winter 2010
J u st f or C
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DOCTORS life + leisure
Turkish
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holiday
+ winter in Hong Kong + mushroom quiche + surgical Spider + sidelining stocks
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J u st f or C
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DOCTORS life + leisure
contents
winter 2010
winter 2010
Editor and Art Director Barb Sligl Editorial Assistant Adam Flint
Contributors Jim Barr Dr. Dara Behroozi Dr. Susan Biali Dr. Mel Borins Dr. George Burden Yvette Cardozo Dr. Holly Fong Janet Gyenes Dr. Art Hister Dr. Marlene Hunter Tiffany Jarva Lauren Kramer Ronald Labonté Dr. Chris Pengilly Dr. Neil Pollock Manfred Purtzki Lisa Richardson Dr. Kelly Silverthorn Corey Van’t Haaff Cover photo Tourism BC/Randy Lincks Advertising Sales Manager Ruth Findlay Senior Account Executive Monique Mori Account Executive Teri Richardson
Classified Sales Yen Le
Sales Office Advertising In Print 710 – 938 Howe St. Vancouver, BC V6Z 1N9 Canada Phone: 604-681-1811 Fax: 604-681-0456 Email: info@AdvertisingInPrint.com Associate Publisher Linh T. Huynh
clockwise from top left: ronald labonté; b. sligl; Tourism BC/Randy Lincks
Production Manager Ninh Hoang
Circulation Fulfillment Yen Le
CME Development Adam Flint
Founding Publisher Denise Heaton
18 FEATURES
16 18 26 33
Swiss bliss Snowed in, in Switzerland on foot in Turkey Walk the Lycian Way BC spotlight Olympic gateway in Vancouver + Whistler island charm two Vancouver Island getaways
COLUMNS
DEPARTMENTS
10 doctor on a soapbox
5 winter mix
Hats off to New Brunswick
12 the wine doctor
The path to preservation
39 CME calendar 45 employment opportunities
48 classifieds
Quiche it
14 techworks
Surgical spider
28 motoring
In Print Publications 710 – 938 Howe St. Vancouver, BC V6Z 1N9 Canada
Printed in Canada.
22 prescribing R & R
13 the food doctor
Just For Canadian Doctorsis published 6 times a year by In Print Publications and distributed to Canadian physicians. Publication of advertisements and any opinions expressed do not constitute endorsement or assumption of liability for any claims made. The contents of this magazine are protected by copyright. None of the contents of the magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of In Print Publications.
www.justforcanadiandoctors.com
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Back-to-back test drives
24 the wealthy doctor
Sideline the stocks
23 what’s up doc?
H1N1 hype
34 trenches Memories gone by
miss an issue? check out our website!
49 sudoku 50 small talk with Dr. Chris Cavacuiti cover photo:
Inukshuk at Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort. The inukshuk is a traditional First Nation marker. It’s also a symbol for the 2010 Olympic Games, taking place in Vancouver and Whistler in February. Winter 2010 Just For Canadian Doctors
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from the editor
Use your head to protect your skin.
Physicians know a thing or two about sun protection. That’s why we know you and your patients will appreciate that all Tilley Hats are certified UPF 50+ and most Tilley Travel Clothing is sun protective too. For information on our Physician Hat Program email zoez@tilley.com.
Toronto • Montreal • Vancouver For a local retail store or mail order: 1-800-363-8737 www.Tilley.com
Olympic flavour
T
he winter season is here and Olympic fever is getting hard to avoid. Some of us are excited and will celebrate with fervor, and others…maybe not so much. But for the most part, it’s hard not to get sucked in by all the festivities that will be going on during the Olympics in BC in February 2010 (pages 8 – 9 and 26 – 27). It’s all about Olympic fever—and flavour. Feed the fever! (See page 26 for some picks on where to nosh in the host city.) Most getaways are at least partly experienced through a destination’s cuisine, whether you’re a foodie or not. So, a visit to Istanbul will be remembered as much for the aroma and flavour of Turkish coffee as it is for the call of the muezzin at the Blue Mosque (page 21). And hiking along Turkey’s coast on the Lycian Way (page 18) is punctuated by servings of gözleme, Turkey’s savoury crepe, and çay (tea). And then there’s Swiss cheese…(page 16) Here at home, and just a ferry ride away from the Olympics, turn a winter visit to Victoria, BC, into a culinary adventure from high tea—complete with clotted cream— and artisan cheeses and charcuterie to microbrews and Ocean Wise seafood poutine (page 35). Or hunker down farther west at Long Beach Lodge over a local brew and a chess board (page 33). It’s all delicious, and makes a getaway that much more memorable. Seconds please! See page 22 for the first finalist in our R & R writing contest. Dr. Dan Ezekiel shares his Antarctic adventure. Share your own adventure or leisure activity with Just For Canadian Doctors’ readers, whether at home or afar. Send a 700-word story and we may publish it in our “Prescribing R & R” column. Published submissions have a chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip with Quark Expeditions (details at justforcanadiandoctors.com). We’ll continue to run the best stories in 2010. Barb Sligl, BA, MPub feedback@InPrintPublications.com
mix
what/when/where > winter
books | food | shows | festivals | places | getaways | gear…
get hot
thatched roofs, blowing white linens, endless beaches and sunny skies
The two-floor thatched roof cabana sways with warm Caribbean winds and glimpses of cyan sea appear through flowing white-linen curtains and mosquito nets. Now and again whispers in other languages, from Spanish to German, float through the windows. I’ve been to Mexico many times, after falling in love with the sun, music and food on my first trip to Puerto Vallarta as a university student. More than a decade later, this is my first time on the Mayan Riviera, and my first cabana experience. Within hours I have no desire to use any technology (if need be, access to the internet is available at most cabana receptions). I use a computer only a few times over the course of eight days, and want to do less and less as the days drift away. More rustic than all-inclusive four-star resorts, some say cabana dwelling is only a step up from camping, but as an avid camper, I have to disagree. When camping, you are often more busy than not. Not here: I have not felt this relaxed in years. >>
be cool from top: ecotulum resorts & spas; Door County Visitor Bureau
Scandinavian fish boils, snowshoeing, candlelit skiing & create-your-own art
getaway
A douse of kerosene is thrown on to the open fire. Flames touch the winter sky. Water boils over the large black pot. A crowd huddles around to watch, breath visible in the cold, crisp air. A few minutes later the boiled Lake Michigan whitefish, caught by local fishermen, is on our plates. Master boiler Tom Christianson performs this evening’s fish boil, just as it was 100 years ago by the Scandinavian settlers of the Door County peninsula. “There is no evidence that fish boils occurred in the Scandinavian home countries,” says Christianson. “As far as we can tell, Wisconsin is where the practice originated.” Whitefish is cut into small chunks, and boiled with small red potatoes, salt, and sometimes onion. Served with lemon and melted butter, the fish dissolves in my mouth, triggering a childhood memory of my Finnish grandfather smoking whitefish in a large can in his backyard in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Similar in taste, the fish boil is unique to Door County and has been drawing people here for decades. >> Winter 2010 Just For Canadian Doctors
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winter
hot getaway
>> I amstayingina cabana outsideof Tulum, less thana two-hour drivesouthof Cancun, but ideologically, a worldaway. Close-by, Mayanruins standona bluff facing theCaribbean. It is herewhereI watchbusloads of visitors cometojumpinthewaters: a uniqueexperienceof swimmingandgazingupat theancient ruins. UnlikeCancun, Tulum’s pristine powder beaches havenot yet beeninvadedby towering, sprawlingresorts. Thebeachis linedwith inexpensivetohigh-endcabanas withbrilliant views. Dependingonwhat you’reseeking, there arealsoeco-cabanas withnoelectricity, heat or airconditioning, either onthebeachor inthejungle, withopportunities towitness wildlifeincluding iguanas, geckos, andhermit crabs. Cabana resorts rangefromadult-only, clothingoptional retreats tofamily-friendly getaways. Many includemyriadwellness andrelaxationactivities includingyoga, temazcal (a traditional indigenous sweat lodge), Mayanclay massages, snorkelling, kayaking, bikingandevenluciddreamingcourses. Strollingthroughthecleanandcolourful streets of Tulumis another lovely way tospenda morning or afternoon. It’s therelaxationI enjoy themost about cabana style: drinkingstrongMexicancoffeein themorningsun; sippingmargaritas inthelate-afternoonoverlookinga small cove; andplayingcards by candlelight intothelateevening. I watcha youngboy collect andorganizecoconut shells, rocks andsticks onthebeach. Aniguana sleeps nearby inthesun. Greencoconuts huddleinthetrees. Surebeats winter in Canada. —Tiffany Jarva
musthave
1 Ahhh, Tiffanyblue…Longrenownedas thesignaturecolour of that go-tojeweller, anythingintheiconicgift boxfromTiffany & Co. makes just about anyheart flutter—AudreyHepburn’s or not. Needa business-savvygift? Givethesterlingsilver business cardcase, sterlingsilver pen, andjournal (inthat verysame blue) toa colleague(or yourself)—andit comes wrappedin, yes, TiffanyBlue®. tiffany.ca
Dona pair of funkyespadrillelikeTOMSandknowthat you’ll beprovidinga similar pair toa childinneedacross theglobe. That’s comfort fromhead totoe…Amongyour many choices: boldpatterns likethe words (“MakeArt, Not War”) of Remarque, thepaisley of Dickens, or theSilver or Camo“Tiny” versions for tots. TOMSshoes.ca
EcoTulum Resorts & Spa offers a variety of cabana andMayanspa experiences, stay at oneof EcoTulum’s threeresorts: theeco-rusticCabanas Copal, thehigh-endAzulik (withprivatecliff-perchedcabanas with hot-tubs) andthefamily-friendly Zahra. ecotulum.com; reservations@ecotulum.com; 1-877-301-4666
cool getaway
>> This peninsula has picturesquevillages, local wineries, cherry orchards, art galleries, cosy inns andvariedrestaurants, includingtheuniqueAl Johnson’s, a sod-roofedSwedish restaurant wheregoats ambleontheroof totrimthesod. Door County boasts 300miles of shorelineandis surroundedby water onthree sides: LakeMichigantothenorthandeast, andGreenBay tothewest. Apopular summer destination, thecounty is alsoa winter playground; numerous easy-to-access state, county andlocal parks offer snowshoeingand cross-country-skiingtrails—by candlelight! Stroll throughtheuniqueboutiques andgalleries that dot thevillages. Or, if you aremoreof a do-it-yourself gift-giver, Door County’s uniqueHands-OnArt Studiooffers walk-inclasses infusedglass, metal sculpture, mosaics, woodandceramics. “Steady. Try not tomakeany suddenmovements,” owner Cy Turnbladh instructs meas I weldfor thefirst time. After a coupleof hours inthestudioI’mgrinningear-to-ear, proud of my newmixed-media piece: a fusedglass andscrapmetal address platefor my house. “Families can comeandspendtheday, createtheir ownpieces andtakeeverythinghomewiththem,” says Turnbladh. “It’s anexperience; a memory.” Anddelightful Door County is definitely memorable. By mid-December thesnowstarts tofall, blanketingtrees andsettingtheholiday stagealongwithpristinewhite-washed buildings, twinklinglights andwreaths hungwithcare. —T.J. Blacksmith Inn on the Shore is a charmingB&B; 15uniquerooms havehandpickedantiques, views of the harbour, in-roomwhirlpools, fireplaces andprivatebalconies. Breakfast includes fresh-bakedmuffins, yogurt froma local goat dairy, Wisconsincheeses andcoffeeroastedlocally. Thearoma of freshpopcornintheevenings adds a lovely homey-feel toanalready relaxedatmosphere. theblacksmithinn.com; 1-800-769-8619 Duringthewinter months, ScandinavianFishBoils arehostedby thefour-seasonhistorical White Gull Inn andrestaurant every Friday at 7pm. 920-868-3517 For moreinfocheck out theDoor County Visitor Bureau at DoorCounty.com
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Winter 2010
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Arousingbook is always a goodthing. Makeit a book withbuzz, andit’s even better. Andif it’s authoredbyoneof Canada’s premier contemporarywriters, thenit might just bea slam-dunk. Either of thesetwonewbooks will dojust fine: Douglas Coupland’s newbook, Generation A, comes 18years after his ground-breakingGeneration X, another pop-culturesatireset inthenear futurewhenbees areextinct…; andMargaret Atwood’s, The Year of the Flood, a gutsyglimpseintothefuturethat is beingcalleda dystopic masterpiece. randomhouse.ca —B. Sligl
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clockwise from top left: ecotulum; tiffany & co.; toms (4); random house; door county visitor bureau
embrace winter + then escape it
mix
winter CME + ski
an avalanche of awareness
mix
The risk of an avalanche is a serious consideration for any backcountry enthusiast. In the past 10 years The Canadian Avalanche Association reports 144 deaths caused by this powerful force of nature. “Bottom line, if you are going to venture out in the backcountry you have to be educated. As physicians I think it’s our role to be educators,” says Vancouver-based EM physician Dr. Omar Ahmad. Dr. Ahmad will be part of a unique academic retreat/CME that takes place this January in Northern BC. It will take a look at the concept of risk homeostasis, a hypothesis developed by Gerald Wilde, a professor emeritus of psychology with Queen’s University. Wilde studied the increase of safety in cars and how it has not resulted in a significant decrease in death or series injury from accidents. “Wilde’s theory of risk homeostasis looked to how these devices make us feel safer and possibly take more risks,” explains Dr. Ahmad. “This theory is applicable to backcountry as well. Equipped with these devices, we may then venture into areas we normally wouldn’t go or go out on days when the avalanche dangers are higher.” Dr. Ahmad is not against the gear, but says it’s important to realize that increased safety devices can lead to a false sense of security. For Dr. Ahmad, an avid backcountry enthusiast, his interest in the topic revolves around education for him personally and his patients. “It’s a fascinating discussion not only in learning how to use this gear but that once we are aware of risk homeostasis it can reduce our chance for injury or death. And what better of a spot to do this in than the beautiful setting of a heli-ski lodge.” Dr. Ahmad is part of a faculty that includes some of Canada’s most distinguished orthopedic surgeons. The curriculum includes this discussion on risk homeostasis combined with additional tracks tailored to provide an update in emergency and orthopedic medicine for family, emergency and sports medicine medical professionals. For more on this retreat that takes place in mid-January, which includes 15 Mainpro M1 credits through the BC College of Family Physicians, please consult TandTadventures.com —Jim Barr
gift/
feet first
WHO You might recall Blake Mycoskie as a finalist in The Amazing Race TV show (he finished third in season two). After the show, he returned to his favourite destination, Argentina, and was struck by how many children had no shoes and, moreover, the poor condition of their bare feet. WHAT Inspired by the traditional, comfy rope-soled espadrillelike shoes worn in Argentina (called alpargatas) he designed his own simple slip-ons in a bevy of colours and patterns (see page 6). He called them TOMS, short for Shoes for Tomorrow. His goal: Get TOMS on those barefoot kids. And today, over 140,000 pairs of TOMS have been given to children around the world. WHY Podoconiosis (Podo) is a debilitating disease that causes extreme swelling, repeated ulcers, and deformity in the feet and legs, simply due to walking or working barefoot in silica-heavy volcanic soil, a common practice in rural farming regions of developing countries. SO? It’s a public health problem in at least 10 countries in tropical Africa, Central America and northern India. Some hard numbers: an estimated 11 million people in Ethiopia alone are at risk, with 500,000 – 1,000,000 people already affected; in one densely populated region Podo is more common than HIV infection. Deformity, pain, and existence as outcasts from society means sufferers are unable to work and support themselves through subsistence farming. BOTTOM LINE Podoconiosis is 100% preventable simply by wearing shoes. The early stages of Podoconiosis can be reversed by simple foot hygiene and the use of footwear. SOLUTION Blake (right, with kids after a Shoe Drop) calls it “one for one.” For every pair purchased, TOMS gives a pair of shoes to a child in need. Bonus for those of us buying: the shoes have become a fashion fave among the likes of Sienna Miller and Karl Lagerfeld. Feet first! —B. S. TOMSshoes.ca
one for one
from top: Northern Escape Heli Skiing; toms
charity
Winter 2010 Just For Canadian Doctors
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mix
GEAR up
winter 1 The Richmond Olympic Oval is home to the speed skating track.And it’s a green wonder. The massive roof is made of salvaged BC pine-beetle ravaged wood, the largest surface ever covered by the once-discarded wood. richmondoval.ca 2 On Vancouver’s downtown waterfront sits another international award-winning building—the expanded Vancouver Convention Centre with eco elements like the sleek-yetorganic living roof (at six acres, the largest in Canada). It’s home to the world media during the Games (and, afterwards, perhaps your next big CME event… 4,200 delegates meet here for the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress in October 2014). vancouverconventioncentre.com 3 Whistler Olympic Park, in Callaghan Valley, will host 28 total Olympic events (a third of the Games’ events). Watch ski jumping, nordic and biathlon events here, and then, post Games, up the cardio and channel your inner athlete on more than 70km of expertly groomed cross-country ski trails. whistlerolympicpark.com 4 The Whistler Sliding Centre (one of only 15 sliding tracks in the world) is in Fitzsimmons valley between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains on the shared traditional territories of the Squamish and Lil’wat First Nations. To the Squamish this spot is Wild Spirit Place; to the Lil’wat it is Spirited Ground. A lively venue for the combined bobsleigh, luge and skeleton events. whistlerslidingcentre.com 5 Cypress Mountain, located in Cypress Provincial Park, is just 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver. A fave spot for local ski bums; the commute and views (Vancouver’s cityscape and harbour far below) can’t be beat. During the games there will be plenty of grinds, rolls and ollies going on; it’s where the snowboarding and freestyle skiing competitions take place. cypressmountain.com —B.S.
