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Children Charity Boat Show article to be posted on Diver Magazine Website soon

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10th Annual Boating for Children’s Charity Special Preview Night raised $65,266 in Toronto. Divers are boaters too! And each year thousands of certified divers attend the Toronto International Boat Show which is held each January. Not only did divers buy boats, motors and dive accessories, many also attended the 10th Annual Boating for Children’s Charity Special Preview Night. This year the evening raised $65,266. The donations will go to four children’s charities: Camp Oochigeas, Ontario Sailing, Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada, and Toronto Star Fresh Air Fund. Beneficiaries of the night include the following children’s charities close to the boating community: • Ontario Sailing: Able Sail, Access BOOM Program - Access BOOM is a mobile sailing school that brings sailing into the lives of children and youth with disabilities. • Camp Oochigeas – For more than 25 years, Camp Oochigeas has been enriching the lives of children who have cancer through the magical experience of campin

Press Release written for Ottawa Tourism - hotel deal for girlfriends

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. . Message to the Girls: Celebrate Summer With Wallet-Friendly Packages Toronto, July 23, 2009 – When the sun beams down all day and even the nighttime temperatures are pleasant, it's a sign that the summer season is in full bloom. Many people know that spending time in Ottawa during the warm holiday months will create a lifetime of memories. To make a Capital City getaway more alluring, Ottawa Tourism is promoting the new "Girlfriends Getaway" package that gives women travelers the chance to stay, shop, dine, spa and take in a cultural event, all at a special affordable price. Ottawa’s new "Girlfriends Getaway" package is a fun choice for a 'girls only' holiday shopping trip tailored for two (but more guests can be added on). The package offers a two-night stay in a downtown Ottawa hotel, discount Rideau Centre Saving coupons and the choice of an add-on. The “Girlfriends Getaway" optional add-ons are numerous and varied. Guests can receive one

Bloomberg News: Reggae Music, Wild Parade Send ‘Vibe’ Through Toronto Caribana

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. This story crossed Bloomberg's wire this morning. The feature is the first time in my memory of Scotiabank Caribana (going back 10 years before it was even called Scotiabank) that a business news service has looked at the festival. I obviously didn't write it, but, Bloomberg did use a few of my photographs. Socca Music, Wild Parade Send ‘Vibe’ Through Toronto Caribana By Sean B. Pasternak July 22 (Bloomberg) -- Mention Toronto and steel drums, Carnival and reggae music probably aren’t the first things that come to mind. From July 14 through Aug. 3, however, Canada’s biggest city opens up for Scotiabank Caribana, which promotes itself as North America’s largest celebration of Caribbean culture. Now in its 42nd year, Caribana gives 1.3 million local residents and tourists the chance to see buttoned-down Toronto letting loose, as this year’s slogan -- “Won’t Stop De Vibe” -- suggests. Caribana is best known for its signature parade, set for Aug. 1. Rambunctious crowds line the

The Top Seven Fresh and Salt Water Beaches in New Hampshire

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. Slighty expanded story which appeared in Maple Gazette (Cdn newsletter for travel agents) Top Seven Beaches By Stephen Weir So many lakes. So many rivers. And then there is the wide-open ocean. We went to the experts to find out where the seven top beaches and swimming spots in New Hampshire can be found. You might be surprised at the answers! Hampton Beach. MSNBC rated it in the top 3 cleanest beaches in the United States. Miles of white sand. Supervised swimming. There is camping at the Hampton Beach State Park. Lots to do from the annual summer sand sculpture competition (pictured above) to the February 1st Penguin Plunge! www.hamptonbeach.org/ Rye on the Rocks. This beach is best known for being the home of the best surf breaks in New England. The beach is off Route 1-A a few miles from Rye, NH. www.townrye.nh.us. Wallis Sands State Beach. When the tide is out, this is one of the best beaches in the state. Wide expanses of clean sand. This is a family-ori

Junior Carnival Parade all part of Scotiabank Caribana

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Driving down Yonge Street on Saturday night, heading for the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, the new location for the Soca Monarch competition. I was running late, I had been at the Junior Carnival (Kiddies Parade)all day and was not expecting to be interviewed. Its reporter Jasmeet Sidhu from the Toronto Star, -- Toronto's biggest newsaper had not covered the parade. Other papers had. Reporter interviewed me, and the story below appeared on line an hour or so later. Appeared in print this morning. Posted the story not because I was interviewed, but, because they were in need of a photo ... I sent them one I had taken early in the day. Caribana's Junior Carnival lights up Jane and Finch Jul 18, 2009 08:35 PM Jasmeet Sidhu Staff Reporter They danced, they laughed, their glittered costumes sparkling in the afternoon sun. The Jane and Finch area was the scene of jubilant festivities and the bright colours of the Caribbean as the annual Junior Carnival took to the streets Saturday aft

Ottawa Music Festivals have all the big names and quirky acts too

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. Summer Music Festivals: Big Names. Odd Names. Heck just play! The Hill (and the Ottawa Valley) is alive with the sound of music Toronto, June 12, 2009 – When the curtain drops on 2009 there will have been almost 50 (48 to be exact) festivals played out in Ottawa. And while opinions may differ on which festival was the best, all will agree that the Capitol’s summer music festivals are something to sing about. Sometimes Unconventional. Always World Class. In Ottawa it is the summer of the Treble Clef. Jazz. Blues. Classical Music. Three different genres and three separate multi-stage festivals with enough star power to draw visitors from around the world. The TD Canada Trust Ottawa International Jazz Festival (OIJF) features some of the jazz world’s most popular cutting-edge musicians. The OIJF provides visitors to the city with a unique opportunity to enjoy free and ticketed performances both indoors and out. Audiences can enjoy over 80 different jazz performances day and night

Jazzing up the McMichael. Fundraiser in Kleinburg

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- Classy Friday Night Fund Raiser at the McMichael A Celebration of Canadian Art, Music, Cuisine and all that Jazz background info/article for Vaughan Citizen, Corriere Canadese (Toronto daily Italian newspaper) and Vaughan Today The woods, the hills and even the galleries of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection were alive with the sound of music. Jazz at the McMichael, an annual fund raising celebration of art, music and cuisine, was blessed with picture perfect weather and a large supportive crowd, the evening of Friday May 22nd. Attending and speaking at the Jazz concert was the Honourable Aileen Carroll, Ontario’s Minister of Culture. 200 people joined the Minister, who enjoyed an exceptional evening of fusion jazz with the Vaughan based VSM Trio. The trio featured popular musicians Vito Rezza, Shelly Birger, and Mario Romano. The three musicians were joined on the McMichael stage by violinists Valentina Romano and Leonid Pejsahov. This unique fundraiser benefits ongoing exhibi