45,16 by Spotlight Magazine

New York Fashion Awards September 12th During the WYP Fashion New York Fashion Week Show Stage48, 605W 48th Street

“and the winners are...” CHANEL JOAN ELKAYAM, UK International Designer of the Year VANNY TOUSIGNANT Couture Designer of the Year DANIEL HERNANDEZ Designer of the Year

SEIRA KIYONO, THAILAND International Model of the Year YVONNE CHUNG Female Model of the Year GIO DELAVICCI Male Model of the Year

Special thanks to Jorgen Jorgensen for presenting the awards.

Spotlight has been named "Fashion Magazine of the Year!!!” Our publication rose to the top in a field of heavy contenders. Some would ask, how did a Medicine Hat Magazine win in a New York City international competition? We strive to introduce models and designers in a market that is relatively untouched by the fashion industry. Canada offers great opportunities to all designers to enhance their bottom line in an upwardly mobile buying climate, rivaling the USA market. It is true we are much smaller in population, but a large percentage of Canada has the economic muscle to purchase high end merchandise. The industry is beginning to visualize the chance of expanding their brand in an area their competition has ignored and profits are unlimited. Spotlight works hard to extend proper photo credit to models, and tag them on social

media, which enhances their ability to get noticed, and find additional modeling work. We try to use "not just the best pictures we have shot," but the images that best portray the designer, their creations, and the models on the runway. A delicate balance between professional publishing, and recognition for the people we interview and serve. This award is exciting for Spotlight staff, and we humbly accept this award and thank the New York Fashion Awards, for the recognition and credibility it carries in the publishing community. Spotlight applauds Joan Bateman of Gainsboro Studio for the incredible work she has produced over the last four years. Without her tireless efforts we would not have achieved this latest step in our evolution of becoming the most talked about magazine in Canada. Joan's work is

2016

STORY FALU Makeup Artist of the Year MURIELLE KABILE Hair Stylist of the Year

HANK PEGERON Fashion Photographer of the Year SPOTLIGHT MAGAZINE Fashion Magazine of the Year

seen in other publications, and has appeared on the big screens in Times Square New York. She travels to get those breath taking shots across Canada and the USA. Whether she is shooting one of the numerous celebrities who have graced our cover, Miami Swim Week, the cast of a Broadway play, or the Fashion Files, each month the images are epic. This award to be honest, caught me by surprise. Just to be nominated in a field so “high profile,” was heart stopping. Everyone desires acknowledgment and to be credited by their peers, Spotlight is no exception. This means we will now have to double down in every area. Seeking to be ever worthy of this most prestigious accolade bestowed upon us, thank-you.

THIS ISSUES

CONTENTS 02

The Fashion Files

Gainsboro Spotlight

10 FINANCE The Why and When of Wills BMO consultant - Dan Hein,

11 EDITORIAL Some Love Affairs Last Forever Scott Cowan 13 Law Collecting Section Seven Expenses Columnist Scott Stenbeck

14 Brent Dunstan Columnist

Nick Jonas is an up and coming super star. It seems a long time ago that the Jonas Brothers broke on the music scene. As in many bands, one lucky member ventures out on their own to wide acclaim. Nick is that Jonas brother who is packing auditoriums across the country. Spotlight first met Nick three years ago when he was acting on Broadway in, "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." He was fantastic as Finch, the lead character in the show. My go to question of course is, are you doing anything in Canada? He said there were plans in the works and that he loved going to entertain the Northern cousins. Then out of the blue, we were invited to review his concert in Edmonton. I guess leaving a card with some celebrities pays off. After a fast drive to Oilers country, we arrived five minutes before curtain. The Rexall Place was almost sold out and for good reason. The concert was nonstop excitement with the crowd on their feet the majority of the show. A beautiful white grand piano appeared on stage for selected numbers, and of course his guitar work was impressive. I was amazed at the quality of the show itself. The lighting and video across the entire backstage was epic in its presentation. At the same time one can recognize that they did the most within a budget for the overall presentation. Good seats were in the forty dollar range which may have contributed to the sell out venue. The night was worth every dime of the ticket price. Not every performer can really connect emotionally with an audience. Listening to Nick was as if he was singing in your living room. There were a limited number of VIP tickets to be had that got you back stage, and a photo with the man himself. Those fortunate few had an experience to remember.

Civil-ization Lost

16 Golf Golf Simplified Getting into the Scoring Zone Columnist Donald Crawley.

20 MLA Good Government Means Measuring Twice Drew Barnes

EDITOR

SCOTT COWAN (403) 504-7092

ART DIRECTOR

ADDRESS

JOAN BATEMAN joan@gainsboro.ca GRAPHICS DIRECTOR

HEATHER COONS Disclaimer: No responsibility can be taken by Spotlight Magazine for any errors or omissions contained herein. Furthermore, responsibility for any losses, damages or distress resulting from adherence to any information made available through this magazine is not the responsibility of Spotlight Magazine. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Spotlight Magazine. Comments are welcome.