5 Olympic venues
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For more info on Olympic venues: vancouver2010.com
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Just For Canadian Doctors
Winter 2010
Go Team Canada! Show your support by wearing the jersey Team Canada hockey players will have on the ice at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Future collector’s item? Whether Canada wins a medal on home ice or not, you can wear your hockey heart on your sleeve as Team Canada battles for the puck against the US, Fins, Czechs et al. Not a hockey gear fan but still want to support Canadian athletes competing in the Games? Show some love—and stay warm—with a vibrant knitted pair of Vancouver 2010 Red Mittens. At just $10, the Red Mittens are becoming a musthave memento of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (they’ve already sold out once…more available in January). And net proceeds from every pair of mittens sold go to supporting Canadian athletes in gaining access to top equipment and training. —B.S. vancouver2010.com/store
Venue photos, from top: © VANOC/COVAN; Vancouver Convention Centre; © VANOC/COVAN; Tourism British Columbia; Tourism BC/Insight Photography
fest x5
winter
cool heat
cultural olympiad
The Blue Dragon/Le Dragon Bleu is the creation of Québec playwright, actor and director Robert Lepage, who has been praised as a “master sculptor of light, space and sound” (Variety, 2009). As the third part of The Dragons’ Trilogy, an interpretation of Chinese dragon mythology, The Blue Dragon completes the seasonal cycle with the winter dragon, symbolizing death and rebirth. Part of the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad (a showcase of Canadian and international arts and culture featuring a variety of music, dance, theatre, visual arts, film, outdoor installations and digital media experiences; January 22 to March 21), The Blue Dragon is co-presented by SFU Contemporary Arts and Théâtre la Seizième at SFU Woodward’s in Vancouver, February 2 – 27. Tickets at sfuwoodwards.ca or call the box office at 604-873-3311. —B.S.
show
from top: ÉRICK LABBÉ; D&M PUBLISHERS INC.; northern garments Inc.
A-list anorak
Looking for a piece of Vancouver’s fab food book scene to take home? Or looking for a seminal dining spot to check out? Flip through this inspirational cookbook, put out by the Chef’s Table Society of BC, and find a place to check out as well as a dish to try…there are over 100 recipes from 70 of-the-moment chefs in-andaround Vancouver, like Tojo Hidekazu of Tojo’s Restaurant, Vikram Vij of Vij’s, and Melissa Craig of Bearfoot Bistro in Whistler. What to choose? (See page 26 for more choice Vancouver eateries; our MD contributors weigh in with some of their go-to places for delicious dishes.) dmpibooks.com —B.S.
mix
gear
London, Paris, New York…Dawson City? Known as the “Paris of the North” during the Gold Rush Era, Dawson City, Yukon, is once again the site of some hip and happening frontier fashion. The anorak. It’s not just a winter jacket. In the North, people develop a serious relationship with their parkas. And skookum [skoo-kuh m], a First Nation word for “powerful, strong and impressive,” embodies that in its primo outdoor gear. The SKOOKUMbrand® Yukon anorak is an award-winning luxury outerwear jacket that melds modern and traditional materials and design. Inspired by centuries-old Inuit design, designer Megan Waterman incorporates local materials— antler, bone and fur—into her designs. And she’s an advocate for fur harvesters (and wants them recognized as Stewards of the land). She also donates a portion of profits towards wildlife habitat protection in the north. Winner of national awards for design and innovation and officially endorsed by the 2007 – 08 International Polar Year, the Yukon designer’s company, Northern Garments Inc., is making serious waves in the fashion industry. Designs have been part of Toronto Fashion Week, alongside the Aboriginal Design Council and the Fur Council of Canada. And SKOOKUMbrand® has been scouted by Takashimaya in Manhattan (a venerable Japanese retailer and 5th Avenue fixture known as a “temple of uniquely curated merchandise”)…A-list anorak indeed. The company sees its anorak as a modern-day Canadian cultural artefact…watch for it at the 2010 Winter Games, where Yukon delegates will be wearing the anorak, and it’ll be sold alongside other original creations from Canada’s North at the Nunavut Development Corporation-sponsored Northern House in downtown Vancouver. —B.S. skookumbrand.com
MD MODEL: Dr. Daniele Behn Smith (right) is Eh Cho Dene of the Fort Nelson First Nation and has French Canadian/Metis roots in the Red River Valley. She recently relocated to Edmonton to practice Family Medicine as part of the faculty at the University of Alberta. Previously, she was a GP in the Yukon. SKOOKUMbrand® sees her as embodying the qualities behind the meaning of skookum—powerful, strong and impressive—making her an ideal model to don this anorak. Winter 2010 Just For Canadian Doctors
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d o c t o r o n a s o a p b o x D r . c h r i s p e n g i l ly Dr. Chris Pengilly is Just For Canadian Doctors’ current affairs columnist. Please send your comments to him at doconabox@telus.net.
hats off! East Coast physicians bring their government to task
I
take my hat off (even if it exposes my follicular challenge) to the physicians of New Brunswick who went all the way to bring their provincial government to task. Good for them to challenge the draconian legislation that would have scrapped a negotiated and signed contract. The background is that the physicians of New Brunswick negotiated a deal with the provincial government for a threeyear contract with a 3.75% increase each year. This was achieved last October; they had been without a contract since March
much less progressive agreement that involved the same number of dollars but demanded ‘tangible outcomes’ (a euphemism for paperwork—lots of it). The argument from the provincial medical association was that the legal fight would have been both expensive and prolonged. It certainly would have been. The health-care unions, however, did challenge it all the way to the highest courts; they were found to be justified, though irreparable damage had
Well done New Brunswick. If you had capitulated, the financial future for all Canadian physicians would not be pretty last year. Then this March the provincial government had a change of heart stating that they had “misunderstood” the negotiated contract (I kid you not); in June legislation was introduced that would extend the expired contract for two years. This effectively imposes a pay freeze— saving the province $36 million. This is not the first provincial government to do such a thing. In the 1990s the BC NDP provincial government unilaterally cancelled a negotiated retirement pension for physicians. This pales into insignificance when in 2001 the incoming Liberal provincial government in British Columbia refused to honour a binding arbitration that had been set in motion by the outgoing NDP government. They also scrapped most of the health-care workers contracts, firing the employees and replacing them with much cheaper contracted-out companies. The British Columbia Medical Association did not challenge this travesty. The decision was to swallow hard and accept it. It gets crazier. The provincial government then negotiated another
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Just For Canadian Doctors
been done by the time this decision was reached. The provincial government was judged to be unlawful and unfair. So it would appear that Premier Shawn Graham had seen that British Columbia got away with it with the physcians, and so felt emboldened to bring in retroactive legislation in June 2009. This legislation makes remarkable reading. Part of it states “any alleged agreement that was negotiated… that purports to replace the [existing] Agreement is null and void.” It goes on to invalidate any arbitration process, imposes a 0% fee increase and disallows any court challenges. Such legislation in times of war or overwhelming natural disaster would be understandable. Any government that signed an agreement in December, and then in March says it had underestimated the economic downturn is either inept, dishonest or both. The Canada Health Act is clear when it states that physicians must receive “reasonable compensation.” It goes on to demand that provinces must negotiate
Winter 2010
fees and that, if agreement cannot be reached, they will have recourse to conciliation or binding arbitration. If New Brunswick’s Bill 93 had received the BC treatment—i.e. passive acceptance—then I think it would have been open season on all Canadian physicians. Manitoba’s recent three-year $875-million deal, for example, wouldn’t stand a chance. At the time of writing the court date has been cancelled, and an agreement has been reached giving a 3.75% annual increase for four years, followed by a two year freeze. Well done New Brunswick. If you had capitulated, the financial future for all Canadian physicians would not be pretty. Postscript: I think part of the cancellation of the binding arbitration reward of 2001 was the blunt language of Justice McEachern. It makes lively reading; I will e-mail a copy upon request. Some excerpts include... It is regrettable that…relations between…the medical profession and the Government could not be much worse …No one can say when the deterioration began, but the unilateral cancellation by the Government of a previously negotiated pension plan in the early 1990s and the Government initiation of pro-rationing as well as chronic shortages of facilities certainly did not help. The Government reminds me of the person who bought a race horse without understanding how much it costs for stables, trainers, vets, hay, jockeys and all the other expenses that increase all the time while the commitment and the obligation continue. The financial circumstances of the Government are a legitimate factor to be considered, but that is not the end of the discussion…I have the view that Government cannot afford not to pay reasonable compensation if Medicare is to be defended as required both by law and the health needs of the public.
Vancouver Island
Cindy Riera 1-800-668-3622 cindyriera@shaw.ca www.pq-realestate.com
Parksville, Cindy Qualicum Riera Beach & Area
Parksville, Qualicum Beach & Area
Vancouver Island Toll-Free: 1.800.668.3622 cindyriera@shaw.ca www.pq-realestate.com
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ELEGANT FRENCH COUNTRY VILLA
Fashioned after the brick Victorian estates of the eastern seaboard and south of France. Situated on 7 1/2
Fashioned after the brick Victorian estates of the eastern seaboard and south of France. Situated on 7 1/2 private south facing acres which includes a large trout private south facing acres which includes a large trout pond, stables, equestrian riding ring and an additional pond, stables, equestrian riding ring and an additional separate 3separate bedroom 2 bathroom guest guest quarters as well as aassmall guest homehas has 3 bedroom 2 bathroom quarters as well a small guestcabin. cabin.This This4,500 4,500 sqft sqft home high quality finishing and custom milled cabinetry throughout, including an incredible Tuscan gourmet kitchen with sub-zero built-in appliances, granite counter tops, high quality finishing and custom milled cabinetry throughout, including an incredible Tuscan gourmet kitwood butcher block island, double Wolf ovens, Wolf cooktop range, 1/2sub-zero drawer built-in dishwasher, stainless steel roll out drawers, and a block large island, breakfast eating chen 2with appliances, granite counter tops, wood butcher double Wolfnook. The Brazillian hardwood floors are throughout the main living area, well as crown wainscotting, crystal chandeliers, glass french ceiling ovens,asWolf cooktop range,mouldings, 2 1/2 drawer dishwasher, stainless steel roll out drawers, and a doors, large breakfast speakers, wood blinds, and many patios and outdoor decks. Theeating luxurious bedroom has a floors fireplace, private deck large area, exquisite nook.master The Brazillian hardwood are throughout the and mainaliving as wellensuite. as crown mouldings,
chandeliers, glass french doors, ceiling speakers, wood blinds, and many patios and 1920 wainscotting, Fisher Roadcrystal - Parksville $1,450,000 outdoor decks. The luxurious master bedroom has a fireplace, private deck and a large exquisite ensuite.
RETIREMENT LIFESTYLE WITH STUNNING OCEAN VIEWS 102 - 1325 Cape Cod Drive - Parksville $569,000
RETIREMENT LIFESTYLE WITH STUNNING OCEAN VIEWS The Onyx at Craig Bay - affordable condo with penthouse views. Experience the stunning ocean views from this 2 bedroom level entry condo in this very desirable The Onyx at Craig Bay - affordable condo withlifestyle! penthouse views. Experience thethe stunning ocean viewskayak from storage), and enjoy the miles of sandy beach. Bask in the sun on waterfront development. It’s all about Take a short stroll to beach, (there’s this 2 bedroom level entry condo in this very desirable waterfront development. It’s all about lifestyle! Take your 34’x34’ patio, relax by the pool, play tennis, or just lounge in the multi-million dollar clubhouse and recreation facility. This is the perfect retirement community a short stroll to the beach, (there’s kayak storage), and enjoy the miles of sandy beach. Bask in the sun on located in patio, Canada’s belt,orwith Golf Courses, fishing, sailing, and skiingand at Mt. Washington – What are you waiting for? your 34’x34’ relaxtemperate by the pool,banana play tennis, just 5lounge in the multi-million dollar clubhouse
recreation facility. This is the perfect retirement community located Canada’s temperate banana belt, 102 in - 1325 Cape Cod Drive - Parksville $569,000 with 5 Golf Courses, fishing, sailing, and skiing at Mt. Washington – What are you waiting for?
Outstanding Agents
Outstanding Results
Office 1-800-668-3622
RE/MAX Anchor Realty Each office independently owned and operated P.O. Box 1890, 113 West Second Avenue Qualicum Beach, BC (250)752-2466 l www.Remax-Anchor.ca
the wine doctor dr. neil pollock Dr. Neil Pollock is a member of the Wine Writers’ Circle of Canada; visit his website on wine at vinovancouver.com or send feedback to drneil@pollockclinics.com. He practises no-scalpel, no-needle vasectomy and infant circumcision.
mission accomplished The search for the perfect re-corking method
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ast Father’s Day I received a singularly thoughtful gift from my family. This gift demonstrated passion, research skills and ingenuity in finding the solution to a problem that has plagued me, and countless other oenophiles, since the first bottle of wine was uncorked over 1,700 years ago somewhere in Ancient Rome. Those of us who have had a few bottles of wine in our time recoil at the prospect of drinking the remainder of a half-finished bottle a few days after it has been re-corked. As you likely know, contact with oxygen dooms re-corked wine to a deteriorated state. This becomes painfully obvious when the bottle is re-opened and tasted days, or mere hours, later. The wine takes on a muted expression. It loses its bouquet and lively fruitfulness and seems flattened. Since the Ancient Romans first floated olive oil atop wine in an attempt to protect it from oxidation, wine lovers have endeavored to solve this problem. And, until last Father’s Day, I personally struggled with this issue for years, trying various products and techniques, while never quite resolving the issue. One of the more common wine preservation products on the market is the vacuum pump system. A rubber stopper is twisted into the neck of a half-finished bottle of wine; a vacuum device is then placed onto the stopper and pumped to suck the air—and oxygen—out of the bottle and create a vacuum. Such systems cost $15 to $20 for a sturdy model with a single stopper (additional stoppers are a few dollars each). When they function well (i.e. when vacuum pressure is properly created and maintained) the pump systems do a decent job of preserving the wine for three to four days with minimal deterioration. However, I have found that the rubber stoppers are often unable to maintain
vacuum pressure, which leaves me mourning the death of a perfectly good half-bottle and wishing I had polished it off at the outset. Some doubt the ability of these systems to fully preserve bouquet, even when the products are functioning optimally. Having decided that vacuum systems ”sucked,” I devised my own deceptively simple wine preservation method (at the time, I wondered why I hadn’t thought of it sooner!). After dinner one night, I poured a half-finished bottle of wine into a 375 ml bottle—half the original size—making sure that the cork of the now-full smaller bottle was twisted airtight. Upon reopening the smaller bottle a few days later, my bubble burst when I discovered that the wine was utterly flat. It turns out that wine is so sensitive to oxygenation that the process of transferring wine between bottles allows enough oxygen to mingle with the wine to give it a notably oxidized character a day later. Alas, solutions that seem too simple often are. And while on the topic of simple systems, there’s the practice of placing small marbles into a partially filled wine bottle. The submerged marbles push the air out of the bottle, which can then be re-corked with little oxygen inside. This method supposedly keeps the wine fresh for a few days, but its limitations lie in corralling and handling many small marbles (aka Marble Management) and then pouring the wine through a strainer to keep the glass spheres from spilling out and breaking your
3 winning wines
wine glasses. Despite its tricky logistics, the marble system—on its own or combined with refrigeration—should help slow oxidation. (Note: Refrigeration does not work as well for reds as it does for whites. Storing red wine in the fridge dampens the acidity and flavour, which cannot be revived, even after warming.) Unfortunately, the prospect of wine-soaked marbles and broken glass all over my dining room floor has kept me from seriously considering this method. So, last Father’s Day my quest finally came to an end when I unwrapped the Perservino wine preservation system (retails for about $100; peksystems.com). The Perservino system uses argon gas, which is heavier than air. Argon gas is infused (with a dispenser) into a stopper that is placed into the neck of the bottle. The stopper allows air to escape from the bottle while argon fills the dead space. Once the bottle is topped with argon, the stopper turns to close off the unit and trap the layer of argon over the wine (argon cartridges, good for 10 usages, cost about $5 each or $.50 per use, which seems quite reasonable to me). I tried this winning method on three equally winning wines Quails’ Gate 2007 Pinot Noir and Mission Hill’s ’06 Quatrain and new Compendium, both from their Legacy Series, and was thoroughly impressed with the degree to which they were preserved on subsequent tastings. (See sidebar.) In the end, my family’s thoughtful discovery of the perfect solution to this ageold problem turned out to be…a real gas.
