IN THIS ISSUE INDIGENOUS ENCOUNTERS Travel HEALTH EXAMINATIONS Health 12 DEADLY SINS Finance OFFICIAL NEWS MAGAZINE OF THE CANADIAN SNOWBIRD ASSOCIATION | SUMMER 2024 | ISSUE 131 Publication mail agreement no: 40063603
Snowbird Events Canadian Snowbird Association President Garry McDonald With a special presentation from FREE SNOWBIRD SHOW Sponsored by For additional information or to volunteer call the CSA at 1.800.265.3200 or visit snowbirdextravaganza.com/canada Join us for a FREE concert to celebrate the snowbird lifestyle! Entertainment includes the funny fisherman Jimmy Flynn, ScottishCanadian tenor John McDermott and talented multi-instrumentalist family Next Generation Leahy; this event also includes a special presentation by Canadian Snowbird Association President Garry McDonald. Tickets are required for these FREE* events and are now available through each theatre’s box office. Tickets may be available on the day of the event, but these events have been known to “sell out” in the past so we recommend that you reserve early! *Service charges may apply to telephone and online orders. Jimmy Flynn John McDermott Next Generation Leahy 2 | www.snowbirds.org
Snowbird Events • SEP • 10 Tues PARRY SOUND ONTARIO Charles W. Stockey Centre for the Performing Arts Two Bay St. Box Office: (705) 746-4466 or 1-877-746-4466 stockeycentre.com • SEP • 11 Wed OWEN SOUND ONTARIO Roxy Theatre 251 9th Street East Box Office: (519) 371-2833 roxytheatre.ca • SEP • 16 Mon PORT HOPE ONTARIO Capitol Theatre 20 Queen Street Box Office: (905) 885-1071 or 1-800-434-5092 capitoltheatre.com • SEP • 17 Tues NEPEAN ONTARIO Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe 101 Centrepointe Dr. Box Office: (613) 580-2700 or 1-866-752-5231 meridiancentrepointe.com • SEP • 18 Wed BELLEVILLE ONTARIO Empire Theatre 321 Front Street Box Office: (613) 969-0099 theempiretheatre.com • SEP • 19 Thur MARKHAM ONTARIO Flato Markham Theatre 171 Town Centre Boulevard Box Office: (905) 305-7469 or 1-866-768-8801 flatomarkhamtheatre.ca • SEP • 24 Tues CHATHAM-KENT ONTARIO Kiwanis Theatre, Chatham Cultural Centre 75 William St. N, Chatham Box Office: (519) 354-8338 cktickets.com • SEP • 25 Wed ST. CATHARINES ONTARIO FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, Partridge Hall 250 St. Paul Street Box Office: (905) 688-0722 or 1-855-515-0722 firstontariopac.ca All events from 7-10 p.m. (doors to lobby open at 6 p.m.) Schedule subject to change. CSANews | SUMMER 2024 | 3
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Editor’s Message CSANews© is published four times a year and is Copyright Summer 2024 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 Milan Korcok Garry McDonald Johanne Blain James Carl Simpson Ted Popel Marjorie Heisler Karen Huestis Wendy Caban Ronald Brown Debra Ann MacLean Kimberley Tetzlaff Michael MacKenzie Wallace Weylie President First Vice-President Second Vice-President Treasurer Secretary Past-President Director Director Director Director Executive Director Legal Counsel CSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Editor CSA Editor President Art Director Director of Operations Marketing Coordinator Marketing & Events Specialist J. Ross Quigley Karen Huestis Christopher Davidge Peter Prusa Paula McGovern Stefanye Zee Fran Castricone SUMMER 2024 | ISSUE 131 CONTRIBUTING EDITORS We acknowledge the support of the Government of Canada. Merv Magus Cover photo: iStock.com/annebaek Illustrator Whew, it’s hot! Sunscreen, shade and water are the three things which you must pay attention to in order to protect yourself. If you have air conditioning, you are very fortunate as many of us do not have that luxury. I hear people saying, “Well, we never needed it before.” I believe that you do now and, going forward, it may get much warmer on average. The trend is definitely – UP. The climate activists and their hockey stick graphs have been proven wrong time and time again, but there is no debating the fact that our days and nights are getting warmer every year. Climate change, global warming and other simplistic labels are simply ways of expressing our ignorance in understanding our planet and its evolution. Some scientists are actually predicting another Ice Age. Wow, we really know very little, but we should prepare for anything. But right now, you have to deal with the heat. More than 1,300 pilgrims died from the heat during the recent HAJJ in Saudi Arabia. Died from the sun! It can be very dangerous and you must pay attention, please. The many people whom you see walking around with an umbrella on a sunny day do that for a reason, and they are correct. Stay away from the sun and drink lots of water… a little sunscreen will not hurt, either. Happy summer – in the shade. J. Ross Quigley Editor CSANews | SUMMER 2024 | 5
Table of Contents SUMMER 2024 | ISSUE 131 OFFICIAL NEWS MAGAZINE OF THE CANADIAN SNOWBIRD ASSOCIATION Indigenous Encounters Follow along on a quest to discover Indigenous cultural experiences in Canada. by Barb & Ron Kroll Features 14 20 Custer State Park: A Majestic Corner of South Dakota’s Black Hills One of the most beloved and diverse parks in the U.S. by Rex Vogel Travel RV Lifestyle 6 | www.snowbirds.org
Table of Contents 38 Fitness by Jennifer Cox 39 Book Review by Robert Wiersema 40 Golf by David McPherson 42 CSA Online by Milan Korcok 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 Events 54 Fast Facts 2 Snowbird Events 5 Editor’s Message 8 Snowbird Alert 9 Bird Talk 10 President’s Message 11 Government Relations Report 12 Insurance by J. Ross Quigley 13 Opinion by Michael Coren 28 Real Estate by Milan Korcok 34 Health Pulse 35 Longevity by Jennifer Cox 36 Fitness by Donna Carter 32 22 The Periodic Health Examination Now that a yearly physical is not recommended for healthy individuals, it’s important to pay attention to your health and make arrangements for medical care if required. by Dr. Robert MacMillan Finance The 12 deadly sins of personal finance Understanding the mistaken ideas, destructive behaviours, and areas of ignorance that can threaten your long-term financial health. by James Dolan Health Departments CSANews | SUMMER 2024 | 7
