026675 Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: Dolce Publishing Inc., 111 Zenway Blvd., Suite 30, Vaughan, ON L4H 3H9 All rights reserved. Any reproduction is strictly prohibited without written consent from the publishers.

DISTRIBUTION AND CIRCULATION Inquiries about where City Life Magazine is available for sale should be directed to: Transmedia Group Customer Service: 905.428.7541 ISSN 1206-1778 Next Issue: June/July 2012 The opinions expressed in City Life Magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or advertisers. Dolce Publishing Inc. does not assume liability for content. The material in this magazine is intended for information purposes only and is no way intended to supersede professional advice. We are proud to be a Canadian company that has successfully published magazines for the past 15 years without any government funding or financial assistance of programs to cover editorial costs. It has all been possible thanks to the wonderful support of our readers and advertisers.

©2012 Dolce Publishing Inc. • www.citylifemagazine.ca Printed in Canada Follow us @citylifetoronto

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE “The more credit you give away, the more will come back to you. The more you help others, the more they will want to help you.”– Brian Tracy

WELCOME BACK, BAMBINA!

F

or many, July 4th, 2007, was a magical date. After 50 years, this day marked the much-anticipated comeback of the Fiat 500. A great deal of this excitement was fuelled by the incredibly clever “500 Wants You” marketing campaign, which launched 500 days prior to the car’s release. The idea was to invite every Fiat enthusiast to offer their input as to what the new 500 should look like. People were given free rein to express themselves, to imagine how this iconic automotive would look. There were over nine million unique visitors to the virtual concept lab, offering everything from their favourite colour – white, red, black and the most popular, light blue – to the interior, wheels and decals it should have. Thanks to this brilliant branding initiative that gave a voice to the people, the new 500 became the car of their dreams. This is the reason why the new 500 belongs to everyone.

Converts gasoline to adrenaline.

With its bold, dynamic AMG styling, the all-new 2012 SLK 350 instantly attracts attention. And with our dynamic handling package and 302 horsepower at your disposal, the ride is as exhilarating as its look. For ultimate closed-top cruising, raise the power retractable vario-roof and witness MAGIC SKY CONTROL – our innovative panoramic sunroof that adjusts from tinted to clear at the touch of a button. Visit www.mbbarrie.com Serving our clients for over 30 years. Mercedes Benz Barrie Proud Recipient of the Prestigious Mercedes Benz Canada 2009, 2010, 2011, & 2012 Star Dealer of the Year Award.

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According to some scholars, this sort of promotional venture instills a sense of belonging, creating a community brand, thus grabbing the attention of new fans. And of course, the loyalty of the older generation was never lost. There were too many fond memories of Italy held over the past 50 years, and the 500 was an important part of that history. Whether good or bad, the 500 is part of the country itself – a symbol of all things Italian. This revitalized ride will forever remain a symbol of nostalgia, and yet its rejuvenated form still offers maximum driving pleasure. Perhaps Sergio Marchionne best sums this up when he called the new Fiat 500 “the iPod of cars!” And here is a man who is a testimonial of the above-mentioned Brian Tracy quote. For I do believe his popularity was similar to former Italian president Sandro Pertini’s, given the warm reception from those in attendance at the launch of the new Fiat flagship store in Vaughan. Whether or not you’ve caught the 500 fever, one thing is for sure: the Fiat 500 fortune will be the subject of many research studies related to brand revivals and rejuvenation. Call me romantic, but I love happy endings, and this was one automotive story that I wanted to end on a high note (see story on p. 30). Continue reading this issue and you will soon find other stories exemplifying the will to overcome life’s challenges. You will particularly enjoy “The Gen-Y CEO” story on p. 58, as it offers advice on business and entrepreneurship.

Until next time, stay young, positive and happy!

Michelle Zerillo-Sosa Publisher/Editor-In-Chief

Photo taken of me with my mom, sitting on my dad’s first car: the Fiat 600.

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EDITOR’S NOTE INTRODUCING THE APRIL/MAY

GUEST EDITORS LET’S COLLECT OUR THOUGHTS

Simona PPanetta Si tt Managing Editor

It

was on one of those rare warm days in March when the sun is just beginning to show its true colours that I met Carol at a cafe downtown. As we conversed, I began to realize the struggle she must be enduring as I scrutinized personal parts of her life with a microscope. But she sat there, painfully, telling her tale of the life of a hoarder over a plastic cup of iced green tea.

Each year, one in every five Canadians will be affected by some form of mental illness. Carol’s affliction is one that can affect up to six per cent of our population.

What’s most shocking? There are currently no integrated organizations in Toronto and surrounding areas that can exclusively treat hoarding. Apart from the lack of resources, this disorder leads to sociological and familial implications and can affect anyone – regardless of age, income bracket, race and gender.

Carol made the decision to speak out because she wants to break the stigma. She wants people to start talking about the issue; she hopes for more resources. Carol’s effort shows us that we all can tell stories – we just have to find the courage to voice them. From Sergio Marchionne, who brought the Fiat brand back to life, to the groundbreaking innovators featured in “The Gen-Y CEO” and Spencer West’s ambitious mission to climb Mount Kilimanjaro despite his physical challenges, this issue of City Life Magazine reflects a season of renewal; a season that has become the impetus of change and new beginnings.

Simona Panetta Managing Editor

16 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

Whether you’re striving to calm your nerves, clean your conscience or engage in new conversations, these experts will help to enhance your life.

GORD MILLER ENVIRONMENT Environmental Commissioner of Ontario Gord Miller sheds an environmentally friendly light on the need for greater eco-conscious living on p. 26.

ADRIAN NIMAN FOOD While kitchen chefs tend to get all the glory, Adrian Niman, founder of The Food Dudes, serves up a tasty tale (on p.46) ripe with the trials and tribulations of catering.

MADELEINE MARENTETTE WELLNESS Stop, breathe and relax. Madeleine Marentette, founder of Grail Springs, a holistic and wellness retreat centre, enlightens and unwinds with soothing meditation tips for revitalizing the body, mind and soul on p. 62.

RICHARD WATTS PARENTING Coddling your child doesn’t prepare them for the road ahead. Richard Watts, lawyer, author and founder of Family Business Office, breaks down the issues surrounding helicopter parents and the damage their sheltering inflicts. See story on p. 71.

STUART KNIGHT LIFE SKILLS Shy, reluctant or otherwise lost for words?

Conversationalist, entertainer and author Stuart Knight taps into the power of speech on p. 76.

www.citylifemagazine.ca

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City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

17

PEOPLE & PLACES

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1a: Vaughan Health Care Foundation chair Sam Ciccolini with wife, Donna (left) and guest Michelle Fuerst 1b: Chef and host Luigi Beccati of A1 Autostrada raises a glass to the Cooks for the Cause celebration. 2: The Behind the Mask of LMS masquerade ball will be held on May 4th, 2012.

Tickets are $100. 3a: Friendly competition ensues at Montessori School of Kleinburg’s 10-year celebration party 3b: Students from the Montessori School of Kleinburg join co-founders John Pellegrini and Enza Pellegrini, who proudly holds a plaque awarded to the school for its efforts. Attendance at MSK’s 10-year celebration included Olive Branch for Children founder Deborah McCracken, Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua, MSK teacher Pam Leudke, and regional councillor Marilyn Iafrate.

4a: The Six Degrees Event Centre on Yonge Street sets the stage for the Valentini Blue event 4b: This year’s annual Valentini Blue event raised over $12,000 for Cystic Fibrosis Canada’s Toronto & District Chapter. 5a: FRONT ROW: Pal Di Iulio, Joseph Manzoli, Fausto Gaudio, Paul Mior, Ruth Ann Onley, Ontario’s lieutenant-governor David Onley, Brain Naraine, Frank De Cesare, Emilia Capo and Greg Natale 5b: Pal Di Iulio, executive director of Villa Charities, addresses the audience gathered for the unveiling of the MV-1.

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4. VALENTINI BLUE Supporters of Cystic Fibrosis Canada’s Toronto & District Chapter dived into a sea of blue at the Six Degrees Event Centre on Feb. 9, 2012. The sixth annual Valentini Blue event was abuzz with cool jazz tunes, including performances by the Barbra Lica quartet featuring special guest Era Chorna. Guests were clad in blue, the evening’s theme colour, as they enjoyed hors d’oeuvres, drinks, raffle prizes and swag bags, all while helping to raise over $12,000 in support of cystic fibrosis. www.cysticfibrosistoronto.ca

18 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

2. BEHIND THE MASK OF LMS Unwavering support and a hope to raise awareness and find a cure for a rare form of cancer will unveil itself on May 4th, 2012, at Behind the Mask of LMS, a masquerade ball that will be held at the Embassy Grand Convention Centre in Brampton, Ont. Established in memory of Vaughan resident Adriana Facciponte, the fundraiser will commemorate her devoted strength of a life lived with LMS cancer.

Funds raised will directly benefit Canada’s leading clinical research for LMS at Mount Sinai’s medical oncology program, which is spearheaded by Dr. Martin Blackstein. Join the fight to end LMS cancer with a night of entertainment, dining, a silent auction and door prizes. www.behindthemasklms.com

3. MONTESSORI SCHOOL OF KLEINBURG CELEBRATES A DECADE Montessori School of Kleinburg (MSK) recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary. The event, held at Woodbridge Bowl, was attended by over 250 people. Special guests included Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua and regional councillors Marilyn Iafrate and Michael Di Biase. Founded by Enza and John Pellegrini, MSK is an accredited and authentic Montessori and ministry run school, which has seen hundreds of students graduate since its inception in 2002. www.msk2002.com

Photos By Alex Papa

1

1. COOKS FOR THE CAUSE Chef Luigi Beccati of A1 Autostrada restaurant hosted an intimate gathering for foodies in support of the Vaughan Health Care Foundation on Feb 23, 2012. The event, with guest chef Alida Solomon of Tutti Matti lending a hand, featured a seven-course dinner and entertainment from Canadian musician Michael Burgess. The event raised over $21,000 to help facilitate a campus of care for the city of Vaughan. www.vaughanhealthcare.ca www.a1autostrada.ca

5. THE MV-1 AT VITA COMMUNITY LIVING SERVICES Ontario’s lieutenant-governor David Onley and members of Vita Community Living Services came together at The Columbus Centre on Feb. 28, 2012, to celebrate an innovative mode of transportation now available at the charitable organization. The MV-1 is a revolutionary new vehicle specifically designed for people with physical disabilities, providing wheelchair-users with a vehicular experience they can enter and manoeuvre into with ease. Funds for the wheelchair-accessible vehicle were raised during the charity’s annual fundraising event Rally for Vita last fall. www.rallyforvita.com, www.vitacls.org www.citylifemagazine.ca

www.citylifemagazine.ca

City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

19

PEOPLE & PLACES 6

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6. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, OREO! On March 6, 2012, thousands gathered at the biggest birthday party for a cookie the country has ever held.

Oreo turned 100, and to celebrate the centennial milestone, devotees attended a party at the Toronto Eaton Centre that included an unveiling of a giant 15-foot Oreo cookie replica. Colin Mochrie hosted the event, and Jully Black led fans in singing “Happy Birthday.” Look out for Oreo’s “Share a Moment” tour events happening across Canada this summer. www.Oreo100.ca

6a: Comedian Colin Mochrie and singer Jully Black share an Oreo-and-milk moment with thousands at Oreo’s birthday party at the Toronto Eaton Centre 6b: To celebrate its 100th birthday, Oreo offers creative recipes worth checking out at www.kraftcanada.com. 8a: Composer Stephan Moccio performs at the Shining Through Centre fundraising gala 8b: FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Fred Santini, president, Shining Through Board of Directors, Raffaela Bozzato, organizer, Spinning for Autism, and Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua. 9a: FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Dmitry Tsitrinel, WeddingCatalog. ca owner, Kari Gulin, SickKids Foundation coordinator and Fidan Ismayilova, owner of Designed Dream Wedding Planning 9b: The Exclusive Bridal Show 2012 inspired brides-to-be with a fashion show of wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses. 10a: FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Natasha Shamoon, instructor at Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Woodbridge, Yolanda Palumbo, chair, Vision of Hope, Pat Palumbo, co-chairperson, Vision of Hope, Aaron Brown and Agnese Brown, owners of Arthur Murray Dance Studio; instructors Adam Spadafora and Ashley Wren 10b: Mayor Rob Ford presents Yolanda Palumbo with a plaque commending her achievements at the annual Vision of Hope Dinner and Dance. Her husband, Pat Palumbo, and son, Julian Palumbo, extend proud smiles. 11: Salon Verve owners Sabrina and Lenny Ferri with sons Domenic and Paolo.

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20 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

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7a: Jake Gardiner of the Toronto Maple Leafs signs autographs at the North Thornhill Community Centre 7b: Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua joins members of council and local dignitaries on stage during the Official Welcome at Winterfest.

8. SHINING THROUGH CENTRE’S 13TH ANNUAL FUNDRAISING GALA In support of children with autism and passionately devoted to enhancing the quality of life for all those affected by the condition, the Shining Through Centre’s gala – its biggest annual fundraising event, held this year on March 2nd, 2012 – celebrated yet another magical night. Over 1,000 guests enjoyed a first-rate dining experience, a large silent auction, raffle draws that included a trip to Las Vegas to meet Celine Dion, as well as a trip to Monza, Italy to watch the Grand Prix; and entertainment provided by composer and Canada’s Got Talent judge Stephan Moccio at the Embassy Grand Convention Centre. The event, which began as a night of family, friends and community members showing their support for children with autism 13 years ago, raised over $225,000. www.shiningthrough.ca 9. EXCLUSIVE BRIDAL SHOW 2012 Proposing a banquet of ideas and event experts for newlyweds-to-be, WeddingCatalog.ca and Designed Dream Wedding Planning hosted the Exclusive Bridal Show 2012 at The Venetian Banquet & Hospitality Centre on Feb. 23, 2012. Guests enjoyed refreshments, snacks, prize draws and the opportunity to meet with top vendors in the wedding industry. With admission fees donated to the SickKids Foundation, guests also had the pleasure of enjoying an unforgettable fashion show by Toronto’s The Bridal Suite, which featured the latest in bridal gowns and bridesmaid dresses. Next year’s Exclusive Bridal Show is slated to occur in February 2013. www.exclusivebridalshow.com

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7. CITY OF VAUGHAN’S ANNUAL WINTERFEST Vaughan celebrated its 23rd annual Winterfest at the North Thornhill Community Centre on Feb. 5, 2012. Guests enjoyed fun-filled activities, which included a midway zone, a pizza-making workshop, children’s crafts, an ice zone with carving demonstrations, face painting, and a free autograph signing session with Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Jake Gardiner. www.vaughan.ca