The Quails’ Gate 2007 Pinot Noir ($25) is quite smooth with vibrant sweet, ripe, black cherry and plum characters. It has a fine tannic structure that, like many BC wines, unwinds especially well after a couple hours of aeration. It has a soft, silky texture with a lingering finish. The ’06 Quatrain ($45; above right), out shortly, is made of Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet franc and Cabernet sauvignon (41%, 32%, 14%, 13% respectively). Like the ’05 it’ll be a huge hit. It demonstrates ripe cherry and blackberry fruit with hints of One of the best Okanagan harvests—ever—produced another great vintage in coffee mocha and ultra-fine tannins, beautifully balanced. the ’06 Compendium ($40; above left). It’s a Bordeaux-style wine made of predominantly Merlot, Cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet franc, and Petit verdot, and sits just one tier down from Oculus, Mission Hill’s king pin. You’re struck by the bouquet of black raspberries and dark chocolate with a palate of vibrant dark red fruits and mellow tannins with a savoury deep finish. quailsgate.com; missionhillwinery.com
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t h e f o o d d o c t o r d r . h o l ly f o n g Dr. Holly Fong is a practising speech-language pathologist with three young children who is always trying, adapting and creating dishes.
beyond button Sample the many mushrooms now available mushroom crustless quiche
dr. holly fong
W
henever I go to the grocery store, I’m always on the lookout for new produce. And every year, the 3 tablespoons fine bread crumbs variety of mushrooms has sprouted—even in 1 large leek the major chain stores. Ten years ago, white 5 cups cleaned, sliced assorted mushrooms (approximately 1 pound of button mushrooms were the norm. Now they chanterelle, stemmed shitake, separated share space with shitakes, portobellos, brown beech, crimini and button) buttons (crimini), oyster mushrooms and eno1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter and extra kis. If you shop at smaller, specialty greengrobutter to grease a deep-dish pie plate cers, the choice might include chanterelles, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves cauliflower mushrooms, hen of the woods, ½ teaspoon salt beech mushrooms, lobster mushrooms, ½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper 4 large eggs porcinis, trumpets and truffles—black ones 2 cups half-and-half from France and white Italians. Some, such as pinch of salt and pepper chanterelles, will be available throughout the 2 cups coarsely grated Gruyère cheese winter while others (truffles) will be gone by (approx 8 oz) December. Sample what’s in season. Preheat ovento425F. Butter a 9-inchdiameter deepIf you are only familiar with the white butdishpieplateor quichedish. Sprinklebreadcrumbs ton variety, now is the time to try something over thebottom. new. Mushrooms, especially wild ones, lend Cut theleek lengthwiseandrinsewell. Discard an elegant earthiness and meatiness to a thedark greenparts. Thinly sliceintoapproximately dish. When choosing mushrooms, pick those ¼-inchpieces. Set aside. that are heavy for their size with dry, firm Melt 1½tablespoons butter ina largeheavy skillet caps and stems. Avoid ones that are damp or over medium-highheat. Addmushrooms, sprinkle shriveled or with dark or soft spots. with½teaspoons of salt andpepper. Sautéuntil tender Mushrooms can be simply sauteed with andbrown, about 8 – 9 minutes. Addleeks andstir some salt, pepper and butter as a flavourful until soft. Addchoppedthyme, stirringoccasionally for accompaniment or combined with onions or 1 minute. Removefromheat andlet cool slightly. shallots, cream, cheese and eggs as a main Spreadmushroommixtureover breadcrumbs in dish. One of my family’s favourite meals is a dish. Sprinklegratedcheeseevenly ontop. crustless mushroom quiche. Savoury and full Whisk eggs, half-and-half, pinchof salt and of flavour, getting rid of the crust simplifies pepper ina largebowl toblendandpour over cheese. the cooking and keeps the best part of the Bakeonrack inthemiddleof theovenuntil topis quiche. It makes a tasty meal when paired goldenbrownandjust set inthecentre, about 30 – 35 with a salad of frisée lettuce, pomegranate minutes. Cool ona rack for 15 minutes beforecutting seeds and hearts of palm in a sherry vinegarintowedges. olive oil dressing. If you are looking for a food-and-wine pairing, the classic choice is a French chardonnay from Burgundy. The 1997 Renommée Bourgogne from Remoissenet Père et Fils is a reasonably priced mature but still crisp and vibrant wine. It has a velvety balanced texture with hints of lemon, green apple and a flinty finish that pairs well with the creamy earthiness of the quiche. Bon appétit! (serves 4 – 6)
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techworks
C o r e y Va n ’ t H a a f f Corey Van’t Haaff is Just For Canadian Doctors’ technology columnist and the owner of Cohiba Communications. She can be reached at medicalnews@ cohibacommunications.com and welcomes ideas for future columns.
the surgical spider A simple solution to a complex problem
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merican architect, designer, author and inventor R. Buckminster Fuller, developer and patent holder of the geodesic dome, said he just invents, then waits until man comes around to needing what he invented. Once he finally decided what he wanted to do with his life, Brent King took an opposite approach, determining the need first, and then inventing a solution. “My father and brother were engineers,” says King, Vice President of Operations (and one of the owners) of Tenet Medical Engineering. “There was no way in hell I was going to be an engineer. I was a kid looking for my own path.” He really liked the idea of biology and medicine and his strengths lay in mechan-
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ics and machines. “The human body was a cool machine,” he says. “And I liked biology course work. But near the end of my degree, I realized I didn’t have the marks or the mentality to be a doctor.” A friend of his suggested he stop fighting his natural talents and become a medical engineer. “It was my passion and what I was good at,” he says. Armed with a biology degree from the University of Calgary, he entered the University of British Columbia to get his engineering degree. “I steered every project with my second degree toward medical. I had a clear vision of what I wanted to be and made as many contacts in my field as I could.”
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With a friend, King started a consulting company and the two became known as the guys who could get things done. He worked first with Pyng Medical, developing a fluid delivery device for trauma patients. Then, in 1997, he returned to Calgary, answering an employment ad from Tenet Medical. “It was me and Ken Moore and the receptionist. I brought my computer in from home and set-up in a closet in borrowed
techworks
space. A few doctors backed us up with ideas and we started to try to satisfy their needs.” But the need for an income was stronger and King left for other employment, returning on evenings and weekends to work on Tenet projects. It was a good move. King worked first at a magnetic bearing company, gaining experience with systems; then at an imaging company where he developed rapid design experience. “The stuff I learned I needed, and it made Tenet strong,” says King. In 2002, King became a partner in Tenet and focused on building products like the Spider. The Spider is a mechanical replacement for a human assistant, positioning limbs during surgery. “In many cases, it’s a nurse or an assistant or another surgeon holding the body still. This replaces them and frees them to do more important tasks in the OR.” The Spider attaches to any OR table and is adaptable to any part of the orthopedic patient, including arm, wrist, elbow, ankle, leg, or knee. It allows the surgeon room to move, and is rigid, so it stays perfectly still
when in place. “It lets the doctor decide where the limb is, rather than verbally describing it to the assistant,” says King. “Now the surgeon says, ‘I move the arm where I want and it stays there. I’m in control of positioning.’” The Spider meets a real need for greater efficiency of both people and limb positioning in the operating room. “This came from a surgeon’s suggestion. It’s one of our core strengths; listening to surgeons and better identifying products of mass appeal,” says King. “I kept hearing about problems with positioning and why—space and staff. They tell us these stories and we look at creating something that will solve that problem. We made sure our product was flexible and could move across the body area.” The Spider, he says, is in the same price range as his competitors’ machines, which each handle only one body part. Before the
Spider, a hospital would typically have to purchase five different pieces of equipment. Moreover, other equipment was inflexible; you would set it once then not be able to move it again during surgery. The Spider, in contrast, can continually modify positioning during surgery. There are more than 2,200 units in 50 countries worldwide, with room for a much larger market. “We continually add new procedures to Spider’s repertoire as surgeons come to us and need accessories to hold this retractor or that scope,” says King. The Class 1 product is registered with the FDA, Health Canada and the European Union. “It’s a reasonably simple solution to a complex problem,” says King of the Spider. “From a company point of view, surgeons’ ideas drive innovation in the medical device industry. Doctors suggest ideas; people want help developing them; and they get that with us.”
Surgeons’ ideas drive innovation in the medical device industry
The next time your mind wanders ...
why not let your body follow? Escape to Antigua and Barbuda, where secluded beaches long to be discovered and the authentic warmth of island culture welcomes you with unparalleled hospitality. In a place where sophisticated elegance, tranquil refuge and exotic tradition coexist, you will feel a world away yet still so close to home. Here, pleasure is no pursuit – it is a way of life.
Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Office 60 St. Clair Avenue East, Suite 601, Toronto Ontario M4T 1N5 Tel: 416-961-3085 info@antigua-barbuda-ca.com www.antigua-barbuda.ca
Winter 2010 Just For Canadian Doctors
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Antigua_CanDoc_Oct09.Indd
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Slopes, spas, spies (think 007), snowbikes In the end, we didn’t do that much skiing in Switzerland. We were too busy soaking in hot water pools, riding snowbikes down mountains, deciding whether to buy a Swiss watch in an ice palace at the “top of the world,” and…yes, eating cheese. Leukerbad is not exactly on the “Swiss most visited” list. It’s a typical small mountain village of 1,200 people, cobblestone streets that rise and drop at alarming angles, charming old houses built of sturdy pine with carved gnomes on the doorsteps. And baths. Lots of baths. People have been coming here for 500 years for the town’s hot, healing waters. A combo ticket lets you ski and spa; it gets you into the three local spas where you can spend an afternoon alternately baking and freezing your body in the nude. First we ski. We skied ourselves into exhaustion the first day, then grabbed our bathing suits and
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headed for Burgerbad to bob in a thermal pool while sipping wine and nibbling sliced cheese from a floating tray. Then it was off to the Alpentherme pool where we floated in hot water while watching the latest James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, on a fullsize movie screen. (And 007 reappears…) There was also a large outdoor heated pool with metal reclining chairs set just under the water’s surface. Stretch out as rolling bubbles massage you from underneath and gigantic snowflakes tickle your face. And there was the Roman/Irish bath: 11 rooms of sauna and steam that get progressively hotter, broken by a quick, soapy massage and body scrub with coffee grounds, and then a gradual cool down. The sauna rooms had windows so we could watch a snowstorm turn the village into a Christmas card (and snow us in). Oh, and we were all nude…men and women together without a concern…well, at least the Swiss were nonchalant. In addition to baths, the Swiss do
Winter 2010
something else incredibly well…cows. Cows have sustained the Swiss over the centuries. Once you’ve had creamy Swiss milk (at breakfast alone there’s milk, butter, yogurt and tiny milkshakes), you’re spoiled. After four days of baths, milk and a bit of skiing, it was on to Grindelwald. If Leukerbad is off the beaten path, Grindelwald stands firmly in the middle of the trail. This is the iconic Swiss Alps town, known around the world. Once again, we were snowed in…more than a metre had fallen in two days. “But the sun is coming,” said a cheerful local friend. “11:09,” he added, with an air of Swiss finality. Actually, he wasn’t far off. At 10:47 am the sky cleared, the gondola fired up and off we went into the high mountains. It took us an hour to get to the Lauberhorn run, a safari trek that involved a bus, a cable car and several lifts. In other words, the ski areas above Grindelwald are BIG. You could ski here for two weeks and never do the
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bliss
and some cheese…story + photography by Yvette Cardozo same run twice. The trip down was another journey. From the very top, you thread tracks through a world of white, gradually coming back to civilization past rustic wood huts that hold cows for the winter, past the tinkle of goat bells, small farmer cabins, down roads, over bridges, through tunnels, and finally skiing into people’s backyards and along city streets. But skiing is not the whole story here. Forty percent of winter visitors to Grindelwald don’t ski. So, the next day we did the James Bond breakfast at Piz Gloria, a revolving restaurant high in the mountains in the Schilthorn area—the view is breathtaking. It’s been 40 years since the James Bond film, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, performed its famous ski chase and jumps here (below the restaurant they show ancient film clips). The other big non-ski activity is the cog train. We caught it to Kleine Scheidegg and on to Jungfraujoch, Europe’s highest train station at 3454 m. Some 7.5 km of the 9.3
km ride is through a tunnel and the top part, alone, took 16 years to build at a cost of what would be $25 million per kilometer today. Up top, there’s a weather station, an observation deck with killer views of the glacier, a booth to send picture emails to your friends, an ice palace with sculptures of igloos, penguins, eagles…and a concession stand selling Swiss watches. “A once in a lifetime trip. Everywhere you look it’s a postcard,” breathed a man from Delhi. Our last day we rode a velogemel, a wooden snow bike that locals have used for centuries. It’s a simple wood saddle, handlebars and skis instead of wheels and it works exactly like a bicycle. We slid down the mountain, curving and floating alongside trees. It was a blast. Some 725 vertical metres later we wound up at Kleine Brandegg where we did what any smart Swiss does at the end of a snowy day…savoured the local drink, in this case a mix of coffee, kirsch (potent cherry liquor),
sugar and whipped cream. We ended in search of a good, strong local cheese. We found it at a sport shop, where the proprietor excused herself to rummage in the basement, coming back with a half-kilo wedge. Who made the cheese? “We did.” You have cows? “Of course. Four.” Doesn’t everyone?
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Winter seasoninSwitzerlandruns December throughApril. For overall information: MySwitzerland.com. Leukerbad; leukerbad. ch. Grindelwald: grindelwald.net/index. php?userlang=en. Jungfrauandthetripto“the topof theworld”: jungfraubahn.ch/en/. Schilthorn andtheJames Bondactivities: schilthorn.ch/en/ Swiss transportationsystemincluding trains, buses, ferries, Swiss Pass andmore: swisstravelsystem.ch.
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hree things are immediately apparent about Turkey’s Mediterranean coast: First, it is stunningly beautiful; second, west of Antalya, the region’s major city, it successfully blends traditional coastal and rural livelihoods with tourism; and third, in the words of one of the local Turks spoken more wistfully than with anger, “it is slowly being colonized by the British, since that is what they know best: how to colonize.” Youthful British retirees are “discovering” the region in much the same way they did the Spanish, French and Italian country-sides in earlier decades. The strong British pound and a UK-wide real estate bubble provide the means; Turkey’s proximity and potential EU membership the stability; and the languorous beauty of its southern coast the draw. While we encountered only pleasant greetings from the men and women working the fields (“merhaba, merhaba…hello, hello”) or from the café- and shopkeepers in the towns, an undertow of resentment to this privileged invasion may be building. A recent survey of Turkish residents around Antalya found that a majority were concerned with the number of expats becoming year-round neighbours, which could grow as the foreign demand on real estate drives prices beyond what local Turks can afford. But at this moment, Turkey’s western Mediterranean coast remains a bucolic wonderland. Apart from its meandering seaside, it is home to the Lycian Way, completed scarcely a decade ago and now rated as one of the world’s 10 best walks. The Lycians were an ancient people who occupied the southern coast for a millennium, littering it with scores of 2,000-yearold tombs (some in monumental form, others cut elegantly into rock faces) and leaving behind the sunken city of Kekova, which slipped several metres beneath the sea in a second-century CE earthquake. story + photography With Persian, Greek and Roman additions of columnar temples and intact amphitheatres, the detritus of earlier eons is an archaeological companion along the Way’s 500plus kilometre route. This, despite the ruins’ lack of the fine statuary and most elegant tombs that an earlier British colonizer, Sir Charles Fellows, packed off to the British Museum in the 1840s. We did not walk the entire route. Few people do, which would take about a month. While we encountered some (considerably younger) backpacking folk who were walking about half its length (it winds its way through many small villages offering food, accommodation and camping), we chose a number of shorter 3 – 5 hour day hikes. Our base was a renovated 19th-century cottage in a small farming village of Çukubarğ in the hills just north of the coast, located right on the Lycian Way. One walk heading upwards, skirting rocky and steeply terraced mid-spring fields full of poppies, vetch, clovers and daisies (to name only those easily recognized), took us to Phellos, one of many minor ruins along the route. Twisting south from the village is an eight-kilometre steep descent to the (still) tranquil seafaring village of Kaş and the ruins of Antiphellos, consisting primarily of a well-preserved Roman amphitheatre. Despite a burgeoning influx of expat retirees, Kaş (population 6,000) retains the feel of a fishing
hamlet. Touring vessels share the wharves with smaller and more numerous fishing boats while outdoor cafés, though favoured by tourists, are at least as populated by locals. School kids hold their parades; men repair their nets; families play in the park. The Way wends through Kaş and, for the more intrepid with particularly good footgear, there is a looping trail that goes to the end of one of the lagoons that lends Kaş its situated beauty. The lower route, however, and best taken on the return, is a little frightening; part of it climbs a steep cliff on rock “steps” not more than 20 centimetres wide. The reward (apart from survival) is to brush against Lycian rock tombs cut into the cliff face while wondering how the funeral party ever survived the entombment. Other walks took us to several of the larger archaeological sites of the once-great cities of the democratic Lycian League: Myra (with fantastic rock tombs), Letoön (where Leto, a Greek goddess, was refused the spring’s water by the locals and, in hussy fashion, turned them into frogs; but resourceful frogs that managed to construct temples and an amphitheatre), Xanthos (one of the grander sites and the major Lycian city until its residents, losing to a Greek invasion engineered by Alexander the Great, committed mass suicide) and Patara (a sprawling collection of ruins set magnificently in poppy-festooned fields). Patara is also home to a village of pansyons (pensions) serving the eponymous beach that lies just beyond the ruins. Regarded as one of the world’s greatest beaches for its length (20 kilometres) and its emptiness (no development is allowed) its empty openness also subjects those braving it to strong offshore winds that give new meaning to the term “sand-blasted.” One of the Way’s more sombre paths runs through Kayaköy, a by Ronald Labonté ghost village splotched against the side of one of the region’s prettier inland valleys. The inspiration for Louis de Berniere’s novel, Birds without Wings, the village fell victim to the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after the First World War. In a League of Nations negotiated swap, Greek Muslims were exchanged for Ottoman Christians. Since there were far more of the latter, once thriving Ottoman Christian villages were completely depopulated. Such was Kayaköy’s fate, its two Byzantine churches and lack of a mosque revealing on which side of the religious divide it fell. The silence of its narrow cobbled paths scrabbling between roofless walls of emptied windows is total. When we visited (the last two weeks of April) the whole region was barely yawning its way into the summer tourist season. Most of the boat slips plying the coastline or cruising over the sunken city were still empty, their residents in dry docks where men were busily sanding, varnishing, buffing and readying them for the imminent onslaught. Many of the restaurants in Kaş were closed and those that were open were largely empty. This lent the town an atmosphere of soft conviviality, since the local servers and shopkeepers had considerable time on their hands to be attentive, even chatty. The day-long cruise we took to the sunken city of Kekova and its rebuilt
Along the
Lycian Way
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Just For Canadian Doctors
Discover one of the world’s best 10 walks along Turkey’s meandering Mediterranean coast
Winter 2010
above left Steps to the sunken village of Kekova. above middle Along the Lycian Way: Thankfully, we drew our water before the cow got thirsty. above right The cliff-carved rock tombs of Myra. below left Church in Kayaköy emptied when all the Christians in Turkey were moved to Greece after World War I.
