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5 Tips for Coordinating Extended Business Travel

No matter how you slice it, planning a long business trip can be challenging. If you’re coordinating extended business travel for yourself, one of your employees, or an entire company, there are plenty of logistics to think about, including lodging, costs, safety concerns, health, etc. To make the task easier on you, here are 5 helpful tips for planning an extended business trip for yourself or your staff.

Make Travel Plans as Early as Possible

Sometimes, last-minute trips are unavoidable —but the sooner you can make travel arrangements for an upcoming trip, the better. You’re more likely to get better rates on airfare and lodging by booking early, and you may also be able to redeem travel rewards to save even more.

Pack Accordingly

Determining how to pack for an extended stay can be one of the most frustrating aspects of a business trip, largely because there’s a fine line between under-packing and over-packing. Using luggage with extra compartments can help conserve space, as can rolling clothes instead of folding them. Your packing should include the following basics:

  • Your work materials
  • Electronics and chargers (e.g., laptops, tablets, phones)
  • Toiletries
  • Clothes for a range of temperatures
  • Casual clothing along with business attire (you won’t be in meetings the entire time, after all)

Allow for Down Time in Your Schedule

Longer trips require a bit of pacing to keep yourself or your employees healthy and to prevent exhaustion. Try not to “hit the ground running”; instead, allow a day of downtime between travel days and work days to take a breath and regroup. While on the trip, be careful to allow enough space between appointments, and if the trip lasts more than a week, be sure to schedule days off.

Track Expenses

If things get hectic during a business trip, it can be easy to lose track of expenses. Try to adopt some sort of system to help you and your team keep track — not only to stay on budget, but to make sure you’re able to claim eligible deductions later.

Work with a Corporate Lodging Provider

For extended stays, short-term corporate housing is a safer, more affordable alternative to expensive hotels — plus working with a corporate lodging provider makes the entire process of coordinating extended business travel much easier because the lodging details are handled by a professional.

If you’re trying to coordinate a business trip to Atlanta or Jacksonville, TP Corporate Lodging can arrange for you and your team to stay in fully-furnished, comfortable apartments for less than the cost of a hotel. Give us a call at 800.428.9997 to learn more.

Why Choose Corporate Lodging?

When you travel on business for an extended stay, or if you need temporary housing during a relocation, you have a number of options available — for example, extended stay hotels or Airbnb. However, many relocation experts recommend corporate lodging as a safer, more affordable alternative for extended stays.

Why choose corporate lodging? Working with a certified corporate housing provider enables you to rent a clean, comfortable furnished apartment with the comforts of home, giving you greater peace of mind whatever your reason for traveling. Let’s explore some of the reasons why you might want to choose corporate lodging over other temporary housing options.

Corporate Housing Is More Affordable than Hotels

The cost of a hotel stay can add up quickly, even in extended stay properties, generally because you’re paying for extra conveniences and amenities you don’t need and will probably never use. Corporate housing is much more affordable, in part because you’re not paying for those amenities. For less than the cost of a small hotel room, the corporate lodging option provides you with an actual furnished apartment with fully equipped kitchen and the comforts of home. (Plus, you often benefit from the additional amenities of the apartment community where you’re staying.)

Corporate Housing Is Safer than Hotels

Even with added security measures, thieves like to frequent hotels looking for careless travelers to prey upon — not to mention hotel staff can access your room whenever they wish. In addition, with different people staying in the rooms every night, sanitation is an ongoing challenge. Corporate lodging is typically safer in these regards because your apartment is clean, private and affords limited access — plus, predators aren’t looking for you there.

A Better Option for Travelers with Pets

If you bring a pet on an extended stay, you have a number of additional challenges. Many hotels are not pet-friendly, and those that are may charge extra for the privilege — not to mention the risk of flea or tick infestations from pets who have been in the room before you. A kennel typically isn’t a good option, either, because many pets become ill or deal with separation anxiety when left in a kennel for long periods of time. Corporate lodging provides an ideal alternative for pet owners because your pet gets to stay with you in a homelike environment, following a similar routine to what they do when you are home.

Greater Benefits for Companies

If you are a business providing temporary housing for one or more of your employees, working with a corporate housing partner offers a wide range of advantages over booking multiple hotel rooms. Not only do your employees benefit from more comfortable lodging, but your task becomes much less stressful when you have a local agent handling the details for you. In addition, you may also enjoy some added tax benefits by working with a corporate lodging provider.

These are just a few of the reasons why you should consider corporate lodging over hotels for extended stays. If you need short-term housing in Atlanta or Jacksonville, we can help. Call TP Corporate Lodging today at 800.428.9997.

Tips for Choosing Corporate Lodging

For extended business trips, company transfers, transitional housing or temporary housing during a home renovation, choosing a furnished short-term corporate rental is often a more comfortable and affordable option than staying in a hotel. Corporate lodging offers all the comforts of a “home away from home” so you can relax during down times and stay healthy during extended business trips or other times of transition.

That being said, not all short-term housing options are created equal. Some corporate housing firms operate with terms you may be uncomfortable with; others may nickel-and-dime you with hidden costs or simply don’t offer the types of furnishings you need. To ensure the best possible experience and the best value for the money, we offer the following tips for choosing corporate lodging.

Make Preparations in Advance

With any temporary extended stay, there are a number of logistical things you must consider (for example, knowing what to pack, forwarding mail, etc.). The following list of 8 things to do before moving into temporary housing should help you stay on track.

Know Which Questions to Ask

What furniture is included in your apartment? Is there any additional security deposit? Which utilities are included in the rent? Are vacuums, kitchen utensils and cleaning supplies included? Can I request certain furniture pieces? Are there any hidden costs? When talking with any corporate lodging agency, you need to ask these and other questions to make sure there are no unexpected surprises. We’ve put together a checklist of questions that should help.

If Using Airbnb, Look for Certified Corporate Lodging

Airbnb can be a great resource for finding furnished homes and apartments for cheaper rates than a hotel, but not every host on that platform operates up to Airbnb’s exacting standards. For the most consistent experience, make sure the host you choose is a certified corporate lodging agent. This article explains how in further detail.

Work with a Local Company

For best results, try to work with a corporate lodging agent with specific experience in the city you’re traveling to. For example, if you’re looking for a good corporate apartment in Atlanta, a local agent will have the inside scoop on travel times, traffic patterns and the best corporate housing options in Atlanta. Likewise, if you’re traveling to Jacksonville, Florida, a localized agency will have the best info on top corporate housing in Jacksonville.

Whether your extended stay is for business or pleasure, following these tips should help you find the right furnished temporary housing for your needs. If you’re looking for the best corporate lodging options in Atlanta or in Jacksonville, TP Corporate Lodging can help. Give us a call today at 800.428.9997.

5 Questions to Ask Before Moving into Corporate Lodging

If your business or company sends you to another city for an extended stay, temporary corporate housing provides an excellent alternative to expensive and constraining hotel stays. Corporate lodging typically provides a fully furnished apartment rather than a single room or suite, with a fully equipped kitchen and other extras. However, these lodgings naturally work a bit differently than hotels or shared housing platforms like Airbnb. To help you find your bearings and know what to expect, here are 5 important questions to ask before moving into any corporate apartment.

1. What amenities and benefits are included in the price?

With temporary corporate housing, you’re moving into an actual apartment or residence, not a hotel room. As a result, you may be trading some advantages for a few luxury amenities provided by hotels that you probably won’t use, anyway. That said, every housing agency operates a little differently, so don’t assume a certain amenity is included — always ask for a list. If the unit is in an established apartment complex, chances are you’ll be able to access most of the amenities that complex provides (for example, a fitness center, pool or community area), but check with your management company first. If you need something that isn’t included, your agency may be able to arrange it for you.

2. Who pays for utilities?

If you’re going to be staying on a while, especially, make sure you have this information up front. Some corporate rental agencies include the cost of utilities in the cost of the rent, but some may not. Best to know up front to avoid any unpleasant surprises.

3. Is housekeeping included?

Again, you’re staying in an apartment, not an actual hotel with housekeepers. In many cases, housekeeping service is a benefit that is traded off in exchange for a larger, more comfortable living space, as well as to keep your costs down. If housekeeping is not included in the price and you need that service, ask your corporate lodging agent if housekeeping can be arranged.

4. Is the unit pet-friendly?

This is a very important question to ask if you’re bringing a dog or cat with you. Some units are pet-friendly, but if you bring a pet into a unit that is not, and that pet causes damage, you may be responsible for extra expenses. Ask in advance; a good agency can usually accommodate this need with pet-friendly lodging.

5. Whom do I call with a problem or maintenance issue?

Let’s face it — things happen. A toilet backs up, a dishwasher breaks. Since you’re effectively renting from a housing company rather than the apartment manager, you need to know up front who to call if something goes wrong. Sometimes the agency will have you contact the residential management office; other times they’ll ask you to call them directly. Make sure you know who to call to get your problem resolved — and make sure you’re also provided with an after-hours phone number for emergencies.

