May 2013 Issue Hot Links

In our Healthy Living section, we warn diabetics of an urgent recall on a particular brand of blood glucose meters. To find out if you are using a defective meter, click here.

In What's on the Go, we highlight events happening across Atlantic Canada during the Month of May, including the Trails, Tales and Tunes Festival happening in Norris Point, Gros Morne National Park. For details on what's planned, click here.

This month, we've also got a special web feature for you - a collection of photos (new and old) we've received of the province's resettled communities. Click here to check out those images.

April 2013 Issue Hot Links

In Have you Heard this month, we open with the Newfoundland Pony Society's plan to take a census and oral history to determine the exact number and histories of the province's hardy breed. For more details on the project, click here. Any readers owning a Newfoundland pony or who have information they would like to share should contact Joelle Carey at 1-888-739-1892, Ext. 5 or email joelle@heritagefoundation.ca.

Also in Have You Heard, we highlight a new business app called "Shop The Rock," a free app listing Newfoundland and Labrador businesses created by Brandi Gosse of Bay Roberts. Click here to download the app and start receiving exclusive deals.

In Healthy Living, we bring you the inspirational story of 11-year-old Christian Legge, who will shave his head for the seventh time this year as a participant in Young Adult Cancer Canada's annual Shave For the Brave. Click here to support Christian and fellow shavers.

Lin Crosbie-Marshall shows us how couponing can be about much more than just saving money - it can also be about helping those in need. Featured in the story is expert couponer Bonnie Emerson. To check out Bonnie's couponing blog, click here.

March 2013 Issue Hot Links

In Have You Heard, we introduce you to the Avalon Sleeveens, a local performing group raising some serious cash while having old-fashioned, light-hearted fun. For more about the group, and for upcoming performance dates, visit them on Facebook.

Also in Have You Heard, we inform Newfoundland and Labrador high school students about the iDiscover Contest, aimed at getting youth interested in entrepreneurship. To find out how you could win one of three exciting prizes (iMac, iPad2, or iPod Touch), click here.

In Between the Boulevard & The Bay, founding editor Ron Young has a cuffer with beloved local musicians The Sharecroppers, celebrating their 25th anniversary this year. Click here for videos and lyrics.

In the Discovery section, we feature innovative products that help us save water. For more information, or to purchase these products, visit the following websites:

Flapperless Toilet
Waterless Car Wash
Soil Moisture Meter

Also in our Discovery section, we offer up a detailed guide to Advanced Recycling. For more information on recycling everyday items you might be tossing in the trash, click the following links:

Paints
Brita Water Filters
Wine Corks
Sneakers
Dentures (To read more about the founder Isao Myoshi and this project, click here.)
CDs and DVDs
Crayons
VHS and Cassette Tapes
Eyeglasses
Electronics (or contact E-Waste NL at 953 Topsail Road, St. John's, NL, 709-689-7402)

Haven't seen the Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism TV ads yet? Check them out here and be inspired.

In our Food & Leisure section, we tip our hat to the penny with stories of folks making the most of the last of our red cents. Find out more about Eastern Edge Gallery's "Million Pennies Project" here.

February 2013 Issue Hot Links

In the Notes From Home section, Dennis Flynn catches up with Libby Earle DePiero, daughter of the late Captain Guy Earle - the last master of the SS Kyle. Libby's annual "Swim to Save The Kyle" has turned more than a few heads, but will it ultimately save the iconic ship? Click here for more on her unique campaign.

In "What's on the Go," we share the Rug Hooking Guild of Newfoundland and Labrador's latest creative endeavor: a province-wide tour of hooked mats depicting lighthouses. Click here for complete tour details.

In the Food & Leisure section, Dennis Flynn talks to Walter Peddle about antique appraisals and his exciting new role with the Spaniard's Bay Heritage Society. For more information on the Spaniards Bay Heritage Society, their illustrated talks, and upcoming projects click here.

January 2012 Issue Hot Links

In the January issue, we introduce you to the Port au Port folks who make world-class snowboards. Click here for more about Magine Snowboards.

In Healthy Living, we talk to the Churchill family of St. Philip's, Newfoundland whose young son, Carter, has battled more health problems in his first two years than most of us will in our lifetimes. Now, this sweet boy is inspiring more than his family to give back. Visit www.reasonfortherink.com to find out how you can help Carter and his family help others.

