Canadian Weblog Awards – I’m shortlisted!

Today, while surfing the net, I went to visit Ninjamatics and check on the progress for the 2011 Canadian Weblog Awards.  The URL is here;

http://www.ninjamatics.com/canadian-weblog-awards

Having a blog that kind of covers… Stuff, doesn’t normally fare well on year-end awards because I’m more than a parenting blog, I’m a little bit Daddy, I’m a little bit political, I cover sports, and coffee, current events… A bit of everything. 

But blogging as long as I have, there is one category that is totally me, and that one applies to any bloggers who have been kicking around for a long time, which, well I have.

So back to Ninjamatics.  Here was what I saw when I went by;

“The Ninjamatics’ 2011 Canadian Weblog Awards’ forty-six jurors have completed their first of two rounds of judging!

Over the last two weeks, they poured over the 461 nominated weblogs, measuring the nominees against our ten criteria. They have selected the top five weblogs in each category that will move forward into the final round of the Ninjamatics’ 2011 Canadian Weblog Awards. The winners will be picked from this shortlist over the next two weeks.

Without further ado, we are proud to announce the Ninjamatics’ 2011 Canadian Weblog Awards Nominees Shortlist!

Lifetime Achievement Award (for weblogs created before January 1, 2005)
Prix d’excellence pour l’ensemble de son œuvre (blogues créés avant le 1er janvier 2005)

Cheaty Monkey
Coin-Operated Boy
HelloMelissa.net
Urban Daddy
Weighty Matters”

Well.

Look at that.  I’ve been shortlisted.  Sweet.  The other 4 blogs are incredible, no doubt about that.

I’ll be honest, I was a little (okay, a lot) nervous about making the final 5 since last year there were 6 blogs that fit this category and I didn’t make the shortlist – I was the odd one out – which is okay since I’m a little odd. 

This year it’s a different story and I’ve made the cut.  Maybe I should see if there were only 5 blogs in the category this year (he he) before I go any further, but being nominated was a huge achievement and making it through to the bonus round is also very cool.

So please, continue to support your Canadian bloggers!

Lilah’s Fund – 2011 Lil Monkey Jam – put the “fun” back in “fundraising”.

This was another fun-filled, yet very hectic weekend in the Urban Daddy household, and we ended this weekend in a special way unlike all other weekends (and no I’m not referring to 3 crazy children jumping up and down until we order them to bed kicking and screaming – that still went on), when on Sunday afternoon all five of us went to a fundraising event called the Lil Monkey Jam.  This fundraising event was for Lilah’s Fund.

If you are not aware of what Lilah’s fund is, it is a registered family fund at the Hospital for Sick Children here in Toronto. The purpose of this fund is to create more effective treatments for neuroblastoma (cancer) patients, especially children as the treatments used on adults is much to strong for children. 

This was our first, but not last event with Lilah’s fund.  In the 5-years that Lilah’s fund has been around, it has raised over $600,000.00.  Impressive, eh?

Lilah’s Fund is named after Lilah Petersiel, who herself went through treatment for neuroblastoma after being diagnosed within the first few weeks of her life.  If you saw this bubbly, nervous little girl, standing on the stage today, thanking everyone for attending the event today you would want to donate too. 

I’m going to pull a quote for the Lilah’s Fund website that I really liked; “[Lilah] shares our dreams of solving neuroblastoma so that all children who face this disease can do so with the knowledge that they, too, will get healthy soon.” 

So you, like I, probably need to know a little more about neuroblastoma, so I did some research and here is what I uncovered.  Neuroblastoma is a cancerous tumour that is most commonly diagnosed in children younger than 5-years-old and it is not preventable.  It is very hard to detect, which can mean that by the time the cancer is noticed, it has spread making it that much more deadly.   Neuroblastoma hits a nerve network that carries messages from the brain.  It is a solid, malignant tumor that manifests as a lump or mass in the abdomen or around the spinal cord in the chest, neck, or pelvis.  It is often present at birth, but is most often diagnosed much later when the child begins to show symptoms of the disease.  As discussed earlier, that is one major problem.

