Relay Kickoff to include update on cancer research projects

Be sure to attend on March 1 to register, pick a campsite and purchase luminaries

Canadian Cancer Society has set a goal for Woodstock Relay to hopefully raise $150,000

By Mark Schadenberg
Lots of information will be available at Relay Kickoff on March 1, and often the most important news is answering the question to participants about exactly where the research dollars are directed. 

RELAY SUMMIT

If from the outside you think the formal dinner on a Saturday night of Relay Summit two weeks ago was all about socializing and the exchange of thoughts from one city to another, you would only be partially correct.

The Relay dinner featured two guest speakers, including a young cancer survivor, who I believe was diagnosed with cancer basically in the same week she was graduating from high school and thought the entire world was ahead – university and beyond.

Instead, Sheena Garcia was enduring chemo-therapy and other treatments as a tumour had been detected.

Garcia’s thoughts were summarized by the fact she wanted to thank all volunteers at every Relay For Life for assisting in finding a cure for cancer as survival rates continue to improve.

RIOT Team

The second speaker had everyone’s attention as Dr. Ryan Dowling is a research specialist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto and his team is making great advancements in discovering a cure for breast cancer as they are now in their third level of clinical trials (testing) with cancer patients (from around the globe) on the utilization of Metformin as a drug to cure as many as three forms of cancer.

Metformin is commonly prescribed already as a drug for Type II Diabetics. Dowling notes among the important reasons why this discovery would be great news is that Metformin is now sold as a drug with its patent expired so it’s not expensive. He added, however, that the flip side to that is that many pharmaceutical companies don’t like to mass produce it because there is not large profit possibility.

The CCS RIOT team is an interesting acronym for Research Information Outreach Team. In other words, CCS funds the best research projects in Canada and that is what the CCS often repeats to its donors, but that at the same time the world must know about all the advancements in cancer research and the updated stats on survival rates to see that cancer cures can be found. Dowling is an important outreach person from the microscopes in the labs to the ears in the banquet halls.

LINKS:
https://torontoriot.com/riot-members/

http://www.cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-type/breast/breast-cancer/?region=on

http://www.cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-type/breast/research/?region=on

www.thepmcf.ca

https://breast-cancer-research.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13058-015-0540-0

https://strategis.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/ich-epi.nsf/eng/02231.html

A May RELAY Meeting

In an effort to increase participation levels in 2017, the Woodstock committee for Relay For Life will host an information night on Wednesday, May 3. Springtime is a great time to join the signature fundraiser for CCS nationally, so an open house will be held at the office at 65 Springbank Ave North from 5:30 - 7 p.m. 

If you have never attended Relay, call the CCS office anytime for more details as you can also register (for $15) at www.relayforlife.ca/woodstock and begin collecting pledges and donations today.

Story about the 2-storey on Pearson Drive

New listing is very close to JK-8 Springbank School

Spacious eat-in kitchen, and walk-in closet in master bedroom among the highlights

By Mark Schadenberg

A young family always seeks a home near an excellent school, and hopefully that school has a large park with it to kick a soccer ball or to possibly fly a kite.

My new listing at 1036 Pearson Drive meets those requirements.

The home is just 20 years old, and the parents will like it too with its walk-in closet in a spacious master bedroom (15 x 11). There is no ensuite bathroom, but the cheater door to the main 4-piece bathroom is certainly convenient.

All families also request a generous size to the eat-in kitchen. With ceramic tile and lots of cabinets, the dinette area for this kitchen is large enough for a table of 8 – handy when the in-laws visit for pancakes and sausages on Shrove Tuesday. The kitchen also includes patio doors to back yard, which is terrific for bbq season. The appliances are negotiable, which could be an integral part of any transaction for first-time buyers.

The formal living and the front foyer both have laminate floors. The welcoming foyer is surprisingly large, which is particularly important when the in-laws arrive with their maple syrup and winter coats on Shrove Tuesday.

Besides the good-size master bedroom, the house also features a second bedroom of equal dimensions, but without the deep deep closet. The third bedroom is also of ample size.

The lower level is quite unique in that the current owners have painted sports logos on the wall, including the NHL logo, and painted the floor to resemble a hockey arena. The light fixture is a hockey arena score clock honouring the Leafs. If you have young children, they won’t want to leave. This family living space is your destination for a large-screen TV and enjoyment of your Netflix, DVDs, CDs, PS3 and Wii.

1036 Pearson Drive, Woodstock

MLS: 78967

Asking Price: $245,900

Age: 20

Lot: 28 x 108

The roof at 1036 Pearson is only 5 years old, and the property does include a double-wide concrete drive, 2 storage sheds and a garage with an automatic door opener.