Snowbird Alert source: Newscanada.com What are “supplemented foods” and how do I learn more? You’ll find a lot of advice online about supplements. But have you heard of supplemented foods? Some supplements and supplemented foods can contain the same ingredients and, therefore, should not be consumed together. Supplemented foods are packaged foods or drinks with one or more supplemental ingredients added to them, such as caffeine, minerals such as calcium, vitamins such as vitamin C and amino acids such as L-leucine. Some of these products carry cautions about consuming supplements and supplemented foods together. To help you find these cautions easily, Health Canada introduced new regulations that require updated labels for supplemented foods. As of January 1, 2026, all supplemented foods will be required to have these new labels, but you might start seeing them sooner. Supplemented foods with cautions will carry an identifier with an exclamation mark and the words “Supplemented” and “Health Canada” on the front of the label, alerting you to read cautions written on the back or side of the product. An example of a caution is: “Do not eat or drink on the same day as any other supplemented foods or supplements with the same supplemental ingredients.” All supplemented foods will have a supplemented food facts table instead of a nutrition facts table. This will include the same nutrient information, with the addition of a “Supplemented with” section listing the type and amount of each supplemental ingredient. Learn more about supplemented foods and their labels at canada.ca/supplemented-foods. 3 tips for growing older with your pet The idea of “growing old together” is a goal to which many of us aspire. It doesn’t matter if that special someone walks on two legs or four – both of your needs will change as you enter your golden years together. Age gracefully along with your furry (or scaly!) family member with these tips: 1. Stay physically active and make your space more accessible for both of you. Reduced mobility is a common aspect of aging, and it applies to you as well as to your pet. You may be used to your pet running circles around you or jumping up to your highest shelves but, as you two continue together, your pet’s mobility will decrease faster than yours. Stairs can be challenging for aging pets to climb. Keep an eye on them and consult with your veterinarian if you have concerns about your pet’s mobility. 2. Watch what you (and your pet) eat. A good diet may be an obvious part of a healthy lifestyle, but it’s essential for both you and your pet. You may both want to try some changes to your meals as you age. Speak with your veterinarian to make sure that you are providing healthy and high-quality food for your animals. 3. Use medication responsibly for both your pet and yourself. Your pets can get sick just like you, and they may be prescribed an antimicrobial medication, such as an antibiotic, to help them get better. It’s essential that you both take medications exactly as prescribed by your veterinarian or doctor. Not following the directions for medication use can cause antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which means the medications that treat bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses are less effective, or not effective at all. This could mean your pet’s or your short-term infection is harder to treat, and can contribute to the longer-term problem of AMR. 8 | www.snowbirds.org
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, I read with interest the recent question regarding having a U.S. will if you own property in the U.S. However, it was not entirely clear to me whether a U.S. will is REQUIRED in order to allow property to be distributed in Canada. Does ONLY a Canadian will suffice in that regard, provided that the U.S. property and its distribution are listed in that will? Kevin Gough Ontario Ed.: A Canadian will satisfies the requirements for directing the disposition of property located in the United States upon the owner’s death. A second will written in the United States is not required. Dear Bird Talk, What additional medical insurance is required to travel east from Ontario in Canada., i.e. through Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI and NFLD? Shirley Lawson Woodstock, ON Ed.: Not all medical expenses are eligible for reimbursement through the Canadian interprovincial medical transfer payment program. One of the most important and potentially greatest expenses is ambulance, air ambulance and return to home province transportation. Emergency travel medical insurance for travel within Canada is relatively inexpensive and is included in the Medipac Annual Add-on endorsement. Dear Bird Talk, Hi, would you please clarify the validity of a passport when you travel to the U.S. Some countries require six months, some three months and some have no limit, as long as you return to Canada before the expiration of your passport. What is the rule when travelling to the U.S.? Your answer will help me to decide when to renew my passport. Yvon Morin Longueuil, QC Ed.: You can travel to the United States with a valid passport for as long as the passport is valid. There is no time requirement, except that you must return to Canada before your passport expires. Dear Bird Talk, I have been asked to bring a coin collection home to my niece as her father has passed and she does not go to the states. I have a Nexus card and I’m not interested in putting it in jeopardy. Can I bring it back with me? My concern is that I have no idea what it is worth. Rod Edwards Alliston, ON Ed.: It is important to determine the value of the coin collection prior to crossing the border, as entering Canada with currency or monetary instruments valued at $10,000 CAD or more needs to be reported. There is no penalty for transporting money over the border but, if it is over $10,000 CAD, it has to be declared and you cannot use the NEXUS lanes when you cross the border. Find a coin dealer and get a letter of appraisal before you travel. Dear Bird Talk, In the spring 2024 issue, you mention a ‘Ladybird Deed’ for properties in Florida. Can the names of our adult children be added to the deed at any time without triggering capital gains tax, or did this ‘Ladybird Deed’ have to be put in place at the time of our original