At TP Corporate Lodging, we go the extra mile to make sure your home-away-from-home meets all your needs, and we make sure you know what’s included and who to call if you run into trouble. To learn more about our available corporate housing in Atlanta and Jacksonville, call us today at 800.428.9997.

Where to Find Luxury Furnished Rentals in Atlanta

If you’re coming to Atlanta, Georgia for an extended stay—whether for work, pleasure, health issues, family issues, etc. — finding a decent place to stay can certainly be a challenge. Hotels can get very expensive, and most apartments are unfurnished and want you to sign a lease of at least 6 months. You need something worry-free, preferably something with some amenities — but where do you look? How do you find luxury furnished rentals in Atlanta? Let’s explore a few options.

In recent years, Craigslist has become a go-to site for anyone looking for just about anything at a decent price — including short-term and furnished rental property. Craigslist has virtually replaced the classifieds. The caution is that Craigslist is largely unpoliced, and a lot of scam artists use it to prey on the unsuspecting. It’s not uncommon to put down a deposit on an apartment that is already occupied by someone, only to have the “landlord” suddenly disappear. You need to vet every lead carefully if you go this route.

Airbnb has become one of the world’s most popular platforms for finding short-term housing, and it’s definitely possible to find a great place to stay using this platform. However, again, you’re often dealing with individuals renting out their spaces, and quality control is an ongoing issue. Also, if you’re not careful, you could end up spending nearly hotel rates on a so-called “luxury” space.

Rental Management Companies/Real Estate Agents

People coming in from out of town often try a more conventional route in finding furnished rental units — approaching a management company or even a local real estate agent. Occasionally you can find something to suit your needs through either of these channels, but it’s akin to looking for a needle in a haystack. Management companies sometimes have furnished rentals, but most of them deal with unfurnished units and require a lease — and real estate agents almost exclusively deal with units for sale. Don’t be surprised if you come up empty-handed.

Corporate Housing Company

In most cases, one of the best solutions for finding a good luxury furnished rental in Atlanta is to work with a local corporate housing agency — a company that actually specializes in short-term housing solutions. A good agency can offer a selection of fully-furnished apartments in luxury complexes offering a full array of amenities — for a fraction of the cost of a hotel stay. These units are the closest thing you can get to having a “home away from home,” and the process is simple and painless.

If you need to find a comfortable furnished rental for an extended stay in Atlanta, we are here to help! Call TP Corporate Lodging today 800.428.9997.

How Temporary Housing Works for Insurance Claims

It’s a situation none of us wants to think about, but occasionally homes do get destroyed or rendered uninhabitable by fire or natural disaster. If it happens to you, it can feel like the end of the world. Even if no one was hurt, you’re facing the potential loss of many belongings, possibly of sentimental value — not to mention the question of finding temporary housing for your family and yourself while you figure out what comes next.

The good news is that if you carry a good homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy, there is probably a provision in there that allocates funds for temporary housing in the event of fire or natural disaster. You’ll usually find this provision under a “loss of use” coverage clause or even “additional expenses.” (If your current policy doesn’t provide this coverage, we highly recommend getting one that does.) By default, many insurance companies (and homeowners) assume that “temporary housing” means putting your family up in a hotel while repairs are made to your home. But this poses another set of problems: What happens if you can’t move back home for months? Is your family supposed to stay in a cramped hotel all that time? And since hotels are expensive, what if the hotel costs are more than your coverage allows, whether as a daily rate or a total amount?

A Better Solution

This dilemma can be solved by another, better option: Obtain temporary housing through a corporate housing agency. Instead of defaulting to a hotel, you and your family can stay in a fully furnished luxury apartment. This option gives your family plenty of space and all the comforts of home — not to mention any additional amenities offered by the apartment complex — and your insurance company will love it because it usually costs significantly less than a hotel stay.

How Insurance Works with Temporary Corporate Housing

In most cases, your insurance covers corporate housing in much the same way the policy would handle a hotel stay. This typically happens in one of three ways:

  • Your insurance company handles the arrangements with the housing provider directly. This option is the easiest because you just get to move in without worrying about up-front costs. If your policy works this way, you may need to advise the insurance company of your wish to stay in corporate housing so they don’t put you in a hotel by default.
  • You file a claim and the insurance company reimburses you. This option requires you to pay upfront for your housing, but you get it back eventually.
  • You obtain an advance payment from the insurance company. If your insurance provider wants to reimburse your claim, you may be able to get them to advance you part of the money up front. This option provides a suitable compromise if you don’t have the money to pay out of pocket initially.

Other Important Tips

A couple of other things you need to be aware of when looking at temporary housing after a disaster:

  • Corporate housing may not be covered in the event of flood. Most homeowner’s and renter’s policies don’t cover floods. If you live in a flood-prone area, you may be required to carry separate flood insurance FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), but this provision also doesn’t cover additional living expenses like temporary housing. If you’ve been displaced by flood, contact FEMA to find out your best options.
  • Read the fine print of your policy — before disaster strikes. Don’t assume your housing is covered in the event of a disaster; make sure of it. Find out how much money your policy allows for additional living expenses or loss of use, and find out whether the insurance company prefers to handle the arrangements or reimburse you. That way, you’ll be prepared for what happens with fewer surprises in the event of a disaster.

In Atlanta or Jacksonville, TP Corporate Lodging will work with your insurance company to get your family into a comfortable, fully-furnished temporary apartment in the event of fire or natural disaster. To learn more, call us today at 800.428.9997.

Short-Term Furnished Housing for Atlanta Renovations

Atlanta is a city full of life and texture, including many new and historic homes. Sometimes a renovation or remodeling project can make your home unlivable or highly inconvenient for extended lengths of time. At other times, if you’re building a home, the construction timeline may be delayed due to weather, supply shortages or any of a number of other factors. These temporary inconveniences will be worth it in the end, but what do you do when your living situation is in transition? Let’s explore a few options for short-term furnished housing for Atlanta renovations.

Why Hotels Aren’t Always the Best Idea

By default, many families choose to book rooms in a nearby hotel while their home is going through renovations. Some hotels are indeed geared for extended stays, offering larger suites, kitchenettes and even small apartments. However, this may not always be the best choice for your family. For one thing, hotels come at premium rates, including amenities and services you’re not even likely to use — and even extended stay hotels can get costly over time. Plus, if your renovations go over time or over budget, it doesn’t take long to deplete any savings you’ve accumulated over time.

Airbnb? Maybe…

These days, online platforms like Airbnb are providing a popular alternative to expensive hotels by allowing people to list extra rooms, apartments and even houses for rent. Here in the Atlanta area, it’s fairly easy to find a fully-furnished place large enough for a family, usually for less than the cost of a comparable hotel suite. While this option has its advantages, there are ongoing questions about quality control as some people find their apartments aren’t as advertised, or their hosts don’t take good care of them. Airbnb is taking steps to reduce these risks, but it still may take a little bit of vetting to find the right room.

Corporate Short-Term Housing

Here’s a third option that many people overlook or are unaware of: work with a corporate housing agency to procure short-term housing. This type of service is frequently used by companies or employees staying on business, but it actually works quite well for families in transition, as well. (In fact, some people stay in short-term corporate housing during relocation while looking for a permanent place to live.) A corporate lodging agency arranges for you and your family to stay in a fully-furnished apartment in the Atlanta area, usually with full access to the amenities of that complex, for a fraction of what a hotel usually costs. This options basically gets you the comforts of home for however long you need it, without breaking the bank.

If you’re in the midst of an Atlanta home renovation and need an option for short-term housing, TP Corporate Lodging is here to help. To learn more about availability and rates, give us a call at 800.428.9997.

Choosing a Corporate Production Housing Partner

When you’re bringing a full film crew to another city for a production shoot, the fewer details you have to worry about, the better. Here in Atlanta, which has in recent years become one of the busiest film production hubs on the planet, there’s a constant challenge to find enough available short-term housing for incoming film professionals (and sometimes their families). Finding creative ways to fill this need — within budget — can be a full-time job in itself. One great way to solve the problem is to work with a corporate production housing partner — an agent or company who can make these arrangements for you. Here are some tips for finding the right company to work with.

Look for a Company Specializing in Furnished Apartments

To be clear: For best results, you don’t need a “booking agent” or glorified travel agent whose job it is to book enough hotel rooms or Airbnb to cover your housing needs. That strategy can be costly, deliver inconsistent results and may not give your team the level of comfort they really need for an extended shoot. For any shoot lasting longer than a week, look for agencies that specialize in fully furnished apartments at corporate rates. That way, you can be better assured your team will rest more comfortably at night and come to the set refreshed and ready to work.