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10. CNIB: VISION OF HOPE CNIB would like to recognize Yolanda Palumbo, Pat Palumbo and the Vision of Hope committee for their tremendously successful fundraiser – the eighth annual Vision of Hope Dinner and Dance. Held on Feb. 25, 2012, the event raised over $15,000 and had more than 300 people in attendance, including Toronto Mayor Rob Ford. Funds raised help to support programs and services for blind or partially sighted Canadians, to ensure they have the confidence, skills and opportunities to fully participate in life. Since its inception in 2005, Vision of Hope has reached a significant milestone by exceeding $100,000 in total revenue. www.cnib.ca, www.visionofhope.ca 11. SALON VERVE A recognized name in the industry, Salon Verve recently celebrated a decade of hairstyling in style at its Maple, Ont. location. Over 200 people, which included loyal clients, colleagues, friends and local business owners, mingled over wine, cheese, appetizers and a dinner buffet in a chic setting with cruiser tables and dramatic candelabras. Winning North American Salon of the Year at the NAHA awards and the Canadian Salon of the Year at the Contessas in 2005, the salon is proud to announce that its latest expansion has doubled its number of hairdressing chairs. www.salonverveinc.com www.citylifemagazine.ca

MONNALISA

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City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

21

DAY TRIPPING

In today’s fast-paced, highly connected world, it’s not uncommon to suffer from sensory overload. This weekend, turn off the smartphone, hit the highway and escape the hustle and bustle of metropolitan life at these relaxing rustic retreats. :ULWWHQ %\ 0LFKDHO +LOO 1. There’s beauty in simplicity, a fact Ste. Anne’s Spa proved when it was voted the best relaxation hotel/spa in Canada by TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice 2012 awards. And when you visit its over 500 acres of rural paradise, you’ll see why. www.steannes.com

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2. As the sun peaks over the horizon, casting its golden rays across the water, you can bask in the majesty poolside at Spa Rosseau at The Rosseau Muskoka Resort & Spa. www.therosseau.com

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3. For the athletically inclined, The Rosseau also offers a state-of-the-art fitness centre. Take a light jog before hitting the lake for some fun in the sun. www.therosseau.com 4

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4. If nostalgic furniture, trinkets and collectables are what you crave, then the Aberfoyle Antique Market is calling your name. Uncover that unique piece of buried treasure and add some pastoral charm to your home. www.aberfoyle-antiques.com 5. Visit The McMichael Canadian Art Collection. Kent Monkman’s eye-catching High-Heeled Moccasins are just one of the many distinctive pieces on display at Fashionality: Dress and Identity in Contemporary Canadian Art exhibition, which begins May 5, 2012. www.mcmichael.com

6. Stroll through the lush landscape of Niagara wine country with a basket of traditional fare and locally made wine on one arm and your special someone on the other, for a rustically romantic afternoon at The Good Earth Food and Wine Co. www.goodearthfoodandwine.com

22 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

www.citylifemagazine.ca

ADVERTORIAL

YELLOWSECOND BRICK HOUSE’S SHELTER FROM THE STORM Vivian Risi voices her appreciation with an acceptance speech as Richmond Hill Mayor Dave Barrow, Michelle Risi-Anagnostopoulos, Julie Risi-Careri and Justin Risi extend support from the sidelines.

Dave Barrow, the mayor of Richmond Hill, honours Vivian Risi with The Mayor’s Award for Business Excellence.

A business leader and community servant helps Yellow Brick House open an essential second location. ith each year comes new hope and fresh beginnings. This maxim was realized this past January when the Yellow Brick House (YBH), a shelter for abused women and children, officially opened its much-needed second location.

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Through meetings with ministry officials, examining over 30 possible locations and various fund-raising events, including the annual Royal LePage – Your Community Realty Golf Tournament, Risi was firm with meeting both the monetary needs and regulatory criteria; objectives diligently met.

“It was way overdue,” says Vivian Risi, president and Broker of Record of Royal LePage – Your Community Reality, and chair of YBH’s Second Shelter – Second Chances Capital Campaign. She explains how the original site – which has served the community for over 30 years – was performing admirably, considering its modest resources.

Despite its welcoming nature, the shelter had no choice but to turn away over 500 women and children every year because of its limited capacity. “They couldn’t house them, they couldn’t help them, because they were always full.”

“THE DAY AFTER THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF ITS OPENING, THE SHELTER WAS ALREADY FULL.” – Vivian Risi

A tragic situation, but Risi was determined to change this by raising awareness and funds. To meet the project’s financial needs, she led the YBH’s capital campaign to raise $4 million to fund a second location.

24 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

Since opening its doors, the response has been astounding. “The day after the announcement of its opening, the shelter was already full,” says Risi, who was awarded with Richmond Hill’s The Mayor’s Award for Business Excellence for her contribution to industry, as well as community service. “And it’s a big shelter. The need, can you imagine?” The building’s first floor is named after Risi for her exceptional efforts.

She describes its atmosphere as positive, reassuring and comforting. A decorator volunteered her time, filling the shelter’s interior with uplifting colours and a welcoming décor. Qualified councillors are also on-hand to help domestic abuse victims through their ordeals. “It’s not just a shelter,” says Risi, who will be honoured as a community builder at YBH’s 7th annual Mending Hearts … Creating Dreams gala this April.

“The shelter is there to help council, educate, put women back on their feet, build their self-esteem back up and get them out there looking for jobs so that they can be self-sufficient. They also council children who have had their spirits broken.”

But for Risi, opening the second location is just one step in an ongoing journey. “Now it’s about keeping the shelters operating properly.” For those who wish to get involved, there are plenty of options. Donations are always welcomed, and volunteering is greatly appreciated. “I tell my family and friends: ‘I don’t want gifts any more, I don’t need presents. Donate.’” www.yellowbrickhouse.org www.yourcommunityrealty.com www.citylifemagazine.ca

A CONSERVATION MESSAGE FOR

EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR Written By Gord Miller

or me, one of the most dramatic Earth Hour events in Ontario occurs when the Niagara Parks Commission turns off the lights that illuminate Niagara Falls (you can find photos on Flickr or YouTube). Seeing one of the natural wonders of the world and a source of our hydroelectric power temporarily darkened reminds me of how dependent we are on electricity. None of us would wish to do without the heating, lighting or other essential services that energy provides, but we need to find ways to deliver these services while doing less harm to the environment.

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On March 31st, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., Earth Hour asked citizens in 135 countries of the world to make a symbolic act to raise awareness of environmental sustainability and the need to take action on issues like climate change by turning off their lights. The intent is that we’ll go beyond the single hour, and keep conservation activities going all year. For example, practising conservation in our daily activities by eating sustainable seafood, composting

26 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

or installing water-efficient appliances will help protect our environment for succeeding generations. Conserving electricity saves you money by avoiding the construction of more generating stations and transmission wires, which adds up to payments we all would otherwise have to make in the future.

“THE INTENT IS THAT WE’LL GO BEYOND THE SINGLE HOUR, AND KEEP CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES GOING ALL YEAR.” An important change happening with electricity is the Ontario government’s decision to build a smart grid, a term that describes a modernized electricity delivery system. It adds a communication network to our existing electricity system so that technologies can work together to help consumers manage their electricity use. It has started with

the introduction of smart metres and time-of-use rates. PowerStream and Hydro One have already implemented these for many customers.

The smart grid will allow us to conserve electricity at peak time-of-use hours when demand is high. Manufacturers are now making smart appliances, which can be integrated with operation of the grid.

And as more technologies are added, smart homes will become common.

Even with these high-tech changes, there are still simple actions you can take at home, like adding weatherstripping around doors, and regularly cleaning or replacing your furnace filter.

I hope you’ll continue with the Earth Day ethos all year, save the environment and save on your energy bills.

GORD MILLER GUEST ENVIRONMENT EDITOR Gord Miller is the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, the province’s independent environmental watchdog appointed by the Legislative Assembly. His most recent report on climate change is available at

www.eco.on.ca www.citylifemagazine.ca

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AIN’T

NO MOUNTAIN

HIGH ENOUGH

Written By Michael Hill

Photo By Michael Rajzman

Left: Spencer West, centre, and his two best friends, Alex Meers, left, and David Johnson, right, will climb Mount.

Kilimanjaro this June. Below: West’s book, Standing Tall: My Journey, recounts the obstacles he’s overcome in life, and the people who have inspired him along the way.

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peaking at two We Day events in Montreal, flying across the continent for a speaking engagement in Seattle the following morning and readying for another in San Francisco that same afternoon, Spencer West’s campaigning for his Redefine Possible initiative has been quite the journey. But it’s nothing compared to the challenge that awaits him at the end: climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

This June, West – who had both legs amputated at age five because of a genetic disorder – and his two best friends, Alex Meers and David Johnson, will begin their formidable 10-day trek up and down Africa’s highest mountain. “This is probably one of the biggest challenges that I’ve ever faced physically,” says the motivational speaker and leadership facilitator with Me to We, a social enterprise that utilizes profits to help fund its parent charity, Free The Children.

Although he leads school-building missions to Kenya and India every year,

28 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

“WE ALL HAVE THE ABILITY AND THE RESPONSIBILITY TO LEND A HELPING HAND TO SOMEONE WHO NEEDS IT.” West candidly explains that he had never ran a fundraising mission until now. “It felt really dishonest for me to continue to tell students, ‘you need to fundraise or get involved’ when I had never done it myself.” West’s 20,000 -step expedition shows that he’s not one to talk the talk – he walks the walk.

As a child, doctors told West that he would never be a functioning member of society. His parents refused to believe this and instead, focused on

his potential. attribute pootteent ntia iall. ““II at ia attr trib tr ib but ute te wh whoo I am todayy be because because beca caus usee off tthem, hem, he m, b m, e au ec ause se ooff the sacrifi fice and what they did for me,” says the 31-year-old 31-yyear-old author, whose book, b Standing recounts the ding Tall: My Journey, recount obstacles acles he’s overcome in life, and the people le who have inspired him along a the way. From physical difficulties cultie to bullying, positive ying, West looked towards a pos horizon by embracing support from his family, friends and mentors. Today, he’s putting that constitution to the test, hoping that this inspiring adventure to climb Mount Kilimanjaro will raise $500,000 to provide sustainable clean water to over 12,500 people living in various Free the Children communities throughout east Africa. “I think it’s really important to recognize that we all have the ability and the responsibility to lend a helping hand to someone who needs it,” he says.

To follow his journey or donate to the cause, visit www.freethechildren.com/redefinepossible www.citylifemagazine.ca

SMILE MAKEOVER The best investment you’ll ever make

After seeing many smile makeovers in the magazine, City Life writer Madeline Stephenson was encouraged to improve her own smile. She was unhappy with the crowding of her front teeth and the amount of gum tissue that showed when she smiled.

Dr. Sclodnick performed a cosmetic gum treatment to show more of her teeth and less of her gums, and an orthodontic treatment to reduce the crowding and improve the alignment of her teeth without braces.

Hair & Makeup by JJele e na Mar M kov. Photograph Ma P a y by Dolce Publishing Inc.

“Madeline loves her new smile!”

Thinking of a makeover? Why not start with your smile!

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www.mapledentalhealth.comCity Life Magazine

Apr/May 2012

29

Sergio Marchionne, CEO of both Fiat and Chrysler, leans against a new Fiat 500 at the grand opening celebration of Maranello Fiat, Fiat’s Canadian flagship dealer.

THE LITTLE

FIAT

THAT COULD Maranello Fiat’s grand opening toasts to an iconic Italian brand and the man who brought it back to life.

Written By Michael Hill / Photography By Jesse Milns

2 City 30 CityLifeLifeMagazine Magazine Oct/Nov Apr/May2011 2012

www.citylifemagazine.ca

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nticipation hovers over the crowd at Maranello Fiat’s grand opening celebration.

Guests mingle, sip spirits and ogle the new 500s occupying the showroom floor. But it’s not a car this party is waiting for – it’s the man who saved Fiat, who reintroduced the beloved 500 to the world, that’s on their minds. And as he’s ushered through the doors of Fiat’s Canadian flagship dealer, the crowd’s response says it all: Sergio Marchionne has arrived.

CEO of Fiat S.p.A and Chrysler Group LLC, Marchionne is the biggest name in the automotive world today. Heading Italy’s largest industrial empire, he has plucked both companies from the precipice of death, transforming these once-hemorrhaging enterprises back into serious players. “There was certainly risk involved in taking on Chrysler,” Marchionne says of the American automotive company that Fiat acquired in 2009. But with risk comes reward. As Marchionne explains, each brand has its strong suit. Fiat, with its smaller, fuel-efficient cars, and Chrysler, its strength in mediumto-large vehicles, the match was made in automobile heaven. “What we saw was an incredible opportunity to bring Fiat and Chrysler together to achieve the critical mass necessary to produce large economies of scale to justify the enormous levels of investment required by the automotive business,” says the Italian-born 59-year-old who spent his younger years living in Canada.

With cameras flashing and a swarming crowd that includes Dragons’ Den star Robert Herjavec, Marchionne, uniformed in his trademark black sweater over a collard shirt, stands calmly between a classic 500 and its modern kin. After a brief window for media to photograph him alongside Remo Ferri, president of Remo Ferri Group of Automobiles, and Reid Bigland, president and CEO of Chrysler Canada, he begins to move towards the stage. But Marchionne can barely take a step without a handshake thrust towards him or a plea for a quick snapshot.

www.citylifemagazine.ca

“I BELIEVE THE ESSENCE OF LEADERSHIP IS ASSUMPTION OF THE MORAL DUTY TO TAKE AN ACTIVE PART IN BUILDING THE FUTURE OF THE ORGANIZATION AND OF SOCIETY AS A WHOLE.” - Sergio Marchionne

A local reporter attempts to get a word with Marchionne amidst a swarming crowd.

Michael Latifi, president of Sofina Foods Inc., Remo Ferri, president of the Remo Ferri Group of Automobiles, Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat and Chrysler, and Marc Muzzo of Muzzo Brothers Group Inc.

City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

31

A row of coloured Fiat 500s line the front of the Maranello Fiat dealership.

Their enthusiasm is certainly justified. Not long ago, a metaphorical sign hung from Chrysler factories reading, ‘Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.’ And now, standing before them, is the man who tore it down. Last year, Chrysler posted a $183-million profit while also paying back its $6-billion bailout six years before its due date.

They say history tends to repeat itself, and with this rapid resurrection, it’s hard not to think of Lee Iacocca, Chrysler’s president and CEO from the late ’70s to early ’90s, who launched the Dodge Caravan and the Plymouth Voyager, which helped revive the company during the ’80s.

“I believe the essence of leadership is assumption of the moral duty to take an active part in building the future of the organization and of society as a whole,” says Marchionne of his leadership style – a statement backed by his reorganization of Chrysler’s archaic bureaucratic management structure. Through a near-complete changing of the guard, a tactic he also applied at Fiat years earlier, Marchionne uncovered 26 young, overlooked leaders from within Chrysler to help guide it into a renaissance. “What I have learned from my experience as a chief executive is that culture is everything,” he says. “A change in culture is something much deeper and longerlasting than a simple change in industrial or commercial practices.”

Often labelled a workaholic for his relentless work schedule, which is split between Fiat’s headquarters in Turin, Italy and Chrysler’s in Auburn Hills, Michigan, Marchionne prefers to immerse himself in the organization as opposed to commanding above it. “Nothing happens on the 15th floor,” he says of the move to bring his Chrysler office from the top floor to the fourth. “My neighbour on one side is the head of engineering and on the other side is the head of manufacturing. I can build a car with the people on the fourth floor.

That’s what I care about.”