PHOTOGRAPHY

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info@spotlightmagazine.ca

Published and Printed by Spotlight Magazine

So settle back and enjoy a selection of our favourite fashion files from the past year

Photo credit Joan Bateman

Congratulations to all the Winners!!! 8

Photo credit Joan Bateman

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BMO Nesbitt Burns

The Why and When of Wills

Why is it important to make a Will? It is estimated that one third of Canadians do not have a Will. Many other Canadians have out-of-date or inadequate Wills because their assets or family situation has changed since the Will was drawn up. Without a Will, you are said to die intestate and provincial law dictates who will receive the assets of your estate. If you die intestate, there is no executor to administer your estate and someone must apply to the court to get permission to administer your estate. The application to court is costly and time consuming. The person asking the court for permission to administer your estate (the Applicant) may have to post a bond equal to twice the value of the estate, as security. Distribution of your assets to your heirs cannot take place until the court grants authority to the Applicant. All legal fees will have to be paid by the estate, leaving less funds to be distributed to your heirs. Further delays occur if you die intestate and there are minor children or if there is a dispute among family members or others as to who should be appointed to administer your estate. Where there are minor children, the provincial Children’s Lawyer will be involved. Once the estate is distributed, the share of a minor will be invested by the Children’s Lawyer and paid in full to the child when he/she reaches the age of majority whether the child is mature enough to manage the money or not.

The provincial formula for distribution on an intestacy provides for a preferential share to a surviving spouse, and the balance to be divided between the surviving spouse and children whether they are minors or adults. Where there is no surviving spouse, no children or grandchildren, remote relatives may be entitled to a distribution. If, after an exhaustive search, no surviving blood relatives can be found, your estate will go to the government. Having a Will can save your estate money and save your family a lot of anguish and frustration. Having a Will is the only way you can have control over who will administer your estate, the manner in which your estate will be distributed and to whom.

Indicators that a new will may be needed: • Marriage* or other change in marital status

If You Have a Will, When Did You Last Review It? Chances are that if your Will has not been reviewed with a professional within the last five years, it is time for a review. One potential problem with an old Will is that the executor choice may no longer be appropriate. A Will may also need to be changed to accommodate new family members, separation or divorce, or a significant increase or decrease in wealth since the old Will was made. Wealth brings opportunities and adds complexity to your estate. Make sure your estate plan adequately protects your estate and beneficiaries’ rights. Contact Dan Hein if you would like a copy of our informative brochure Wills That Work or for an introduction to an estate planning lawyer who can assist you in preparing or updating your Will or with any other aspects of your personal estate plan.

• Move to a new province • Sudden wealth – i.e. lottery win or inheritance

Lets Connect:

• Increase or decrease in wealth • Passage of time • Change in family members or circumstances

Dan Hein, BRE Investment Advisor BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. 606 2nd St SE Medicine Hat, AB T1A 0C9

• Sale of a business

403-528-6771

• Retirement or severance

Dan.Hein@nbpcd.com www.bmo.com/nesbittburns

*Revokes a Will in all provinces except Quebec

Author: Irit Gertzbein, LLB, Senior Manager, Trusts & Estates, Enterprise Wealth Planning Group

Note: Some terms are capitalized for purposes of greater clarity in the context of this discussion only. BMO Wealth Management is the brand name for a business group consisting of Bank of Montreal and certain of its affiliates, including BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc., in providing wealth management products and services. “BMO (M-bar Roundel symbol)” is a registered trade-mark of Bank of Montreal, used under licence. “Nesbitt Burns” is a registered trade-mark of BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of Montreal. If you are already a client of BMO Nesbitt Burns, please contact your Investment Advisor for more information. The comments included in this publication are not intended to be a definitive analysis of tax applicability or trust and estate law. The comments contained herein are general in nature and professional advice regarding an individual’s particular tax position should be obtained in respect of any person’s specific circumstances.

Member-Canadian Investor Protection Fund and Member of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada

Some Love affairs Last Forever

Scott Cowan Editorial

Darwin was way off base when he postulated that mankind evolved from monkeys. Anyone who's ever witnessed or experienced the love affair between a man and his hunting dog will testify otherwise. The companionship, loyalty, and sense of unconditional love and acceptance, is second only to a man's wife. I had a friend whose wife claimed he loved the dog more than his marriage. He categorically maintained that "Faithful" (the dog,) was not the problem. However, both my friend and Faithful, watched her drive away in the moving van. To my understanding, and after exhaustive research, never has a single occurrence been documented of a man's hunting dog ever leaving him. I fell in love with "Princess," the moment she left nursing at her mother's breast to waddle over and lick my hand. We instantly bonded, I was seven years old and had just lost my dog to an accident. My father promised this puppy would be mine, soon as she was old enough to leave her mother. Princess was a lab/weimaraner mix. An excellent combination of strength melded into the grace of a pointer. As a young boy, I really did not realize how incredibly intelligent or life changing my dog was to become. Years later, she would be responsible for saving the lives of our entire family. As an only child living in an isolated community Princess became a friend, play mate, and protector. Dad started taking me hunting so young I carried a plastic dart gun. During those early years Princess soon proved to be more than a pet. She quickly became family. She would crawl through brush piles, freezing on point when a cotton tail rabbit was inches away hiding in the snow. In fall when pheasant season opened, she would totally ignore rabbits running a few feet away. Something meaningful happens when a father and son

