New Brunswick

The World Economic Forum ranks Canada as #10 overall in their 2008-2009 Global Competitiveness Report.

Inside the report Canada achieves number one rank in three specific areas with two of these from hard data results. Canada is #1 in soundness of banks, personal computers per 100 of population and the lowest number of procedures required to start a business.

As you read this on the Internet take note that Canada ranks 6th for Internet users at 76.8 per 100 of population and ranks 10th in broadband Internet subscribers at 22.9 per 100 of population.

On Wednesday, Oct 1st, 2008, we had both the Queen Mary 2 and the Norwegian Dream at our Saint John, New Brunswick port. We had approximately 5,000 more people in our city in less then a day. In the spring to fall months, we have cruise ships in port every week. The temperature within the Bay of Fundy doesn't exceed 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Here are the differences between the two cruise ships:

Queen Mary 2 vs. Norwegian Dream

Gross Tons: 151,400 vs. 50,760

Builder: Chantiers de L'Antique vs. Chantiers de L'Antique (France)

Original Cost: 550 million (Euros) vs. 240 million ( Euros)

Entered Service: Jan. 2004 vs. Dec. 1992 (stretched 1998)

Registry: Great Britain vs. The Bahamas

Length: 1,131.9 ft / 345.03 m vs. 754 ft / 229.8 m

Beam: 134.5 ft / 41 m vs. 93.5 ft /28.5 m

Draft: 32.6 ft / 9.95 m vs. 22.3 ft / 6.8 m

Passenger Decks: 17 vs. 10

Total Crew: 1,254 vs. 700

Passengers: 3,090 vs. 2,156

Pass. Space Ratio: 57.2 vs. 29.3

Crew-Pass. Ratio: 2.0 vs. 2.5

Cruising Speed: 25 knots vs. 21 knots

Queen Mary 2 - FACTS

The ONLY Canyon Ranch SpaClub at sea

The World's 1st Planetarium at sea

The largest library at sea

The longest jogging track at sea

The largest wine collection at sea

A cultural academy by the University of Oxford, with 7 classrooms and an auditorium

A Pillow Concierge offers a choice of up to 9 different types of pillows

Some royal suites have private elevators

Classic hallmarks include sweeping staircases & a grand ballroom, domed salons

Staff has renowned "White Star Service"

Norwegian Dream - FACTS

Freestyle Cruising concept

Increased entertainment & dining options

Guest can do anything or nothing at all

New LifeStyle Program

More art auctions

Health & Wellness Programs

Cooking demonstrations

In 1998, was stretched an additional 130 ft midsection

The nationally televised Canadian leaders' debates will take place this week:
* French debate: Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008, 8 to 10pm EDT
* English debate: Thursday, Oct 2, 2008, 9 to 11pm EDT

With:
* Stéphane Dion, Liberal Party of Canada
* Gilles Duceppe, Bloc Québécois
* Stephen Harper, Conservative Party of Canada
* Jack Layton, New Democratic Party
* Elizabeth May, Green Party of Canada

There may be issues which might effect real estate in Canada.
Do you plan to watch?

My name is Nicola Lindsay of Nicola Lindsay ReDesign & Tacks"N"Tapestry . I am a member of the Canadian Redesigners Association (CRDA).

The CRDA has designated October as "Get Redesigned Month" and we are launching the campaign in conjunction with our annual national conference which will be held in Toronto at the Sheraton Gateway (Toronto Pearson Airport) on October 17-19, 2008.

The CRDA supports Ovarian Cancer Canada (OCC) nationally, and we are hopeful that there is a way we can support a woman or maybe several women with ovarian cancer who are living in Charlotte County and area.

With the intent of helping a woman or women in need, we would like to donate a free "redesign" for someone who may benefit from such a service. If you are aware of a woman in Charlotte County and area who has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and perhaps would enjoy having her living environment "refreshed" we would love to be able to help.

We believe this is a good way to bring awareness to OCC and the symptoms of ovarian cancer, as well as help deserving families.

I would be happy to explain the program in more detail by phone. Just give me a call at your convenience.

The website for the CRDA is www.canadianredesigners.org and the website for OCC is www.ovariancanada.org

Thank you for helping us raise awareness for the symptoms of ovarian cancer and for getting the word out about the "Havens for Healing" program.

Nicola Lindsay

Nicola Lindsay ReDesign

506-466-3572

www.nicolalindsay.com

redesign@nicolalindsay.com

Truly I feel like summer just began and I am not ready for fall in any way. I am going to have to move to a climate where summer lasts a few more months. Except I love fall and all it brings and I still get excited over the first snowfall in winter. I give up I just love all the seasons.

As we think about fall and getting our homes prepared, I have some helpful tips to read over.

It is time to trim your trees and hedges back before the winter can break them with the load of snow. It is a great time to do this, no flies and cooler temperatures make is easier.

Mow your lawn one last time and clear away any debris left on the lawn. Now is the time to research out the proper fertilizer for our climate and you type of lawn. Begin by checking with Darren Marshall and Krista McAllister or any of their competent staff at Mayfield Greenhouse here in St. Stephen and asking for their help in choosing the right product, (www.mayfieldgardens.ca). Any landscape business should have someone with the correct information for you. Ask lots of questions, it’s your lawn and I know how hard it is to keep it looking good.

It’s now time to store your lawn equipment away properly. Remove all the gas or add a conditioner for cold weather. Take out the sparkplugs and then wipe the machine down. Make sure it is dry and clean before you finish. It may seem like a lot of extra right now but when spring arrives you will appreciate it starting on the first try. These few steps will extend the life of your mower too.

I read an article about filling in all the little openings around your house before cold weather. Apparently if you measure and add up all these little places you may have an opening as large as a hole three feet square. Can you imagine how much cold air can come in through that space and how much hard earned cash can fly out that opening? I guess we better pay more attention to the little details with the price of heat this year. My grandfather always said it was as important to look after the pennies as it was the dollars. So let’s go buy the correct caulking and weather stripping and begin inspecting your home. Places to begin are around windows and doors, dryer vents, anywhere there has been an opening made in your home.

Let’s take time to inspect our roof. You may even want a professional to look it over as well. Check for loose shingles, the flashing around the chimney, then see if there are any cracks in the valleys and if needed get the correct roofing cement for the repairs. Don’t be on a ladder unless you are able to climb and never attempt any of this alone. The buddy system works very nicely.

Last but not least. Make sure your gutters and clean ad water can flow well away from your home. This one small detail can bring a huge amount of problems if not cared for properly. You can expect flooded basements and foundation breakdown as well as damaged landscaping, all of these costly to repair. Clean the gutters of all debris and use your hose to flush water though to check if it flows well. If you have trees around your home, you may find gutter guards helpful to keep the leaves from filling the gutter.

These few suggestions may make your life easier and even save you money in the long run.