This neighbourhood in the east end of Woodstock is highly sought after because of its proximity to Toyota and commuting to the 401. Pearson is a quiet street and essentially connects Nellis Street to Diefenbaker. Also nearby is Shoppers Drug Mart, a large Zehrs grocery store, McDonald’s, Subway, other restaurants, and both the LCBO and Beer Store.

Springbank School’s adjoining park is called Hunting Estates Park and it does include a regulation soccer pitch and playground equipment. While it is never easy to rate one K-8 school versus others in a municipality, it is safe to comment that Springbank might be the best elementary school in Woodstock.

Map from Glimr Lite program

found at www.oxfordcounty.ca

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Call today:

Mark Schadenberg, Sales Representative

Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES designation)

Royal LePage Triland Realty

Independently Owned & Operated, Brokerage

757 Dundas St, Woodstock

www.royallepagetriland.com

(519) 537-1553, cell or text

Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com

Twitter: markroyallepage

Facebook: Mark Schadenberg, Royal LePage Triland

Discussion . . . Direction . . . Determination . . . Destination

Solar panels are great and wonderful, but MicroFIT program is not good

The math writes the story as Ontario sells its hydro for less than it costs to produce

If you buy in February you will receive a free squirrel guard 

By Mark Schadenberg

I received my everyone-wins you-can’t-lose lottery ticket in the mail today.

I was hoping the provincial government was going to suspend all lopsided hydro deals that were in existence. Stop them NOW!

It’s interesting how the federal government can give all potential home buyers about six weeks notice that the CMHC charts are changing for high-ratio mortgages, but citizens of Ontario continue to see solar projects getting doled out like candy on the eve of Oct. 31.

The flyer in my mail was from SunFlow Solar and states this is the last year as a home owner that I can advantage of the MicroFIT contract.

When I was in high school some 35 years ago I recall teachers talking about a future with solar power – heat and electricity. All beliefs at that point were as soon as the technology became affordable for consumers, everyone would have solar panels to hopefully live off the electricity grid, and possibly supply some extra hydro to the grid and receive a small modest stipend for your efforts.

Move forward three decades or more, and we have solar farms, municipal and institutional buildings with solar panels, and naturally countless houses with the ability to create electricity thanks to that ball of fire in the sky.

As someone who believes to be an environmentalist I think that’s great – terrific and awesome. However, the MicroFIT program has increased hydro rates for the consumer exponentially as the province creates far more hydro than we need and then we sell it to New York and Michigan (Quebec, Manitoba and elsewhere too) for less than what it costs to produce. My math is right and the province’s math is wrong and the loser then becomes ‘all’ consumers in Ontario, and most certainly the folks who have a house that does not face the sun in the right direction.

Since our manufacturing sector is struggling with the skyrocketing hydro rates, why are we giving a double advantage to the industries of Michigan and New York as they can build cars by using the cheap hydro we’re selling them for less than 20 cents on the dollar.

Can this MicroFIT system not be stopped today?

The flyer describes the SunFlow Solar company as having a low-risk investment opportunity and that if you sign on sometime in 2017 you will have a signed contract for 20 years. As a Realtor I’m sure that the remaining time on any contract would stay with the house if you were to move, and that carrot-on-a-stick for a future buyer (Is green for cash and orange for sunshine) should increase the value of your home.

This solar panel is behind the Woodstock District Community Complex,

so I certainly understand that cities and many institutional buildings

reap benefits from creating some solar power for their own use. 

I love solar power, but the current system is wrong.

It was estimated that the province lost well over $1 billion in 2016 as it was selling excess hydro for more than it cost to create, and it’s not a slim margin of nickels and dimes per kilowatt hour. Read the links to Toronto Star and Toronto Sun (somewhat ironic name) stories below.

By the way, we’re talking about all electricity in a bulging grid – solar, wind power, nuclear, hydro-electric dams. . .

In 2013 alone, through this hydro export deficit, all Ontario tax payers were required to pay $220 each.

I’m guessing Ontario should triple its rates for selling electricity as an export, and at the same time chop chop chop on what it is paying for hydro creation, but that’s where the tree fall on the highway as the province has 20-year contracts with its suppliers and there is no paper shredder for those contracts.

I love electric cars and they too were always discussed as a possibility when I was a high school student in the early 1980’s.

I ask . . .

Can this MicroFIT system not be stopped today?

The cardboard flyer also describes three more points worth noting. If you book your installation project in February, you will receive free squirrel guards. You could reduce your own hydro bill up to 75 per cent. Also, the leaflet notes about 50,000 Ontario home owners are already earning an income from solar panels.

