Winter road trips often offer unique challenges to the most experienced driver. Heavy winds combined with blowing snow, freezing rain, or ice are just some of the more severe weather conditions you may encounter.
Country driving requires a different mindset than urban driving. In town if you happen to have an accident help is always close by. In the country that is not always so, in the event of an accident you may not be able to get out of your car, or reach your cell phone, and you may not be visible to other vehicles passing by.
Living in the country as a teenager my mother used to insist that we "dressed" for the ditch.
With the first early warning signs of the upcoming winter season behind us now is the time to be sure you and your vehicle are "dressed for the ditch"
Make sure you are dressed warmly - you never know how long you may have to wait for help to arrive
Make sure your emergency kit is properly stocked:
blanket
booster cables
candle, matches and small tin can
extra clothing and footwear
flashlight
fire extinguisher
first aid kit
gas line antifreeze
ice scrapper / snow brush
road flares or warning lights
non perishable energy foods chocolate, granola bars, juice, soup, bottled water
You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- My Prescription Provided Pain Relief
By now you should have paid your final tax bill for the year and it likely hurt because it was up substantially from last year.
The question is - did you pay more than your fair share or less?
I felt I was going to be paying more than my fair share. The big red flag for me was that my assessment jumped 34.33%, more than double the average increase, while the average home's assessed value went up just over 14% .
While it is unlikely anyone who felt their home was under assessed would appeal their assessments many who felt they were over assessed took the time to do a little research and fought for some fairness in their assessment and the resulting tax bill.
For me it was a matter of going to the assessment open house to see if my Assessment Was Fair and Equitable. I was not surprised to find that there was no information available and that it really was only an opportunity to talk with an assessor to explain why I thought my assessed value was incorrect.
Luckily I went prepared and the assessor was willing to listen. She took my information as presented and told me she would review my assessment back in the office to verify my points.
Including several phone calls over the next little while I spent about 3 hours of my time before I agreed to the new assessment that she offered by way of minutes of settlement, this avoided the necessity of filing and going through the time consuming process of an appeal.
THE BOTTOM LINE
My total assessment was reduced by $38,000
My Savings the first year $129.34
My savings over the four years $1,293.37
My time was worth over $400.00 an hour.
My savings in this example over the four years is based on the four year phase in of our new assessments assuming the mill rate does not go up.
Wait For It - It Gets Better
If we assume a mill rate increase of 3.5% annually that savings gets better.
My Savings the first year $129.34
My savings over the four years $1,386.31
My time was now worth over $462.00 an hour.
My savings in this example over the four years is based on the four year phase in of our new assessments assuming the mill rate goes up 3.5% a year.
The Real Bottom Line
I won't really know for another three years until all the mill rates are set.
Stay Tuned --- .
It will be interesting to watch what happens to
"Your" Property Tax Bill
With the phasing in of the province wide re-assessment affecting your 2010 property tax bill.
Demographics play a major role in the housing market
Changes in new housing styles and size over the years have been driven by many factors. Currently the major driving force is our aging population. As our population ages the need for new nursing homes and seniors residences continue to grow, but what about the empty nesters who are not ready for that yet.
Today's young seniors are being draw to senior communities, with homes built for their active lifestyle. some are built around golf courses while others are built in areas that had traditionally been cottage country being located on or near our numerous lakes. Often these homes are bungalow in design but unlike the older smaller utilitarian style bungalows of the past they are much larger and more open concept. They are built for a generation that grew up in smaller homes, got married, had families of their own and moved into larger homes. Homes that had 4 and five bedrooms, family rooms, eat in kitchens or great rooms. Homes that had fireplaces, double or triple car garages, multiple bathrooms and much more.
Now it is time to down size, they no longer need four and five bedrooms and all the other features that came with their 2,000 plus square foot homes. Unwilling to give up many of the other features that came with that home they start looking for a newer bigger version of the home they grew up in "The Bungalow".
The bungalow is making comeback, it is the same in name only. Today's bungalows have all the features of those large family homes, but they are 2 to 3 times the size of the bungalows the past generation enjoyed. Open concept is the new norm with spacious principal rooms and light airy interiors, featuring large windows with mulitple walkouts outs to bring the outside in. Luxury appointments with hardwood throughout, gourmet kitchens and the latest in bathrooms give these new bungalows a luxury resort feel.
A Visual Demonstration of our Changing Demographics
You often read about our changing demographics and how our population is getting older but have you ever been able to visualize the change.
David Foot of Footworks Consulting has an animated pyramid that visually demonstrates how the makeup of our population has changed over the years and will continue to change in the future.