Heather Pollett, a policy and program analyst with the Canadian Mental Health Association, discusses depression in our To Your Health column. If you think you might be depressed, or know someone who suffers from depression, click here for more information.

Downhome magazine isn't the only one celebrating its silver anniversary! Blue Rodeo are hitting the road for a 25-city tour in celebration of their first 25 years. Click here to find out if they're coming to a city near you.

December 2012 Issue Hot Links

In the December issue, we talk about internet safety and how to avoid scams online. If you are the victim of a scam, or would like to report a scam, visit the website of the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre for helpful advice.

And in related news, we announce the Atlantic Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women has launched its Cybersafe Girl website, which provides young girls, parents, caregivers and educators with information on how girls can experience violence and abuse on the internet and what can be done to protect them.

In Food & Leisure we offer Timely Tips on how you can have yourself an eco-friendly Christmas. We feature the company Gift-it-Green, which specializes in eco-chic reusable fabric gift boxes.

In Explore, we encourage you to take part in the fourth annual Mummers Festival, capped off with the Mummers Parade in St. John's. For all the events taking place during the festival, click here.

November 2012 Issue Hot Links

In Have You Heard, we roundup recent news stories, including the federal government's Helmets to Hardhats program, helping connect former Canadian soldiers with construction jobs; 13-year-old guitar phenom Nick Earle's triumphant win in "The Quest to Open for the Legend Ron Hynes"; and local internet comedian/rapper Donnie Dumphy makes the big screen in How to Be Deadly. To watch a trailer for How To Be Deadly, click here. (Viewer discretion is advised for offensive language.)

In Vital Stats, we warn fireplace users about an important safety advisory from Health Canada. Consumers using Majestic brand fireplaces that bear the trade names Insta-flame or Northern Flame (Models FSDV22, FSDV30 and FSDV32, Series) should read the full advisory.

In the Food & Leisure section, we give our readers a helping hand with Christmas shopping with our "Holiday Hit List" – all the latest and coolest must-have items this season.

The Do-it-Yourselfer:
Magnogrip Magnetic Wristband
Black & Decker Sure Grip Laser Level
Tape It & Make It: 101 Duct Tape Activities

The Outdoorsy-Type:
The HD HERO2: Outdoor Edition camera
MEC Spirit 30 Daypack
Atlas Mini 17-inch Snowshoes

The Traveller:
Kobo Mini
Moleskine Passions Travel Journal
Backseat Survival Kit

The Fitness Fanatic:
Custom Yoga Mat
Fitbit One
Nickelodeon Dance 2

The Cook:
Totally Bamboo cutting board
Cuisinart Elite Collection 14-Cup Food Processor
Minnie Mouse Bow-tique Flipping Fun Kitchen

The Techie:
iPod Touch Fifth-Generation
Nintendo Wii U
Furby

The Crafter:
Brother NV-950D Sewing and Embroidery Machine
Gelarti Designer Studio

October 2012 Issue Hot Links

In our Have You Heard section, we tell you about a fantastic foodie event happening across Newfoundland this fall. The grand finale of an island-wide culinary roadshow is From This Rock: Dinner of Local Fare. The eight-course meal, to be served up at the Sheraton Hotel in St. John's, will celebrate local food, beverages, chefs and farmers. For more information about this event, click here.

In Explore, we introduce you to "A Man and His Mule" – that is, Bernie Harberts and Polly, who spent the summer taking a very different tour of Newfoundland. To read about all their exploits, click here.

To get you in the mood for Halloween, we celebrate all things spooky in our Discovery section. For an extra thrill for techies, check out these creepy smartphone apps sure to send a few chills down your spine:

See what you’d look like as a part of the living undead with Zombie Booth 3-D – an interactive app that “zombifies” your self-portrait, or a photo of a friend or pet. It will even record and share photos and videos of you and your pals gettin' your zombie on – October Facebook profile pic taken care of.

The Ghost Radar is a portable, entertaining and affordable ($0.99) paranormal activity detector. It attempts to pick up ghostly goings-on by using sensors and analyzing their readings to determine if there are any interesting voices or patterns occurring.

The classic Ouija Board game moves into the modern age with an app that acts as a portal to speak with spirits, answering questions and giving sage advice.

