IN THIS ISSUE CHEERS! Travel OSTEOPOROSIS Health FINANCIAL PRIORITIES Finance OFFICIAL NEWS MAGAZINE OF THE CANADIAN SNOWBIRD ASSOCIATION | WINTER 2023 | ISSUE 129 Publication mail agreement no: 40063603
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Editor’s Message CSANews© is published four times a year and is Copyright Winter 2023 by Medipac International Communications Inc., 180 Lesmill Road, Toronto, Ontario M3B 2T5. 416.441.7000. Subscription Price: $9.95 Canada; $20.00 U.S. and foreign. Single copy: $3.95. Prices include tax. Published by Medipac International Communications Inc. Opinions expressed are those of the writers and are not necessarily those of the CSA, Medipac International Communications Inc. or its affiliates, their Directors, Officers, or other employees or agents. Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement No: 40063603. ISSN No: 1195-2393 Barb & Ron Kroll Dr. Robert MacMillan Shari McIntyre David McPherson Rex Vogel Robert Wiersema Judith Adam Gabrielle Bauer Donna Carter Michael Coren Jennifer Cox James Dolan Karen Huestis Ron Steeves Garry McDonald Ted Popel Wendy Caban Bob Slack John Foster James Carl Simpson Johanne Blain Michael MacKenzie Wallace Weylie President First Vice-President Second Vice-President Treasurer Secretary Past-President Director Director Director Executive Director Legal Counsel CSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Editor CSA Editor President Art Director Director of Operations Marketing & Events Specialist J. Ross Quigley Karen Huestis Christopher Davidge Peter Prusa Paula McGovern Fran Castricone WINTER 2023 | ISSUE 129 CONTRIBUTING EDITORS We acknowledge the support of the Government of Canada. Merv Magus Cover photo: iStock.com/GoodboyPictureCompany Illustrator We are almost back to normal! Our travel patterns to the U.S. have reverted to pre-Covid levels and we are slightly ahead of the 2019 number of trips. There is one big difference, though – automobile traffic is down by about 15% and travel by air is up. High gas prices and more competition in the airline space (which reduces prices) are changing our normal travel patterns. Overseas travel is still trying to catch up and is running at about 80% of 2019 levels, but it has increased in every subsequent year. The increases to specific destinations overseas are interesting, to say the least. Visits to Europe and the U.K. are actually slightly above pre-pandemic levels. Again, comparing to 2019, Turkey’s travel has increased by 68.5%; Portugal by 51.5% and Spain by 49.4%. I have travelled to all of these countries and they are wonderful places to visit. Get them on your bucket list. Other countries do not fare as well. I assume that the wars and unrest in many other countries have hurt their tourism. It has certainly made me think twice about overseas travel. Have a wonderful winter, wherever you are. N.B.: A special word of thanks to the Conference Board of Canada. Their November 2023 Travel Report, which covers only nine months of outbound travel, is the source of these statistics. Sincerely, J. Ross Quigley Editor CSANews | WINTER 2023 | 3
Table of Contents WINTER 2023 | ISSUE 129 OFFICIAL NEWS MAGAZINE OF THE CANADIAN SNOWBIRD ASSOCIATION Cheers! What’s your favourite beverage? Search out these international specialties to sip and savour. by Barb & Ron Kroll Features Snowbird Special Events 14 7 Travel Snowbird Extravaganza and the CSA Winter Information Meetings are back! Florida’s “New England” Enjoy a short visit to Florida’s most picturesque town with the author of “Along Interstate-75.” by Dave Hunter 20 4 | www.snowbirds.org
Table of Contents 40 Golf by David McPherson 42 CSA Online by Andrew Moore-Crispin 44 Gardening by Judith Adam 46 Food & Drink by Shari McIntyre 48 Fun & Games 49 Grins & Giggles 50 CSA Application 51 CSA Benefits 52 CSA Update 53 CSA Events 54 Fast Facts 3 Editor’s Message 6 Snowbird Alert 7 Snowbird Events 8 Bird Talk 10 President’s Message 11 Government Relations Report 12 Insurance by J. Ross Quigley 13 Opinion by Michael Coren 36 Health Pulse 37 Longevity by Jennifer Cox 38 Fitness by Jennifer Cox 39 Book Review by Robert Wiersema 24 34 28 15 best free things to do in Savannah. Savannah, Georgia has been named one of the best destinations in the United States, see why! by Rex Vogel Do You Have Osteoporosis? Discover the causes, symptoms, prevention and treatment of this common medical problem. by Dr. Robert MacMillan RV Lifestyle Finance Eleven financial priorities for your golden years A quick checklist to keep you focused on the financial issues that matter most during retirement. by James Dolan Health Departments CSANews | WINTER 2023 | 5
Snowbird Alert Source: www.newscanada.com Three important vaccines to get this winter For many Canadians, winter is their favourite season, with skiing, skating and a host of other activities to look forward to. Winter is also the heart of flu season. This year, in addition to the annual flu strains that are circulating, there are two other viruses to be wary of: RSV and COVID-19. Here’s what you need to know about each. Busting a myth about the Canada Pension Plan During times of economic uncertainty, many of us worry about our financial stability today and for the future – especially how we’ll be able to manage in retirement. Independent reviews conclude that the Canada Pension Plan, relied upon by more than 21 million contributors and beneficiaries, is in excellent shape for the generations to come. However, public opinion polls reveal that many people believe that the fund will run out of money before many Canadians are ready to retire. Where did this myth begin and why does it persist for some Canadians? The program started in 1966 but, as the number of people receiving benefits grew, the plan ran into difficulty. During the mid-1990s, it was estimated that the fund would no longer be sustainable by the mid-2010s. Many Canadians remember that dire forecast, but they don’t remember the dramatic action taken to correct the situation. Working together, the federal government and the provinces came up with a solution: raise contribution rates and create a new, independent organization known as CPP Investments. Its role is to invest excess funds not needed to pay current benefits to help grow the pension plan’s resources. A quarter-century later, the organization manages $575 billon in a diverse group of