Get to know "My Dad" - the inspiration for the Jerry Forbes Centre for Community Spirit!

One of the tasks I have to help with the launch of the Jerry Forbes Centre is to provide background material so that Dad can be properly represented in this amazing facility.

Going through pictures I hadn't seen for what seems like decades was a ripper at best - but the goldmine was in finding the Eulogy that former 630 CHED Editorialist Eddie Keen delivered at Dad's funeral in September of 1981.

Nobody captured my Father better than Eddie - and I proudly let you read about "my Dad."

The last line alone I will never forget. 

Sept. 28, 1981

Life gives us many opportunities...sometimes we take them, sometimes we fail to see them, and sometime we ignore them.

All of us here are very lucky, we were given an opportunity and we seized it.  

We are lucky because we all have the common bond of having known Jerry Forbes...our emotional loss should be mixed with joy today, because unfortunate are those who did not have the good fortune of knowing Jerry....which of us who knew him can say he did not touch our lives?

Jerry knew the rich and powerful, but he never abused power.

He knew the poor and humble, he recognized their common humanity and dignity.

The janitors at CHED were are important to Jerry as the skilled group of professionals he gathered around him to build a number one radio station.

There is a lot of talk in radio circles about CHED, about the strange imponderable that seems to set it apart from other stations...there is a quality that makes it much more than just another commercial operations.

Well, the mystique that has been CHED was...Jerry Forbes.

In the high pressure world of ratings and budgets and rock music, Jerry brought heart, soul and most of all emotion to work with him.

Jerry was a man's man in a sense...tall, straight, handsome, he had dignity and he loved to philosophize.

Yet, he was unlike many men, and specially men in seats of authority and power...you see Jerry was not ashamed to cry.

At our annual Xmas parties his voice would tremble, he would wipe away the tears and he'd say: 

"do you all know how much I love you?"  and 'oh' what a sense of humour.

He was a practical joker par excellence, nothing that hurt anyone, simply comic departures from routine days.

The flamingoes on Bill Sysaks roof, the popcorn in Larry Sterns convertible...the list of escapades is endless.

But while he was emotional and full of fun, Jerry liked a challenge, was not afraid of a good fight.

I recall a rather difficult week when clients were upset because we had revealed some truth they would rather have had remain secret, and we were hearing from more lawyers than usual.

I went to Jerry's office and he had just hung up on our lawyer in Winnipeg.  

"Damn it Keen, I don't feel like David Sarnoff, I  feel like Perry Mason."  

Then he reached for his pipe and told me to go to it.  

We were either going to be fearless and not intimidated, or he would pack it in.

As I walked back to the newsroom what Jerry had just done suddenly hit me...he was putting his job on the line for the sake of honesty and truth.

(Editors note:  Dad lost two very close friends due to the discovery of several car dealers rolling back their odometers on used vehicles.  He was given the choice to air it or not...and he did as Eddie notes here)

And of course he had his weaknesses...by admitting them, by not hiding them, he showed himself to others as a human being.  

He gathered us around him with our weaknesses and he said...

"we're all in this together and together we can make it."

How lucky we are to have had our lives touched by Jerry.  How lucky are his children for having had him as their Dad.  How proud they must be of his many accomplishments...but more than that, how proud to have had as a Father such a sensitive man...a man who cared, and what more can we ask of any man but caring?

Jerry wrote this a few years ago, it seems prophetic:

I used to love to go to parties

But I don't any more.

I used to like to buy new clothes

Now I don't; Like before

I used to think my life comp;late

If a noted person spoke to me on the street

And at three in the morning

I was still on m feet.

I'm not any more.

Now, I like to fireside spot

And where the gaiety is

I am not.

New clothes?  What's wrong with the ones

I've got.

It's not like before.

In the world of society, include me out.

I couldn't care less what it's all about

In this year's "Who's Who" I place little store.

Not any more.

My both say, "Father you're slowing up."

Well, maybe so.  I'm sure no pup.

but my idle hours are much too few.

To spend on something I don't want to do.

For the gay, gay life, I have no heart.

Am I getting old?

Or getting smart?

There are many visions of Jerry we will carry.  I forever will see one.  

I see Jerry sitting in a big armchair watching the party about him...suddenly he places his pipe in the ashtray, uncurls to his full height, and with scotch in hand, I see him break into a chorus of Bye Bye Blackbird.

Jerry, the music you made, the joy you brought, is all around you now.

You will be with us in many ways, Santas Anonymous is a tribute from those you didn't even know.