spend time together in the field. When Dad hands a properly trained fourteen year old a gun, he is equal in responsibility with the father. It is a rite of passage, the son leaves boyhood, and walks with other men. I'll never forget on my first hunt, Dad stopped to chat with some neighbors. Princess was pressing on, I knew a bird was about to flush. A hen and a rooster exploded from the ditch. Both birds fell and I had bagged my first double. All the men applauded, pounding my dad's back. Forty-five years later, I still tingle thinking about the pride and recognition felt that day. Hunting is much more than pulling a trigger and killing an animal, much more. I grew up on Pelee Island, Canada's most southerly inhabited community. In these later years Pelee has also become famous for premium wine production. But you won't talk to very many upland game hunters without finding a fan of this small, 10,000 acre Island in Lake Erie. They host a world class pheasant hunt. As a kid, the wild population of birds was estimated in the forty thousand range. So much game erupting over approximately 32 square miles, makes for one of the best hunts in North America. In the late sixties it was nothing to see dozens of birds running in front of the combine. Princess became somewhat of a local legend. There were few dogs who equaled her hunting performance, and general love of garnering our praise. Any breed of hunting dog can be trained. But only few I believe, sense that their human is part of their pack, seeing and loving you as the Alpha. It was in the dead of night the winter of 1966. Suddenly awakened while laying in bed, my father realized he was struggling to find a way

to full consciousness. While hovering in that semi-dream like state, he became aware Princess was licking his face. The dog had never so much as walked on the living room carpet, let alone came all the way upstairs. First he was angry, then in a burst of awareness he began coughing uncontrollably. He turned on the light, there hovering just above his face was a dense swirling cloud. The house was engulfed in heavy, acrid, black smoke. Dad carried my mother and I to the safety of the front yard, both of us were unable to function from smoke inhalation. We were all moments from death. I have often wondered how Princess managed to get to us, considering a dog of her breed smells about 2500 times as sensitive as humans. Hours of laughter became the least of our debt owed, to this wonderful animal whom others callously referred to as, "the family dog." She not only saved my life, she made my life, in ways I can't describe. Over the years, Pelee Island has hosted base ball Hall of Fame winners, senators, business legends such as Lee Iacocca, entertainment celebrities, Members of Parliament, and Prime Ministerial candidates. In early years, Presidents Taft, Harding, and Cleveland have all had stories of Pelee hunting trips. Today, local families host hundreds of sports enthusiasts that make the pilgrimage each year to bag ten birds. Reservations are a must because tags and the limited accommodations go fast. The birds are farm raised now, but don't let anyone tell you it's like shooting in a hen house. There are copious acres of dense bush, that will scratch exposed skin, as easily as expensive shot guns. The opening volley of shots instills fear and a survival instinct in the pheasants that is uncanny. Birds will sit tight Continued on 17

Photo Credit Derek Jerrel

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Collecting Section Seven Expenses generally advise support recipients to get a ballpark amount for the section seven expenses, and just ask to put that amount in the order. That way, if it isn't paid, the order is simple to enforce.

Scott Stenbeck

1(866)783 6232 Law Columnist

I have written several times on the kinds of things that can be section seven additional expenses that are paid on top of monthly child support. Sometimes another question entirely, however, can be actually collecting them.

There can be some lag in between initiating a claim and getting an order for support or to enforce section seven expenses. It is important that even during that time, a support recipient continue to send requests and continue to request payment, and also continue to give advance notice and request consent. I recommend doing this by email so there is a record. If section sevens aren't being paid as they should, a parent can often get discouraged and "give up," in terms of sending receipts and asking for consent. That opens them up to an argument that those expenses should not be contributed and paid.

Something that always has to be borne in mind is that all section seven expenses are in the discretion of the court. The burden is on the parent claiming them to not only show that they are appropriate section seven expenses, but also to take the appropriate steps in terms of notice, consent and receipts. However, once these expenses are ordered and quantified, they are every bit as enforceable as section three support, the table support amounts.

Firstly, with items that are not emergencies, generally the courts want to see that the expense has been disclosed as soon as it is anticipated, and that an attempt has been made to discuss it with the other side before it is incurred. There are times that an expense is reasonable and would probably be collectible, but it is not because it has not been discussed or consented to in advance. Much of the case law in this area deals with certainty to both parties, and avoiding unfair surprises. The next item is to copy receipts for section sevens to the other parent as soon as the expenses are incurred. Without doing so, there is no proof the expense was paid, and there is no obligation to pay. The courts also discourage "hoarding" of receipts for extra expenses and the surprise to the other parent of having years of receipts and payment suddenly demanded. I have seen numerous times where expenses have been disallowed for this reason. With a parent that is difficult to collect from, and MEP becomes involved, there can be challenges in collecting section seven expenses depending on wording of the child support order. While it allows a parent more leeway in claiming more potential expenses to not have a specific number for section seven expenses, it can create difficulty with MEP in that they sometimes will not enforce the payments if a number is not specified. I

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Civil-ization Lost in short supply by current standards.) But now, conversation over and trade negotiations at an impasse, I had met the Prime Minister of Canada.

