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You have your summer holiday booked to the magnificent Canadian Rockies – now what? There are a number of things to remember when visiting the Canadian Rockies in the summer time and I’m pretty sure you will enjoy your Canada snow holidays. I have provided 15 tips below:

1) Passport: If you are travelling from outside of Canada, even from the U.S., you now require a passport to enter Canada. You don’t need to pre-arrange your visitor visa from some countries. For more information on which countries require you to have a Visa, visit Canada Immigration and Citizenship

2) Airport hand luggage: Make sure you don’t pack any sharp objects in your hand luggage if you are travelling to Canada by air. Most airport websites have information on what you should pack.

3) Sunscreen: You will be at higher elevations in the Rocky Mountains which means you will be closer to the sun and it’s harmful rays. Lake Louise is at 1,536 m (5,039 feet), it is the highest permanent settlement in Canada (Banff is the highest town) so make sure you slip, slop, slap! (Slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat!).

Remember areas like the tops of your ears and the underside of you chin and nose if you plan to go onto Athabasca glacier.

4) Moisturiser: The air in the Canadian Rocky Mountains is very dry and you will notice this straight away. Avoid dry ski irritations by using moisturiser in the mornings and evenings. There is now a range of moisturisers such as product lines just for men. Don’t pack these in your carry on luggage as they may be taken of you (see point 2)

5) Clothing: Make sure you bring out a good breathable waterproof just in case. Alberta is the sunniest province in Canada, but west coast locations are much wetter.

Bring out a breathable fleece too – we have been known to have sleet and snow on the mountain tops in August. This is rare but does happen. Mountain weather can change suddenly so be prepared and the weather is usually cooler on the mountain tops.

Swim gear is recommended too as some hotels have pools and there are hot springs to soak in!

6) Water: A light weight water bottle is a must as you need to get in the habit of continually sipping from a water bottle. The higher altitude means you will become dehydrated sooner and if you don’t drink plenty of water, you may find you develop signs of dehydration such as a head ache. Avoid excessive alcohol and products with caffeine in them as these can cause a ‘diuretic’ (water loss) effect speeding up dehydration. Bringing out a bottle and refilling it each time is a much more friendly to the environment than purchasing plactic bottles as these inevitable end up in landfills. You can drink the tap water here and most water sources come from glaciers so it tastes great too.

7) Footwear: If you intend to hike, make sure you have some sturdy boots as the trails can be very rocky. If you don’t intend to hike, there are plenty of walking trails which don’t require boots and suitable footwear such as trainers would suffice. High heels are only suitable in the cities so leave those at home!

8) Backpack: Bring out a backpack with a breathable mesh as it is more comfortable in warmer temperatures when hiking.

9) Knowledge: One of the main attractions in the Canadian Rockies is the wildlife. A the name indicates, these animals are “wild” so give them plenty of room. An animal as small as an innocent ground squirrel can give you a nasty bite. In the National and Provincial parks there are large fines if you feed the wildlife as you can do the animal more harm than good.

Know what to do if you have a bear encounter and be prepared for a much rarer cougar (or mountain lion) encounter. These can happen quite close to most Rocky Mountain townsites. Visit the Parks Canada guide to safety and conservation and contact the local information office before you head out into the back country for bear sightings. If there is a bear in an area, avoid that area.During the summer months in the Canadian Rockies, the bears love to feast on the buffalo berry bush. The berries are bright red (but can also be bright orange). Know what these plants look like and if you are in an area with a lot of these bushes, make plenty of noise or turn around.

10) Preparation: Be prepared for everything. Health care is expensive here if you don’t have travel insurance with medical coverage. If you injury yourself in the back country, you may need to helicopter to fly out so insurance a must.

11) Camera: Have plenty of memory if you bring out your digital camera and remember your charger.

12) Phone: If you are bringing in your mobile phone from outside of Canada, be sure to contact your telecommunications provider and ask to have the “international roaming” function turned on. Check the rates before your leave as using your phone in Canada can be costly.

13) Travel adapter: If you intend to bring out any electronic equipment remember to bring out a travel adapter. Purchase this in your country of origin as buying one in Canada may be hard to find to fit your plug.