The cruelties and unfairness of life that so hurt you can hurt you no more.  

Goodbye dear friend!

======================================

Reference:  www.santasanonymous.ca - *now delivers over 25,000 toys annually

Reference:  jerryforbescentre.ca *Opens this fall.

All you need is Love...and Facebook

I'm feeling a tad pensive with this writing.

I've lost 'several' good friends over the past few months - some of natural causes - some tragically.

With each passing I feel a deep pain down low in my gut - often disarmed in how I contact my friends family trying to express my most inner thoughts on their loss.

And with each passing I 'count my blessings' that I've had an absolutely wonderful life and I'm so damn happy that I have a bunch of really 'great' people in my life that I call friends.

Although I don't talk often with many of my friends the joy of watching their updates on Facebook is truly 'immense' in my world.

Nothing brings me more happiness than seeing their accomplishments - watching their children (or grandchildren) growing up - knowing at one time in my career I was able to help them get to this point in their lives - or enjoying seeing some of the fun and silly things that they post that are a reflection of their individual sense of humour.

Plus watching the social media support group kick in - from time to time - when you (or I) need help can often be overpowering.

So...thank you.

Although there is a great deal of stupidity on social media at times when you need a 'friend' it doesn't take long for somebody to kick in and help somebody else....which is a big reason why I'm on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram personally - to make sure I know what MY friends are doing and if they ever need MY assistance.

So - if you're reading this you're likely a 'friend' on Facebook or you follow me on Twitter or Instagram - and I just wanted to say a simple THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for enriching my life.


               And if any of you need a definition of what a friend truly is remember this.

A true Friend is somebody who, when you call them from jail asking for bail money, says...

 "how much do you need?"..not "what did you do?

Lisanne Lewis takes us to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro!

I have huge respect for people who follow their dreams, put it all on the line, and accomplish great things. 

One friend who has just returned from an amazing trip to Kilimanjaro, Lisanne Lewis, is the Director, Business & Community Development for the Shaw Conference Centre.

She is one dynamic human being and shared the intimate details of her dream trip with me for my Edmonton Sun Page 6 column.

Due to the length of the column I felt it best to post the 'full response' to my questions so that you could enjoy the full impact for 'following her dream' to the top of this legendary mountain.

The idea got started…

I turned 50 in July this year and about two years ago started looking around for something big to mark the milestone. I had a chance dinner conversation with Bunny Ferguson at the Harvest Gala Celebration that year where she described how she and John Ferguson trekked Kilimanjaro, the good parts and the challenges – and I thought hey, I think I could do that. 

Much research followed, including the realization that, as a complete non-outdoorsy, non-athlete, I was going to need to train hard and ideally find someone to go with me who was much better at this hiking stuff than I was. 

Carrie Doll, always my muse and inspiration was my original partner in all this but she had just retired from TV to pursue her own business adventures. So during a Sunday river valley walk with my favourite group of wise women I jokingly asked if “anyone wants to climb Kilimanjaro with me” and the lovely Carmelle Boston, VP of Communications at the Alberta Cancer Foundation put up her hand.  

Carmelle and I were new friends, liked and knew each other socially but that was about the extent of our knowledge of each other. 

What followed next was essentially a year of speed dating to get to know each other.

The preparation…

I needed a major physical overhaul to get ready and began training HARD twice a week with a trainer, Luke Logan at Body By Bennett for 18 months leading up to the climb.  

They have a photo of Bunny and John Ferguson’s climbing group posted on the wall in the gym so I thought this was a good sign. Lots of lunges, squats, weights, lifting, high intensity workouts that included a lot of boxing gradually started turning a skinny tall girl into strong tall girl. 

Sunday’s became long hike days carrying a 10lb pack and Carmelle and I would escape when we could (together and alone) to get some altitude climbs in around Banff, Lake Louise and Canmore.

For the last few months I basically hurt all the time from workouts.  

My eating habits also changed, dropping most sugars and glutens and they even lined me up with a nutritionist for coaching and to monitor my body composition. 

Two months before the climb the goal shifted to putting ON weight and building lean muscle – which was way harder than you would think. 

The other part of preparation was gathering gear. As someone who doesn’t normally venture outside I had a lot of gear to buy and borrow. 

It takes a village to get a girl up a mountain and so many very kind friends loaned me everything from hiking poles, to sleeping bags, to headlamps and polar sleeping bags.

Time frame and flight path…

I was away for 19 days, including a couple of days to sleep off the 9 hour difference jet lag. This took place right in the middle of busy, high-event season for us. 