The event itself was a blast.  As this was their first ever Lil’ Monkey Jam, it couldn’t have turned out better.  It was at St. Michael’s school and the seating capacity was 440 and there was barely an empty seat in the house.  The entertainment was a wonderful local children’s band called Oozakazoo who sang three songs and got the place hopping in time for Juno nominated Shomo and the Monkey Bunch who, by the end of their set, had a stage full of happy, dancing children and their smiling parents.  

The funny part of the show for us, was that for the first part of the show, Berry played scared, tucking her head into her mummy’s chest and shoulder, but by the end of the show she was on stage dancing with the rest of the kids.  Even Linus and Stewie made it on the stage to dance (until they started scrapping with each other and were sent back to sit with daddy).

There were lots of great treats – smores, Starbucks coffee, colouring books, mini lego figures, juices and a ton of prizes for the raffle.  At $70.00 for a family of four it was worth every cent – and then some for the raffle tickets.  It was great seeing all the cancer survivors on the stage and seeing the smiling face of Lilah – the star of the show.

It was also very important to expose my children to the good that comers from attending events like this and showing support for those in need – whether they are in need now, or were in need when they were babies.  I want them to see how fortunate they are to live in a free, safe country, in a wonderful neighbourhood with good health because it can all change in a heartbeat and I’m sure they would want others to show them the same respect.  Considering my sons know Lilah, it is even more important for them to see how much she has accomplished in her young life.  She’s an inspriation for all children, healthy and sick.

Can’t wait for the next event!

In case you are interested, you too can make a donations here; https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/donate.aspx?EventID=5455&LangPref=en-CA

2011 Boston Red Sox – Best Team EVER!!!

It all started right here; http://www.massholesports.com/2011/03/boston-herald-declares-2011-red-sox.html

The Boston Herald proclaimed prior to the 2011 Major League Baseball season that the Boston Red Sox, 2011 edition, were the best team ever!

Such lofty praise.

After 6 games in the season, they stood at a wonderful 0-6. Headlines like this; “Boston Red Sox Start Season 0-6 for First Time Since 1945 after 1-0 loss to Cleveland.” were more common that the later one.

Yikes!

At that time, they and the Tampa Bay Rays (nee Devil Rays) were both 0-6 and we know what happened to the Rays, making up all that ground in the last couple weeks of the season combined with a colossal Red Sox collapse to see the Rays take the wild-card spot.

Since that time, the GM, Theo Epstein fired manager Terry Francona, then a few days ago, Epstein himself stepped down to take the GM job with the Chicago Cubs. Such drama!!! Why fire the manager if you’re leaving unless you intend on hiring him when you’re in Chicago officially.

Boy does all this sting even more when it came out that starting pitchers Josh Beckett, John Lackey and Jon Lester, who joined by Clay Buchholz later on, drank beer in the clubhouse, ate fried chicken, and played video games during games on their off-days.

This routine allegedly began late in the 2010 season as the team faded from contention and continued through all of 2011.  Could this lack of support of teammates be any worse?  Of course.  Apparently, these pitchers scaled back their workout routines despite appeals from team physicians and trainers.  Is it not wrong that a guy making $75,000 a year is on a pitcher making $10 million per year to get off his ass, do his exercise and stay fit and healthy. 

As a result, the three gained weight and body fat, and were terrible in September when the Red Sox needed them most, going 2-7 with a 6.45 ERA. Not surprisingly, the Red Sox lost 11 of their last 15 starts.

I’m not surprised at all about Josh Beckett as I remember he pulled this crap when he played for, and won a World Series with, the Florida Marlins back in 2003. I recalled that then manager, Jack McKeon, whom I really liked, saying that Beckett and former Red Sox pitcher Brad Penny would drink in between innings and even in games they started… Yikes. I think the solution McKeon used is the same one that Francona should have used, in hindsight, when he locked the clubhouse during games and when the players had to go to the bathroom, they would be given a bathroom passes.

Can we make matters worse? Sure, Big Papi, David Ortiz who is a free agent after the World Series stated that he wants to play for the New York Yankees in order to get away from the “drama”.

