Some of the major changes included opening up the views and bringing continuity to the spaces; raising the ceilings two feet toward the back of the house to build an extension with the kitchen (the focal point of the house) and living room; raising the floor of the master suite; installing a large steel and glass opening on the rear faade to let the light in; and adding three balconies.

Designed to be functional and fit the owners needs, the home features effortless style with its round and arched contours to balance out the hard lines in the steel doors.

The very cool suspended lighting device comes from Flos.

The scalloped plaster fireplace was done by Kamp Studios, and the art flanking it is by Matias Sanchez Martin.

It was built to complement our lifestyle, which is to have friends over for long dinners, good music, many candles, great cocktails and wine, and lots of laughs, Lindsay says. This house is to enjoy and celebrate life in the morning and at night, with no part of it overly precious.

Classic brownstone details are visible in the trims and molding throughout the house in off-white tones mixed with edgier touches like the matte black staircase. We stayed neutral throughout, but played with different textures and tones, incorporating decorative wall finishes like plaster and wallpaper, Jae says. We wanted to keep a sleek modern feel, while avoiding the bare and stark impressions associated with contemporary interiors.

BEFORE: This bedroom layout felt cramped and crowded.

AFTER: The master bedroom redo is all about clean lines and architectural details. The sculptures on display are by Jenny Min.

For the couple, the Brooklyn home is a study of equilibrium, where grids are balanced by curves, matte is juxtaposed with texture, and simple is only occasionally disrupted by grandeur. The house, according to the couple, is like Axel Vervoordt in the middle of a Kanye concert.

BEFORE: The master suite section had to be reconfigured entirely to make the space functional.

AFTER: The result was created with softness and serenity in mind. The scones in the bathroom are by Arne Jacobsen, and the faucets are by Waterworks.

AFTER: The master suite now boasts a grand master bathroom with a large freestanding tub and a custom vanity.

AFTER: Here, another bathroom was designed with a little more moody flair.

Although they invested a significant amount of energy, the couple enjoyed every part of the process. Renovations are very funnyyou feel like you end up with a Ph.D. in what not to do, Lindsay and Kayvan smile. A gut renovation on a townhouse is the most daunting, frightening, fiscally challenging, draining experience, but when you finally get the keys to your house, it becomes the foundation for your future memories that makes everything worth it.

The parlor floor gained a whole new chic living space after the expansion. The steel doors let in an incredible amount of light which brightens the entire floor. The big puzzle artwork is from M. Crow.

See the original post:
This Brooklyn Townhouse Gets a Refined Renovation - Architectural Digest

If the City Hall in Jersey City doesnt make you want to do home improvement projects, then nothing will. Well, thats certainly a sentence we never thought we would write. But its totally true because while the coronavirus pandemic was shutting down local businesses, keeping residents sheltering in place indoors, and forcing restaurants and eateries to transition to contactless options only, Jersey City began focusing on renovation projects that would otherwise disturb residents if they were done during normal life.

In a now-viral tweet, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop explained, We used COVID-19 shutdown to do projects that wouldve been inconvenient for residents regularly {street paving, park renovations, etc}. One project was ripping up the 1960s vinyl floor at City Hall. We thought wed find garbage, but instead we found the original from 100 years ago {sic}.The details on the gorgeous discovery.

{Photo credit: Twitter}

Move over, HGTV! We dont need your DIY home improvement channel when weve got City Hall!

City Halls surprise renovation didnt just impress the people of Jersey City. In fact, Mayor Fulops tweet gained national attention and went viral when it was picked up by Instagram meme account @kalesalad.

See More: 15 DIY Projects to Stay Busy and Productive at Home

While we are here why did every house cover hardwood floors with carpet in the 1960s @stevenfulopjc, the account @kalesalad wrote in the caption.

The reaction to the home improvement project has been overwhelmingly positive. One Instagram user wrote, Love when this happens. Like when a mosaic from a renowned artist was found in an NYC building entry during a reno.

Another chimed in, The old floor looks really pretty actually they should try and preserve that design!

All in all, the picture posted to @kalesalad garnered more than 330,000 likes and Mayor Fulops original tweet received 2.8K comments, 15.6K retweets, and 146.7K likes.

After the positive reaction to Fulops original tweet about the renovation, he began providing updates on other areas of the floor that have since been pulled up.

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Stephanie Osmanski writes honest things about health, the planet, and being a woman. Her words have appeared on Business Insider, Parade, Eat This Not That, Dogster, Scary Mommy, Green Matters, Parents, Seventeen, Life & Style, InTouch Weekly, and more. Her articles have been syndicated on World Economic Forum, MSN, MSN UK, and MSN Canada. In her free time, Stephanie and her registered therapy dog, Koda, volunteer at local hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare facilities.

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If You Need Some DIY Inspo, Check Out the Floors of City Hall in Jersey City - hobokengirl.com

May 9, 2020

Posted: May 9, 2020

Updated: 1:16 PM

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) As of this week, over 30 million Americans have filed for unemployment. This economic upheaval is forcing many Americans, 45 million of which were slated to retire this year, to reevaluate their finances and navigate the new normal.

