Stephen Weir articles, editorials and popular social media weir postings

. blogto photo Musing on wet garbarge in an urban environment by Stephen Weir A relative from the Ottawa Valley wrote to ask what I thought about Toronto's garbage recycling programme. Her community is getting the green bin ( wet garbage i.e. food bits, egg shells and used diapers). Here is my response: I am really very supportive of the green bin (wet), blue bin (paper/glass) and grey bin (dry trash). No one else in the family is, so part of my routine is to go the garbage and seperate the garbage. My wife will use the green bin, except when I am not looking. There are big problems with the programme at least for us: * Rodents and racoons. The green bin was suppose to be animal proof. Took about a month before the racoons learned to open the bins. We now bungy chord the bins. Others don't. The racoons crack open the bins by knocking them over (or trying to chew through the bungies) and then have a noisy banquets. If the mess isn't cleaned up immediately the rats move in. O

. Chill out on Hot Savings This Winter Skiing Winter 2011. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. Skiing: New Hampshire from Chris Ryall's Maple Gazette There has never been a better time to plan a New Hampshire winter vacation. Ski New Hampshire (www.skinh.com ) has announced special deals and promotions for the 2011 ski/snowboard season, with savings from January through to the spring. This winter got off to a good start in December with ideal snowmaking conditions and large snowfalls in the mountain regions of the state. Weather forecasters are predicting snow, snow and more snow this winter (you can check in real-time cross-country and downhill conditions throughout the state at http://www.skinh.com/ski-conditions.cfm?size=3739 . The savings begin in the month of January. Ski NH and its 37 member resorts are participating in a national program to introduce guests to skiing and boarding. Bring a friend to try out the sport and save on lift tickets. Travellers can visit SkiNH.c

. North Conway's Cranmore Mountain Lodge from Chris Ryall's Maple Gazette While the skiers and snowshoers who stay at the Cranmore Mountain Lodge are already seeing white, Frederique and Thierry Procyk are thinking green! That is because their historic farmstead inn won the 2010 Mt. Washington Valley Sustainable Business of the Year Award. This family friendly and pet friendly inn is secluded on more than 8 peaceful acres in a quiet residential area. It is close to the North Conway Village and skiing at the Cranmore Mountain Resort. Featuring all the charm of an inn built in the 1840s, Cranmore Mountain Lodge features 20 modern smoke-free units (13 in the main building and 7 in a nearby loft building). All have private bath, cable television, wireless Internet access and phone service. Some rooms include a Jacuzzi tub, refrigerator and microwave. "Four of the rooms are dog friendly," writes Thierry Procyk. "Our suites and family rooms welcome families as large as

. Marilyn Monroe’s concrete body now finished December 03, 2010 Stephen Weir Special to the Toronto Star Posted on the Star's YourHome.ca site Hazel McCallion believes that the “topping-off” of the 56-storey Absolute condominium is a giant step in making Mississauga a “Global City.” The completion of the new 428-unit curvy cement and glass building is the making of an iconic attraction that will bring more boldly designed high-rises to the city and create a tourist attraction, Mississauga’s mayor says. “This building has already set a new standard for design in Mississauga,” McCallion told a happy crowd of construction workers last week at a top-off party for the recently completed building. The mayor, sharing a stage with the officials of Fernbrook Homes, Cityzen Development Group, Dominus Group and the Beijing based MAD Architects, urged the consortium to build again in her city and as soon as possible. Calling the Absolute tower, also known as the Marilyn Monroe building because

Jill Heinreth: A Canadian life where blue is anything but By Stephen Weir It's like going next door to borrow a cuppa sugar and coming back with filet mignon. It is not what you wanted, but who is going to complain. Whenever Jill Heinreth speaks at a Niagara Falls wreck diving symposium, you can pretty well count on her talking about anything other than Great Lake shipwrecks - but, that is okay, the audiences adore her! Earlier this year she was the headline speaker at the 16th annual Niagara Divers' Association Shipwreck Festival in Welland, Ontario. While people like wreck hunter Dave Trotter and Georgann and Mike Wachter showed film from their latest fresh water discovies, Jill got up on stage and talked about why divers die using rebreathers! A few years before at the same wreck-heavy conference Jill wowed the audiences with stories and pictures of her dives in Mexican caves and Antarctic iceberg fissures! The audience in Welland, Ontario love her. She has spoken twice and

. Sidebar to the Diver Magazine feature http://stephenweirarticles.blogspot.com/2010/11/jill-heinreth-canadian-life-where-blue.html By Stephen Weir Jill Heinreth Milestones Heinreth’s numerous milestones include induction to the Women Diver’s Hall of Fame and being named a living legend by Sport Diving Magazine. She was named Canadian Technical Diver of the Year, and holds various pioneering diving records. She won the STAND Award for Environmental Photography in 2008. Among her many documentary film making awards are the Cine Golden Eagle and a Redemptive Film Festival Storyteller award. Jill is consistently among the top winners of many prestigious photography competitions and salons. PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS Technical Rebreather Instructor, Cave & Mixed Gas Instructor - International Association of Nitrox and Tech Divers (IANTD) Extended Range Cave Diving Instructor - National Speleological Society (NSS) Master Instructor - Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI)

. STORY APPEARED ON-LINE IN THE TORONTO STAR ON FRIDAY DECEMBER 3RD. STORY IS AN EDITED VERSION WITH WHAT APPEARS BELOW AND HAS DIFFERENT PHOTOGRAPH OF THE MAYOR READ IT AT: http://www.yourhome.ca/homes/realestate/article/898124--marilyn-monroe-s-concrete-body-now-finished This is a follow-up story to the large How Is It Built Feature published by the Toronto Star earlier this fall. http://stephenweirarticles.blogspot.com/2010/09/marilyn-monre.html Mississauga mayor says it is only the beginning By Stephen Weir Hazel McCallion believes that the "topping-off" of the 56-storey Marilyn Monroe condominium is a giant step in making Mississauga a “Global City”. The mayor says the completion of the new 428-unit curvy cement and glass building is the making of an iconic attraction that will bring more boldly designed high-rises to the city and create a tourist attraction! “ This building has already set a new standard for design in Mississauga!” Mayor Hazel McCallion told a happy