Drama?!? Maybe Big Papi forgot July 30, 2009 when the New York Times reported that he and then-teammate Manny Ramirez were among a group of roughly 100 major league baseball players to test positive for performance-enhancing drugs during 2003 testing. If I remember correctly, just before this in an interview, Ortiz stated that players who tested positive for steroids should be suspended for an entire season. So what did Ortiz do? He held a press conference before a game at Yankee Stadium, no less, and denied ever buying or using steroids. He said he tested positive because of “vitamins and supplements”. Are steroids considered a supplement?

Oddly he was unable to come up with a list of vitamins or supplements that he was taking. Yikes again. Now with this list seized by the government, he is barred from talking about it at all.

Then comes out an “internal source” claiming that the manager, Francona was suffering from constant abuse of prescription medication and is in the process of marital breakdown which also was a distraction.

Best team ever???

Great curse, Boston Herald… Great curse.

Urban Daddy’s 3rd Annual Coffee Shop Rankings – 2011

Without further delay, please enjoy reading this urban daddy’s 3rd annual coffee shop rankings for 2011.

These rankings are based on the following criteria;

1.       Taste

2.       Price

3.       Freshness

4.       Other intangibles, such as snacks, how to pay and additional perks.  

 

So sit right back with your cuppa java and let’s go!

1. Java Joe’s

2. Tim Horton’s

3. Starbucks

4. Coffee Time

5. Timothys

6. Second Cup

7. Tim Horton’s US

8. Country Style

9. Dunkin Donuts

10. Seattle’s Best Coffee

11. McDonald’s

 

So how did I come to these conclusions, you may ask???  Easily.

For value, taste and freshness, Java Joe’s is the hands down winner this year.  I have found that the flavours are fantastic whether it is their Cinnamon Hazelnut, Jamaica Me Crazy, Raspberry Chocolate, Banana Cream, Caramel, or even their Irish Cream (and I detest Irish Cream!)   Even the regular coffees they sell have some great flavour to them.I go to Java Joe’s when I want a good cup of coffee full of flavour and body.  When I just want a coffee that I can savor I put to no price on that.  As well, their containers that they use to hold the coffee after it is brewed keeps the coffee hot and does not water it down (from condensation) nor does it cause the coffee to continue brewing and therefore get bitter. If you have read this blog before, you may recall that the Java Joe’s I frequent opened up near my office and that was how I came across them.  Before Tim Horton’s finally started taking debit, I would always hit up Java Joe’s who take debit, credit, and cash.  In addition, their food (sandwiches, wraps, soups and salads) are way better than can be had at any coffee shop on this list and they also have a wonderful selection of organic teas, cold iced drinks plus the full range of hot drinks like latte’s, Americano’s, mochachinos and cappuccinos.  The staff are great and the place has cool tables and chairs, WiFi and a flat screen TV which you can watch while sitting next to the built-in fireplace.  Eat-in or eat-out.  Don’t forget the catering.

All of this makes Java Joe’s #1 on my 2011 rankings.

Tim Horton’s comes in at #2 this year for a couple of reasons.  First of all I have found that they are becoming inconsistent – a cup of coffee at one location will not taste the same as one in another location and it also varies during the time of day usually based on who is making it.  There are 4 Timmy’s within 10 blocks of my office and the one I normally go to have done something to their coffee (possibly using 2 packets of coffee for 3 pots of water) and I cannot go there again.  Secondly, their Roll up the Rim contest was very disappointing this year as I bought 2-3 coffees a day every day of the contest and barely won at all.  Yes, their addition of oatmeal gives them top marks – but you have to order it with just berries – no brown sugar powder – otherwise it’s not healthy at all, and I found they put in the sugar powder whether you ask for it or not.I do like the 3 new bagel flavours at Tim Hortons, however a blueberry bagel with strawberry cream cheese still gets top marks for me with my large double double.  I have not eaten anything else there since I got sick eating a bowl of their chili along with a colleague of mine who got sick as well.  A visit there won’t break the bank, and in some areas they seem to be on every block.  Sure, they rarely stir the coffee, but for $1.65 for a large… You can’t go wrong.  And where else would I be able to say, I’ll have a large double double, please”, and get a smile and a “yes sir”.