If you were planning on retiring this year or in the next few years and just got laid off due to the coronavirus, here are some tips from Steve Sexton, financial consultant and CEO of Sexton Advisory Group, on how to assess and improve your financial health:

Assess your financial situation if you recently got laid off and you were planning to retire soon, the first question I ask my clients is can you maintain your lifestyle without working? To figure this out, youll need to determine all sources of income, your source of health insurance until you qualify for Medicare, and any major expenses coming up, like a home renovation or a new car. Dont forget to take into account how inflation might impact your cash flow in the the next few years. Seek temporary employment If you cant maintain your lifestyle without working this means youll need to seek employment as soon as possible. Depending on your line of work, it may be a while until you get a full-time job in your industry and unemployment benefits only last for so long. In fact, assistance from the stimulus bill is expected to run out on July 31st, which means jobless workers would only get their state unemployment benefit after this date. This means youll need to look for temporary employment, even if it means considering jobs that are not in your skill set, but allow you to earn money now. Downsize and/or reduce your expenses Ive said this multiple times on previous segments, but its so important to eliminate any unnecessary spending right now. You can live with less, whether that means getting rid of your cable service, canceling that wine club membership, moving to a less expensive home or even choosing to share a car with your spouse especially since theres little need to drive over the next few months! Weigh your social security options most Americans cant rely on social security checks alone, but selecting the right benefits can make a big difference in the long run. There are 567 different ways to elect benefits, so make sure youre educated on which option will provide you with the highest income in your retirement. Consider low-risk investing theres no denying an astronomical amount of money has been lost in stocks in the past two months. If youre hoping to have a comfortable retirement, this means opting for low-risk investment options which may not offer big returns, but are safe. Work with a financial advisor to find out what options work best for you.

If youre looking for more guidance on what to do if youve recently been laid off, Im hosting a free webinar on Thursday, May 21st at 4 p.m. PST. For more info and/or to RSVP, go to RetireSmartMag.com.

More:
Coronavirus and your finances: What to do if you're laid off - - KUSI

While kitschy palm tree prints and seashell motifs are de rigueur in the Sunshine State, fashion blogger and designer Blair Eadie preferred a style that leaned more Palm Springs than Palm Beach for her 1920s Sarasota, Florida getaway. She and her husband Andrew snagged the cottage-style vacation home three years ago, and have since completely transformed its interiors.

Think graphic black and white patterns, pops of bold, saturated color, and midcentury moments mixed with contemporary elements, all layered atop what the couple calls good bones, a linear layout, and no shortage of character. And by character they mean the result of a series of previous renovations that left them with ceilings so low in parts of the home that six-foot-four Andrew could not even stand up. It had dangerous wiring within the walls, three different roofs layered on top of each other, plus a master bedroom with a door leading to the kitchen and the smallest bathroom in the house.

BEFORE: Changes afoot in Florida.

BEFORE: Construction begins to raise the roof.

No matter, though. Situated on a flag lot, the 1,900-square-foot home offered what felt like, for two Brooklyn-dwellers, an abundance of both privacy and space. And Blair and Andrew saw potential in the floor plan, opting to take on an extensive 18-month renovation that ultimately left them with four bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, and, in some spots, a 5-foot-higher ceiling.

The resulting expanse of continuous white walls and concrete flooringthat felt old-meets-new and also kept the home coolleft the couple essentially with a blank canvas. Blair, known by 1.6 million Instagram followers for her instantly recognizable and highly curated fashion aesthetic, then enlisted the help of Havenly design and creative VP Shelby Girard to help translate her sartorial sensibilities for an interior environment.

The final design concept from Havenly.

The design had to be playful, unexpected, and full of personality, just like Blairs wardrobe, says Shelby. You can have more fun and take more risks with second homes, especially in a destination like Florida. There is a pervasive vacation mentality and mindset.

To bring warmth to the stark contrasts of concrete and white, Shelby added a Blue Ivy by Clare paint accent wall in the living room that draws the eye and helps separate the space from the dining and sitting areas. With the pool situated in the center of the home, accessible by four sets of French doors, the wall reflects a water-like hue, and two Rove Concepts Womb Chairs carry the tone into the sitting area.

Read the original here:
See How This Fashion Blogger Transformed a Florida Beach Home with Her Signature Style - Architectural Digest

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ Seton Hall University was granted an extension of the approval for an addition and renovation to the University Center; the action was taken at the May 4 South Orange Planning Board meeting. Seton Halls extension was granted for one year, and their attorney stated that it would be the final extension requested. The original approval wasgiven on July 6, 2016.

The meeting had three additional applications scheduled; however at request of applicants their applications were held over to the June 1 meeting.

Village Trustee Bob Zuckerman gave the Economic Development Committees report. He said that letters are going out to those residential and commercial properties who continue to have unrepaired code violations. Those who are in violation will receive a letter advising that after the State of Emergency they will be given consideration and time to remediate the items in violation.

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He noted that these are very challenging times to the food and retail sector. There could well be a 30 percent vacancy rate after the pandemic, he warned. He said Julie Doran, executive director of South Orange Village Center Alliance, is doing a great job with merchants and property owners, helping them get SBA and PPP loans. He suggested thatshopping local promotions and getting food to go as well as local gift cards are helping local businesses.

Every Saturday of May and June will be Small Business Saturdays, said Doran to the Board. She said many property owners are working with the tenants on rent issues. SOVCA continues itsstreet cleaning program to keep the town looking inviting and that local businesses are making delivery directly to homes daily. Doran noted that residents would get better service shopping locally than online, and there is very little that cant be gotten locally.

The draft of the Master Plan has been sent to Village Administrator Adam Loehner and Village President Sheena Collum, Board Planner/Zoning Official Greer Patras reported, and she said she will walk them through it. The document will then be reviewed by the committee and the Planning Board.

Patras said the updated Master Plan supports fast recovery coming out of COVID-19 quarantine, with flexible zoning offering more diversification for future development. She noted that South Orange is positioned to handle recovery better than other towns because of new zoning rules, as more housing diversity and office options are long-term better for the town. Doran concurred, and said flexible zoning will be important for recovery.

Read More:Go Fund Me For S.O. Resident's Funeral Expenses

Read More:South Orange May 7 Coronavirus Update

Read More:SOMDS School Budget Passes

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Seton Hall University Gets Renovation Extension from South Orange Planning Board - TAPinto.net

I woke up on April 20 to an old calendar reminder that I should be packed and ready to board my flight to Barcelona, Spain, in about six hours. I had, of course, already canceled my trip and requested refunds two months ago, back when Spain shut down its cities to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The notification was just another reminder of the Before Times, when I had a nine-day vacation that wouldve provided a much-needed mental refresher from work. Instead, I opted to take a brief staycation in my own apartment.