purchase? When searching online, other questions arose. Is it true that, upon our deaths, the property’s value for tax purposes receives a ‘stepped-up basis’ to fair market value that will be used as the cost base for our children? Susan Fritz Tecumseh, ON Ed.: The names can be added at any time. However one needs to be concerned about gift taxes upon doing so. There are ways of avoiding the gift taxes, such that you should consult an attorney if you wish to add the children and avoid the gift taxes. As for the ‘stepped-up basis’ – if the property is part of an estate and thus inherited through a will, this would apply. However, if the property passes to a person by way of joint tenancy, the property is not part of the estate of the deceased. The ideal way to accomplish your objectives is to have the property in a trust. Dear Bird Talk, In your spring CSANews, there was a question about Florida property ownership which addresses the Florida Ladybird Deed. My wife & I are joint owners of property in Florida. We had a Florida lawyer draw up a document making our two sons Durable Power of Attorney of our Florida property upon our demise. In layman’s terms, would we still require a Florida Ladybird Deed, or another document, or would our Canadian will (of which our two sons are trustees) be sufficient? This can be a confusing topic – and controversial, depending upon whom you talk to. Ed DeJong Camlachie, ON Ed.: The authority under a power of attorney ceases upon the passing of the person who created the POA. Thus, there is some confusion in your suggesting that it would be effective ‘upon our demise’. Your Canadian wills would be sufficient and govern in your circumstances. If they are trustees in those wills, nothing “needs” to be done. Upon the passing of one of the parents, the property will go to the survivor without the need for probate in Florida and, upon the passing of the other parent, the property will go as provided in their will, not attracting capital gains tax. CSANews | SUMMER 2024 | 9
President’s Message Garry McDonald CSA President As of July 1, 2024, the state of Florida will enact significant changes regarding how the state deals with cases of unauthorized occupancy of residential property. “Squatters” are essentially anyone who inhabits a piece of property or land without the legal right to do so. They can also consist of lawful tenants who refuse to leave a rental property when their lease expires. It is an emerging issue and one about which snowbirds need to be aware. Under the previous Florida legislation, individuals who moved into empty homes without permission from the owners could assert “squatters’ rights” after 30 days of continuous occupancy. While this short time period does not give them the right to ownership of the property, it can effectively create a landlord-tenant relationship with the homeowner, who is then forced to pursue civil remedies to remove their unwanted house guests. Civil disputes can be extremely costly and time-consuming and the last thing any of us wants to deal with. As of July 1, squatting in the state of Florida will now be classified as criminal trespassing. This will allow homeowners who find themselves in this situation to take swift action against those who are illegally occupying their properties. Instead of having to deal with the time and money involved in civil eviction proceedings, homeowners will be able to request law enforcement to immediately remove a squatter from their property if the following conditions are met: ▶ The individual has unlawfully entered and remains on the property; ▶ The individual has been directed to leave the property by the owner but has failed to do so; and ▶ The individual is not a current or former tenant in a legal dispute. The new legislation also creates enhanced penalties for those engaged in squatting. The legislation makes it: ▶ A first-degree misdemeanor for making a false statement in writing to obtain real property or for knowingly and wilfully presenting a falsified document conveying property rights; ▶ A second-degree felony for any person who unlawfully occupies or trespasses in a residential dwelling and who intentionally causes $1,000 or more in damages; and ▶ A first-degree felony for knowingly advertising the sale or rent of a residential property without legal authority or ownership. Although this is encouraging news for those who own property in Florida, Arizona has yet to take similar steps. Democratic Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs recently vetoed a similar bill aimed at strengthening the rights of homeowners, despite the bill receiving overwhelming bipartisan support. What precautions can you take to reduce the chances that you’ll find yourself in a similar situation? Perform regular home property inspections. Owners can hire home watch services to inspect their property when they are away. It’s also a good idea to install security cameras or alarm systems that you can monitor remotely, so that you will be immediately alerted if an unauthorized person enters your home. Squatters are also far more likely to enter a home that looks empty or not lived in, so it’s critical to maintain the exterior of your property while you’re away. Hiring a property management company who can rent your property to a reliable tenant and inspect it on a regular basis is another option. If you already find yourself in this unfortunate situation in Florida, calling local law enforcement is your best option. In other states, it’s still probably a good idea to call the police first and, if nothing can be done, your next call should be to a local lawyer who specializes in landlord and tenant matters. What you never want to do is attempt to directly confront people who have illegally occupied your home. This is a growing problem and, until other states pass legislation similar to what we have seen in Florida, being proactive is the best defence, in my opinion. Thank you to everyone who has already renewed their CSA membership. If you have yet to do so, please take a moment to renew by simply mailing us your renewal notice, visiting our website at www.snowbirds.org or simply by picking up the phone and calling the office. With well over 100,000 members and growing from coast to coast… that’s a number that certainly gets people’s attention when dealing with our elected officials. Have a great and relaxing summer. 10 | www.snowbirds.org
