Blackflies *shiver*

Did you know Canada.. it's that time of year again!  Start out in Mid-May and last until Mid to Late June, the blackfly is almost upon us. And I've heard many times nowhere else on the planet are the black flies as big as in Northern Ontario.

Like the Mosquito, it is the female black fly that bites, but the males that swarm around the females increase the nuisance factor. The female bites a hole in the skin to suck the out blood. In response to chemicals injected by the female during this bite (including toxins and anticoagulants) the area around bites swell, becoming painful and itchy. Intense feeding can cause "Black Fly Fever", with headache, nausea, fever, swollen lymph nodes, and aching joints; these symptoms are probably a reaction to a compound in the flies' salivary glands. Less commonly, severe allergic reactions may require hospitalization.

A blackfly's average lifespan is around three weeks - but that's three weeks too long for many of us.

One solution to combat the blackflies is to take 3 times the recommended daily dosage of Vitamin B Complex for 2 weeks before heading out into the wilderness - this is suppose to cut down bites by up to 75%!

Have you ever struggled with the madness of the blackflies?

Source: CTV, Wikipedia

Triple 7s

Did you know Canada..  I think slot machines are fun, don't you?  I was pretty excited when I was old enough to head to a casino and be able to pull the arm of a slot machine.  Yes, I pulled the arm even though you just have to press a button these days..haha..

Whether it's just a few coins or a big jackpot, seeing the machine whirl around and hear the tinkling of the coins drop is really fun I think.  It doesn't have to break the bank either.

You don't have to get a baby sitter and go out of your way to enjoy the thrill though, there are online casinos available to Canadians and you can play online slots in Club777 Canada any time.  Some of the fun features I've noticed in online slots is they offer more benefits and bonuses to the average user.  If you are just a casual gambler that visits a casino a couple times a year, you don't often get those perks a weekly (or daily) visitor might get.  But online you can often find sign up bonuses, weekly bonuses, events and more.  Open 24/7, it doesn't matter if you want to play for 10 minutes or an hour or two either.

Online slot machines or gambling can also add a social aspect with chatrooms, a place to make new friends and form a group.  Fun for weekly challenges and folks to chat with if you are up late at night or home during the day.

Just make sure you are using a secure site or application, one that's available to Canadians, and be sure to confirm what currency the site is using.  You might want to check out a practice area first before betting real money too, to make sure you understand the rules of the game.  Another benefit of online games vs a casino is that some sites offer upwards of 200+ types of games, it's always fun to learn something new and there's more availability instead of waiting for a machine to open up.

Have you tried your hand at an online slots?

Boating in Canada

Did you know Canada..  if you are like me, you're already day dreaming about May 2-4 weekend, trips to the beach, maybe renting a cottage or getting out on the water.  If you are thinking about renting a boat or renting a cottage that supplies a boat, there are things you need to know.

You must have a canadian boat licence - yes, you, you and even you.  Everyone who will be operatoring a recreational powered watercraft who operate within Canadian waters needs a card. Regardless of age, engine size, or length of boat.  Once you have the card there are no restrictions for those 16 and older, there are still some restrictions for those less than 16 though...

• Under 16 years of age - Not allowed to operate a PWC 
• Between 12 years and under 16 years of age,and not directly supervised - Can operate vessels with under 40 hp
• Under 12 years of age, and not directly supervised - Can operate vessels with under 10 hp

My husband got his boating licence a few years ago, at that time he had to take an in class lesson, do the exam during the class and it was a bit of a pain in the butt to be honest.  But now it's much simpler.

You can take the course and test online in the comfort on your own home, retakes are free as well if you do not pass the exam the first time.  Once you pass you can print off your temp licence and you are good to go!

The fines for not having your Pleasure Craft Operator Card on board with you vary province by province; it may be as high as $250.  Always make sure you have the card with you to avoid fines!

Who's planning on going boating this summer??