September Issue Hot Links

In the Reminiscing section, Dennis Flynn digs up decade-old interviews with Newfoundlanders who remembered the German zeppelin Hindenburg's ominous flights over the island in the 1930s. About a year after the airship flew over Newfoundland, it met a shocking and mysterious demise at Lakehurst, New Jersey, USA. Click here to listen to the dramatic radio broadcast, recorded as the tragedy unfolded in 1937.

In the Food & Leisure section, we feature products that make going back to school extra cool! For more information about these products, please visit the following websites:

Google Nexus 7 Tablet
Custom Tablet Cases, by Snupped
Handpresso
Graphing Calculator App

Ron Young introduces us to the founders of the fledgling Newfoundland Woodworkers Association in his column, "Between the Boulevard and the Bay." To learn more about them, or to get involved, click here.

August 2012 Issue Hot Links

In our Healthy Living section, we report on the upcoming Red Shoe Crew Walk For Families, a fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House. To find out how you can take part in the initiative in your community, click here.

Dennis Flynn takes a ride on the Petty Harbour zipline days after opening and shares his thrilling experience in our Explore section. For more information about the new attraction, and how you can experience the thrill, click here.

In What's on the Go (Explore), we feature Torbay 250 - an event commemorating the 250th anniversary of the landing of Lt. Col. William Amherst and 1,000 British troops on Torbay beach, an event that led to the last battle of the Seven Years’ War. For full event details, click here.

Also in What's on the Go, we talk up the 20th anniversary of the Garnish Bakeapple Festival. For a schedule of events, click here.

July 2012 Issue Hot Links

In Have You Heard, we share exciting news from Acreman Elementary in Green's Harbour, Trinity Bay. The school has received the National Helping Hands Award from the Let Them Be Kids Foundation, to assist with building a school playground - with the Foundation matching the funds the school is able to raise. To donate to the cause, visit acremanltbk.blogspot.ca.

And we report that Great Big Sea's Alan Doyle has been appointed a Champion Mentor by the DAREarts National Charity, which seeks to inspire vulnerable Canadian youth to rise above external limitations and become leaders. Click here to find out more about the organization.

In our Explore section, we feature Placentia's plans for its 350th birthday celebrations happening this summer. For the most up-to-date event listings, click here.

Our Everyday Gourmet columnists, Andrea Maunder and Mike Barsky of Bacalao restaurant in St. John's, encourage you to keep it local when cooking - especially on Canada Food Day, an annual cross-country celebration of locally produced food. For more information about Canada Food Day, visit fooddaycanada.ca.

This month's Downhome Picks are all about having good GREEN fun in the sun. For more about each of these products, click the following links:

iBamboo Speaker
Nature Activity Bags
Bobble Water Bottle


June 2012 Issue Hot Links

The Vital Stats section profiled an online "longevity calculator" that predicts an individual's age at death, developed by a group of Ontario scientists. Created to promote healthier lifestyles, it is based on five factors: smoking, alcohol consumption, diet, physical activity and stress.

Find out how long you have left here!
Longevity Calculator

(Take your results with a grain of salt- one commenter says he's been dead for six years!)

In Healthy Living, we discussed the popular St. John's running club for young girls that's expanding across Newfoundland. You can get more info on the G.I.R.L. Run Club here.

"Stellar Discovery" talked about how an 11-year-old found a supernova- and how you can, too. One such way would be to participate in a Star Party! This can include crafts like this basic telescope or some fun space food.

In our Food & Leisure section, we feature products and resources for better gardening. For more information, or to purchase, click the following links:

Castilla Rain Barrel
Rittenhouse Do-It-Yourself Rain Barrel Faucet
Tractor Scoot
Atlantic Gardening, by Peter J. Scott
Ask Ross Traverse About Gardening, by Ross Traverse

May 2012 Issue Hot Links

In our Notes From Home section, we share an inspiring letter from a reader about a young boy, affected by debilitating illness, who made a wish to visit Newfoundland. Thanks to the Rainbow Society of Alberta, that wish came true! To find out about other organizations granting wishes to ill children, visit the following websites:

Short-Circuit Dream Fund (based in NL)
Children's Wish Foundation of Canada
Starlight Children's Foundation of Canada
Sunshine Foundation of Canada
Tender Wishes
Make-a-Wish Foundation of Canada

In Have You Heard, we write about the Atlantic Book Awards and Festival, which is venturing outside Halifax for the first time and being held May 10-17 in St. John's, Newfoundland. Free literary events are set to take place in all four Atlantic Provinces during the Festival's week-long run. Click here for event details.