Look for a Company with Local Expertise

Corporate housing companies with a national reach may appear professional and well-connected, but there’s really no substitute for working with an agency with local ties to the community. Some reasons why this is true:

  • A local corporate housing company knows the various neighborhoods and “hotspots,” knows your prospective filming locations and knows which apartments would be most comfortable and convenient for your team.
  • A local agency will have solid, trusted working relationships with apartment complexes across the city, making it much easier to procure sufficient housing in a short amount of time.
  • A local company will also have a better ability to customize a corporate housing plan to suit your specific needs — all the way down to providing individualized attention to the needs of your teammates. (For example, if someone is bringing a dog or needs a high chair, these are accommodations more easily met by a local company.)

Film productions are stressful enough on their own, even at those rare times when things are going exactly as planned. Don’t add to the stress of your Atlanta film shoot by taking on the burden of finding housing for your crew. TP Corporate Lodging can be your trusted corporate housing partner to make sure your team can live and rest comfortably without breaking the bank. To learn more, call us at 800.428.9997.

How to Find Certified Corporate Lodging on Airbnb

In recent years, Airbnb has gained a lot of steam as a platform to find comfortable lodging as an alternative to more expensive hotels. It can be very useful for families to find vacation rentals or for business travelers to find affordable places for extended stays. It’s also a way for private individuals to make a little extra income off their property — and, ironically, here’s where the challenges lie. Even with robust screening in place, it can be difficult for Airbnb to monitor quality control for the individual renting their place for the weekend versus a certified corporate lodging partner with consistent standards (like TP Corporate) who also may be using the site.

Fortunately, there are a few ways to find certified corporate lodging on Airbnb while weeding through the many private listings that may or may not be as advertised or up to your standards. Here are some tips.

Check out Airbnb’s Corporate Travel Section

Unbeknownst to some, Airbnb has a specific portal for business travelers to find great places to stay on business. This presents a great opportunity to find lodging that is especially work-friendly, and you’re more likely to find a higher concentration of listings there by corporate lodging agencies.

Look for the “Plus” Button

In an effort to improve quality control across the site, Airbnb has launched Airbnb Plus, a new classification guaranteeing the highest quality standards in their listings. Plus listings have a history of consistently high reviews and are personally visited by Airbnb staff to pass a 100-point inspection. Many corporate lodging partners qualify for the “Plus” ranking, so this is also a good way to find them.

Research Specific Hosts

When you come across a listing on the site that seems to check all the boxes for you, dig a little deeper and click on the host icon. Find out whether it’s an individual or a business and whether they have multiple properties available. This is also a good way to identify a company providing quality corporate housing.

Many users have had good experiences all around with Airbnb, which is one reason the site is so popular. However, a few bad apples still slip through the cracks, and when you’re trying to make quick plans for business travel, you want to be certain you’re getting a good unit and a good host without having to do hours of research. The best way to do that is to find a reliable corporate lodging partner with a track record of quality. If you’re heading to Atlanta or Jacksonville on business and need reliable, affordable lodging, call TP Corporate Lodging at 800.428.9997.

Short-Term Medical Lodging Resources for Patients & Families

An extended family health crisis can add untold amounts of stress on patients and families alike. Not only is there the concern for the patient’s well-being, but the added financial pressure of healthcare and medical expenses can take a huge toll on the family, as well. Occasionally, the best treatment can’t be found at local facilities, and the patient may need to spend time at a specialized facility in another city or state. This means finding short-term lodging for the patient and the family members who accompany him/her — all adding up to even more expenses.

How can family members juggle all these details and extra expenses when all they want to do is be there to support their loved one during treatment? The good news is that if you’re going through something like this, there are housing options available that you might not have considered. Some of these options can save you money over expensive hotels, and some can even function as a home-away-from-home. Let’s explore some short-term medical lodging resources for patients and their families, discussing some of the advantages and possible disadvantages of each.

Hotel Discounts

For most people, the default option for temporary, out-of-town lodging is a hotel or motel. The problem is that these hotels come at a premium cost, and even those properties designed for extended stays can add up quickly in price. The good news is that sometimes medical healthcare facilities negotiate special discounts with nearby hotels to help offset the cost (ask your healthcare facility for a list of options).

  • Advantages: Using medical discounts at a hotel is a quick, convenient way to answer the question of where you’re going to stay so you can give more attention to your loved one. The discounts are sometimes significant and can lessen the financial burden.
  • Disadvantages: Even at discounted rates, hotels can be costly — and the cheaper ones with fewer amenities frequently aren’t comfortable enough for longer stays. Unless you’re staying in a suite, spending weeks in a single room can also add stress to an already difficult situation.

Hospital-Affiliated Housing/Non-profit Groups

Some healthcare facilities also have set up some form of specialized housing for families to stay in at discounted rates while their loved one undergoes treatment. This housing is often set up to feel as home-like as possible (although there are some limitations), and they are often specialized to accommodate a certain type of illness (for example, cancer treatment). There are also non-profit organizations that provide temporary housing for families in health crises for little or no cost. (Ronald McDonald House is an excellent example, providing housing for families with sick children.)

  • Advantages: Hospital-affiliated and charitable housing are geared to making a healthcare crisis easier on the family. They are deliberately close to the facility (either across the street or in walking distance), provide home-like facilities and sometimes even meals, and can greatly reduce the cost of short-term lodging.
  • Disadvantages: Due to great demand, these housing options are frequently limited on space and availability. They also may restrict admittance to families dealing with a specific type of healthcare issue.

Shared Housing Platforms (e.g. Airbnb)

In recent years, another housing option has emerged that can help families find home-like conditions out of town at a reasonable cost. Using an online platform or app like Airbnb, families can rent fully furnished homes and apartments made available by their owners. These come at a variety of price points, but they are generally comparable to or cheaper than hotels.

  • Advantages: Airbnb and similar platforms help families find actual residences to stay in, including fully equipped kitchens so families can do their own cooking. The home-like surroundings make it easier to stay for longer periods of time.
  • Disadvantages: While these platforms are taking steps to improve quality control, it’s often a “buyer beware” situation. Lodging options may not always be as advertised, and individual service may vary.

Short-term Corporate Housing

One highly effective housing option that often goes overlooked is to work with a short-term corporate housing agency, one that specializes in providing furnished residences for stays lasting longer than a week to several months. Businesses often use these agencies to provide housing for traveling employees, but they can be a great option for patients and families, as well. The agency arranges for the family to stay in a fully furnished apartment (often with luxury amenities) for a fraction of the cost of hotel stays.

  • Advantages: Corporate lodging can add up to significant savings for families in medical crises while providing an actual, fully furnished residence to stay in. Since the housing company oversees the details, quality control is greatly improved over Airbnb and similar options, as well.

Whether you or a loved one is undergoing rehab, fighting cancer or dealing with some other debilitating illness, the last thing you need is to face unnecessary financial burdens associated with your extended stay lodging. If you or your loved one requires treatment in Atlanta or Jacksonville, TP Corporate Lodging can provide high-quality corporate lodging for the family at very reasonable rates. To learn more, call us today at 800.428.9997.


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Support of any number of languages is one of important features of Bitrix Framework. The system permits:

  • Using a multi-language interface in the administrative section.
  • Creating any number of sites (depending on the license in different languages within one system.

Note: The number of languages used in the system does not depend on the number of sites.

This section contains information about the use of encoding for the correct display of information on the site pages. Having studied the section you will get an idea about the main principles of use and also about the ways to setup and connect different encodings.

Courses developed by «Bitrix», Inc.

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Media Advisory: TransAlta Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2018 Results and Conference Call

Feb 6, 2019

 CALGARY, Alberta (February 6, 2019) – TransAlta Corporation (“TransAlta” or the “Company”) (TSX: TA) (NYSE: TAC) will release its fourth quarter and full year 2018 results before market open on Wednesday, February 27, 2019. An extended conference call and webcast to discuss the results will be held for investors, analysts, members of the media and other interested parties the same day beginning at 9:00 a.m. MST (11:00 a.m. EST). In addition to the regular quarterly discussion, TransAlta will provide an update on the Company’s priority initiatives. The media will be invited to ask questions following analysts.

Please contact the conference operator five minutes prior to the call, noting “TransAlta Corporation” as the company and “Sally Taylor” as moderator.

Dial-in numbers – Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2018 Results:

Toll-free North American participants call: 1-888-231-8191

Outside of Canada & USA call: 1-647-427-7450

A link to the live webcast will be available on the Investor Centre section of TransAlta’s website at If you are unable to participate in the call, the instant replay is accessible at 1-855-859-2056 (Canada and USA toll free) with TransAlta pass code 5009309 followed by the # sign. A transcript of the broadcast will be posted on TransAlta’s website once it becomes available.

About TransAlta Corporation:

TransAlta owns, operates and develops a diverse fleet of electrical power generation assets in Canada, the United States and Australia with a focus on long-term shareholder value. We provide municipalities, medium and large industries, businesses and utility customers clean, affordable, energy efficient, and reliable power. Today, we are one of Canada’s largest producers of wind power and Alberta’s largest producer of hydro-electric power. For over 100 years, TransAlta has been a responsible operator and a proud community-member where its employees work and live. TransAlta aligns its corporate goals with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and we have been recognized by CDP (formerly Climate Disclosure Project) as an industry leader on Climate Change Management. We are also proud to have achieved the Silver level PAR (Progressive Aboriginal Relations) designation by the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business.