Online Gaming in Canada

Did you know Canada..  do you play online games?  Ones for money like online casino games?  I found some interesting facts about online gaming in Canada..

• * 70.7% of Canadians gamble (on and offline)
• * People who gamble on the Internet also gamble on land-based games
• * Worldwide, poker is the most popular form of online gambling, while in Canada, the most commonly engaged in forms of online gambling are playing skill games (mostly poker) and playing lotteries (59.7% and 23%, respectively)
• * Males prefer sports betting and games of skill while females prefer online bingo
• * 30.8% of Canadians are gaming from their smartphones
• * Gambling is a growing industry in Canada

If you are gambling online make sure you check the rules of the site to insure you are legally in the clear, the rules can be unclear and you want to make sure you are using a reputable site.  Most sites have practice tables or areas where you can play for free to make sure you understand the rules of the game itself before putting any money down too.

Play smart, safe, and have fun!

Golfing in Canada

Did you know Canada..  do you have any golfers in the family?  Anyone get a new club for Christmas?

We have a few golfers in our family, and I remember when I was very little, 7 or 8, we had one of those very warm Decembers, like we just experienced again this year in Southwestern Ontario.  Well, my Grampa's Birthday was December 26th, and it was so warm that year, the local golf course decided to open and my Dad took my Grampa for a round of golf for his Birthday!  It was a funny day, and talked about for years and years afterwards, I'm guessing it was one of the most memorable Birthday's my Grampa had.  :-)

Courses like Ottawa golf at Loch March offer quality, service and facilities of the exclusively private clubs wrapped in a resort atmosphere, but are exclusively public!  What a great place to hit this spring when the courses are open again (I checked the weather is Ottawa, it is NOT open right now, they have quiet a bit of snow..haha..).

Even with our winter and unpredictable weather, golfing is a huge sport and past time in Canada. In fact, the game of golf is played by an estimated 6 million Canadians each year, with 2.5 million Canadians participating as core golfers, playing an average of 28 rounds per year.  And get this:  Based on participation, golf is the number one recreational activity in Canada, played by more Canadians than hockey!!

Are you a golf fan?  Would a round of golf on your Birthday be a perfect day, just like it was all those years ago for my Grampa?


Source:  Golf Participation in Canada, 2006 Edition – Ipsos Reid, Statistics Canada, Based on a study of Participation in Sports, The Daily, issued Thursday, February 7, 2008.

Terry Fox - 31 Years Ago Today

Did you know Canada..  31 years ago on today was the first every Terry Fox Run took place in Canada.

 In 1980, with one leg having been amputated, he embarked on a cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Although the spread of his cancer eventually forced him to end his quest after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres, and ultimately cost him his life, his efforts resulted in a lasting, worldwide legacy. The annual Terry Fox Run, first held in 1981, has grown to involve millions of participants in over 60 countries and is now the world's largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research; over C$500 million has been raised in his name.

This Sunday September 16th is the annual Terry Fox Run. Get involved!

Visit http://www.terryfox.org/ for more information.


Source: Wikipedia, TerryFox.org

Table Hockey

Did you know Canada.. The first table hockey game was invented in the 1930s by Donald Munro because he could not afford Christmas presents for his children. Made only of wood and scrap metal found in his neighbourhood.

Soon after it became a hit at home, Munro built a handful of these games on consignment for the Baton's department store in Toronto.

These wooden style games were products all the way until 1955!

It's really an end of of era for table hockey as now days many children would rather play video games but these old games continue to be a big collectors item across Canada.

Fleck

Did you know Canada.. I have been playing a great new game from the folks at Self Aware Games - Fleck!

Fleck is a massively-multiplayer social game that takes place on a map of the real world. Literally the real world. Make your home on your very own street, or in Toronto, your hometown, or your street from childhood! You can also visit real world hot spots like the Whitehouse or the Hollywood sign. Some local restaurants also make appearances - maybe your favourite sushi bar or pizza place is available for you to own in game.

