Hurricane Sandy- Regardless of your location we all have a weather fascinationThe

The sheer size of Hurricane Sandy shows how far-reaching her effects will be felt. 

Much like the common fascination people have with outer space, we also have a fascination with weather. Unlike, space where we see the infinite space/wondering about what else might be out there-- weather has an element of practicality surrounding it. We must know what is going on with the weather to prepare in advance for it. Weather also affects so many aspects of our lives. We build houses close to water (building on the beach) so terms like storm surge and flooding are real concerns. We also need to know where/when to drive (police advisories). We also need to look at how weather affects even our clothing choices. We need to dress appropriately for the weather conditions. We can also look at preparations for emergencies.

We can also look at hurricanes from a historical approach- I find the idea of naming storms interesting. It gives people a way to identify (location, time period, and intensity).

Unfortunately, in any storm situation there can be a loss of human life and also damage to property.

Sources:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/25/why-hurricanes-have-names_n_936928.html
http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/29/us/sandy-bounty-ship/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

Military History- In the wake of Hurricane Sandy

The Sentinels (guards) at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia maintain their vigil even as Hurricane Sandy bears down on the Eastern Seaboard. The Old Guard has guarded the tomb every minute of every day since April 6, 1948. This is a great honour in the United States. 
Today, there will be no exception. 

Mohawk woman to become a Catholic Saint

Kateri Tekakwitha is to become the first aboriginal person in North America to become a Catholic Saint

A Mohawk woman is set to rise to sainthood in a ceremony that will take place at the Vatican's Saint Peter Basilica in Rome on Sunday October 21st, 2012 --300 years after her death. Several members of the Mohawk First Nation community located near Montreal Quebec are planning to attend the ceremony.

This event marks the importance of the celebration for the survivors of Canada's residential school system (long-lasting legacy of a system riddled with physical and emotional abuse). Former students  credit Tekakwitha's spirit with giving them strength to endure the horrific situation and trauma. This  was common place with approx. 150,000 children were removed from their homes and their families and forced to attend government-run schools since the late 19th century.
.The Life and Times of Kateri Tekakwitha

She was born in 1656 in Ossernon, which is now Auriesville in New York. According to records, she suffered from smallpox at the age of 4. The smallpox left her partially blind and scarred.

Unfortunately, she was ostracised for wanting to devote her life to God. She proceeded to leave her community and travelled to the Catholic mission of St. Francis Xavier in Sault-Saint-Louis in Quebec. She received her First Holy Communion in 1677. Kateri was so devout and made a vow of virginity. She devoted her life to Jesus for her entire life.


When she died she was serving the Catholic Church in Kahnawake, Quebec at the age of 24 (1680). She died after years of self-flagellation and ailing health.

According to people who witnessed her death almost 300 years claimed that her scars disappeared soon after her death and her face was beautiful.

She was than called "Lily of the Mohawks".

She was named "vulnerable" by the church in 1943 and blessed by Pope John Paul II in 1980.

How does someone become a saint?
The Catholic Church has 4 important steps that must occur prior to becoming a saint:

1. The subject must have been a worthy follower of God and washed away of all sins. A Bishop must review the person's life and they become a "Servant of God".
2. To become a "vulnerable" one must of lived their life in virtue of the church and testimonies showing their lives are presented to officials in the Vatican review them.
3. Blessed by a pope which shows substantial evidence that a miracle was preformed on their behalf. In her case, she is credited with curing a boy of flesh-eating disease.
4. A second miracle must be accredited to them, so that they are deemed "blessed". However, this can be waived by the Pope. 

To this day, she remains the first Native American to be blessed by the Catholic Church.

Marked on her tomb are the words "a lady of quality"-- may we all stop and think about what these words mean in our current world situation. 

She has become a symbol of hope for Aboriginals throughout Canada. 

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2012/10/14/kateri-tekakwitha-saint-catholic-churc.html

The history of Thanksgiving in Canada

In Canada, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the 2nd Monday in October.

Thanksgiving in Canada is a time to give thanks for a good harvest while Thanksgiving in the United States is a tradition of remembering the Pilgrims and the settling in the New World. 

Since Canada is further north (location) the harvest takes place earlier. The Europeans also had festivals of thanks and harvests in the month of October.

There are many historical stories surrounding Thanksgiving which contribute to our present day celebrations.

The first Canadian Thanksgiving took place in Newfoundland in 1578 (a formal ceremony hosted by the British explorer, Martin Frobisher to give thanks for surviving the long journey in which he tried to find a northern passage to the Orient). He was later knighted and there is a northern bay in Canada named in his honour (Frobisher Bay).

Other settlers arrived and continued this tradition. 

French settlers arrived with Samuel de Champlain and held large feasts of thanks. This was called "The Order of Good Cheer". They even shared with their First Nation neighbours.

After the Seven Years War that ended in 1763, the citizens of Halifax Nova Scotia held a special day of Thanksgiving.

During the American Revolution, many Americans who were loyal to Britain came to Canada where they brought their customs and traditions to Canada including the pumpkin pie and cornucopia. 