assets designed to achieve growth over the long term. It’s been rated as the best-performing pension fund in the world during the past decade according to Global SWF, an international consulting and research firm that tracks the returns of public pension funds. Every three years, an independent body in the federal government reviews the state of the pension plan. The most recent review, completed in December 2022, concluded that the pension plan will continue to be sustainable for 75 years and beyond. Find more information at cppinvestments.com. Seasonal flu The flu – short for influenza – is not one, but a variety of contagious viruses that circulate year-round. In Canada, flu season starts around October, right when we start spending more time indoors. Common symptoms include headaches, chills and a cough. A fever, muscle aches and general fatigue can also occur. But the flu is nothing to sneeze at. Every year, approximately 3,500 Canadians die from flu-related complications. Health officials around the world work together to determine the most threatening flu strains going around and develop a flu vaccine that targets the most prevalent strains. The strains and vaccine formulation change every year, which is why you should get your shot annually. RSV Respiratory syncytial virus – or RSV – is a common, highly contagious virus that affects the lungs and airways. RSV is increasingly recognized as a major health threat, particularly to young children, those who are immunocompromised and older adults. Although the virus can affect all ages, its impact on older adults is significant. The virus can cause severe respiratory issues, including pneumonia. This past August, Health Canada approved a new RSV vaccine in Canada for people 60 and older. COVID-19 As much as we’d all like it to just be a distant memory, COVID-19 variants are still circulating around the world. In fact, it’s expected that the COVID-19 virus will continue to mutate and will eventually become part of the strains that make up the seasonal flu. This year, Health Canada is recommending that everyone five years and older who has completed their initial series of COVID-19 vaccines get a booster shot. You can get your flu shot and COVID-19 booster at the same time at local pharmacies. 6 | www.snowbirds.org
Events Snowbird Events Join us at a CSA Winter Information Meeting! Florida Snowbird Extravaganza RP Funding Center 701 West Lime St. Lakeland, Florida Tuesday and Wednesday, January 30 & 31, 2024 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Arizona Snowbird Extravaganza Mesa Convention Center 201 North Center St. Mesa, Arizona Monday, February 5, 2024 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Winter Texans’ Snowbird Extravaganza McAllen Convention Center 700 Convention Center Blvd. McAllen, TX Wednesday, February 14, 2024 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. All events start at 1:00 p.m. (doors open at noon). For more information or to volunteer, call the CSA at 1-800-265-3200 or email volunteer@snowbirds.org INDIO, CA Tuesday, February 27 Fantasy Springs Casino Resort 84245 Indio Springs Pkwy. WINTERHAVEN, CA Thursday, February 29 Quechan Casino 525 Algodones Rd. BRADENTON, FL Tuesday March 5 Bradenton Area Convention Center One Haben Blvd. PORT CHARLOTTE, FL Wednesday March 6 Holy Trinity Event Center 24411 Rampart Boulevard CLEARWATER, FL Thursday March 7 Early Bird Dinner Theater 13355 49th Street North Hundreds, and sometimes even thousands of people attend these one-of-a-kind meetings. Join us for a taste of Extravaganza entertainment, hear presentations from the Canadian Snowbird Association, get a Medipac insurance update and pose questions to the panel right from the audience. SUBJECT TO CHANGE CSANews | WINTER 2023 | 7
Bird Talk Dear Bird Talk, My husband purchased a Roger On assistive hearing device that is not available in Canada. This works with his hearing aids, which were purchased in Canada. The assistive device is very helpful for him to hear in situations where his hearing aids are very limited. Does this assistive device have to be declared? We were told by the salespeople that it does not. Melanie Morris Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON Ed.: Strictly speaking, you should declare the item when you return to Canada with it, and it would be deductible from your personal exemption value of $800.00 CAD for which you are eligible when you are outside of Canada for 48 hours or longer. The value of the goods imported must be converted into Canadian dollars at the foreign exchange rate recognized by the CBSA. If the value of the goods imported exceeds $800 CAD, you will only be charged duty and taxes on the amount that exceeds the $800 CAD exemption. The $800 CAD exemption is per person and cannot be combined. Dear Bird Talk, My wife and I plan on towing our boat to Florida this year to use for the five months that we are there. Do we need to let U.S. Customs know in advance of our crossing? Do we need a permit from the Florida government to use the boat in Florida? The boat will not be left in the water. It will be trailered in and out every time we use it. Jim Desson Goderich, ON Ed.: You do not need to notify U.S. Customs in advance. You must be prepared to provide proof of ownership for the boat and the trailer when you cross the border. Evidence of insurance coverage is advisable for good measure. You do not need a permit to operate your Canadian vessel in Florida, however you should make sure that you have the specific safety equipment on board that is required by the state of Florida. You can “google” Florida Boat Safety Equipment requirements, which will direct you to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission website for details. This is the link: myfwc.com/boating/ safety-education/equipment/ vessels-16-to-259-feet Dear Bird Talk, My sister insists that you must declare your vacation home in Arizona that is used by only you in the winter months as foreign property on your tax return under Revenue Canada Guidelines. Do you have the Revenue Canada guideline that states this, or conversely states that your vacation home is exempt from disclosing as foreign property? Tyrone Wayne Bohnet Calgary, AB Ed.: The appropriate CRA tax form regarding foreign property is T1135. Foreign Property includes bank accounts, stocks, bonds and real estate. However, you do not have to