It's a crazy combination of the real world map, building a house and garden, building businesses, making friends, completing quests, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand fighting Zombies! Yes, I said it, Zobmies. It's fun, addictive and outrageous.

Check out my place, yes, I do have a bit of a Zombie problem going on (maybe I need some more friends to come play and give a gal a hand).

So, here is how it works..
* set up your character (you can also change how you look and update your clothes)
* Pick a location for your home, you can live on your very own street!!
* start planting a few plants and trees such as daises, sunflowers and apple trees
* you can then harvest these for money and experience points
* use your money for decorations for your garden, power ups and and items to help you combat those zombies
* follow the quests to travel North America, make new friends, work together to complete quests and fight off a zombie attack

As you work towards goals and gain experience you are also helping your city rank up - how cool is it that you can get some neighbours together and grow your own city to number 1!!

Quests include partnering up for zombie battles, planting apple trees in Washington state, joining a scavenger hunt to name a few. You'll be all over the map and working with old friends as new. Another great feature is gifting - want to make someone's day or celebrate a completed quest? You can gift items!!

Zombie plants appear randomly around the map, and you have to engage them by digging at them before you start the battle. The longer they grow the bigger then get and the harder they are to defeat. So don't let those Zombies sit too long or you will have to gather a whole army to clear them out! I love this because you can pop in and out, and not have to worry you'll be trapped in battle when you least expect it. This is a great aspect to a social game as you're just not always up for a zombie battle, right?

By the way, is it raining outside?? Then it's raining in Fleck!! I just love it!! I don't know why this is a such a highlight for me, but I just feel it's really taken social gaming to the next level by bring the game to real life. I look forward to their seasonal updates, will we be seeing a snow storm any time soon?? (actually, I really hope not..haha)

Available for the iPad and browser, it's a great game you can check into for 5 minutes at a time throughout the day or get caught up in it all night as I've been known to do. Are you already playing?? Send me your account name!!

Thank you to Self Aware Games for sponsoring this blog post. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Campground of Canada

Did you know Canada.. we heard about a fantastic website: Campgrounds of Canada. They offer a service to campgrounds and RV parks - for only $2.00 a month they can list their business with Campgrounds of Canada - giving people a 1 stop shop to find places all over Canada!

I think this is FANTASTIC for so many reasons. I've mentioned we recently went on a camping trip near St. Jacob's in Kitchener ON - this was a great meeting point for our family that is spread around Southern Ontario. So when we planned a camping trip we knew the location we needed but didn't know any campground in the area. It was actually a bit of a painful search and a lot of phone calls to find places; find out the amenities, what was available in the area, etc.. Campgrounds of Canada would have been PERFECT for this.

Their goal? To promote camping in Canada by creating a website with all campgrounds and RV parks in Canada - I love it!!!

Click here to see how a full listing looks. Know anyone that works at a campground or RV park? Spread the word!! This is a very exciting up and coming site that I know a lot of campers will love.

The Iceberg Capital of the World

Did you know Canada.. Twillingate, an outport in Newfoundland and Labrador, is known as the Iceberg Capital of the World!

(Aconcagua)

Twillingate is one of Newfoundland’s best locations for admiring these icebergs that break off the ice cap in Baffin Island, Greenland. The prime season for iceberg viewing is mid May to mid July each year.

As of 2006 there was only 2,448 residents living in Twillingate but visitors flock to Twillingate to explore it's fishing heritage, and discover the mighty icebergs and whales that gather in its waters.

A must to do for visitors in Twillingate is trying a piece of iceberg or “bergy bit” in your drink. These icebergs are ancient structures of pure glacier water and when a bergy bit melts in a glass filled with a beverage, it makes a fizzing sound, called “bergy seltzer”. This sound is made when compressed air bubbles trapped in the iceberg pop. The bubbles come from air trapped in snow layers that later become glacial ice.