For more information about TransAlta, visit our web site at

For more information:

Investor Inquiries: Media Inquiries:
Sally Taylor Phone: Toll-free media number: 1-855-255-9184
Manager, Investor Relations Email:
Phone: 1-800-387-3598 in Canada and U.S.


text:
Anxious to Sea Change

Anxious to Sea Change

Der Titel der 2016 transmediale Marshall McLuhan Lecture von Sara Diamond lautete “Anxious to Sea Change”. Damit nahm die Künstlerin Bezug auf ihre persönliche Geschichte im Aktivismus, die gleichzeitig auf die ökologische Krise anspielt und verglich politische Problemlösungsversuche mit dem Navigieren auf hoher See. Ihr Gesprächspartner Jamie Allen filterte die persönlichen und historischen Konnotationen des Talks heraus und verwies auf die metaphorische Landkarte zur Navigation eines Lebens von Haltung und Verantwortung, welche Diamond im Rahmen dieser Lecture präsentierte.

There are oh-so-many metaphors by which people try to understand the haphazardness of a life. It might sound like a banality to point out how important these structuring stories and overarching images are to the retroactive and projected constitution of one’s own sense of one’s own history—but like most seemingly banal things, it’s not. (George Lakoff and Mark Johnson even wrote a three hundred page book about the all important “Metaphors We Live By”1.) The sheer multitude of decisions, modulations, retractions, sensitivities, adoptions, actions, and inactions that constitute a life really requires, for most of us, some kind of figurative parable or narrative curve-fitting. This, in part, is what helps each of us find momentary answers to the central question of “what is to be done?” or at least “what is to be done next?”

 Hot Chicks on T.V. [video still] by Elizabeth Van der Zaag.

But how should our idiosyncratic existential blips be best metaphorized to produce a life of love, knowledge, friendship, work (not job), and knowing? Should we imagine an erratic or peripatetic random walk? A perfectionistic, hylomorphic self-sculpting and soin de soi? A deterministic, individual pilgrimage toward some specific end or goal? There are a host of trite Americanisms that would have people posit their lives as a kind of personalised capture-the-flag game—life as “finding yourself.” As if the “real you” was a kind of emerald jewel, thrown away at the moment of your birth and lying in wait in some dark, subcontinental jungle, forever rendering human experience as an isolative idiosyncratic treasure hunt (which maybe explains The Amazing Race). A wonderfully brilliant New York historian, feminist and designer I had the privilege to work with for a while used to rail against the seemingly blameless, widespread life-metaphor of the “timeline”; to her, this omnipresent spatio-temporal diagrammatic was both dishonestly mono-chronometric (time, especially life-time as experienced, is not linear, but dynamic and relative) and a violent collapse of parallelism and synchronicity (lots of things happen at the same time, all the time). “Timelines are a lie,” she would say, fervently and often.

 Our Marilyn (1987) [video still] by Brenda Longfellow.

On 2 February 2016, the Canadian artist, activist, feminist, designer and current Ontario College of Art and Design President Sara Diamond delivered the 2016 transmediale Marshall McLuhan Lecture. Sara was asked by festival director Kristoffer Gansing to review her life as an activist and instigator—in a way, to narrate her autobiography. Sara also chose to respond directly to transmediale’s festival theme-cum-prompt “anxious to…” (Anxious to Act, Anxious to Make, Anxious to Share, Anxious to Secure being the conference stream titles). Having initially titled the lecture, “Anxious To See Change,” just before the lecture event Diamond seemingly subtly re-titled her talk to “Anxious to Sea Change.” As I saw this new spelling on a title graphic projected above the stage at the Canadian Embassy in Berlin during an afternoon pre-lecture sound check, it struck me just how appropriate this shift to nautical metaphors was for a lecture that was to review a lifetime of individual passions becoming institutional practices that have modulated a generation of art, media, design, and technoscience practice and research in Canada and elsewhere.

Diamond has made her career in one of Earth’s few nations that is touched by its two largest oceans, making all the more propitious the examination during her lecture of a number of important “ships”: scholarship, membership, friendship, censorship, citizenship. Her lecture, as her work and life, strikes one with the impression of an admirable someone who is adept at building and maintaining institutional vessels that are resilient and durable, and that shelter the concerns and transport the voices of suppressed intersectional identities therein: women, racial minorities, indigenous cultures, and the LGBTQ community. Sara Diamond’s spheres of engagement, throughout her continuing, active career in art, design, and technoscience, are marked by an inspiring ability to mould and modulate environments, always stemming from a consistent intent to bring to the fore the concerns of the under-represented and unheard.

Central to the buoyancy of a ship is the collaborative tenacity with which it negotiates the medium of its own travel. The “sea change” Diamond refers to is precisely this kind of inventive use of the tensions between a being and its milieux, the tensions between individuals and institutions that simultaneously empower and enervate. She models a powerful persistence in the face of lasting, lapping frustration that change never comes soon enough. In the anticipative institutions Diamond builds and maintains, we see how lasting reorientation and indeed healing can only take place through contexts, in art and design as elsewhere, that span beyond the modernist trope of the ‘creative individual’. Such reorientation is nonetheless and contradictorily dependant upon the imaginative energies of individuals and smaller, empowered collectives. This essential resonance is a dynamic that leaves many of us “out at sea,” unsure if inclusion, equality, participation, and visibility are goals best advanced through change articulated from inside or outside “the system.” The methods available to us to change whole contexts, worldviews and histories—producing sea changes—often seem to breed little but fatigue and cynicism. Do we expect too much, and too much immediacy? The simple answer to the supposed choice we must make between becoming internalised and externalised forcing function is: do both.

The lull Before the Storm (1990) [video still] by Sara Diamond.

“On the day when it will be possible for woman to love not in her weakness but in her strength, not to escape herself but to find herself, not to abase herself but to assert herself—on that day love will become for her, as for man, a source of life and not of mortal danger.”
– Simone de Beauvoir

According to Diamond, reconstituted identity politics can only be developed in the shell of the old—there is no cure without a cut, no hope without frustration, no therapy without the anxiety of trauma. Avital Ronell has similarly pointed out how the invective complaint of the “young girl” is summarily dismissed by cool, rational narratives of masculine progress.2 To the ears of the patriarchy, the recurrence and repetitiveness of these necessary complaints should be annoying. A trauma of being female in “our” culture lies not simply in the many individual inequalities and objectifications suffered, but that these also produce fears of their reenactment. Dialogue, discourse, discussion—talking cures—are amongst the ways we can deal with this fear of recurrence. The continuing need, for example, to assert that women should be in roles of leadership in media production, is not cause for exasperation or despair but for a strengthening of both the hope and the frustration that are necessary to curative invention and creativity. Diamond’s lecture narrated a number of these kinds of resonant antagonisms of pathology and healing, of imbalance and restitution, over her lifetime of feminist activism, art, and institution (re)building. She outlined the anxieties and reactive cures of a number of trauma sites: women’s own bodies (birth control, choice in family and domestic violence); labor (the home and public spaces occupied by the underpaid and overworked); the struggle to control media production and representations (degrading and isolative depictions of women); the depiction of and enactment of racism (systemic discrimination and stereotyping through images); the indigenous experience (forced loss of identity and destruction of environment and hence livelihood); sex (diversity of choice and lesbianism as a political or sexual choice).

Our “Age of Anxiety,” as W.H. Auden called it in 1948, seems to be entering its second century, Sara suggests perhaps even as the self-fulfilling diagnosis of an over-reaching pharmaceutical industry. This gives Diamond cause to frame activism, technology, and art as responses to trauma. In Freudian and psychoanalytic terms she even refers to these as a kind of 'talking cure' (whether in voice, text or other media). From the support of collectives and communities, to the impulse activating and programming cultural and educational institutions, the not-only-etymological link between security and curation is wrought. Activism, media, art and design practices can and should be curative, reassertions of our continued responsibility to one another as partners in reparative dialogue.

T.W.U. Tel (1981) [video still]
A period that captures well the intersectional concerns of Diamond’s entanglements is her work with the feminist documentary team Amelia Productions (Billie Carroll, Sarah Davidson, Sara Diamond, Ellen Frank and Gay Hawley) through the late 1970s and early 1980s in Vancouver. As a member of this collective, Diamond contributed to what is probably the earliest “dyke-activist” videotape in Canada and produced a dozen or so other tapes that were half-derisively dubbed “occupational videos,” as they often documented and constituted people occupying a place of work. Lesbians Against The Right (1981) explored personal-political resonances of homosexual identities, lifestyles, and activism, and T.W.U. Tel (1981) translated a scene of occupation and operation of British Columbian telephone centres by that province’s Tele-Communications Workers Union membership.