Marchionne and his entourage finally make it to the stage and a hush falls over the crowd. Ferri, a boyhood friend of Marchionne’s, grabs the mic and welcomes the audience. “I must say that I’m very, very

32 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

Sergio Marchionne poses with Remo Ferri, president of Remo Ferri Group of Automobiles, and Reid Bigland, president of Chrysler Canada, beside a classic Fiat 500.

happy to see Fiat back,” he says to a round of applause.

“I was much more convinced with Fiat coming back because I saw the leadership that Fiat was taking.”

Interestingly enough, Marchionne’s ascension to the Fiat helm was quite serendipitous. “Ironically, the Agnelli family picked Sergio Marchionne as CEO of Fiat as a sort of pinch-hitter or emergency choice,” says Jennifer Clark, author of Mondo Agnelli: Fiat, Chrysler, and the Power of a Dynasty (Wiley, 2011).

When Gianni Agnelli, past president of Fiat and grandson of its founder Giovanni Agnelli, died in 2003, the company was already in dire straits. Gianni’s brother Umberto took over, but died of cancer in 2004, “leaving the family leaderless and the company without a chairman.” Giuseppe Morchio, Fiat’s then-CEO, offered to take control, but the Agnelli family feared this would give him too much power.

They refused. He resigned. In desperation, the family turned to Marchionne, who was already a member of Fiat’s board, and successfully running another one of their companies in Switzerland, asking him to take up the mantle of CEO in 2004. As Clark explains, “It was one of the hardest decisions he ever made, because the www.citylifemagazine.ca

Q& A

WITH SERGIO MARCHIONNE

Q Your father was a member of the Carabinieri (national military police of Italy). What did he teach you about life, and how did it shape your attitude towards business?

A As an officer with the Carabinieri, which would perhaps be similar to the Mounties here in Canada, he passed on to me some of the most precious things in life. He taught me about integrity, civic responsibility and the sense of duty: moral values by which a sense of responsibility always prevails over indifference, action over disinterest, conscientiousness and dedication over the fashion of the day.

Q It’s rumoured that you prefer to wear lace-less shoes because it saves time. What is the value of time in this type of industry?

A It’s about allocating time and resources. I like simplicity almost to the point of being monastic. That’s why I made a decision to start wearing black sweaters and pants. I don’t want to spend the three seconds deciding whether to wear a blue one or a black one. Wearing lace-less shoes and growing a beard also saves time and helps [to] make my life a little easier.

Q What’s your favourite Fiat? Do you own any classic Fiats?

If so, which ones, and why?

A My favourite car among the Fiat-Chrysler range? That’s like asking a parent to pick his favourite child! No, actually I don’t own any classic cars, but what I can tell you is that my very first car was a Fiat 124 Spider, a gift on my 16th birthday … or maybe a sign of destiny. And now I have some Ferraris, which I almost never drive, unless I find the time to race them on a track. What I drive here is a Charger, a bit modified, but a Charger.

In Europe, either I drive a Chrysler 300 or a Grand Cherokee. But my personal garage has a lot of room and lots of cars, including a special matte black version of a 500.

Q You’ve now helped pull two companies from the precipice of bankruptcy. What’s been the key to making both Fiat and Chrysler major players again?

A Simply put: the people. Organizations, when all is said and done, are but a collection of the collective will and aspirations of their people. Every success story is based on the ability of men and women to drive cultural change on a certain order of things. Like any other business, Fiat and Chrysler needed to embrace the challenge of the new and see the future as a huge opportunity. They needed to live the culture of change as a necessity, of feeling comfortable in the discomfort associated with uncertainty, of measuring itself each day and of rooting itself in the values of competition and the market.

And now that the men and women of Fiat and Chrysler have been to hell and back, they have learned to look at the world in a different way than before, like a survivor does. We have gained strength from the experience of overcoming adversity. We don’t shy away from making tough decisions, and we are able to adapt to challenges. And the decisions we make are informed by the experience of near-extinction and a resolve to never again get so perilously close to demise. www.citylifemagazine.ca

company was losing millions each day.”

But the move paid off. In 2005, Fiat had its first profitable quarter in years and has been making strides ever since.

As Ferri wraps up his speech and welcomes the Fiat-Chrysler CEO to the stage, Marchionne expresses what a great pleasure it is to be back in Ontario, a province he once called home, and to spend time with his long-time friend and fellow Ferrari enthusiast. “One of the things that Remo and I share is the incredible passion for Ferrari. In fact, I did pick up my only North America Ferrari [a 430 Scuderia Spider] here from Remo last year,” says Marchionne, while hinting at possibly purchasing a black California this time around.

But after the pleasantries, Marchionne shifts to business. “Chrysler gained the most market share of any company in Canada in both 2010 and 2011,” he says.

“So far, in 2012, we’re the No. 1 seller of vehicles in this country.” He adds that Fiat, which was once struggling with its relaunch into North America, was now on track. “In 2011, the 500 in Canada outsold the Mini Cooper by 50 per cent, and it’s more than doubling it so far this year,” he says to more applause.

“And I’m confident we’re on our way to becoming a permanent part of the automotive landscape here in Canada.”

After his speech, Marchionne reiterates his plans to bring Alfa Romeo back to Canada in 2014, and to introduce a new five-seat Fiat 500L and electric 500 next year. But even with all these successes – saving 300,000 American jobs connected to Chrysler through its industrial supply chain, rolling out the Dodge Dart, the first compact sedan Chrysler has produced in over a decade, and making both car companies profitable again – Marchionne remains reserved, instead crediting the work of Fiat and Chrysler’s employees for their success. “The important thing now is to stay humble and maintain the discipline that the restructuring forced, so that we can reap the benefits of the changes that have been made.” And with Marchionne at the wheel, the horizon looks bright. www.maranello-fiat.ca City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

33

Live by

design

1

3URGXFHG %\ 0LFKHOOH =HULOOR 6RVD :ULWWHQ %\ 0LFKDHO +LOO

2

Whether through fashion, food or fun, take pleasure in the various designs life has to offer.

There are opportunities to experience unique design in every facet of your life.

Discover the possibilities with the distinct products fashioned by these cooks, designers, artists and events from across the city. Add some flavour to your world.

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4

1. Oliveri Plump and vibrant, these stuffed chilli peppers are bursting with fixings and flavour.

Prepared immediately after harvest to ensure freshness, these peppers are then cleaned, emptied, and filled to the brim with capers and anchovies. www.luganofinefoods.ca Available at Pusateri’s Fine Foods 1539 Avenue Road, Toronto

2. Paese Ristorante Embracing the neighbourhood-restaurant mentality, Paese prepares traditional Italian cuisine with a distinct Canadian twist – and the result is nothing short of superb. A wine selection of over 500 brands provides variety, while in-house sommeliers ensure a complementing bottle accompanies your meal. www.paeseristorante.com 3. Totera Fine Foods Springtime is upon us and with that the sound of sizzling barbeques. If you prefer the finest meats to touch your grill, sink your teeth into the mouth-watering meats prepared at Totera Fine Foods. 905.879.8325

3 5

2414 Major Mackenzie Dr.

4. Lucky Strike It isn’t just about the bowling at Lucky Strike. From great food to lively parties, this new age alley revitalizes the once-stale bowling scene. Whether with friends or family, the good times are rolling at Lucky Strike. www.bowlluckystrike.com 5. RingStix A unique fusion of ring toss, Frisbee and fencing (kind of), RingStix might just be the ticket to getting your kids outdoors this summer.

Easy and fun, this novel game is great for casual or competitive play. En garde! www.ringstix.com 6. Gliding Shelf Solutions Cluttered kitchen?

Gliding Shelf Solutions can roll out the problem.

These sturdy slide-out shelves organize everything from food products to pots and pans, maximizing space and providing easy access to all kitchenware. www.glidingshelf.ca 7. Löwenbräu Original Born and bred in Munich, Germany – considered by many to be the beer capital of the world – this Bavarian brew is celebrated across the globe for its refreshing taste and long-standing tradition. www.lcbo.ca 8. Aria Ristorante Under soaring ceilings, Aria’s patrons dine beneath the magical glow of spherical chandeliers, savouring each succulent bite of authentic yet distinctly urban Italian cuisine, such as seared Provimi veal strip loin and homemade gnocchi. www.ariaristorante.ca

34 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

6 7 8

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35

Live by

design

Take a seat and grab a drink – these items are not to be missed.

9. Lisa Ferguson Interior Design Through collaborative efforts with her clients, Lisa Ferguson has made a highly successful career fuelled mostly by word-of-mouth referral. Each home she designs reflects its owner’s personality with warming results. www.lisafergusoninteriordesign.com 10. Teak Monkey Fashioned by the late Danish designer Kay Bojesen, this teak monkey’s conception dates back to the 1950s. It’s a whimsical reminder of the joys from a past era. www.unicahome.com 11. Villa Julia House This cartoony cardboard house is a blank canvas for your creative little one. Let them experience the delight of owning their fi rst home, while also colouring its décor however they’d like to create a space that’s all their own. www.unicahome.com 12. Talisman Stool Is it furniture or art?

How about both. This unique, skillfully crafted stool is made from acacia wood for a solid foundation. It’s a great conversation piece for any entertaining space. www.anthropologie.com 13. Tear-Off Luncheon Napkins Made from cotton and washable for up to eight uses, these durable tear-off napkins apply the convenience of paper towel with the esthetics of serviettes – colourful and disposable. www.anthropologie.com 14. Woven Rattan Canoe Drink Cooler The rustic charm of this handwoven drink cooler is as refreshing to behold as the beverages it chills are to sip. Its large size is ideal for afternoon drinks on the patio. Bottoms up! www.potterybarn.com 15. Korhani Creative director Kirsten Korhani pulls from her experience in the fashion industry to weave chic into your living space. Using only quality material, Korhani curates décors that are functional and fashionable. www.korhani.com 16. Tasting Room Surrounded by rich wooden shelves that hold row after row of select vintages, the tasting rooms crafted by Tuscan Cellars are the ideal spaces for wine connoisseurs to experience the intricacies of each glass. www.tuscancellars.ca 17. Blithe and Bonny From candles to dish soap to body lotion, this eco-friendly range of products exudes the sweet, citrus scent of grapefruit – great for environmentally conscious consumers. www.anthropologie.com 18. ROM There’s much to see at Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum. While ancient relics and cultural artifacts abound, the ROM houses over 75,000 fossilized specimens for a ferocious blast from the past. www.rom.on.ca

36 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

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City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

37

Live by

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From new décor to a flashy rug for your floor, there’s still plenty of design to explore.

19. Atypical Situation Dress Nothing says spring like blossoming flowers, which makes this light silk dress the perfect match for the new season. www.anthropologie.com 20. Trafa Shopper A lively accent to spring attire, this vibrant handbag is an eye-catcher.

Simple, stylish and functional, this accessory hits all the marks for city shoppers. www.zara.com 21. The Amazing Absorbing Boy A teenage Trinidadian is sent to live with his estranged father in Toronto after the passing of his mother.

What follows is a tale of struggle and discovery in Rabindranath Maharaj’s deep and witty read – the winner of the 2011 Toronto Book Awards. www.chapters.indigo.ca 22. Calle Henzel Rugs Swedish artist Calle Henzel takes his striking creations – filled with irregular colour palettes and graphic designs – and applies them to rugs. Ideal for those who like to make bold statements. www.unicahome.com 23. Friday After Five Throughout the year, the Gardiner Museum and Jamie Kennedy Kitchens presents a series of evenings full of sensational food and stellar live entertainment, on you guessed it, Friday nights. From wine-tasting to soulful music, there’s lots to enjoy. www.gardinermuseum.on.ca 24. Jennifer Brouwer Design With a sharp eye for detail and a staff that decorates around your needs, the team at Jennifer Brouwer Design is apt for whatever your style may be. Whether reserved or fearless, JBD brings rooms to life. www.jenniferbrouwerdesign.com 25. Tattoo Rock Parlour Urban and edgy, Tattoo blends the bar/club/concert venue concept with what else? A tattoo parlour. Party the night away or get some new ink all at this Queen West hot spot. www.tattoorockparlour.com 26. Teatro Verde Once purely focused on floral arrangements and gardening, Teatro Verde has blossomed into an all-encompassing home décor boutique. But they never forgot their roots, demonstrated by this verdant collection of tulips. www.teatroverde.com 27. Pusateri’s Fine Foods A Toronto institution for decades, Pusateri’s is a local success story that’s built a trusted reputation for high-quality foods and exceptional service. With three locations across the city, this celebrated grocer is ready to serve. www.pusateris.com 28. Detamble High Heel Made from a synthetic, suede-like material, this fuchsia pump is one hot look. Make any outfit pop with these towering stunners. www.aldoshoes.com

38 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

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Serial entrepreneur Aubrey Dan poses in his presidential suite at Dancap Productions Inc. headquarters.

CENTRE STAGE Canadian theatre producer Aubrey Dan lets us into his playground.

Written By Madeline Stephenson

As he strides into an empty boardroom on the 17th floor of his company’s North York headquarters, he proves that the cardinal rule of first impressions doesn’t just apply to theatre. Extending his arm for a firm handshake, he carefully presents his business card that features the brand’s trademark fedora logo, a silhouette nearly identical to the real-life wide-brimmed Borsalino version he’s wearing today.

It only takes a few minutes to realize that Dan prefers to dance around questions rather than sit in the hot seat. He’ll light the newspaper and fan the flames, inciting

40 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

www.citylifemagazine.ca

Photography By Jesse Milns

F

irst impressions mean everything to Canadian impresario Aubrey Dan. It’s all about foreshadowing – priming the audience for an unforgettable experience – even if it means asking your staff to find palm trees in the middle of a harsh Canadian winter so they can feel the warm rays of the sun long before the first act of South Pacific. “That emotional connection is critical,” says the eccentric president of Dancap Productions Inc.

answers that may be obvious to him but clandestine to the outside world. This trait is most evident when he speaks about the theatrical experience, aiming to explain why live productions trump other forms of entertainment. “Do you remember your first movie? Do you remember your first theatrical show?” Dan asks, sparking an obvious a-ha! moment. “Bingo.” He’s an open book when it comes to being transparent, but he’ll prod until you find the page with the answer, capping many of his descending sentences with riddle-like rhetoric.

It’s not surprising then, that it was precisely this inquisitive quality that led the corporate-minded magnate, who’s admittedly inept in the areas of singing and acting, to create one of Canada’s best-known commercial theatre companies. “There was a time period when there was Lion King and Mamma Mia! and really nothing else. My one question was: ‘Why wasn’t there more Broadway theatre in Toronto?’”

‘‘

You do it not out of just entirely financial motivation, you’re here to do it because you want to make a difference, and theatre touches people in a very unique way.

‘‘

– Aubrey Dan

Dan wasn’t satisfied with the less than definitive response. “The answer was, ‘Well we’re not sure, it’s basically been a monopoly for 10 years. I grew up sort of not really liking monopolies unless I own them. If I own them, it’s OK. So it came as knowing there was a vacuum created with the demise of Livent,” he says of the now-infamous theatre production company that financially collapsed in 1998.