Brent Dunstan Columnist

My father was recently hospitalized, and given his advanced age, this has stimulated a lot of reminiscing on my part. No two Father/Son relationships are ever exactly the same; each has unique characteristics, events, and challenges. All have their ups and downs, and my memories (selective as they may be), reinforce that ours was a relationship with far more ups than downs. A chapter of my reminiscences could be titled, "Things I Learned From My Dad". One of those things is worthy of sharing, as it's both timely and relevant, given a troubling trend I've observed in the field of politics. This trend is evident at all levels, in every arena, but especially on the biggest stages. It was a lesson taught in the best manner; not in word, but by deed. It came in the form of being taken to meet the former, not the current, Prime Minister Trudeau. I was quite young, and we were living in Lethbridge at the time. Prime Minister Trudeau was visiting the city. My father took me out to the airport to see him as he departed. We stood along a barricade, and he went along it, shaking hands and chatting. When the Prime Minister came to my father and I, he shook my hand and said to me, "That's a nice hat." (My father tells me it was red. I don't recall it that way, but I'll take his word for it.) I replied, "That's a nice plane," and proceeded to propose a trade. I was at an age where it was socially acceptable to trade items among friends - hockey cards, toys, siblings, etc. He laughed and explained that the plane belonged to all the people of Canada, so it really wasn't his place to be able to trade it. (In retrospect, it was a display of fiscal responsibility and accountability regarding government resources that seems

The lesson? It's important to note; to say my father was no fan of The Right Honorable Pierre Elliot Trudeau would be an understatement of the grandest scale. While hate would be too strong a word, dislike would certainly suffice. However, given the chance, it was important to him that I meet the Prime Minister. While the words were never said, the lesson was clear. Regardless of what politicians hold them, one respects the offices they hold, and that respect is shown them when the opportunity presents itself. In short, be respectful. Disagree? Most certainly. Disapprove? Of course. Dislike? Sometimes, yes. Disrespect? Inexcusable. It accomplishes nothing. It's pretty safe to say that any notion of civility seems to have been lost in the realm of Civics. While politics has always had an unseemly side, there was, in the past, an intentional effort to keep that part of it back stage and behind the scenes. Now, it's become an unbridled blood sport, and even the most

contemptuous exchanges are done in the glare of the limelight, not by accident, but by design. This is not to say that opposition and critical points of view should be censored or stifled. That is not the case at all. Critical thought, and the ability to freely express it and engage in debate with those in power politically, is the hallmark of democracy. Former Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, whom my father knew and respected greatly said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The reading of history proves that freedom always dies when criticism ends.â&#x20AC;? However, what has deteriorated is the manner and tone of that criticism. It's interesting to observe those who have political positions contrary to those who hold office at any particular time. They are often the ones who prattle on about being the champions of democracy. However, the disrespect they show toward those who hold office, demonstrates how little they respect democracy itself. Our political leaders are duly elected, and hold office directly as a result of the democratic process. As such, to respect democracy is to respect its results, and that is directly reflected in the manner in which one engages and refers to those who are freely and fairly elected.

Continued on pg 19

Golf Simplified getting into the Scoring Zone

roll too far, better to select a bit more loft, pitching wedge?

Donald Crawley Golf Columnist TOP 100 Teacher Director of Instruction Boulders Golf Academy 480 488 9028 Donald.crawley@theboulders.com www.theboulders.com www.golfsimplified.com

To be a good golfer you need a short game, a really good one. Look through the history of golf’s greats and they all had a deft touch on and around the green. You may never (most likely) be able to overpower a golf course with booming drives like Hogan, Nicklaus, Woods, now Bubba, Jason, and Rory. I just love that these modern icons are known by first names. Did Michael Jordan start that? Maybe some Canadian hockey player? Apologies, I digress. Anyway, the top players have great short games. Although Bubba Watson hits the ball prodigious distances, he is a great putter. Some time last year he had the longest spell of not three putting. Jordan Spieth number one in the world is a brilliant pressure putter. Sometimes looking at the hole not the ball. Amazing! The start of developing a good short game begins with the visualization of the shot. We call that imagery. Seeing the picture of the shot in your mind, and playing a little video in your head, ahead of execution is crucial. Visualize the height, trajectory, landing spot and roll of the ball, before you even think of club selection. Imagine you are twenty yards off the green. The pin is cut in the middle of a relatively flat green, with no obvious obstacles in the way. Do you ‘see’ a low shot landing on the fringe of the green releasing, and rolling on a low trajectory, up the green and into the hole? You should. Where should the ball land? Be specific, “that brown spot on the fringe”. What club would give you the trajectory and roll you envision? Maybe it’s a 9 iron? No it may

After you ‘see’ this shot and select your club, i it is time to ‘feel’ the shot. Watch the pro’s they do exactly as I’m describing. Looking at the landing spot, with selected club in hand, make practice swings that resemble the length and pace of the swing needed to drop the ball exactly on your spot. SEE the shot first, FEEL the swing. Note; don’t take forever doing this slowing pace of play down. You should be doing these calculations, see and feel, out of sight when your playing partner is hitting their shot. Then it is your turn, and you a ready. You’ve seen, selected, felt the shot and swing, ready to stand up and execute. Now apply this same routine and procedure for putting. While it is someone else’s turn; farthest from the hole plays first,.Do your ‘green reading’ on each and every putt. See the slope. Where is downhill? How far away are you? How fast is the green? Hopefully you spent a few minutes prior to your round to feel out the speed of the greens. Green reading means: visualizing ahead of time of the length, direction, and pace of the putt. You are guesstimating what you see and think the ball will do. In practice roll a ball ahead of time to watch what the ball does as it approaches the hole and where it finishes. After you ‘see’ the putt, ‘feel’ the length and pace of your stroke to give you the desired result.