declare real estate that is owned primarily for your own personal use. A foreign-owned RENTAL INCOME property valued over $100,000. CAD must be declared. Specified foreign property is defined in subsection 233.3(1) of the Income Tax Act. The exemption for personal use property is specified in section 233.3 (1) (p). Dear Bird Talk, From what I am reading, provincial health insurance in Saskatchewan is not valid if you have been out of the province for longer than four months. We are about to transition to retirement and are building a condo in Roatan, Honduras. Our plan is to be the definition of a snowbird – to be out of Canada for the cold months and split our remaining time in Canada among other provinces to visit family. If we do not meet the criteria of any province for minimum time per year to have provincial health coverage, what are our health-care insurance options to be covered, no matter where we are? “Under 55 Saskatchewan” Saskatoon, SK Ed.: Since 2016, Saskatchewan residents are permitted to be outside of their home province for up to seven months within any 12-month period and still maintain their provincial health benefits. Please keep in mind that Saskatchewan will only provide minimal reimbursement for outof-country emergency services ($100 per day for emergency in-patient care) and private travel medical insurance is strongly recommended. Dear Bird Talk, I applaud Ross Quigley’s editorial extolling the virtues of the N95 mask to combat the smoke and residue spewing from forest fires. However, if space allowed, I’m sure that he would have alerted readers to the dangers of Valley Fever. This a disease that is endemic to the desert states such as Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and California. The desert sands in these states contain the fungus Coccidioides, commonly known as Valley Fever. People get the fever by breathing in the microscopic fungal spores that are stirred up by high winds in the desert or around construction sites. I know of what I speak because I have Valley Fever! Initially, it showed up on a chest X-ray as a dark spot on my left lung which my doctor in Toronto pronounced as cancer; he set in motion an appointment with a thoracic surgeon. Our primary residence is in southern Ontario, but we winter in Scottsdale, where we have another doctor. Wanting a second opinion, I sent the X-rays to him and his immediate response was not cancer but, rather, Valley Fever. He went on to explain that Valley Fever looks like cancer on an X-ray and that the medical communities in the Eastern provinces and states can easily misdiagnose, as most of their patients spend their winters in Florida and adjoining ‘non-desert’ states. The good news is that the vast majority of those who contract the disease get better on their own. I am one of those lucky ones and the spot on my lung has already reduced by half. However, the disease can get out of control with those who are immune deficient and they must be treated with very powerful antifungal drugs. My advice to those snowbirds who spend time in the southwestern states: keep a supply of N95 masks on hand and use them at the first signs of a windstorm. David A. Currie Claremont, Ontario Ed.: That is a fascinating story! We never would have guessed that Valley Fever looks like lung cancer on an X-ray. Thank you for sharing it with us. 8 | www.snowbirds.org
Dear Bird Talk, I have a car registered and insured in North Carolina, where we own property and spend four or five months each year. Even though my home is in Vancouver, B.C., I grew up in Ontario and have many friends and relatives in Ontario. I like to take a driving trip from N.C. to Ontario each summer to visit and wanted to take my U.S.-registered vehicle, especially with today’s rental car prices. So, each year I search and two years ago, I found the Canadian Program TVIS. It stands for temporary vehicle import system and while it’s primarily intended to allow racers, promoters, etc. to bring their wares, section (h) is for people like me. It reads, “in the case of a vehicle that is licensed in the United States, a visit to Canada by its owner, if the owner has a residential address in Canada, and is the holder of a Canadian driver’s licence.” I’ve successfully applied online the last two summers and driven my N.C. Jetta up into Ontario and back several weeks later. Hope this helps others, Mike Valiquette Whistler, BC Ed.: Good advice. You can apply to make a declaration to import non-compliant vehicles temporarily for special purposes. Eligible vehicles include vehicles licensed in the U.S. and owned by Canadians – the Canadian owner must have a residential address in Canada and hold a Canadian driver’s licence. The Registrar of Imported Vehicles offers this service. You can “google” TVIS Transport Canada or go directly to this link: www.riv.ca/OnlineForms/Home/Landing Bird Talk Featuring the letters & concerns of our members SEND YOUR LETTERS TO Bird Talk, c/o CSANews 180 Lesmill Road Toronto, Ontario M3B 2T5 Online at www.snowbirds.org/bird-talk or by e-mail: csawriteus@snowbirds.org Bird Talk Dear Bird Talk, Our primary vehicles are in Canada, and we have a secondary vehicle in AZ. If we intend to leave it there for longer than 12 months – or permanently – should we license, register and insure it in the state where it is located? Or should we maintain the provincial plates and insurance which we currently have? The vehicle was manufactured in the U.S. Ken Budzak Saskatchewan Ed.: If you intend to leave your Canadian vehicle in the United States for longer than 12 months, you should import the vehicle through U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and register it in the state where it is located. Canadian-registered vehicles are only permitted to be in the United States for up to 12 months. Also, your Canadian automobile insurance carrier will likely not insure your vehicle if it is in the U.S. for longer than six months. Dear Bird Talk, As a followup to the email in the fall edition’s Bird Talk about leaving a Canadian-registered RV (or boat) in the U.S. for a long period, even more important is the six-month rule. We were planning to leave our B.C.