I don’t want to receive negative comments from posting my prose on this program as I think solar power is terrific (I can be quite repetitive to present my thoughts), and the possibility of some incentives are terrific for home owners, but does the overall mathematics make sense? Nope!  

The MicroFIT website presents a lot more material on the subject, including videos.

The concept of windmills or wind power can be discussed on another day.

Proposed Solar Farm for a brownfield lot on Tecumseh Street, 

which is a project presented to Woodstock City Council last autumn

LINKS:

http://microfit.powerauthority.on.ca/

www.windconcerns.com

http://www.torontosun.com/2015/08/12/ontario-taxpayers-spend-200-million-on-exported-electricity-in-june

https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2014/01/20/ontario_paid_1_billion_to_dump_excess_electricity_in_2013_ndp.html

http://www.ontariosolarexperts.com/microfit-program.html

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/11/19/premier-wynne-calls-high-electricity-prices-her-mistake.html

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All items on this blog site are written by:

Mark Schadenberg, Sales Representative

Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES designation)

Royal LePage Triland Realty

Independently Owned & Operated, Brokerage

757 Dundas St, Woodstock

www.royallepagetriland.com

(519) 537-1553, cell or text

Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com

Twitter: markroyallepage

Facebook: Mark Schadenberg, Royal LePage Triland

Discussion . . . Direction . . . Determination . . . Destination

Photo exhibit by Dr Roberta Bondar opens Saturday in Woodstock

Canada's first woman astronaut to attend opening reception on Feb 18

Bondar celebrates 25th anniversary of space shuttle voyage, while local art gallery marks its 50th birthday

By Mark Schadenberg

Canada has many people who double as treasures – extremely valuable and precious.

Dr. Roberta Bondar is one of those famous Canadians. We love her passion, knowledge, talents and spirit of adventure.

Roberta Bondar is an astronaut, scientist, explorer, and a spokesperson for the environment, nature and our planet. She is a lecturing speaker, and an artist photographer. Her photographic works will be on display until June 30 at the Woodstock Art Gallery at 449 Dundas Street, but she will be in attendance at the gallery this Saturday (Feb 18) at 3 p.m. for a walk-and-talk through her exhibit. The open house reception begins at 2 p.m.

With Bondar visiting the Friendly City, this is truly an important opportunity for anyone to meet here – a true once-in-a-lifetime greeting.

Picture from her recent appearance 

on CBC show One To One with Peter Mansbridge

Windows In The Wild is the name of the display.

Congratulations to gallery curator Mary Reid and her staff for bringing this exhibit to Woodstock during the Canada 150 year, and because the gallery itself continues to celebrate its 50th birthday, and you may add in the idea that it’s also the 25th anniversary of Bondar’s space flight.

Bondar’s biography notes that she has always been intrigued by photography and film making. Her Space Shuttle Discovery visit to outer space in January of 1992 enhanced her desire to personally archive pictures from the NASA shuttle, but after her return to also capture close up images of butterflies in the rain or long distance shots of terrain.

She has previously had exhibits at the Canadian Museum of Nature, the National Gallery of Canada, The Royal Ontario Museum and many other noteworthy galleries.

She published 4 books including Passionate Vision ~ Discovering Canada’s National Parks. Photography requires patience, technique, flair, persistence and a keen eye. Bondar has been a photographer since she was 7, so her timing and ability to etch a moment is impeccable. Bondar’s additional photo-dominated books include The Arid Edge Of Earth, Touching The Earth and Landscape Of Dreams.

  

Roberta Bondar is an icon to all Canadians and most certainly to women of all ages.

Her speech on Saturday at the Woodstock gallery will most certainly discuss our fragile ecosystem, its beauty and complex vastness, the diversity of animal and insect species globally, and our human ability to preserve nature.

The 72-year-old astronaut has received the Order Of Canada, the NASA Space Medal, more than 20 honourary degrees, and was inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame. 

Originally from Sault Ste Marie, Bondar is a graduate of the University of Guelph, but later also graduated with medical-related degrees for the London’s Western University, along with McMaster and the University of Toronto. She has a remarkable accomplished resume in healthcare fields, including neurology.