David K. Foot is a professor of economics at the University of Toronto, and co-author of the Boom, Bust and Echo books.
For Seniors Friendly Housing In The Communities of Uxbridge,Port Perry/Scugog Whitchurch Stouffville, Balantrae, Georgina and Brock.
Just Give Me A Call
Check Out The Listings On My Listing Web Site Let Me Find You A Home To learn more about what housing options Uxbridge has to offer; be it condominium or detached homes, in town or rural communities, country homes, estates or farms just give me a call or
THE BEST WAY TO CONTACT ME
I will respond ASAP However I do not answer when driving or when with Clients
... with a Remembrance Day parade November 11th starting at 10.40 and Service at the Cenotaph afterward. This is but one way of paying tribute the more than 100,000 men and women who have given their all.
Our local papers paid tribute and remembrance to those who served with articles about why it is important that we do remember and the part Canada and Canadians played in the wars. In one article the author Roger Varley tells a story about Cyril Allison, who later became a resident of Uxbridge, being the first person to have read the poem "In Flanders fields" right after it was written by John McCrae.
Local Author and Journalist Ted Barris,provided further insights utilizing excerpts from his new book "Breaking the Silence". He talks about Local resident Steve Bell's escape from a German POW camp only to be thrown into a forced march as a "prisoner" of the Russians and his ultimate escape. Barris also related a part of an interview he had in Uxbridge with one of the survivors , Cpl. Brian Decaire, of the "friendly fire incident" in Afghanistan.
"To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high."
Canadian students have had an opportunity to walk in the footsteps of those who went before, with a number of tours over the years They have been given an opportunity to see the places where the events actually took place, to hear the stories. ... To walk through history, to learn an appreciation for those who paid the ultimate price and to remember; today, tomorrow, even years from now so that they will to be able to pass it on to the next generation.
Students at Uxbridge Secondary School are preparing for a history lesson like no other. An educational field trip in May that is tied in with the 65th anniversary commemorating"Victory in Europe".
Students Raising Funds For The Tour At The Uxbridge Fall Fair
The National student tour coordinator is Dave Robinson, a recently retired teacher who taught at Port Perry High School, he has organized several educational tours over the last few years. In 2004 he coordinated a group of 150 teachers and students who attended the D-Day anniversary at Juno Beach. Other tours included France in April of 2007 for the 90th anniversary of the battle of Vimey Ridge; Hong Kong to commemorate the Canadian Soldiers who gave it all in 1941; and a walk in the footsteps of Canadian Soldiers through the streets of Ortona and the Liri Valley.
For some of the students the tour will be following in the footsteps of their grandfathers and great grandfathers who participated in the liberation of the Netherlands. They will remember.
Matthew House - A Place At The End Of The Refugee Highway
Come and enjoy stories, photos, and music that captures the heartbeat of Matthew House including former resident Josiane Aboungono 2008 and 2009 Canada Running Series Champion.
Silent Auction -Fundraiser Novotel Hotel - Gibson Ballroom 7:00 pm - November 26th 2009
Space is limited so please register today to attend
Phone 416.364.8287
Matthew House is a small shelter in central Toronto that welcomes and assists newly arrived refugee claimants who have come to the end of a long journey on the refugee highway. Matthew House believes that God's call to "welcome the stranger" includes refugee claimants from all nations, irrespective of ethnicity.
Since opening as a permanent home in August 1998, Matthew House has provided shelter and assistance for hundreds of newly arrived refugees who would otherwise have been homeless in Toronto. They have come from more than 75 different countries including: Albania, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Angola, Burundi, Colombia, Congo, Cuba, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iraq, Liberia, North Korea, Rwanda, Somalia, Turkey and Zimbabwe.
Without ever advertising its existence, Matthew House continually must turn away more than four times the number of refugees it welcomes due to lack of space. As a result, one of Matthew House's vision is that of encouraging, inspiring and assisting other groups in establishing their own shelters and ministries to refugees. To date, shelters in Fr. Erie, Windsor, Hamilton, Cambridge and Vancouver have been opened based on the Matthew House model. Currently other groups in places such as Ottawa and Montreal are also exploring the prospect of opening shelters for refugees.
As the vision is spreading, and the need for appropriate shelter continues, Matthew House Toronto has recently opened a second more long term, "transitional home" nearby and hopes to expand its current space even more to effectively carry out its programs.
