18 Mar
Vancouver Tours Blog

TSN – The Toronto Sports Network – Why Canada Needs a National Sports Network

As many know I have been writing a variety of business related articles for some time. This is a departure but I feel compelled to say what Canadians from coast to coast have expressed over the years. As a Speaker I have been fortunate enough to visit each province in Canada at least 50 times and every state in the union as well. Business has been a passion for me but sports has always been a passion as well. Although I love most sports, like most Canadians hockey is in my blood.

I know many markets in the USA have not felt our passion for hockey but it's a great game that is our national pastime, some say obsession. Canada is a huge country that in relative terms is sparsely populated. In fact one of the largest countries in the world Canada has less than 30 million people. A large percentage of the population is in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. Each city has an NHL franchise with fans that have a burning passion for hockey and sports in general.

In Canada the Montreal Canadiens are hockey's most storied franchise and the most successful hockey franchise in NHL history. The Canadiens have won 24 Stanley Cups and only trail the New York Yankees in terms of championships. In Canada the next closest to Stanley Cup wins is the Toronto Maple leafs with 11 Stanley Cups. Toronto is Canada's largest city and the home of TSN. Although this network claims to be the Sports Network many Canadians from coast to coast refer to them as The Toronto Sports Network. Many believe as I do that although they claim to be Canada's sports network they are really a regional network focused on Toronto and not acting like a truly national sports network.

A couple of years ago I discovered sports boards on the TSN web site. I had never posted before and I soon discovered that trash talking in general was the rule of thumb. It reaches the highest levels of intensity between Canada's largest hockey markets Toronto and Montreal. The more time I spent on the web site the more I discovered the truth which is the thrust of this writing. Sports fans from across Canada are subjected to a barrage of articles, interviews and profiles on TSN'S team the Toronto Maple Leafs. Fans are constantly bombarded with interviews and irrelevant articles focused on the Leafs. They write an article when their manager takes a jet ride. They write an article when he sits on a camel. They write articles on his personal life and on and on it goes. Then there are seemingly endless profiles on their players from every imaginable angle while other sports markets in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa and Montreal are treated like second class citizens. Worst still the Maple Leafs don't have a competitive team, have missed the playoffs for six years in a row and most recently an ESPN poll rated Toronto the worst sports city in North America.

Posting on these hockey boards opened my eyes to the harsh reality that TSN is a regional network pretending to be otherwise. On each board there are moderators. Their job is to make sure posters don't get too personal or go too far, unless you're a Leaf fan that is. I have noticed that Toronto posters seem to be able to break the rules and get away with it but when others do the same they don't get their posts through. Some Leaf posters refer to Montreal fans cowards, liars, cheaters and sewer rats. I have seen Leaf posters make fun of French Canadians and call them toilet seats. This is not just the case with Montreal for Toronto fans take the same liberties with other Canadian cities as well. Please understand I have nothing against trash talking as long as all the posters have equal opportunity, the kind of equal opportunity a real national sports network should provide. Over the past months I have been verifying this reality with my own posts. A Toronto poster would hurl an insulting post that would make it through and I'd respond with the same post and it would not. Moderators, living in Toronto and working at TSN are obviously Leaf fans and lack any objectivity. This frustrates posters from coast to coast. When you travel as much as I have you hear this from frustrated fans everywhere.

This type of selective bias reached new heights recently. I mentioned earlier Toronto was recently voted the worst sports city in North America. This poll examined 122 sports franchises in North America, the majority of which are in the United States. The reality that Toronto, a Canadian city was voted worst sports city in North America is embarrassing to all Canadian sports enthusiasts. It is also a national sports story that needs to be reported to all Canadians, that's what a national sports network is supposed to do. TSN did not report the findings of the ESPN poll at all and common sense tells us why. It clearly illustrates where TSN's affected are and that is to protect Toronto at all cost showing their true colors and a clear regional bias. Canadians from coast to coast refer to them as the Toronto Sports Network for a reason.

Like many Canadians I'm frustrated and I've had enough. I want TSN to know how many Canadians feel like I do. If you send me an e-mail through my web site I will forward all your e-mails to TSN, hopefully that way they'll get the message. Like many Canadians I have no problem with a regional sports network supporting their local teams. Like many Canadians I have a problem when a network holds themselves out to be a national network when everyone knows they're a regional network in disguise. We need a truly National Sports Network in Canada. I look forward to your feedback; things won't change unless we change them.

Source by Allan Baylis

05 Mar
Vancouver Tours Blog

How to Play National and Regional Canada Lottery Games

Canada is a good place to live if you like playing lottery games, as there are many national and regional games available. National games include Lotto Max and Lotto 6/49, while regional games available exclusively in the Prairie Provinces and the Territories include Western 649, Payday and Pick 3. National Canada lottery games are conducted by the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation, while regional games are managed by the Western Canada Lottery Corporation (or WCLC), a non-profit organization that is duly authorized to conduct game-related activities as the agent for the members thereof, the governments of Manitoba, Saskatechewan and Alberta.