Millions of Americans are currently under stay-at-home orders and many have postponed or entirely canceled their vacation plans for the current year. Since domestic and international travel has slowed to a virtual halt, people wont be traveling very far anytime soon. In the meantime, local staycations seem to be most peoples only option, unless you have a second vacation home or extra money to spend on a short-term rental or hotel room with limited human contact.

In the days when a flight seemed to be a safe luxury, a staycation was a code for chill vacation a short, sometimes local trip with limited planning and expenses. The goal of a staycation is to relax in a place that is close to home but still a novel environment. But now that most cities and states are on lockdown, how do you plan a fulfilling break in a space youve occupied every hour of the day for the past couple of months? What if you arent afforded a significant amount of time off?

Its possible that, due to the coronavirus, people with jobs might take even less time off work than they usually do whether they hold essential positions or are working from home. In 2018, about 55 percent of workers reported they didnt use their allotted time off, according to the latest data from the US Travel Association. That amounts to about $65.5 billion in lost benefits, a number that could easily climb in 2020 resulting from the economic slowdown and uncertainty as to when itll be safe to travel again.

For some, however, it can feel oddly wasteful to take vacation days just to spend time inside, especially when the economic downturn has led to massive unemployment. Many companies have reduced their budgets and implemented hiring freezes, so its likely that individual workload could increase. And even before the pandemic, more than half of US workers reported feeling guilty about taking vacation time, according to a 2019 survey of over 2,000 full-time workers. In this situation, many Americans could be working without meaningful time off for at least another couple of months.

Meanwhile in quarantine, people have reported higher levels of stress-induced fatigue: Essential workers are likely overworked, underpaid, and worried about the possibility of catching Covid-19; parents might be exhausted with around-the-clock child care; and in general, people could be emotionally fatigued due to the unprecedented and unpredictable nature of the pandemic.

You need a lot of physical energy for your cognitive work. Were doing so much worrying and rumination, Nancy Sin, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia, told Vice. A mental and physical break, then, seems all the more necessary for employees, who are possibly on the verge of burnout as the pandemic wages on.

After more than a month of working from my tiny apartment, my weekends have started to blend into my weekdays. And while that helps with the passage of time, its much harder to differentiate between time spent indoors for relaxation and leisure, versus time spent indoors because, well, I sort of have to. For my staycation, I took two days off to give myself a four-day weekend, which I spent making cocktails, working on a short story, and watching old French films.

Dan Kieran, author of The Idle Traveller: The Art of Slow Travel, thinks that local staycations much like what I undertook will be the future of tourism and travel at least for the next year or two, as people emerge from the pandemic more cautious and hesitant to fly to far-off destinations. International travel will resume, but already, experts are predicting that many aspects of the industry, from medical screenings to personal hygiene, will change.

My favorite thing to do is walk out my front door in a different direction, Kieran says. Instead of giving yourself a specific amount of time to explore a place, reflect on where you are and try to get lost to achieve that travel feeling. He encourages people to take walks and explore their outdoor areas as if theyre a foreign traveler: They could walk along an unfamiliar street or choose to not use their GPS or phone, which would replicate that sense of adventurousness so many people crave.

Even indoors, a person could alter their environment by choosing to sleep in a different corner or room of their home or, if they have a backyard, camp outside for a night or two. It could seem silly, Kieran admits, but these activities are also family-friendly: You can bring your sleeping bag in the lounge, sleep with your kids, or camp in the garden. If you break down what you love most about travel, its actually quite easy to find equivalence that doesnt require you to be in a different geographical location, Kieran concludes.

Kieran has long been an advocate of slow travel, a decades-old movement that presents itself as the antidote to the fast-paced style of tourism most travelers are accustomed to. Its a mindset that rejects commercialized tourism and encourages travelers to venture off the beaten path to explore local cultures, foods, and transportation methods. This means a traveler could spend more time at a place than they originally planned, remaining open to itinerary changes. There are not a lot of rules to it. It only requires you to keep an open mind, Kieran says, which is why he believes the coronavirus could be a huge moment for slow travel.

People can practice slow travel even in their own cities, since the philosophy encourages close interaction with a local community that can be achieved through walking. When we travel, we go to different parts of the world to activate a different way about thinking about life, which pushes us in a different head space, Kieran says.

Travel is not really about your physical location. Slow travel is a mindset, Kieran tells me. Although new locations and environments help kickstart that mentality much faster than a staycation, he believes travel is about thinking differently about your own surroundings and being challenged by them, which is why hes encouraging people to get lost in their own town.

Marty Nemko, a career and personal adviser, has always been an advocate for staycations. He tells me that now, more than ever, its important for people to recognize how many leisurely activities they can partake in at home at no cost or hassle.

In my experience, staycations provide a much better pleasure to pain ratio than a regular vacation, Nemko says. Theres greater pleasure in doing whatever you want in your own home. (Kieran agrees. He tells me that the etymology of the word travel originates from travail, the French word for work, which is thought to stem from trepalium, the Latin term for a torture instrument. The word travel literally means torture, he says.)

While a staycation within a familiar space can initially appear limiting, Nemko encourages people to take on a small project, whether it be home renovation or learning how to cook a new cuisine over the course of two or three days. (He coined the term projation, or a project-vacation, in a recent Psychology Today article.)

You can write that screenplay youve been meaning to write or adopt a hobby that gives you a sense of purpose, Nemko adds. Even if you make a room more livable that youre living in, its the fact that you did something for yourself or the world.

Online, theres been a huge cultural debate about productivity in quarantine, primarily among creatives like me who are working home. With all this extra time, should you try to be productive or simply take a break? Nemko believes that people should strive to be purposeful and productive, while I personally believe in doing what ultimately feels good for my brain and body, productivity be damned. Even a brief staycation is unstructured time that youre allowed to enjoy however you want.