-registered RV in Washington state, rather than return it to B.C. after our winter vacation. We planned to store it there for about seven months and return in the fall to head south again. Just to be certain that we would not have a problem, I emailed the state tax department and they emailed back stating categorically that any RV, yacht or airplane remaining in Washington state for longer than six months is subject to the prevailing state sales tax. This would be in addition to the Internal Revenue one-year rule that you mentioned and could well be even more expensive for the shorter term. Other states may be different, so I would encourage interested Canadians to contact the respective state tax department. I may not have liked the answer, but I was pleasantly surprised by the quick reply which I received from the Washington state office. Dennis Dean North Saanich, BC Ed.: Thank you for sharing your real-life example of the tax implications of leaving a Canadian-registered vehicle in the U.S. for longer than six months. Dear Bird Talk, With reference to Sandi Elliot asking Bird Talk about selling your U.S. home and moving some of the belongings that you acquired while living in the U.S. back to Canada. I watch Border Security and, on one episode, a young woman had everything packed and had a list of everything that was in each box. As everything she had were items that she had been using and had obtained over the years, the security officials considered them as ‘yard sale’ items and let her be on her way. Similar to the Elliots, I had a home in Tennessee for 18 years and, when it came time for me to move back to Canada, I did exactly what the person on TV did. At the border, I gave them my numbered pages which listed everything in each numbered box. They flipped through the pages and asked if anything was new. I replied no, but pointed out that about half of what I was bringing back to Canada had been purchased over the years in the U.S. He asked what I thought the value of some of the things was and I replied that they would be more or less yard sale value. He handed me back my papers and said, “Drive Safe.” Tom Barnes Georgetown, Ontario Ed.: A satisfactory repatriation of your personal belongings at the end of your “snowbird career.” Bravo! CSANews | WINTER 2023 | 9
President’s Message Karen Huestis CSA President After a four-year, pandemic-related hiatus, Bill and I were pleased to meet so many of you during our fall Snowbird Lifestyle Presentations. In September, we began our tour in Alberta by making stops in Calgary and Sherwood Park. From there, it was off to British Columbia where we hosted a meeting in Kelowna. We then headed east to Ontario with stops in Nepean, Port Hope, Oakville, Markham and St. Catharines. We concluded this round of presentations in the Maritimes with meetings in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Summerside, Prince Edward Island and Moncton, New Brunswick. It was encouraging to sign up so many new members and I would like to thank all of the volunteers who helped us put on these great events. As always, thanks to all of our members who attended; your ongoing involvement is what continues to grow the association. I’m also happy to report that our traditional winter shows will soon be up and running. Snowbird Extravaganza is back and will be held at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland, Florida on Tuesday and Wednesday, January 30 and 31, 2024. The Arizona Snowbird Extravaganza will take place on Monday, February 5 at the Mesa Convention Center in Mesa, Arizona. Finally, the Winter Texans’ Snowbird Extravaganza will be held on Wednesday, February 14 at the McAllen Convention Center in McAllen, Texas. These shows are always a great way to reconnect with old friends and make new ones. Top-notch entertainment and all of the latest information and products are available to help you make the most of your winter. As always, admission to these shows is free of charge. If you are unable to attend any of our Extravaganzas, please consider joining us for the next round of our Winter Information Meetings. While smaller in scale, these meetings still deliver outstanding Canadian entertainment and snowbird lifestyle information. These smaller settings allow for greater interaction between association representatives and guests, so it is an ideal time to ask any questions or voice any concerns which you may have. It also makes it a little easier to interact with the entertainers, so please join us for a show if you are able. You can find specific dates, times and locations elsewhere in this edition of the magazine. Once again, admission to these events is free of charge. CSA members may also book a member of your board of directors to make an information presentation directly to their local winter community or club. These presentations provide updates regarding all of the latest initiatives on which the association has been working on your behalf, and we attempt to answer any questions that you may have about a wide variety of snowbird-related topics. To book a presentation, please contact our office in Toronto. Stateside, Canadian Snowbird Association representatives continue to make steady progress on our Canadian retiree visa legislative proposal currently being considered by the United States Congress. As we have discussed previously, if this legislation is approved in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, Canadian retirees aged 50 and older will be permitted to spend up to eight months in the United States annually. This will mean an increase of two months from the current six-month limit. The House version of this legislation, H.R. 4448 - the Canadian Snowbird Visa Act, now has 21 bipartisan co-sponsors. Many of the members of Congress who have just recently co-sponsored this legislation also sit on the judiciary committee, which is important strategically as this is the committee where the bill is currently being considered. We will continue to provide members with updates through our email advisories, as this proposal makes its way through the legislative process. In January 2024, my term as president of the Canadian Snowbird Association will come to an end. I have been fortunate to serve you in this capacity during some very trying times. Our board of directors worked diligently to provide our members with all of the latest rapidly changing information needed to navigate the pandemic. The directors and their spouses have helped me immensely and I sincerely thank them for that. The staff of the Canadian Snowbird Association is integral to everything that we do, and they are always available when we need them. I would be remiss if I did not thank Medipac for all of their help and assistance over the years. Most important, thank you to you, our members; none of this is possible without your continued support. I look forward to working with your new board in my capacity as past-president during the next term. Bill and I wish you all a safe and relaxing winter in the sun. 10 | www.snowbirds.org