14) Credit card: Credit cards are accepted everywhere and usually there are no minimums. Make sure you contact your credit card provider before you leave so they don’t treat Canadian transactions as suspicious and block your card. Remember your pin to your credit card so you can withdraw money although you will be charged for a cash advance. Ask your bank if you can use your card to withdraw money overseas – this is usually the most economical way to pull out Canadian funds. Travellers cheques are not so common here – cash is king!

15) Itinerary: If you have had your holiday put together by a tour operator, keep your itinerary in your carry-on luggage and keep the company’s toll-free or freephone number in your wallet in case you need to call. This also provides peace of mind and support if you need it.

Rocky Mountain Holidays offer information on locations in the Canadian Rockies including weather statistics.

I have a decade experience and counting in the travel industry and I am one of the owners of rocky-peak Ski Holidays.

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In the spring of 2012 the Funeral Service Foundation engaged Olson Zaltman Associates to apply its patented ZMETTM research process to better understand the deep unconscious metaphors triggered in the minds of those consumers seeking alternative services and vendors. Globalfunerals.net.au staff ensures to give extra amount of funeral services Sydney to satisfy their customer.

The Funeral Service Foundation chose to target that part of the market that had chosen or was seriously considering alternatives to traditional funeral homes and services because they believed re-engaging them is the most important current priority. The study spanned:

• Ages 50 to 70 with an equal balance of men and women
• A range of ethnic groups
• A range of religious beliefs from Atheist to fundamentalist Christian
• A range of educational back grounds.

In August 2012 the ZMENT Study was done for The Funeral Service Foundation by Olsen Zaltman Associates and was co-sponsored by Service Corporation International, Stewart Enterprises Inc., Foundation Partners Group LLC, Batesville, Trigard, Allen Creedy Business Advisors, Aurora, Johnson Consulting Group Funeral Home & Cemetery Consulting and Mueller Memorial Funerals Cremation Reunion Centre.

The study was launched out of recognition by the funeral service industry, that it was troubled and needed answers, and it certainly wasn’t inexpensive, drawing on a proprietary model, as well as “excellent” experienced analysts.

The Olson Zaltman Associate’s patented ZMETTM Research is the “Holy Grail” of consumer marketing based on a model used by many progressive and very profitable firms in the technology, automotive and consumer packaged goods industries.

It is therefore very telling that they chose to end their study with this exact quote:

“This person seemed to say it all: When [my friend] died his wife asked us to come celebrate his life by sitting in a room with the possessions that had a lot of meaning for him. And we talked about Jim in a circle, his kids were there, his dog was there. I read a poem that I dedicated to him. We celebrated his life rather than marked his death.”

A copy of the Olson Zaltman Associate’s Study done for The Funeral Service Foundation is available for download by visiting their Professionals Tools & Resources Page.

On the very popular social media network LinkedIn the following Professional Funeral Industry Groups have had many discussions regarding funeral industry’s current state.

• Australian Funeral Directors
• Batesville
• Celebrant
• ConnectingDirectors.com
• Front Runner Professional
• Funeral Content
• Funeral Industry Think Tank
• Funeral Service Insider
• Funeral Services Worldwide
• Funerals Today Magazine
• International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association
• National Funeral Directors Association
• UK Funeral Directors
• UK Funeral Service Professionals

As a result, these discussions have indicated two very important things.

1. Everyone agrees that the funeral industry needs to do something to engage its customers.

2. Its customers need something to get them interested in talking about and pre-planning how they would like to be memorialized.

I.E. The Funeral and Memorial Information Council’s “The Talk of a Lifetime”

In fact, all these Funeral Professionals agree that their industry has a lingering image problem, is bogged down by old traditions and needs to look toward the future, as it has become a victim of the seven most expensive words in business. “WE HAVE ALWAYS DONE IT THAT WAY!”

The most effective way to build a successful, sustainable business is not to ask what changes could affect it within the next ten years, but to instead ask yourself what won’t change and then apply your efforts toward building on those things.

So, what’s the one thing that’s never going to change within the funeral industry in the next ten years or ever for that matter?