LINKS:

www.robertabondar.com

www.therobertabondarfoundation.org

http://www.woodstockartgallery.ca/index.php/2011-12-15-19-29-58/upcoming-exhibitons/2017-roberta-bondar-windows-onto-the-wild

http://www.woodstocksentinelreview.com/2017/02/09/windows-onto-the-wild-will-open-on-feb-18-at-the-woodstock-art-gallery

http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/859738179823

http://www.rogerstv.com/media?rid=11&pag=3&lid=237&gid=239915

September 2015 Story:

http://www.woodstocksentinelreview.com/2015/09/14/woodstock-art-gallery-hosting-photography-exhibition-by-former-astronaut-dr-roberta-bondar-in-february-2017/

Another current exhibit honours 

local artist Florence Carlyle

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Mark Schadenberg, Sales Representative

Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES designation)

Royal LePage Triland Realty

Independently Owned & Operated, Brokerage

757 Dundas St, Woodstock

www.royallepagetriland.com

(519) 537-1553, cell or text

Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com

Twitter: markroyallepage

Facebook: Mark Schadenberg, Royal LePage Triland

Discussion . . . Direction . . . Determination . . . Destination

Now is the time to discuss time in real estate

Irrevocable deadlines and timetables for conditions are very important in the negotiating process

It is never good strategy to miss a defined time or to simple be late

By Mark Schadenberg

Time is of the essence.

Time is money.

Time keeps on moving along.

Time is running out.

Now is the time.

Do not leave anything to the last minute.

Time for a change.

Time is extremely important and that’s why I watch my watch.

Time is very important in real estate terms. I’m a believer in the fact that Realtors are often more conscientious of the importance of time in contract writing than the clients are. If a client is not specifically in tune with the timing of an offer, especially a conditional offer, than sometimes that could also be the fault of the Realtor for not describing in concrete (bricks and mortar) terms about how important the clock is in real estate.

Alan Parsons Project

If you sign and offer as a buyer with an irrevocable time of 10 p.m. today that is significant as the seller has that specific calculated block of time to consider your proposal. I always explain to my clients that the buyers offer indicates they want to purchase under those defined terms, while a seller’s sign back (if there is one), indicate they are willing to sell their home to you under their terms.

Don’t let an irrevocable time expire.

Don’t make the irrevocable time too long either because in this vibrant market one or two more offers may arrive in the mean time. Sellers will often contemplate that they can wait. For example, if a seller has a showing scheduled for 8 p.m. why would they consider the already-signed offer if more time can still elapse before the irrevocable time arrives.

If you’re a buyer and an offer is signed back to you which seems reasonable in its countered changes, it becomes almost too attractive not to accept in our current active market because if you decide to makes changes and extend the irrevocable time more offers could appear from other showings.

Conditions in an offer will state – the way I present them anyway – the buyer has until 10 p.m on a certain day to satisfy their conditions on (perhaps) financing, and a formal inspection by a third-party inspector. Time is of the essence for the buyer to satisfy these conditions – before they expire as the seller is not required to grant an extension.  

One national publication designed for our niche market is called Real Estate Magazine or REM. It’s not even a magazine, but rather a tabloid newspaper format.

Mark Weisleder is an extremely good resource for Realtors in Ontario as a spokesperson and expert about law in real estate. The well-respected Toronto lawyer, who has appeared on TV shows dozens of times and is a published author on the topic, concentrates his practice on home transactions, and in the February edition of REM (See link below) he wrote about time by presenting two recent stories or if you prefer for legal sake: two cases. In both scenarios, time was a factor as a buyer requested an extension on a condition in one tale and a buyer failed to submit their deposit on time in another real-life happening.

After the offer is firm and binding, time is still important as the lawyer must search title and the buyer must prepare their finances so when they arrive at the lawyer’s office they have all the closing costs prepared and properly calculated, including land transfer tax. Many deals are delayed at closing time as money transfer or mortgage commitment letters are delayed for some reason.

IT’S IN THE MAIL
Here’s another interesting time scenario. If someone has a closing date on a house on February 25th, why would an insurance company (for example) send important timely documents to the owner’s next address on February 5th. Congratulations to the future owner for their efforts in change-of-address cards and submitting their new location of residence to their family, friends and business suppliers, but early arrival of correspondence is an unnecessary inconvenience to the seller, the seller’s sales rep, and the buyer’s sales rep as mail must be tossed into a box and transported through some means to the buyer. In the meantime, the buyer is waiting for paperwork to sign and it’s been delivered a vast distance away to their new community. I write about this as it occurred to me again this week on a transaction.

I’ve spent enough time talking about time, so until the next time . . . 

LINKS:

www.remonline.com

http://www.remonline.com/deadlines-matter-real-estate-agreements/

www.realestatelawyers.ca/markweisleder

https://www.realestatelawyers.ca/AftertheVendorAcceptsYourOffertoPurchase

http://www.reco.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/Bill-55-Fact-Sheet.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhRzORqNa0E

Mark Schadenberg, Sales Representative

Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES designation)

Royal LePage Triland Realty

Independently Owned & Operated, Brokerage

Car industry breaks records in Canada and the U.S.