Starbucks, while pricey, and serving very strong coffee come in at number 3 mainly because of their fantastic Cafe Americano’s, which are a very smooth drink and costs slightly more than the price of a regular coffee.  At the suggestion of our friend, Mr. Real Estate Marshall Cohen, I got hooked on having the Americano with a pump of mocha (free if you have a convenience card but you have to police that as they will more often than not charge the $0.35 for that shot) and during the holidays I added a pump of mint too.  Plus, their give you a coupon for a free anything if you don’t like your drink, or waiting too long for it AND, often offer free samples.  Their oatmeal is the perfect treat for a toddler as is their cheese plate (although really pricey).  My kids love the wooden stir sticks (sticks) and the automatic doors.  It’s nice to be able to sit at Starbucks, do the Guterman.

Coffee Time actually has really good coffee with surprisingly nice flavor, more so I found than Tim Horton’s do nowadays, however the coffee must be consumed when freshly made because Coffee Time still uses the pot directly on the burner brewing so the coffee stays hot but gets stale really quickly.  They also have some very interesting treats which are not outstanding but if you are hungry and cheap, hits the spot.  I have often walked in to have a coffee there because I feel sorry they don’t do a better job getting their brand out.  When the place is busy you have a wide selection to choose from – drinks, soups, donuts, treats, muffins, but come in during a quiet period and you won’t be able to find any donuts, let alone a staff member to help you out.  Drink the coffee then, and you will understand why the low price.  I almost feel like they have lost touch with their client base and are a day, week, month or year from bankruptcy.

Timothy’s comes in at number 5 this year because I think they have found their comfortable niche in the coffee marketplace as on giant step below Starbucks for price and one giant step below Tim Horton’s for flavor but light years ahead of the Second Cup for choices of flavors and price on extras.  The flavors sold at my local Timothy’s are great and it’s busy enough that the coffee rarely gets bitter but I have always said when fresh, Timothy’s could be one of the best but their coffee is rarely fresh, a large is $2.00 and it takes 4 sugars and lots of cream to bring down the bitterness. Also they need to do is find a way to keep the coffee fresh and they’ll save a ton in other stuff.  They also need to focus on the name and stock their locations with the history.  Build the brand!

Second Cup comes in at number 6 because I hate their old, bitter coffee and stupidly high prices for this crap – but I had a coffee there today (first in months) that was half Butter Pecan (their best flavour) and half Holiday Blend.  Sure I needed 4 sugars but it was actually quite good.  They need to find a way to keep their coffee fresher – I doubt they would have the traffic to keep making new pots every 15 minutes like Tim Horton’s but they could try picking a flavour and for that specialty flavour, they will make a fresh post every 15 minutes and see what the responses from their customers are.  The other main issue Second Cup needs to address is their choice of coffees.  Normally they have 5 or 6 different types.  One decaf, one is a medium and one is a strong.  There is a mild – something like a Paradiso (whatever the heck that means) and then the flavour… I hate Irish Cream!!!  Detest it!  That is usually their one flavoured coffee and when asked why, I was told, it is because it is popular.  Probably because they don’t regularly offer their good flavors like Butter Pecan and Caramelo in high rotation – as everyone knows that flavoured coffees need less sugar and cream to mask staleness or bitterness, which means less costs.  They’re sweets are poorly chosen and to be honest I can’t eat them after piling all that sugar into my drink.The Second Cup does not take advantage of is the space they have in most of their shops which they could totally utilize to capitalize on families by offering a safe environment for kids and snacks under 5000 calories – something healthy.  Anything healthy? 

Seriously, a place for parents to take their kids after dinner to hang out and buy healthy treats might save a few locations… Better than being empty, eh?

I ranked the US version of Tim Horton’s at number 7 because an American double double tastes VERY different from the Canadian version.  As well, a large US version is the size of an XL Canadian version and a XL US version is like the size of a take ten.  But seriously, the US Tim Horton’s coffee is okay, but it’s not great.  I feel bad for Americans who hear us Canucks rave about our coffee and then have to drink that. 

Country Style comes in at number 8 because it used to have good coffee, much better than Coffee Time, but no longer.  Country Style sponsors the Toronto Rock Lacrosse team, however Tim Horton’s coffee is served at the Air Canada Centre.  There is a Country Style near my office and the 3 times I have gone there to get something, I have been disappointed every time.  The first time was for donuts – the selection was terrible – the second time was for a coffee – it was bitter and stale – and the third time was for a cold drink on a very hot day and that drink was barely adequate.  So for a chain with new colours and large, spacious locations, they need to conduct some more product testing to see what people will actually buy.  Very disappointing.

