Denise's Blog Spot

see the City of Winnipeg Website for more info:

http://www.winnipeg.ca/cao/media/news/nr_2010/nr_20100721.stm#1

By: Staff Writer, Winnipeg Free Press  22/04/2010

TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Enlarge Image

Teresa Visser, an events and fundraising specialist at Oak Hammock Marsh, performs cleanup duty Wednesday.

LORDY, Lordy -- Earth Day is turning 40 today.

Four decades ago, Wisconsin senator Gaylord Nelson looked for a way to bring the issues of ecological well-being into the homes of America. His message was received on college campuses across the United States on April 22, 1970, and the annual observance of terra firma was born. It seems Earth Day still has some marketability to it.

Here's a glance at a few of the Earth Day observances taking place around Winnipeg:

Wet and wild

The good folks at Oak Hammock Marsh have a number of events scheduled. Green building tours, demonstrations on how the wetlands help filter water and clean the environment, and a composting workshop are all offered. Come by at 3 p.m. and participate in the trail cleanup. Visit oakhammockmarsh.ca for more details.

Free of charge

In an effort to keep old batteries out of landfills, CAA Manitoba is setting up its annual vehicle battery recycling program. Take your old cells to three Winnipeg locations (870 Empress St.; 2211 McPhillips St.; 501 St. Anne's Rd.) or the Brandon drop-off (305 - 18th Street N.) and help protect the planet from battery assault.

Walk this way

Starting at the Manitoba Legislature at 8:30 a.m., the 'I Walk for Water' event will wind east down Broadway and towards City Hall. Hosted by Manitoba hair salons, the five-kilometre walk is designed to raise awareness and generate funds towards clean drinking water initiatives in east Africa.

Pick of the litter

The Downtown Business Improvement Zone is looking for a few good-natured souls to help out in their annual Earth Day cleanup. Gloves and bags are provided. Volunteers walk away with a free T-shirt and lunch, and a strong sense of civic pride. Two cleanups are planned: From 9 a.m.-11 a.m. at Thunderbird House (715 Main St.); and 2 p.m.-4 p.m. at Air Canada Park (355 Portage Ave.).

Green festival

The St. Mary's Road United Church will be the site for the third annual Earth Day festival. Green minds can sit in on presentations regarding food security and water preservation, while future environmentalists can participate in various children's activities. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition April 22, 2010 A2

 

I have really enjoyed this beautiful Earth Day.  Besides fitting in some time to work I brought my Grampa some tulips and went for a run and went for a walk with my 2 year old neice to the park.  Well, we didn't pick up litter or plant a tree today, we enjoyed being outside.  Happy Earth Day!

 

Consumers Almanac  is a free, downloadable, 32 page booklet to help organize your expenses, save for the future, and manage your credit with monthly calendars and worksheets.

Figuring out where your money goes is the first step to managing your money.  There are great worksheets and helpful tips.

With spring around the corner, or so it seems, I'm in the mood for spring cleaning!  It's not quite time to clean the yard and windows yet so lets start with our gadgets....

Give your favourite tech gadgets the clean sweep and keep them performing at their best.

Are you and your iPod joined at the hip? Is your Blackberry as familiar a sight on the dinner table as the salt and pepper shakers? If so, chances are you’re a major technophile. We Canadians love our mp3 players, laptops, smart phones and PDAs. So much so that the idea of losing or damaging them … hurts.

So if you can’t imagine life – let alone a week – without your top tech toys, read on to learn how to properly care for these objects of affection. Clean and protect them and they’ll provide you with many faithful years of service – or at least until you upgrade them for something better!

Tech toy: iPhone
How to care for it:
• Protect the surface with a clear “skin” and carry it in a hard-body case.
• Clean it with lint-free electronic wipes
• Detail around the speaker and mic. Check that debris isn’t clogging the speaker or mic holes. If it is, use compressed air and/or the teensiest-tiniest amount of rubbing alcohol on a Q-tip (think damp: not wet!) to clear debris.

Avoid:
• Keys! Even scratch-resistant screens are no match for keys in a purse or gym-bag pocket.
• Leaving it in heat, direct sun and extreme cold. Don’t abandon your iPhone in your car!

Tech toy: Blackberry or other smart phone
How to care for it:
• Carry it in a case, preferably hard body.
• Clean it with lint-free electronic wipes.
• Detail around the speaker, mic and buttons. Remove any debris or grime with compressed air and/or a bit of rubbing alcohol on a Q-tip (think damp: not wet!).

Avoid:
• Heat, direct sun, extreme cold – and metal keys!
• Toting it au naturel in your pocket or bag. Debris can clog buttons and keys, house keys can scratch the surface – or actually dislodge keyboard keys – and sitting on it can break the device.

Tech toy: iPod or other mp3 player
How to care for it:
• Protect it in a slip or holder, unless you tote it (alone, not with coins or keys) in a dedicated pocket. Consider a protective skin if you have a larger screen model like an iPod Classic or iPod Touch.
• Clean it with lint-free electronic wipes. Use a Q-tip with just a tiny bit of alcohol (so it’s damp, not wet) around click-wheels or buttons.
• Charge it out of its case, to ensure air circulation and to avoid overheating.

Avoid:
• Tightly wrapping headphones or ear buds around the unit. This damages the wires.
• Leaving it in direct sun and extreme cold.

Tech toy: Home stereo system
How to care for it:
• Clean the speakers using a dry, anti-static cloth (not the same wipes you use on your electronic gadgets or computer monitor).
• Clean the the CD player with a laser lens cleaning product and/or compressed air.
• Use a stylus cleaner if you’ve got a turntable.