Government Relations Report Johanne Blain First Vice-President OPTION 1 1. CDC Dog Import Form receipt – this form will be accessible beginning on July 15, 2024 on the CDC website. ▶ This form should be filled out online, ideally two - 10 days before arrival; however, it can also be completed right before travel (even in line at the border crossing). ▶ If the information on the form changes before the dog arrives, you must submit a new form and indicate that you are making changes to an existing form. ▶ This form requires you to upload a picture (jpg, png, gif files only) of the dog showing its face and body. ▶ There is no charge to submit this form. 2. Certification of Dog Arriving from DMRVV-free or Low-Risk Country into the United States form. ▶ This form can be accessed on the CDC website here: www.cdc.gov/importation/pdf/347457B_FRM_NCEZID_Rabies_Free-508.pdf. ▶ The form is valid for (1) a single entry for 30 days after the form was issued if it does not contain information about a rabies vaccination administered in a dog rabies-free or low-risk country, OR (2) multiple entries into the U.S. for the duration of the rabies vaccination validity (one or three years) if it contains information about a rabies vaccination administered in a dog rabies-free or low-risk country. This is the only form which permits multiple entries using the same form. 3. Veterinary records (including microchip number) for the previous six months. OPTION 2 1. CDC Dog Import Form receipt – this form will be accessible beginning on July 15, 2024 on the CDC website. ▶ Certification of Foreign Rabies Vaccination and Microchip form – this form can be accessed from the CDC website here: www.cdc.gov/importation/ pdf/347457A_FRM_NCEZID_Foreign_vacc_dog-508.pdf. ▶ The form must be completed within 30 days before arrival to the United States and is valid for a single entry. 2. Valid rabies serology titer OR veterinary records (including microchip number) for the previous six months. OPTION 3 1. CDC Dog Import Form receipt – this form will be accessible beginning on July 15, 2024 on the CDC website. 2. Foreign export certificate endorsed by official veterinarian (includes dog’s age and microchip number). ▶ Contact your local veterinarian in the country of export for assistance obtaining this form. ▶ The certificate must be issued within 30 days before arrival to the United States and is valid for a single entry. 3. Veterinary records (including microchip number) for the previous six months. Failure to adhere to the CDC’s requirements could result in the dog being denied entry to the United States. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has clarified that they have no role in the export of dogs and cats to the United States of America (U.S.), including Hawaii. The completion and issuance of any required documentation (e.g. vaccination certificate, export health certificate) is the responsibility of a licensed Canadian veterinarian and official endorsement (i.e. stamp and signature) by a CFIA veterinarian is not required. When compared to the existing rules, these new requirements are costly, time-consuming and are excessive for pet dogs entering the United States from a low-risk country such as Canada. The CSA is currently working to ensure that our members’ interests are represented with the CDC by making these regulatory changes more travel friendly for vacationers and will provide members with updates as soon as new information is available. Gilles and I wish you a safe and happy summer. In May, the CSA distributed an email advisory to all members providing notification of upcoming policy changes for Canadian travellers entering the United States with their pet dogs. Existing rules require only that the dog appear healthy and for the owner to provide either a written or verbal statement that the dog has not been in a country that is high risk for rabies within the last six months. According to the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), beginning on August 1, 2024 all dogs entering the United States, including pets, must: ▶ Appear healthy upon arrival; ▶ Be at least six months of age; ▶ Be microchipped; and ▶ Be accompanied by a CDC Dog Import Form online submission receipt. In addition, for dogs that have only been in countries that are dog rabies-free or low-risk during the six months before entry, such as Canada, the CDC requires proof of valid rabies vaccination. Canadian travellers have three options for providing the necessary documentation to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) while travelling to the United States with their pet dog. These options differ depending on which proof of rabies vaccination is used. CSANews | SUMMER 2024 | 11
J. Ross Quigley CEO Medipac International Inc. Insurance In our last issue of CSANews, we outlined several of the pitfalls of buying travel medical insurance and whether your policy would actually cover a health problem while you were travelling. Nothing has changed but, lately, policies have become much more restrictive and it is even more important to know what you are buying. I will just remind you of the internet site which I visited to buy travel insurance. I jumped through all of their hoops and filled in all of their forms then, after “wasting” 20 minutes, I determined that the policy would only cover trip cancellation. What?? After reviewing several of the new, updated plans for this year, I came across a major competitor that had made 22 changes in their underwriting rules – all for the worse. So, what you bought and paid for last year has dramatically changed, and not in your favour. I will say it again – “Read and understand your policy before buying.” A very wise client once told me that Medipac’s policy and assistance stand on their own, well above the crowd of competitors. He also said that we did not have to comment on the competition – but I just did. Twenty-two policy changes in one plan is an outrageous number. These were mostly medical changes and, therefore, difficult to explain clearly and oh, their rates changed, too. In a perfect world, they should have to place a warning on their websites and applications outlining the drastic changes. Medipac’s policy has remained essentially the same for more than 20 years. We have added a few new benefits and clarified some things on our application at times, but the core product and benefits are the same old-same old boring but brilliant benefits. Medipac is the essential snowbird travel medical insurance package. Fifty thousand snowbirds have figured that out and, hopefully, you are one of them. If not, join us. With a claim-free history and the advantages of our Early Bird offer (i.e. buy now), you can claim up to 10% off of our basic rates. Just be careful out there, and have a wonderful summer. P.S. Don’t forget to review our Early Bird Program; you should have it in your hands by now. If not, just call us. 12 | www.snowbirds.org