Government Relations Report Ron Steeves First Vice-President In my last report, I notified readers that Canadian citizens travelling to certain European countries will soon be required to obtain a permit known as a European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) travel authorization. An ETIAS travel authorization is an entry requirement for visa-exempt nationals travelling to 30 European countries. When the ETIAS travel authorization becomes officially required, it will allow Canadian travellers to enter the territory of these 30 European countries as often as they want for short-term stays – normally for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The ETIAS travel authorization will be linked to a traveller’s passport and will be valid for a three-year period, or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. When you obtain a new passport, you will be required to apply for a new ETIAS travel authorization. The authorization is issued only to one person and is linked to their travel document. Other individuals, including family members, will be required to have their own ETIAS travel authorizations. More detailed information about the ETIAS program can be found on the official European Union website, travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en. Please beware of third-party websites, which claim to offer expedited authorizations, and ensure that you are using only official government websites. The ETIAS program was initially scheduled to launch next year, but European officials have recently announced that it is expected to be rolled out in mid-2025. In October, eu-LISA – the agency responsible for the digital system – reported that it needs additional time for implementation. The Canadian Snowbird Association (CSA) is carefully monitoring the progress of this program and will notify members as soon as new information is made available. In Canada, the association’s core issues are featured in our Canadian Travellers’ Report Card, the latest edition of which is available on our website, www.snowbirds.org. Our Report Card is the basis for our domestic advocacy platform federally, provincially and territorially. One of the key issues on which CSA representatives are currently focused is improving access to prescription medications for travellers. Some provincial drug programs – such as British Columbia’s PharmaCare – impose limits on the supply of prescription medications which are covered for vacation purposes. We believe that travellers should have access to a vacation supply of medication at least equal to the amount of time that they are permitted to be outside of their home province and still retain their health benefits. CSA representatives also continue to work on raising reimbursement rates for out-of-country emergency services. The requirement under the Canada Health Act to ensure that Canadians get the same access to emergency health services outside of Canada as they do in Canada is still being largely ignored by most provinces. For residents of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Quebec, the maximum rate paid for out-of-country hospital in-patient care is $100 per day. For residents of British Columbia, the rate is capped at $75 per day. These violations of the Canada Health Act remain commonplace across the country and result in inflated private travel medical insurance costs for Canadian travellers. It is our hope that our advocacy efforts will once again bring this issue to the forefront, and we will continue to work towards attaining the emergency health services that travelling Canadians expect, need and deserve. As Judy and I are stepping down from active volunteerism on the CSA board of directors at our annual meeting in January, we want to offer a very sincere thank you to all of our members who so faithfully supported and assisted us. Thank you, too, to each of the provincial picnic volunteer co-ordinators in Florida – where we annually set up our CSA tent – and we are encouraged to share the latest news and accomplishments of our great organization. Judy and I were so proud! It has also been a real pleasure working with the CSA staff and directors, as well as with the Medipac travel insurance professionals; what a great team! I have been asked to continue assisting and offering training when required – as director emeritus – so I still hope to see you in our travels. We wish the same enjoyable experience to Debra Ann MacLean, the new incoming Atlantic Canada director from Nova Scotia. THANK YOU, ALL! CSANews | WINTER 2023 | 11
J. Ross Quigley CEO Medipac International Inc. Insurance Every morning, I get a report outlining the new medical claims that have arrived on our doorstep. It shows how many claims we have had, the amounts which we expect to pay, the people who have been hospitalized and the reasons for their claims. The number I watch the most closely is the number of people who are in hospital right now. In November and December, this number is usually between 20 and 35. This morning, it was ONE. This is amazing and means that our snowbirds are staying happy and healthy this season. No nasty Covid, no RSV, no major heart and lung issues and no falls or accidents to report. It really is amazing. We jokingly say that it is OK to fall in love, but it is not OK to fall down stairs or fall in the bathroom. People are paying attention, especially to avoiding those dangerous falls. People are also paying attention by wearing those N95 masks when in crowded places. No major Covid issues and no RSV issues of any consequence is the natural result. Stress is also one of the nasty causes of heart attacks and strokes. We have to learn to let stress just “roll off of our backs.” Those stressful situations that we all encounter are really just a waste of time and energy. Learn to walk away. It certainly appears as though we have learned to be careful and to take better care of ourselves. I know that many of my normal habits have changed for the better and improved health is, again, the natural result. Walking every day is also very helpful. In a perfect world, that ONE would be zero – but that is too much to hope for. All that we can do is try to make sure that we do not put ourselves in positions where we could have a claim… and we appear to be doing just that. This year can be that Magic Year with no uncontrolled health issues and no accidents to report. Let’s get to it and really enjoy our lives. We have earned that right. A Magic Year? 12 | www.snowbirds.org