“The C.R.T.V. believes that most Canadians would like to have access to materials that present sexuality as an integral part of human need. We believe that prohibiting sexual images will not make sex, the desire for pleasure, or the need for knowledge disappear. It will only create a climate of fear. It is ignorance which encourages inequality and degradation.”
– C.R.T.V. Press Release, 1987

Later in the 1980s, Karen Night and Diamond would become the voice of a focused institution called The Coalition for the Right to View (C.R.T.V.) in Vancouver, begun as a means of countering proposed B.C. Motion Picture Act censorship legislation. Interestingly, Diamond’s involvement in censorship issues began in her protests against the pornography industry, playing out an issue that still remains divisive in the women’s movement more broadly. Diamond’s own shift toward becoming an ardent anti-censorship campaigner came when she realized she was sharing the picket lines outside of international Vancouver-based porn distributor Red Hot Video with the religious right: “I was walking with the enemy, which is much less interesting than sleeping with the enemy.”

Heroics is a 1984 video-installation and exhibition environment by Diamond that now forms part of the NYC MoMA collection. In its original form, it is a multimedia installation work including furniture and still photography juxtaposed with video interviews, a style that Diamond understands to have emerged from the ethnographic and DIWO (do-it-with-others) media production tactics begun with Amelia. The work seeks out answers to questions like “Are you a hero?” “What is a hero?” “Who are your heroes?” It is a topic and investigation that, it seems to me, is about how individual actions within communities of under-represented people are somehow, in the best sense, always somehow symbolic. The seizure of technological means of production and reproduction, by women and minorities, is always in part a symbol for others, again recurrent and necessary, which remodels what we deem to be possible. The heroics that Diamond points to, and she herself embodies, are not models in the sense of a goal or a necessary cannon to be imitated. Instead these are heroics that work to extend and extrapolate: individuals form collectives form communities, and in the best of times each of these is an outlier, a stray data point outside the norm, enlarging the margins of conceivability. The lives, roles and reflections of the people interviewed in Heroics remind us powerfully “that what exists is far from filling all possible spaces,” as they “make a truly unavoidable challenge of the question: What can be played?”3

The McLuhan lecture Diamond delivered reflected how the kind of ethnographic, data collecting, and visualisation work achieved with Heroics was something of a precursor to the socio-technical focus of her later shaping of the Banff New Media Institute/Banff Centre and the Ontario College of Art and Design—two institutions with a combined influence over the media arts and technology design landscape in Canada that could not be overstated. While leading Banff, she brought to the fore the often unstated resonant concerns of separatist Quebecois, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis aboriginal peoples, as the themes of residencies and programming focused on the political, social, and cultural impacts of technologies. Programs like “Reframing the Cathedral” (also at Banff) explicitly and pragmatically attempted to foster adaptability and the accommodation of cultural diversity in technology design. At OCAD University, an invested conviction in identity-politics and diversity ethics now radiates from its president’s office through the activities of the Social Body Lab, and support for “transhackfeminism” and “Gynepunk” initiatives taking up embodied theory, hacking both ideas and realities of gender.

Perhaps a suitable life-metaphor we could fit to the work, life and passions recounted by Sara during her lecture on that evening in February at the Canadian Embassy in Berlin is that of Theseus’ famous ship4. It is a parable that treats the necessarily constitution and reconstitution of identities, along with its presentation and re-presentation, as a continuous practice of the self with others. These are the high expectations we should reserve for that unfortunately much maligned descriptor, “creativity”5. That is, or ought to be, a requirement to articulate and invent new dynamics that transform the self along with the communities, institutions, seas, environments in which they are always embedded, and to which they are always responsible. Diamond’s Mcluhan Lecture inspires and reminds us that consistent objectives and style need not come at the expense of reinventive approaches that are invigorative, pragmatic and prefigurative. The tenacious ship at sea serves as a metaphor for a life of identification without calcification, of resolute commitment without conservatism in the face of recurrent, entrenched injustices. The audacious seacraft, carefully sustained and lovingly maintained, spiritedly instigates and navigates seas of change.

The message of Sara’s lecture, although to be sure a call for a “dramatic shift of winds and direction that can help us to sail free of debris yet remain buoyant” was not at all rhetorical. Her examples of projects and initiatives, actions and interventions, remind that we cannot replace the hard work of keeping subjugated identities afloat with mere techno-manifestos or the interminable pronouncement of paradigm shifts. The always reiterated call for change she makes is one that accepts both hope and frustration as part of struggles for sexual, racial, personal, and collective agency, in the appreciation and cultivation of ever greater difference in our world. The work of making technologies and art, designing hardware and writing code, just as with the labor of sharing knowledge and building institutional forms, is forever better when bathed in such richly diverse, heterogeneous waters. A reflection on a lifetime of feminist activism spanning practices personal, artistic, and organisational, her lecture narrated the necessity of anxieties and antagonisms, as an interplay of malady and healing, of imbalance and restitution, constitutive of all things vibrant, alive, and in progress.

Sara Diamond delivering the 2016 Marshall McLuhan Lecture at the Canadian Embassy Berlin, February 2 2016.

  • 1. Lakoff, George, and Mark Johnson. Metaphors we live by. University of Chicago press, 2008.
  • 2. Ronell, Avital. « The Shock of Puberty. » European Graduate School Lecture, 2011.
  • 3. Foucault, M. (1997). Friendship as a Way of Life. Foucault live, 207. Chicago
  • 4. The story of the Ship of Theseus is a kind of classic ontological-flumoxer in which Theseus is asked by a some rich guy to make a boat exactly like his own. He gets all the stuff together he would need to do this with — boards of wood that have precisely the same knots and grain in them, pieces of canvas with exactly the same warp and weft of his own sails. While on the journey to the kingdom where this boat is to be built, Theseus starts having problems with his own ship, and needs to replace bits here and there. Planks pop out of place and booms rot out, but luckily he’s got the right parts around to replace these elements. By the time the vessel and its captain get to their destination, the entire ship has been rebuilt with parts identical to those replaced. The question of whether the boat is authentic, original or identical to the original has been the subject of much philosophical musings, and people like Michel Foucault and Gilles Deleuze picked up this maritime allegory to describe how a wholesale transformation of social identity might take place that remains genuine and and rooted in biography. While encouraging identities to morph and transmute, we can remain linked to both our histories and authentic experience in the present, and, at the same time, meaningful, thoroughgoing change never occurs all at once.
  • 5. As my friend Bernhard Garnicnig said to me recently, “What does it say of our current moment that artists are uncomfortable using the word ‘creativity’?”

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Travel Gate Sweden

Northern Lights Hunt in Winter Wonderland

  • Photo: Fredrik Ludvigsson

    Photo: Fredrik Ludvigsson

  • Photo: Jonas Sundberg

    Photo: Jonas Sundberg

  • Photo: Björn Wanhatalo

    Photo: Björn Wanhatalo

Eager for snowy scenery, Sami culture and winter activities? This is an exclusive program in Swedish Lapland near Kiruna to combine with Stockholm.
Learn from the experts how to handle the huskies, camera for best result at night and traditional local food. Sure there will be time for shopping local quality products!

Day 1 / Arrival to Husky Camp
Arrival and transfer by bus to husky camp 13:30-17:00 Visit husky camp, dog sledding and lunch in lavvu (sami tent). Transfer with the dogs to the hotel. 17:00 check in at 17:30-20:00 Aurora Spa with Sauna bucket 20:00 2 course dinner at the hotel.
Day 2 / Reindeer excursion - Aurora Sky Station
06:30-09:00 Breakfast 08:15-13:30 Voujan-Reindeer sled excursion 16:30 -00:00 Visit Aurora Sky Station in Abisko, 4 course dinner included
Day 3 / Photo safari for Northern Light
06:30-09:00 Breakfast Free time 13:30 Lunch 17:30 2 course dinner at hotel 19:00-00:30 Aurora Borealis through your camera
Day 4 / ICEHOTEL and Northern lights
06:30-09:00 Breakfast 10:30-14:30 Visit ICEHOTEL and lunch 15:00-17:30 Entrance Aurora Spa 17:30 2 course dinner at hotel 18:00 Northern lights hunt with snow mobile
Day 5 / Departure
06:30-09:00 Breakfast Check out Departure and transfer to Airport

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Kingdom of Mourne Tour

Kingdom Of Mourne - Travel Ireland Coaches

“Where the Mountain of Mournes sweep down to the sea”

Travel with us around the beautiful Kingdom of Mourne and Saint Patricks Country.

Famed in song and story the world over, this tour of County Down and Saint Patricks Country will leave you breathless. A unique tour takes you on a one day trip around all the major towns and attractions of this spectacular county.

After departing Belfast we travel directly to the ancient Christian heritage town of Downpatrick. On arriving in Downpatrick we will visit Saul Church Saint Patricks first church in Ireland then onto the Church of Ireland Cathedral where Saint Patricks remains are buried in the grave yard. We will also take the opportunity to visit the old county down museum and jail house.