Dr. Wendy Young, Canada's Research Chair in Healthy Aging, explains why our aging population has much to celebrate in this month's To Your Health column. Organizations committed to ensuring healthy aging in Canada, and who have the tools and advice to help you age with grace and good health, are listed below. Visit their websites for more information.

Canadian Diabetes Association
Arthritis Society
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador

Also in our Healthy Living section, we feature a new online resource created to help manage symptoms of mobility impairment in people suffering from multiple sclerosis. The website MobilityMattersinMS.ca provides daily tips, event listings, real life stories and free tools, including the Mobility Matters in MS Pedometer iPhone App.

In our Food & Leisure section, we kick off what we hope will be a long and tasty barbecue season with products to help you grill to perfection. For more information about this month's Downhome Picks, click the following links:

GrillGrates
FYRKAT picnic gas grill
Cedar grilling papers by Outset
www.backyardsimple.com

April 2012 Issue Hot Links

Downhome's founding editor, Ron Young, ponders "The Unsinkable's Unthinkable Fate" in this month's Between the Boulevard and the Bay column. Ron touches on the argument made by Captain L. Marmaduke "Duke" Collins, marine consultant and instructor associated with MUN's Centre for Marine Simulation, that the Titanic did not strike an iceberg, as is popularly believed. If this tid-bit has piqued your interest, read Collins' full report: Nautical Evidence Debunking the Titanic/Iceberg Theory.

In our Notes From Home section, Dennis Flynn reports on efforts to construct a monument to the legendary Newfoundland hero, Captain William Jackman, in Renews. To read the story of Jackman's heroic act, pulled from the Downhomer archives, click here.

In "The Naani Project," Sonia Whalen-Miller introduces us to the Newfoundland woman behind an inspiring fundraiser. To find out more, or to purchase a copy of the Naani Vision calendar, in support of women in need in Pakistan, click here.

In Pets of the Month, we tell you about a pet rabbit with a peculiar talent: herding sheep! Click here to watch him in action.

In our Healthy Living section, we include "Transitions," a gripping piece of writing by Carla MacInnis Rockwell, a woman living with cerebral palsy. For more of Carla's musings and observations, click here.

March 2012 Hot Links

In the Have you Heard section, we announce the winner of the $10,000 Hero of the Year Award. To find out more about the winner and the nominees, click here.

Also in Have You Heard, we discuss the decommissioning of lighthouses by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. To find out how to nominate a lighthouse for designation under the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act, click here.

We introduce you to local YouTube star Lee Hayward, a bodybuilder and fitness trainer from Conception Bay South, Newfoundland whose Total Fitness Bodybuilding videos have garnered more than a million views and 30,000 subscribers. Check out his videos.

In Healthy Living, we let you in on an exciting event coming to St. John's on March 31. Bust a Move for Breast Health, with celebrity host Richard Simmons, is in support of the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Care Foundation and the Health Care Foundation. Click here to find out how you can "Bust a Move," too!

In Food & Leisure, we feature green cleaning products. For more information about these products, click the following links.

Eco-Max
Down East
Greener Living Soap Nuts
Mabu Cloths

And for even more green ideas, visit the Halifax-based environmental department store, Plovers, online.

Ross Traverse's Down to Earth column this month is all about the best methods for growing vegetables in the Newfoundland climate. Click here to read more about two of those methods: hot beds and cold frames, which appeared in Downhome in April 2010.

Looking for great recipes for moose? Try any of these:
Moose Barrenland
Moose and Partridgeberry Panini
Moose Bourguinon

February 2012 Hot Links

In the February issue of Downhome, Katherine Hudson explores the movement towards bartering in our consumer-driven society. She cites one extreme example of swapping �¯�¿�½ instead of shopping �¯�¿�½ to get what you want. Click here to read the full story about how a man traded one red paperclip, and eventually ended up with a house in Saskatchewan in return. For tips on staging a clothing swap, click here.