EEDC was very supportive of my time off, Brad Ferguson in particular. 

There was a Ferguson theme throughout my climb it seems. Looove the new LMN direct flight to Amsterdam. They partner with Kenya air and the local hopper flights so I was able to check my kit bag all the way from Edmonton to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.

When we arrived…

Two 8-hour flights, and a 9-hour time difference leaves you feeling bevy shell shocked when you arrive to a beautiful hot world of colourful sights and sounds. 

I was amazed at how soft and beautiful the Swahili language is and how respectful and helpful the traditional Maaisai locals are of trekking tourists. 

We were part of a tour group, joining three other people  on the climb. Our tour guide Jackson picked us up at the first tented hotel we stayed at in Arusha, then we picked up the other three (all Brits) who had flown in separately, and the five of us embarked on a 2-day safari that also helped us acclimatize.  

We quickly learned that Jackson would be glued to us day and night. He told us when to sleep, when to wake, when to wash, when to eat, what to eat, what to wear, when to walk, when to rest, when to walk again and would monitor us closely for the rest of the trip for any signs of injury or altitude sickness. 

After the safari we left our non-mountain gear at another beautiful hotel, re-packed our kit bags and met our 25-person crew that would get us and all stuff up the mountain. 

We each had our own porter to carry our bag and set up our tent plus we had a chef/ mess tent and the luxury of a private, tented portable “biffy.” Yes, a porter was assigned to carry our “biffy” up the mountain every day – and he made great jokes and songs out of it. God luv him. 

Being looked after by this massive crew quickly got rid of any apprehension; it was their job to get us to the summit in a safe and healthy way and we knew we were in good hands.

The trek…

It was hard, very hard, the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, physically and mentally. It was 6 days to get up the mountain and one day to get down. You are walking uphill every day for hours, over very rough terrain, climbing 1,000 meters each day, very slowly in order to acclimatize. 

We only had to carry our day packs and water (10-15 lbs) since the porters carried EVERYTHING ELSE ON THEIR HEADS up the mountain, passing us to scamper ahead and make camp and dinner for us. God luv them. 

Once we get to camp every day we drop our bags, snack,  then go on a 1-2 hour higher hike up and back down to acclimatize. “Sleep lower than you climb” is the standard.  At this point your legs and back are beyond sore every day. 

Yes, we were all popping Advil like crazy. No “impressions” from past treks, except for the inukshuks past hikers have left at major milestone areas, which are oddly comforting if you are having a tough day. 

Worst part was summit night: after climbing all day we get to Kibo camp, exhausted, we were all suffering from mild altitude symptoms at this point (nausea, fatigue, headaches), then get taken on yet another mini-acclimatization hike, forced to eat, sleep and woken up at 11 pm to start the summit climb in the pitch dark. 

We climbed by headlamps, in the cold for 6 hours, then summited at sunrise.  The lead guide sang beautiful Swahili songs all night to keep our spirits up. I was shocked at how much the altitude can affect you: at one point I was taking only 5 steps before stopping to catch my breath, with 50% less oxygen in the air at 5,600 metres your body begins panting trying to get enough air. 

One member of our team began to see phantom animals passing us. I couldn’t stop my nose from bleeding and freezing on my face. 

The guides would put chocolate in our mouths for energy,  pat our cheeks for reaction, adjust our water hoses and headlamps and actually shove us up the next step so that muscle memory would kick in and we would start walking again … for another 5 steps … then repeat entire process.

The summit ….

By 3 am we had split into two groups: three of us, including Carmelle were feeling well enough to try the extra 2 hours to another summit called Uhuru. 

Along with Jody, a tough little nurse from England, I was happy to continue to the original summit goal of Gilman’s point since Jody and I were moving much slower due to altitude effects. 

Carmelle and I had pre-agreed we would split up if needed so we hugged it out and continued towards our separate summits. 

Our guides wouldn’t let us look up while we were climbing that night because we tended to get off balance and fall easily. But on one of our many (many) breaks, just before sunrise, when we were feeling our coldest and our most fatigued, we paused to look up and there was Venus, Mars and Jupiter clustered together right there, looking huge and bright and feeling so close that you could reach out and touch them. 

Then the sun began to rise, we got over that last rock, and poof, we were at the top! 

I finally snapped out of robo-walk mode and whooped it up, hugged Jody and we both had a little cry but had to stop because the tears were freezing to our faces. 

We snapped the obligatory photo and shared a celebratory flask of fireball whisky I had brought with me with our guides.