The tour then moves onto Dundrum Castle, a Norman castle located in the village of Dundrum, founded in 1177 by John DeCourcy following his invasion of Ulster. And believed by locals to be haunted by De Courcy ghost.

The tour then heads south to Newcastle, where you step off the beach in Newcastle onto the mountain slopes of Slieve Donard. This picturesque seaside town is popular with tourists and is a must see. It lies between the Mourne Mountain range and the Irish Sea as immortalised by Percy French in his song “The Mountains of Mourne”.

After lunch (not included in price) we will make our way into the Mourne mountains where we will visit a “magic hill”, in a secret location in the heart of the Mourne Mountains where things just aren’t what they seem…faires, leprechauns or natural forces may be involved. you will also experience some of the most breathtaking scenery in all of Ireland including Spelga Dam at a height of 1,200 feet above sea level and surrounded by 6 mountain peaks. The views from this area of the landscape and scenery are spectacular.

Our journey takes us past the Mourne Wall (Irelands answer to the Great Wall of China) constructed between 1904 and 1922 to enclose a reservoir’s catchment area in the Mournes.

Decending from the Mountains we will make the journey from “sky to sea” and follow the Mourne Coastal route to Rostrevor. Our next stop on our day trip will be in the beautiful and historic town of Rostrevor for a short photo stop where you can see across Carlingford Lough into the Irish Republic and the Cooley mountains. Carlingford lough forms part of the international border between the North and South of Ireland.

After Rostrevor the only thing left to do is sit back relax and enjoy your journey back to Belfast

How to Book

We have years of experience in guiding tourists through the beautiful parts of Ireland. Every tour is led by a fully qualified and passionate guide who will ensure that you are enriched and engaged. For bookings and enquiries email us at or give us a call on 028 9077 2180.


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Home Articles Mayor of London marks 50-day King’s Cross Square opening

Mayor of London marks 50-day King’s Cross Square opening

kings-cross-refurb-outsideBoris Johnson, Mayor of London, and David Higgins, Network Rail’s chief executive, has marked the 50-day countdown to the opening of London’snewest public space. The mayor laid one of the final paving stones on the new King’s Cross Square, which will open to the public on September 26th.

The new space – which at 75,000 square feet square is big enough to accommodate Big Ben laid down lengthways or more than 300 of the Mayor’s New Buses for London – will give passengers and people in the area improved entrances to the London Underground, an area dedicated to public art, a stunning lighting scheme and double the number of trees.

The square, designed by architects Stanton Williams, is the final part of the £550m King’s Cross station redevelopment, which saw a brand new concourse open last year offering rail passengers three-and-a-half times more space than the 1970s concourse that it replaced. Since the new concourse opened, passenger satisfaction at the station has increased by 33%. The demolition of the old concourse and the creation of King’s Cross Square will reveal the station’s original façade for the first time in 150 years.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “The incredible regeneration of King’s Cross continues apace. Network Rail are renovating this historic location with ingenuity and flair and this wonderful new square will be the perfect gateway to almost 70 acres of new public spaces, businesses and homes for Londoners, setting a new standard that we should aspire to for all future station redevelopment.”

David Higgins, Network Rail chief executive, said: “The new square will be a stunning entrance to the King’s Cross area. It is the last piece in the jigsaw which has led to more than £2.2bn of private investment transforming the area into an exciting centre for business, knowledge and the arts of which the capital can be proud. If ever proof were needed that investment in rail provides a catalyst for wider economic growth, this is it.“

David Partridge, chair of the King’s Cross Business Partnership, said: “King’s Cross is undergoing an incredible transformation and this is being driven in part by investment in transport infrastructure, including the stunning Western Concourse and very soon, the new King’s Cross Square. It is testament to the enormity of the transformation that this will actually be the second major square to open in the area in as many years.

“The King’s Cross Business Partnership welcomes the new square, we have already seen at Granary Square how large scale public spaces can provide a meeting point, an area for people to congregate and pause for a moment, as well as a focus for events, cultural and commercial activity. This is good for the public, good for local businesses and good for King’s Cross.”

The redevelopment of the station area has been a catalyst for one of the largest regeneration schemes in Europe, with 67 acres of brown field land being redeveloped to create eight million sq ft of offices, retail and housing. In 2011, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design moved into renovated railway buildings to the north of the station. Every day 150,000 people – 28 million a year – go through the railway station.

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Honey Harvest

July 16, 2017 – My first honey harvest!  Talk about exhilarating!  With the weather being sunny lately after all the rain we had I knew I was going to have some extracting to do, and soon.  So, I bought an eight-shallow frame manual extractor from a supplier in Ottawa.

With the help of my Mom and Dad we harvested the top shallow super situated above the queen excluder from hive #2.  Upon inspection, we saw that the bees did a pretty good job capping the honey, using nearly all cells in most frames of the shallow.  My oh my, that shallow full of honey was heavy when I propped it up to see underneath.  My Dad and I went about removing the frames one by one from the hive to an empty box in the RTV.  We worked slowly and methodically.  The bees didn’t get too worked up about us taking their honey reserves, that is until I began gently brushing them off the frames with the bee brush to ensure that we did not take away any stow-aways bees.

After putting the lids back on the hives we drove the RTV back to the roadside building, unloaded the super into the back of my vehicle, where I’d had the forethought to lay newspaper down to catch any honey drips.

I uncapped each frame using my electric uncapping knife.  Having used both methods – heating a regular knife under hot water, as well as the electric uncapping knife – I must say to any other novice beekeepers out there, the electric knife is worth the splurge; the uncapping process is sped up and much more of the comb is left intact, equating to less repair time for the bees to fix the comb/ more time and energy spent on making honey.  After uncapping a frame as carefully as possible, I slid it into position in the extractor.

The wax cappings

Given that I was doing this in my entranceway, without a table nor all the proper equipment, it was a painfullly slow process, however my excitement banished all concept of time while extracting.   Now, for anyone who knows about the type of extractor I’m talking about, they know that the feet are to be bolted to the floor for stability purposes.  Also they know the centrifugal force of the frames in the basket inside gets to be substantial after cranking the handle.  Since the extractor’s location in my entranceway was temporary, I was not about to drill screws into the tile to anchor the feet for that extra stability.  Instead, AJ and I wrestled to keep the extractor stable while cranking the handle.

Honey Extractor

Honey frames after being spun and honey collecting at the extractor’s bottom .

The honey flew out of the frames onto the sides, then slowly slid down to collect at the bottom of the barrel.  After spinning enough times to remove honey from one side of the frames, we then cranked the spinner handle the other way to remove honey from the other side.  By the time I was satisfied with the amount that we’d extracted from the frames, we stopped for the night to allow the honey to slowly gather at the bottom.  (Coincidentally, our air conditioning is not working and we’re experiencing a heat wave.  The one up side to that is that the honey is moving very well!)

What excitement I felt while opening the honey gate, watching the golden honey pour

Honey Flowing From The Honey Gate

The bounty from my first extraction pouring onto the sieve!

out onto a sieve for filtering.  I was buzzing with pride.  I’ve read that a shallow super typically yields 25-30 lbs of honey.  My yield was 24.5 lbs!

My Seasonal Harvest blog is an effort to share my passion for the outdoors, nature and the environment with others, and connect with like-minded individuals.  Here I share my experiences as a maple syrup producer, beekeeper and gardener.

I love good food.  Moreover, I genuinely appreciate knowing where my food comes from.  Knowing how my food got from its raw state to my plate gives me great satisfaction: knowing the trees my maple syrup came from, knowing the garden my vegetables were grown in, knowing my bees have access to food that hasn’t been sprayed with toxic chemicals, or pesticides.  This is why I am a maple syrup producer, a  beekeeper, and a gardener.

The maple syrup pursuits I share here are really family pursuits.  A tremendous amount of work goes into the maple syrup season and I am thankful to everyone who helps out. The slogan of Julia’s Tree Stand Maple Syrup, From my trees to your table should really be ‘From our trees…’ or at the very leastFrom my family’s trees…’.  I chose to use ‘my’ to emphasize that I am involved in every step of the process and know exactly what is in my maple syrup, that I am confident it is 100% pure.

My newest pursuit, beekeeping gives me great joy.  I am thrilled to see my colonies grow and flourish.  For me, beekeeping is a natural extension of my passion for the outdoors, environment and nature.

An interesting conversation I had with the head beekeeper of the Ottawa Community Beekeepers Association stands out in my head.  He told me to always be thinking about the next winter – in the fall, do the bees have enough honey stores in the hive?  Winter is coming.  Is there enough brood for the winter cluster?  Winter is coming.  In the summer, do the bees have enough to forage on?  Winter is coming.  Are the bee pests at a manageable level?  Winter is coming.  In the spring, is colony build up happening fast enough?  Winter is coming.  Is my queen healthy and strong?  Winter is coming.  The list goes on.  He stressed to always be two steps ahead in terms of preparation.  As with most things in life, my honey production will depend on my preparation and anticipating my bees needs.