For people who are unable to get much time off work besides their weekends, Nemko suggests implementing micro-breaks or restructuring the workday so it fits your own personal needs if youre working from home.

At this moment, you can inject freedom in your work life since you dont have your boss breathing down your neck, he says. Youre the CEO of your own life. Get out of that chair whenever you want and take a walk or clean the bathroom. Nemko sprinkles his day with what he calls nano-breaks, gaps of time that are extremely short, to indulge in a funny Youtube video or a brief period of meditation. Even a minute when youre not thinking about work, that can be very refreshing. The trick is not letting a minute turn into 30.

When travel eventually resumes again, many experts expect travelers to gravitate to more rural locations with fewer people. Short-term rentals in remote places could be a vacation alternative for urbanites to escape the city. (Getaway House, a tiny house rental start-up, is operating in most cities even during the pandemic, and RVs are in demand.)

I think people are going to look closer to home or spaces that remind them of home, which is a powerful and positive thing, Kieran says. People might start to recognize that they dont need to go to a foreign place to be excited and invigorated.

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Original post:
How to vacation in the coronavirus pandemic under stay-at-home orders - Vox.com

Home Depot is reopening in Ontario this weekend, which is great news ifyou've fallen down the rabbit hole of a quarantine-inspired home renovation like many of us.

Restrictions surrounding retail stores are easing up to varying degrees across Canada, and Ontario is joining by allowing certain stores to re-open this weekend.

The province was the only one in Canada to order the closure of allgarden centres, nurseries, hardware stores, and safety supply stores on April 4, forcing stores like Home Depot to function via deliveries and curbside pick-ups only.

But Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced yesterday that they'll be able to reopen as early as Friday for in-store payments, as long as they follow the rules.

Like all the other essentialstores that have remained open in Ontario during this time, Home Depot says it's adopting the same social distancing measures to ensure the safety of their staff and customers.

According to Home Depot's director of corporate communications, Paul Berto, stores in Ontario will begin to limit the number of customers allowed at a time.

They've also implemented plexiglass screens, floor markers, and additional signage to help everyone maintain distance.

Essentially, they're the exact same precautions you've seen already implemented at grocery stores and pharmacies, meaning you'll finally be able to browse cans of paint in real life instead of on a web browser.

According to Berto, Home Depotgarden centres in Ontario will open Friday, and stores will follow suit on Saturday.

Link:
This is when Home Depot is reopening in Ontario and what the stores will look like - blogTO

Jim Mann recites the numbers without hesitation: he had 19 tests and seven meetings during a marathon week of screening at a Toronto hospital in March.

The reward at the end was nothing less than a new chance at life, a spot on the facilitys lung transplantation list as emphysema cuts his own lungs capacity by almost 75 per cent.

Then just days later, the University Health Network called to inform him everything was on hold. Mann knew he still had to wait for a matching organ from a deceased donor. But Ontarios cancellation of elective surgeries to ready for a feared surge of COVID-19 patients meant nothing could be done for him until the restrictions were lifted.

Its very heartbreaking, to be honest, says Mann, a retired home-renovation salesman from Niagara Falls. Its definitely worrisome. Im only 65 years old.

Hes part of an overlooked fall-out from the pandemic lockdown the thousands of Canadians whose treatments have been delayed for close to two months already and could be postponed for weeks more.

Almost 200,000 surgeries and other procedures, cancer screening tests and clinical trials of experimental medicines were shelved indefinitely as hospitals braced for a possible flood of COVID-19 patients. A deluge that never quite materialized.

Meanwhile, many hospitals have sat barely half-full.

Doctors and patient advocates say the dramatic, overnight retooling of the nations health-care system, luckily, didnt trigger a tsunami of deaths or other bad outcomes for non-COVID patients, thanks largely to careful planning.

But there is evidence of negative impacts nonetheless.

Modelling in Ontario estimated the cancellation of elective heart surgeries would result in more than 30 deaths by early May.

Colleagues of Dr. Andrew Krahn, Vancouver-based president of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society, called to check on a patient awaiting the pandemic-delayed implant of a defibrillator, a device designed to prevent lethal heart rhythm problems. His daughter answered, revealing that the patient had already died, says Krahn.

Delia Oliveira, a Surrey, B.C., woman, told media that her 50-year-old husband, Chris Walcroft, passed away April 15, weeks after the procedure to prepare him for life-saving kidney dialysis was cancelled.

For other patients, there was at least the anxiety of having to wait longer to have a tumour removed, clogged artery cleared or painful joint replaced. In Ontario, only about 20 to 40 per cent of the usual volume of elective cancer surgeries has taken place during the lockdown, estimates Dr. Chris Booth, an oncologist and professor at Queens University.

Thats been a massive problem for patients, he said. You can imagine how anxiety-provoking a cancer diagnosis is at the best of times, let alone during COVID-19 and then on top of that they have uncertainty about when they can have their surgery.

Provinces like Ontario and B.C. announced this week theyre resuming the suspended operations, but now have to cope with the backlog. That could take as much as two years to clear in British Columbia, Health Minister Adrian Dix said this week.

And the longer the delays last, the worse the possible outcomes, predicted the Ontario Financial Accountability Office in a report on the pandemic, echoing others concerns.

Sad comment: It will become more and more difficult to reassure our patients about the impact of this delay on their prognosis, wrote Dr. Diane Francoeur, president of the Quebec Federation of Medical Specialists, in a newsletter Monday.

This is the great stress, said Eva Villalba of the Quebec Cancer Coalition. If you have a stage-three cancer or stage two that is still operable, you can wait four to six weeks. But if you finally get operated on four months later, maybe its not operable any more, maybe its progressed to a stage-four cancer.

Hospitals began to transform themselves in the middle of March as horror stories from Italy convinced authorities they had to free-up room on wards and in intensive care units for potential COVID-19 sufferers. Cancelling non-emergency and non-urgent operations, the thinking went, would mean fewer patients recovering in ICUs or being exposed to the infection.

