“Love is a big and wonderful idea, but life is made up of small things. As a kid, you have nothing to do with the way the world is run; you just have to hurry to catch up with it.”
Heather O’Neill’s first novel, Lullabies for Little Criminals, is a firsthand heartbreaking account of growing up. Told through the eyes of a young girl as she matures, the novel navigates through the perils of maturing in a harsh, and at most times, unforgiving world.
The author of Lullabies for Little Criminals: Heather O’Neil photo courtesy of quillandquire.com
The story revolves around a young girl named Baby. Baby lives a nomadic life with her father, Jules, in urban and rural Quebec. Motherless and often neglected by her drug addicted, yet loving, father, Baby is left to her own devices.
As the story evolves, Baby ages and rapidly enters into young adulthood. Going from carrying around her dolls around in a vinyl suitcase from apartment to apartment to blossoming into an attractive young woman, Baby struggles to understand her place in her small world. Tempted by a dominant male figure when her father begins to distance himself from her, Baby begins to quickly get lost in an adult world she is not ready for.
An alternate cover.
Perhaps one of the most striking elements of this story is O’Neil’s ability to capture and depict the young mind at work. We have all been there—young and confused. Baby epitomizes this perfectly. O’Neil’s writing is full of heartbreaking realizations that, at one time of another, we have all come face to face with.
“From the way people have always talked about your heart being broken, it sort of seemed to be a one-time thing. Mine seemed to break all the time.”
A captivating read that will absorb its reader from the very start, Heather O’Neil’s Lullabies for Little Criminals, is one that will capture your imagination and stir your senses. For the Silo, Sarah Purdy.
The importance of Toronto for the world movie industry is becoming more and more substantial. It has already gained the nickname “Hollywood North“ and now the major Indian film studios are tightening their co-operation with the city of Toronto. More and more Bollywood movies are being shot in Toronto, a huge number of Torontonian cinemas screen Bollywood movies, and even this year’s International Indian Film Academy Award celebration Silo Direct Link to Intern’l Indian Film Academy Award Video took place in Toronto. It won’t be a surprise if Toronto becomes “Bollywood West” in a few years.
The Front Page from the Sun- Bollywood North. The GTA has embraced the Indian film industry
Cinemas Showing Bollywood Movies in Toronto and the GTA Golden Eye Media Cinemas Silo Direct Link to Golden Eye Cinemas
Golden Eye Media Cinemas include three very similar cinemas located in different parts of Toronto and the GTA. Albion Cinemas are located right in the centre of Etobicoke at the Albion Centre (1530 Albion Road Etobicoke). Woodside Cinemas can be found in east Toronto in the Woodside Square Shopping Centre (1571 Sandhurst Circle Scarborough). Bayfield Cinemas are located in Bayfield Mall (320 Bayfield Street) in Barrie.
Ticket prices in all three cinemas are very reasonable, and parking is free. If you want to see the latest and most popular Bollywood movies with your family, Golden Eye Cinemas are just what you’re looking for. It’s very easy to find them, and there are many different restaurants near each one where you can find something to eat after the show.
Cineplex cinemas have been playing Bollywood movies since the ‘90s and are very popular among Torontonian Bollywood movie lovers. Chief executive officer of Cineplex Theatres Ellis Jacob expressed his ambition to continue to screen Bollywood movies in a recent interview for The Globe and Mail, “We’ve been committed to it as a company for the longest time… There’s a great desire for us to continue to grow that business.” There were no doubts that Cineplex would be the main cinema partner of the 2011 IIFA film festival.
If you want to enjoy Bollywood movies with great sound and screen quality, visit one of these theatres: Sheppard Grande Toronto (4861 Yonge Street, Toronto, (416) 590-9974), SilverCity Brampton (50 Great Lakes Drive, Brampton, (905) 789-6797), Coliseum Scarborough (Scarborough Town Centre, 300 Borough Drive, Scarborough, (416) 290-5217), or Cineplex Odeon Eglinton Town Centre (22 Lebovic Avenue, Toronto, (416) 752-4494).
This huge cinema chain has been regularly showing Bollywood movies for the past several years. Watching Bollywood dancing and singing on a gigantic screen in an AMC cinema is a great experience, and you’ll definitely love it unless you prefer smaller independent cinemas. If you’re ready for a huge dose of Bollywood, visit one of these AMC theatres: AMC Courtney Park Mississauga (110 Courtney Park Drive E, Mississauga), AMC Kennedy Common Scarborough (33 William Kitchen Road, Scarborough), AMC Winston Churchill Oakville (2081 Winston Park Drive,
Oakville), or AMC Yonge and Dundas Toronto (10 Dundas Street East, Toronto).