Aftermath…

We “skied” down 1,000 meters of scree, shredding our pants but feeling better with every metre we descended. After a one-hour nap we descended to Horombo, and the next day walked 6hours out of the park, all in about a 35 km walk off the mountain. 

We flew to Zanzibar and baked on a beach for two days, then began the long flights home.

(FYI you can rent beautiful private shower rooms in the Amsterdam airport, just sayin’) 

I’m sunburnt, my face is still marked up from the ice, I’ve damaged my right ankle, lost a toe nail or two and may actually have malaria. It was all worth it.  

The fulfilling part of this journey turned out to be in the months leading up to the actual climb: the commitment to the physical preparation, the research, learning to hike, finding the right gear, the generous support of friends and colleagues, and the partnership and now close friendship with Carmelle. 

We are planning a “Kili Didn’t Kill Us” event for November.

The adventure has changed how I feel about moving through the world. 

We were told repeatedly by well-meaning folks that two “girls” should be scared about going to Africa to do something so physical but instead we listened to our strong community of dauntless friends, family and workmates who said we could do it.

They were right.

Favourite stories….

- The uniting power of football. Turns out our entire crew of porters and guides are huge football fans, Team Arsenal specifically. So was one of the Brits travelling with us, a nice fellow named Terry who looked like a Navy Marine but was actually a Barclays banker. He would put on his parka and gather around the radio on game night, with the porters translating the Swahili play-by-play for him for their beloved Arsenals, who are currently no. 2 in the standings. I know this now because we all became oddly focused on the team’s success.

- Tanzania’s national elections took place the Sunday of our climb. The porters had a large flagpole placed at the centre of camp every night for the favorite political party’s flag. We learned a lot about the election process, the hopes and fears of the locals, celebrated with them when the results came in and grieved with them when the long-time sitting current party refused to acknowledge the results that would have ousted them. There was a strong army presence in Zanzibar because of the demonstrations so tourists were discouraged from going into town.  

Our federal election took place that same week and no matter what you think about the outcome, we had new-found  appreciation for Canada’s transparent, democratic and peaceful election process.

---

Lisanne thanks for sharing your trip with my readers - and we are all glad that you and Carmelle are safely home - but more so that you followed through on a once in a lifetime pledge that took courage, physically demanding work, and dedication to 'reaching the top' of this legendary mountain.

So...simple question to end this...

                                          

                                                 Whats next?  You go girl(s)!   

Handing the keys over to the kids in radio....

My long time friend and colleague Pat Holiday is writing some pretty spectactular blogs these days and his successful history in radio makes these blogs 100% relevant and respected.

One recent one covered, and I'll paraphrase the topic, with all the changes in media, distribution, ownership, and technical advances affecting tuning and programming maybe the 'old school guys' (like me/him) may not be as relevant in this new environment as we once were.

For reference the complete blog is here:  http://www.fyimusicnews.ca/articles/2015/11/02/pat-holiday-talent-timeless

I was thinking about an analogy for this and it reminded me of when I first asked my father for the keys to his classic Corvette.  Dad 'hesitatingly' knew I was ready to take his 454 horse power Stingray rocket on the street when I asked for the keys at age 18 BUT before he handed them over he provided some sage advice so that we 'both' felt comfortable with this paradigm shift in our relationship.

That being said I think it's time to do as Pat says - but not without some of "Dad's sage advice before we do!"

I fully 'agree' with Pat's premise but fired back a short retort to him along with a few other thoughts that I think are important before the new kids put the throttle to the floor in the ever changing world of radio.

Here they are:

Another excellent column Pat - and I can certainly identify with your thoughts on 'next gen' broadcasters.  

I too think it's time for new ideas and concepts and they're likely not going to come from 'old guard' programming concepts.

My only concern is that, with the massive layoffs and centralized programming departments, these younger broadcasters still need guidance on WHY and HOW radio works - because if the basics aren't there the rest simply won't matter.

Being digitally integrated is huge - I agree - but if you don't take your eyes up off your smartphone or laptop to 'talk' to listeners; to be in the public eye; to get involved in LOCAL community efforts then these broadcasters aren't utilizing the full magnitude of the elements that make 'good' programming become 'great.'

We've all watched people gravitate to the 'legendary' morning guys at events - people like Terry Dimonte, Gerry Forbes (brother plug), Brother Jake, Humble and Fred, Rob Christie, (and many other highly successful broadcasters) whereas today most of the morning shows on radio have almost faceless single name hosts who never seem to step out of their homes or the station after hours.  Community engagement still works yet it's slipping away from some operations.   