Since the changes began, Ontario has performed 72,400 fewer surgeries than the year before, while B.C. saw 30,000 cancelled. A rough extrapolation based on the two provinces share of the population points to 189,000 postponed operations nationwide.

But with stay-at-home orders and other factors flattening the epidemic curve, the COVID-19 wave never reached the heights it did in places like New York City.

By mid-April, Ontario hospitals that are typically at close to 100 per cent capacity were just 69 per cent full, with 11,200 free beds, according to the Financial Accountability Office.

Quebecs Villalba, like other patient advocates, doesnt question the decision to largely clear hospitals of non-COVID patients, but believes too little heed was paid the patients affected by the momentous shift. Many found out about their cancellations by automated message, she said.

At the beginning, we do feel that other patients were completely forgotten and abandoned, said Villalba. They dont want to be sacrificed in the name of COVID patients.

Health authorities insist non-coronavirus patients never were abandoned, and that triaging meant those who needed surgery urgently got it within a reasonable time.

In Ontario at least, only cancer patients with slow-progressing tumours would still be waiting, argues Dr. Ralph Meyer, a vice-president of oncology at Hamilton Health Sciences and a regional head of Cancer Care Ontario.

At the beginning, we do feel that other patients were completely forgotten and abandoned

And for patients with breast cancers at an earlier stage, for instance, there is good evidence that a two-month surgery delay is not going to affect their overall survival, said Dr. Jory Simpson, a surgical oncology professor at the University of Toronto.

But that has done little to relieve patients fears, especially when the risk around delay was not well-explained to many of them, said Villalba. Surveys by her coalition and Rethink Breast Cancer, a national advocacy group for young patients, both found about 70 per cent of patients felt high anxiety over delayed treatment.

That is very emotionally unsettling for most cancer patients, said MJ DeCoteau, Rethinks founder. The instinct is I have cancer, I want it out of my body.

Deb Maskens, a kidney cancer patient and spokeswoman for the cancer advocacy group CanCertainty, said shes spoken to many patients who are freaking out because of surgery postponements. But she urges them to have faith in their doctors, saying theres actually no burning urgency to remove a malignancy that is not growing aggressively.

MRIs, CT scans and other diagnostic tests for cancer have also been pared back where deemed safe to do so, reducing the number of scans by 25 per cent in Ontario, that province says.

Regular screening tests mammograms, pap smears, colon-cancer tests have been put on hold. Screening is by definition for asymptomatic people and designed to find cancers early, but its unclear what the impact will be, said Meyer.

Chemotherapy and radiation treatment have gone ahead in many provinces, though with pauses for some patients, said Maskens. Theres little evidence as to what effect that change will have, either, she said.

Meanwhile, some patients waiting for surgery or other treatment are being prescribed oral, take-home drugs, such as tamoxifen, that can fight the cancer but typically would be started later in treatment.

The people who do come to hospital are sicker. Thats because they started getting sick and they waited until they were desperate to come in

New trials of experimental drugs, often the last best hope for patients with metastatic cancers, though, have also been halted, noted Villalba.

For heart patients, cardiac specialists are trying to keep in regular contact so if symptoms like fainting suddenly appear, their delayed surgery can be moved ahead, said Krahn.

Meanwhile, physicians are concerned about another side effect of the pandemic: a reluctance on the part of some Canadians to seek help when they feel ill.

The people who do come to hospital are sicker, said cardiologist Krahn. Thats because they started getting sick and they waited until they were desperate to come in.

Indeed, the family member of a cardiovascular society employee in Ottawa started feeling acutely unwell recently, put off seeking help and three days later died in her sleep. She had likely suffered a heart attack, then heart failure, said Krahn.

Ontario has reported a 30 per cent reduction and B.C. a 40 per cent drop in people presenting to emergency departments with STEMIs, the most serious type of heart attack, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

There also seems to be less demand for MRIs, CT scans and other diagnostic tests that can detect cancer, again suggesting people are avoiding help, said Meyer.

What are we missing? he asked. Are people tolerating things because of the hope theyre just going to blow over?

Mann certainly is not avoiding treatment for his condition, which forced him to quit his job and start using an oxygen tank eight years ago.

But if the hospital eases its lockdown and allows visitors like his wife Lori by the time he has his double-lung transplant an operation that can last 12 hours that would be a definite silver lining.

This is pretty major stuff Im going to go through, he said. I dont want to do it alone.

Read more:
'Sacrificed in the name of COVID patients': Tens of thousands affected by surgery cancellations - National Post

Photo: The Canadian Press

A passenger on a flight into Kelowna last week has tested positive for COVID-19.

The British Columbia Centre for Disease Control recently added an additional impacted domestic flight to its list of flights where a passenger later tested positive for the virus.

On May 5, a passenger on WestJet flight 3387 from Calgary to Kelowna later tested positive. The passenger was sitting in seat 5A.

As of March 27, the BC CDC no longer contacts passengers who were sitting near passengers with the virus. Instead, the organization has been updating its online list.

Several local domestic flights have carried passengers who later tested positive for COVID-19.

In early April, a lack of demand saw all international flights into and out of Kelowna International Airport end.

With few events taking place this spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Castanet and Total Restoration's Total Fun Cruiser is finding new ways to help spread good will in the community.

Under normal circumstances, the Total Fun Cruiser can be found at all sorts of events in the Central Okanagan, handing out goodies and spreading fun.

Total Restoration and Castanet's Total Fun Cruiser generally has a pretty full schedule this time of year. We're spotlighting events fundraisers, charity events, festivals, concerts and more throughout the Central Okanagan, but due to the current situation, those events have been cancelled or otherwise postponed, said Marisa Wilson, CEO of Total Restoration.

We wanted to do something with the cruiser in the community so we contacted some of our community contacts to find out what we could do to help people that are facing challenges during this time.