This month in the Explore section, readers took Downhome on a tour of Africa, and visited Malawi's Village of Hope. To find out more about this inspirational place, click here. In a growing trend, many people are opting to spend their vacations volunteering in places like the Village of Hope. Here are some websites with helpful advice for this brand of travellers, called "voluntourists": Bridge Volunteers, Globe Aware, Habitat for Humanity, Hero Holiday, Me to We.

Our Downhome Picks are all about those with a sweet tooth this month! To find out more about the Atlantic Canadian businesses featured, visit their websites:

Newfoundland Chocolate Company
The Very Best Candy
Appleton Chocolates Company
Ganong
Freak Lunchbox
Chocolaterie Fackleman
Candy Bouquet
Sweet Janes

January 2012 Hot Links

In our Have you Heard section, we report that Gail Shea, minister of national revenue, is reaching out to fishermen/women in Atlantic Canada to ensure that they are being treated fairly under Canadian tax law. Between 1998 and 2003, following the collapse of the ground fishery, more than 3,000 fishers in the region surrendered their licenses to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) in exchange for compensation. �¯�¿�½Unfortunately, successive Liberal fisheries ministers did not consider the tax implications on fishermen, which forced the federal government and fishers into a costly legal battle that has taken more than a decade to resolve,�¯�¿�½ Shea stated in a news release. �¯�¿�½Earlier this year, the Federal Court allowed a judicial review of the tax treatment of over 700 fishers who had sought relief through the courts. Following that decision�¯�¿�½I instructed CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) to create a dedicated team to review each of the fishers�¯�¿�½ requests. Our expectation is that reassessments will begin to be issued in the coming weeks.�¯�¿�½ Fishers who were not a party to the court challenges over the years and who feel that they may be entitled to a reassessment are encouraged to contact the CRA at 1-800-959-8281, or visit www.cra-arc.gc.ca.

In our What's on the Go section, we remind you that Rising Tide's annual Revue is back at the province's Arts and Culture Centres, ready to poke fun at politicians and other newsmakers as talented performers revive the major headlines from the past year.

Did you dig any of the cool ski gear featured in Downhome Picks? Find out how you can buy those items by clicking the following links:

Marmot Connect Gloves
CoPilot Ski Trainer
Tail Wags Helmet Covers
Bowtie Ski Carrier

December 2011 Hot Links

The Experience Genie (a.k.a. St. John's native Joshua Dawson) travels all over North America granting "Dream Days" to ordinary people who do extraordinary things or who have overcome major obstacles. In October, the Experience Genie touched down at the Techniplex Sports Facility in St. John's to award 10 local "heroes" with Dream Days. On January 19, during a star-studded gala at the Johnson Geo Centre in St. John's, each of the 10 heroes will be honoured with a documentary tribute and gifts, while a celebrity presenter will award $10,000 to the Hero of the Year (who will be chosen via public vote). To learn each hero's story, and to place your vote, click here.

Have you heard about Grandma Fancy? The star of New Brunswick-based Crosby's Molasses latest advertising campaign, Grandma Fancy appears in amusing, innuendo-laden videos aimed at turning more young people onto Crosby's sweet stuff. Click here to watch the videos.

In our Explore section, we announce that National Geographic is bringing its global geotourism project, which seeks to contribute to the economic health of communities by promoting tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place, to Eastern Newfoundland (specifically, the region they've selected stretches from Terra Nova in the north to the Burin Peninsula in the south, and all areas on the island eastward). Until January 12, 2012 you can nominate an attraction in that area for inclusion in National Geographic's MapGuide. Click here to have your say.

November 2011 Hot Links

In our Have You Heard section, we write about the hilarious "Whaddaya App," an app created by Newfoundlanders for Newfoundlanders - and those who want to understand them! Just one month after its creation, it had been downloaded 10,000 times! To download the Whaddaya App, click here.

In What's on the Go, we remind you that you have until November 11 to vote on the New7Wonders of Nature. To vote for your favourite seven locations - including New Brunswick's Bay of Fundy - click here.

In the November issue, we feature cool travel gear in our Downhome Picks section. For more information on these products, click the following links:

Trace Me Luggage Tracker

Trunki

Child Aviation Restraint System (CARES)

Tourist Remover