Before passing Go, Dan’s primary focus was managing Dancap Private Equity Inc., a firm he founded in 2002 that presently invests its own funds from a $50 million investment base. When a friend called in a favour and asked if he would help find a sponsor for a show he was producing, the curtains rose on new possibilities. “You create your own opportunities, like for me, the theatre was basically the analysis of the landscape going, OK, well there was a massive demand, there’s only one player, choice is limited, the consumer should have more choice, so how can we engage?”

He began networking with lead characters in the theatre community and used his business background as a launching pad for Dancap Productions Inc., which he established in 2007.

Its breakout season included presentations of Broadway-style theatre productions such as My Fair Lady, Avenue Q, Drowsy Chaperone and Jersey Boys, an award-winning musical that’s gripped a growing audience of more than one million and has grossed over $1.5 billion internationally to-date. “Nobody really expected Aubrey to be able to run that show very long up in North York … the fact that we’ve been able to run it as successfully as we did for two years, I think is a real testament to him,” says Jeff Madden, who played the lead role of Frakie Valli. Even Dan acknowledges that the level of success Jersey Boys reached is something he never envisioned, especially given its precarious point of entry in a tumultuous economic market. “You’ve www.citylifemagazine.ca

got to be a risk-taker, you have to be prepared to lose money. You do it not out of just entirely financial motivation, you’re here to do it because you want to make a difference, and theatre touches people in a very unique way … the more I discover about it, the more intrigued I am,” says Dan. His story could have taken a much different turn. Raised in Toronto’s Don Mills neighbourhood, a young Aubrey entered the world at the turning point of his father’s Horatio Alger tale. Notable businessman and philanthropist Leslie Dan immigrated to Canada from Hungary as a post-war refugee in 1947, and established Novopharm Ltd., a multi-million dollar generic drug manufacturing business less than 20 years later. “My father’s a phenomenal entrepreneur who basically came to Canada with $5 in his pocket and he took the risk to start a generic drug company,” Dan says of his dad, who was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 1996 for a lifetime of contributions to society, which to-date includes a $13 million gift to create the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Toronto. Along with his eldest brother, Michael, Dan was given the antonym of a generic experience when he had the opportunity to work for his father in the company’s marketing arm after graduating from the University of Western Ontario with a degree in administrative and commercial studies.

Had Leslie chosen to hold onto Novopharm Ltd. instead of sell it in 2000, Dan’s future in theatre would be non-existent. “I’d be running the company. Oh, for sure,” he says, leaning back in his chair without hesitation.

“You have to adapt, you have to reinvent yourself continuously.” And that’s exactly what he’s been doing. His 18-hour days begin with a trip to the gym at 6 a.m., and sometimes end in another area code like New York City, where three of his productions are currently running on West 44th Street, and Prince of Broadway, based on iconic producer Harold “Hal” Prince, is slated to debut November 2012. “Literally same street, three theatres, right there.

City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

41

‘‘

‘‘

Boom,” he says, smacking his fist on the table. Dancap Productions Inc.’s 2012 Toronto lineup includes American Idiot, In the Heights, Shrek the Musical, West Side Story, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and Million Dollar Quartet, while Jersey Boys embarks on a tour throughout Western Canada this June.

“It’s enjoyable. Yes, there are challenges, there are ups and downs, but it’s the excitement of what’s next, and never really knowing, and that’s OK,” says Dan, who, along with his wife, Marla, has donated more than $20 million to various philanthropic causes.

Aubrey Dan with his revered guitar, signed by Jersey Boys cast members.

This is a human capital business.

At the end of the day, I have no assets.

They go home each night. – Aubrey Dan

In an industry where success is wholly dependent on your pool of talent, Dan emphasizes the importance of amalgamating work and play. “This is a human capital business. At the end of the day, I have no assets. They go home each night.

That’s my capital. So you have to have a relationship with them. They have to feel comfortable with you.” Minutes before rehearsal at the Toronto Centre for the Arts, Madden takes a few moments to validate the personal bond he’s built with his boss. “He’s certainly taken an interest in my life … he’s not just putting in the time, he is actually interested in what’s going on at the theatre,” he says, recalling the invite Dan extended to every cast member of Jersey Boys to have lunch at his office. “I don’t know what he’s like in the boardroom, and I know that he’s running all kinds of businesses, but from the theatre side of things, he seems to be very passionate about making sure it’s the best.”

Down the hall, the backdrop of Dan’s corner office awakens a new side of this offbeat entrepreneur, a side garbed in memorabilia from past productions and tangible praises, like the Tony Award he received for Best Musical in 2010.

“Let me show you something,” he says eagerly before making an exit. He reaches behind a loveseat and pulls out a guitar swathed in signatures from the cast of Jersey Boys. Striking his fingers against the strings in a jested attempt to play, his off-tune song attests to the story of an off-stage star. www.dancaptickets.com

42 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

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Left: Adrian Niman puts the finishing touches on a tray of starters.

Centre: Tasty appetizers prepared by Niman’s catering company, The Food Dudes. Right: Bloke & 4th, where Adrian Niman, along with executive chef Alex Burgess, heads the kitchen.

KITCHEN CONUNDRUMS A recipe for disaster becomes a job well done for chef Adrian Niman.

Written By Adrian Niman

C

hefs need routine, and when they are taken out of their habitat (the kitchen) to an off-site location without the proper equipment to execute their dishes, it causes immediate panic. Catering is all about preparation. Sometimes caterers may be viewed as second-hand cooks when compared to restaurant chefs, but that’s certainly not the case, especially with The Food Dudes. After opening our first restaurant concept, I know now more than ever that high-level catering is just as challenging as cooking at a fine dining establishment.

A few years ago, when we first branched out into nuptials and large functions, we were hired for an event that continues to stand out amongst the rest. It was a wedding for 150 guests, a reasonable number. It took place in a school with no kitchen on the grounds of a cemetery.

We had three tables to work off in a hallway. Our strategy was to have a driver constantly bring food from our kitchen, which was 20 minutes away.

46 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

The main problem was that to get to the school, you had to walk through the cemetery. As the bride and groom took pictures and their guests enjoyed our delicious appetizers, our cooks and support team ran through the cemetery with the main course. Now, if they had decided to go with braised meat that we could leave in a hot box in its natural reduction for a couple hours, that would have been the icing on the cake.

However, the main course consisted of beef tenderloin and crispy skin chicken supreme. How, without an oven onsite, can I guarantee a medium-rare cooked steak and a tender juicy chicken that still has crispy skin? How can we carry this product through a cemetery without stepping on the deceased?

Somehow, we made it happen. At our kitchen, we cooked the steaks until they were rare, knowing that wrapping and resting the steaks in the catering van for 20 minutes would bring them up to medium rare. So far so good, until the father of the bride talked for an extra 20 minutes and the steaks went from perfectly cooked to medium in the

chafing dishes. Better that then a cold steak on your wedding day, and it turned out that the guests preferred it medium anyways – lucky me! The chicken was more challenging; we decided to roast it off in its own juices and then pan sear it on a portable burner at the event. It turned out perfect! After this event, I knew anything was possible. When I received a call for a 400-guest wedding in Muskoka in the middle of summer and was told we had to set up a kitchen out of a garage, I replied, ‘As long as we have an oven, no problem!’

ADRIAN NIMAN GUEST FOOD EDITOR Renowned for his creative nature and ability to balance elements of food to create exceptional flavours and textures, Adrian Niman’s beginnings as a chef include an apprenticeship position under the watchful eye of Mark McEwan at North 44. He founded the catering company The Food Dudes in 2007, after completing his training at the Michelin-starred Reads Hotel in Mallorca, Spain. He is currently the executive chef at Toronto’s Bloke & 4th restaurant.

www.thefooddudes.com www.citylifemagazine.ca

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y ou’re hunting for a new home, there’s a good chance you’ll need a mortgage. But as condo developments continuously break ground across the Greater Toronto Area and the housing market continues to sizzle, prices are touching the sky. So it would stand to reason that finding the right mortgage is a sure-fire way to keep costs manageable. Banks can certainly help, but to find the best value, a mortgage broker is the way to go.

“As a broker, we really have a knowledge that surpasses what the agents at the banks understand, because we know the various products that different lenders can provide,” says Beatrice Pitocco, owner of Future Equity Financial.

Pitocco takes a client-focused stance at her boutique-style brokerage, explaining

48 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

how her team’s flexible nature effortlessly accommodates the schedules of every client, meeting with patrons where and when it’s convenient for them. “Each one of our team members is dedicated to what we do,” says the Vaughan-raised broker. “We do all the shopping; we do all the legwork for the client.”

But it’s not just residential mortgages that Pitocco and her team expertly handle. Future Equity Financial is one of the few brokerages in the area with the knowledge and experience to facilitate both residential and commercial mortgages. “In terms of construction and commercial loans, there’s very few mortgage agents out there that know how to do commercial developments and construction financing properly,” she says. Her firm is currently working with various small to mid-sized developers to supply required financing at the most competitive rates. From land purchasing to large apartment development, Future Equity Financial is comfortable with any commercial scenario. “We know how to structure these deals, and we’re extremely proficient and efficient at it.”

Since its debut in December 2010, Future Equity Financial has already made great strides. And for Pitocco, building an upstanding brand that adheres to her dedication and customer service standards will ensure they’re in

“WE KNOW HOW TO STRUCTURE THESE DEALS, AND WE’RE EXTREMELY PROFICIENT AND EFFICIENT AT IT.” If the tough economic times have put a strain on your family’s finances, Pitocco encourages homeowners to consider refinancing consolidation. She explains how one client, for example, was able to save over $700 each month, thanks to her team’s thorough examination and meticulous attention to detail. “If

it for the long haul. “It’s important to us to build a long-standing company,” she says. “I always envisioned owning a quality business, and that’s really what I’m working towards.” www.futureequity.ca 416.908.1734 999 Edgeley Blvd. Unit 6, Vaughan, Ont. www.citylifemagazine.ca

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City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

49

GET REAL

Twelve new developments are springing up in your neighbourhood this season.

1. GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT’S DUE

1

Walk your way into a neighbourhood designed for family and friends. Located in Streetsville in Mississauga, Riverwalk on the Credit is as close to Pleasantville as it gets. Designed by Caliber Homes, these quality townhomes situated near the banks of Credit River offer ravishing views. www.riverwalktowns.com

2

2. ONE-AND-ONLY Affordable Etobicoke living is heightened with the introduction of One Sherway. Seconds away from Sherway Gardens mall, fine dining, entertainment, highways and public transportation, One Sherway Condominiums cater to couples, bachelors and families with an appetite for urban amenities. www.onesherway.com

3. LIVE LIKE A KING

ONE SHERWAY

RIVERWALK ON THE CREDIT

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King’s Ridge rouses design senses with a majestic collection of homes and estate towns that kiss the lush landscape of the Oak Ridges Moraine. Energy Star qualified homes offer added comfort and savings, while custom designer cabinetry and marble gas fireplaces elevate elegance. www.zancorhomes.com

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RIVERHOUSE AT THE OLD MILL

KING’S RIDGE 4. SOMETHING NEW AT OLD MILL This new luxury development at the centre of a historic Toronto area offers the best of both worlds. Reflecting the character of its surrounding neighbourhood, Riverhouse at the Old Mill’s facade is designed with brick, limestone, precast stone and glass. www.riverhousecondos.ca

5. IN A MANOR OF SPEAKING BURKEBROOK TOWN MANORS

The Burkebrook Town Manors at Kilgour Estate exude the excellence you would come to expect from a development by The Daniels Corporation. These striking estate condominium townhomes offer homeowners easy access to The Granite Club, shops on Bayview Avenue and Rosedale Golf and Country Club. www.theburkebrooktowns.com

6. HAPPY DAYS

6 ALLEGRA CONDOS

50 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

Woodbridge readies itself to welcome premier luxury condominiums that offer everything under the sun, from a rooftop oasis and courtyard, to a full-service fitness centre and high-tech screening room. Ideal for entertaining, Allegra Condos’ 10-storey building has officially broken ground. www.allegracondos.com www.citylifemagazine.ca

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Whether you choose to live the high life or stay grounded, these options will elevate your days.

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7. HOLD KORT Looking for a lot more than what you currently have? The luxurious detached homes of Kortridge Estates sit on massive, ravine-backing sites that showcase the greener side of Vaughan. With a level of quality that caters to the sweet life, and an established neighbourhood that reflects the same, Kortridge Estates is a place to live, laugh and love. www.kortridgeestates.com

8. AS CLEAR AS CRYSTAL As night casts a spell over Mississauga, Crystal condos will glisten under a starry sky. Pinnacle Uptown’s upcoming project features two towers, offering well-priced units that shine in a rising condo market. www.pinnacleuptown.net

9. UP-AND-COMING PINNACLE UPTOWN KORTRIDGE ESTATES

Positioned in a lush area of Vaughan, Upper Thornhill Estates is surrounded by protected valley lands, walking trails, shopping malls, schools, Eagles Nest Golf Course and easily accessible via highways and the GO train station. Quality materials and finishes ensure that this collection of luxury detached homes holds true to its values. www.countrywidehomes.ca

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City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

53

THE

OF A

BITS

AND PIECES

HOARDER

a Second Cup on the corner of King West and John streets, Carol* sits across from me at a back table in a black blazer and white blouse, her dark jeans pulling the look together in a smart-casual sort of way. She’s somewhat tentative, looking down before making eye contact, sipping on the chilled green tea before her while carefully revealing pieces of a story that many are too ashamed to tell.

She flips her cellphone intermittingly, taking a call, checking the time, not wanting to be away too long from the design firm where she works as

At

54 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

an interior designer with a penchant for simple spaces. And yet herein lies the disparity: this shipshape woman – blond hair bordering flushed cheeks and an emerald gaze, lined precisely with eyeliner, framed with dainty eyeglasses – can’t do for herself what she does for others. Her home instead is a blueprint for an underground psychopathological design: tottering stacks of magazines in her living room and heaps of laundry in her bedroom; box after crowded box of paperwork – up to eight of them in her dining room – scores of clothes in the basement meant to be given to charity, receipts older than seven years, and three-months-worth of

recyclables plighted to her porch. The scenario leaves one perplexed: how could a person – particularly one who leads a career in organized functional spaces – fall so hard upon an Achilles heel of scarce systemization? “I design beautiful spaces for people and I love minimalism,” says Carol. She chews her lower lip. “But I’m like a shoemaker who has the worst shoes.”

While TV shows such as Hoarders and Hoarding: Buried Alive began to shed light on people struggling to rehabilitate from pathological collecting, Dr. Peggy Richter, director of the Clinic for OCD and Related Disorders at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre www.citylifemagazine.ca

*A pseudonym has been used to protect the identity of the interviewee.

Written By Simona Panetta

in Toronto, was gaining interest on an illness whose off-air frequency was grossly underestimated. “There are fairly robust statistics that are now emerging, several U.S. studies, that show prevalence estimates of 4.6 to 5.9 per cent,” says the internationally recognized expert in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a mental illness fuelled by anxiety and repetitive behaviour. For years, hoarding was viewed as one of its subtypes, but with new research spearheading clarity in the psychiatric community, the quandary is now set to stand alone under an umbrella of OCD conditions in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the psychiatric bible used throughout North America to diagnose mental disorders. “Compulsive hoarding is definitely an illness, that much is very clear,” says Dr. Richter. “It really is a syndrome that is quite distinct, quite different from the normal range of disorganized behaviour or clutter …

There is a significant portion of hoarders who have OCD, where hoarding is just one feature. But there are myriads of

wrapper to an old photo. It is identified by an extreme accumulation of objects that affect our ability to function in our spaces, and the inability to live without these accumulated possessions.