Simena, topped by a Crusader’s fortress built upon the ruins of earlier civilizations. above right A Roman door: were they really that large? One of the pleasant boats plying the coastal passages, for day trips or longer. below middle A lonely reminder of Kayaköy’s once Christian past. below right One of the many Greco-Roman amphitheatres littering the Lycian Way. above middle below left
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above
The village market of Kaş. The abandoned village of Kayaköy.
below left
School outing to the ancient barbecue pits of Chimaera. Sculpted faces in the dramatic Lycian village of Myra.
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if you go
village of Simena, topped by a 12th-century crusader fortress, was on a 20-metre wooden sailing yacht owned and run by a small family (¥50 each, about $40, including lunch). There were 10 on board besides the four family members; but in prime time the boat takes 30 or 40. Ten was pleasantly lazy. Had there been any more, the semblance of quiet calm would have been replaced with crowded sight-seeing. Our last week was spent beach-side in one of Turkey’s sea-side gems: Çirali, a small mountain-backed valley (complete with its little white mosque on a prairie) tucked between jaw-dropping headlands and fronted by a pebbly four-kilometre beach. Stony Mediterranean beaches are a bother for the bare-footed, but for a few dollars one can buy rubbery fit-like-skin shoes that by some feat of physics buffer all but the boulders. An eight-kilometre looping road (more a paved alleyway) connects numerous, small hostels and resorts, although ‘resortettes’ would be a better description, if such a word exists to describe these small, human-scaled oases of bungalows, sub-tropical flora and sweetsmelling orange and lemon groves. A cluster of shops and open-aired eateries forms the ‘town’ on the western edge, where one can watch women roll out pastry, stuff it with spinach, cheese and herbs and grill it over a parabolic stove to make gözleme, Turkey’s savoury crepe. Also near the western edge, retreating inland along a river gorge, is the long-abandoned Lycian village of Olympos. Unlike other Lycian cities that demarcate the Way, Olympos has been only partially excavated; its ruins ensconced in a moist jungle of vines and trees make its visit more a botanical and sensory delight than a history lesson. Not to be outdone, the eastern edge (from which the easier if still rugged cliff trails of the Way depart) is home to the Chimaera, lair of the legendary monster-son of Typhon who so frightened Zeus that he was set aflame and buried under a mountain, breathing fire for perpetuity. Today, 20 or 30 sets of flames, fuelled by volcanic gases yet to be identified, still light up a patch of rocky mountainside 24 hours a day. Viewed more spectacularly as dusk becomes night, the chimaeric lair becomes the free barbecue for gaggles of school-children, the romantic idyll for young lovers and the cosy outdoor bandstand for evening folkies. Of our half-dozen stops in Turkey, Çirali is the one place to which we would return in an instant.
Regular flights fromCanada’s major cities, usually via Frankfurt, serviceIstanbul’s Atatürk International Airport. Daily flights depart fromtheretoAntalya. Whilebus serviceexists, a rental car provides thefreedomtocheck out many of thehikingareas andsmaller villages. Bus servicetoÇirali fromthemaincoast roadsomedozenkilometres upandaway, for example, is for thelong-sufferingonly. Kaş has plenty of accommodationfromfour stars tonostar. Werented(froma Britishexpat couple, of course) a delightful renovatedcountry cottageina rural village10kilometres fromKaş. InÇirali werestedat theArcadia Hotel, not a hotel but a number of small, fastidiously maintainedbungalows. Its kitchenservedthe best meals wehadinTurkey, andbreakfast outdoors overlookingthesea was luxury inextremis (arcadiaholiday.com).
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Just For Canadian Doctors
Winter 2010
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travel the world traditional Turkish coffee
Blue Mosque
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shop near entrance to Grand Bazaar
the throngs in Istanbul
Istanbul was Constantinople // Now it’s Istanbul, not Constantinople // Been a long time gone, // Old Constantinople’s still has Turkish delight // On a moonlight night —lyrics to Istanbul (not Constantinople), by ’50s Canadian quartet, The Four Lads
janet gyenes
the sensuous delights of Drink up! The aficionados will enjoy the bold hits of thick Turkish coffee served up in delicate porcelain cups at cafes throughout Istanbul. No sipping, please: Turkish coffee is supposed to be consumed quickly before it cools. Feeling lucky? Ask someone to “read” the leftover grounds and tell your fortune. >> Feel the thrill as you channel James Bond in From Russia With Love. Your mission (if you dare to accept it): search the dimly lit subterranean Basilica Cistern (built in the 6th century) for the
two enormous Medusa heads (yerebatan. com). Beware! The eerily pale koi that call the cistern home will be watching as you wander the walkways framed by hundreds of marble columns. >> Practice your haggling skills by striking a deal with one of the vendors at the Grand Bazaar. You’ll find Turkish delights like filigree jewellery and painted camelbone trinket boxes to handmade kilim rugs, at the 3,500-plus shops (kapalicarsi.org.tr). Be polite and patient. You can save about 30 per cent off the
istanbul
original asking price if you put in some face time. >> Bite into the most succulent and delicately spiced charcoal-grilled kebaps at Hamdi Restaurant (hamdirestorant.com. tr). Snag a seat on the second or third floor and get a bird’s-eye view of the Galata Bridge and Istanbul’s fabled Golden Horn. >> Continent hop. Istanbul is the only city in the world to straddle two continents: Europe and Asia. And making the journey is easy. Drive over the Bosphorus Bridge (pedestrians are no longer permitted,
except during the Intercontinental Istanbul Eurasia Marathon, which is held annually in October), sail, or take one of the many ferries that cruise the 32-km-long Bosphorus strait that separates Europe and Asia and connects to the Black Sea in the north and the Sea of Marmara in the south. >> Join the throngs of Istanbullus wandering the three-km-long pedestrian stroll Istiklal Caddesi (Independence Ave.) in the fashionable Beyoğlu district, and discover upmarket boutiques, art galleries
and patisseries. At night, find a rooftop bar and sip a glass of raki, a strong aniseflavoured spirit, served up straight or with ice, and a sidecar of water for diluting. >> Be swept away by the sonorous beauty of the muezzin’s Islamic call to prayer. Later (when prayers are not in session), visit one of Istanbul’s extraordinary mosques. The Blue Mosque (sultanahmetcami. com), named for its 20,000 hand-painted iznik tiles, is the only mosque with six minarets. —Janet Gyenes
Winter 2010 Just For Canadian Doctors
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*
prescribing r & R Share your own adventure or leisure activity with Just For Canadian Doctors’ readers for a chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip with Quark Expeditions. See details at justforcanadiandoctors.com/contest.html. We’ll continue to run the best stories in 2010. Send your submission to feedback@inprintpublications.com.
the White Continent
by Dr. Dan Ezekiel
W
hen trying to win a trip to the Arctic, what better place to write about than the Antarctic? After all, this could make me bipolar! A mere 100 years ago, only a handful of men had ever stepped foot on the seventh continent, and none had yet reached the South Pole. Antarctica was still an uncharted, phantasmagorical realm of ice that for the average person existed only in tall tales and the imagination. In our time though, with television shows like National Geographic and Planet Earth bringing the desolate continent directly into our living rooms, this has all changed. But to really experience the last great wilderness, do what I did, and see it for yourself. Superlatives hardly do Antarctica justice. It is the coldest, driest, highest, and windiest continent on our planet. It is also, however, a land of contrasts. Inland, it contains vast areas devoid of all life, while some coastal areas are exceptionally biologically productive and teem with millions of animals. Look up in the sky and see the giant, wandering albatross, the greatest glider in the world. Look down at your feet and see the AnAdelie comical penguin penguin, spreads its wings on Paulet Island inAntarctica. which cannot fly at all. Last austral summer, I boarded a 100-passenger, double-hulled, Russian ice-breaker in the port city of Ushuaia, Argentina, for the three-day crossing of the Drake Passage, the roughest patch of ocean in the world. Before long, we were doing the “Drake Shake,” and I discovered that the fine dining aboard was wasted on me as not much of it made it past my stomach! But after 24 hours of lying horizontal, I got my sea legs, and made it up on deck just in time to experience the Antarctic Convergence. The Convergence is a well-recognized line in the ocean where the cold waters of
Antarctica meet the warmer waters to the north. These waters do not mix, and the effect is startling. Within a relatively short distance, both the air and the sea temperatures dropped considerably. As we donned an extra layer of clothing, the first iceberg floated by, and the anticipation aboard began to build. We were now sailing the seas of the great Antarctic explorers—Amundsen, Scott and Shackleton. In speaking to my fellow passengers, I discovered that there were several reasons why people were journeying to Antarctica. Most were aboard to go on “safari,” wishing to see the spectacular wildlife in their natural habitat. The very adventurous types were going to Antarctica because they had already done everything else. And finally there were the scientifically-
inclined folks, including oceanographers, meteorologists, glaciologists, environmentalists, and so on. I fit firmly into the first category. Just like the famous Galapagos Islands half a world to the north, animals in Antarctica are not afraid of man. This allows for some fantastically close encounters and excellent photographic opportunities. We were able to see the wildlife quite easily by riding around in fast and versatile Zodiacs. Humpback and minke whales would breach and spyhop just a few metres away. Massive, 8,000-pound male elephant seals would steadfastly protect their harem of females from would-be suitors in vicious, bloody battles. Leopard seals, the “bad boys” of the Antarctic, would haul out on ice floes and bare their razor-sharp teeth at us.
On land, it only got better, as we visited many Adelie, Gentoo, and Chinstrap penguin colonies. Some colonies contained tens of thousands of penguins, all of whom seemed to be squawking at the same time. We watched in awe at typical penguin behaviour—males diligently building nests of pebbles in the hopes of attracting a mate, while curious babies sauntered beside us before dashing off to a parent for a quick meal of regurgitated krill. Our ship journeyed far south—south of the Antarctic Circle, in fact—where we experienced 24 hours of daylight. At that latitude we were given a unique opportunity: the chance to swim in Antarctic waters. The captain filled the ship’s plunge pool with the -2 degree Centigrade water and, in a leap of faith, 16 of us jumped in! We then spent the next hour or so huddled together in the ship’s sauna. Other adventures included hiking, cross-country skiing, golfing, kayaking, and even sleeping in a tent out on the ice one night. I stayed quite warm in my polar sleeping bag, but I cannot say the same for the four Aussie lads who streaked around our campsite at midnight wearing nothing but their Wellington boots! We did stop at a few ports-of-call, the scientific bases of several countries. The resident scientists (very grateful to have visitors, particularly women) cheerfully toured us around and explained their research. These bases even had their own post offices, so I sent off postcards with stamps from the United States, Britain, Chile, and the Ukraine. As we sailed north, back into the raging seas of the Drake Passage, we recognized that Antarctica is a place to which most of us would never return. It is a pristine vestige of how the Earth used to be before the hubris of Man began its wholesale exploitation of the planet. We reflected on all that we had seen and accomplished over the past two weeks. Each of us had gone to Antarctica for our own reasons, but as we relaxed in the comfort of the ship’s lounge, we all shared the same feeling: we were all going to miss the beauty of the Ice. The Ice, in all of its varied forms, was the undisputed ruler of this land, endless, pure, and vast. The Ice had become a friend, a strange source of comfort, and as the mountaintops dipped below the horizon, I shook my scotch on the rocks, and toasted the White Continent. Dr. Dan Ezekiel is a Vancouver-based physician.
istock / Micheal O Fiachra
contest finalist!
A journey far south to the Antarctic Circle
w h at ’ s u p d o c ? D r . a r t h i s t e r Dr. Art Hister is a full-time media doctor who appears on Global TV in BC, CKNW radio, BBC 5, and writes for several publications.
time to travel to Mexico? This winter, don’t let H1N1 derail travel plans to southern climes
I
t takes either a very brave or a very stupid person to write about the H1N1 pandemic weeks before it will be published, and I don’t consider myself to be either an idiot or in the least bit brave (something my wife will readily confirm, of course, at least about me not being brave). Nearly everything I say now might be contradicted by events in the next few weeks. There’s also this: my less-than-stellar track record on predicting events (I bet on the Canucks making it past the Black Hawks last year), so you would think that I’d be gun-shy about tabling predictions about this still pretty-mysterious and highly mutable virus. But then there’s my other side, namely, that a strong part of my nature—and you can’t really escape your nature, no matter how much nurturing you get—is to repeatedly shoot off my mouth, so here goes. The bottom line—and one that I don’t think will change—is that as of now this particular outbreak has remained pretty benign (although flu viruses are notorious for mutating, and this H1N1 strain will likely do that eventually, too). The vast majority of people who develop an H1N1 infection recover without complications, with the notable exceptions of some young kids, pregnant women, and people with significant “other chronic conditions” (especially, it seems, asthma and chronic lung conditions). And the very interesting thing about that to me, a physician who now works fulltime in the media, is that by and large, the public seems to understand that bottom line very well, despite the media hype surrounding this outbreak. The media reports every H1N1 death, making H1N1 seem disproportionately malignant. The regular over-heated and dire pronouncements from some health authorities, such as the head of the UK public health services who predicted in the early summer—to very loud headlines, of course—that up to 90,000 Britons might die of H1N1. This prediction was later downsized to as few as 3,000, which is an amazing difference, eh! So it’s very unlikely that anyone’s winter travel plans—to Hawaii, to Barbados, and especially perhaps to Mexico—will be significantly altered by what’s going on this
winter season with H1N1 (one is more likely to pick up H1N1 in a crowded hockey arena or visiting one’s son at McGill), and that will hold true whether or not the oddly slow H1N1 vaccine program gets going in this country. In fact, what should probably concern people way more than H1N1 is the sameold, same-old that comes up whenever we travel: traveller’s diarrhea, sunburns, running out of necessary medications, STDs, hepatitis, and all the other common health problems one regularly runs into depending on how and where one travels. But if you happen to be someone who likes to worry, and you also happen to be someone who likes to travel to warm spots so that you can swim in the ocean (this is not much of a thrill for me, by the way, be-
cause as a Jewish male of eastern European extraction, I am “allergic” to swimming, which also explains, I suggest, why you haven‘t seen too many Goldbergs or Cohens winning Olympic swimming medals), you might add MRSA to your list of concerns. According to a report from a group at the University of Washington (presented at the recent Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy— I’ll bet they ran out of hand sanitizer at that meeting), MRSA has been detected for the first time in marine water and beach sand on public beaches on Puget Sound. If MRSA has appeared there, you can bet that those bugs are also present (or soon will be) on most Pacific (and other) ocean beaches. Which is why I’ll just stick to the G-and-Ts on shore (no ice, of course).
Now, time away from the office doesn’t mean you can’t be productive.