Please Remember Space is limited so please register today to attend
Just 10 Days Away - The Annual Uxbridge Christmas Home Tour
The Annual Christmas Home Tour on Saturday November 14th 2009
Once again this year the recipient of the monies raised is Precious Minds a local organization that provides support to families of children with learning barriers.
Tickets can be purchased in Uxbridge at Canadian Tire, Blue Heron Books, Presents Presents, Perry Ann's in Port Perry and Inside Out in Stouffville. Tickets purchased prior to Nov 09th are eligible for an "Early Bird Draw" with the wining tickets posted at each home the day of the tour.
Tickets are $20.00 and include coupons from local merchants. Come out and enjoy an opportunity to support a local worthy cause and pick up some nice ideas for getting your home ready for the holidays.
Also remember to drop off your Zehrs tapes at Precious Minds
The Eleventh Hour Of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month
This Remembrance Day is the 91st anniversary of the end of the First World War. It was at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918 that the guns of the First World War went silent.
In remembrance of all who put themselves in Harms way so that we could, and continue too, be able to enjoy the freedoms we enjoy today.
In Flanders fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved, and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.
Photo - The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Confederation Square in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Since its installation, it has become traditional to place poppies on the Tomb after the formal ceremony has concluded. - Mikkel Paulson - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The Lucy Maude Montgomery Society of Ontario is holding a Christmas gift sale to supprt the work of the LMMSO Society.This is your opportunity to visit the manse while enjoying a drive in the country. Help support this worthwile project by purchasing; quality one of a kind home made gifts with a personal touch, decorations for your home, home baking or preserves.
This Friday or Saturday take a short trip to Leaskdale and visit the Leaskdale Manse, Home of the famous Canadian Author "Lucy Maud Montgomery" and her husband Rev. Ewan Macdonald a Presbyterian minister from 1911 to 1926, It was during her residence here that she wrote 11 of her 22 best selling novels.
Friday November 6th 1 pm to 7 pm Saturday November 7th 10 am to 4 pm Cash or Cheques Only
The Manse is located on Durham 1 in Leaskdale just a few minutes north of Uxbridge
Designated as a Provincial Historical site in 1965 and a National Historic site in 1997 the home along with St. Paul's Presbyterian Church are quickly becoming a significant part of the venues that attract tourists to Uxbridge.
The Everything Christmas Store brought to you by the Uxbridge Cottage Hospital Auxillary
The Uxbridge Cottage Hospital Auxillary is offering an opportunity to double up on your spending, by buying items from their "Tis The Season Christmas Store" you will get some great items and support a great cause.
Don't Forget!
You can purchase your holiday decorations, hostess gifts, Christmas candy, holiday jewelery, teachers gifts and more from the Christmas Store.
Benifits to Uxbridge Cottage Hospital Auxiliary
With all proceeds going to the Auxiliary this is a win win for our community. You can give back to the community through this worthwhile effort by the auxiliary and save on fuel (reduce your carbon footprint) by shopping locally.
The store is located at 20 Bascom Street across from the fire hall and they are open five days a week Tuesday - Saturday 9am - 5pm ... till December 23rd
Uxbridge is having a Halloween Parade Saturday October 31st on Brock St starting at 8:00pm
There will be Candy, Bands and Floats A 60 ft hay maze and haunted house sponsored by Cadbury and Unicef will be in the parking lot west of the CIBC on Brock St from 5:30
Warn children to not eat any of their treats before they get home.
Examine all treats carefully before allowing children to eat them.
use flame resistant costumes, masks, beards, and wigs.
Avoid flimsy materials and outfits with big, baggy sleeves or billowing skirts to minimize the risk of contact with candles or other sources of ignition.
Make or buy costumes that are light and bright enough to be clearly visible to motorists.
Carry flashlights to see, and be seen, more easily.
Costumes should be short enough to prevent children from tripping and falling.
Hats and scarfs should be tied securely to prevent them from slipping over children's eyes.
Apply a natural mask of cosmetics rather than have a child wear a loose fitting mask.
Swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be of soft or flexible material.
Smaller children should always be accompanied by an older responsible child or an adult.
Children should be cautioned against running out from between parked cars, or across lawns and yards where ornaments, furniture, or clothes-lines present dangers.
Do not enter homes or apartments unless accompanied by an adult.
For Information About The Communities of Uxbridge,Port Perry/Scugog Whitchurch Stouffville, Balantrae, Georgina and Brock.
To learn more about what housing options Uxbridge has to offer; be it condominium or detached homes, in town or rural communities, country homes, estates or farms just give me a call
THE BEST WAY TO CONTACT ME
I will respond ASAP However I do not answer when driving or when with Clients
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
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