“Everyone’s a little different. For me, it’s not about randomly collecting things, it’s about that I have to check things before I let them go,” says Carol. This pattern of thought – often expressed by hoarders – began when Carol was in her mid-20s. For as long as she can remember, her life has always been accompanied by a strong inclination to achieve perfection. As a child, she was perpetually orderly, her methodical ways extending into adulthood and throughout her home. She describes how in her kitchen herb and tomato jars are carefully organized atop shelves; and in her bedroom, shirts in the closet are carefully compartmentalized in order of colour. Yet amongst these glimpses of organization are barefaced snapshots of a woman besieged by her belongings. “Some people would say, ‘Oh, who cares, it’s not a big deal.’ I would say, ‘Oh, my, God.’ How can you

“IT REALLY IS A SYNDROME THAT IS QUITE DISTINCT, QUITE DIFFERENT FROM THE NORMAL RANGE OF DISORGANIZED BEHAVIOUR OR CLUTTER.” – Dr. Peggy Richter

Dr. Peggy Richter is one of a handful of psychiatrists in Toronto that specializes in the treatment of hoarding.

www.citylifemagazine.ca

unrecognized individuals out there in the community who suffer from hugely problematic compulsive hoarding who may not have OCD as part of it.”

We have all, at one point or another, developed deep affections to possessions – a late grandmother’s brooch, a coin collection, trophies stored in boxes on shelves in our garages. Collecting tangible fragments of our memories and the sentimental qualities attached to them is a normal human pastime, helping us to shape and remember our history. Hoarding, or compulsive hoarding, however, travels much deeper than that, attaching emotionally intense feelings to anything from a gum

throw stuff out and not know what’s in it?” With spring-cleaning around the corner, she rationalizes that she’d rather enroll in a dance class than waste her time sorting through every plastic bottle and can that suffocates her home’s entrance – even after her neighbours have complained about the state of her porch to city officials.

The idea of having to discard and risk losing something valuable in the process impedes her. “My doctor asked me, ‘What’s the worst that can happen?’

And I responded, ‘Well, I can lose a [pay] cheque.’ ‘But you can always get another one.’ ‘But maybe I won’t be able to identify that cheque.’” I ask her how the problem started. “That’s hard City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

55

things around in the pile, that mental map is all gone, and now it’s just a pile and you don’t know what’s there.” It’s still unclear, however, why people who share Irene’s personality traits fall into a downward spiral that researchers say can often lead to the breakup of family, divorce and estrangement.

Co-authored by Dr. Randy Frost, Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things, explores hoarding and what happens when our belongings start to rule our lives.

to identify,” she says. “I had a good life, good parents. I think it was just in some cases a small erosion of self-esteem.”

In 1993, at a time when little was known about hoarding, Dr. Randy Frost, a professor of psychology at Smith College in the U.S., was breaking new ground in what would set the foundation of what we know today about hoarding. What the internationally known hoarding expert discovered was that the common themes driving the illness were identity issues, a fear of waste, the allure of opportunity and comfort. Working with fellow psychologists that included Gail Steketee, Rachel C. Gross and Tamara L. Hartl, Dr. Frost explains that hoarders – even those willing to rehabilitate – have difficulties in succinctly arranging their stuff. “We think that there are some fundamental problems with the way in which information [in the brain] is processed, and there are a couple of different information-processing deficits in the ability to categorize,” says Dr. Frost, co-author of Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things. The book, which answers the question of “what happens when our stuff starts to own us,” includes the earliest reference of hoarding found in Dante Alighieri’s The Inferno, as well as the legendary story of the Collyer brothers, siblings found dead amongst heaps of belongings in

56 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

their New York City brownstone. It also details Dr. Frost’s fascinating experience with Irene, a woman he refers to as a hoarder “prototype” because she had almost all of the symptoms – intense perfectionism, indecisiveness, the belief that possessions carry emotional significance and the use of them as memory aids. “Each object is seen as so unique and so different than every other object that it can’t be put together and

Recent studies suggest that a man is more likely to hoard than a woman, and that heritability may be a factor. Yet the genetic component doesn’t necessarily explain the attachment of things. “We know that people who hoard describe their early family life as kind of cold and lacking in warmth. [Nature and nurture] may go together to create this, but we don’t really know to what extent it is genetic,” says Dr. Frost. Depression, social phobia and generalized anxiety disorder characterized by worry are common in hoarders, a condition that spans any age group. Some cases can occur in children as young as four.

A few years ago, Carol started to become unnerved by her worrisome nature and inability to let things go. She had been suffering for half her life, ashamed to speak out on a problem that painted hoarders as unclean and slothful. “It’s embarrassing when a friend or family

“WE THINK THAT THERE ARE SOME FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEMS WITH THE WAY IN WHICH INFORMATION [IN THE BRAIN] IN PROCESSED.” – Dr. Randy Frost organized in a group. And that’s how most of us live – we live categorically.

We put the electricity bill with the other bills in a place where we know that category is located. If we want to find it, we go to that location for category. But for people like Irene, she lives visually and spatially, so the electricity bill goes on top of the pile, a little bit to the left, and she creates a mental map of where that’s located. Now to find it, she has to remember where it is on that map. You can see why for people who hoard, it’s an intense reaction when someone messes with their pile of stuff: once you move

member comes over. I personally feel judged,” says Carol, openly distressed on how to arrange the eight boxes of paperwork on her dining room table for a weekend dinner she’s hosting for a friend. “I think overtime, people learn that it’s not you, it’s the trouble in your life, and that you’re trying to work through it. It’s embarrassing; there’s always judgment.” One night, she came across a hoarding documentary on television that prompted her to come up with the courage to seek help from a professional. After researching the few options available for her condition, www.citylifemagazine.ca

she came across Dr. Richter, one of a handful of psychiatrists in Toronto that specializes in the treatment of hoarding. Over 230 people sit idle on her two-year wait list.

Despite an alarming prevalence rate, there is currently no established, integrated program or organization in Toronto and surrounding areas to directly and solely assist hoarders.

Dr. Richter says that the current lack of recognition is making the access of treatment difficult.

Cheryl Perera, director of new ventures and community programs at the non-profit charitable organization VHA Home Healthcare, agrees. “What we find, certainly in Toronto – and I’m sure it’s the same case in Vaughan and other areas as well – is that there is a patchwork of services: people can do pieces of work, but there isn’t always a continuous one-stop place where you can go to get help for someone who is hoarding. [There are] social workers calling all over the place desperately asking, ‘What can I do for this person?’” says Perera, who is also the chairwoman of the Toronto Hoarding Coalition, an association comprised of 60 organizations that include Toronto Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Toronto Public Health. The group’s mission is to ensure that hoarders in the city of Toronto have access to integrated services, but because of no funding or resources, the group treads upon an uphill road. “We don’t expect that the city is going to come up with funds to support a comprehensive hoarding program, but we expect some dollars to setup our service and create partnerships,” says Perera.

Toronto Public Health does engage in investigations related to hoarding, but Reg Ayre, a manager of its healthy environment program, explains that because “there is still a discrepancy on whether hoarding is a mental health condition or a lifestyle,” Toronto Public Health members and affiliates are banging their heads together to come up with an integrated plan. On June 1st, 2012, VHA Home Healthcare and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre are set to host a conference on www.citylifemagazine.ca

hoarding, with proceeds going towards the Toronto Hoarding Coalition. On June 7 and 8th, a hoarding forum held by the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association at Crowne Plaza Toronto Airport will feature keynote speaker Dr. Frost.

It can take up to nine months to see changes in the behaviour of a hoarder, says Perera, and that’s only if the individual is ready to confront his or her problem and accept professional help. Amongst its many services, VHA off ers Extreme Cleaning, a program meant for those who are unable to take care of their homes due to declining physical abilities or mental health issues. VHA’s occupational therapists routinely come across hoarded homes, but “Sometimes they don’t let us in,” says Perera. While it’s more common for a hoarder facing eviction (their stuff may pose risk of fire or floods) to allow specialists to de-clutter their home, clean-outs don’t usually go as expected. The loss of items may spur intense anxiety or anger, and in some cases, hoarders quickly go back to replenishing their homes with objects. In the case of Irene, Dr. Frost witnessed remarkable changes, yet sadly, her slow deterioration. “She was able to maintain her house in pretty good shape for a number of years, and then her children left for school and she was alone in the house.

Whenever that happens, we tend to find that the hoarding gets worse.

Now she’s struggling to put things back together.”

Right now, the best treatment for hoarding is cognitive behavioural therapy (a specific short-term form of psychotherapy). Attempts of mitigating the disorder include antidepressants used to treat OCD, but research has shown inadequate levels of effectiveness in hoarding patients. With a limited availability of services from a doctor covered by Ontario Health Insurance (OHIP), and appointments with specialists in the field costing up to $250, keeping up with treatment can bring about financial strain. “You’re left on your own, and I’m sick and tired of panicking. When you’re in a program, you don’t do it as much,” says Carol, who found that her sessions with Dr. Richter, which included cognitive behavioural therapy, helped to ease the panic she felt when trying to place her recyclables on the curb.

It’s time that Carol get back to her work as an interior designer, creating spaces of simplicity with a technique that welcomes her clients to a style stripped down to its essentials. As she readies herself to push through the throng of businesspeople rushing through the streets, she knows that tottering stacks of magazines and heaps of laundry and box after box of paperwork and bags of old clothes await her at home.

And her fear of loss is palpable. “There are days when it’s ripping you apart.

It’s debilitating.”

Go to the Resources section on www.hoarding.ca for more information, or call 613.492.0700 For a hoarding tool kit, go to www.vha.ca City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

57

©Digital Media Zone, 2012. Image by Lisa Sakulensky Photography

ROBERT OSTFIELD

©Digital Media Zone, 2012. Image by Lisa Sakulensky Photography

DANIEL SHAIN

CHRIS BRYSON

They’re the Gen-Y CEOs, the technologically inclined, progressively minded and for ward-looking twentysomethings capitalizing on the new opportunities rapidly evolving devices present. “Th e technological changes that have happened in the last four to five years by the way of mobile have just quickened the pace of innovation, more than anything else that we’ve ever seen,” Bryson says.

At its core, Unata is the real-world integration of personalized marketing similar to Amazon and Netflix. Through its mobile application, customers will interact with retailers on a oneto-one basis, with the self-learning software adjusting and customizing recommendations and loyalty rewards based on shopping habits. It’s a novel idea, but the 27-year-old acknowledges it’s not without its obstacles. “There’s a disconnect between what you see from technology and what other people and older generations see in terms of its potential or what’s cutting-edge.”

LINDSEY GOODCHILD

THE

GEN-Y CEO

Th roughout its two-year existence, Unata has made headway, however, fi nding a major partner in Aimia, a loyalty solution provider, and an investor in Mantella Venture Partners.

But Bryson admits it’s been a struggle to lockdown a major client. He’s even forgone a salary for months to save costs. “A lot of retailers that I’ve met with are perfectly content with saying, ‘Yeah, it’s cool, let’s do that next year.’”

hris Bryson, CEO and founder of Unata Inc., pulls a fresh PingPong ball out of his pocket and casually serves it across the table, the conversation hot on its tail. With each swing of the paddle, Bryson explains to his opponent, a potential hire, the direction he’s aiming his technology company and the vision for his brand.

Between backhands and an accelerating rally, the two discuss the speed of the constantly advancing industry, the fundamental shifts required to keep a company relevant and the strategies Bryson implements.

C

But Bryson doesn’t let this hinder his progress. He climbs the ladder rung by rung, and unlike the stigma often swirling around Generation-Yers, he isn’t afraid to put in the hours, either.

“This week, basically, I’ve been working until about one or two in the morning, taking a two-hour break at some point for dinner and getting into the office at nine and then usually working half the weekend.”

This impromptu interview, held in SPiN Toronto’s fluorescently lit basement bar, is unorthodox to say the least, but it’s one of many unconventional methods incorporated by today’s young, emerging, outside-the-box-thinking entrepreneurs.

At a small sushi bar on the opposite end of Toronto’s downtown, Robert Ostfield explains how his company,

Written By Michael Hill

58 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

www.citylifemagazine.ca

GEN-Y CEOS OFFER THEIR ADVICE: When you are a young entrepreneur, if you don’t have kids, if you don’t have a mortgage, there’s a huge opportunity for you to put everything into your business,” says Lindsey Goodchild, founder and CEO of Greengage Mobile.

“And that’s what it takes to get a business off the ground. It’s a really deep commitment.”

Sometimes you’re more foolish and you’re more oblivious to things, but being foolish sometimes gets you further ahead,” says Finizi’s Daniel Shain. “You do have to adapt to new technologies, to new ideas, and at times, even completely change your business model, your revenue model, based on what’s going on in the market.”

Practice the law of pi,” says Robert Ostfield of andPOP Inc. “The law of pi is take how much money you think something is going to cost or how long something is going to take and multiply that by pi and that’s the real number. If it’s going to take a year, it’s going to take three; if it’s going to cost 10 grand, it’s going to cost 30.”

I think it’s important that you have balance in your life,” says Chris Bryson, CEO and founder of Unata Inc. “And that you have people that you can talk to that will remind you why what you’re doing is awesome. Because being in a start-up is about coming into work and being knocked down and being willing to get back up on your feet, and sometimes that happens multiple times in a day.”

www.citylifemagazine.ca

andPOP Inc., an online news and pop culture publication, is also highly consuming. “I don’t want to say 24-7, but otherwise every waking hour is spent on this thing one way or another,” says the 25-year-old.

Ostfield joined the andPOP team in 2005 after befriending two fellow Ryerson University undergrads who started the website as a portfolio project. The two founders eventually moved on, but Ostfield stuck with his dream of creating a multi-platform entertainment brand. He sees the fulfillment of that desire through new devices such as smartphones and tablets. They’re potential TV screens, new mediums for deploying and consuming content, as Ostfield notes, “Five years ago, the concept of a mobile app was not in people’s vocabulary; now it’s the hottest thing to have … people need something to put on these things.”

Justin Bieber, Daniel Radcliff and Matt Damon are just a few of the notable celebrities andPOP has interviewed.

While Bryson laments retailers’ often-sluggish adoption of new technologies, Ostfield explains that isn’t always the case in the realm of media. “They know what time it is,” he says, explaining how in the world of pop culture it’s vital to stay in tune with what’s next. “In order for them to stay relevant, they’ve got to be aware of what’s going on.”

Using social networking as a marketing tool, producing quality content, staying persistent – and with a little luck finding funding – andPOP is steadily growing.

“We’re extremely lucky that the audience we’re targeting is very social media savvy,” says Ostfield. Social networking sites act as free distribution mechanisms that allow content-driven enterprises, like andPOP, to easily and economically disseminate text and video. It’s a medium Ostfield has embraced wholeheartedly,and the results have been game-changing. Their YouTube channel, for example, has close to 9 million views alone, and through multiple media outlets – including their own websites and other major networks like Aux TV and Sirius Satellite radio – andPOP’s global reach is upwards of four million unique visitors per month worldwide. It’s no longer the case that online media start-ups need to partner with the digital giants like Yahoo or AOL: “You just need some really compelling content, and the audience will decide if it’s good or not.”