Again see and feel. Watch the pros, they do it. I think it helps to be looking at the hole, not the ground, when you take your practice swings. Your eyes are seeing the distance. Your brain determines the amount of oomph in your stroke. Brain sends messages to the muscles. Pick up a ball, rolled up piece of paper, whatever, and toss it into the wastebasket. You will instinctively follow the routine and procedure I am spelling out. There are many different putting grips, putters, stroke styles etc. But all good putters see and feel and have a marvelous touch of distance control. Work on that more than your technique. That means you have to practice, no short cuts here. Quick ‘Tiger’ story. When he was at his best, a friend of mine worked course maintenance at the club where Tiger lived and practiced. My friend goes by Tigers house at 6am. Tiger is on the putting green outside his house, working on his stoke and putting. Worker goes and mows nine greens returns by Tigers house 11 am. “ Mr. Woods, what did you have for breakfast today?” They both shared similar diets. Tiger doesn’t look up, but replies, “I let you know, just finishing up here”. Maybe that’s why he made so many clutch putts to win 14 majors. I think somewhere as you read this Jordan, Jason, Rory, Rickie are rolling putts, or chipping and putting, seeing and feeling the shot in hand.

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Some Love affairs Last Forever Continued from pg 11

in tiny clumps of grass only a kick away from your expensive Browning. After the first hour, the going can get really tough. You'll need to have a keen eye, and good dog to limit out. Excitement and adrenalin accelerates in to overdrive moments before the magic eight am. opening. You watch a dozen birds for a half hour, a few yards away picking on the side of a hedge row. It's as if an internal clock warns them to disappear into cover about 7:45 am. As the clock ticks down suddenly thousands of gun shots reverberate across the landscape. You feel like you've parachuted into a combat zone. Take care in the flurry of the opening moments. I knew a man that needed chest surgery after pellets passed through a canvas coat, vest, wool shirt, and long johns. I also recommend a good pair of shooting glasses. I've been "rained on," more than once by stray pellets. You should be standing in your choice location an hour before opening or someone else will be shooting your birds. It's those first furious shots that solidifies the addiction... satisfied only by coming back year after year. I was twelve, and Princess was in her prime. I was guiding some very tired city guys on the second afternoon. They needed a eight birds to limit out. I took them to a 20 acre field of high grass. I think we were lucky, but inside of an hour we were short only one rooster. Princess ran out about fifty yards into an open bare field. She froze on point toward a tuft of grass no bigger than a suitcase. None of the men wanted to walk way over there, in their words, for nothing. One passed me his gun saying, " you're young go check it out." About five yards away, I whispered, "go girl." The most beautiful cock rooster burst crowing from that seemingly nothing patch of grass. As my shot rang out, the pheasant fell poetically from the sky. Princess retrieved the trophy, garnering high praise for both her skill and myself. My first legal hunt was when I had turned fourteen. A neighbor sold me his old bolt action Stevens 410. This light shotgun is still my favorite for pheasants. You can shoot twice before a 12 gauge does once. One year for Christmas I bought my dad a pump 410 Mossberg. He cried, having grown up in the depression, he had to share a gun with his two brothers. He'd never owned one that was only his alone. Every time I use or even clean it, I am with my dad again. I can catch glimpses of him, and Princess darting through hedge rows. These cherished moments are treasured in memory. Animal rights activists and environmentalists will never understand sportsmen. Men can hunt or fish all day catching nothing, and still be entertained by the pursuit and comradeship.

As the years passed, I became an adult. Just as you blink and a puppy becomes a dog. Princess became grey around her muzzle. Fourteen years had come and gone, logging thousands of hunting hours. On our last hunt by afternoon of the first day, she trailed beside me too exhausted to go through the brush. The next morning I was going to leave without her. She came to the door whining like a hurt puppy, begging to come. I had to lift her into the truck. Energetic tail wagging succumbed to tired brown eyes. She had a cancerous hernia that hung from her tummy. It's a common problem with her breed. It was visibly painful, but she refused to give up. Occasionally she would sniff the wind, then saunter into cover, immediately the birds would fly. Other dogs were flushing around me. I found myself waiting only for those she would find. Her keen sense of smell and experience was unimpeded. I could have shot a box of shells, had I paid attention to the other dogs. She had earned my patience and loyalty. Then with hidden renewed vigor, she ran into hedge rows looking like a three year old pup again, for about an hour. I tried to hold her back, but she would not listen. It was magical, as if she knew this was her last hunt. Then it was over. About a hundred yards from the vehicle she laid down whimpering. I carried her to the truck. Earlier in the month a vet had shaken his head and said, "It is time." I wanted to give her that one last swan song. She was owed that to be sure. After those two magnificent days, the cancer ravaged fast. Before I could transport my best, most wonderful friend to a vet hospital, she slipped into convulsions. That last morning, she got up struggling and staggering to reach me, and collapsed. Holding her trembling body close, I gently cried, knowing what had to be done. Finally, when that last tear was wrenched from my soul, I loaded the 12 gauge. Her whole life she would cower if a gun was pointed in her direction. My Princess fully understood what came out of the barrel of a shotgun. But that morning, as I opened the door to the shed, she looked and saw, and with halting gesture, rose to her feet. For the last time, she gazed longingly into my eyes. Fourteen years of unconditional acceptance and unquestioned loyalty was once again poured over me, and she to the end, loved me. Shaking in body, but resolute in her face, unflinching, fearless, she stared directly into the barrel. With everything but an audible voice, I heard her say, "please, it is too painful, it's okay, just do it." In an instant, the greatest love of my life was gone...and I had taken it. That shot still rings large, unending, in my ears to this very day. I have never hunted pheasant since.