As a child, I spent a great deal of time with my great-aunt, who was love personified and cared for me when my parents were working. She’d left the Soviet Union after the Second World War, knew hardly any English and would speak to me in Yiddish and Russian. She was elegant, had wonderful manners and always wore long-sleeved dresses no matter the weather. On one hot day, however, she rolled up her sleeves a little and I noticed a mark on her arm. Very young and innocent, I asked her what it was and, for the one and only time I can remember, she seemed angry. She turned away, pulled down her sleeve and walked into another room. Assuming that I’d hurt her in some way, I began to cry, at which point she came back to where I was, hugged me tight and told me she was sorry. That was the last of it. It was only after she died that I found out that what I’d seen was a death-camp tattoo and that my kind, gentle auntie had been a Holocaust survivor. Almost all of her direct family members had been murdered. I write this to explain the significance of the Shoah in my life. Three of my grandparents were Jewish and, while I’m a Christian and a priest, I’m far too aware of the reality of antisemitism (and whom it regards as Jewish and not) to ever deny – or want to deny – my origins. To a Jew-hater, a clerical collar means nothing at all. In other words, I would have shared my great-aunt’s fate. Which is why I’m appalled by the manipulation of this unique obscenity in the name of the Gaza tragedy – by both extremes. One is obvious. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators chanting “No Second Holocaust” and holding signs proclaiming that the Star of David equals the Nazi swastika. I don’t suggest for a moment that all supporters of Palestine behave thus – but such behaviour isn’t isolated. Social media is drenched in Holocaust minimization and even denial. Good God, there were demonstrators outside of Auschwitz on Holocaust Remembrance Day, chanting “Free Palestine.” But I also can’t accept the frequent use of the Holocaust to justify Israeli policies. This isn’t the place to explore the political and emotional reasons for Zionism. But wherever we stand on the issue, we surely need to acknowledge – just as countless Israelis do – that Israel’s hands are far from clean. Yet on October 31, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations wore a yellow star when he spoke to the Security Council. He did this, he explained, because the world had been silent about the Hamas massacre earlier in the month. But the world wasn’t silent. This is not 1940, the Palestinians aren’t Nazis and Israel isn’t the isolated, powerless Jewish diaspora of Europe, of which my great-aunt was a part. This approach is not new. In 1982, then-Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin compared Yasser Arafat to Hitler in his Berlin bunker in 1945. In 2015, Benjamin Netanyahu even went so far as to blame the Mufti of Jerusalem, a Palestinian leader before the Second World War, for initiating the Final Solution. “Hitler didn’t want to exterminate the Jews at the time; he wanted to expel the Jews,” he said in a speech. “And Haj Amin al-Husseini went to Hitler and said, ‘If you expel them, they’ll all come here.’ ‘So what should I do with them?’ Hitler asked. The Mufti replied, ‘Burn them.’” Haj Amin al-Husseini deserves criticism, but the idea that he had such significance – or that the Palestinians are in any way responsible for the Holocaust – is staggeringly incorrect. Jewish and Israeli historians and politicians condemned Netanyahu for his remarks. Pro-Israel activists shout “never again” and there are countless articles using the sacred memory of the Shoah to explain Israel and Gaza. It’s sometimes understandable but, ultimately, wrong and dangerous. The former because, in spite of a deeply worrying growth in antisemitism, the situation today is dramatically different from the past. The latter because, in a grimly ironic way, this, too, reduces the profundity of the Holocaust. Anger, historical illiteracy, religious fundamentalism and political narcissism are dominating the debate. That won’t change in the near future. But something better has to emerge, and humanity will, I’m sure, triumph in some form. It always does. It’ll be difficult for people to forgive, and those exploiting the Holocaust are certainly some of those who’ll need to ask for forgiveness. Opinion with Michael Coren CSANews | SUMMER 2024 | 13
Story and photos © Barb & Ron Kroll Indigenous Encounters How an American First Nations festival initiated our quest to discover Indigenous cultural experiences in Canada We were witnessing the mesmerizing dance performances at Red Earth – a Native American cultural festival, held annually in Oklahoma City. A group of men sat in a circle, pounding a large, round drum with sticks. Elders, parents, teenagers and children resembled a spellbinding kaleidoscope of colour and motion as they danced to the rhythm of the drum. “We dance because it’s a celebration of life,” explained Lonny, an Indigenous spectator sitting next to us. “When we’re being created, there’s only one thing that we hear – the heartbeats of our mothers,” he said. “Those drumbeats represent the heartbeats of our mothers and of Mother Earth and, as human beings, we find the sound very comforting.” 14 | www.snowbirds.org Travel