Both these CEOs discuss the issue of funding, and how deal flows in Canada aren’t anywhere near the rates in American hubs such as New York and San Francisco’s Silicon Valley. There are, however, others that are providing the foundation for young entrepreneurs to grow here in Toronto. One such institution is Ryerson University’s Digital Media Zone (DMZ). Much like Stanford University supported growth in Silicon Valley, the DMZ acts as an incubator for start-ups in the GTA. Since opening in April 2010, over 60 projects have been initiated and 41 start-ups have been developed and accelerated.

“It’s an absolutely great environment,” says Daniel Shain, 26, founder and CEO of Finizi. “They provide you with free office space and then different resources to help you get a business off the ground.”

Shain’s website (Finizi.com) acts as a bidding platform where financial institutions put their best rates forward and customers can choose which company they would like to purchase from. There’s no obligation and it’s a completely free service.

At the time of writing this article, over $44 million worth of auctions had been completed. Focusing on GICs for the time being, Shain is looking to move into other realms such as mortgages and credit cards in the near future. In fact, Finizi City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

59

“YOU REALLY HAVE TO BE STRONG BECAUSE IT TAKES SO MUCH OUT OF YOU – PUTTING YOURSELF ON THE LINE AND HOPING YOU’RE GOING TO GET THE FUNDING.” – Daniel Shain

recently added a credit card recommendation engine to the site. “The vision for the business is to really be a one-stop-shop for all financial products,” says Shain.

It’s a model that could potentially reshape customer-bank relations.

Shain’s idea has already attracted major veterans, such as former chief technology officer of RBC Michael Velshi, and former banking executive at BMO, Royal Trust and CIBC Sam Cukierman. Their experience has been essential to developing the brand. “They just see a lot of different angles for this business,” says Shain.

“They’ve been a great help in terms of opening doors and introducing me to people, because you know, running a successful company is all about building strong resources around you.”

But resources are often hard to find. Even after positive reviews from both customers and financial institutions, Shain still searches for the required funding to nurture growth. And the journey to find it is often an emotional rollercoaster.

He describes a recent promising encounter with a Silicon Valley venture capital fund looking to invest. Unfortunately, the VC pulled the chute at the last minute – an occurrence that is more than common, explains Shain. “You really have to be strong because it takes so much out of you – putting yourself on the line and hoping you’re going to get the funding,” he says. “My saying is until the money is in the bank, you can’t get too excited.”

Other DMZ members, like Lindsey Goodchild, founder and CEO of Greengage Mobile, appreciate the Zone’s collaborative environment. “I would say the thing that’s been most beneficial for us is the peer-to-peer mentoring,” says the 27-year-old. In the DMZ, she’s been exposed to the collective insight of unique and budding young minds. Their knowledge and connections have helped foster growth and propel her project forward. “They helped me undertake interviews, helped me get connected to the community, and essentially, they helped me find the people working on this project today,” she says.

Goodchild’s Greengage app is an interactive tool for employees to provide feedback concerning corporate responsibility within their company. It’s a universal tool, applicable to all industries. “Whether it’s mining or telecom or hospitality,

60 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

it doesn’t matter where you are. If you have a lot of people in your company and you’re trying to be more sustainable, we have a way of reaching those goals,” she says. Goodchild hopes this app will inspire employees to be the drivers of sustainability, shifting mentalities towards more eco-conscious solutions.

But for Goodchild, it’s not just about breaking into markets. It’s also navigating a realm that’s predominantly occupied by males. “I was at an event the other day and these events are like 95 per cent men, so it takes a certain amount of courage to just be there at the table, and be confident and comfortable with your idea,” she says.

And like the other millennial CEOs before her, Goodchild is no stranger to late nights. “I live and breath and eat and sleep and think about Greengage,” she says. “It’s more than a full-time job.” But when you love what you do, the commitment comes easy, she adds.

Thankfully, her hard work is paying off.

Goodchild explains her app has received ample praise from environmentally conscious corporations, with the majority asking to demo her software at the end of marketing interviews. “It’s exciting for me,” she says, “not only as a business leader but as a person who studies sustainability to see that’s there’s a real need and desire for tools that help bring more awareness.”

It’s a risky realm these entrepreneurs have ventured into, an unfamiliar and constantly shifting landscape where failure is just as probable as success. But it’s also a new and unexplored world, one filled with possibilities waiting for those brave enough to pursue. No one ever achieved greatness without being exposed to peril. And in the game of life, sometimes you have to step up to the table and just give it your best swing. www.unata.com www.andpop.com www.finizi.com www.greengagemobile.com www.citylifemagazine.ca

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However, research has proven that any type of relaxation that quiets the mind can immediately lower stress on the actual heart organ, calm nerves and heal cells. Why? Because of the electricmagnetic field or the ‘bio-energy field’ that surrounds every living thing, including cells.

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even years ago I watched an Oprah Winfrey interview with David Bach, bestselling author of Smart Women Finish Rich. He was a top financial advisor on Wall Street and described how his stress-ridden life had become divided into “15-minute units”. One morning he arrived at the office, looked at his calendar and found he had one ‘unit’ unfilled. He went into a mild form of a panic attack.

This, followed by a big ‘ah-hah’ moment, changed his perspective of life and his destiny forever.

It is very easy for most of us to fill up every ‘unit’ of our day with work, commitments, emails, and now, for many, frenetic text messaging. But when and if we finally get a little break, we immediately look to fill up that space and find something else to occupy our mind.

As the founder of a premier wellness destination in Canada, I teach meditation regularly. I’ve witnessed how the mere mention of the word ‘silence’ can cause anxiety within.

62 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

The task does not have to be complex, uncomfortable or time-consuming.

Here’s the key: you just need to find the one thing that causes you to become ‘wordless’ for a couple of minutes a day.

Some folks find this in knitting, doing puzzles, painting, or if you are like me, taking a walk with Mother Nature.

These are all forms of meditation that can still the mind chatter.

When we are doing something relaxing, we unconsciously start to take deeper breaths. The ‘electric’ aspect of our bio-energy field responds to the deep breathing, bringing the energetic flow back to balance. This energetic flow keeps all systems in check, like the blood and nervous systems. When our nerves are calm, our emotional and mental state is calm.

Regardless of what you do in this world, whether you are the CEO of a corporation or a single mother doing her best, everyone can and needs to take a few minutes to turn off the ‘occupied mind’ and to get ‘wordless’ in a wordy world. A calm, happy person equals peaceful, functioning cells, so take a break, breathe deep, get quiet and be happy, healthy and wise!

MADELEINE MARENTETTE GUEST WELLNESS EDITOR Madeleine Marentette is the founder and creator of Grail Springs, a holistic and wellness retreat located in Bancroft, Ont. for the mind, body and soul. A passionate visionary dedicated to personal transformation, Marentette is also the author of Grail Springs Holistic Detox: For Body, Mind & Spirit. (McArthur & Co., 2007). www.grailsprings.com

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Our staff is encouraged to walk your guests through your registry, ensuring that every detail is made available to them.

Perhaps nothing is more symbolic of love than a heartfelt expression. Desirée carries an exquisite collection of beautiful invitations for your wedding, as well as menu cards and thank-you notes. Your special day will be remembered with love.

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR UPCOMING WEDDING DESIRÉE CHINA & GIFTS 7850 Weston Rd., Unit 4, Woodbridge, ON T. 905.850.2818 • info@desiree.ca www.desiree.ca

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City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

63

ADVERTORIAL

PAUL’S BOOT CAMP fter losing her father to lung cancer, watching her marriage break down and finding out that she had a cyst in her lung, mother-of-three Patricia Testani decided to take control of her life. On Dec. 17, 2009, she joined Paul’s Boot Camp by Integrity Fitness, and has since seen her life change in immeasurable ways.

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Testani started off taking Level 1 circuit training classes two to three times a week, focusing on a combination of cardiovascular and resistant exercises.

“They were very encouraging,” she says. Then, during the summer of 2010, despite being a non-smoker, she was told that her cyst had evolved into a tumour that would require surgery.

Less than two months after having a third of her lung removed, she was back at Paul’s Boot Camp. “They were very

The Woodbridge East Boot Camp location is filled with the fitness industry’s most-advanced equipment.

in advanced classes and has lost almost 40 pounds of fat, 10 inches off her waist, 14 inches off her hips and glutes, 8 inches off her thighs and has gone from a dress size of 14 to a tiny 4. “It’s given me a lot more energy and I just feel more at peace and content.

It’s like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel,” says Testani, who recently

“THERE’S MORE TO FITNESS THAN JUST WEIGHT LOSS. IT CAN BE ABOUT GAINING THE STRENGTH TO OVERCOME OBSTACLES.” – PAUL WALKER helpful, they knew when not to push me and when to push me, and it worked out very well.”

Since joining Paul’s Boot Camp in 2009, Patricia Testani has lost almost 40 pounds and dropped 10 dress sizes.

Integrity Fitness founder Paul Walker b believes Testani, a busy Bay Street professional, should be viewed as an inspiration for other women. “She’s the happiest woman you’ll ever meet,” he says of the 50-year-old. “There’s more to fitness than just weight loss. It can be about gaining the strength to overcome obstacles. No matter how bad you think you have it, there’s always somebody who has worse and there’s always success in it,” he adds.

Today, Testani drops by Paul’s Boot Camp three times a week to participate

64 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

realized the impact her weight loss has had on her self-esteem while on a cruise with a girlfriend. “It was the first time I actually wore a bikini in 23 years. It felt so free to feel comfortable.”

“Even my own family doctor said, ‘Wow, you’re doing a lot better, you seem 10 years younger than before,’” she says.

For those who feel like life is too hectic to invest time into fitness, Testani’s story is a testament to the transformations that can occur when the ambition to get healthy eclipses all excuses. “I think it’s just a different outlook, it’s like an inspiration within yourself to achieve goals you thought you never would.” www.integrityfitness.ca 905.851.7722 www.citylifemagazine.ca

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City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

65

The compact-sized Range Rover Evoque looks to be about style, with futuristic looks not seen on any SUV today.

RANGE ROVER

EVOQUE Range Rover adds a huge dose of style to the premium compact SUV segment with the new Evoque.

MAKING A STRONG STYLING IMPACT WITH THE NEW EVOQUE, RANGE ROVER HAS GONE HIGH-TECH WITH FUTURISTIC STYLING AND STATE-OF-THE-ART ENGINEERING, WHILE OFFERING A PREMIUM CABIN THAT IS EXPECTED OF THE RANGE ROVER MARQUE. Written By D.T

W

hen taking a look at automotive companies in general, it’s easy to see the many ups and downs that are experienced over the years, whether the circumstances are based on economic climate, consumer taste, product appeal or financial health. As can be seen in today’s fast-paced auto industry, mighty corporations that appeared invincible can easily be humbled by a variety of issues. The most compelling is when products start to lose appeal, as in the case of the Land Rover Group. Just a few years ago, its product portfolio was starting to look stale and fall behind the leaders in the premium segment.

The company realized its shortfall, and has since reinvented the brand, offering appealing premium SUVs that now cover the compact premium crossover, mid-size and large premium SUV segment. The big news is the launch of the radical 2012 Range Rover Evoque premium crossover SUV, which replaces the aging LR2 model that was otherwise known as the Freelander. It

66 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

looked like a risky venture for the Land Rover group to bring to market a vehicle with overly futuristic looks, a small displacement 4-cylinder turbo engine and pricing that put it above the competition. The inclusion of a two-door Coupe model not offered by the competition is also looked at as a bold move.

On first impressions, the compact-sized Range Rover Evoque looks to be about style, with futuristic looks not seen on any SUV today. The sleek, contemporary body is easily recognized, as it embodies some key styling similarities with its big brother, the Range Rover. The Evoque is the only model within the compact premium SUV segment to offer two different body styles: a four-door and a twodoor known as the Coupe. Very similar to the Mini Cooper, the Evoque can be ordered with contrasting roof colours, various interior colour combinations and three “design themes” for further customization. Looking sporty and sleek does come with compromises in the practicality side. The low-tapering roofline cuts

The inclusion of a two-door Coupe model not offered by the competition is a bold move.

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Its 2.0-Litre turbocharged direct injection 4-cylinder engine puts out 240-horsepower and 251 poundfeet of torque.

GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS Range Rover Evoque Body style: 2-Door Coupe and 4-door SUV Engine: 2.0-L, 4-Cylinder Turbo with Direct Injection Horsepower: 240 Torque: 251 lb. ft.

Fuel economy L/100km: City – 10.7 / Hwy – 7.1 Transmission: 6-Speed Automatic Transmission Drive train: Full time All-Wheel-Drive Base price: $46,995 – $61,595

into rear cabin headroom and rear three-quarter visibility.

Inside, the cabin theme is highly modern and high-tech, unlike the old world charm renowned in the Range Rover. The centre console is unlike any conventional design.

The traditional gear shift lever is missing, substituted by a rising rotary dial that is used for gear selection. This design looks to be a sel similar unit used on Jaguar sedans. i Another casualty to modernism is the conventional handbrake lever or parking brake pedal, which is now a discreet switch ahead of the transmission selector.

A cool feature for nighttime driving is the ambient mood-lighting system that comes in five colours. This helps to give the interior a cool, luxurious feel.

Under the hood is also a high-tech, fuel-friendly power train. The sole engine offered on the 2012 Range Rover Evoque is a 2.0-Litre turbocharged direct injection 4-cylinder engine that puts out 240-horsepower and 251

pound-feet of torque. Standard is a 6-speed automatic transmission and a full-time all-wheel-drive system with Land Rover’s Terrain Response off-roading system, which includes four Terrain Response settings for general driving: grass/gravel/snow, mud and ruts and sand. The chances of an owner ever exploring the capabilities of these systems is probably nil! Good luck finding an off-road trail anywhere near or in a city that isn’t private or government-owned. Interestingly, the sales brochure also states that the Evoque is able to wade through water at up to 19.7 inches! That’s great, if you happen to live in an area prone to flash floods.

It looks like Range Rover may have hit the market at the right time with the Evoque, as it offers ultra-contemporary style, premium features and a politically correct power train for today’s automotive climate. The true test will be to see how buyers react to the newest Range Rover. www.landrover.com/ca

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City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

67

Reflecting the contemporary lifestyle and easygoing attitude of South Florida, the ambience of LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort makes guests feel instantly at home.

Guests dine in a setting of dreamy candle-lit romance.

All Play and No Work at

LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort With an inspired landscape and inviting suites, LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort gives its guests the secluded, far-off feel of an island oasis with all the comforts of a five-star resort.

Baleen Restaurant offers gourmet fare that blends the tastes of land and sea.