Lotto Max is Canada's newest lottery game, having just recently celebrated its first anniversary. The minimum jackpot is $ 10 million with draws being held weekly every Friday. A ticket costs $ 5 for three sets of seven numbers ranging from 1 to 49; the bettor will pick the first combination with the remaining two selected by the machine, or the bettor can opt to have all three combinations machine-picked through the Quick Pick option. Once the jackpot exceeds $ 50 million, a special draw known as Max Millions will be held with the excess divided into prizes of $ 1 million for each winner. The other national lottery game is Lotto 6/49, with draws held twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Each ticket costs $ 2 and to play, the bettor has to pick six numbers ranging from 1 to 49 on the play area of ​​the play slip.

The Western 649 game lets you play two six number combinations (ranging from 1 to 49) for just $ 1 a ticket with a guaranteed jackpot prize of $ 1,000,000; You pick one combination and the machine picks the other or you can choose Quick Pick and let the machine select both combinations. There is also a Play Both option that allows you to get a joint ticket for Western 649 and Lotto 6/49; You'll receive the same numbers for both games. The Payday game costs $ 2 per ticket and will give you an annuity of $ 1,000 a week for life or a lump-sum prize of $ 675,000. Each ticket gives you fourteen combinations: one for the main prize which you can pick yourself or ask the computer to pick for you; 2 for the $ 50,000 prize; 4 for the $ 20,000 prize and 8 for the $ 1,000 prize. Combinations are selected from a field ranging from 1 to 77. In the Pick 3 game, you will select three digits from 0 to 9 and decide if you want to wager $ 1, $ 2, $ 5 or $ 10, with the size of the prize determined by how much you bet.

Along with these Canada lottery games you can also play a special Extra draw for additional prizes ranging from $ 250,000 to $ 500,000, depending on which province you're playing in. Extra numbers are automatically generated on your ticket but will not be eligible for the draw unless you opt-in. If you want to play Extra, simply mark yes under each play area or tell the clerk that want to play; each number costs $ 1 and you can play one Extra number for every regular lottery combination you bet. But make sure that the Extra number is activated before you leave the counter.

Source by Sean A Moronse

23 Sep
Vancouver Video Tours

The Hippy Gourmet Sustainable Vancouver BC Tour!


In this segment of the Hippy Gourmet TV Show we get a sneak-preview of some of the world’s most incredible organic, sustainable restaurants and chefs in Vancouver and Vancouver Island that we have full-length episodes coming from- as well as upcoming features we’re doing on British Columbia natural habitats, wildlife and worthy non-profit organizations!

source

01 Apr
Vancouver Video Tours

Portuguese addictions expert tours Vancouver facilities | Vancouver Sun



Nuno Capaz is a tough-looking guy, tall, unshaven and slow to smile. So, it’s not surprising that people who show up at the nondescript office of Lisbon’s Commission for the Dissuasion of Drug Addiction might be a bit intimidated.

Capaz, 41, is the commission’s vice-president. He has a doctorate in sociology and it’s his job to try to put Portuguese drug users on a path to recovery and ensure that they are contributing members of society.

source

29 Jul
Vancouver Tours Blog

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park – Most Visited Park in the United States

The most visited National Park in the United States National Park system is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park located between Tennessee and North Carolina. This world renowned park has some of the most diverse plant and animal life and is well known for the magnificence of its ancient mountains range.

There is so much to do in the park you could spend a whole vacation and still not exhaust all the possibilities. It’s a great vacation destination for all ages and has something to offer everyone who visits. This year the park will celebrate its 75th anniversary as a National park.

With over 800 miles of maintained trails Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a hiker’s Utopia. There are trails for every skill level from a casual afternoon stroll to a serious back country camping experience. Hikers of all skill and fitness levels will find the perfect trail to explore. Hiking is certainly not the only activity you can partake in as there is also camping, biking, fishing, and horseback riding amongst other things. And, if you aren’t feeling like a hike to the crest of a mountain or catching the big one, you can merely sit and take in the marvelous mountain sunsets the park has to offer.

Another great activity at the park is auto tours. An auto tour will bring you to fantastic panoramic vistas, rushing mountain streams and will open your eyes to some of the cool weathered historic buildings in and around the park. An auto tour through The Great Smoky Mountains National Park can be a fun and exciting event. While you are out there enjoying your auto tour, stop and take in one of the 11 picnic sites set up to provide you with all the scenery needed to enjoy your food with a view. Maybe you’ll be able to enjoy some of the wildlife that resides in the park. Just don’t feed the bears!