Source: Twillingate.com, Wikipedia

Giveaway! Bondi Band

Winner:  Congratulations to our winner, Shari!!!

Update: Giveaway is now closed - thank you everyone for commenting - Happy Canada Day!! The winner is being contacted now.

Did you know Canada.. I have had a struggle my entire life - I can not keep a head band on my head! What?! I know, it's crazy, I don't know what the problem is but the only headband that would stay on my head was a child size until I tried a Bondi Band.





 
 
Bondi Band's offer comfy, colorful, and creative headbands to fit every lifestyle and personality. By using stretchy and breathable material, this allows Bondi Bands to fit virtually every head size comfortably and fashionably. And they are my saviour!

I can now comfortably wear this Solid Chocolate Wicking Bondi Band and it stays on my head all day.  And with their wicking fabric bands; they will absorb and evaporate buckets of sweat - perfect for wearing on a run, playing out with the kids and so fashionable it's the perfect fix for your hair all day long.

Not only do they make these fantastic (and affordable) headbands but they also have ponytail hats, pigtail hats, swim caps, buddies (for dogs) and more.

And something that is so fantastic - each year Bondi Bands donate 10% of their pretax profits to charity. For 2011 they have chosen the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.  This is definately a company we can stand behind.

Giveaway

One lucky reader will recieve a Bondi Band of their own, and not just any Bondi Band but a Canada one (yours comes in black, not the white shown below)! Perfect for our Did you know Canada readers.

Mandatory Entry - one mandatory entry per person
Tell us how you keep the hair out of your face.

Optional Entries - 1 comment per each optional entry
- Follow @bondiband on Twitter
- Like Bondi Band on Facebook
- Follow Did you know Canada on GFC
- Follow @diduknowcanada on Twitter
- Like Did you know Canada on Facebook
- Tweet this giveaway (link to your tweet in comment, can be done 2x a day during giveaway)
Example Tweet..

#Canada Hair in your face? Sweat in your eyes? Enter to #win a Bondi Band Headband! Ends 07/01 @diduknowcanada http://bit.ly/kY5OX3

Giveaway open to our Canadian readers closing July 1st at 9:00pm EST. You must leave an email address so I have a way to contact you in the event that you win. Winners must respond within 72 hours or another winner will be chosen in their place.

Disclosure: We received a free headband to try and we love it! - our opinions are our own.

Snakes!

Did you know Canada.. the largest of Canada's 26 snake species and one apparent hybrid is the Southern Ontario black rat snake! The black rat snake actually got a new name recently, now known as the gray ratsnake.

The species are the largest snakes found in Canada. Individuals longer than 1.5 m (5 ft.) are not uncommon, and even-longer ones have been recorded. The young are about 28 to 33 cm long (11 to 13 in.) at birth.

This ratsnake feeds primarily on mice, rats, and some bird eggs and young birds. Not venomous, it constricts its prey within the tight coils of its body. Adults often hunt for mice around rural buildings such as barns, sheds, or cottages. The young will feed on small lizards, young mice and, occasionally, on small frogs such as treefrogs.

It prefers heavily wooded areas and is known for having excellent climbing ability where it sometimes shelters in cavities high up in hollow trees and generally inhabits uplands away from water.

Source: nature.ca, Nature Conservatory, thecanadianencyclopedia.com

Banff Upper Hot Springs

Did you know Canada.. The Upper Hot Springs are one of nine different naturally occurring hot springs in the Banff area. At 1,585 meters of elevation (5,200 feet), Banff’s Upper Hot Springs is the highest in Canada. This is significant because its thermal waters must be driven vertically over
2,000 meters, through the Sulfur Mountain thrust fault.

Water temperature is kept at approximately 38°C with a max temperature of 47.3°C.

The Upper Hot Springs is commercially developed with many amenities including a restored 1930s heritage bathhouse, an outdoor spring fed hot pool with view of famous Mount Rundle, a Day Spa, Indoor Cafe, Gift Store and more.