The Queen and Dalton McGuinty at the Bollywood North celebration 2011
Bollywood Movies Shot in Toronto
We’ve already mentioned that Toronto is a famous location for Bollywood movie producers. Let’s see in which parts of Toronto the most famous Bollywood movies were shot. The centre of the city (e.g. Yonge Street) is the most common place where movies are shot in Toronto, thanks to low production costs and Toronto’s resemblance to any other bigger city. This is also the case of Bollywood/Hollywood (2002) and Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003). Another very popular Bollywood movie, Thank You (2011), was shot at Toronto’s Flatiron Building, the Air Canada Centre, and Niagara Falls. There are many other spots in Toronto where parts of Bollywood movies were shot; the most common are St. Jamestown, University of Toronto, and the Old and New City Halls.
Bollywood Movie Rentals
One can easily recognize that there’s a strong community of approximately 550,000 Indian people living in Toronto and the GTA, thanks to the abundance of Indian restaurants, bistros, shops, dance schools, etc. However, it’s quite a surprise that it’s so easy to find a Bollywood movie rental in almost every neighbourhood in Toronto. They’re usually small, hidden shops with an astonishing collection of Bollywood flicks. If you want to have a Bollywood movie night in your home, try one of these rental shops: Bollywood ‘N Varieties (25 Overlea Boulevard), Bollywood 4 U (683 Markham Street), R K’s Bollywood Entertainment (1395 Queen Street W), Bollywood DvD Center (31 Street Dennis Drive, North York), Fieldgate Video (2465 Cawthra Rd.,Unit 127, Mississauga), or Golden Groceries Silo Direct Link to Golden Groceries(2975 Drew Rd. Mississauga; 5995 14th Ave. Unit A-1, Bldg. A, Markham; 305 Charolais Blvd. Brampton; 4525 Ebeneyer Rd., Brampton, Cottrelle Blvd. Brampton).
LACK OF FOCUS ON ENERGY CONSERVATION AND EFFICIENCY COSTING ONTARIO MONEY Toronto, Ontario -The Ontario government has wasted taxpayer money by not prioritizing energy conservation. Neglecting energy conservation costs the province money, increases utility bills and misses out on creating thousands of new jobs.
“The Liberal government is burning our money by failing to deliver efficient solutions that reduce energy demand,” says Green Party of Ontario Leader Mike Schreiner. “The cheapest kilowatt is the one that is never created. We can tackle rising energy prices by helping people save money by using saving energy.”
Today, the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario confirmed that the government has failed to make energy conservation and efficiency a priority. Ontario has a huge opportunity to eliminate waste and reduce demand. New York state has similar geography and climate to Ontario, yet our energy consumption per person is 50% higher.
Instead of focusing on energy efficiency, all of the parties at Queen’s Park want to swipe the provincial credit card to offer short term subsidies that mostly benefit the biggest energy users. It’s irresponsible to mortgage our children’s future for a band-aid solution that drives up provincial debt, doesn’t create jobs and won’t provide long term relief.
“Instead of spending billions on cancelling gas plant contracts, the money could be spent on helping Ontarians conserve energy,” said Schreiner. “The Liberal government has shown a lack of leadership by failing to instruct Ontario’s energy bureaucracy to approve all cost-effective energy efficiency and conservation programs that are proposed by municipal electric utilities and local distribution companies.”
Earlier this year Queen’s Park politicians quietly allowed a popular and successful program that helped people save money by using less energy expire. The Home Energy Savings Program created good, local jobs in Ontario and permanently lowered energy bills.
The Green Party is calling for a Green Building Program to help tenants, home owners, and businesses save money by using less energy. This program will:
* Save rate-payers money on their utility bills permanently
* Save the province money by reducing the need for costly new generation
* Create good local jobs and make our businesses more competitive
* Provide rebates for those who need help the most: low income, seniors on fixed income and residents of remote communities
* Reduce pollution and preserve our environment
Media Contact:
Becky Smit Cell: 647-830-6486 Office: 416-977-7476 beckysmit@gpo.ca
Sent from Green Party of Ontario
PO Box 1132
Toronto, ON M4Y 2T8
Canada
Lack of COMSOC oversight means more wasted tax dollars… …and less for program spending – MPP Barrett QUEEN’S PARK – Ministry of Community and Social Services Critic Toby Barrett is concerned with the Auditor General’s finding that the Ministry continues to allow supportive services agencies to operate without adequate oversight.