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Winter 2010 Just For Canadian Doctors
23
t he w e a lt hy do ctor manf r ed pur tz ki, c .a. Manfred Purtzki is the principal of Purtzki & Associates Chartered Accountants. You can reach him at manfred@purtzki.com.
lose the stock Why the stock market may not be one of your best bets
O
ne of my physician clients was telling me the other day about the rise and subsequent fall from grace of his once-trusted stockbroker. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for this advisor, who went from superstar status to third-rate actor in just a few short months. The physician was awed by the fact that the stockbroker had the foresight to pull out of the stock market before it crashed last year, thus preventing the portfolio carnage so many of his colleagues experienced. However, when the market rebounded, apparently the broker didn’t act quickly enough and move
the cash back into equities, so the physician fired him. This is just one sign that many investors are getting greedy again, and even taking out new loans against their homes to speculate in the market. Even if your mutual funds are increasing
mortgage-free and able to save $10,000 before tax each month in your corporation. After the corporate tax of $1,400, the company invests the remaining $8,600 in a 3% term deposit, and pays the corporate tax on the interest income. In 10 years, the savings are $1.14 million, in 15 years $1.8m, and in 20 years a whopping $2.5m. These amazing results are due to the fact that the corporate tax rate on practice earnings is only 14% (rate varies by province). Don’t abandon your strategy of repaying your house mortgage. It still makes great sense today, even when the stock market is up, and mortgage rates are low. If you pay $10,000 towards your 4% home mortgage, which is the current rate for a fixed-term 5-year mortgage, your investment return on a before tax basis is about 7%. This is hard to beat given that it is totally risk-free. You can also expect continued on page 25
Front loads of up to 6% of the purchase •price; The rear load option. This is where you pay •a fee and if you redeem your units within the first 6 years, starting with a 6% fee in the first year; the redemption fee may be based on the original cost. This is hard to swallow; the market value is only a fraction of the original cost; The switch fees of up to 2% to change funds; Short-term trading fees of up to 2%, if, for instance, you switch funds more than twice in a 90-day period.
• •
What many physicians don’t realize is that they can build up a sizeable retirement nest egg by putting their savings in a no-hassle term deposit with a 3% interest rate. Look at it this way. Suppose you are
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solution from page 49
in value, you are not receiving the returns you think you are. Mutual funds are not only risky, but fees and expenses eat up the returns. In his book Enough Bull, author David Trahair, CA, makes the point that you can actually retire, and retire well, without investing in the stock market and even without an investment advisor. Yes it’s true! You can simplify your life and avoid the volatility of the market and inevitable fee by advisors, by putting your savings in secure vehicles such as term deposits, or by repaying personal debt. According to Trahair, the average “Management Expense Ratio” (MER) is 2.75% for Canadian equity mutual funds, which come with a long list of expenses. These include:
solution from September/October 2009 contest
You can simplify your life and avoid the volatility of the market
sudoku 2 harder solution 6 8 3 4 2 1 9 7 5 4 2 9 5 8 7 6 3 1 1 5 7 3 9 6 8 4 2 9 7 2 1 3 5 4 8 6 5 4 6 2 7 8 3 1 9 3 1 8 6 4 9 5 2 7 2 6 5 8 1 3 7 9 4 7 3 4 9 6 2 1 5 8 8 9 1 7 5 4 2 6 3
Puzzle by websudoku.com
sudoku 1 easier solution 2 6 4 9 5 3 7 1 8 9 8 5 2 1 7 4 6 3 7 3 1 4 6 8 9 5 2 3 5 2 1 9 4 6 8 7 1 4 6 8 7 5 3 2 9 8 7 9 3 2 6 1 4 5 6 1 8 5 3 9 2 7 4 4 2 3 7 8 1 5 9 6 5 9 7 6 4 2 8 3 1
Puzzle by websudoku.com
Just For Canadian Doctors
Winter 2010
t h e w e a lt h y d o c t o r continued
YOUR VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY AWAITS!
from page 24
Cut the umbilical cord to the stock market the rates to increase over the life of your mortgage. As the economy rebounds, the stimulus cash is spent, and governments are being forced to borrow more money to pay for the deficits. I suggest you discuss with your accountant ways to draw cash from your corporation at the lowest possible personal tax to help speed up the repayment of the mortgage. These strategies may include:
1 Income splitting with relatives in the low tax bracket. If you make your family members, as permitted by the College of your province, shareholders of your medical corporation, you can channel dividends to them, without them having to provide any services to the company. Where dividend splitting is limited in provinces such as Alberta, consider setting up an Employee Profit Sharing Plan (EPSP), so that you can pay a salary without having to meet the reasonableness test.
2 Draw funds as capital gain. If you draw substantial funds from the corporation, but have nobody to income split with, consider converting a dividend to a capital gain and take advantage of the 10% differential between the dividend and capital gains tax. On a $300,000 draw, you save about $30,000 of personal income taxes.
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3 Sell personally held investment assets to the medical corporation or holding company. The corporation will issue you a promissory note for the equity transferred, which you can offset against the draws taken. Alternatively, have the company borrow the funds to repay the promissory note, which allows you to convert a nondeductible mortgage into a deductible corporate investment loan. So as you can see, if you cut the umbilical cord to the stock market, and look to other life-sustaining investments, it is possible to save and retire comfortably.
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Winter 2010 Just For Canadian Doctors
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travel at home
spotlight on Vancouver
217.5 Arc X 13 by Bernar Venet
The Granville Room Voya
Acircleof bright-redBuddha-like figuressquat inaparkinVancouver’s Coal Harbour. Amassivetorsomade upof lace-likeinterconnectedletters of thealphabet seemstowatch over Sunset Beach, whereamassive whale-boneshapesitsasif stranded onthesand(left). All of thesehuge outdoor art installationsarescattered aroundVancouver’sdowntowncore andseawall aspart of the 2009– 2011VancouverBiennale. It’sall about celebratingart inpublic spaces; sharingnewandinternational contemporaryart talent withthe local community. Whether youlove thepiecesor not, theystimulate conversationandaddanother dimensiontothe2010Olympics—so stroll theseawall andtakeintheart showaswell asthelarger sportsone. vancouverbiennale.com—B. Sligl
Ga m gateway es
In Vancouver, pre, post or during the Olympic Games, sample the west coast flare for fare, and some art too…
Vancouver is a foodie’s delight. 100-mile menus, seafood fresh off the boat, and innovative, international influences… VOYA Warm up in the restaurant of the chic Loden Hotel (which counts Catherine Zeta Jones among its guests) where dishes like the trio of mini “sliders” (above) show off local ingredients (Voya is a member of the Green Table and Ocean Wise sustainable programs). Try: steamed local mussels with green curry, kaffir lime leaf and cilantro. voya-restaurant.com THE GRANVILLE ROOM Sip an Olympic-themed cocktail at this speakeasylike spot in Vancouver’s entertainment district. Try: The Winner Take All (above), inspired by Cindy Klassen’s 2006 speed skating performance in Turin; a mix of Crown Royal Special Reserve Whiskey, honey syrup, Gamay Noir float and flamed orange peel. dhmbars.ca COAST Buzzing with conversation and very happy noshers (even on a Tuesday night!) this seafood mecca is frequented by those in the know (like Bono and Dennis Hopper). Sit at the showpiece oyster bar (above) and sample pretty much any type of seafood. The popular piled-high seafood platter lets you try a bit of just about everything…Try: the signature crab cake (divine) and tried-and-true fish-and-chips (Bono’s pick). But start with the Coast Caesar, complete with spotted prawn. coastrestaurant.ca PLUS Some of our MD contributors’ picks (below): —B.S. Dr. Art Hister’s picks:
InVancouver:Vij’s(vijs.ca). Anythingonthemenuwill begreat but particularly thelambpopsicles. I livein Vancouver, somyfavouritethingto doiswalkingonthebeachor through theUBCEndowment Landswithmydog.
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Dr. Chris Pengilly’s picks: WheninVancouver, I prefer tostayatTheSylviaHotel (sylviahotel.com). Soontocelebrateits100th birthday(2012), it isaHeritagebuilding whichhasretaineditswarmcharacter. Chicit isnot. Welcoming(includingdogs), comfortableandaffordableit is. Thoughconvenientlylocatedwithin fiveminutesof thecitycentreandStanleyPark, youmayjust watchthe constant arrayof walkers, runners, cyclistsandrollerbladerspassingbefore thevistaof EnglishBay. Whoknows, whilethereyoumayseeWilliam Deverell absorbingtheambiencefor hischaracter Arthur Beauchamp.
Just For Canadian Doctors
Winter 2010
Dr. Susan Biali’s picks: WhenI’min Vancouver I alwayshavedinner atThai House inKitsilanoat 7th andBurrard(thaihouse. com). Myfavouritedishisahuge bowl of TomKhaGai spicy coconut soupwith chicken, perfect ona coldday!
clockwise from top left: courtesy The granville Room; Dan Fairchild Photography; B. Sligl; courtesy voya restaurant and lounge
Coast
es gatew ay Gam
In Whistler, do the village and then go beyond… and reconnect with the great outdoors of winter
travel at home
+ whistler
Winter Remedies for
Whistler’s
Le Scandinave Spa
Nature-Deficit Disorder
from top: courtesy le scandinave spa; courtesy Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre
Paved-over paradise, parental paranoia and the lure of screentime are just a few of the reasons Richard Louv identified for the rise in “nature deficit disorder” – a trend of disengagement between children and the natural world that may correlate with growing rates of anxiety, depression, obesity and attention deficit problems. The cure is simple. Go outside. Play. Wander off the marked trail. Seek wild spaces. Be active. Even in the winter. In the hype of the Olympics, the truly unique aspect of the mountain host venue, Whistler, is going unreported. The dish is: Whistler is more outdoors than indoors. Which makes it an ideal nature-deficit panacea for everyone… not just the kids. outdoor hot + cold therapy After mastering the therapeutic art of the birch branch, the Scandinavians inspired Whistler’s newest wellness offering, Le Scandinave Spa. Opening January 22, the thermotherapy oasis set in three acres of snow-draped forest combines Norwegian baths steaming with eucalyptus, woodburning Finnish dry saunas, outdoor thermal baths, Nordic waterfalls, cold showers, solariums and an outdoor
fireplace, mixing up hot and cold sessions to cleanse the skin, relax the body and invigorate the mind. scandinave.com the ice surgeon is in Theatre-lovers tend towards hibernation in the winter, but Carl Schlichting has the cure. One of Canada’s best snow sculptors, Schlichting turns his rasps, saws and longbladed knives to a dramatic surgical project this winter, carving a theatre set from 200 tons of snow and ice for the production of NiX, an offering from the 2010 Cultural Olympiad that will run at Whistler’s Lost Lake from January 22 – February 27. While shuttles are available (with buses from Vancouver for just $20), audience members can also ski to the 150-seat geodesic dome for the show, to be greeted by an ice-bar, hot chocolate station, blankets, and a fantastical frozen apocalyptic romance. Tickets: $19-$50. theonlyanimal.com search + rescue The head of Whistler’s Search and Rescue team, Brad Sills, shares his secret winter survival strategy: get thee to a snowbelt. Located next to the new Whistler Olympic Park in the
Dr. Kelly Silverthorn’s picks: InVancouver, I trytosqueezein atriptoHon’sWun-TunHouseonRobsonStreet (hons.ca). It isn’t terriblysplash, but it seemsauthentic. I havesomethingthat isn’t on themenu…Singaporestylehot ricenoodles… onthineggnoodles. I stayat Fairmont Hotel Vancouver (Fairmont.com/HotelVancouver ) becauseof thelocation, theservice, andthe history(greeter dogtoo).
snow-blessed Callaghan Valley, Sills’ Callaghan Country Lodge offers novice cross country skiers the chance to travel 12.5km back into the Coast Range of British Columbia, pristine and undeveloped except for groomed trails, with a full-service lodge as the destination. Never crosscountry skied before? Trust the rescue guy: “If you can walk, you can cross-country ski.” callaghancountry.com home remedies Pick up a user’s manual to the great outdoors with Jack Christie’s updated The Whistler Book: An All-Season Outdoor Guide. Christie unlocks the gateway to hundreds of self-propelled Sea to Sky adventures. It’s easy to do-it-yourself when you know where to start. jackchristie.com —Lisa Richardson
Dr. Holly Fong’s picks: WhenI’minVancouver, I likeeating
at CRestaurant (crestaurant.com) for great fishandtheview. Or I headover toEn’sfor sushi andorder theblackandwhite tunaandthegrilledsquidunder aricebridge. MyfavouritethingtodoinVancouver isto walkalongtheseawall. InWhistler, my favoritecruisingrunisJerseyCreamon Blackcomb(whistlerblackcomb.com).
TheSquamishLil’watCultural Centre, whichopenedinWhistler inJuly2008, showcasestherich heritage, cultureandtraditionsof theSquamishandLil’wat tribes, whoselandtraversesthisregion. Its three-level, longhouse-stylebuilding (below) includesan80-seat theatre, galleriesdisplayingcontemporary andtraditional artwork, andan artsandcraftsroomfor children. A massivewall of glassoffersaview of Whistler’sdramaticpeaksand forestsandyoung, enthusiastictribal ambassadorsoffer tourspersonalized bytheir ownhistory. slcc.ca —Lauren Kramer
Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre
Dr. Neil Pollock’s picks:
InVancouver, Il Giardino (ilgiardinoristorante.ca) —thetriplepasta combo. InWhistler: Snowboarding, Blackcomb side(whistlerblackcomb.com). Nothingbeats SeventhHeavenonasunnyday!
Winter 2010 Just For Canadian Doctors
27
motoring
D r . k e l ly s i l v e r t h o r n
back-to-back drives Behind the wheel at Run to the Sun 2009
G
roup test events are a favourite perk for automotive journalists. Part of the attraction is social networking— most other days we toil in isolation. Primarily though, it’s the only time we get to drive a plethora of cars back-to-back-to-back. It’s that comparative feature that holds the key to automotive insights. Some of these group test events are track-only, some road-only, and some a combination of road and track. The group test that I keep heading back to is the Northwest Automotive Press Association’s “Run to the Sun” (RTTS), a road-only event out of Portland, Oregon. The ingredients are 18 cars of an open and/or sporting nature, 18 disheveled journalists, 18 preppy manufacturer representatives, all combined for two sunny days in the Cascade Mountains. In theory, the specific cars attending
neither was in attendance, yet again. Nevertheless, there was an interesting array of models. Please note that these Base and As Tested prices are for US market cars, and are expressed in US dollars. Canadian market cars may have different equipment, but almost certainly have higher prices! The 2009 RTTS model list is certainly down-market from last year’s more esoteric list, which included my first test drive in a Maserati. And to further the economy-induced karma, the models that I felt stood out this year were also down-market from last year’s standouts (which in 2008 were from the top quartile of RTTS fleet expense—the Audi A5/S5 Coupes, and the Mercedes AMG C63 warwagon sedan). In fact, the two cars from this year’s
Scenes andrides fromthe “RuntotheSun”event on theroads of Oregon. have been chosen by popular demand of the journalists. In reality, the requests are filtered by which models the car companies are keen to showcase, and what is available from the respective press fleets. So, while many of the journalists voted for the Bugatti Veyron and the Nissan R35 GT-R, alas,
28
Just For Canadian Doctors
RTTS fleet that caught my attention (Hyundai Genesis Coupe and Volkswagen CC) were both from the least expensive quartile. A key to the affordability equation was Hyundai and Volkswagen making and bringing cars that don’t need a host of options to impress. (Press fleet cars are
Winter 2010
CAR
BASE
AS TESTED
Audi TT-S
$47,500
$56,600
BMWZ4sDrive35i
$51,650
$65,345
Chevrolet Camaro2LT(V-6)
$26,580
$38,540
DodgeChallenger SRT8
$39,820
$44,475
FordMustangGTConvert.
$35,995
$38,860
Hyundai Genesis Coupe2.0T
$26,750
$27,625
Hyundai Genesis Coupe3.8
$29,500
$30,375
Jaguar XKConvert. 5.0L
$88,100
$90,300
Lexus IS-C250
$38,490
$41,125
Mazda 3S
$21,500
$23,995
Mercedes E350Coupe
$48,050
$54,995
Mini Cooper SConvert.
$26,800
$32,700
Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart
$26,490
$29,915
Nissan370ZTouring
$35,760
$36,865
NissanCube1.8SL
$16,790
$19,930
Suzuki SX-4Turbo (Concept)
n/a
n/a
VolkswagenCCSport 2.0T
$27,100
$28,225
VolvoXC60T6AWD
$37,200
$44,240
usually the opposite, loaded to the gunnels with options…with the 2009 V-6 Camaro taking the “can you believe this” prize of a $4,800 USD wheel/tire upgrade on an otherwise ~$33,000 car.) I drove the rear-drive Hyundai Genesis Coupe just after driving the Camaro, Challenger, Mustang trio, and before driving the Jag and Nissan 370Z. In comparison, the V-6 Korean felt wonderfully light on its feet, with tremendous road feel, and all of the right sounds and sensations for me. These other cars feel like they are trying to overpower the road and the driver with huge wheels and tires. The result is these other five cars feel heavy, competent, but less pleasurable to drive than they should. I always will myself into the back seat of any coupe I test. The Nissan makes no attempt at a back seat at all, the Jag is for double amputees only, the Hyundai/Camaro/ Mustang would work across town, while the bigger Challenger is a true four-seater. On the test route, the Hyundai Genesis Coupe stacks up well against the others. Once price is factored in, there is no contest. Unfortunately, the 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder version of the Genesis Coupe was a last minute noshow. It is ~15% less expensive than its V-6 stablemate, and I’m told is even lighter on its feet. This cheaper 210 horsepower 2.0T model is targeted continued on page 34
courtesy run to the sun
Dr. Kelly Silverthorn is a radiologist and Just For Canadian Doctors’ automotive writer.