A popular tourist destination Banff Upper Hot Springs are open year-round.

Source: Parks Canada, Wikipedia

Blackflies

Did you know Canada.. depending on where you live just hearing the word "black fly" can send shivers down your spine. And I've heard many times nowhere else on the planet are the black flies as big as in Northern Ontario.

Like the Mosquito, it is the female black fly that bites, but the males that swarm around the females increase the nuisance factor. The female bites a hole in the skin to suck the out blood. In response to chemicals injected by the female during this bite (including toxins and anticoagulants) the area around bites swell, becoming painful and itchy. Intense feeding can cause "Black Fly Fever", with headache, nausea, fever, swollen lymph nodes, and aching joints; these symptoms are probably a reaction to a compound in the flies' salivary glands. Less commonly, severe allergic reactions may require hospitalization.

A blackfly's average lifespan is around three weeks - they start coming out in Mid-May and last until Mid to Late June.

One solution to combat the blackflies is to take 3 times the recommended daily dosage of Vitamin B Complex for 2 weeks before heading out into the wilderness - this is suppose to cut down bites by up to 75%!

Have you ever struggled with the madness of the blackflies?

Source: CTV, Wikipedia

Judgement Day

Did you know Canada..  many billboards are popping up across Canada - including this one in Windsor Ontario warning of Judgement Day coming May 21, 2011.

Wondering what this is? According to some on May 21st, Judgement Day will begin and the Rapture will occur. The Rapture is a reference to the catching up of 1 Thessalonians 4:17 when Christians will be gathered together in the air to meet Christ.

It is an evangelical Christian organization from California that is posted these billboards across Canada and the US. Harold Camping a Christian radio broadcaster and president of Family Stations, Inc. that states that a number of Biblical passages point unquestionably to May 21, 2011 as the first day of the Day of Judgment and October 21, 2011 for the end of the world.

What do you think will happen May 21?  I think I'll be enjoying my May 2-4 weekend :-)

A licence to Canoe?

Did you know Canada.. there's some controversy going on right now in the boating community because they are saying Transport Canada changed rules and requirements that will now demand forms filled out and fees paid for excursion groups - even those on canoe and kayaks. Now Transport Canada says there have been no new rule changes but there has been a requirement to have non-pleasure vessels registered since July 2007! These would be the boats/canoes/kayaks that are leading a group.

Read more in the Star article and let me know how you read the rules?

Source: TheStar, TheRecord

Public/Family Skates

Did you know Canada..  we had an ice rink we made in our backyard all winter, kids loved it.  We upgraded from bob-skates to real skates this year and have been having a love/hate relationship with skating since it got a bit harder.  Our poor ice rink melted this week with the sun shine and warmer weather so we tried a free public family skate today and it was fantastic!  The boys skated for a full hour, much longer than they did at home with so many distractions and we got free hot chocolate after for Family Day Weekend.

Am now loving public skates - I thought it would be too busy and overwhelming for the kids but everyone was (fairly) friendly and all the little ones were able to stay in the middle without getting caught up in the rush.

I found this website:  http://www.arenamaps.com/  to find all the local arenas and look forward to heading to public skating again next weekend!

2011 Canadian International Auto Show

Did you know Canada.. The 2011 Canadian International Auto Show started yesterday the 17th and runs until February 27th at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The theme of the Auto Show: Discover. Connect. Experience.

If you're in the market for a new car or want to find out what the latest and greatest advances are this is the place to be. Many contests and events running there as well - would be a fun stop on Family Day.

If you stopped in let us know what impressed you the most!

Fishing in Ontario

Did you know Canada.. this weekend in Ontario you can fish without a licence February 19-21.  This happens twice a year so it's coming up again July 2-10.  Now is a great time to try fishing for the first time or plan to try in July.

Visit Family Fishing Weekend for more details.