Dispelling stereotypes We asked Lonny about the dancers’ apparel. “They are not costumes,” he emphasized. “Our regalia is symbolic. For example, the colours of my ceremonial dress represent the six primary directions, including straight up and straight down.” “Face painting is another stereotype that Hollywood has plagued us with for generations,” he stated. “It is not war paint. It’s a spiritual protection given to us by our fathers and grandfathers, just as Christians wear crosses,” he claimed. “They paint the design on us the first time, during a ceremony, then we paint ourselves in the same fashion afterwards, for protection.” Suddenly, the full impact of the festival became apparent to us. Red Earth is about understanding Indigenous Peoples – not so much our differences but, rather, our similarities. Hundreds of moccasins pound the floor in time to the drum Together, we observed the disciplined, graceful movements of the ladies’ traditional buckskin dance; the flowing fringes and ribbons on the dresses of the grass dancers – reminiscent of the windblown prairies; the frenzied movements of the men’s fancy war dance; and the musical clinking of the metallic tube fringes on the jingle dancers’ dresses. Some dancers imitated eagles. Others wore headdresses topped with one or two feathers mounted in rockers, which moved back and forth with the motion of their heads to the drumbeats. Youngsters – garbed in feather headdresses and clothing adorned with geometric beadwork – waved feather fans. They learned the dance movements by watching them from their parents’ arms and dancing side by side with the adults. CSANews | SUMMER 2024 | 15 Travel
Learning from the Elders Enlightened by our experiences at Red Earth, we resolved to learn more about Canadian Indigenous culture. Do you know that there are more than one million First Nations Peoples in Canada who live in 700 unique Indigenous communities, each with its own traditions and history? First Nations Peoples speak more than 50 languages. Our first encounter was with Mary Okatsiak, an Inuk Elder from Arviat, Nunavut. We, and some other visitors, met her inside a tent that Mary had made from more than two dozen caribou skins. “A family-sized tent is almost half the size of this tent,” explained Mary, noting that Inuit don’t live in caribou skin tents anymore. “We stopped living this way in the 1940s and 1950s. I was born in an igloo, but I don’t remember living in one. By the time I was old enough to remember, the Canadian government had built houses for Inuit homes, so we all started living the modern way.” Mary showed us a knife made from caribou antlers. “Men used these knives to cut snow to make igloos.” We admired the fine workmanship, noting that the blade was attached to the handle with sinew (dried caribou tendon), which was threaded through holes and tied. How Inuit lived in the past As she held up a bundle of sealskin strips, Mary explained that men used to make rope for sleds and dog harnesses by braiding dried strips of sealskin. She described her caribou skin clothing and explained that if it were a baby-carrying outfit, the hair would be on the inside. Pockets on each end of the shoulders allowed mothers to feed their babies inside the garment when it was cold in the igloo or tent. “Only a few Elders still wear caribou clothing. Nowadays, Inuit prefer down-filled clothes. For thread, they used to sew with sinew. I use new and improved wax thread,” said Mary, eliciting laughs. Mary circulated some snow goggles, handmade from a caribou antler. Little slits kept the bright light out of the wearer’s eyes. A strap of caribou skin, with the hair removed, wrapped around the head to hold the goggles in place. A teenager in our group tried them on. “Young Inuit today prefer UV-protecting sunglasses,” noted Mary. Someone asked if the snow goggles came in different colours. “No, just basic beige,” she quipped. One thing that hasn’t changed over the years is that caribou is still the mainstay of Inuit diets. Traditionally, families ate the meat, used the antlers for tools and the pelts for clothing, shelter and mats. But what did they do with the teeth? Perhaps they created the same thing that Mary made when, years ago, her grandson gave her some caribou teeth. She fashioned them into a necklace with braided sinew and a grizzly bear claw. Our short time with Mary gave us a much better understanding of Inuit lifestyles, both now and in the past, and motivated us to learn more about Indigenous cultures. 16 | www.snowbirds.org Travel
Sharing generations of knowledge At Serpent River First Nation Community between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Isabelle Meawasige and Blain Commanda informed us about Ojibwe traditions. Together, we visited the five-metrehigh ceremonial tipi and sweat lodge at their Place of Healing on the tranquil, forested shore of Lake Huron’s North Channel. “We hold healing weekends here,” said Isabelle. “In order for us to heal Mother Earth of the damage done to her by cutting trees and digging mines, we need to have a cleansing. You use saunas for physical cleansing,” she noted. “We use sweat lodges for physical and spiritual cleansing.” Blain explained that a sweat lodge is a turtle-shaped frame covered with a carpet, tarps and blankets. “Inside, we fill a pit with hot rocks heated in a spirit fire outside. Other than wood, the only things that go into a spirit fire are tobacco, cedar, sage or sweet grass.” Isabelle described what happens inside the sweat lodge. “After putting sage and cedar medicine water on the hot rocks, we close the door. We pray to the east, sing a song and then open the door to bring in more hot rocks. Again, we repeat the praying and singing, facing the remaining three directions.” Isabelle and Blain patiently answered our questions. When the topic shifted to medicinal herbs, they invited us to join them on a walk. We trailed Blain, as he sure-footedly and swiftly climbed over rocks, ducked under branches and crouched down to examine the ground to show us some golden thread. Isabelle explained that plants are spiritual beings in Native culture. “If we’re going to harvest a plant, we first offer tobacco in exchange for taking its life.” Blain poured some tobacco into our