Saturday morning, Wilson used the cruiser and help deliver Mother's Day care packages to families in need around Kelowna and West Kelowna.

Wilson is looking for more ways to help over the coming weeks.

If you have any ideas of how we can help, we're happy to entertain everything, she said.

Photo: Contributed

Kelowna native Mia Burgess has been appointed co-CEO of an Okanagan-based organization that focuses on brain injuries.

BrainTrust Canada announced this week that Burgess, who previously served as the non-profits programs director, is sharing role with current CEO Mona Hennefent. The move became official on Monday.

I am committed to building a healthier, more inclusive community for our clients and championing a positive work culture with the dedicated and hard-working staff at BrainTrust, Burgess said in a press release.

BrainTrusts goal is to maximize the potential of those who have been affected by brain injury and reduce preventable brain injury.

Burgess, who has experience in policy advising, government relations, advocacy, funding management, communications, media relations and program design and delivery, has also worked with Community Corrections, John Howard Society and Central Okanagan Foundation.

Photo: Nicholas Johansen

Total Restoration crews outside 534 Sutherland Avenue.

Downtown Kelowna residents near Mill Creek woke early Thursday morning to find the creek had flooded its banks, no doubt bringing back flashbacks of 2017.

Almost three years ago to the day, the same area near Sutherland and Rowcliffe avenues and Marshall Street flooded in 2017, forcing many to evacuateand causing extensive damage to a number of homes in the area. Thankfully, Thursday's flooding was not as widespread, but several homes were still hit hard.

Some of the places we were at (Thursday) were also the same places we were at in 2017 so it was a bit of a heartbreaker for those guys, said Marisa Wilson, CEO of Total Restoration.

We responded to three apartment buildings, varying from one with a little bit of water in it, one had a couple inches of water and another had a couple feet of water. Some of the houses, the same thing. One had a couple of feet in the basement.

The flooding wascaused by a pulse of debris thathad been washed down the creek by the heavy rain Wednesday.

By Thursday afternoon, Mill Creek's water levels had come down significantly, leaving several flooded basements in its wake.

Wilson said her crews will be working to restore some affected homes in the area forseveral months.

Total Restoration had about 20 of their 60 employees working in the area, while other restoration companies also attended. Wilson said they're also working to restore Big White's Snow Ghost Inn after the roof collapsed last month.

Construction crews on the corner of Sunset Drive and Water Street spent all Friday pouring 2,200 cubic metres of concrete, forming the base of the second tower of One Water Street.

Construction of the development began in early 2018, and 33 of the 36 stories of the east tower have since been completed. With the pouring of the base for the west tower Friday, Kelowna residents will begin to see the second tower take shape over the next few months.

Exciting pours, these things, said Leonard Kerkhoff, CEO of Kerkhoff Construction. It takes a lot of effort to co-ordinate, months of planning, and it all comes down to today.

The pour began at 3 a.m. Friday, and continued through the afternoon.

About 30 concrete trucks were involved in the pour, more than are generally available in Kelowna. As a result, the construction company had to pull trucks from across the Okanagan.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has brought many industries to a grinding halt, construction was deemed an essential service in British Columbia.

Obviously it's been a troubling couple of months, the last couple of months, Kerkhoff said. "It's been hard on our workers to adapt to the new policies and procedures around COVID-19 and there's been a lot of team effort to make that happen, to keep the work moving forward in a safe manner.

Kerkhoff doesn't expect the pandemic to impact the towers' completion dates, which are scheduled for Spring 2021 and Spring 2022. Currently, about 86 per cent of the two towers' units have been sold.

During the big pour Friday, Kerkhoff Construction bought 200 meals from the nearby Train Station Pub and Soul de Cuba for their workers, as part of the Lunch Box Challenge. Started by a couple of contractors in Vancouver, the initiative helps support local restaurants during the tough economic times that the pandemic has brought.

Photo: Facebook

A group of Filipino-Canadian friends based in Lake Country have created a dance video in dedication to all frontline workers.

Allan Evangelista, Immanuel Sahol,Grace Sahol andNarvi Mendoza wanted to do something to thank those who have been, and continue tocombatthe COVID-19 pandemic on the frontlines.

The inspiration came from hearing his friends' stories, says Evangelista, who immigrated to Canada as a permanent resident in 2015.

"Most of my high school classmates are now nurses and doctors and then hearing from them their sacrifices and their hard work ... it's the least we could do.

"We have many friends and family members that are frontliners. Its just our simple way of saying thank you and then we hear stories, we hear the news about their sacrifices and for us, if they see the video it just puts some smile on their faces. Itsa humble way of showing that we appreciate their sacrifices in the fight against the pandemic."

He says the video, filmed overlooking Wood Lake on a Sunday afternoon hike,has now been viewed by friends in the Philippines, London, New Zealand and across Canada via social media.

When it comes to the dance moves, those were inspired by a popular video going viral right now in the Philippines, says Evangelista.

To watch the video, click here.

Photo: Flickr

As businesses in B.C look to ramp back up and get back to work they are facing many COVID-19 related challenges.

Many businesses say they are scrambling to find personal protection equipment and figure out the best way to keep employees and customers safe.

In places where people are allowed to congregate, if high-touch surfaces such as handrails, fixtures, countertops, and public seating aren't disinfected, harmful viruses like COVID-19 could spread.

Companies like NorHaz and Orkin Canada have ramped up the disinfectant cleaning side of their businesses in an effort to fill a void.

Sean Rollo, technical director with Orkin tells Castanet, they have started a new service geared directly towards helping business disinfect and stay clean.

"The Orkin VitalClean service uses aHealth Canadaregistered disinfectant labeled for use against a wide variety of pathogens and is included on Health Canadas list of products that meet their criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19," Rollo says.