Practise medicine in beautiful British Columbia.
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THE INTERIOR 18 Kelowna 19 Cranbrook 20 Kamloops 21 Trail 22 Williams Lake
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travel at home Beach-boundfar west: Four coastal scenes fromLong BeachLodgenear Tofino, BC.
lounge at
long beach
s getaway me a G
Want a place to retreat from all the mainland-BC hoopla during the Olympics? Escape to the far west coast of Vancouver Island, where winter simply sparkles.
B. Sligl
Perched right on the shores of spectacular Cox Bay, just outside the seaside town of Tofino, BC, is a West Coast style—think post-and-beam fir, cedar board and batten, granite hearth—retreat in which you sit fireside and watch hardcore surfers (it is winter, after all) battle the Pacific’s boisterous breakers. This is storm-watching season. When it gets too rough for those wetsuit-clad extremists, the show gets even more dramatic for the armchair surfer. Gnarly! This is LongBeachLodge. Settlein. Theintimate resort (40 rooms and20 cottages) offers seasideviews fromjust about everywhere. Preferableis a spot by the hugewindows andamidst thehomey vibeof TheGreat Room(withthat giant granitefireplace). Sink intoan overstuffedarmchair, order somegrub(locals drive infromTofinofor thegreat local fare), challengeyour companiontoa gameof chess, watchdogs zig-zagon thebeach…Youwon’t want toleave.
Oncea humblefishingvillage, TofinoandVancouver Island’s west coast has becomea big-timedestination. ThedrivefromVictoria (seepage35) onthesouthend of theIslandhas beencalledoneof thetopthreedrives inCanada (inwinter it’s a silvery, windingstripthrough a snowy wonderland). At thevery edgeof thecountry, you’reinPacificRimNational Park Reserve, stretching over 130 km. It’s quiet andserene; trudgeinsand amongst sea grasses anddriftwoodglintingwithfrost.
It’s storm-watchingseasoninJanuary andFebruary, andthenMarchbrings thePacificRimWhaleFestival, a celebrationof thethousands of grey whales that migrate alongtheisland’s west coast inthespring. Andwhenthe dampsets inandyou’vehadenoughof the“west coast facial” (a.k.a. salty surf), makeyour way intoTofinoto SacredStoneSpa…thehot stonemassage(andthe fireback at LongBeachLodge) will warmyouright up. longbeachlodgeresort.com; sacredstone.ca
Winter 2010 Just For Canadian Doctors
33
ta l e s f r o m t h e t r e n c h e s D r . m a r l e n e h u n t e r Dr. Marlene Hunter is a well-travelled physician and the director of the Labyrinth Victoria Centre for Dissociation.
times past Memories of bygone days continue to affect our lives
I
motoring
recently had two lovely reconnections with times past. First I received an email from someone who apparently had met me when I was getting ready to leave after a more-thanthree-year stint in Tumu Tumu, Kenya. He had come to that small village, where I had been a “medical officer,” to do some work. I was very tired, had not visited home the entire three years, and was not on the best of terms with the other physician. Altogether, I was in a royal snit about everything. He remembers me well, but I am sorry (and a little embarrassed) that I do not remember him in the least. My whole focus must have been on leaving. Now he and I have been corresponding by email, and we’re developing an interesting long-range friendship. The other day he phoned me and we talked for the better part of an hour. (He is currently living in Taipei. Imagine having an hour-long telephone conversation with someone whom you don’t remember meeting and who lives thousands of miles away!) This has aroused many memories and emotions about my time in Kenya. Prior to these correspondences, I would have said that never once during the time I was there did I regret going, and I believe that I can still say that; but it intrigues me that I wiped my feel-
continued
send in those little jewels of experience. The Archives will appreciate information about life in northern BC to fill in the gaps, whether anecdotal, scientific (!), experiential, hearsay (with background information), or even newspaper clippings. The nurse who started all this left Dease Lake some years ago and now lives in the US. Without her there may never have been a Dease Lake Health Clinic, and I, with all my medical colleagues who have served there (and those we served) owe her great gratitude. Along with accolades to her, I cannot ignore the tremendous support of the BC College of Family Physicians, which has been instrumental in agreeing (after being stormed by the nurse for years) to bring this idea to fruition, as well as the first few physicians who took on these locums in the early years. Ah, yes. Memories of bygone days, even those vague to the point of being nebulous, continue to play an important part in our lives.
CLS four-door coupe in a smaller/cheaper market segment had not resonated with me. I questioned why VW would even consider bringing this model to the RTTS event. So I wasn’t particularly looking forward to my driving rotation with the Volkswagen CC. But as I walked up to it, it was hard not to admire its rakish lines. The fit and finish were excellent both inside and out. The seat material fooled me; I thought it was leather. And it was a legitimate driver’s car with the six-speed manual and torque-laden turbo four. The car also passed my back-seat test. Again, it was the CC’s $28,225 USD price that really impressed me. The productvalue-to-price-asked ratio seemed excellent. Kudos to VW PR guys for the base car
they did bring, with Sirius radio as the only option. Go wild on the CC’s option list and a VR6 powered 4Motion can hit $43,165 USD—well into BMW and Mercedes territory. So, on the base model at least, I’ve mellowed dramatically on VW’s idea to bring a high-style four-door to a more lunch-bucket market segment. The tail-end of 2009 continues to be dominated by jitters around the economy. As shown at the 2009 NWAPA Run to the Sun event, affordable luxury, style, and performance are available if you shop carefully. I look forward to the 2010 Group Tests, and the insights I’ll glean from those back-to-back-to-back drives as the automobile marketplace continues to evolve.
from page 28
at the import tuner market, and will be a focus of multiple SEMA show cars in November. (The same turbo engine in the Mitsubishi Evo X is tuned to 294 horsepower for the US market.) A 2.0-litre four-cylinder Turbo also powered the other car that enthused me at Run to the Sun: the Volkswagen CC, based on the mid-size Passat sedan. This result was surprising to me, as the car had barely registered on my radar previously. Or more truthfully, it had registered, but not in a good way. The whole segment of four-door coupes was spawned by the stylish Mercedes CLS of 2004. Predictably, BMW, Audi, and Jaguar are responding with similarly style-focused full-size models. Volkswagen emulating the
34
ings about leaving so cleanly away. Except for those last two or three months, I loved being in Kenya. And now, out of the blue, I’ve been catapulted back almost 40 years. You never know what is just around the bend, do you? The second connection is with my work in Dease Lake, BC, where I was the locum physician on and off for the better part of 20 years. Like many of my colleagues, I would go up for a few weeks in the late spring, before it got (a) too hot and (b) before there were too many horrible flies. Not just flies that buzzed around—but flies that bit! Nasty, horrid bites. I always left sorry for the doctor who came up after me. That time has resurfaced through a lovely painting (above) that epitomizes what the medical clinic was like those first several years, before the new, much larger and more up-to-date facility sprung (well, sort of tottered) into being 10 or so years ago. The painting is being included in the BC Archives, along with other information about this small-but-bustling town far up in the northwestern part of the province. Now we need anecdotes or information about Dease Lake to supplement the painting. Some of you who have been in Dease Lake, or in other parts of northern BC, may have your own anecdotes to tell; please
Just For Canadian Doctors
Winter 2010
es geta Gam w
travel at home
ay
another Vancouver Island escape + hotspot…
island feast Victoria, BC, may be named for an infamously prim and proper royal dowager but the quaint seaside town—long a British enclave—has shed those dusty layers. Less sleepy, more sleek. Hip eateries, coffee joints, design stores, microbreweries (this is a university town, after all)…Of course, there’s still some of that stiff upper lip. Tea and scones, grand mansions and gardens, antiques…A bit of backbone is a good thing. And plenty of food… >>
story + photography by Barb Sligl
Winter 2010 Just For Canadian Doctors
35
travel at home >>
celebrate flavour Sampling the grand dame that’s Victoria is easy. There’s plenty to nosh. Eat your way around town, from breakfast to dinner with coffee and tea breaks, some sightseeing, and cap it off with microbrew tastings. Yum! first bite For a slice of the laid-back
elegance of old-school Victoria stay at the Villa Marco Polo 1 on a quiet cul-de-sac in tony Rockland amidst grand old heritage homes. It was built in 1923 as a wedding gift from Major Fred Nation to his daughter Helen, a mix of Italian Renaissance and classical Georgian architecture. Now it’s a five-star bed-and-breakfast inn, full of Persian carpets, silks, Italian and Chinese ceramics, and art that evoke the cultures of what was the famed Silk Road (collected by the current owner on far-flung travels, and whose father was once the dean of a medical school in Iran). The rooms have evocative names (Alexandria, Persia, Zanzibar, Silk Road) and there’s even a basket of bejewelled Indian slippers by the door for guests to wear inside. 2 Your noshing starts here with a fourcourse breakfast (fresh-fruit smoothie, fruit salad, lemon-lime soufflé, egg over potato crostini…) and Earl Grey tea brewed in a traditional samovar. But before stepping out there’s also a third-floor spa…(villamarcopolo.com)
coffee or tea? How about both?
Habit Coffee and Culture 3 is the go-to independent coffee haunt on Pandora Street in historic downtown Victoria. It hosts single-origin coffee tastings (or “cuppings“) on Tuesday afternoons. Sniff and slurp…or just enjoy a fine cup of java and watch the spectacle. (250-294-1127) Then there’s tea—plenty of it. From high tea at the Fairmont Empress in a storied historic veritable palace on the waterfront to Silk Road, a tea purveyor inspired by that same caravan route along which merchants from India, Turkey, China and Sumatra traded exotic silks, spices, and, of course, tea. Here, in historic Chinatown, modern-day tea masters (like Silk Road’s co-owner and -founder Daniela Cubelic, who uses Samuel Johnson’s quote to describe herself: “a shameless and hardened tea drinker”) follow ancient blending principles using only organic loose teas. Take a tea tasting (there’s a Tea Tasting Bar, of course) and appreciation class (every Saturday and Sunday at 2pm, September to June) 4 . Sample top-selling blends like Philosopher’s Brew (a mix of lemongrass, citrus peel, rosehips and lavender blossoms) or Casablanca (a Moroccan style mint tea). And visit the spa (try the Green Tea or Imperial Dragon facials) or take home Silk Road’s organic aromatherapy skincare products—infused with jasmine, sandalwood, rose, frankincense and myrrh (tis the season!). And during the holiday season specially themed classes teach you how to
36
Just For Canadian Doctors
make tea punch, mulled teas, tea martinis, tea infused spirits, tea sangrias, and so on… (silkroadtea.com; victoriateafestival.com)
more bites Rebar Modern Food 5 restaurant has been around since 1989, one of the first of the funky and health-conscious West Coast eateries. In Victoria’s historic Bastion Square, it’s the perfect spot for lunch (the veggie burger is great with a bottle of local brew, Phoenix Gold Lager, from Phillips Brewery). And there’s a fresh juice bar offering up just about any combination of veggie, fruit, or wheatgrass concoction. (rebarmodernfood.com) Or stroll through Bastion Square to the wharf where you’ll find a former shipping container at the foot of Broughton Street. This is Red Fish Blue Fish 6 , a sustainable seafood shack (with sod-covered roof) serving wild salmon, albacore tuna, oysters, scallops in dishes like tacones and classic fish-and-chips. There’s even “Spicy Pacific Fish Poutine”…All created with a minimal ecological footprint: 100% Ocean Wise seafood, biodegradable packaging, a reuse-and-recycle program. Snack on an oyster taco and watch the seaplanes come in and out of Victoria harbour (redfish-bluefish.com). At Choux Choux Charcuterie 7 you’ll find head cheeses, wild boar sausage, wild porcini mushroom and chicken liver paté… all free-range (like the pork from Sloping Hill Farm, also on Vancouver Island), all made fresh on site. And there’s cheese…lots of it. A well-stocked cheese cooler boasts European lait cru (raw milk) cheeses (from France, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Ireland) and local finds. This is the epitome of Vancouver Island’s of-the-moment foodie scene (chouxchoux.ca). Mo:Lé 8 is a bustling spot on the edge of Chinatown in an old brick building. When it’s packed for breakfast or lunch, customers grab a coffee at Habit next door and are called over when a table’s free. From Galloping Goose sausages (named for a local trail) to organic chicken from Cowichan Valley (on the island), the restaurant is very much a part of the locavore movement (molerestaurant.ca). For the sweet tooth, the half-a-centuryold Dutch Bakery 9 has almond and ginger cakes, tea fancies, petits fours, and during holiday season stollen and marzipan (thedutchbakery.com). The place hums with a happy and diverse crowd of customers eating in and taking out. Or sate sweet cravings with banana-pecan French toast (using bread baked in-house) at Willie’s Bakery & Café 10 (williesbakery.com). The oldest bakery in Victoria (since 1887), Willie’s used to churn out over 500 loaves a day in the early 1900s. That may have slowed down, but the bakery still uses some of those original recipes. Again, local ingredients dominate. Sit and sip a London Fog
Winter 2010
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Winter 2010 Just For Canadian Doctors
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travel at home Scottish coal baron for his wife (completed in 1890). It was even used as a military hospital from 1919 – 1921. Decorated for the holidays it offers a glimpse back into the privileged past of Victoria that lingers everywhere (thecastle.ca). Soak in more of Victoria’s past in its many antique shops. “Antique Row” includes six blocks of boutiques. 14
(Earl Grey tea with sweetened steamed milk), a somehow fitting mix of old-world tea in a newer incarnation.
more tea Ready for more tea?
Experience the ritual of high tea at Butchart Gardens, just outside Victoria 11 (butchartgardens.com). You’ll get the works: trifle, clotted cream, scones, savoury finger sandwiches, sweets, truffles…and specially blended tea, of course. Then amble about the 50-acre gardens, a beautifully landscaped old quarry site (since 1904) lit up with a slew of lights (every evening, December 1 to January 6) that depict the Twelve Days of Christmas. Carolers and an ice-skating rink add to the festive atmosphere. And after the holiday season, the gardens return to the stillness and serenity of winter until spring. Walk off more of that clotted cream back downtown. Explore Victoria’s Old Town and the oldest Chinatown in North America (and one of the smallest), home to the famous narrow street Fan Tan Alley 12 (only three feet wide at its narrowest), once lined with opium and gambling dens (think mah jong, fan-tan and dominoes). Close by are contemporary design stores and clothing boutiques, like Smoking Lily—with another “smallest” claim to fame, this time as a tiny retail store front (a 4-by-11-foot space in a 120-year-old heritage building). 13 (smokinglily.com) Go “big,” on the other end of the spectrum, at Craigdarroch Castle, built by a
sip So, having sated the foodie within and then strolled off some of those calories, it may be time to partake in some lager, ale or stout at Victoria’s microbreweries. Phillips Brewing Company has rich brown IPA Black Toque, Blackberry Heiferbison, deep amber Blue Buck, and golden amber Phoenix (with that Rebar veggie burger!). Get behind the brews on a brewery tour (phillipsbeer.com). Or do your own tour and hop from brewery to brewpub (including Canada’s oldest licensed brewpub, Spinnakers)—all within walking distance—on the Ale Trail, and part of why this local beer scene is home to the Great Canadian Beer Festival, the largest microbrewery festival in Canada. Full yet?
3 11
+
if you go
culinary tours Makeit easy andlet Kathy McAreeof Travel WithTasteguideyouthrough Victoria’s gastronomicgems. travelwithtaste.com; 250-385-1527more Get thefull scooponVictoria at tourismvictoria.com; 1-800-663-3883.