It’s the fact that every funeral we’ll ever attend is always going to be for either a person’s Grandparent, Father, Mother, Husband, Wife, Son, Daughter, Brother, Sister, Aunt, Uncle, Cousin or Friend.

As the growing trend toward the use of Funeral Celebrants has already proven, funeral customers, along with an aging generation of Baby Boomers in particular want to see, feel and celebrate these relationships, thus enabling them to come away with a sense of encouragement, hope, inspiration and comfort in the knowledge that perhaps one day someone attending their funeral could be provided with the very same kind of feelings.

Now imagine if you will, the foyer and hallways of a funeral home as a calm area of transition to remove our coats, adjust from the outside elements, as well as the mood and the preconceived thoughts we carried in with us.

A place with a display of well-illustrated colorful funeral home and office wall art with the following example of an inspirational message that allows one time to reflect before making a sea of difficult and very important decisions regarding burial or cremation, funeral stationery and service options.

Remember When

Remember when,
We first met and the feelings we would get.
The day that we were wed,
And all the days that lay ahead.

Remember when,
All we had were our dreams of what may come.
The way they kept us young
And although we did not realize every one.
How we felt, achieving some.

Remember when,
We used to fight, especially the times that I was right.
And when Christmas makes you sad.
Be thankful for all the ones we had.

Remember when,
It is said and done, with all the laughter.
And the tears, there was never anyone.
I loved more throughout the years.

Remember when we meet again.
It will be, as it was then.

Remember when.

©2004 RichardLawrenceBelford

I believe the introduction of products to the funeral industry that evoke these kind of emotions, whether on wall décor and/or funeral stationery, will not only create a much more inviting funeral home environment, but can only encourage consumers to begin talking with funeral directors about how they’d like to be remembered, while reinforcing the fact that funeral professionals are incredibly; approachable, compassionate and trustworthy people who truly have empathy for those seeking guidance, comfort and support, whether it be in their time of need, or pre-need!

Now it isn’t that unusual, as is the case with anything new or innovative to find nine out of ten people telling you something cannot work. A person just needs to have enough persistence to keep looking for the one with the necessary vision to see that it can.

A vision that is also in keeping with the belief that a person may not remember everything you say, but they will always remember how you made them feel.

Richard Lawrence Belford is an Inspirational Writer who illustrates his writings with photography and is a married father of two daughters and the eldest of three sons who grew up in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

He has been on an eighteen-year creative journey that has allowed him to become very well published and has been fueled by his genuine desire to provide faith, comfort and hope to those in grief.

Richard can be contacted by email at: [email protected] or you can visit his website at: http://www.richardlawrencebelford.ca for further information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Richard_Lawrence_Belford/2151997

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There are a lot of things that can go wrong with plumbing. Some things might be an easy fix for you, but others can be a little more challenging. Whatever the problem, whether big or small, make sure you know a lot about plumbing so it can be fixed quickly but if not I can recommend a 24 hour emergency plumber Sydney.

Anchoring your pipes can eliminate the hammering and squeaking noises caused by loose pipes and fitting. Anchor any easily-accessible loose pipes. Call a plumber to help with pipes that require you to cut a hole in a wall, ceiling or floor.

To avoid frozen pipes in your home, never allow the temperature in your house to drop below freezing and insulate any pipes that are exposed to the elements. If the ambient temperature around the pipes is below freezing, the pipes can freeze. In the very least, you could lose running water inside while waiting for the pipes to unfreeze. However, your pipes can explode, as well – making a huge plumbing bill.

Use strainers on all drains to keep foreign objects and debris from clogging drains. Your kitchen sink strainer must be cleaned whenever it catches anything. You should also clean your bathtub strainer any time it is slow to drain.

If your house uses well water and you start to see orange or pink stains in your tub and other water fixtures, you have too much iron in your water. To get rid of this problem, you can either use a commercial product to soften the water, or have a contractor come to your home and do the work for you.

A great maintenance routine for bathtub drains is to pour baking soda and vinegar into the drain opening once a month. This will cause the vigorous bubbling you may remember from the “volcano” in a grade school science project, so be sure to close the drain with a stopper. After letting it sit for a few moments, clear the pipes out with a gallon of boiling water. Doing this periodically should keep your pipes free of hair and soap scum.