Dunkin Donuts comes in at number 9 because I heard so much about this brand from this side of the border and I was dying to try it.  So when in New York, I tried it.  Then again in New Jersey… and in Florida.  Boy do I feel sorry for Americans coffee drinkers.  This stuff is the most watered down “coffee” I have ever purchased in a chain.  Sure I can get it in super-duper large sized, but Dunkin Donuts makes the only coffee I have thrown out without finishing… Twice. 

Seattle’s Best Coffee comes in at number 10 because I have only tried it once… At Newark Airport.  I scraped together $2.00 for a cup (I believe there were only 4 “flavours”) and then after putting in a lot of sugar and cream until I could taste it, I looked at the person behind the counter and said, “If this is Seattle’s BEST, I’d hate to see their worst…”  Hey, isn’t Starbucks from Seattle?  I got through half a cup.

Last year I gave honourable mention to McDonald’s coffee which I tried that year for the first time when it was free, and then again this year when it was free.  But, can I tell you all… It’s so bad that I won’t even drink it for free.  That stuff is terrible. 

So???

What are your thoughts on my rankings??  What’s your favourite coffee?

The end of the world really is coming… Here are the signs according to this urban daddy

In Italy, I believe, the citizens there were convinced there was a massive earthquake coming on May 11th, 2011 which was going to swallow them all up and that would be it for them.

That didn’t happen.

Now I hear there is a group of people predicting that May 21st, 2011 is really the last day on earth. Something is going to happen which will wipe of civilization as we know it.

Well, if that is the case, I guess I don’t need to complete that report I am working on for the office which is due on June 1st, do I? No one will be around to care. LOL

I don’t mean to poke fun at crazy people – wait, yes I do – but all this nonsense about predicting an exact date the world is going to end is all crap, IMHO. Instead all you need to do is look at the signs… Real signs… Like these ones listed below.

Here are some signs;

Arnold Schwarzenegger admits to wife Maria Schriver he has a “secret” 13 year old boy with their housekepper and she leaves him. Not surprising considering Arnie’s past track record of “groping” woman. This kid was actually born 5 days after Arnie and MAria’s child… WOW. And what tops this story off, is that someone decided to ask KISS frontman Gene Simmons for his opinion and good ‘ol Gene said it wasn’t Arnie’s fault. He just produces too much sperm in a day and cannot “take Thursday’s off”.

America’s Most Wanted has been cancelled after 23 years on the air

A rapper named M-Bone was killed in a drive-by shooting in LA. Drive-by’s??? We’re still doing those? I thought years ago it was cool, then we all realized it was cowardly. The shooters should be ashamed of themselves for taking this route…

Or…

… has anyone heard his music? M-Bone, T-Bone, Bone-in, Bone-out… Now he’ll sell more records. Here comes the stories of what a good guy he was. Caring about the community, blah, blah, blah.

Stephen Hawking said there is no afterlife… Damn! So much for finding Hitler and kicking his dead ass.

Donald Trump doesn’t want to be President of the US. Essentially he fired himself.

Fields of watermelons are exploding, like land-mines, in China after farmers added a growth accelerator to young watermelons (with a thinner rind). It rain a lot, and now the melons are exploding… Oh yes.

Here’s to hoping that the chemicals put in these melons are safe to consume by humans.

Too bad the US got to Bin Laden before the Chinese developed these exploding melons. They could have placed these melons all over Afghanistan and they could have started exploding and destroyed all the caves… Oh, wait… He wasn’t hiding in the caves. How primative. He was in an estate in Pakistan.

Whe knew!?!

Jedi vs Sith has gone offline, on Facebook, preventing me from reaching my goal of being in the top 50 in the world. I have officially retired from the game at 57th in the world. On the bright side, I now have an extra hour a day to play Cityville that my wife hooked me on. #$%^&#%$^%*&^$^#&.

The end of the world must be near as reports come out that Pearl Jam is going on tour to celebrate their 20th anniversary… Of what? Of being together or of the last song they released. Really? Who is going to go see this band? They are so… 1990.