Oxford County economy linked very closely to automotive manufacturing

Media reported recently about layoffs set for CAMI this summer

By Mark Schadenberg

If strong home sales indicate a strong economy in your area, what about the national sales report for automobile sales?

Real estate keeps the economy moving – the gears moving – as home buyers and sellers purchase paint, carpeting, appliances, automatic garage door openers, window curtains, shower curtains, furniture and storage sheds.

In Canada, in the January which just ended, there was also an impressive number of new cars sold.

In 2017, new car sales topped 1.9 million for the first time ever. There is a complete story link with a chart below from www.canadianautodealer.ca

The top 3 is a close race between Ford, Fiat Chrysler and General Motors, but they ended 2016 in that specific order followed by Toyota, Honda and sixth place is Hyundai.

The U.S. market also set a new high at over 17.5 million in sales in 2016.

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It’s been apparent for several months that 2016 would be another record year for new-vehicle sales in Canada, barring some catastrophic intervention, and so it was. In spite of a slight, 2.6% decrease in December compared to the same month last year, total sales of 1,948,899 new cars, trucks and SUVs in 2016 were the highest ever, topping 1.9 million for the first time.

That total was up 2.6% and almost 50,000 units from last year’s tally of 1,898,485 vehicles, making 2016 the fourth record year in a row.

“It is absolutely stunning for the industry to reach the 1.95 million mark in vehicle sales,” said David Adams, president of the Global Automakers of Canada (GAC). “It was not that long ago that 1.6 million units was considered an exceptional volume and 2016 has tracked 22% higher than those ‘exceptional’ volume levels.”

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If you enjoy reading about the car industry, check out the links below for more content.

With CAMI in Ingersoll, Toyota in Woodstock, and countless supply-chain operations scattered around Oxford County and southern Ontario, everyone should be very much interested in trends in the car industry.

Also, the Woodstock-Ingersoll board sales for 2016 topped 1,500 for the first time ever. I’m not sure where all those buyers are arriving from, but many are in the auto industry and are either at Toyota (TMMC in Woodstock) or work for a car-industry related company.

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 From the Globe And Mail:

Dennis DesRosiers, president of DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc., is forecasting a dip back below 1.9 million vehicles in 2017, but acknowledges that if the stars align, deliveries could hit two million vehicles this year.

He expects higher interest rates and noted that the decline in the value of the Canadian dollar versus its U.S. counterpart has to be reflected soon in prices, which could put the brakes on the market.

However, “we’re not calling for a free fall because the fundamentals are quite strong,” he said.

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In Ingersoll, CAMI announced layoffs for this coming summer of about 600 assembly staff due to the movement of production of the Terrain to Mexico. The part of that story which is equally important is the parts as the components to build a car are also manufactured locally (Estimates use 30% as the minimum) and often in a ‘just-in-time’ style to alleviate having a warehouse full of car parts. It would often appear from an outsider’s eyes (mine) that these warehouses do exist, but in the form of a field of parked trucks . . . and that’s a good thing.

If sales of the Equinox continue to be strong that will obviously lessen the stress of the Terrain decision.

CAMI and Toyota are the engines which make the economy strong in the manufacturing sector of southern Ontario, and that may be the under-statement of the day.

In the London Free Press story, CAMI union chief Mike VanBoekel did discuss the possibility of retirement or at least ‘early retirement packages’ as possibility to reduce the number of layoffs. The same story did note that 60 new employees have begun working there since the start of 2017.

Mike VanBoekel

LINKS:

http://windsorstar.com/business/canadian-auto-sales-set-new-record-for-january-following-red-hot-2016

https://www.canadianautodealer.ca/2017/01/another-year-another-sales-record/

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/canadian-us-car-sales-hit-record-levels-in-2016/article33502204/

http://www.lfpress.com/2017/02/03/short-gain-long-pain-at-cami-assembly-plant-in-ingersoll

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/econ58a-eng.htm

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Promoting important Oxford County news.

Call me today if you plan a move to the Woodstock area

Mark Schadenberg, Sales Representative

Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES designation)

Royal LePage Triland Realty

Independently Owned & Operated, Brokerage

757 Dundas St, Woodstock

www.royallepagetriland.com

(519) 537-1553, cell or text

Email: mschadenberg@rogers.com

Twitter: markroyallepage

Facebook: Mark Schadenberg, Royal LePage Triland

Discussion . . . Direction . . . Determination . . . Destination