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be an experience your whole family will remember for years and years to come. Once you arrive you may never want to leave! One tip to keep in mind when planning your visit is to remember to bring climate appropriate clothes. The weather in the park can change frequently and quite often does especially when driving or hiking to higher altitudes, so bring along some warm clothing and always feel free to call for weather updates before arrival. Have fun and enjoy all the Great Smoky Mountains have to offer.

Source by Alan LeStourgeon

21 Jun
Vancouver Tours Blog

TSN – The Toronto Sports Network – Why Canada Needs a National Sports Network

As many know I have been writing a variety of business related articles for some time. This is a departure but I feel compelled to say what Canadians from coast to coast have expressed over the years. As a Speaker I have been fortunate enough to visit each province in Canada at least 50 times and every state in the union as well. Business has been a passion for me but sports has always been a passion as well. Although I love most sports, like most Canadians hockey is in my blood.

I know many markets in the USA have not felt our passion for hockey but it’s a great game that is our national pastime, some say obsession. Canada is a huge country that in relative terms is sparsely populated. In fact one of the largest countries in the world Canada has less than 30 million people. A large percentage of the population is in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. Each city has an NHL franchise with fans that have a burning passion for hockey and sports in general.

In Canada the Montreal Canadiens are hockey’s most storied franchise and the most successful hockey franchise in NHL history. The Canadiens have won 24 Stanley Cups and only trail the New York Yankees in terms of championships. In Canada the next closest to Stanley Cup wins is the Toronto Maple leafs with 11 Stanley Cups. Toronto is Canada’s largest city and the home of TSN. Although this network claims to be The Sports Network many Canadians from coast to coast refer to them as The Toronto Sports Network. Many believe as I do that although they claim to be Canada’s sports network they are really a regional network focused on Toronto and not acting like a truly national sports network.

A couple of years ago I discovered sports boards on the TSN web site. I had never posted before and I soon discovered that trash talking in general was the rule of thumb. It reaches the highest levels of intensity between Canada’s biggest hockey markets Toronto and Montreal. The more time I spent on the web site the more I discovered the truth which is the thrust of this writing. Sports fans from across Canada are subjected to a barrage of articles, interviews and profiles on TSN’S team the Toronto Maple Leafs. Fans are constantly bombarded with interviews and irrelevant articles focused on the Leafs. They write an article when their manager takes a jet ride. They write an article when he sits on a camel. They write articles on his personal life and on and on it goes. Then there are seemingly endless profiles on their players from every imaginable angle while other sports markets in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa and Montreal are treated like second class citizens. Worst still the Maple Leafs don’t have a competitive team, have missed the playoffs for six years in a row and most recently an ESPN poll rated Toronto the worst sports city in North America.

Posting on these hockey boards opened my eyes to the harsh reality that TSN is a regional network pretending to be otherwise. On each board there are moderators. Their job is to make sure posters don’t get too personal or go too far, unless you’re a Leaf fan that is. I have noticed that Toronto posters seem to be able to break the rules and get away with it but when others do the same they don’t get their posts through. Some Leaf posters refer to Montreal fans cowards, liars, cheaters and sewer rats. I have seen Leaf posters make fun of French Canadians and call them toilet seats. This is not just the case with Montreal for Toronto fans take the same liberties with other Canadian cities as well. Please understand I have nothing against trash talking as long as all the posters have equal opportunity, the kind of equal opportunity a real national sports network should provide. Over the past months I have been verifying this reality with my own posts. A Toronto poster would hurl an insulting post that would make it through and I’d respond with the same post and it would not. Moderators, living in Toronto and working at TSN are obviously Leaf fans and lack any objectivity. This frustrates posters from coast to coast. When you travel as much as I have you hear this from frustrated fans everywhere.

This type of selective bias reached new heights recently. I mentioned earlier Toronto was recently voted the worst sports city in North America. This poll examined 122 sports franchises in North America, the majority of which are in the United States. The reality that Toronto, a Canadian city was voted worst sports city in North America is embarrassing to all Canadian sports enthusiasts. It is also a national sports story that needs to be reported to all Canadians, that’s what a national sports network is supposed to do. TSN did not report the findings of the ESPN poll at all and common sense tells us why. It clearly illustrates where TSN’s priorities are and that is to protect Toronto at all cost showing their true colors and a clear regional bias. Canadians from coast to coast refer to them as the Toronto Sports Network for a reason.

Like many Canadians I’m frustrated and I’ve had enough. I want TSN to know how many Canadians feel like I do. If you send me an e-mail through my web site I will forward all your e-mails to TSN, hopefully that way they’ll get the message. Like many Canadians I have no problem with a regional sports network supporting their local teams. Like many Canadians I have a problem when a network holds themselves out to be a national network when everyone knows they’re a regional network in disguise. We need a truly National Sports Network in Canada. I look forward to your feedback; things won’t change unless we change them.

Source by Allan Baylis