Counting Draculas

The world’s population is set to hit seven billion on Halloween.

According to the United Nations, the world’s population will hit seven billion on Oct. 31, 2011. A rather staggering figure, considering that in 1927 – less than 90 years ago – only two billion humans inhabited Earth. While we tend to celebrate childbirth in our economically prosperous nation, perhaps hitting this marker on Halloween is a menacing omen for the trick – rather than treat – it may turn out to be. Concerns over resource allocation, disease, rising living costs and environmental stress will accompany innocent newborns, as the next 100 years face some terrifying prospects. Shortages of food and fuel will be an obvious concern, but water is far more precious, and due to climate change, is becoming scarce in many regions. Animal extinction is another issue. Read more

Feel Good with Yoga

What is it about yoga that appeals to many people from a variety of backgrounds, ages  and lifestyles?  These days, yoga is as popular as any type of physical activity, such as running, spinning, weight training and boot camp. As such, yoga’s popularity is a result of a feeling one is left with at the end of a class.  Like all good physical activity, one experiences freedom from stress as endorphins release to create a feeling of ease and relaxation; however, yoga also strives to bring peace and tranquility. Through a combination of poses, breathing and meditation, yoga teaches us how to access the peace and joy that at times is buried deep. Yoga not only provides a fantastic physical workout, but also delves deeper into the mind and spirit by promoting a union of these three elements. In Sanskrit, yoga means to yoke or unify; therefore the objective of yoga is to bring harmony and balance to the mind, body and spirit. Read more

City Search October/November 2011

Deep acrylic paint engulfs this intense stare with shadows in Laurence Nerbonne’s Les Yeux Noirs IV. This 24-year-old artist focuses on faces to create intimacy with her subjects. www.thompsonlandry.com

How do you “trash” breast cancer? With a pink ribbon garbage bag, of course. These unmistakable bags are available at select retailers throughout October, the month of breast cancer awareness. www.bcsc.ca

Using Rubik’s Cubes as an artistic medium, Cube Works Studio employs unique colour combinations to reconfigure the faces of celebrities, like Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and Bob Marley, in vivid ways. Read more

The Terry Fox National School Run Day

The name Terry Fox has become synonymous with hope, perseverance and goodwill. His determination to fight cancer and prove that every dream is a step away from reality makes him a symbol of strength for Canadians and citizens of the world.

Losing his leg to bone cancer in 1977 at 18 didn’t deter Terry Fox from striving to raise money for cancer research and inspiring people with his 143-day Marathon of Hope, in which he ran more than 5,000 kilometres. Fox’s race ended when cancer was found in his lungs, but his legacy continues to this day through those that participate in the annual Terry Fox Run around the globe. September 18, 2011 marked the 31st run; to date more than $550 million has been raised. Read more

Everlasting ‘I Dos’

In times when true love is considered hard to find, and even more difficult to hold onto, there are couples that inspire the beauty and sanctity of marriage. On July 26, 2011, 30 Villa Colombo residents aged 79 to 101 renewed their wedding vows in front of family and friends in a beautiful display of love and commitment. Read more

Live Green with Bottle Bin

Forty per cent of recycled glass ends up in landfills because mixed or contaminated glass cannot be recycled. In order to decrease waste and protect our planet, it is crucial that 100 per cent of recycled glass is recycled properly. Bottle Bins is a simple yet innovative way to ensure that you are productively recycling. Each bin holds 18 standard spirit or wine bottles, or 48 beers bottles. The bin prevents bottles from breaking and the simple system allows you to sort your bottles by colour to ensure each item does not end up in a landfill. Made of 100 per cent recycled materials, Bottle Bin demonstrates how highly the Beer Store regards environmental initiatives. By making it so convenient, there is no reason to not partake in this green movement. If reducing your environmental footprint isn’t reason enough to recycle, the Beer Store financially compensates those who return bottles with a deposit fund. Read more

People for Good: Be Nice

Canada is known around the world for having some of the nicest people. However, we too can forget to be kind, bogged down by busy schedules and stressful situations. Now there’s a group of Canadians embarking on a social movement – all as a reminder to be friendly.

Who are they you ask? They are you and me, and it’s as easy as flashing a smile to a stranger before you’re hooked on paying it forward with positive deeds. People for Good, an organization diligently thinking up pain-free ways of making someone’s day, is getting fellow Canadians rallied up about creating opportunity to do some good.

Be prepared to witness them pick up paper towels off the floor of public restrooms and offer their seat on the subway. Pass them on the street and they’ll wish you a good afternoon Read more

10 Years Younger with David Clemmer and Skin Vitality

How many times have you heard someone say, ‘I want to look 10 years younger?’ It is a wish that is made by most women, and it has finally been granted. With five successful locations and two decades on the scene, Skin Vitality has been helping clients drop years off their appearance.

“We help you be the best you can at any age,” says Sherline Anderson, a registered nurse and medical consultant at Skin Vitality’s Yorkville location. Going above-and-beyond this promise, Skin Vitality organized a “Look 10 Years Younger” contest. Five lucky winners were awarded makeovers that gave them youthful and show-stopping looks. With $10,000 worth of treatments, the ladies underwent non-invasive procedures, including Fraxel laser skin resurfacing, Skin Tightening, FotoFacial, VelaShape, Read more

Under Rowling’s Spell: The Power of Potter

Love it or hate it, there is no denying the massive worldwide phenomenon that is Harry Potter. It’s more than just a children’s book, it’s an international juggernaut that made J.K. Rowling the first author to earn a billion dollars; one of only five self-made female billionaires in the world. It’s a book series that reintroduced a generation to literature, a collective that shamelessly aligns itself under the “Generation Hex” banner; spawned a mountain of spinoff products, including films, toys, video games and an amusement park attraction at Universal Orlando Resort; and its guaranteed Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. a financial monster every year it released a new Potter film. But how did this first-time author living on government welfare mange to enchant a global audience with the tale of a simple orphan-turned-wizard? Read more

Simon Waterson: International Man of Fitness

Right from the parkour-inspired opening of Casino Royal, it was clear Daniel Craig was a new breed of Bond. Recklessly smashing through walls on a hectic construction site, viciously dragging a bomb maker through an embassy-turned-war-zone, and strutting around bare-chested, showing off his ripped new bod, it was obvious we were seeing a state-of-the-art 007. This brawny, muscle-bound Bond was thanks in part to Craig’s off-screen work ethic, but a nod certainly has to go to the insatiable drive and expert guidance of his personal trainer, Simon Waterson.

A former commando of the British Royal Navy, Waterson’s resolute determination, unrelenting motivation and incorporation of military philosophy into exercise has made him a leading man in Hollywood personal fitness. “That kind of philosophy suits the film business very, very well, because they’re very, very similar,” Read more

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