Some businesses have been shut down for eightweeks, so who knows what they may look like inside. Aside from a good cleaning and disinfecting, some may also see an increase in pest activity. "Pests don't read the Wall Street Journal, it doesn't matter to them what the economy is doing, they're going to find a way to flourish."

Rollo says cleaning and disinfecting after fumigation is a normal part of their business but this expansion is a natural progression. He believes they will be busy.

"As these businesses get back into the swing of things we fully expect to be really busy on the pest control front as well as the disinfection side," Rollo says.

Photo: @mattworona

Construction on the latest addition to Kelowna's active transportation network is complete.

In a news release Friday, the city says construction is now complete on work at the intersection of Ethel Street and Sutherland Avenue.

Transportation engineering manager Gordon Foy notes the project is a significant milestone for the city in that it connects two major active transportation projects, Phase 4 of the Ethel Street active transportation corridor and Phase 1 of the Sutherland Avenue protected bike lanes.

People riding bikes or driving in this area should be aware that thetravel patterns have changedand be alert to the movements of others, said Foy.

These two projects are key componentsofthe citysPedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan, whichaims to create an interconnected active transportation networkin Kelowna.

Work has includedotherneighbourhood improvementsin addition to cycling infrastructure, includingnew sidewalk, landscaping,traffic signal and utility upgrades, improved street lighting, and a new multi-use pedestrian/bicyclebridge at MillCreek.For increased safety, the bike corridors are separated from vehicle traffic by a concrete barrier.

We urge residents to pay close attentionwhen travelling,notonlyon Ethel Street and Sutherland Avenue, but anywhere in the city.

People riding bikesshoulduse hand signals when turning,activatebike signals, yield to pedestrians and use the green bike turn box when available.

Photo: file photo

Mission Creek

The snowpack in the hills across the Okanagan remains slightly above normal, but not in a range to cause serious concern.

The latest snow survey, compiled May 1, shows the snowpack is at 110 per cent of normal, down from 116 per cent a month ago.

BC River Forecast hydrologist Jonathan Boyd says the Okanagan overall is in pretty good shape when it comes to flood risk, but does indicate there are some pockets that are still pretty high and could become problematic.

One of those is Mission Creek, which Boyd says has a snowpack 143 per cent of normal.

"In terms of the risk to places like Mission or Mill Creek, there still is that chance, there still is a lot of snow up at Mission Creek. We're not quite through the season yet," said Boyd.

Much of the lower to mid-low areas have already either melted off or are close to being snow free.

But, Boyd says there is still a lot of snow at the higher elevations.

"The last few years we've some really hot temperatures in late April and early May and, although it's pretty nice right now, it hasn't really been that extreme yet for most of the province.

"The danger is if we have an extended period of heat for five to seven days, then have another rain event like we had this week fall on that melting snow."

Conditions across the region are much different than they were during the floods of 2017 and 2018 when the snowpack on May 1 was 147 and 206 per cent above normal respectively.

The really good news, Boyd says, is the fact Okanagan Lake is relatively low. He says dam operators are looking to get the lake level a bit higher.

In the South Okanagan and Shuswap, Boys says the snowpack is 119 per cent of normal which is not a major concern.

"Of course there is that chance of flooding if we get an extended hot spell and big rain in the Similkameen of Tulameen valley's."

Further north, the snowpack around the South Thompson is 124 per cent above normal, which is basically the same as two years ago.

"Even just 24 per cent above normal is quite significant there, so it really revolves again how the melt process takes place.

"If we continue with this dry period and season temperatures, we'll have this slow melt off of the snow. That might be one of the most ideal situations"

Photo: Contributed

Photo: Flickr

UPDATE 1:47 p.m.

The cancellation of graduation ceremonies across the province and here in the Okanagan is having a polarizing impact on students, parents and school boards.

Ally Wyllie, a grade 12 student at Rutland Senior Secondary has started a petition to have grad when it's safe, "I do not believe a virtual zoom which we have to pay for is acceptable. We have been working our whole life working so hard to be able to walk downtown in our pretty dresses, and cross that stage. I dreamed of this day for my whole life. I didnt spend $500 (plus) on a dress to never wear it, and I know lots of girls are in the same boat."

Tammy Hobbs says, "students are devastated, so many have invested into grad dresses and suits, want to walk across the stage and celebrate 13 years of hard work and dedication. Virtual grad is not acceptable."

Scott Sieben, Principal of Mount Boucherie Secondary School tells Castanet, "we are meeting with our Grad Council this afternoon (Friday) to help develop a plan. We are hoping to have this ironed out by next week. As well, we collect monies for a dinner/dance (All of these funds will be refunded to families; we are hoping by next week) separately from the ceremony. We are determining costs for the [virtual] ceremony, and then families will be reimbursed any leftover monies."

As of Friday afternoon Wyllie's petition had been signed by more than 600 people.

ORIGINAL 4:00 a.m.

Graduating high school students and their parents in the Central Okanaganare upset and disappointed after learning that this year's graduation ceremonies have been postponed indefinitely.

Parents received an emailfrom the Central Okanagan School Board indicating, "there is currently no model in place to accommodate the logisticsof our graduating class size to ensure the safety of students and their families."

As a result, planning for prom and grad walk and been shelved with focus turning to a "virtual convocation ceremony."

Central Okanagan Public Schools assistant superintendent, Rick Oliver tells Castanet, "we are all heartbroken for the students and their families" that some celebrations have been cancelled, "others will be able to be reimagined and will go ahead."

Kristina Wheeler's daughter goes to Kelowna Secondary School and was very much looking forward to this year's grad, "I understand why (grad was cancelled). What I don't understand is why they can't do it at a later date?"

Wheeler says manystudents have been looking forward to graduation for many years and feel let down that they won't have one.

Here is the original post:
Some homes hit by Thursday's flooding were also flooded in 2017 - Kelowna News - Castanet.net

The greatest global pandemic in over 100 years has created chaos, threatened lives and livelihoods and brought much of industry and commerce to a standstill.