palms and instructed us to deposit it into the earth before we picked the small green plant. As we extracted the plant, a long golden root followed. “We sell it by the inch to treat canker sores and stomach problems,” he said. Isabelle showed us another plant – used as a heart medicine – which grows around the base of spruce trees. Afterwards, she invited us into her home to see her collection of dried herbs, neatly bagged and labelled. Pointing to some books on herbs, she explained: “We’re still learning by reading, by listening to knowledge-keepers (our Elders) and by sharing information with other Nations during pow wows.” Isabelle introduced us to her sister, Arnelda Jacobs (who has since sadly passed away). “Basket weaving is a traditional craft,” said Arnelda, showing us some black ash baskets which she had made. “Legends tell us that the Creator told a chief, in a dream, that his starving people would survive if they made baskets from black ash trees. Following instructions from the dream, they wove baskets and traded them for food.” As we admired the fine workmanship, Arnelda explained: “I teach the craft to other women – how to find the trees, peel off and pound the layers, cut and dye the strips and weave them into baskets.” We were touched by the openness and willingness of Arnelda, Isabelle and Blain to share their knowledge. CSANews | SUMMER 2024 | 17 Travel
Wisdom passed down through millennia When we visited Wanuskewin Heritage Park – 15 minutes north of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – we learned that the projectile points, pottery shards and other artifacts discovered here date back more than 6,400 years. That makes them older than Egypt’s pyramids! Wanuskewin – Plains Cree for “seeking peace of mind” – is Canada’s longest-running archaeological site. The National Historic Site includes seven walking trails. We stepped back in time on an interpretive walk with our Indigenous guide Theresa Hohne, to a medicine wheel believed to be 1,500 years old. Pointing to the central cairn of stones, we asked her if it was used for measuring the seasons or the movement of the sun. “I don’t know,” she replied, “because nothing was written down; however, oral tradition tells us that it was a sacred site used for ceremonies.” Nearby, circles of stones marked Wanuskewin’s Sunburn Tipi Ring site. “This was the summer camp because it’s higher and cooler,” explained Theresa. “The wind kept the mosquitoes away.” “Because Plains tribes were nomadic, they took everything with them, leaving behind only the stones used to anchor their tents, the bones of the animals they had eaten and the charcoal from their fires.” Later, in the Visitor Centre, we enjoyed interactive exhibits, art galleries and impressive Indigenous crafts – including beadwork, porcupine quill baskets and jewellery – in the gift shop. A Cree boy performed a traditional dance in the outdoor amphitheatre, as his father accompanied him with songs, passed down through generations. Wanuskewin’s restaurant serves Indigenous cuisine, including bison burgers and stew, wild rice salad and freshly made bannock (baked or fried bread). Wanuskewin serves food for the body as well as the mind. 18 | www.snowbirds.org Travel
Barb & Ron Kroll publish the trip-planning website www.KrollTravel.com Resources For more information, visit destinationindigenous.ca Elbow River Camp We learned how to bake bannock at an unlikely place – the Calgary Stampede. Surrounded by a circle of colourful tipis, Treaty 7 First Nations share their cultures with visitors at Elbow River Camp. Interpreters welcome questions, explain the significance of the tipi designs and demonstrate traditional outdoor cooking and how to make beadwork and jerky. Bannock Booth sells delicious tacos, burgers and breakfast sandwiches made with bannock. We learned about traditions during storytelling presentations, talked to a chief about his horse as he prepared for the Calgary Stampede parade and listened to dancers describe the meaning of their regalia during daily pow wows. As with other Indigenous encounters, our experiences were enlightening. How do you find Indigenous cultural experiences across Canada? The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada created the Destination Indigenous website to help travellers find Indigenous cuisine, accommodations, museums and experiences. You’ll learn where you can immerse yourself in cultural activities, participate in hands-on arts-and-crafts workshops and join nature tours, ranging from bear watching to guided hikes. The events section provides information about pow wows, cultural festivals and dance competitions. Delve into Indigenous travel packages by region or category, such as heritage sites and wildlife. First Nations Peoples in Canada have many stories to tell. If you are like us, you’ll be eager to listen and learn. CSANews | SUMMER 2024 | 19 Travel
RV Lifestyle Custer State Park is one of the most beloved and diverse parks in the U. S. featuring breathtaking natural scenery, diverse wildlife and a wide range of outdoor activities. Composed of one of the oldest and most diverse geologic foundations in America that makes for hairpin curves and tunnels which you can follow for 22 kilometres along Needles Highway, Custer State Park is as much a natural treasure as any lands that make up America’s national parks. And you will no doubt eventually wonder why this spectacular landscape hasn’t been declared as one. Don’t worry about it: South Dakotans are perfectly content to manage it themselves and a great job they do indeed, with fine roads and an excellent tourism infrastructure. No matter the park’s official status – a few days or a week in and around these 28,732 hectares promise to reveal one adventure after another. Within the southern part of the Black Hills National Forest, the town of Custer serves as a gateway to the state park that lies just a few kilometres to the east. As your base, book yourself into the cute, family-run Bavarian Inn in the hills just outside of town. Another of all things named for the notorious commander around here, The Custer Wolf is a locally popular casual pub restaurant. Strolling Mount Rushmore Road – effectively Custer’s main street whose broad