“Many of the concerns…of this program 15 years ago have still not been satisfactorily addressed,” Barrett quoted from the Auditor General report during debate in the Legislature. “This has obviously been going on for 15 years, in particular over the last eight years. And as the auditor reports, it will take several years before many of the issues we identify in this report can be effectively addressed. This report from the Auditor General is not good.”
* In half the cases reviewed in the audit, agencies didn’t have supporting documentation to adequately show a person’s eligibility or needs. As a result, the agencies couldn’t demonstrate, and the Ministry couldn’t assess, whether the person was receiving the appropriate level of service.
* The Ministry has not established acceptable standards of service, or the necessary processes to properly monitor the quality of services provided.
* Annual funding of agencies is based primarily on what they got in the past rather than what they currently need, something that worsens any funding inequities that may previously have existed. As well, some hourly service costs appeared excessive, and the cost per hour for similar services that agencies were paying varied widely across the province.
* The Ministry does not know how many people are on waiting lists for agency-based supportive services and so cannot reliably assess unmet service needs.
“Without proper oversight, there is a very real possibility that we are sending taxpayers’ money down the drain,” noted Barrett. “During the tough economic times we are enduring it is incumbent on government to ensure that we are getting value for the fewer dollars we have to distribute – more wasted tax dollars means less for the essential programming that Ontario residents have paid for, and less for the services our less fortunate depend upon.”
For more information, please contact MPP Toby Barrett at: (416) 325-8404,
(519) 428-0446 or 1-800-903-8629
That’s Paris, Ontario. This lovely town of about 12,000 is an easy hour and a half hour drive from Niagara. It was amalgamated in 1999 to the County of Brant but the locals don’t like to admit to it. It’s named for the nearby deposits of gypsum used to make plaster of Paris. It is referred to as, “the cobblestone capital of Canada” because of the towns large number of aged cobblestone homes.
An example of one of the historical cobblestone homes found in Paris.
When I arrived a few weeks ago to do Christmas shopping, I found a vibrant downtown tucked away in a wide valley. It was sheltered from big-box retailing and I soon learned chronic 21st century hurry-up ism wasn’t here either. The place reminded me of earlier times when I would walk the downtown of my own hometown. The pace was slow. It reinforced in my mind, how nice the world can be.
Parking is free along Grand River Street, the Main Street, and there’s lots of interesting stores to explore.
Always looking for a “sweet deal” I stumbled upon Chocolate Sensations Silo Direct Link to Chocoloate Sensations Website Like so many other shops in town, this delightful aromatic place is family owned by John and Sarah Chalmers. John said, “This business began as a humble home-based hobby in a family kitchen over 20 years ago. Today we do a thriving on site business and a large volume of catalogue sales”. Once inside chocolate enthusiasts will think they have died and went to chocolate heaven. I recommend before you leave take home some Christmas, Candy Cane Bark. Come on, you can afford to take out the belt a notch, after all it’s Christmas.
Sarah and John Chalmers inside their Chocolate Sensations shop.
Next door is a “cheesy place”. The Three Blind Mice Cheese Company Silo Direct Link to Three Blind Mice Cheese Company WebsiteOkay, I promise no more cheesy stuff. The owner, Lindsay Dawdy with an ear to ear smile said, “We only opened in June of this year and so far it’s been a runaway success. So much so, we’ve opened another store in Elora”. Believe it or not, this is a fun place. Step inside and see what I mean. Ask Lindsay to push the reset button on her 1951 Juke Box and you can hear one of your golden-oldies. Sticky Toffee and Wensleydale with Cranberry are the featured cheeses for the holidays.
Lindsay Dawdy, owner of Three Blind Mice Cheese Factory shows us one of her unusual cheesesThe Three Blind Mice Cheese Company storefront
Down the road is the John N Hall House of Quality Linens. This is an old-fashioned dry goods store. Their heavy front doors are the same ones customer’s have been pushing since the 1860’s. If you’re looking for a ladies embroided white cotton nightgown or fleece or flannelette blankets you’ve arrived.
For starters, everything is made from scratch and from what I observed servers worked at spoiling their customers. They roast their own coffee and they specialize in nostalgic hard to find sandwiches like the classic Monte Cristo. The Apple Waldorf Salad platter is a crowd pleaser. I loved their Deep Dish Corn Meal Crust Quiche and hand crafted Hot Apple Fritters. The apples were prepared in front of me using an 1800’s hand operated peeler. I washed the meal down with chocolate milk delivered to my table in an old-fashioned dairy bottle. In the warmer months you can eat on the second floor outdoor patio that overlooks the Grand River that flows through town.
I stopped in 'at the dog' for a meal washed down with chocolate milk delivered in a retro glass bottle
Before you leave Paris walk to the end of the town to the Williams Street Bridge and take a photograph of the back of these historic buildings that house these shops. It will be a keeper.