Old Charlie Darwin was wrong on two counts. Dogs, not apes are man's closest cousins. Second... Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m convinced there is a heaven, Dad and Princess are waiting for me there.

The original grapes for Pelee Island wine were planted on my boyhood farm. A taste of home in every glass.

A Conversation with my Neighbor “Sam” AUTHOR: Mark Brandly originally submitted to the Mises Institute Lately, I’ve wondered how my neighbor, Sam, affords to buy so much stuff. He appears to have an unlimited budget. When I asked him about this, Sam asked, “Do you think I’m spending too much?” “That depends,” I said, “How much money do you make?” “I take home $100,000 a year.” That surprised me. I would guess that he’s spending more than that. But I tried to be encouraging, “That sounds like plenty of income. With a little planning, you should be able to budget your spending and be financially stable.” “But my finances are a mess,” Sam replied. “I spend more than I take home. Last year I had to borrow $12,000 just to cover my spending.” “Well maybe things will be better this year,” I said, hoping that Sam’s spending issues was a one year problem. “No,” Sam replied. “Actually, in the first three months of this year, I’ve already spent $19,000 more than I’ve made. It looks like my budget deficit this year will be much worse than it was last year.” Now I was starting to worry. “Have you been borrowing money to cover your spending for a long time?” “Oh yes. I have a lot of debt. Part of the problem is that I owe myself $150,000.” I wondered if Sam misspoke, “Wait, wait, wait, you owe yourself $150,000? Why do you think that you’re in debt to yourself?” “Well you see, over the years I promised myself that I was going to use my paychecks to pay for a fund for my children’s education, but instead of spending $150,000 on colleges, I spent the money on other expenses. So I figure that I owe myself this money so that I can pay for my children’s college tuitions.” Obviously Sam doesn’t understand the definition of the word “debt.” I tried to be polite in my response: “That doesn’t make any sense. It’s true that you’ve made some horrible decisions regarding your

spending, but it’s ridiculous to claim that you owe yourself money. A debt occurs when one person owes another person money. Just because you changed your mind about how to spend your paychecks doesn’t mean that you’ve borrowed money from yourself. “So the first thing you need to do is to think clearly about the amount of debt you have. You don’t owe yourself any money. Now, forgetting about this ridiculous notion of selfdebt, how much do you owe?” “Alright, I think I see your point. Let’s just talk about the rest of my debt. I owe various banks about $420,000. This debt is more than four times my take-home income.” Sam often lies about his income and spending issues, but he always understates his budget problem. If he’s lying now, then I can be sure that the problem is even greater than he says. I wanted more information. “That a pretty high debt to income ratio. But that might be somewhat manageable, although unwise, if you’ve borrowed that money at low interest rates.” “I have some good news and some bad news,” Sam said. “Interest rates are low. In fact, in the last fourteen years, my debt has more than quadrupled, but my interest payments have increased less than 50 percent. That’s because interest rates have collapsed during that time. Isn’t that good news?” “I suppose, but do you know that interest rates are going to increase over the next several years?” “Yes, that’s the bad news. In the past year, I only paid $7,000 of interest, but within ten years my debt will increase over 50 percent, and possibly much more, and with higher interest rates I expect to be paying at least four to five times that much in interest annually.” “That’s a huge problem. So to be able to make your loan payments, I assume that you’ve taken out some long-term loans.” “No, no, no. In order to take advantage of the low interest rates, most of my borrowing is short term. I rollover my loans quickly. In the past year my principal payments on these loans totaled $207,000.”

“Let me get this straight. Your loan payments, including principal and interest, are well over twice your take home pay?” “Yes, I take home a little over $8,000 per month and my loan payments are over $17,000 per month. But it’s no problem. In the past year I borrowed $223,000 to cover everything.” Shocked, I said “How can you say borrowing more than twice your income is not a problem?” “I simply borrow all the money I need to make all of my loan payments. I never pay any of the loans down. I’ve been doing this for years, ever since I started spending more than I make.” “Okay. Most of your borrowing goes to cover your increasingly large principal and interest payments. And as interest rates rise, interest payments will become a bigger percentage of your spending. When that happens, your total debt will increase faster than your income. What is your plan, say in the next ten years, to correct this situation?” “Well I don’t have a plan for correcting anything, because I don’t see how I can cut my spending.” “What if the banks stop loaning you money to make your payments on your loans? What happens then?” “I guess I’m assuming that won’t happen.” Sam’s Budget Situation in Real Numbers If one of our neighbors budgeted in this manner, we would obviously conclude that the guy is crazy. No such plan could work. Eventually lenders would refuse to fund Sam’s spending. However, Sam’s situation looks a lot like the federal government budget plan. Take a look at some recent federal budget information and some Congressional Budget Office projections: * In FY (fiscal year) 2015, the feds had a budget deficit, counting only debt held by the public, of $339 billion, which is about 10 percent of their tax revenues of $3,248 billion. Continued on pg 22