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aPlaya Beach & Golf Resort is a warm Floridian resort featuring tropical greens, warm yellows and floral prints. Located on Florida’s Paradise Coast, which is home to exclusive residential communities on finger-like peninsulas, LaPlaya is close to Old Naples, which straddles a strip between the Gulf of Mexico and Naples Bay – a 12-block, L-shaped pedestrian-friendly downtown. It is here where two-storey, pastel-coloured buildings house one-ofa-kind boutiques, restaurants, antiques shops and art galleries, which feature

68 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

the works by Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol.

The seafront property of LaPlaya Beach features 189 guestrooms and suites divided into three water-view buildings that front a winding pool complex that’s just footsteps from the powdery sand beach. The spacious rooms range from 400 – 600 squarefeet; each with a balcony, wrought-iron furnishings, dual-line telephones and MP3-compatible radios. Most view the Gulf of Mexico through floor-toceiling windows (141 of the rooms have

DID YOU KNOW? Countless couples have exchanged vows on Naples’ sandy white shore while a setting Florida sun illuminates the Gulf of Mexico’s sparkling waters. Hosting dozens of destination weddings every year, LaPlaya Beach and Golf Resort offers complete wedding packages that take care of all the details – from the ceremony arrangements right down to the place settings.

www.citylifemagazine.ca

their toes practically in the sand), while some face Vanderbilt Bay. Even the bathrooms in the 15-storey tower offer generous views. The Lanai Rooms, with patios that connect to the beach, are a favourite.

Leisure hours take place by the pools and on the beach. Beach butlers service the crisp blue cabanas, which are equipped with Wi-Fi and stocked with cold sorbets and water. The most luxurious cabanas feature ceiling fans, televisions and snacks, from fruit to oysters and champagne. Adults flock to the fitness facility and kids participate in the aquatic camp during school vacations. The ultra-exotic SpaTerre, which features four treatment rooms – including a couple’s suite that opens to the outdoors and has twin Japanese soaking tubs — takes guests on an invigorating journey.

The spa specializes in Indonesianinspired rituals such as the Javanese Royal Treatment, which includes an exfoliation, a Balinese massage and the soaking tub. As quiet surroundings melt your worries away, there are exciting outdoor activities to quench your thirst for adventure. Golfers favour LaPlaya Golf Course, an 18-hole, mangrovebordered, championship golf course designed by world-renowned architect Robert Cupp. It has a practice area, driving range and clubhouse, and is home to the David Leadbetter Golf Academy.

Baleen, the resort’s signature restaurant, offers a “build-your-own-steak” option that’s fun for any carnivore; with options going beyond cooking style to include sauces, toppings and side dishes. If you’re looking for romance, Baleen will set up a cosy table for two surrounded by lighted Tiki torches on the beach.

A quiet escape bursting with charm, LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort is the perfect setting for a lovers’ getaway, the golf aficionado and a fun-filled family vacation. www.laplayaresort.com www.citylifemagazine.ca

City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

69

COME INTO BLOOM

Get the scoop on the latest beauty looks for spring. Written By Angela Palmieri-Zerillo

T

he fresh face, with a dusting of colour on eyes, lips and cheeks introduced on the runways back in the fall, has reappeared at spring and summer fashion shows. Faces are luminous, with a barely there look, and neutral shades help to complement skin tones. “The focus rests on soft eyes with little mascara, full and defined eyebrows, light pink lips and bronzer to replace blush,” says makeup artist Rita Stirpe.

We will still see some intense shades, but rather toned-down versions of the neon colours seen last summer. Smoky eyes will return, combined with sparkling shadows, and eyes will be lined with sheer pastels such as lavender, metallic, green and baby blues. You will see the classic red lip making a statement this season.

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70 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

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Keep skin glowing with an exfoliator, and be sure to find a moisturizer that works well with your skin type. “The rage these days is the BB cream, a new way to enhance your complexion with moisture and a natural finish,” says Stirpe. Top off your look with a light spritz of your favourite fragrance.

1. The Marcelle BB Cream, packed with antioxidants and light-reflecting powders, imparts a hydrated, flawless complexion. www.marcelle.com 2. Give your skin a healthy flush with Burberry’s Complexion Face Palette in Sheer Summer Glow. ca.burberry.com 3. Achieve an angelic gaze with the Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner in Rue Bonaparte, a creamy light almond hue with a smooth finish. www.narscosmetics.ca 4. Heavenly to the touch, this Powder Foundation Brush is an essential tool for a polished complexion. www.lancome.ca 5. The Ultra Rich Face Cream is formulated with shea butter to dramatically nourish and strengthen dry, frail skin. www.loccitane.ca 6. An enchanting combination Rogers TV makeup artist Rita Stirpe shares of rich, bronzy shades in the Colour Quartet & Liner Palette evoke the richness and magic of India. some of her favourite spring must-haves www.clarins.com 7. Pucker up with the winning formula of Kiss Kiss Gloss in Frosted Pink.

6 www.guerlain.com 8. The plant-gum microbeads and organic angelica extracts found in the Gommage Rosee face scrub reveal a purified, youthful glow. ca.loccitane.com 9. Nashi pear and amber crystals dance flirtatiously in the chic Summer Essence Limited Edition. www.davidyurman.com

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IF YOU THINK YOUR CHILDREN NEED MORE,

THINK AGAIN :ULWWHQ %\ 5LFKDUG :DWWV

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ow much is too much to give your children? Consider this: for everything you give, you are taking something away.

This applies to buying your teenager a new car, giving them a down payment on a home, or leaving them $100,000 when you die. The typical parent, at all income levels, imbibes the fiction that it is his or her responsibility to take away the struggle in their children’s lives. When parents assist their children frequently, it dulls the character, integrity, work ethic and socialization skills their children need to become responsible adults. The responsible and intentional parent makes an effort to contemplate, discuss and if possible, determine what life lessons will be missed if financial support or a gift is given.

What do you do if your teenager is convicted for a DUI (driving under the influence)? Do you rush to bail him or her out of jail, hire the best lawyer, and then start listening and believing the lawyer’s rationalizations of how body weight and lack of food intake should excuse the number of beers he or she drank before jumping behind the wheel of a car? Maybe you should leave him in jail for the night or allow her to be represented by a public defender.

“What?” you say, “My child? He is an honours student and superstar athlete!”

So what? He or she was also irresponsible and a physical danger to other innocent

www.citylifemagazine.ca

people on the road. If your teenager had injured someone in an accident, he or she would be en route to prison for an extended term … at no charge.

fear the pain that will come when they remove the rock around their children, so they never allow them to escape and become “works of art” as adults.

Make no mistake: The development of a “child of entitlement” is exclusively the fault of the parent. In the name of protecting our children, parents create a disconnect between the “safe” or “ideal” world in the reality in which our children live. Children don’t have their own built-in warning system. They have no way of knowing they are taking their privileges for granted. We teach them they are entitled to have everything

Oddly, most parents could be convicted of trying to make their children’s lives easier and less taxing than their own. Such parental ethics are either well-intentioned errors or just plain laziness. There is nothing better for children than to crash and burn because of their own errors in judgment and mistakes – for them to experience the consequences of their choices. You can tell a child not to put his or her hand on a hot stove 10 times without success.

If the child burns his or her hand, experience becomes the best teacher.

“CHILDREN DON’T HAVE THEIR OWN BUILT-IN WARNING SYSTEM. THEY HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING THEY ARE TAKING THEIR PRIVILEGES FOR GRANTED.” they want. Because no earning takes place between acquisitions, purchasing a new car, for instance, feels equivalent to purchasing a new bicycle. Value escapes.

There is a “richness” missing from their lives. When Michelangelo was asked how he had envisioned his masterpiece David within a giant hunk of marble, he responded, “David was inside the rock all along. My only job was to remove the unnecessary rock from around him so he could escape.” Too many parents

Before you “take away the pain” of your child’s struggle or misfortune, consider what benefit they might receive from your willingness to listen, love, discuss and console in lieu of handing over your wallet. It is ironic how we hope to help our children avoid the same toil that gives us so much satisfaction.

We endured, and so will they … if we let them.

RICHARD WATTS GUEST PARENTING EDITOR Richard Watts, a lawyer and alumnus of Harvard Business School, is the founder and president of Family Business Office ® (FBO), a legal and consulting firm that manages wealthy families and their family office enterprises. His new book, Fables of Fortune: What Rich People Have That You Don’t Want, is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and on his website.

www.fablesoffortune.com City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

71

Joe Fresh

Å This twist on the traditional sweater is an easy update for an average day outfit.

COLLECTION

Joe Fresh brings back the ’70s without looking dated. Skinny pants, thick knits and striking colours have us cosying up for fall. www.joefresh.com

Á Add a vivid orange hat to a monochromatic outfit for an interesting pop of colour.

FASHION-FORWARD Written By Cassandra Tatone

Spring is in the air, but fashion is always a season ahead.

Toronto Fashion Week brings you the best of FW2012.

Joe Fresh designer Joseph Mimran stops to smell the roses.

an P inkTart COLLECTION

Å Keep it neutral. A tan, tailored look is put-together without the effort.

Pink Tartan Collection: Photos by George Pimentel

P

ink Tartan’s fall/winter 2012 collection combines the season’s trusty neutrals with Ï Add edge to a unexpected pops of emerald green and floor-length dress with a tough blazer red. Borrowing from spring’s trends, and berry coloured colour-blocking and monochromatic lips. palettes make a reappearance, but you won’t see any pink or neon here.

Rather than a wave of colour, designer Kimberley Newport-Mimran ( Joseph Mimran’s other half ) plays with layers of mixed mediums.

The collection features combinations of leather, mesh, fur and feathers in an unexpected but satisfying way. To get the look, pair bold pieces with simple, well-made basics for a unique take on every outfit. www.pinktartan.com

72 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

Å Try a monochrome look in a bright jewel tone for a fresh but sophisticated appearance.

www.citylifemagazine.ca

Joe Fresh Collection: Photos by JC Photography Co.

Ï A crop-sleeved emerald jacket keeps you looking on the bright side.

73 BEST

ROBIN’S BUSINESS AND SUCCESS LESSONS “I have summarized the 73 best ideas/insights/lessons I’ve learned for winning in business and life below.

I hope they help you. And I hope you’ll share them with others who will benefit from them.” – Robin Sharma To see Robin Sharma live at the upcoming event in Toronto, The Remarkable Entrepreneur SuperConference™, please visit www.theremarkableentrepreneur.com

1 You can really Lead Without a Title.

2 Knowing what to do and not doing it is the same as not knowing what to do.

3 Give away what you most wish to receive.

4 The antidote to stagnation is innovation.

5 The conversations you are most resisting are the conversations you most need to be having.

6 Leadership is no longer about position but passion. It’s no longer about image but impact.

This is Leadership 2.0.

7 The bigger the dream, the more important to the team.

8 Visionaries see the “impossible” as the inevitable.

9 All great thinkers are initially ridiculed – and eventually revered.

10 The more you worry about being applauded by others and making money, the less you’ll focus on doing the great work that will generate applause.

And make you money.

11 To double your net worth, double your self-worth.

Because you will never exceed the height of your self-image.

12 The more messes you allow into your life, the more messes will become a normal (and acceptable) part of your life.

13 The secret to genius is not genetics but daily practice married with relentless perseverance.

14 The best leaders lift people up versus tear people down.

15 The most precious resource for businesspeople is not their time. It’s their energy. Manage it well.

16 The fears you run from run to you.

17 The most dangerous place is in your safety zone.

18 The more you go to your limits, the more your limits will expand.

19 Every moment in front of a customer is a gorgeous opportunity to live your values.

20 Be so good at what you do that no one else in the world can do what you do.

21 You’ll never go wrong in doing what is right.

22 It generally takes about 10 years to become an overnight sensation.

23 Never leave the site of a strong idea without doing something to execute around it.

24 A strong foundation at home sets you up for a strong foundation at work.

25 Never miss a moment to encourage someone you work with.

26 Saying “I’ll try” really means “I’m not really committed.”

27 The secret of passion is purpose. www.citylifemagazine.ca

28 Do a few things at mastery versus many things at mediocrity.

29 To have the rewards that very few have, do the things that very few people are willing to do.

30 Go where no one’s gone and leave a trail of excellence behind you.

31 Who you are becoming is more important than what you are accumulating.

32 Accept your teammates for what they are and inspire them to become all they can be.

33 To triple the growth of your organization, triple the growth of your people.

34 The best leaders are the most dedicated learners.

Read great books daily. Investing in your self-development is the best investment you will ever make.

35 Other people’s opinions of you are none of your business.

36 Change is hardest at the beginning, messiest in the middle and best at the end.

37 Measure your success by your inner scorecard versus an outer one.

38 Understand the acute difference between the cost of something and the value of something.

39 Nothing fails like success. Because when you are at the top, it’s so easy to stop doing the very things that brought you to the top.

40 The best leaders blend courage with compassion.

41 The less you are like others, the less others will like you.

42 The thoughts you think today determine the results you’ll see tomorrow.

43 Excellence in one area is the beginning of excellence in every area.

44 The real reward for doing your best work is not the money you make but the leader you become.

45 Passion + production = performance.

46 The value of getting to your goals lives not in reaching the goal but what the talents/strengths/ capabilities the journey reveals to you.

47 Stand for something. Or else you’ll fall for anything.

48 Say “thank you” when you’re grateful and “sorry” when you’re wrong.

49 Make the work you are doing today better than the work you did yesterday.

50 Small daily – seemingly insignificant – improvements and innovations lead to staggering achievements over time.

51 Peak performers replace depletion with inspiration on a daily basis.

52 Take care of your relationships and the sales/money will take care of itself.

53 You can’t be great if you don’t feel great.

Make exceptional health your #1 priority.

54 Doing the difficult things that you’ve never done awakens the talents you never knew you had.

55 As we each express our natural genius, we all elevate our world.

56 Your daily schedule reflects your deepest values.

57 People do business with people who make them feel special.

58 All things being equal, the primary competitive advantage of your business will be your ability to grow Leaders Without Titles faster than your industry peers.

59 Treat people well on your way up and they’ll treat you well on your way down.

60 Success lies in a masterful consistency around a few fundamentals. It really is simple. Not easy.

But simple.

61 The business (and person) who tries to be everything to everyone ends up being nothing to anyone.

62 One of the primary tactics for enduring winning is daily learning.

63 To have everything you want, help as many people as you can possibly find get everything they want.

64 Understand that a problem is only a problem if you choose to view it as a problem (vs. an opportunity).

65 Clarity precedes mastery. Craft clear and precise plans/goals/deliverables. And then block out all else.

66 The best in business spend far more time on learning than in leisure.

67 Lucky is where skill meets persistence.

68 The best Leaders Without a Title use their heads and listen to their hearts.

69 The things that are hardest to do are often the things that are the best to do.

70 Every single person in the world could be a genius at something, if they practiced it daily for at least 10 years (as confirmed by the research of Anders Ericsson and others).

71 Daily exercise is an insurance policy against future illness. The best Leaders Without Titles are the fittest.

72 Education is the beginning of transformation.

Dedicate yourself to daily learning via books/audios/ seminars and coaching.

73 The quickest way to grow the sales of your business is to grow your people. www.robinsharma.com City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

73

Q&

Pieces from Alya Couture’s spring/ summer 2012 collection include a one-shoulder silk lace gown and a black pleated tulle dress with off-white satin overlay.