width was designed to allow oxen freight carts to turn around – you’ll delight in the town’s many fun and quirky brightly painted buffalo statues. Also there, Keely and Damien Mahony operate the Black Hills Balloons adventure outfit. The American wife and Irish husband’s crew will take you on a short, early-morning drive to a forest clearing while you watch the balloons get filled in anticipation of the launch of your hour-long flight. Below you, Black Hills ridges and valleys are filled with ponderosa pine as fog swirls around rock spires and rises from the surface of forest ponds below. After your flight, you’ll be ready for a hearty breakfast at Baker’s Bakery & Café hash house whose tagline – You’ll Love Our Buns – is placed under a cheeky logo of a waitress with baked buns peeking out from her skirt. For lunch or dinner, the Pounding Fathers Restaurant/Mt. Rushmore Brewing Company is the place to sample some of the dozens of Dakota state beers on draft. So massive is the complex, that you could get lost there after knocking back a few (opened seasonally from May through October). Just north of the Custer State Park boundaries book ahead for the super-popular 1880 Train that runs between the towns of Hill City and Keystone. You’ll think that you’re in an Old West movie when, at one point, the vintage train creates a steamy scene by blasting sand through the flues to clear soot, and whenever the tracks curve over the one-hour journey and one can spot the engine chugging along. Conductors with old-timey facial hair help set the mood. Custer State Park A Majestic Corner of South Dakota’s Black Hills Story and photos by Rex Vogel 20 | www.snowbirds.org
RV Lifestyle Anyone whose route ends in Keystone certainly needs no introduction to the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, which lies minutes away. Seemingly content with the superb vantage point from the Grand View Terrace, the vast majority of park-goers don’t follow the halfmile-long looping Presidential Trail whose wooden stairs drop and rise again and get you right below the talus slope. Instead, they take in the extensive displays in the visitor’s centre. You’ll have a close-up of the presidents all to yourself at various viewing platforms to suss out just where Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint dangled from and scampered down those granite faces. Head west back to the town of Hill City, stop and sample what at Prairie Berry Winery will surely be your most unusual wine tasting ever – that is, unless you have already tasted rhubarb wine or their raspberry-inflected Red Ass Rhubarb blend. They have a brew pub as well for that mango IPA you never knew you wanted. Taking up a huge house that you wish you could live in, Hill City’s Alpine Inn restaurant was built in 1884 as a hotel serving the mining and railroad companies. The lunch menu is ample but, for dinner, it’s just two sizes of filet mignon or spaetzle primavera followed by a massive homemade dessert selection. It’s cash-only and it’s wildly popular. A massive site off of the highway between Hill City and Custer, The Crazy Horse Memorial mountain carving is a truly odd slice of Americana. Still far from completion since sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski began blasting rock away in 1948, the work depicts the warrior whom Oglala Lakota people knew as Tasunke Witko, famous for his role in the defeat of Custer at Little Bighorn. Funded by donations and entry fees and finally advancing quickly with newer rock-carving technologies, the memorial now includes the chief’s hand pointing in the distance, to go along with his long-ago finished head. The memorial museum is filled with artifacts and art from many Indian nations across the continent. One wall display that you might not expect is made up of small, early 20th-century advertising illustrations of romanticized Indian and Western figures and scenes that were made for a gum company by Winfried Reiss, a German-born artist recently rediscovered for his murals in the Empire State Building and Harlem Renaissance portraits. Rapid City is now well-known for its nearly life-sized bronze statues of presidents around town. Back in the 1930s, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) – an American New Deal agency – erected a truly delightful curiosity on a hill outside of town where the life-sized concrete creatures in Dinosaur Park have fared remarkably well in the near-century of their existence. You can expect the unexpected in this southwest corner of South Dakota. Custer Park offers a unique and unforgettable experience. I hope that this guide helps you plan your adventure and that you’ll soon discover the magic of this park. CSANews | SUMMER 2024 | 21
Finance The 12 DEADLY SINS of personal finance Understanding the mistaken ideas, destructive behaviours and areas of ignorance that can threaten your long-term financial health Fact #1: Money can be a deeply complex subject and managing it isn’t always easy. Fact #2: Investing is full of unknowns; the stock market is inherently risky and economic events are notoriously hard to predict, much less understand. Fact #3: Our finances can generate strong emotions and those emotions can interfere with our ability to make sound financial decisions. All of which is to say that when it comes to personal finance, mistakes are inevitable. But there’s a difference between a miscalculation and a fatal error. When it comes to managing our money, there is a group of blunders and pitfalls that are much more serious than a simple mistake. Consider them the “deadly sins” of personal finance – the poisonous ideas, dangerous misperceptions and destructive financial behaviours that can sabotage our efforts to achieve financial stability and permanently derail us from achieving our financial and life goals. Avoiding these deadly financial sins is crucial if your goal is to ensure a prosperous future for yourself and your heirs. If you can learn to identify and be on guard against the following 12 mindsets, behaviours and areas of ignorance, you can go a long way toward protecting and preserving your wealth for the long term. By James Dolan 22 | www.snowbirds.org
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