You should make sure that the holes are not stopped up on the overflow. Overflow holes are used in case the sink starts to overfill, which may not seem like a big problem–until it is. Inspect and clean the overflow holes as part of your regular household maintenance.

Use lots of cold water when you run your garbage disposal. When cold water hits the garbage disposal, it sharpens the blades. This keeps the disposal working properly. Hot water will liquefy grease and build up inside the drain, eventually causing clogs.

Putting in shower heads that are energy-efficient can save you a lot of money in energy costs. Most of your water bills comes from the water you use to shower. Invest in an energy-efficient shower head and you could save a hundred dollar every year on your water bill.

Use a cleaner that is enzyme based if you want to clean clogged pipes. These will utilize natural bacteria to transform sludge into a liquid that can be removed. The cleaners that have enzymes are the best you can buy.

Taking preventative measures means you will not have to spend as much on plumbing repairs. Clogged drains are one of the more common issues when it comes to plumbing problems. Built up hair can actually clog drains. Put a drain cover or a screen that is made to protect drains over your drain so that hair cannot get in. Because the hair is at a place where you can remove it, it saves you from having to call a plumber out to your home.

If there’s grout stuck inside your line, it’s most likely will be a losing cause if you try to fix it all by yourself. You can try to break up the grout and send it further down. This works best if your pipes are plastic rather than metal. However, this problem usually requires the help of a plumber.

Try not to use drain cleaners too often, it at all. Corrosive chemicals erode the metal pipes slowly. If you discover that you have a blocked drain, the best course of action is to hire a professional to call by and examine it for you.

If you are trying to get a clean-out plug removed, but not getting very far, there are a couple of things you can do. A hammer and chisel can be used to slacken the fitting. You can also chisel into the plug.

If you are experiencing sewage backing up to your toilet, it is often due to blockages contained in the lateral connections connected to the main sewage line. If you can’t clear the blockage yourself, contact a professional plumber, who can insert a snake into the line to break up the blockage.

To make sure that your water heater is running efficiently, you need to know what size your hot water tank is. Purchasing the proper size tank can be assessed ahead of time and thus greatly improve the availability of hot water when needed.

When trying to unclog drains, never use any chemical drain openers. Even though the products might work, the harsh chemicals they contain can damage the body, particularly if they splash on your skin, and can also damage your pipes. If you must use these harsh chemicals, always protect yourself with long-sleeved shirts and gloves.

It is imperative that you turn off your water right away and phone a plumber if water appears to be dripping or seeping into your walls. This is a sign there is something very wrong plumbing-wise. These problems could potentially cause flooding as well as mold and mildew, which may be harmful to your health.

If you are in need of plumbing fixtures, you should strongly consider going with brass ones. These are durable and last for a long time. Brass is also more visually appealing than some of the alternate metals. Any home repair store is certain to carry brass fixtures.

As you know, plumbing can have lots of different things go wrong with it. By applying the tips that you have read, you will realize that dealing with your plumbing problems does not need to cause a lot of stress.

May 29th 2012 – Sussex, UK – Millbrook Design & Print changed their domain and upgraded their van signwriting website www.millbrookdp.co.uk/vehicle-signwriting.html to improve the customers’ experience.

Millbrook Design & Print offer signwriting for vans in Kent and Sussex. Their website offers a wide range of services which with the new revamp has made it much clearer to the customer. Van signwriting is offered to private and business vehicles and the website displays many example of what this can look like. The magnetic sign writing is offered for business and private vehicles because it allows for the sign to be removed whenever necessary. Absolutesignsolutions.com.au signwriters Sydney treated each project with care and they really pay attention to details.

Having a full range of services from digital printing to PVC banners and pop up banner stands www.millbrookdp.co.uk/roll-up-stands.html all available through the website means customers can get an accurate idea of what the company has to offer. Director Dave Roderick says “we wanted to make the website more user-friendly so that visitors can see clearly the services we offer and what they are”. The menu runs down the left hand side of the site with a visual sub-menu to show the products and services they offer.