While the pandemic has created uncertainty, it has also created new markets and opportunities for the post-Covid-19 era.

After all, this crisis has shown us how we can change the way we work and play.

Businesses that were previously in the peripheries could grow. Perhaps no more so than those occupying the digital space.

Around 80 per cent of the white-collar workforce are deployed under the work-from-home regime, creating a cottage industry in everything from e-meetings and e-seminars to e-sales and e-marketing.

Online teleconferencing, chats and discussions and digital marketing have all sped up the journey towards a digital economy.

With Web conferencing exploding, companies offering support services for webinars will do very well in the new normal. New opportunities have also emerged for telcos, Internet service providers and vendors of computer accessories.

The advent of 5G will accelerate these trends and opportunities.

There are even opportunities for furnishing and home renovation companies and interior decorators who can create functional and comfortable home offices.

But remote working arrangements and telecommuting will also raise challenges in online security, stability and bandwidth capability.

Companies that can provide data storage, technology support, secure platforms, cyber security and even backup facilities will see demand for their services grow rapidly.

The same goes for those in the education space. The closure of schools has forced the entire education system to embrace e-learning.

An entire new pedagogy will have to be devised.

Singapore has been a leading player in many fields, ranging from medicine and digital technology and banking to supply chain management and education. This crisis provides it with an opportunity to solidify its leadership position in all these segments.

Besides schools, this will also open opportunities for providers of online tuition, both in software and curriculum development.

Beyond learning, this crisis has also catalysed the growth of home entertainment, video streaming and e-sports. For example, the Singapore Esports Association based here has been busy putting together a community e-gaming programme and has been engaging with businesses and entrepreneurs.

The market for e-sports and entertainment will continue to grow.

Online retail, which was already gaining traction with the millennial generation before the pandemic, will also accelerate in the post-Covid-19 economy.

Companies and individuals whose businesses support this new e-commerce reality, spanning the entire belt from logistics to last-mile delivery, stand to benefit.

The acceptance of e-commerce is also likely to spread beyond traditional goods and services like consumables, groceries and food.

Some real estate players have started venturing onto online platforms to market new projects. For example, property portal ShowSuite has started helping developers market properties online, including fulfilling the protocols for all paperwork seamlessly on its platform.

Could we see more developers turning to online sales, instead of paying property agencies hefty commissions to sell their new projects?

Opportunities abound to capitalise on this digitalisation trend, not just in real estate, but in other business segments as well.

In a similar vein, this crisis has taught many of us that aspects of physical banking may be more a luxury than a need.

Banks will have to rethink their branch network strategies. Besides rolling out more online services, they could consider alternative cash payment systems, such as counters at 24-hour convenience stores, to supplement the teller network.

Paperless billing could also increase, while cashless payment systems will gain more traction.

After all, reducing the handling of physical paper or bank notes can also reduce the likelihood of viral transmission.

The net impact would be a lower cost of doing business and higher efficiency for both banks and businesses.

Could this be just the crisis digital currencies needed?

The pandemic has also forced the wealth and asset management sectors to devise new ways of engaging clients.

The wealth management industry, in particular, has been on the low end of financial technology and works very much in a paper-driven world.

This has kept the cost-to-income ratios high. But this crisis has forced a reckoning, with the industry deploying more technology than it has in the last decade.

The industry should also perhaps look at using more independent asset managers and lowering the emphasis on its product-driven approach.

The regulatory environment may also need a relook.

Singapore has already proven itself to be an important node in the pan-Asian supply chain game but this crisis could strengthen its hand.

The long queues and empty shelves at supermarkets have been seared into the psyche of the average consumer and raised the spectre of supply shortages for everything, from toilet paper to tea.

As a result, supply chain management has evolved from being a nebulous phrase used by industry specialists to becoming part of the vocabulary of the average shopper.

For a small nation such as Singapore, it is a strategic imperative to ensure a steady and reliable supply of goods from a diversified base of suppliers. Businesses that can make this happen will do well.

Singapore must build up its domestic food production capability via biotechnology and specialised farming. There is potential to achieve some level of self-sufficiency via agri-farming ventures such as fish farming, poultry and eggs.

There are also opportunities for companies that can effectively apply advanced technology to farming via hydroponics, aero farming, aquaponics or other forms of food production.

Given that this is a crisis created by a pandemic, the healthcare sector could see a huge transformation during the post-Covid-19 era.

Government spending on healthcare to avert or prepare for future pandemics is likely to increase, in turn creating opportunities for companies in this segment.

The demand for healthcare products and personal protection gear, be it protective garments, masks, gloves or other products, will not disappear any time soon.

This pandemic has also underscored the importance of having a sufficiently large pool of trained healthcare workers.

More training facilities will need to be established even as Singapore imports more healthcare workers, not just to cater for pandemics but also to prepare for an ageing population.

Pharmaceutical and medical tech companies will also be in focus as the search for vaccines, cures and therapeutics becomes critical in the post-Covid-19 era. The future for Singapore's biotech and biomedical sectors remains bright.

Demand for telemedicine could also grow as people avoid going to crowded clinics for minor ailments.

This pandemic has also created greater awareness about the need for insurance that covers comprehensive hospitalisation, critical illness and disability, and life policies.

Insurers that can offer innovative coverage for such eventualities will become leaders in their game.

The new normal will create a new economy: Some industries will disappear; others will grow; new ones will emerge.

Businesses that can cater for a faster, cheaper and more convenient future will find new opportunities. Individuals who can think out of the box and devise unconventional solutions to complex issues will find a niche in a new marketplace.

Singapore has been a leading player in many fields, ranging from medicine and digital technology and banking to supply chain management and education.

This crisis provides it with an opportunity to solidify its leadership position in all these segments.

As the old adage goes, every threat creates its own opportunities.

Excerpt from:
New economy will emerge from new normal after pandemic - The Straits Times