Back in the early 1980s when I began my working life as a journalist, I was sent to report on the troubles in Northern Ireland. More specifically, I was asked to write about the loyalist or Protestant paramilitaries, mostly the UDA (Ulster Defence Association) and UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force). These were hardline, mainly working-class men – although there were many women in their ranks, too – who had taken up an armed conflict not only with the IRA and other republican (mostly Roman Catholic) groups, but also with anybody whom they considered an opponent. That included ordinary Catholics in the wrong place at the wrong time. Though claiming loyalty to the crown and to Britain, they were no friends to the British Army either. It was a deeply frightening time; I was in many ways out of my depth, but I learned a lot. Frankly, some of the lessons I’d prefer to forget. Peace was being discussed and the miracle of a ceasefire and a new Northern Ireland would come about before very long, but what I saw was violence, hatred and suffering. To an outsider, the differences between the two tribes – because tribes is what they were – were minimal and often difficult to understand and appreciate. But not to the locals. They seemed to be able to tell the difference within moments. Both sides illustrated their beliefs, campaigns, martyrs and heroes through large and elaborate wall paintings and murals. They were sometimes extraordinarily artistic, but their messages were violent and tribal. A newcomer to Belfast or Derry would immediately know if they were in a loyalist or republican area by the illustrated propaganda. In my time there, I saw a man shot and killed just a few feet away from me, saw the results of a bombing and met people who had the most appalling wounds from attacks and fights. All this had happened close to the murals. I was once in a pub behind one of those things where an increasingly drunk man told me, “What we need in this country is someone like Hitler, but not so extreme.” I’m pretty sure he meant that Catholics rather than Jews should be targeted. I wanted to respond, even laugh, but knew who he was, knew his friends and that they were heavily armed. They seldom attacked journalists, but alcohol and automatic weapons is a dangerous mixture. So, whenever I see these things as background to yet another documentary or drama I cringe, even feel nauseous. It’s one of the reasons I haven’t returned in 40 years. But the chance came along and I took it. My hotel in Belfast was just a few metres away from Sandy Row, a centre of loyalist activism. I walked there for hours, spoke to an old friend, saw the change but also lamented the repetitions of the traditional fears and screams. Some of the paintings have changed, but most of the messaging is eerily similar to past times. Yet today, there are coach trips to see the murals – Catholic as well as Protestant – and people are taken by guides to look at the “artwork.” The ones calling for peace and reconciliation tend to receive more attention than those deeper in the various communities, where the words are as belligerent as they ever were. Even so, part of me is delighted, euphoric that most of the violence is over, and that people from Canada and anywhere else in the world can look and learn. But then there’s the other section of my experience and psyche, one that is revolted by voyeurism or "tragedy tourism." I’m not blaming those who come to look, but I also want to scream, “People died here, people were maimed here, children lost parents here!” Not centuries ago, but in living memory. For every wall painting speaking of peace and claiming that “enough is enough,” there are far more promoting a very different message indeed. On the Newtownards Road, there’s a small park devoted to Ulsterman CS Lewis – my hero – and a mural with his picture welcomes people. But travel further and the loyalist paramilitaries have dominated the area with their narrative. Lewis would be revolted; so am I. So much has been achieved but so, so much has still to be done. I pray with all of my heart and soul that the job will be completed and that total, authentic peace will grow and prosper. The people there deserve it. People everywhere deserve it. Opinion with Michael Coren CSANews | WINTER 2023 | 13
CIN CIN! SALUD! PROST! SANTÉ! CHEERS! What’s your favourite beverage? Red or white wine? A frosty glass of draft beer? Scotch on the rocks? A mixologist-created cocktail? Or just a soothing cup of hot tea? Wherever you travel, you’ll find unique libations beloved by the residents. Canada imports very few of these liquid refreshments. Here’s a roundup of several noteworthy drinks that we’ve discovered around the world, from Asia and Europe to the Caribbean and North America. Feel free to expand the list with thirst quenchers that you come upon during your travels. Search out these international specialties to sip and savour Story and photos © Barb & Ron Kroll 14 | www.snowbirds.org Travel
SPLENDID SPIRITS In Rio de Janeiro, we enjoyed refreshing caipirinhas – Brazil’s national cocktail – concocted from fresh lime juice, sugar, crushed ice and cachaça (pronounced ka-cha-sa). Distilled from sugar cane, this potent alcohol is also combined with fresh coconut, mango or papaya and sweetened condensed milk to make batidas. Servers offered us a rainbow-coloured assortment of these tasty fruit cocktails. Although anise-flavoured ouzo is the national drink of Greece, several Greek liqueurs are also worth trying. Clear, white mastiha – made from the sap of the mastic tree that’s indigenous to the island of Chios – has a sweet, herbal taste. Bright orange Koum Kouat – made from kumquat fruits with an aroma reminiscent of oranges and strawberries – is produced on the island of Corfu. Haraki Honey is a grape-based Cretan aperitif, flavoured with thyme honey. In summer, bartenders serve it in tumblers with an ice cube. In winter, they serve it as a hot drink, scented with cloves and cinnamon sticks. Rum and rum punch are popular with both Caribbean locals and visitors. Grenadian shopkeepers also sell more unique beverages, including green banana wine and five-finger wine. The latter is made from the carambola, a yellow fruit that looks like a star when cut into slices. Especially delicious is ponche de crème. This rum-based drink looks and tastes remarkably like Bailey’s Irish Cream, accented with nutmeg. The best time to find this Caribbean eggnog is during the Christmas season. CSANews | WINTER 2023 | 15 Travel