Civil-ization Lost Continued From pg 14

A product of my lesson learned is the difficulty to refer to the person holding the highest political office in our country as anything other than "The Prime Minister." It used to drive me to distraction when people or the media, particularly those who most evidently suffered from what became widely described as Harper Derangement Syndrome, referred to the former PM as "Harper". Likewise, the current Prime Minister, in as much as one may not agree with, approve of, or even like, deserves no less than the common courtesy of being addressed and referred to by his title, befitting the respect due his position. Truly, I believe that the road to recovery in our political process is to be found when we reintroduce civility to its discharge and to our discourse. However, it's not just the public or the media that are the guilty parties. The participants themselves are among the most egregious of offenders. One need look no further than the current U.S. election. For example, watching the Republican Primary candidate debates was a similar experience to having the inability to avert one’s gaze from an impending train wreck. What could have been principled debates over policies and ideas, immediately disintegrated into nothing more than the trading of childish insults in the manner of pointing out shortcomings of the size of one another’s hands, and the exchanging of derogatory nicknames, i.e. Lyin’ Ted. One can only imagine that the Presidential campaign between now and November promises rhetoric of similar quality.

the Government and Opposition sides of the House is theoretically, if not literally, slightly greater than the length of two broadswords; a physical gap serving as a reminder that this is a place of verbal, not physical engagement, dating back to medieval times. Even Question Period, theatrical as it may now be under the glare of television lights, has eroded into an increasingly disrespectful exercise. Why has this trend occurred? Quite simply, we have allowed it. In a democracy, where the process reflects the voice and will of the people, there is no one to blame but ourselves. Politics, whether during elections or not, has decayed into part soap opera, part professional wrestling, with it’s overly dramatic and almost cartoon-like morality play, characterized by patently disrespectful behaviour. As an audience, we have not just accepted this, we have embraced it. Until such time as we the people cease rewarding this by our attention and our votes,

we can fully expect the performers to push the envelope to it’s breaking point. Until that occurs, we can also fully expect that such an environment will dissuade anyone of substance better than what we are currently presented with from participating in it. Why on Earth would anyone of sound judgement, and with character of weightier stuff, subject themselves to what we have allowed public service to degrade to? Where has simple civility gone? Brent

North of the border, the rapidity of the descent of our current Government into more of the same, despite promises to the contrary, was stunning. As overblown as the responses were, and the coverage of it was, the physical engagement by the Prime Minister of an opposition MP, no matter how innocuous, betrayed the spirit of Parliament as a place of debate and discussion, and was contrary to the symbolic nature of even the physical makeup of The House of Commons itself. Tradition holds that the aisle separating

Good government means measuring twice

Unfortunately, what we have seen from this government so far has largely not been of the “measure twice” style. Huge decisions have been made with little regard for economic realities. They have been made without due diligence or consideration of unintended consequences.

DREW MLA BARNES Cypress - Medicine Hat cypress.medicinehat@assembly.ab.ca 403-528-2191

There can be a lot of usefulness in old words of wisdom. Being involved in many construction projects over the years, I’ve heard old pros tell their younger apprentices the sage advice, “Measure twice, and cut once.” In the world of carpentry or framing, the point is that one should take extra care not to make a simple error that can’t be undone; there’s no cutting a piece of wood longer, after all. It may be common sense to a tradesman, of course, but it’s always a little harder to follow in practice. I remember being on one job site where a new hire had just cut a piece of lumber an inch too short. The visibly embarrassed young man had his tape out, desperately trying to figure out how he went wrong. His boss didn’t waste the opportunity to chide him a bit: “When I told you to measure twice and cut once, I meant in that order.” When I consider my role now as a legislator, I still find a great deal of value in that wisdom. While we may not be on a site putting up buildings, we are tasked with crafting good public policy. We are called to think through the implications of government actions and determine if they are in the best interest of Albertans – those whom we serve. I believe we should also be “measuring twice” before acting. The decisions made by the government often have far-reaching and long-lasting impacts which make it all the more important that we put proper care and diligence into our choices as elected representatives.

Nowhere was this made clearer than in a recently leaked government analysis of the carbon tax. According to their own numbers, we are facing the potential for stunted economic growth of up to 1.5% GDP, reduced investment, 15000 fewer jobs, and $4 billion in lost household income for Albertans. Adding insult to injury, both income tax revenue and royalties collected are expected to fall by hundreds of millions of dollars as a result of lost growth and investment. You can’t tax businesses that don’t exist. You can’t tax production that has been pushed out of the province.

This is not the mark of a government measuring twice before acting. In fact, you might say that this a government not even particularly concerned with the measurements at all. This is a government convinced of its risky agenda before considering the evidence or the will of the people. Recent actions beyond the carbon tax, including Bill 6 and an unrestrained debt and spending plan, are indicative of a government unwilling to listen, to consult, or to consider the struggles of Albertans first. In my conversations with constituents, I’ve found that Albertans aren’t asking for much at all. We only want the freedom to build as we always have and the economic opportunity to grow and thrive again. We would like to see a government willing to listen and think twice – a government willing to constrain its own impulses before jumping to constrain Albertans.