So if these are not clear signs of the end of the world as we know it, then tell me, what is?

Mitzvah (Good Deed) Day 2011

This past Sunday, May 16th was Mitzvah Day (Good deed in Hebrew) at my son’s school.  So instead of taking him to see the Toronto Rock win the National Lacrosse League Champion’s Cup with a 8-7 win over the Washington Stealth, I took him and his younger brother to his school (next year it will be their school) so we could help the community and to help others not as fortunate as we are.

In cold, pouring rain, we arrived and helped the few soggy adults outside dig, plant and cover the newly dug garden in the front of the school with sunflower seeds.  If 1/5th of them take root there are going to be 50 plants.    My boys did a fabulous job in this rain and with all the mud – planting, raking and clearing.  It didn’t matter that it was freezing or that it was raining or that there was mud up to their knees, they knew we had to get those seeds into the ground and get them deep enough to cover so the animals can’t dig them up and eat them.  The boys were focussed and yes they tried every single outdoor tool.  It was funny.  I think all those years of having our own garden and getting the kids to help out finally payed off.

After that, we went inside to dry off and warm up and decorated some gift bags for the underprivileged.  These bags were then filled with toys and taken to a shelter.  Once all the bags were decorated and the toys all gone, we moved to a different station and we decorated some Canadian flags which went into backpacks stuffed full of school supplies headed for Kenya. 

After that, we were looking for more to do so we sauntered into the school’s kitchen to watch them put the finishing touches on the decorations on the brown bags filled with sandwiches heading to a homeless shelter.  The kids were also putting notes into the bags. 

The birthday / get well soon card station was packed full of kids decorating cards so we moved back to the backpack station to assist in the transportation of these items to a truck.

One our way out of the school, I found my kids pounding back freezies.  Stewie said he had 10 of them , Linus 4.  I think 3 each might be a more realistic intake. 

So in the cold and rain we agreed that a nice warm bagel would be the best fit for two hungry boys who pitched in for their community.  So off we walked towards the bagel house.  Problem was, we passed the parking lot of the school and there were 2 adults washing a car.  The boys REALLY wanted to help wash that car, so the organizer gave them sponges filled with soap and off they went, cleaning the entire car.  No totally drenched, we walked on to St. Urbains.

Once at St. Urbains, I was happy that the chocolate chip bagels we all gone, so the kids instead received a whole wheat sesame seed bagel which they happily chomped the entire way home.

A good end to a fun morning.

Helping others is a big deal and I want to encourage my kids to give back to the community.  Thankfully the school set this up and my wife suggested it was a better idea to take him here instead of to the lacrosse game.  Time well spent.

Sunday May 15th, 2011. 2pm. Air Canada Centre. Champions Cup. Toronto Rock vs. Washington Stealth.

http://daddyknowssports.wordpress.com/2011/05/14/torontos-best-kept-sporting-secret-shhh-dont-tell-anyone-the-toronto-rock-are-in-q

If you are reading this post anytime before 12 noon, on the 15th of May, you still have time to subway – not drive due to the Toronto Marathon – to the Air Canada Centre (in Toronto) and buy tickets for the Champions Cup match today between the Toronto Rock and the Washington Stealth.

It’s a can’t miss event, especially for those of us in Toronto who have;

a) Only seen a championship in Toronto courtesy the Toronto Rock

b) Last remember the Toronto Blue Jays winning

c) Love the sport of lacrosse

d) Are a life time season ticket holder such as your truly

e) Love a fast-paced, hard-hitting, high-scoring game with amazing atmosphere and lots of beer consumption (but no idiots… It’s all about the kids).

So come support the Rock!

Go Rock Go.

Finally, a Toronto team playing for something meaningful!

Read my post on my sports blog; www.daddyknowssports.wordpress.com.  I posted the link above.

New rules and regulations for nannies in Canada took effect April 1st, 2011.

In case you were not aware, there are new rules and regulations governing live-in caregivers and temporary foreign workers in Canada – with a twist, as these rules also target the people who sponsor them in Canada and those who hire them.

These new rules clearly outline the government’s agenda going forward – after tightening the rules for the caregivers last year – the focus this year is on the families who sponsor, bring over to Canada and hire through the live-in caregiver program.