Bee Update

These past few weeks have been busy.  I got 5 more nucs last week, totaling 8 nucs now: 4 at our property, 2 at a farmhouse down the way, and 2 more next to some clover fields around the corner.  I am filled with appreciation on how welcoming my family and the neighbors have been about this venture.

After an afternoon in a beeyard, trimming, tidying, and arranging bee equipment I was bagged and thought little of leaving my beekeeping apparel in a pile at the front door.  Come morning I pick up my jacket from this pile and who lazily flies out but a stow-away IMG_20160608_121011honeybee!  She lazily flew up the staircase to land on a window curtain high up on the wall, out of my reach.  I laughed while wondering where she had hidden herself when I was wearing the coat.

Later on in the week with my Dad’s assistance we set-up another electric fence around 2 hives in a different bee yard.  This location was previously a bee yard to another beekeeper but hadn’t been used in years.  There were old, broken hive boxes, disheveled frame parts, some with comb still attached.  As I walked around, saw and tidied up odds and ends of wooden-ware from years past and prepared the site for growth I felt like I was in the right place at the right time again.

More updates to follow as my bees settle in….

Bee Arrival

I became a beekeeper today with the arrival of my bees.  It was an exhilarating day.  I chose to get my bees from a local bee supplier, Mahmoud Elzeftawi at Forestdew Apiaries lives.  I’m glad I chose to get the bees from a nearby location: driving with three nucs in the trunk sure made me nervous.  When I picked up a box to move it, the buzzing and vibrations coming from the bees inside the box sent a thrill through me.

With the help of my parents and partner we prepared the hive site in the morning and installed the bees in the late afternoon.  More photos, explanations and updates to come in the next couple of days.

Hive Box Construction Underway!

We began putting together the hive boxes this weekend.  After cumulatively drilling 284 pilot holes in the finger-joints of the box sides (day 1), we began gluing and nailing them together (day 2 & 3).  Here is our progress so far:

My Dad and the hive boxes.

I feel better knowing the bees will have comfortable quarters to live in.  Even more luxurious quarters are going to be available after I get down to Sarnia to pick up the hives my Opa is constructing.

We have decided to start with white paint for the exterior this year.  Every year subsequent to this we will paint new hives a different color, for example, 2017 orange, 2019 blue, to better keep track of which year each box was constructed.  That will make judging which boxes need replacing first easier.  Next task is to paint them (exterior only).

Hive Site Visit

Knowing everything I’ve been learnt about beekeeping floating so far – the bees’ living needs, nutritional needs, foraging needs, wintering needs, etc. – I thought it best to get a second opinion on the potential hive site we’d found.  I invited Graeme Peterson, the founding member of the Ottawa Community Beekeeper’s Association to come assess the spot.  He gave me loads of wonderful advise and suggested that atop the bluff was probably too windy, but around the side was an ideal location.  Perfect.  And I spotted a crabapple tree for foraging but 10 meters away too.  They will be happy there, as there will be ample food around – corn that is treated with a bee-safe chemical in the field close-by, clover over yonder, hay in the opposite direction, the apple trees we’ve been planting nearby, a diversely treed forest, ponds a stone’s throw away.  Better yet, this spot can practically be driven to by the RTV.  Bueno.  With that decided upon, the hive assembly begins on Sunday.  Thankyou Graeme for your input; it was invaluable to me.

New Equipment!

Ottawa Tool and Fastener Supply is having a sale and we might be buying a drill press tomorrow!  I never thought I would be this excited to get a workshop tool.  The hours and days of back-breaking bucket cleaning are over!! ….Hopefully…!  Plus, now we have the precision drilling tool needed for putting together the beehives.  Excellent.

April flurries bring May…..worries?

I am looking outside at a snowstorm.  It is April 6 and it is snowstorming outside.  Brrr.  It has been too cold the past few days for any sap to flow.  The forecast for tomorrow is promising for good sap run.

I am torn between feeling elated that I’ll be able to get at least one more boil in before the end of the maple syrup run, and feeling angst about the cold weather’s effect on the health of the bees’ that I am ordering.  Talk about a new feeling, being worried about bees.  The bees are not even in my possession yet and I am already worried about them.  I must remember that the bees I am ordering from my local supplier, Mahmoud at Forestdew Honey (www.forestdewhoney.com), are overwintered in an indoor,  climate controlled ‘beedome’ so they will not be subjected to the erratic weather conditions outside.  The bees I have ordered are New World Carniolians.  While half of the colonies I am getting will have imported queens, the other half will have Ontario queens.  (My reasoning behind this: why not?)  I will take note of which are which and make observations on whether the colonies featuring imported or domestic queens perform better. Courtesy of my Opa, the beeyard will host several homemade hives, as pictured below.  IMG_1552What a craftsman he is.   The bees will be ready for pick-up in late May.  In the meantime I have more beehives to assemble and a bee yard to prepare for their arrival.  That, I believe will keep me busy as a bee until they arrive.


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Triad City Beat This Week: March 1, 2017

Jonathan Michels chronicles the awkward birth of Winston-Salem’s first needle exchange and how it’s helping bring opioid addicts out of the shadows in this week’s Triad City Beat cover story.

Redevelopment of Gateway Center likely to raise rents for artists

Rhetoric at Kernersville meeting dovetails with Trump agenda

From mosque discussed at anti-Muslim meeting, an invitation to fellowship

• Editorial: Russian to judgment

• It Just Might Work: Calling for a dwarf season

• Editor’s Notebook: I need (to be) a hero

• Citizen Green: A Muslim-Catholic encounter in Clemmons

• Sportsball: Measuring baseball tradition during a Wake Forest win

• Triaditude Adjustment: ‘I need that record, I need it now, now, now’

taco-and-torta-at-mi-taqueria-high-point-mexican-food• Food: On the comeback from Cancún to Mi Taqueria

• Barstool: Your personal bartender at Table 16

• Music: Grammy-winning duo Twenty One Pilots sells out coliseum

• Art: Art and protest converge in response to Triad billboard

Triad City Beat This Week comes out every Wednesday with links to stories in that week’s issue.


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Choosing an EAP

Not all EAPs are created equal. Finding the right EAP to fit your organization is important. Here is a list of the critical components of an employee assistance program to help you choose what’s right for you. A comprehensive, integrated EAP service should be able to customize a package appropriate for the needs of your organization, management, and employees and their dependents.

EAP Services for the Individual: (Clinical Services)

24-hour crisis telephone response

Professional EAP counselors provide live, immediate telephone crisis counseling 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A toll-free number should be provided.

Confidential Assessment and Counseling Services

Licensed, professional counselors provide assessment and brief, solution-focused counseling in a private and safe location.  Some EAP’s are located on-site at the workplace making access to services less comfortable. Off-site EAP’s deliver a private, safe space to ensure privacy and approachability.

Also, check with the EAP to find out who determines whether the employee should see a counselor face-to-face or telephonically. Some EAPs make this determination rather than giving the choice to the client.

Emergency Intervention / Crisis Support Onsite

Onsite crisis support is provided to impacted employees in a timely fashion for Crisis Support Onsite with group sessions and individual onsite mental health support, as well as crisis response needs for management. A strong EAP will partner with you to provide crucial strategic management support.

Substance Abuse Expertise

Given its significant impact on the workplace, EAP providers should have specific knowledge, training, and experience in the assessment and treatment of chemical dependency and other addictions.

Dependent and Domestic Partner Coverage

Comprehensive EAP services are typically provided for all eligible employees. Many EAPs serve dependents as well.

Guaranteed Confidential Recordkeeping

EAP client records should be guaranteed complete privacy and protection. Employers, insurance companies or healthcare entities should have no access to EAP records. EAP records and all related private health information should be maintained in accordance with state and federal laws and the Employee Association Professional Association guidelines.
EAP Services for the Organization:

EAP Orientation for all Employees

Onsite EAP orientations should be offered for all managers and employees.

Supervisory-Leadership Training

Comprehensive training for managers and supervisors regarding use of effective management skills in the workplace. Training may be delivered in a variety of formats, and cover topics such as effective supervisory skills, performance-based identification of troubled employees, the EAP management referral process, and consultation with the EAP.

Program promotion

An EAP is there to provide help to employees when they need it most. Regular promotion of the program will help employees remember the various services it provides. The EAP should offer regular promotional and educational materials such as payroll inserts, newsletters, fliers, posters, brownbag training programs, participation at benefits fairs, and supervisory orientations. Be sure they spell out what is included and what's available for an additional charge.

EAP Policy Development and Coordination

The EAP should be available to consult with management regarding the development of EAP policy statements, coordination with related policies and services, coordination with risk management activities, need for onsite training programs and other support activities.

Management Communication and Consultation

Employers who get the most out of their EAP understand that it is both a benefit for employees, and a strategic tool to help supervisors and managers better manage employees. Employees coping with personal problems can experience performance problems and disrupt other employees. Ask whether the EAP trains supervisors and managers to recognize and assist troubled employees.