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38
Just For Canadian Doctors
Winter 2010
604 980 5577 enquiries@intrahealth.com www.intrahealthcanada.com
hong kong / valencia / cairo / terrace / maui … |
calendar
cme
A n intern ation a l guide to con tinuing Medica l Education
winte r 20 0 9 + beyond
hong kong
Dragon’s Back trail
dim sum (“touch the heart”) The Peak lookout
Lunar New Year decorations cityscape
open market
curry octopus snack
Hong Kong Tourism Board
Far East escape: revelry, food, vistas and more (CME events in Hong Kong are highlighted in blue) winter getaway When planning your itinerary in Hong Kong, it’s a hard task given the variety of choices. Hong Kong is a vibrant destination year round—where does one start? Winter celebrations began with WinterFest, an annual 38-day festival (from November 27 onwards) that has turned Asia’s worldclass city into a sparkling winter jewel. The festivities continue into Lunar New Year on February 14. Decorations adorn every district and mall in the region, while the city’s famous skyscrapers on both sides of Victoria Harbour add dazzling façades to the cityscape. The celebrations include spectacular illuminations and decorations, fantastic dining promotions and fabulous sales in the stores. There’s something for everyone in this cultural
kaleidoscope—there’s music, opera and flower shows for the arts lover and horse racing, cricket, cycling and tennis for the sports enthusiasts. >> green side The green side of Hong Kong is often forgotten until your senses need some downtime. Should you find the need to get away, Hong Kong’s glorious countryside offers a network of 24 country parks and major hiking trails that are easily accessible by public transport: bus, train, taxi or ferry. November through February is the optimum time for hiking as the temperature is cooler with highs of 25 degree C, low humidity and little precipitation. Some notable hikes on Hong Kong Island include: the Peak Circle Walk looks out onto Victoria Harbour and Kowloon; Wong Nai Chun Gap Trail was
a fierce battleground during WWII; Dragon’s Back, once voted Asia’s favourite hike by Time magazine, offers endless vistas of coastline and distant islands; Jardine’s Lookout located in the central part of the island is a contrast of lush flora against the brilliant blue waters of the reservoirs. Level of difficulty ranges from easy to moderate and hike time of 1 to 4 hours. >> all about balance Hong Kong is a city of contrast with lush green hills and bustling metropolis—the best of both worlds can be had in one day. No matter your choice of activity, try to de-stress and decompress after a day of shopping or hiking at a reflexology centre. Your weary feet will be ready for more exploring. —L. Quinn For more info: DiscoverHongKong.com/canada
Winter 2010 Just For Canadian Doctors
39
c m e calendar
Cardiology
Biochemistry
Anesthesiology
Alternative Medicine
Aesthetic Medicine
cme
when
where
topic
sponsor
contact
website
Jan 14-18
Miami Beach Florida
2010 South Beach Symposium
South Beach Symposium
904-309-6262
southbeachsymposium.org
Jan 30-31
Vancouver British Columbia
Introductory Course To Botox & Cosmetic Fillers
The Physician Skincare & Training Centre
877-754-6782 See Ad Page 42
ptcenter.org
Feb 01
Vancouver British Columbia
Advanced Course In Non-Surgical Face Lifts
The Physician Skincare & Training Centre
877-754-6782 See Ad Page 42
ptcenter.org
Jan 13-15
Serdang Malaysia
2nd International Conference On Medicinal Use Of Honey
Universiti Sains Malaysia
011-60-9-7663117
honey2010. kk.usm.my
Jan 21-24
San Diego California
7th Annual Natural Supplements: An EvidenceBased Update
Scripps Conference Services
858-652-5400
scripps.org
Apr 29May 02
Tucson Arizona
19th Annual Southwestern Conference On Medicine
Tucson Osteopathic Medical Foundation
520-299-4545
tomf.org
Oct 07-09
Glasgow Scotland
19th Annual Scientific Meeting Of The European Association Of Osseointegration
Colloquium
011-33-1-44641515
eao.org
Jan 20
Banff Alberta
12th Annual Rural Anesthesia Course For GP Anesthesiologists
University of Calgary
403-220-3988
medicine. ucalgary.ca
Jan 29-30
Atlanta Georgia
American Society Of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Conference On Practice Management
American Society Of Anesthesiologists
847-825-5586
asahq.org
Mar 07-12
UAE Dubai
New York School Of Regional Anesthesia World Anesthesia Congress
ChoiceLive
011-44-1462441-166
nysoraworld. com
Jan 28-30
Hong Kong China
1st International Congress On Abdominal Obesity
Kenes International
011-41-22-9080488
kenes.com
Mar 08-11
Jolly Beach Antigua
Maintenance Of Genome Stability
Abcam Events
617-577-4235
abcam.com
May 01-07
Stockholm Sweden
18th Scientific Meeting And Exhibition Of The International Society For Magnetic Resonance In Medicine
International Society For Magnetic Resonance In Medicine
510-841-1899
ismrm.org
Jun 13-16
Saskatoon Saskatchewan
2010 Canadian Society Of Clinical Chemists Conference
Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists
613-531-8899
cscc.ca
Jan 20-21
Quebec City Quebec
Réunion Scientifique Annuelle 2010 De La Société Québécoise D’hypertension Artérielle
Société Québécoise d’hypertension
info@ hypertension. qc.ca
hypertension. qc.ca
Feb 24-26
San Antonio Texas
2010 International Stroke Conference
American Heart Association
888-242-2453
americanheart. org
Mar 04-06
Berlin Germany
3rd International Conference On Hypertension, Lipids, Diabetes & Stroke Prevention
Kenes International
011-41-22-9080488
kenes.com
Mar 24-27
Scottsdale Arizona
Clinical Reviews 2010: A Family Practice & Internal Medicine Update
Mayo Clinic
480-301-4580
mayo.edu
new CME list from Adam
Mar 14 - 21 Western Caribbean The Challenging Patient
Mar 22 - 29 Dubai & UAE Clinical Medicine Update
Jul 4 - 11
Aug 6 - 16
Oct 6 - 13
Danube River
Clinical Medicine , Physician Health *this is an exclusive Sea Courses charter
Oct 27 — Nov 11 China land tour & Yangtze River Rheumatology, Chronic Pain, and Traditional Chinese Medicine
SCI
Companion cruises FREE
cruises@seacourses.com Just For Canadian Doctors
Mediterranean
Dermatology, Aesthetic Medicine
1-888-647-7327 40
Alaska Glaciers
Respirology, Sports Med, Int. Med.
Winter 2010
Endocrinology
Emergency Medicine
Diabetes
Dermatology
Clinical Pharmacology
cme
calendar
cme
when
where
topic
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contact
website
Jan 30Feb 03
Toronto Ontario
2010 Professional Practice Conference Of The Canadian Society Of Hospital Pharmacists
CSHP
613-736-9733
cshp.ca
Feb 25-28
Munich Germany
2010 International Conference On Early Disease Detection And Prevention
Paragon Conventions
011-41-22-5330948
paragon-conventions.com
Mar 24-26
Nice France
15th Anniversary Congress Of The European Association Of Hospital Pharmacists
Europan Assoc. of Hospital Pharmacists
011-32-2-7412436
eahp.eu
Jun 06-10
Hong Kong China
27th International College Of Neuropsychopharmacology Congress
Congrex Holland BV
011-31-20-5040200
cinp2010.com
Jan 08-11
Paris France
2010 Annual International Master Course On Aging Skin
IMCAS
011-33-1-46402828
imcasweb.com
Jan 16-17
San Diego California
20th Annual Cutaneous Malignancy Update: Melanoma 2010
Scripps Conference Services & CME
858-652-5400
scripps.org
Feb 14-19
Waikoloa Hawaii
34th Annual Hawaii Dermatology Seminar
Skin Disease Education Foundation
240-221-4401
sdefderm.com
Mar 18-23
Cairo Egypt
7th World Congress Of The International Academy Of Cosmetic Dermatology
International Academy of Cosmetic Dermatology
011-20-1-22223133
iacdworld.org
Aug 6-16
Mediterranean Cruise
Dermatology & Aesthetic Medicine
Sea Courses Cruises
888-647-7327 See Ad Page 40
seacourses. com
Feb 05-07
San Francisco California
57th Annual Advanced Postgraduate Course, American Diabetes Association
American Diabetes Association
800-342-2383
diabetes.org
Mar 03-05
Liverpool England
Diabetes UK Annual Professional Conference 2010
Diabetes UK
011-44-207424-1000
diabetes.org.uk
Mar 14-17
Las Vegas Nevada
2010 Rachmil Levine Diabetes & Obesity Symposium
City of Hope
800-679-4673
levinesymposium.org
Jan 22-24
Calgary Alberta
26th Annual Emergency Medicine For Rural Hospitals Course
University of Calgary
403-220-3379
medicine. ucalgary.ca
Jan 24-27
Whistler British Columbia
23rd Annual Update In Emergency Medicine
University of Toronto
888-512-8173
cepd.utoronto. ca
Mar 15-19
Terrace British Columbia
2010 Winter Escape Emergency Medicine Update
Track and Trail Adventures
888-308-3007
TandTadventures.com
Apr 10-13
Houston Texas
35th Annual Meeting Of American Society Of Andrology
American Society Of Andrology
847-619-4909
andrologysociety.com
Apr 24-28
Prague Czech Republic
12th European Congress Of Endocrinology
BioScientifica
011-44-145464-2240
ece2010.com
Sep 01-04
Chicago Illinois
28th World Congress On Endourology & SWL
International Conference Services Ltd.
604-639-3924
wce2010.com
new CME list from Adam
Learn Virtually anytime - anywhere access your Cme worldwide travel & Learn Format Connect with us 24/7. toll-Free:1-866-685-6860 www.neiconferences.com 7X2.5_canadian_family_physicians1 1
41
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Winter 2010 Just For Canadian Doctors
Nephrology
Legal Ethics
Infectious Diseases
Immunology & Allergy
Genetics
General & Family Medicine
calendar c mcmee when where
42
topic
sponsor
contact
website
604-822-9599
soeh.ubc.ca
Ongoing
Online
Outdoor Air Quality And Health And The Air Quality Health Index (AQHI)
University of British Columbia School of Environmental Health
Feb 06-07
Ottawa Ontario
16th Annual Winterlude Symposium: The Science And Practice Of Perioperative Medicine
University of Ottawa
613-798-5555
ottawa-anesthesia.org
Feb 13-20
Cayo Ensenachos Cuba
An Update In Family Medicine
The Rolling Bones
647-722-9575
therollingbones. ca
Mar 14-21
Caribbean Cruise
The Challenging Patient
Sea Courses Cruises
888-647-7327 See Ad Page 40
seacourses. com
Jan 25-29
Waikoloa Hawaii
Selected Topics In Internal Medicine
Mayo School
800-323-2688
mayo.edu
Feb 14-16
Lorne Australia
Lorne Genome 2010
ASN Pty Ltd.
011-61-3-93296600
asnevents.net.au
Jun 10-12
Cernobbio Italy
2010 International Conference On Adult Hearing Screening
Adult Hearing Screening 2010
ahs2010@ polimi.it
ahs2010.polimi. it
Jan 28-30
Toronto Ontario
Better Breathing Conference 2010
Ontario Lung Association
416-864-9916
on.lung.ca
Feb 04-07
Czech Republic Prague
9th International Conference On New Trends In Immunosupression & Immunotherapy
Kenes International
011-41-22-9080488
kenes.com
Feb 26Mar 02
New Orleans Louisiana
66th Annual Meeting Of The American Academy Of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
AAAAI
414-272-6071
aaaai.org
Jan 23-30
Sacramento California
28th Annual Infectious Diseases Conference
UC Davis Health System
866-263-4338
ucdmc.ucdavis. edu
Feb 14-19
Kohala Coast Hawaii
Infectious Diseases In Clinical Practice: Update On Inpatient And Outpatient Infectious Diseases
University of California
415-476-4251
cme.ucsf.edu
Jan 25-26
Kodaikanal India
International Conference On Medical Negligence & Litigation In Medical Practice
Indian Association of Medico-Legal Experts
011-91-112620-7112
intelmedicon. com
Feb 23-28
New Orleans Louisiana
2010 Annual Meeting Of The American Medical Group Association
AMGA
703-838-0033
amga.org
Mar 04-07
Orlando Florida
2010 50th Annual Conference Of The American College Of Legal Medicine
ACLM
847-969-0283
aclm.org
May 07-09
Noosa Australia
National Medical & Legal Issue Seminar
Conferences 21
011-61-7-32543331
conferences21. com
Jan 20-22
New Orleans Louisiana
12th International Conference On Dialysis: Advances In CKD 2010
Renal Research Institute
212-360-4900
renalresearch. com
Mar 10-13
Washington District of Columbia
Liver Week 2010
American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases
703-299-9766
aasld.org
new CME list from Adam
Just For Canadian Doctors
Winter 2010
Ophthalmology
Oncology
Obstetrics Gynecology
Nutrition
Neurology
cme
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where
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website
Feb 03-06
Acapulco Mexico
38th Annual Meeting Of International Neuropsychological Society
INS
614-263-4200
the-ins.org
Feb 24-26
San Antonio Texas
2010 International Stroke Conference
American Heart Association
888-478-7653
strokeassociation.org
Mar 03-06
Christchurch New Zealand
5th Biennial Conference Of Australasian Academy Of Cerebral Palsy And Developmental Medicine
DC Conferences Pty Ltd.
011-61-2-99544400
dcconferences. com.au
Apr 10-17
Toronto Ontario
62nd Annual American Association Of Neurology Meeting
AAN Member Services
651-695-2717
aan.com
Feb 09-12
Las Vegas Nevada
Clinical Nutrition Week 2010
American Society for Parenteral & Enteral Nutrition
301-587-6315
nutritioncare. org
Mar 11-14
Buenos Aires Argentina
1st Latin American Symposium On Controversies To Consensus In Diabetes, Obesity & Hypertension
Comtecmed
011-972-3-5666166
comtecmed. com
Feb 18-21
St. Petersburg Florida
2010 Annual Meeting Of International Society For The Study Of Women’s Sexual Health
ISSWSH
847-517-7225
isswsh.org
Mar 03-06
Miami Florida
27th Annual Miami Breast Cancer Conference
Physicians’ Education Resource
888-949-0045
pergrouplp.com
Mar 08-12
Paradisus Playa Costa Rica
23rd International Cme Of Society Of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists Of Canada
& Gynaecologists of Canada
800-561-2416
sogc.com
Mar 21-26
Boston Massachusetts
47th Annual Update in Obstetrics & Gynecology
Harvard Medical School
617-384-8600
hms.harvard. edu
Jun 14-21
British Isles Cruise
Women’s Health
Continuing Education, Inc./University at Sea
800-422-0711 See Ad Page 51
continuingeducation.net
Jan 20-23
San Juan Puerto Rico
Cancer Epigenetics
American Association for Cancer Research Program Development
215-440-9300
aacr.org
Feb 13-16
San Diego California
Scripps Cancer Center’s 30th Annual Conference: Clinical Hematology and Oncology
Scripps Conference Services & CME
858-652-5400
scripps.org
Mar 04-07
St Louis Missouri
2010 Annual Meeting Of The Society Of Surgical Oncology
Society Of Surgical Oncology
847-427-1400
surgonc.org
Feb 18-21
Palm Beach Florida
5th Annual International Conference on Ocular Infections
Paragon Conventions
011-41-22-7477930
paragon-conventions.com
Mar 04-07
Naples Florida
20th Annual Meeting Of The American Glaucoma Society
American Glaucoma Society
415-561-8587
americanglaucomasociety.net
Jun 06-10
Berlin Germany
XXXII Internationational Congress Of Ophthalmology
International Council of Ophthalmology
415-409-8403
icoph.org
new CME list from Society Adam of Obstetricians
live. work. expand your opportunities.
Physician Specialist Practicing in the Northwest Territories rewards you with stunning geography and a powerful community spirit that northerners embody personally and professionally. Our dedication to continued professional development, coupled with a distinctive work-life balance, allows you to expand your professional career. Our current needs are pediatrics, internal medicine, general surgery, radiology and psychiatry. To discuss details about specialist opportunities in the NWT, contact: Cammy Daoust, 1-866-389-3149, e-mail cammy_daoust@gov.nt.ca
www.practicenorth.ca 124-078 Just for Canadian Doctors
Winter 2010 Just For Canadian Doctors
43
Surgery
Rural Medicine
Respirology
Psychiatry
Pediatrics
Pain Management
calendar c mcmee when where
topic
sponsor
contact
website
Jan 21-25
Colombo Sri Lanka
26th Annual Scientific Sessions Of College Of Anaesthesiologists Of Sri Lanka
College Of Anaesthesiologists Of Sri Lanka
011-94-112672-327
srilankaanaesthesia.com
Mar 09-12
Boston Massachusetts
42nd Annual Meeting Of The American Burn Association
American Burn Association
312-642-9260
ameriburn.org
Mar 29Apr 11
Hong Kong Asia Cruise
Pain Management And Neurology (With 32 Day Extension Option)
Continuing Education, Inc./University at Sea
800-422-0711 See Ad Page 51
continuingeducation.net
Feb 13-19
Maui Hawaii
Pediatric Potpourri: State Of The Art 2010
Childrens Hospital Los Angeles Medical Group
323-361-2752
childrenshospitallamedicalgroup.org
Mar 07-11
Acapulco Mexico
8th International Symposium On Pediatric Pain
International Conference Services
604-681-2153
ispp2009mexico.com
Jul 03-09
Maui Hawaii
Pediatrics In The Islands … Clinical Pearls 2010
Childrens Hospital Los Angeles Medical Group
323-361-2752
childrenshospitallamedicalgroup.org
Feb 07-12
Joshua Tree California
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
University of California
619-543-6470
ucsd.edu
Mar 05-08
Savannah Georgia
2010 Annual Meeting Of American Association For Geriatric Psychiatry
AAGP
301-654-7850
aagpmeeting.org
Apr 15-18
Yerevan Armenia
Regional Meeting Of The World Psychiatric Association
Armenian Association of Psychiatrists
soghoyan@ yahoo.com
wpanet.org
May 22-27
New Orleans Louisiana
163rd Annual Meeting Of The American Psychiatric Association 2010
American Psychiatric Association
703-907-7300
psych.org
Jan 25-27
Ft. Lauderdale Florida
46th Annual Meeting Of The Society Of Thoracic Surgeons
Society Of Thoracic Surgeons
312-202-5800
sts.org
Apr 15-17
Izmir Turkey
Occupational Respiratory Disease For The Clinician
European Respiratory Society
school@ ersnet.org
ersnet.org
Sep 18-22
Barcelona Spain
2010 Annual Congress Of European Respiratory Society
European Respiratory Society
info@ersnet. org
erscongress2010.org
Feb 06-10
Big Sky Resort Montana
25th Annual National Conference On Wilderness Medicine
American College of Emergency Physicians, Mountain Medical Seminars
888-995-3088
mtnreg.com
Apr 22-24
Toronto Ontario
18th Annual Rural & Remote Medicine Course
Society of Rural Physicians of Canada
819-647-2485
srpc.ca
Jan 09-12
Boca Raton Florida
2010 Annual Meeting Of The American Society For Reconstructive Microsurgery
Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery
contact@ microsurg.org
microsurg.org
Mar 10-13
Lake Louise Alberta
10th Annual Scientific Conference Of The Canadian Spine Society
University of Calgary
403-220-8458
ucalgary.ca
For feedback, requests or to have your course featured please email cme@inprintpublications.com or submit your course via www.justforcanadiandoctors.com
Saint Margaret’s school The International Non-denominational School for Girls
• Scholarships available for North American boarding students • Boarding facilities are among the finest in North America • Full scholarship until graduation for a new day student entering Grade 10 • Ranked one of the top Junior and Senior schools in British Columbia • Over 97% of graduates pursue post-secondary education • Students excel in advanced placement courses and provincial exams ECE to Grade 12 • Victoria, BC • (250) 479-7171 • stmarg@stmarg.ca • www.stmarg.ca
44
Just For Canadian Doctors
Winter 2010
employment
opportunities
FINAL ad for ginette copy3.pdf
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opportunities
09210 SHR_SHR 30/10/09 9:37 AM Page 1
Generalist and Specialist Physicians Exciting opportunities are available at Saskatoon Health Region and University of Saskatchewan for Generalist and Specialist Physicians.