Cornucopia is a curved goat's horn filled with fruits and grains by farm workers. This tradition began in Europe and the tradition has carried on.

Later on in 1879, Parliament declared Nov. 6th as a day of Thanksgiving and a national holiday in Canada.

Over the years, many dates were used for Thanksgiving- the most popular being the 3rd Monday in October.

Following World War I, both Armistice Day and Thanksgiving were celebrated on the Monday of the week in which November 11th occurred. 

Ten years later, in 1931, the two days became separate holidays and Armistice Day was renamed Remembrance Day (still celebrated on November 11th).

Finally, on January 31st, 1957, Parliament proclaimed..."A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed  ... to be observed on the 2nd Monday in October.

Thanksgiving is a statutory holiday in Canada, except in PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

In 1941,  the United States Congress set the National Holiday of Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday in November.  In general, Thanksgiving is a much larger holiday in the United States than Canada. There is no Black Friday in Canada. Much of the food is similar such as turkey, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. You may also include regional foods such as the French-Canadian meat pie called tortiere. Another popular choice is 

Turducken which gives you the best of all worlds (turkey, duck, and chicken baked together). Some of the contemporary Thanksgiving traditions in Canada include parades, customary 'family feast' and 'turkey'. It is a time for sharing, loving and family reunions. The central idea behind the celebration is to be thankful for the past harvest and praying for the coming year. 

Sources:

http://www.twilightbridge.com/hobbies/festivals/thanksgiving/canada/

http://www.kidzworld.com/article/2614-canadian-thanksgiving

http://video.about.com/gocanada/What-Is-the-History-of-Canadian-Thanksgiving-.htm

http://www.craigmarlatt.com/canada/symbols_facts&lists/thanksgiving.html

http://www.thanksgiving-day.org/celebration-canada.html

http://gocanada.about.com/od/canadatravelplanner/a/thanksgiving.htm

http://www.ehow.com/how_4443682_celebrate-canadian-thanksgiving.html

http://www.globaltvbc.com/holidays/6442498292/story.html

Queen Mary 2 Cruise Ship

The Queen Mary 2 Cruise Ship- September 25th, 2012

Look at the height above the water

Looking down at the Queen Mary 2

The Queen Mary 2 leaving the port

Front shot

Front shot- sheer height

The Appeal of Cruise Ships

The Appeal of Cruise Ships

As we usher in fall in the city of Saint John and the surrounding area we are seeing a boom in cruise ship visits to our port. The temperature and levels of humidity is moderating, the leaves are changing color (leaf-color peak season) makes for a beautiful season to visit the Maritimes.

There are 3 cruise ships in port today! Very excited to see the beauty of the Queen Mary 2- what an amazing and beautiful ship. At the time of her construction in 2003 by Chantiers de l'Atlantique, Queen Mary 2 was the longest, widest, and tallest passenger ship ever built, and with her gross tonnage of 148,528 also the largest. Although later cruise ships are larger, Queen Mary 2 remains the largest ocean liner (as opposed to cruise ship) ever built.

This week will bring 8 ship calls between Monday and Thursday (Sept 24-27) with triple cruise ship days on Monday, September 24 and Tuesday, September 25. This includes the added call of the 3100 passenger capacity Emerald Princess on Monday, September 24 and puts the total cruise guests expected this year on 74 ships at just over 190,000.

“We are pleased to gain an added visit of Emerald Princess on Monday,” noted Jim Quinn, President and CEO of Port Saint John. “This addition to the schedule gave us a second triple cruise ship day next week and brings to the total cruise guests expected over a four day period to 20,000 guests and 7,800 crew experiencing our city and region”.

He further noted the following week is nearly as busy with more than 17,000 cruise guests and nearly 7,000 crew members.

      What is the appeal of cruise ships as a new form of vacation?

1.       Hassle and stress free (you unpack once)
2.     You don’t have to drive to a variety of places (different ports)
3.        Pampering
4.       Relaxing (being out on the quiet ocean)
5.     Lots of things to do on board (ex. Cooking classes, dance lessons, swimming, yoga, sports, exercising just to name a few)
6.       Get to travel an  extensive geographical area
7.     Opportunity to shop
8.     Wide variety of meals
9.        Accessible to groups and wheelchair accessible
10.        Romantic experiences
11.        A learning environment
12.        Great value for the money!

It may be crazy busy down town but it is also important to recognize the importance of these guests in our city and the economy. These people not only visit museums, take tours, and visit other tourist attractions but also eat in our restaurants and visit stores. This brings a lot of money into our economy. They also take pictures and share the beauty of our city to others (word of mouth about their experiences in the city is the best form of advertisement we can get)!

**I will add some pictures later.

Sources:

http://www.cunard.com/Ships/Queen-Mary-2/About-Queen-Mary-2/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Queen_Mary_2

http://www.sjport.com/english/news_events/article.asp?PressID=283

http://www.prlog.org/10086319-18-reasons-why-people-take-cruises.html