Changing Canada’s voting system will dilute voter power

Appeared in Winnipeg Free Press, September 8, 2016 Author: John Pepall

The Liberal government is pushing ahead with its campaign commitment to ensure that “2015 will be the last federal election conducted under the first-past-the-post [FPTP] voting system.” It claims that FPTP, where the candidate with the most votes in any riding becomes the MP, is bad. But it doesn’t pretend to know what would be better. In pursuit of a promised “national engagement process,” a special committee of MPs is trying to find a better way of electing MPs. They are doomed to failure. Because there’s no better way of electing MPs than the way we do it now. Though all kinds of different ways of voting have been tried since the 19th century in Europe and elsewhere, most of the democratic world votes by FPTP. Voting is a procedure for making decisions. When people wanting to do something together have talked it over someone will likely say “Let’s put it to a vote.” By which they mean “Let’s decide.” When there are more than two options, there may not be a majority for one. We all accept majority rule. But many people are disturbed when an MP is elected with only 31 per cent of the vote. Or when a party wins 54 per cent of the seats in the House of Commons with only 39 per cent of the popular vote, as the Liberals did last October. We should not be disturbed by these things. Plurality rule is just as valid a basis of democratic decision-making as majority rule. Schemes to produce a majority where there is none or give every theory or interest championed by a party a proportionate share in government prevent voters from deciding and holding those they elect accountable. In a recent essay for the Fraser Institute, I outlined the two broad categories of alternative electoral systems: preferential voting where voters list their preferences

amongst candidates; and proportional representation (PR) where parties present a list of candidates and get seats in proportion to their vote. Preferential voting may seem simple to voters. You just mark the candidates 1, 2, 3 and so on. But while voting may be only slightly more complicated than voting now, what may happen to the votes is anything but simple. Candidates who lose might have won had they received fewer votes. And candidates who win might have lost had they received more votes.

Under PR, voters effectively provide a sample of their opinions and the parties decide who will govern on a basis that might only be explained by game theory. Even the parties don’t know how to play the game. The voters lose control. If 2015 is the last election when we vote as we have since before Confederation, it may also be the last in which voters decide who governs them.

Electoral reform can get very technical and complicated. Its advocates imagine this is all a matter of getting it right. But the fundamental flaws in preferential voting and other schemes are well-known but ignored by the advocates. The PR scheme most talked about, mixed member proportional voting, looks like it offers the best of both worlds with most MPs still elected by plurality in ridings, the rest taken from party lists with voters getting two votes—one for their MP and one for a party. What voters may not realize is that the party vote rules. Parties that can’t elect an MP in a riding or elect fewer than their proportion of the party vote get seats to assure they’re proportionately represented. If your riding vote elects an MP, your party vote may count for nothing. Generally under PR no party can form a government by itself. Coalitions rule. No party can do what it said it they would do and be held accountable. Who governs is not decided by the election but in negotiations after the election beyond voters’ control. Some parties are permanently in power. Some are permanently excluded. Bums are never thrown out. In Germany what looks like a choice between the Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats ends with them both in a grand coalition.

A Conversation with my Neighbor “Sam” Continued From pg 18

The deficit has been declining the last few years, but that is now changing.

trillion. So just like Sam the government has a 4 to 1 debt to tax revenue ratio.

* In fact, in the first three months of FY 2016, according to the Treasury Department, federal debt held by the public increased $548 billion. Admittedly, some of this debt

* In the past fourteen years, from September 30, 2001 (the start of George Bush’s first budget) to September 30, 2015 (the end of Barack Obama’s sixth budget), debt owed to the public increased from $3,339.3 billion to $13,123.8 billion. That’s an increase of 293 percent.

was due to the fact that the feds were cooking the books in FY 2015 when they hit the debt ceiling limit. Nonetheless, the first quarter 2016 deficit is already 60 percent larger than the overall 2015 deficit. * The federal government claims to owe itself over $5 trillion (they call it intragovernmental debt here). This $5 trillion represents tax revenues that were earmarked for specific spending programs, such as Social Security, but were spent on other programs. Since the feds collected taxes to pay for Social Security, but spent the money on something else, they conclude that they owe it to themselves to collect those tax revenues again. That’s the essence of intragovernmental debt. We should not count this as debt. Give the Treasury Department credit for ignoring this type of “debt” in their Daily Treasury Statements and in their end of the year debt reports. * As of September 30, 2015, the feds had $13.1 trillion of debt owed to the public. FY 2015 tax revenues totaled $3.248

* According to the Daily Treasury Statements, in the past fourteen years, interest on treasury securities increased from $162.5 billion in fiscal year 2001 to $233.1 billion in fiscal year 2015. That’s a 44 percent increase during the same period when federal debt owed to the public almost quadrupled. * In FY 2015, again according to the Daily Treasury Statements, the feds borrowed $7,251.4 billion (see the Public Debt Cash Issues for September 30, 2015), an average of almost $20 billion per day. They spent $6,740.3 billion of this borrowing rolling over their debt. So, Federal principal and interest payments are more than double federal tax revenues. * According to the Congressional Budget Office’s baseline projections, debt held by the public in 2025 should exceed $21 trillion and

during that time interest rates are expected to increase. Interest rates have been kept artificially low for years. If interest rates return to a more normal level, say to the rates they were paying when George Bush took office fifteen years ago, then interest payments in 2025 will exceed $1.2 trillion. That’s over a 400 percent increase compared to the FY 2015 interest payments. I should note here that the baseline budget projections are optimistic. We should expect the debt situation in 2025 to be significantly worse than these projections. The federal government’s debt has exploded under the Bush and Obama administrations. Low interest payments due to the low interest rates have masked their budget problems. As interest rates and the spending gap on entitlement programs such as Social Security both increase, the budget problem will compound. The government’s plan is to borrow all of the money they need to pay all of their principal and interest payments and to also pay for the budget deficits in their spending programs. The question we should ask is: what’s going to happen when the world’s lenders refuse to bankroll DC’s spending schemes?

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