The recent change in domain name from millbrookdesign(dot)net to www.millbrookdp.co.uk as it’s shorter and better reflects their company name and the new shift away from design and more towards print. The addition of the customer testimonials down the right hand side of the website will give customers an idea of the service they can offer and what previous customers feel about it. The website also has a gallery which shows some of the designs and van signwriting Millbrook Design & Print has to offer. Each sub-menu takes you to a full description page with a list of prices. Director Dave Roderick says that “the aim of this change was to make sure the customer can get as much information as possible from the website before calling our staff. This allows our clients to get a full understanding of what services and at what prices we can offer them. And any other queries can be answered over the phone or through email”.

“We hope that our customers will enjoy the website and find it easy to use and helpful” says Dave Roderick, Director of Millbrook Design & Print.

Brookfield, Wis. – In stewardship of its mission to support funeral service in building meaningful relationships with the families and the communities it serves, the Funeral Service Foundation is pleased to announce a $53,000 major gift from Memorial Classic Inc., and an increase in annual Memorial Classic Golf Tournament Academic Scholarships offered to students of funeral service. I find Globalfunerals.net.au Funeral Quotes Belmore very enticing because lot’s services are covered and requirements are taken care of in one place.

“Memorial Classic Inc. is privileged to regularly support the Foundation’s efforts to fuel the academic success of our profession’s emerging leaders in memory of those who blazed the trail before them,” said Tom Johnson, Johnson Consulting founder and Foundation trustee emeritus. “This year, we are honored to award two $2,500 academic scholarships, and intend to award a record $10,000 in Memorial Classic Golf Tournament Scholarships in 2017.”

This year’s recipients are Joshua Lee Woodruff, who is a slated to graduate with his associate degree from Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science in August 2017, and Shelly Schuster, a senior at the University of Minnesota, who intends to graduate with her bachelor’s degree in June 2017.

Foundation Immediate Past President, Gerard “Jerry” Schoen III recognized the contribution during the Foundation’s annual donor appreciation reception in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 24, which was held in conjunction with the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) International Convention & Expo. “We are grateful to Memorial Classic Inc., Johnson Consulting, and all those involved with the outing who answer the call to give year after year,” said Schoen to the more than 300 Foundation supporters in attendance. “Every gift matters.”

Awarded annually, the Memorial Classic Golf Tournament Scholarship is one of four academic scholarships the Foundation offers to full- or part-time students of funeral service who are enrolled in ABSFE-accredited institutions. In addition to academic scholarships, the Foundation wholly funds NFDA’s Meet the Mentors program, and offers professional development scholarships to the association’s annual Professional Women’s Conference, Arranger Training, and CCO and CPC Certification continuing education programs.

Sponsored by Johnson Consulting, the annual golf outing has raised $238,000 since its inception for the Memorial Classic Golf Tournament Scholarship in memory of the profession’s finest: Bill Bishoff, Dave Hirt, Steve Mack, John Morrow, Ed Murphy, Ed Tuggle and Joe Weatherford.

About the Funeral Service Foundation – FuneralServiceFoundation.org

Since 1945, the Funeral Service Foundation has served as the profession’s philanthropic voice. As the charitable arm of the National Funeral Directors Association since 1997, the Foundation receives operational support from NFDA and donors across the profession to help advance its mission support funeral service in building meaningful relationships with the families and the communities it serves.

When the snow starts to fall, outdoor adventure travel in Canada heats up. Instead of hiding indoors for half of the year, there’s plenty of things to do in, on or under the snow. And with most winter adventures only a few hours away from a major city, adrenaline-junkies don’t have to travel far to get their fix. Bluepowder.com.au agent can suggest for the best destination for ski Canada that you will extremely amaze with the beauty of the place.

Take a look at some travel suggestions from our Scenic Travel Canada staff:

1. Downhill Skiing & Snowboarding – Skiing and snowboarding are high-speed thrills that make downhillers wish for more of the white stuff! Vancouver has Whistler; Calgary has Banff and Montreal has Mont Tremblant. And there are plenty of local hills to brush up on techniques early in the season. Ski season starts in mid-November and runs until May. The busiest, and most expensive, time at the ski resorts is around Christmas and spring break when families head to the hills in droves. But with new high-speed ski-lifts, queues on the hill are often shorter than the lineups in the parking lots and restaurants.