As I headed home I came across a group of people who were unloading Balsam Firs to be sold at their annual Christmas tree sale for St. James Anglican Church. It was a scene from a Norman Rockwell painting. One of the parishioners Steve Howes, who had lived in the town for 45 years told me, “This is a small town with a lot of heart. People still treat each other with respect. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else”. That sums this town up nicely.
Christmas tree sale in support of St. James Anglican Church
How to get There
From Niagara take the QEW to Highway 403 towards Brantford. Cut off onto Highway 2 to Paris. GPS users can punch in 89 Grand River Street. North, Paris.
Since 1850 Ontario Parisians have been warmly welcoming visitors
Written and Photographed by George Bailey. George is a writer who has a unique way of finding ‘hidden gems’ and sharing his experience in words and pictures.
It all began with an amazing trailer, one which captivated gamers and zombie fanatics alike. To some, it was projected to be the most epic zombie game ever created! Well…almost. I can recall after watching the 30-odd, brief second commercial I said in an ironically zombie-like tone “gotta get that game”. The problem however, just may have been the hype. Read me out. The game Dead Island (never mind the trailer for a moment) is by far one of the coolest, addictive zombie games I’ve played in a good while.
You begin your zombie mashing quest on the fictional island of Banoi. You awake to find out that you’ve been bit by a zombie yet miraculously you, and only you, are immune to the zombie “infection” that has infiltrated the island. You are then sent out to complete various missions while also trying to find a way off the island. Of course, this is the game in a very tight nut shell, but you get the idea.
Played in first person, Dead Island is a zombie game that strays from the pack. Unlike other zombie games (Call of Duty: Black Ops) there’s a point to all the bloodshed! Rather than barricading yourself in an old, blown to bits, refuge waiting to die, you are continuously following quests and searching for either a cure or a way off the island. Furthermore, you are completing missions while hacking zombies to bits! (Of course this is all done for the protection of the other survivors and not for the sheer enjoyment). Dead Island also offers a great deal of discovery and has the detailed graphics to go along with the experience.
The bulk of your gameplay is going to rely on questing and exploration but it’s a gorgeous island to explore. Another point of interest is the open concept within the game. You are on an island! You are not surrounded by cement walls or debris covered roads but rather lush trees and a sparkling ocean which I think adds to the creepy factor. I mean, think about it…taking a vacation to a sandy beach resort is nothing out of the ordinary. Now imagine if that was your vacation ruined by zombies!
In terms of characters, there is enough character choice to satisfy and not overwhelm. Four characters, each of whom have their own background stories and their own weapon of expertise. For example, I played as Sam B who is skilled in the use of brass knuckles. Ha ha yeah, I thought it was pretty gritty too. I would change one thing though in regards to the characters; I would have preferred the ability to create your own character and the choice to choose your own expertise. I figure by creating your own character this allows you to better connect the game to the player.
One of the filthy Zombies from Dead Island BRAINSSSSS
Now for the zombies themselves, it’s nice to finally see some variety! You have your traditional “walkers” who can only be described as resembling something stumbling out of a bar at 2 in the morning, and you also have your “infected” who can occasionally sprint at you from any direction while releasing an ear piercing scream. Hell, there are even ones that go boom! The variety in zombie types requires you to be a quick thinker and an even quicker player. When you’re being attacked by a gang of eight zombies, ranging from useless to deadly, you need to utilize your weapons effectively and efficiently or else it’s game over.
Finally, let’s talk weapons. Of course you can use anything that’s lying around: a paddle or broken stick, but you can also improvise, upgrade and modify your weapons. For example, you can begin with your ordinary baseball bat, find some nails or barbed wire and you have one mean heavy hitter. This really gives you a chance to test your creativity and get the big points. All the random objects you find around the island are good for something, especially weapon modification so even the exploration has a purpose. Find yourself a stick, rags, nails and gasoline and you have a torch as well as a weapon! There are guns to be found or traded on the island but I actually preferred not using them. I mean let’s just pretend for a moment that zombies really did break out on my tropical island vacation, the chances of me finding a gun on the island….slim. So I played with what I had and what I could create. This method actually tests your abilities more than you’d think.
Overall, Dead Island is what I’d like to call a pallet cleansing game. It’s a break away from the shoot em’ up zombie games and provides a fresh new take on the idea of “infection”. However, I should mention that if serious amounts of blood and gore ain’t your thing, then perhaps Dead Island should stay on the shelf otherwise, it’s money well spent! Have fun gamers and remember to double tap! For the Silo, Holly LaRue.