DRINKING WITH THE LOCALS British pubs and Parisian wine bars are well-known European drinking establishments. For local ambience and opportunities to strike up conversations with patrons, search out neighbourhood watering holes in other destinations as well. The Netherlands, for example, is home to dozens of convivial bruine kroegen (brown cafés). The name originated from their burnished walls, stained from hundreds of years of tobacco smoke. (Smoking is now banned in cafés, restaurants and hotels.) Do not confuse brown cafés with coffeeshops, where Dutch adults gather to legally buy and smoke marijuana. Coffeeshops must display green-and-white official licence signs in their windows. Most brown cafés serve beer and jenever (Dutch gin) – a grain distillate infused with juniper berries and other botanicals. Drink it as the Dutch do, from a tulip-shaped shot glass without ice. When the Dutch drink jenever followed by a beer chaser, they call it a head-knocker. But beware. Jenever looks as innocent as water, but packs a knee-withering wallop. You can also sip jenever in a tasting house, where bartenders traditionally fill the glasses so full that you must bend over the bar to take the first sip. You’ll also find unique beverages and drinking establishments in Korea. Crowded and noisy Korean bars serve makgeolli – a milky-white unrefined rice wine – and cheongju, a refined rice wine. Soju – a vodka-like liquor made from sweet potatoes – and Hite beer are also well-liked. Tea is Korea’s most popular beverage. You can choose from many varieties, including green, barley, ginseng, arrowroot, citron, Chinese quince, ginger and herb. The best place to sample them is in traditional tea houses, such as those located amid the antique and calligraphy shops of Seoul’s Insadong district. The subdued atmosphere of tea houses is ideal for quiet conversation and appreciation of both the beverage and the artfully designed pottery cups in which it’s served. Coffee is also available here, as well as in coffee shops, where the price of a cup allows you to sit and talk for as long as you wish. Korean non-alcoholic soft drinks are treats that no visitor should miss. Sikhye is made by boiling rice, malt and honey in water, and then allowing it to ferment. It’s served chilled with rice grains floating on top. Equally refreshing is sujeonggwa, a fruit punch made from cinnamon, sugar and dried persimmons. A half-dozen pine nuts drift atop the amber beverage. Both drinks are so popular that they’re available in cans. 16 | www.snowbirds.org Travel
ONLY IN CANADA For a small island, Havre-aux-Maisons in Quebec’s Îles de la Madeleine boasts a disproportionate number of unique food and drink items. Most of them are not available outside of Quebec. At Le Barbocheux, Sylvie Langford and her husband Léonce make and sell homemade wines and liqueurs. Bagosse – the traditional home-brewed wine of the Îles de la Madeleine – is served as an aperitif. Sylvie and Léonce make red bagosse from raspberries and strawberries that they grow behind their house. They concoct white bagosse from local cranberries and dandelions. The couple also produces Le Chalin – a blueberry-and-berry fortified, port-style wine – and L’Ariel, an intensely flavoured raspberry liqueur and digestive for serving after dinner. “It’s also great on ice cream,” says Sylvie. We overheard one visitor buying a bottle after trying a sample. “This drink is so good that I’m not going to share it with anyone,” he said. “The name of the raspberry liqueur comes from the name of Léonce’s grandfather’s ship, L’Ariel,” explained Sylvie Langford. “It ferried passengers from Pictou, Nova Scotia to the Îles de la Madeleine between 1940 and 1950. After it was sold as a pleasure craft, it was shipwrecked.” Don’t let the name Corps Mort (Dead Body) deter you from trying this beer made by À l’abri de la Tempête! This microbrewery uses barley malt smoked in Le Fumoir D’Antan, the last smokehouse on Havre-aux-Maisons. The beer’s name refers to the salted herring hung from wooden sticks over small, maple-wood fires that gently smoke the fish and the barley malt. As a result, the dark-orange Corps Mort brew acquires a smoked aroma and the flavours of dark fruits, with hints of caramel and maple. Not a fishy taste! We discovered berry wines with equally memorable names at Newfoundland’s Auk Island Winery. Funky Puffin is a medium-sweet wine made with local blueberries and rhubarb. Moose Joose is a blueberry and partridgeberry blend, while Krooked Kod combines blueberries and raspberries. Auk Island Winery uses iceberg water to make medium-sweet wines from bakeapples (cloudberries), blueberries, raspberries and cranberries. It also combines raspberry wine with dark rum to make Outport Raspberry Screech. Have you ever tasted beer made with iceberg water? Quidi Vidi Brewery is in St. John’s, near Iceberg Alley, where hundreds of massive icebergs float south along the coast every summer. The brewery hires a company that collects bergy bits – chunks of 20,000-year-old ice that have broken off from larger icebergs – in an ice-harvesting barge. The ice goes into storage tanks, where it melts. Oxygen trapped inside the water influences the taste of the beer. Poured from cobalt-blue bottles, Iceberg Beer has a crisp, clean taste, with a natural carbonation that tickles your tongue. CSANews | WINTER 2023 | 17 Travel