WITH FASHION DESIGNER

MAHER ALAMI

Maher Alami, principal designer of Alya Couture.

Q What is at the heart of your label?

A Alya Couture is named after my grandmother – it’s a tribute to her. She was a seamstress for society weddings and I would always accompany her through the market, looking for beads and all those gorgeous silk fabrics that we have in that part of the world [ Jordan]. She taught me little secrets of the trade when I was young. Today, I try to make my gowns and dresses work year-round, and really look for longevity and value. Couture dresses in the past were something that were passed on from your great-grandmother to your grandmother, to your mother and now you, who gets to wear it again. This is what I really try to bring back – things that are very well made and of high-quality.

Q What did you learn while studying at the prestigious fashion school Istituto Marangoni?

A I started [in Toronto] at the International Academy of Design and Technology. When I finished, I wanted to be in the big picture, so I thought about going to Paris, Milan, London or New York. Since I was already in North America and London fashion really wasn’t my kind of style, it was either Paris or Milan. I stuck with Milan because I didn’t know any Italian, so I thought maybe I’d pick it up there. I was initially in the one-year master program at Marangoni, which is the school where [Domenico] Dolce, from Dolce & Gabbana, and [Franco] Moschino attended. Because I speak a lot of languages, they would always send me to the fashion shows to work as a dresser and backstage help. I, of course, networked, and got a job with Nazareno Gabrielli, a longestablished Italian name that does high-end suiting.

an image consultant and on television for a while, on shows like What Not to Wear. Then I started working with an event company doing special events with them and costumes.

Because that part of the world has lots of events and is really demanding on evening wear, everybody started asking me to do dresses for them. I didn’t really know that I wanted to do gowns, and then I just fell in love with it all over again. It was sort of like digging back to my past.

Q What is something you know you do differently than others?

A A lot of handwork – hand finishes that you can’t do on machines. Most of that time we had sewing machines, but real couture was all handmade. I’m fascinated with beading and I try to incorporate it in my collections as much as possible. I use a lot of chiffon because I like the fluidity and softness of it. It gives a nice silhouette when you walk in it. I always think about that; how is it going to look when the person walks into a room? How is it going to move on her when she’s dancing?

Most of my dresses don’t really come to life unless somebody walks in them. www.alyacouture.com

Wrap dresses crafted with Georgette fabric and a couture dress made with Italian silk jacquard lamé inspire a season of understated elegance.

Photos By Jeffrey Chan

A

Q Did you always know that you wanted to design gowns?

A I thought I was going to do ready-to-wear, but when the European Union started I couldn’t renew my visa and I had to leave, so I went to Dubai. When I was there, I worked as

74 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

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75

YOU SHOULD HAVE ASKED

I’m not trying to brag, but I have a pretty cool job. I produce musicals, write books, host radio shows, shoot videos, get interviewed on TV and help big Canadian companies reach new levels of success. When someone asks what I do for a living, I obviously don’t give them the entire list, and instead default to one thing by saying, “I’m a professional speaker.” Quite often, the person will not dig deeper and will say something like, “Wow, that sounds like fun. And do you live in Toronto?”

I kid you not when I say that at least 99 per cent of the time the person I’m speaking with does not follow-up with lines like, ‘Interesting, so what subjects do you talk about on stage?’, ‘How did you get involved in a career like that’, or ‘What types of audiences do you speak to?’ The same happens when it comes up in conversation that I’ve written a book.

I realize that many people will read the above lines and interpret them as being narcissistic. If this is what you are thinking, I can assure you that I have many close friends who are just as interested in my life as I am in theirs.

I’m simply trying to illustrate a point.

How interesting does the information

76 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

have to be before someone asks a question? Do we have to win a Stanley Cup, invent the light bulb or go to the moon before someone says, ‘Wow, what was that experience like?’

I’ll say it again: people are fascinating.

And it’s the fascinating components of their lives that can be your gateway to an entirely new and exciting world. Every human being that you interact with or pass by on the street has something positive to offer you. It could be the lead on a new job, an introduction to your life partner or a tip on choosing great restaurants in the city. And the only way you’re going to find out is if you ask. If you commit yourself to asking people questions about who they are, you will naturally discover ways in which they can enrich your life.

When people attend networking events, the biggest mistake they make is asking others what they do for a living. Once that person answers, they automatically cross-reference this information with what they themselves do for a living, and often come to the conclusion that this person can’t do anything for me.

‘Oh, you’re a computer engineer? That’s great. I’m a makeup artist.’ But makeup artists can have friends who organize volleyball tournaments and computer engineers can be avid volleyball players.

The only way this information is going to squirm its way onto the table is if the person shows interest in the person and not just what they do for a living. Don’t try to network on a career. Instead, network on a life and the results will amaze you.

Speaking of networks, how powerful is yours? If you lost a job, needed a

mechanic or wanted to find the best math tutor for your child, how quickly could your network solve that problem for you? The answer to that question can be answered by asking another question: How do people feel when they talk to you? Do they feel excited, interested, enlightened, inspired or plain-old bored? Since the history of time, people go out of their way, promoting and making time for those who have made them feel good. The power of your network is directly related to the way people feel when they are around you. Showing interest in people and making them feel awesome during your conversations gives them every reason to want to contribute to your own life.

You are literally strengthening your network one conversation at a time. The success we experience is directly related to the human relationships we hold. The stronger your relationships, the greater your success. That won’t happen if you only talk about the weather.

Everyone has a story, and very few ever get the chance to tell it. That’s an opportunity for you. A better opportunity is to create an amazing story for yourself. Ask the right questions and other people will help you write it.

STUART KNIGHT GUEST LIFE SKILLS EDITOR Stuart Knight is a wellrecognized conversationalist, speaking nationally on how to create powerful relationships while guiding top Canadian companies to achieve the height of success. As the founder of the Top Ten Event, he has shared the stage with Robin Sharma, Brett Wilson and Jenny McCarthy. Knight is also an entertainer, songwriter, producer and author of You Should Have Asked: The Art of Powerful Conversation (Stuart Knight Productions, 2010).

Photo By Marina Degteva

H

uman beings are fascinating.

It’s too bad that most of the general population doesn’t agree. I know this because over the past 15 years I’ve spoken to over one million people. During that time, I’ve noticed that we’ve become a species that has literally stopped asking each other good questions. I have observed this at networking functions, fundraisers, parties, and even in line at Tim Hortons.

Written By Stuart Knight

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77

HIGH ROLLER ROL LER ONE OF THE WORLD’S TALLEST ROLLER COASTERS MAKES ITS DEBUT AT CANADA’S WONDERLAND THIS MAY. Written By Madeline Stephenson

It’s too high for me; look at it! It hurts my neck,” says Vaughan resident Jimmy Leone as he sizes up Canada’s Wonderland’s towering new ride from a coffee shop at the corner of Jane Street and Major Mackenzie Drive. A young man a few seats away has a different point of view.

“I’ll go this summer. Why not? It’s fun, it’s exciting.” Suddenly, all that’s heard is a group of people echoing the back-and-forth dialogue that began when news broke last August that a 306-foot roller coaster was coming to town. Stretching far beyond the city, thrill-seekers and evaders are dogmatic about whether or not they will strap themselves into the prodigious seafoam green Leviathan, set to debut this May. While Canada’s Wonderland (owned by the U.S. company Cedar Fair Entertainment Company) is considered

78 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

a regional park with the majority of attendance coming from within 80 kilometres, news of its new ride has travelled from Vaughan to as far as North Carolina, where at least one amusement park enthusiast is making plans to visit Canada this summer to test it out. Joel Bullock, founder of the blog CoasterCritic.com, has experienced 217 roller coasters in North America, including the world record-holder for height and speed, Kingda Ka (456 feet) at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey. He is confident that the Leviathan will entice other long-distance adrenaline junkies to follow suit. “It’s easily one of the most highly anticipated roller coasters of 2012. I have to go. I would say that attendance should shoot up quite a bit when you add something this big,” says Bullock. In addition to its height, part of Leviathan’s fascination comes from the fact that it drops to an 80-degree angle at 148 kilometres per hour. “The view is going to be pretty amazing. And while you’re riding it, the speed should be just mind-blowing. A ride that tall – going as fast as it’s going to go – it’s going to be really cool,” he adds.

Bullock is especially impressed with its designers, Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), a Swiss firm that’s created over 70 roller coasters internationally, including Canada’s Wonderland’s Behemoth, which debuted in 2008.

“Th ey’re pretty much the most-

applauded roller coaster designers.

They’ve designed roller coasters that are just revolutionary,” he says, adding that their rides are typically smooth and comfortable, unlike some others that can be punishing on the body.

By signing on to design Leviathan, B&M actually broke its own height record, which came as a surprise since the firm previously hesitated to create any coasters over 250 feet.

Canada’s Wonderland’s vice-president of marketing, Dave Phillips, compares B&M to the Mercedes-Benz of roller coasters, admitting that the $28 million price tag is a premium worth paying for, even if it comes just four years after investing $26 million into the Behemoth. “Cedar Fair allocates anywhere between $60 – 85 million back into their parks every year in capital investments, so we’re the big benefactor of the big capital investment for 2012,” says Phillips, adding that attendance over the last five years has been one of the top three in North America. “That’s why you build rides like this that have the superlatives … it’s just ways to basically get people’s attention and say, ‘Hey look, this is big, come ride it,’” says Bullock.

Phillips hopes that having two oversized coasters will finally put an end to any lingering rumours surrounding the relocation of Canada’s Wonderland.

“It’s become an urban myth that we’re selling; it’s always interesting to me because you know we put in a substantial Behemoth coaster, then we put in the Leviathan, and these aren’t things you just pick up and move,” he says. Testing of the ride will commence in a few weeks, and will consist of filling the 96-seat coaster with water dummies to simulate real people. Once that process is complete, Phillips will be one of the first to jump on-board prior to the official launch on April 27th, which will feature online bidders of the First-To-Ride Auction supporting the SickKids Foundation. “It’ll be that, ‘Here I go!’ The heart races and when it’s all over, your eyes have water in them because of the speed and you come to the station at the end and you’re like, ‘What just happened?’” www.leviathan.canadaswonderland.com www.citylifemagazine.ca

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79

LET T GROW If your green th thumbb iis aiming i i att a garden-of-plenty d this summer, don’t let the soil hold you back.

In

most Canadian gardens, there is too much clay or sand content, say experts in this field. Both are responsible for a compromised growing environment – and that spells frustration for those of us who work hard to grow flowers, tomatoes, vegetables and fruit.

“For plant roots to thrive, they need a proper balance of moisture, nutrition and aeration,” says Syd Pell at Miracle-Gro. “Clay soil is dense and heavy, with tiny pores, so the oxygen level is low. Water cannot readily pass through, causing drainage problems that essentially drown the plant. At the other extreme, sandy soil has large pores and is low in organic matter, making it difficult to retain nutrients as water drains away far too quickly. If the roots can’t get sufficient water and oxygen to transport nutrients, the plants will shut down.”

80 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

Pell points out that because most Canadian homes sit on clay or sandy soil, creating an improved growing environment became a priority for the Miracle-Gro research and development scientists. He says that years of study and testing has resulted in an innovative new product called Expand ‘n Gro. With just a single application, this soil mix can turn native soils, like clay and sand, into lighter, fluffier, more fertile soil.

contains Miracle-Gro plant food and coir – a sponge-like fibre derived from coconut husks. Once watered, these fibres expand up to three times their size. When mixed with a base soil, this creates up to 90 per cent more air space and makes the soil up to 40 per cent lighter. “This will improve aeration, moisture retention and drainage, giving nearby plant roots what they need to thrive.”

“Can you imagine your garden with up to three times more vegetables and flowers and much larger plants?” he asks.

“Those results – including tomato yields that are up to 12 times more plentiful – are recorded in field tests of the new product.”

Expand ‘n Gro is also light to work with. One small bag does the job of a sack of planting mix three times its size.

Gardeners can spread a one-inch layer of Expand ‘n Gro on top of the native soil and mix it in four-to-six inches deep.

“After that,” says Pell, “the garden’s soil structure will be significantly improved for years.”

Pell explains the nature of Expand ‘n Go as a planting mix for use in both containers and in-ground gardens. It

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81

st ars

horoscope

The

By Richard Ravenhawke

this month!

Taurus APR 20 - MAY 20

ÅAdele turns 24 on May 5th.

It’s time to take a break from the daily hustle and bustle of life. When was the last time you had a true vacation?

Do you even remember? Book a flight, a cruise or a cottage weekend – either way, you will be happy that you finally stopped to relax and enjoy the sunshine.

Gemini

MAY 21 - JUN 20

Don’t let confusion cloud your better judgment. Sometimes, when the whole story isn’t revealed, what isn’t spoken can be more powerful than what is said. Never forget that wisdom has two parts: the first is having something to say, and the second is not saying it. Listen to your heart and free your spirit!

Cancer

JUN 21 - JUL 21

Money could be multiplying if your plans come to fruition in the right way.

It is time to focus and keep a steady pace.

Remember the story of The Little Engine that Could? You must believe in yourself and stand up with integrity. I think you can.

Leo

JUL 22 - AUG 22

Wedding bells may soon be in the air! For those who are already attached, it could be time for reconnecting on romantic levels.

Perhaps even a second honeymoon. For those seeking true love, you could be finding it in the most unlikely of places.

For those who are attached and tired of waiting, there may be a renewal of hope.

Virgo

AUG 23 - SEPT 22

Things will be happening before you know it, so don’t let temporary setbacks get you down. There are those who seek to challenge your strength, but these people

82 City Life Magazine Apr/May 2012

won’t prevail. An Aquarius figure that has all the plans will soon be in full swing. Hold tight and you’ll see your dreams unfold.

Libra

SEPT 23 - OCT 22

Things may not always be as they seem.

Sometimes people who are standing have their feet on sticky ground. It is time to look inward. Changes in the near future will be better for everyone, even though they may seem unexpected at the time.

Scorpio

OCT 23 - NOV 21

Change is a sign of growth. Take your time and think things through carefully.

Opportunities are on the horizon, and they could pay off for you in a big way. With perseverance and consistency, you will able to achieve that which has seemed slightly out of your reach up until now. It is then that you will truly shine.

Sagitt arius NOV 22 - DEC 21

Family issues will be resolved soon.

The hardest lesson between loved ones is learning how to agree to disagree. Be silent and all will work out. Politics can be a tricky business when it involves matters of the heart. In time, all will realize why things had to happen a certain way.

Capricorn

DEC 22 - JAN 19

Business plans are coming along nicely. If you look deep inside, a light will illuminate what you have been seeking in the form of an idea that has been reborn. If you can do this correctly, you will achieve in a big way.

Aquarius JAN 20 - FEB 18

Business opportunities may prove to be profitable in the near future. All you have to do is be honest and use your natural drive to reach the finish line. It is about time for things to pivot.

Pisces

FEB 19 - MAR 20

One can only stand at the edge of the diving board for so long before annoying the lineup at the ladder. Take a dive and jump into opportunity – you will be glad you did and feel lighter once the burden is gone.

Aries

MAR 21 - APR 19

If you put one foot in front of the other, you will always get somewhere. Pack a lunch while you are on your journey – it may be a long walk.

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

www.citylifemagazine.ca

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