Effective April 1, 2011, the government will apply a more rigorous assessment of jobs for foreign workers to ensure that offers are legitimate to consider whether employers have followed the rules in the past before they can hire a nanny or temporary foreign worker. A bad track record could lead to a denial of the necessary permits to hire foreign workers.

Employers who fail to meet their commitments to workers with respect to wages and working conditions will face a two-year prohibition on hiring foreign workers.

There will also be a four-year limit on the amount of time a foreign worker can be employed in Canada. Once that limit is reached, the workers must return home and wait four years before they can work in Canada again.

That limit does not affect eligibility for permanent residence.

“The government is taking action to protect temporary foreign workers, including live-in caregivers, from potential abuse and exploitation,” explained immigration minister Jason Kenney.

The exploitation of the live-in caregiver program led to a first round of changes that took effect in April 2010 and mandated that employment contracts must spell out wages, benefits, accommodation, duties, hours of work and holiday and sick leave entitlements.

Those changes also added some flexibility to the amount of time given to live-in caregivers or nannies to meet the requirements needed for permanent residence status.

Under the law, caregivers can apply for permanent status after two years of regular full-time employment. With the changes, that time frame can be sped up if the person works a lot of overtime or can be extended if they work less than full-time hours or need time off because of illness or factors.

Once the two years are completed – and al the payroll made to the CRA, nannies can expect to wat up to 10 months for their permanent resident status.

So here is what you can expect to be asked if the government suspects you are doing something illegal;

They will ask for receipts to see if you paid for the flight to bring the nanny over. Failure to do so will put you on the unable to sponsor list.

Sponsoring then releasing nannies once in Canada is also a no-no.

Not having the correct paperwork – not signed contract, or failing to remit to the CRA monthly is a definite no-no.

Abusing their rights – making them work longer than allowed hours – refusing to let them have free time to go out or relax – if reported is a bad move, and yes there are some people who think a live-in caregiver is on call 24/7. So NOT true. They work regularly scheduled hours and must be paid overtime if those hours are exceeded.

And on the nannies side, failure to live-in when in Canada through the live-in caregiver program can result in them not being allowed to apply for permanent residency.

So play it safe, be respectful, and good luck.  Here is the link to the new requirements;

http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/workplaceskills/foreign_workers/lcp_irpr.shtml

In addition to the standard requirements to apply for a labour market opinion (LMO) under the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP), Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC)/Service Canada will also evaluate the following criteria starting April 1, 2011:

1. All employers hiring a live-in caregiver must use the new LMO application form specific to the LCP and provide:
   • the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) business number
   • an explanation of how hiring a temporary foreign worker (TFW) meets the employment needs of the employer; and
   • a signed statement attesting that the employer will abide by the LCP requirements.

   In addition to the above mentioned requirements, the following documentation must now be submitted along with the new LMO application:

   • Proof of age or disability for the person requiring care:
     • Child – long-form birth certificate or official adoption documents or medical doctor’s note confirming the pregnancy and due date of the child. The parents must submit a long form birth certificate after the child’s birth. Failure to do so may result in a refusal by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) to issue a work permit. If these are not available, any other official document issued by a government authority demonstrating the child to parent relationship (e.g. original birth certificate for children born abroad translated into English or French).
     • Senior – birth certificate, Old Age Security Identification Card, passport or any other official documents showing the date of birth of the senior requiring care.
     • Disabled person – medical certificate - (PDF 27KB)stating that the disabled person requires care (but not the nature of disability).
   • A detailed description - (PDF 38KB) of the private accommodations provided to the live-in caregiver.
   • An Option C-printout that any taxpayer can obtain from the CRA by calling 1-800-959-8281. The Option C-printout provides information on declared income from a variety of sources. In exceptional cases where the person is not required to submit taxes in Canada, the employer can submit: paystubs, bank statements, the employer- employee contract or any other official documents proving that the employer has the income necessary to pay the live-in caregiver.

   Employers may also be required to provide, if requested by HRSDC/Service Canada, a provincial workers compensation clearance letter or other appropriate provincial documentation.