TOURS & TASTINGS Both tipplers and teetotallers will learn fascinating and fun facts during tours of breweries, distilleries, wineries and vineyards. Some beverage producers charge for tours or tastings. Others are free. Check their websites or call ahead to see if the tours are at fixed hours or if you need to make an appointment. On Lanzarote, in the Canary Islands 130 kilometres west of Africa, we were surprised to learn that excellent wines could be produced from vines grown in black volcanic soil that resembles the moon’s surface. To combat the desert climate, vintners build semicircular lava rock wind shelters around pits filled with up to two metres of black volcanic ash, which attract dew to feed the vines. Each one – the size of a child’s wading pool – contains a single grapevine. In the Bodegas Rubicón wine shop, we viewed dust-covered bottles of wine aging on racks. A sommelier poured us samples of wines produced from the Malvasia Volcánica varietal. Dry, crisp and fresh, the wines exhibited citrus, tropical and floral notes. The most entertaining beverage-production tour that we’ve experienced was at the Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee. Jack Daniel put Lynchburg on the map in 1866, when he bought a small distillery and began producing Tennessee sour mash whiskey. (It’s not bourbon and they get mighty upset if you call it that!) We toured the oldest registered distillery in the U.S. with our guide, Junior. He warned us that the tour involved 350 steps and about a mile of walking. “But they’re payin’ me by the hour, so I walk really slow,” he said. In one of the barrelhouses, we examined handcrafted white oak barrels, stacked in neat rows. Junior explained that each wooden barrel weighs 120 pounds. “If one of them rolls over you, you’ll get (ahem) smashed!” He noted that the biggest costs in making whiskey are taxes and aging. “Several people in the hills out there have eliminated both of these costs – but they don’t give tours.” At the distillery, we viewed 4,000-gallon fermentation tanks filled with mash (made from corn, rye and barley malt) and large stills from which the whiskey emerges at 140-proof. Farther on, a blazing fire drew our eyes to stacks of sugar maple boards being burned into charcoal. “The charcoal is ground into pellets and packed into mellowing vats 10 feet deep,” explained Junior. “This drop-by-drop filtering gives Jack Daniel’s its smoothness, by removing chemicals that give you headaches and make whiskey burn your throat.” After workers change the charcoal, every 14 to 16 weeks, the charcoal isn’t wasted. “It’s made into briquettes and sold at the Lynchburg Hardware,” said Junior. “And it burns really good.” Adults can sample whiskey in Jack Daniel Distillery after their tours, but they can’t legally buy a bottle in Lynchburg. That’s because Moore County has been completely dry since Prohibition. 18 | www.snowbirds.org Travel
TIPSY CAKES Just because you can’t buy whiskey in Lynchburg doesn’t mean that you can’t eat it. Sweet Southern Spirit General Store, on Main Street, sells Lynchburg Original Tipsy Cakes, made with Jack Daniel’s Whiskey. Lynchburg Hardware sells a similar Jack Daniel’s infused cake, made from a 150-year-old recipe. Because the cakes each contain less than 0.5% alcohol by volume, they are sold as non-alcoholic baked goods. When it comes to alcohol-infused desserts, Lynchburg faces substantial competition from the Tortuga Rum Cake Company, which has shops in Grand Cayman, Jamaica and Nassau. In the Grand Cayman bakery, we peered through glass windows to watch white-garbed cooks pouring hot rum syrup over freshly baked cakes. A mouth-watering rum aroma pervades the shop, which offers free samples. Nowadays, in addition to the original rum cake created from a secret, hundred-year-old family recipe, the company sells several spirit cakes, such as Tennessee Whiskey, Cinnamon Raisin Rum and Kentucky Bourbon Butter Cakes. Addicted to the tipsy cakes? No problem. The company ships them worldwide from online orders. These examples barely scratch the surface of the many regional liquid refreshments and liquor-infused treats available around the world. The next time you travel, search out the local alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages in your destination. You’ll be pleasantly surprised. Cheers! Barb & Ron Kroll publish the trip-planning website www.KrollTravel.com Hoodoos in minutes from hotel Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah rubysinn.com/CSAWINTER23 • World Famous Western Dinner Show •RV Park and Campground •Three Different Hotel/Price Points •Free Park Shuttle •Shopping & Dining Onsite •Ebikes and Mountain Bikes CSANews | WINTER 2023 | 19 Travel
Kathy and I enjoy driving around Florida, visiting the many fascinating smaller historic towns along the way... we never know what we will find. For example, do you know where you can find a massive reproduction of Vincent Van Gogh’s famous painting, The Starry Night? His famous but eccentric work – with its swirling orange-white stars and clouds clustered against a blue dawn sky – was painted while he was confined to an asylum. The original is a mere 38 x 92cm (29 x 36”) and that’s what makes this Florida reproduction incredible. It’s the size of a two-storey house located in Mount Dora...but more about this later! But first, let me provide an overview of Mount Dora and then I’ll share the best way to explore the town’s treasures. We have to agree with USA Today, which named it “the most picturesque town in all of Florida.” Known locally as “the New England town of the South,” a stroll along the covered walkways and alleys in the downtown area may evoke memories of the narrow shopping lanes and period architecture of places such as Rockport, Massachusetts. What makes Mount Dora particularly endearing is that many of its businesses are locally owned. This provides a strong sense of community and friendliness of which you become very aware as you meander its downtown streets, admiring the brightly lit shop windows and stopping occasionally to chat with the owners. Oh, and there are no parking meters! All cars may park for free at the curbside in front of the shops...now that is a convenience rarely seen in other towns. There’s something here for everybody – enjoy browsing for fashions, shoes and antiques and delight in the art galleries which rub shoulders with the occasional museum. There’s not a big-box store in sight. Restaurants to suit all budgets are everywhere, many nestled among some of the town’s historic buildings. Our favourites include The Goblin Market, Let’s Do a Maine Lobster Roll FLORIDA’S “New England” 20 | www.snowbirds.org Travel
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