Saskatoon Health Region (SHR)
employment
SHR is one of the most integrated and complex health delivery agencies in Canada and is the largest health region in Saskatchewan, serving more than 300,000 residents. SHR is the largest single employer in the province with over 12,000 staff and 800 physicians. The city's acute care hospitals – St. Paul's, City and Royal University – comprise three of the province’s tertiary teaching centres.
The city Saskatoon (pop. 230,000) is the largest city in Saskatchewan, boasting small town spirit and big city amenities.
#09210 Just for Ca Doctors
To Apply: If you are seeking a challenging career opportunity, please apply in confidence to either: Lois Spizawka Tel: (306) 655-8410 Fax: (306) 655-7961 Email: lois.spizawka@saskatoonhealthregion.ca OR Jackie McKee Tel: (306) 655-7948 Fax: (306) 655-7961 Email: jackie.mckee@saskatoonhealthregion.ca
Healthiest people. Healthiest communities. Exceptional service.
Plot your course for Southern Georgian Bay Midland/Penetanguishene, Ontario Only 90 minutes north of Toronto.
Ongoing opportunities in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Geriatrics and Rehabilitation, with various practice models including a Family Health Team and Community Health Centre. Create a flexible career by combining a family practice with Emergency or Hospitalist positions. Financial incentives and relocation costs provided
To learn more contact: David Gravelle Physician Recruitment Officer gravelled@nsha.on.ca 1-705-526-1300 Ext 3135 Fax 705-527-2007
Georgian Bay SOUTHERN
www.nsha.on.ca Image by Diane Soward - www.artofdianesoward.com
Physician Recruitment Recrutement de médecins
www.doctorworkandplayongeorgianbay.ca
Nov/Dec 2 issue
1/4 page c
3 3/8” x 4
Practicing in New Brunswick is more than a career choice. It’s a life choice.
L’exercice d’une profession dans le secteur de la santé au Nouveau-Brunswick s’avère plus qu’un choix de carrière, c’est un mode de vie.
Being in New Brunswick. Making life happen.
Soyez au Nouveau-Brunswick Vivez pleinement.
www.gnb.ca/physicians www.gnb.ca/médecins
opportunities
Travail. Vie. Équilibre.
employment
Work. Life. Balance.
cl a s s i f i ed ads
| positions / vacation properties / practices / locums positions available positions available practice for sale
ALLISTONANDAREA– GPs needed. Semi-rural Ontario, less than an hour north of the big city amenities of Toronto and moments fromcottagecountry. OpportunitytopracticeinER. FamilyHealth Team, group or solo practice. A beautiful and welcoming community with collegial support. ER LOCUM URGENTLY NEEDED. Contact Kate Mooij, (705) 435-3377 ext. # 3254 or email kmooij@smhosp.on.ca to discover all Alliston and area has to offer. www.smhosp.on.ca COQUITLAM, BC- Well establishedfamilypracticeseekingP/Tor F/T physician preferably female. 2 doctors in fully developed practice. Great location, convenience of a medical buildingwithother amenities, near LougheedTownCentre, verybusy, computerized, experiencedstaff, well-equippedoffice. For further informationplease call Monikaat 604-931-4826or email monikak@shawlink.ca. MISSISSAUGA, ON- Busy clinic in West Mississauga seeks specialists for consults and doctors for part-time walk-in shifts. Peds, Sports Med, Internal Medicine wanted. Other opportunities available. Laboratory on-site. Flexible hours. email: doctorsearch@ hotmail.comor call management at (416) 8448340. NORTHYORK, TORONTO, ON- TheHealthyWayMedical Diagnostic Centrelocatedinbusy NorthYork locationlookingfor Family physicians tojoinour clinicandestablishFamily andWalk-inpractice. We are offering turn a key office and no overhead conditions for first year with possible extension. Please call (416) 667-8498 or email info@thehealthywaymdc.com. REGINA, SK – Family physician required to join busy Quance East Medical Clinic in Regina, located in Victoria Square Mall. Full-time, part-time or locum basis. The clinic is well established. Regular and walk-in patients accepted. You can be as busy as you wish. Well-equipped, individual offices with Inter-
net access, and pleasant and efficient staff. Excellent potential for building your practice. Contact: Lana Cheshenchuk at email suitlana@sasktel.net or call 306.545.5868 TORONTO, ON- Rheumatologist lookingtoshareofficespacewith physician in recently renovated medical building at Bay/College. Lab, x-ray, ultrasound, pharmacy, physiotherapyonpremises. Opportunity of joining Family Health Group. Subway and bus accessible. email: nancykeesal@bellnet.ca or call 416-323-0630. VICTORIA, BC – Central downtown family practice (Cook/Fort). Adjacent to many Medical Professional Buildings, with diverse, disciplined, andloyal patient population base (mainly ethnic Chinese). Spacious functional clinic newly custombuilt (2003) with extensive cabinet storage spaces. Clinic fully equipped, under 25% overhead, and 2007 billing 370 K. Relocating 2010. email: huatau@hotmail.com
office space for sale/lease METROTOWN AREA, BURNABY, BC - Brand new medical space: 1,454 sqft. Available immediately for Buy or Lease. #101-6588 Royal Oak Ave, Burnaby. Ground floor, facing Royal Oak Ave. with parking stalls. Excellent exposure. 1 block to the Royal Oak Skytrain, 2 blocks to Metrotown Mall. Contact Polina @ 778-899-5690or email zilinsltd1@yahoo.ca.
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WestToronto, affluent Kingsway establishedsolopractice. Terms negotiable. AvailablebyOctober 2010inaself ownedmedical building with specialists and auxiliary services. Fiscal advantages of an elevenFamilyHealthPracticecall group. Infoat 416-233-1338.
record storage RETIRING, MOVING or CLOSING your family practice? DOCUdavit Medical Solutions provides FREE patient record storage with no hidden costs. Contact Sid Soil at DOCUdavit Solutions today at 1-888-781-9083, ext.105 or email ssoil@docudavit.com. We also providegreat rates for closingspecialists.
MSP billing LocatedclosetoPeaceArchHospital, WhiteRock, BC. I amreliable, efficient, cost-effectiveandabletopick upyour billing; rates negotiable. Pleasecontact Lisaat 778-292-1410or Lsiemens1@shaw.ca
vacation properties TOFINO, BC- Beachfront vacationhomeonspectacular Chesterman Beach. 3 bedroom, 2 baths, fully equipped. Surfing, beach combing, hiking, biking, fishing, whale watching and stormwatching. Fractional 1/4 and/or 1/2 titledownershipavailable. This is titled ownership, not time-share. Contact: zulubendall@hotmail.com PUERTOVALLARTA – Need a holiday in the sun? Deluxe beachfront one bedroom condo on the south shore of Puerto Vallarta overlookMismaloyaBay. Sleeps 4, full kitchen, A/C, sat TV&more. 604-542-1928. Or email: jorajames@telus.net.
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Just For Canadian Doctors
Winter 2010
diversion
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winner of last issue’s sudoku contest: Dr. Kieran O’Keeffe of Winnipeg, MB
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49
This physician is passionate about his family, travels, espresso and all things bike related. Cycling is a cause that’s very close to the heart: “As physicians, I think we have an obligation to do everything we can to get our health and transportation policy focused on the needs of people not cars. Health consequences related to pollution, climate change and inactive lifestyle are almost certain to be three of the biggest challenges our profession will face over the 21st century. Bicycles are one of the best tools we’ve got to address these challenges.”
The Dalmation Coast
My name: Chris Cavacuiti I live and practise in: downtown Toronto My training: Med school in Toronto, Family Medicine residency in Vancouver and then a Masters of Health Science back in Toronto. Why I was drawn to medicine: My practice has a strong inner city health focus (HIV, Addictions, care of the homeless etc). I really like the challenging mix of medical and psychosocial issues. I also like knowing that I’m helping to meet the needs of an underserved patient population.
Dr. Cavacuiti on holiday
My last trip: To Tucson Arizona with my cycling team. Tucson is a great place to ride a bike (in fact, Tucson is one of the few cities in the US to be given a “Gold Level” Award by the League of American Bicyclists). The most exotic place I’ve travelled: Probably the time I spent working in rural Ethiopia while in residency.
below Dr. Cavacuiti’s favourite book and film. bottom right His daughters. bottom left His prized Elektra Micro Casa a Leva espresso machine.
Python and the Holy Grail (mostly because it is such a treat to laugh along with my kids when we watch it) My must-see TV show: I don’t really watch TV, except when the Tour de France is on, and then I watch every day! My favourite music: Rose Rouge by St. Germain My first job: A lifeguard at a waterslide The gadget or gear I could not do without: My travel bike. It fits in a standard suitcase so I don’t pay excess baggage when I fly. My bike now comes with me on all my holidays and conferences. There is no better way to explore a new city than on a bike! My favourite room at home: The room that always seem to impress our guests is our workout/ movie room. For winter workouts, I have my bike set up on a stationary trainer so I can watch TV, movies…I even have a laptop in front of the bike that I can surf the net!
My favourite sport to watch: No question…the Tour de France My celebrity crush: My wife might read this… so I think I’ll pass on this one. I’d want this item with me if stranded on a desert island: A boat… so I could get off after a week…or two…or maybe three. My secret to relaxing and relieving tension: Leave your office clothes at work so you can ride to and from work. A talent I wish I had: Music My scariest moment: Being hit by a truck in ’06 while training on my bike. The driver was charged and convicted of making an unsafe lane change, but that’s still small consolation for the broken bones and months of recovery. My fondest memory: The birth of my kids. A big challenge I’ve faced: Coming back from my bike accident.
The best souvenir I’ve brought back from a trip: My daughter Emma—my wife discovered she was pregnant with our second daughter while on holiday there.
My car: I’m far prouder of my bikes (a Cervelo Carbon Soloist for Road Races and a Cervelo P3 for Triathlons) than I am of my car.
One thing I’d change about myself: Trying to balance work and family is always hard. I know that work wins out more often than I should probably let it.
My last purchase: Linda McQuaig’s It’s the Crude Dude
The word that best describes me: Hopeful
A favourite place that I keep returning to: The Dalmatian Coast. My wife has family there and the Adriatic has one of the most beautiful coastlines I’ve even seen.
My last splurge: An Elektra Micro Casa a Leva espresso machine. It makes a better cappuccino than I can get at just about any espresso joint in Toronto!
I’m inspired by: My family
My ultimate dream vacation: I’ve had a long-time dream of trying to qualify for the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. I’d love to go there with my family and do that race and then explore the island.
Most-frequented store: Endurosport
If I could travel to any time, I’d go to: Actually, I’m very happy with my family right where I am. My favourite book: Captain Corelli’s Mandolin My favourite movie: Monty
My closet has too many: Cycling jerseys My fridge is always stocked with: Boost (a great way to get in some quick calories after a long ride) My medicine cabinet is always stocked with: Duoderm (it works wonders with road rash) My guilty pleasure is: Watching really bad action movies. But thanks to my workout/movie room at least I get a workout in while I’m watching them! My favourite exercise/activity: I hope that’s pretty obvious!
My biggest ego boost: Having kids who still think I’m great My biggest ego blow: They don’t think I’m quite as great as they used to. I’m happiest when: I’m having fun with my family. My greatest fear is: Living forever My motto is: The serenity prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. A cause close to my heart: Cycling health and safety Something I haven’t done yet that’s on my must-do list: Ironman Hawaii If I wasn’t a doctor I’d be: A stay-at-home dad
courtesy Dr. chris cavacuiti
s m a l l ta l k
doctors share their picks, pans, pleasures and fears
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Complete Program Listing at www.ContinuingEducation.NET Ask about our Guest Travels Free Program February 28, 2010 Primary Care Cardiology Review 14 AMA PRA Category 1 credits™ AAFP Applied for 7-Night Eastern Caribbean from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Celebrity Cruises’ Solstice
March 13, 2010 Dermatology for Primary Care
14 AMA PRA Category 1 credits™ AAFP Applied for 7-Night Eastern Caribbean from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Holland America's ms Eurodam
March 20, 2010 Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine
14 AMA PRA Category 1 credits™ AAFP Applied for 7-Day Mexican Riviera Round-trip Los Angeles Norwegian Cruise Line’s Star
March 27, 2010 Preventive Cardiology
14 AMA PRA Category 1 credits™ AAFP Applied for 7-Night Hawaiian Islands from Honolulu Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America
April 3, 2010 Women's Health
14 AMA PRA Category 1 credits™ AAFP Applied for 8-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise Conference Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas
April 11, 2010 Management and Treatment of Emerging and Evolving Infectious Diseases for Primary Care 14 AMA PRA Category 1 credits™ AAFP Applied for 7-Night Caribbean from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Celebrity Cruises' Solstice
June 6, 2010 Dermatology for Primary Care
14 AMA PRA Category 1 credits™ AAFP Applied for 7-Night Western Mediterranean from Rome Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas
June 12, 2010 Primary Care: Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity
14 AMA PRA Category 1 credits™ AAFP Applied for Greece and Turkey from Venice, Italy Royal Caribbean's Splendour of the Seas
Accreditation: Continuing Education, Inc. is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Designation: Continuing Education, Inc. designates these educational activities for a maximum of 14 AMA PRA Category 1 credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. Nursing Contact Hours: Continuing Education, Inc. is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Georgia Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. Florida Seller of Travel Reg. #14337
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June 14, 2010 Women's Health
14 AMA PRA Category 1 credits™ AAFP Applied for 7-Night British Isles from Dover Crystal Cruises’ Symphony
June 25, 2010 Family Medicine
14 AMA PRA Category 1 credits™ AAFP Applied for 10-Night Eastern Mediterranean from Rome Celebrity Cruises’ Equinox
June 25, 2010 Oral Health and Mucosal Disease
14 AMA PRA Category 1 credits™ AAFP Applied for 7-Night Northbound Alaska Cruise from Vancouver, BC Celebrity Cruises’ Millennium
June 29, 2010 Cardiology Essentials
Co-Sponsored with School of Medicine, SUNY at Stony Brook 14 AMA PRA Category 1 credits™ AAFP Applied for 10-Night Scandinavia and Russia, Dover to Copenhagen Holland America's ms Eurodam
July 18, 2010 Cancer in Women
14 AMA PRA Category 1 credits™ AAFP Applied for 7-Night Bermuda Cruise Conference from New York City Holland America's ms Veendam
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Marlin Travel Cruises offers a world-class selection of Cruise Lines: For Quebec Doctors, please call or visit our sister brand, Club Voyages at 1-866-777-0608 or www.clubvoyages.com. *Offer valid on new, individual and group cruise bookings with select suppliers, for balcony cabins or higher categories, made between January 4 – March 15, 2010. Deposit must be made at time of booking. Not applicable on child fares. Other conditions may apply and may vary by supplier. Full offer details are available from your Marlin Travel Advisor. Base reward mile offer is 1/$35 on vacation packages, cruise fares and charter flights. Not applicable on scheduled airline or rail tickets, hotel and car reservations paid locally, foreign exchange, non-commissionable items and insurance. Marlin Travel is a division of Transat Distribution Canada Inc. Ont. Reg. #50015084. BC Reg. #23567. Head Office: 191 The West Mall, Suite 700, Etobicoke, ON M9C 5K8. ®™Trademarks of AIR MILES International Trading B.V. Used under license by LoyaltyOne, Inc. and Transat Distribution Canada Inc. Offer codes: MTCR10PC, MTCR10HA, MTCR10CA, MTCR10RC, MTCR10CC, MTCR10NC, MTCR10CO, MTCR10MS, MTCR10TH, MTCR10AZ.