2. The genuineness of the job offer made to the live-in caregiver will be assessed based on whether the employer:
   • demonstrates a reasonable need for a full-time live-in caregiver to provide child care, elder care or care for a disabled person;
   • can provide adequate, private accommodations to the live-in caregiver;
   • has sufficient financial resources to pay the live-in caregiver.
   • the employer, or the third party representative who recruited the live-in caregiver on behalf of the employer, must be compliant with the relevant federal-provincial/territorial employment and recruitment legislation.
3. All returning employers must demonstrate that they have met the terms and conditions of employment set out in previous LMO confirmation letters and annexes (if applicable). In addition, some employers may be required to submit documentation to support a more detailed employer compliance review, including any or all of the following documents:
   • payroll records;
   • time sheets;
   • job descriptions;
   • copies of the employer-employee contract;
   • receipts for private health insurance (if applicable);
   • provincial workers compensation clearance letter or other appropriate provincial documentation;
   • receipts for transportation costs; and
   • information about accommodations provided by the employer.

   If it appears that the employer did not fully uphold the terms and conditions of employment set out in the LMO confirmation letter and annex (if applicable), the employer will have the opportunity to provide a rationale. In this case, HRSDC/Service Canada will work with the employer to implement the appropriate corrective action, which may include providing compensation to the live-in caregiver. Employers may be found non-compliant if they refuse to provide a rationale and/or provide only partial compensation to the live-in caregiver.

   If the employer is found to be non-compliant:

   • HRSDC/Service Canada may issue a negative LMO and revoke all positions on confirmed LMOs for which work permits have not yet been issued by CIC
   • CIC may deem the employer ineligible to hire TFWs for two years. The employer’s name, address and period of ineligibility may also be published on a list of ineligible employers posted on CIC Web site.

So in a nutshell, it is going to be that much more difficult to hire a live-in caregiver on your own.  Spend the money and go through a registered agency and make sure you have everything you need, or prepare to be banned.

Thursday Thirteen – 13 New Year’s Resolutions for 2011

This Thursday Thirteen represents my list of 13 things I actually will do in 2011 (in no particular order).

13. Decorate our house.  This is the 15 year house and unlike the last house, we want to take our time and make it beautiful.

12. Spend more time with my wife – but quality time, not just time sitting in the same room.  I always have good intentions, but am slow on the follow through.  Wouldn’t you want to spend as much time as possible with your best friend?

11. Enjoy life more – Take time each day to take a deep breath and live a little.  I’m going to be 40 soon and I really want to enjoy my life more.

10. Learn tax – Each and every day I need to take a little longer and learn a little more about the field I have now spent 14 years in.  In order to continue to succeed, I need to become a master in my own domain, and that means with www.intaxicating.ca

9. Take vocal lessons to learn how to sing – I have the world’s worst voice.  I can’t sing and when I talk my voice is scratchy.  I want to do more with this voice.  Some added confidence will help.

8. Lose 25 pounds – Really lose weight… Long lasting.  I’ve done it before when I dropped 50 pounds at the age of 19 and I want to do it again at the age of 39.

7. Build a nice wardrobe – I have no casual clothes.  My dress pants have pleats and my blue ones have a hole in the ass (from that #$$%^%$ moth in our closet, I think).  I need power clothes!

6. Come clean to myself that I like blogging and being a daddy blogger.  It’s nothing to be ashamed of.  I just need something more advanced than a flip phone my employer gave me.

5. Get into the top 50 on Jedi vs. Sith.   I’m currently 58th in the world out of over 6 million players… Nerd!

4. Appear in the newspaper in one of those social scene spreads.  I’ve always wanted to since I was a kid, and considering how bad I am at being really social, it would mean to me that I got my shit together and fast.

3. Work at putting my interests and the interests of my family ahead of the interests of others (including strangers). 

2. Get organized so I can excel in certain key areas in my life instead of scraping by.

1.  Start acting my age!  It’s okay to feel young, but not so cool to act it all the time.

What are your resolutions?  Have you achieved or broken any yet this year?

National Delurking Day 2011.

In the blogging world a tradition started a couple years ago, and it looks like today is that day where you, my faithful readers actually take the time to post a comment, no matter how big or small.   

Today is National Delurking Day. 

So please post a comment.  Happy delurking!

Update:  In the 12 hours since this post has been up, 90 people have come and visited, and only one delurked… Come on people.  Don’t be shy.