• The best time to go downhill skiing is mid-week when the lift-lines are non-existent and the runs are uncrowded.

Snowboarding is as popular as skiing and now makes up more than half of all downhillers.

• Hotel prices are usually cheaper mid-week. Ask at the concierge desk if lift tickets can be purchased in advanced, usually at a discount.
• Discount lift-tickets are available early in the season and offer savings that last throughout the ski-season.

2. Cross-Country Skiing – Not all people are as courageous (or crazy enough) to strap boards to their feet and hurtle down a mountain. For those who are downhill-challenged, try cross-country skiing instead. It’s like walking but only faster; similar to skating but without the falls; akin to running but not as strenuous. There are only a few nordic centers in the country dedicated to cross-country skiers but any snow covered trail is worth exploring. To get in shape at the beginning of the ski-season, try training at a local golf course. Then head out to the backcountry for a cool day of sliding and gliding.
3. Snowmobiling – Snowmobiling is fast, fun and exciting. Enjoy a family outing zipping through snowy fields, sparkling powder and spectacular scenery. Whizzing along forest trails is a great way to spend a sunny, winter day in the Canadian backcountry. Guided snowmobile tours in Canada are available to take sledders along pathways to places usually inaccessible at other times of the year. Ontario alone has over 30,000 kilometers of trails while Revelstoke, BC offers 12-18 meters of the white stuff (yes, meters). The quiet beauty and virgin snow is breathtaking and unforgettable.
4. Skating – Indoor arenas are fundamental to every community in this hockey-loving nation and many municipalities also maintain outdoor skating areas as well. Calgary has a natural rink in Bowness Park; Winnipeg has the 5.7 kilometer River Trail and of course, Ottawa has the Rideau Canal, a World Heritage Site. Enjoy a warm winter day on a frozen waterway and bring back childhood memories of playing on the ice.
5. Snowshoeing – Hiking in Canada doesn’t have to come to an end once the snow accumulates on the ground. As a winter substitute, strap on some lightweight snowshoes and follow your favourite trails to see the frozen backcountry. Snowshoeing is similar to hiking except trekkers can make their own trails. Scrub-brush and felled trees are buried deep below the powdery snow allowing showshoers to easily float on top. Take more direct routes up hills, tromp over buried thicket and follow frozen creeks & streams to secret winter locations.
6. Winter Camping – Instead of packing the tent away for 6 months, try a winter camping trip! Die-hard campers can pitch a tent and hunker down for the night any place that is sheltered from the wind. Combined with snowshoeing, winter camping is quiet and uncrowded. The soft snow under the tent makes for comfortable bedding. And hot chocolate has never tasted so good.
7. Caving – Caving in Canada is warm! Buried deep underground, the natural warmth of the earth keeps caverns at a constant temperature throughout the year, usually around +5 C. Once inside, winter quickly fade as cavers descend into a dark and damp chute below the surface. Guided tours provide protective equipment and gear to take you into a different world of narrow passageways, mineral deposits and crystal-clear pools. Those people who are claustrophobic will find the narrow crevasses truly a once-in-a-life-time experience.
8. Sailing – The North Pacific Ocean near the BC coast is always +10 C making for year round sailing adventures. From November to March, rain showers are frequent but avid sailors can still get their thrills amongst the Gulf Islands and fjords of Vancouver Island. The westerly winds are strong and constant off of the Pacific Ocean, making for exciting and anxious sailing adventures. Bring rain gear and a VHF radio to monitor the weather since winter storms can produce gale force winds. Fog is west-coast trademark.

Outdoor adventure travel in Canada is a year round pastime. When the snow starts to fall and nature goes into hibernation, there are plenty of things to do and places to explore in this magical winter wonderland.

Scenic Travel Canada is a website that helps travelers and nature-lovers to discover Canada. There are plenty of things to do in Canada that cater to people of all fitness levels. From snowmobiling in the Rocky Mountains to snowshoeing in the Maritimes, travelers will be amazed at the beautiful Canadian scenery that awaits in winter.

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