Program Utilization Reports

Regular reporting and feedback is essential to allow employers to assess whether the program is being utilized sufficiently and effectively.
Quarterly, semi-annual or annual utilization reports are provided and include information on use of EAP services such as number of clients, gender, type of benefit used, number of clients, and cause of seeking counseling. This information is valuable so the organization can see trends and address those trends if needed.
Reports should not identify individual employees or their treatment. Anonymity is guaranteed so that employees feel comfortable accessing counseling services without fear of any repercussions.

EA Program Evaluation

Comprehensive, customized EAP service outcome reports should be provided which track key success indicators, including return on investment.

Client/Company Satisfaction Evaluation

Customized client and organization satisfaction reports should be provided.

Supplemental EAP Service Components

EAP providers may add value by delivering additional services that are separate from – but often linked with – EAP services. These are considered supplemental services, not replacements for critical EAP components.

A comprehensive array of employee and family support services, education programs and referrals for a wide range of personal and family needs can be offered by EAPs as add-on services in conjunction with the EAP service package. Adding other supplemental components may provide additional value for your organization, but don’t allow such services to be substituted for – or conflict with - your core EAP service package.

Some EAPs offer legal consultation or financial counseling such as credit counseling, budgeting, debt management, and bankruptcy counseling with financial experts. Often, emotional issues can accompany debt, such as depression, relationship strife, stress, anxiety, and substance abuse. If financial counseling is offered, check to make sure counselors within the network only provide impartial advice and aren’t offering products to sell.

EAP for small businesses

Small businesses that have difficulty finding coverage may want to contact the Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA) to find small business EAP providers in their area . As an alternative, small businesses can join an association or consortium that offers group EAP services for their members.
For more information on how to select an EAP that’s right for you, check out these two guides:

Selecting and Strengthening Employee Assistance Programs: A Purchasers Guide

EAP Buyer’s Guide from the Employee Assistance Professionals Association


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Tagged: English

Quote of the Day: On the flexibility of the English language

You might not think it, but even things associated with the seemingly monolithic structure that is academia are subject to change. For example, I’ve recently been writing an essay on the twentieth century transformation of the nature of historical sources and the ways in which they can be used; a series of changes which have had a profound impact on the subject and are still ongoing.

And it’s not just the language we use to describe such cultural concepts that is transforming. The language we use on a day-to-day basis is changing and mutating too. While reading an article on the necessity (or otherwise) of some traditional grammar rules on The Independent’s website, I came across this quote from the journalist and author Oliver Kamm:

The English language is not static, nor are its boundaries clear. Nor is it a language tied to the British Isles. English is a river. Its content is always changing and it has many tributaries. Its characteristics include impermanence. Indeed, there can be no single definition of the English language.

Historians frequently go on about their beloved concepts of continuity and change – indeed, the one, ever continuing, fundamentally important aspect of British culture, landscape and language that tends to be overlooked or even sometimes sneered at is its non-static nature. Kamm’s words bring this innate movement and flexibility into sharp relief, reflecting the ever-changing nature of the English language.

Every generation brings new words, new phrases, new ways of using the language to the table, and this has been going on for centuries – just look, for instance, at the enormous impact of William Shakespeare’s creative vocabulary, or the beautifully influential language used by the original editors of the King James Bible. These innovations may take some time to work their way into common usage, but English is a compulsively, inherently magpie language that pinches things from a huge variety of cultures and dialects worldwide; absorbing them into a new and textured whole.


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Posts Tagged ‘superfood’

Superfood Salad

Superfood Salad

I am one of those people that are always skeptical of anything “healthy and delicious”. I used to think those two words could never co-exist in the same plate, like “airline food” or “diet ice cream”. I must admit though, in the last few months I’ve had to eat my words, so to speak. I now love to challenge myself to find tasty and healthy food and my salad is the poster child for this. The “fitspiration” comes from a little cafe near where I work called “The Nook”. Smoked Trout, Watercress, Quinoa, Edamame, Beetroot…How can you go wrong with an ingredient list that sounds like a superfood checklist?

I hope I can convince you to try it – I know it’s a bold claim – is this really the best ever Superfood Salad? You’ll have to try it and let me know!

No particular recipe here today – just a general guideline on how I put this together.

Chunks of Black Pepper covered Hot Smoked Trout (or Salmon)
Hardboiled Egg (or a poached egg would be great)
Roasted Beetroot (sliced beetroot drizzled with olive oil and seasoned, then roasted for 25 min at 200c)
Toasted Pine nuts
Caramelized Balsamic Vinegar and a squeeze of lime to dress the salad

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Garmin Drive 60 USA LMT GPS Navigator System with Lifetime Maps and Traffic, Driver Alerts, Direct Access, and Foursquare data

Garmin Drive 60 USA LMT is a 6-inch GPS navigator preloaded with lifetime maps of the lower 49 U.S. states and free lifetime traffic avoidance, plus driver alerts to increase situational awareness and encourage safer driving. Features new driver alerts for upcoming sharp curves, fatigue warnings, speed changes, upcoming traffic jams, and more. Receive alerts for nearby red light and speed cameras. Garmin Real Directions feature guides using landmarks and traffic lights. Preloaded with millions of more new and popular places thanks to Foursquare. New driver awareness warnings make Garmin Drive the watchful companion to your daily commute.

Product Features

  • DRIVER ALERTS – Receive alerts for upcoming sharp curves, speed changes, school zones, a fatigue warning, nearby red light and speed cameras and more
  • EASY TO USE – Dedicated GPS navigators display current street, current speed, speed limit and arrival time.if not acquiring satellite signals then Verify the GPS simulator is turned off or Remain stationary for several minute
  • GARMIN REAL DIRECTIONS – Guides like a friend, using recognizable landmarks, buildings and traffic lights. Battery life up to 1 hour. Dedicated GPS navigator with 6.0-inch dual-orientation display
  • FOURSQUARE – Preloaded data from Foursquare adds millions of new and popular stores, restaurants and more
  • DIRECT ACCESS – Simplifies navigating to select complex destinations, such as malls and airports

Click Here For More Information

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3 Responses to Garmin Drive 60 USA LMT GPS Navigator System with Lifetime Maps and Traffic, Driver Alerts, Direct Access, and Foursquare data

  1. Anonymous says:

    FABULOUS GPS UNIT. COULD NOT BE HAPPIER. I LOVE this Garmin. I waited to write this review, until I used it for several trips. I’ve previously owned a Garmin (long time ago), and more recently, a Magellan, that basically died on me. After doing a good deal of research and reading TONS of reviews on Amazon – I opted for this unit. Set-up is effortless. It loads quickly. Downloaded the necessary Garmin info to my computer, so updating it is a breeze. The visual is great. It gives clear, concise directions, with added info like,…

  2. Anonymous says:

    Drive 60 LMT vs. DriveSmart 60 LMT I may just be a picky user, but figured my review my help others decide on what device to buy. I originally updated to a Garmin Drive 60 LMT from an older Nuvi 1450 LMT. Screen size and smoothness/speed were main considerations. Shortly after purchasing, updating software and maps, and installing in my car I was disappointed. The 6″ screen is nice and big but….it is nowhere near as bright as the older versions. At 100% brightness it was about as bright as the Nuvi 1450 at 40 – 50%…

  3. Anonymous says:

    Extreme Value–No cell phone data baloney Lots of value here for under 200 bux. This unit comes with its own suction cup mount and a special 12V adapter with a radio receiver inside it to provide traffic information. Even though the USB port can power it from a standard charger, traffic only works with the 12V adapter provided. The strangest thing happened when I started driving–somehow it put me in Olathe Kansas, and I could not get out of demo mode. The message says “start driving to exit demo mode.” I finally got it to…


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Home > Love > Love Story -Part-1

Love Story -Part-1

Guy and girl are colleagues in office. They were cubicle mates and it was a real fun relation between them, guy use to hide girl’s mobile or water bottle and enjoy the frustration and anger girl use to illustrate in searching her hidden stuff and girl always knew it was the guy who is behind this impish plan.

Guy use to make sure that he calls the girl every day after office, and the Girl would wait for his call and even if the guy did not end up calling she would not make a move even though she would miss his call.

Guy: hello…

Girl: Hi,So how come you have called after so many days?

Guy: why I am not suppose to call u or what?

Girl: No, nothing like that, just asking.

Guy: So why did u leave office so early today?

Girl: Guess what I conducted technical meeting with the team and ppl have no sense of seriousness or responsibility, I really got pissed off.

Guy: Forget it; don’t bother about other’s much.

Girl: Then your going so when is your flight?

Guy: Ya, next week Monday at 2 am.

Girl: Why do have to go? u have a good job here and enough money.

Guy: No I need to earn more, As my brother is not having a job I need to support him to establish his business, And you know even though I am staying with my uncle iam not left with enough money and if I have my own family then it’s going to be difficult.

Girl wonder’s how good and responsible guy is, there are hardly few people who bother for there loved ones and he is amongst them. She feels content and happy that she’s found such a friend.

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