Avoid:
• Setting speakers too close to one another or to other e-gear: the magnets can cause interference.
• Power surges. Use a surge protector whether your gear’s a bargain find or high-end. Those with higher-end equipment should consult with a store expert about what surge protector is best (some high-end types come with insurance).

Tech toy: Big-screen plasma or LCD TV
How to care for it:
• Turn off the unit before cleaning. Avoid getting any moisture into the unit by spraying cleaner onto a lint-free cloth, not the actual TV.
• Clean with an ammonia-free agent (ie. no Windex!) and soft cloth. Paper towels and conventional electronic wipes can be too rough and damage the screen’s optic film. So opt for a dedicated LCD or plasma-screen cleaner.

Avoid:
• The dreaded “burn-in.” Less a problem in the latest models, you can avoid it by preventing bright, high-contrast, static images (such as station logos) from lingering on your screen, especially during its first 200 hours of operating time. So: if your station gets wonky, change the channel or turn the TV off! And if you need to leave the room, turn your show or movie off rather than pausing it.
• Overheating. Proper ventilation around the TV is key. If you wall-mount it or recess it, make sure it still has air circulation. If not, install a PC-cooling fan.

Check out my last 2 posts for the Canada Revenue Agency information regarding home tax credits you may qualify for. 

One is for first time home buyers who purchased a home in 2009 - you can get up to $750 back on your taxes!  For those of you thinking of buying a home - they are continuing this credit for 2010.

The second tax credit is for renovations.  You can get back up to $1350 when you spend between $1000 and $10,000 on permanent imporovements to your home between January 27th, 2009 and January 31st, 2010.  It has not been announced yet if they will be carrying this on for the 2010 tax year.

from:  http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/gncy/bdgt/2009/fqhbtc-eng.html

1. What is the home buyers' tax credit (HBTC)?
2. How is the new HBTC calculated?
3. Am I eligible for the HBTC?
4. What is a qualifying home?
5. Who is considered a person with a disability for purposes of the HBTC?
6. If I buy a house, can my spouse or common-law partner claim the HBTC?
7. My friend and I intend to jointly purchase a home, and we both meet the conditions for the HBTC. Can we both claim the credit?
8. Do I have to register the acquisition of the home under the applicable land registration system?
9. How will I claim the HBTC?
10. Do I have to submit any supporting documents with my income tax return?
11. Is the HBTC connected to the existing Home Buyers’ Plan?
12. Where can I get more information about the new HBTC?

1. What is the home buyers' tax credit (HBTC)?

For 2009 and subsequent years, the HBTC is a new non-refundable tax credit, based on an amount of $5,000, for certain home buyers that acquire a qualifying home after January 27, 2009 (i.e., generally means that the closing is after this date).

2. How is the new HBTC calculated?

The HBTC is calculated by multiplying the lowest personal income tax rate for the year (15% in 2009) by $5,000. For 2009, the credit will be $750.

3. Am I eligible for the HBTC?

You will qualify for the HBTC if:

• you or your spouse or common-law partner acquire a qualifying home; and
• you did not live in another home owned by you or your spouse or common-law partner in the year of acquisition or in any of the four preceding years.

If you are a person with a disability or are buying a house for a related person with a disability, you do not have to be a first-time home buyer. However, the home must be acquired to enable the person with the disability to live in a more accessible dwelling or in an environment better suited to the personal needs and care of that person.

4. What is a qualifying home?

A qualifying home is a housing unit located in Canada acquired after January 27, 2009. This includes existing homes and those being constructed. Single-family homes, semi-detached homes, townhouses, mobile homes, condominium units, and apartments in duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, or apartment buildings all qualify. A share in a co-operative housing corporation that entitles you to possess, and gives you an equity interest in, a housing unit located in Canada also qualifies. However, a share that only provides you with a right to tenancy in the housing unit does not qualify.

As well, you must intend to occupy the home or you must intend that the related person with a disability occupy the home as a principal place of residence no later than one year after you buy it.

5. Who is considered a person with a disability for purposes of the HBTC?

For purposes of the HBTC, an individual eligible for the disability tax credit (DTC) is one for whom an amount can be claimed under the DTC for the year in which the home is acquired, or could be claimed if costs for attendant care or care in a nursing home were not claimed for the [Medical Expense Tax Credit].

6. If I buy a house, can my spouse or common-law partner claim the HBTC?

Either one of you can claim the credit or you can share the credit. However, the total of your combined claims cannot exceed $750.

7. My friend and I intend to jointly purchase a home, and we both meet the conditions for the HBTC. Can we both claim the credit?

Either one of you can claim the credit or you can share the credit. However, the total of your combined claims cannot exceed $750.

8. Do I have to register the acquisition of the home under the applicable land registration system?

Yes. Your interest in the home must be registered in accordance with the land registration system applicable to where it is located.

9. How will I claim the HBTC?

Beginning with the 2009 personal income tax return, line 369 is incorporated into the Schedule 1, Federal Tax to allow you to claim the credit in the year in which you acquired the qualifying home.

10. Do I have to submit any supporting documents with my income tax return?

No. However, you must ensure that this information is available, should it be requested by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

11. Is the HBTC connected to the existing Home Buyers’ Plan?

No. Although some of the eligibility conditions for the HBTC and the Home Buyers’ Plan are similar, the two are not connected. Your eligibility for the HBTC will not change whether or not you also participate in the Home Buyers’ Plan.

12. Where can I get more information about the new HBTC?

The CRA encourages taxpayers to check its Web site often—all new forms, policies, and guidelines are posted there as soon as they become available.