Nothing bothers me more nowadays watching radio station promo booths 'shoved to the corners' at key events and being manned by street team people who are too busy playing Angry Birds or Words with Friends instead of actually chatting with listeners about the radio stations they are there to represent.

Plus, ALL great performers need one thing - 'coaching' - and the greatest losses (in my opinion) are in the mid to upper levels of Programming - so that daily interaction just isn't there anymore.  

You and I got to our positions by working with and for some of the finest minds in broadcasting - a list too lengthy to mention but I'm sure you'd agree that having those people guide us along through the various formats, ownership changes, rule changes, and competitive situations we faced was the key to US ending up in the corner office of Standard Radio of which we both were so fortunate to have done.

As you mentioned in the column a great deal has changed for guys like you and me in the industry over the past few years....some of it obviously good, some of it bad....but witnessing the reaction to your columns with comments on Facebook it's clear that  'mentoring' and 'teaching' is still badly needed in the industry.  

I still love chatting with the 'talent' in the various radio stations I visit constantly - and I hope they don't think of me as just an "old grey haired bugger who used to be in the radio business."

When I offer a comment most of them say "hey - thanks for listening" or "I havent had an aircheck in months (or ever)" - damn simple.   If the very basics of radio are not done well or even done 'at all' some of the new found creativity will simply not be successful and that would be a pity.     One other thing....there's nothing better than 'reverse' mentoring too.  I really love sitting down with young folks in the business, or speaking at things like the Broadcast Educators Association of Canada conventions, to learn from the folks in the business today so that I get a better understanding of the current situation.  It's win/win.

Plus...I love being the 'oldest guy in next gen' - and as you know "I teach Twitter."   

There you have it.  I think most of us in the industry are waiting for the 'next big thing' - something exciting, new, innovative, fun, game changing - kinda like what Netflix did to Blockbuster - and some day somebody will make that breakthrough - I hope.

If nothing else keep reading Pat's blogs - on FYI Music - and follow him on Twitter @patholiday - because I know you will learn lots from a man who accomplished much in his career.

Snowbird season is here - stuff you should know!

It's been awhile since my last Snowbird blog update.  Much has changed.

First off, the Canadian dollar is definitely killing both tourism and real estate in the United States currently and it’s hard to guess when this situation might improve.   

Methinks it won’t be ‘soon.'

However the fact is when it's 30 below in Alberta it's likely 25-30 above in Arizona - so you can sit and freeze your butt off during the winter OR budget accordingly and come enjoy one of America's finest playgrounds in Arizona or California.

In the Phoenix area alone there are over 270 golf courses in and around the city of 4.5 million; with a wide variety of prices and skill levels.   

If you hunt carefully you can find special deals and they DO appreciate their Canadian visitors so don't hesitate to tell them you're playing on a 'reduced' dollar and see what they come up with.

For entertainment there's a world class music or arts facility in each of the cities that make up Phoenix - including the surrounding suburbs.

From 'soft seaters' like the beautiful Scottsdale Performing Centre or Mesa Arts Centre - to downtown Phoenix’s one hundred year old beautiful Orpheum Theatre to the outdoor covered Ak Chin Theatre that holds about 25,000 people.

In a city as large as Phoenix stars from all genres visit 'weekly' - and concerts down there are often priced at about 'half' of what we generally pay here at Canadian venues.   Most of the casinos have small intimate venues where you can see 'classic' bands for a very reasonable ticket price too.

For music lovers the Musical Instruments Museum in Scottsdale is a must...an extremely interesting venue with musical instruments from the beginning of time - and a beautiful intimate theatre were world class musicans play jazz, classical, folk, blues, etc..

Sports lovers can enjoy all the biggies - the Arizona Coyotes (NHL), the Phoenix Suns (NBA), the Arizona Diamondbacks (Baseball); NASCAR races; and of course college teams that draw large crowds too.

Whichever direction you drive in, around, or just outside the city you'll find rich history sites and highlights include stunningly beautiful Sedona, interesting ghost towns and some deep deep copper mines east of Gilbert.

If you're considering buying a condo or home in the area you'd be wise to talk to somebody who specializes in Canadian buyers and I highly recommend Gary Peruzinni who is the contact person who has assisted me and more than a dozen of my friends in their purchases in Arizona.

I asked Gary a few key questions including:

1.  What's the current situation with Phoenix and area real estate?  Has it 'recovered' from the post 2008 dip.

"The Phoenix Metro area has rebounded nicely from the initial down turn.. The correction high has not been attained. In other words we have not recovered completely as of yet however the volume of foreclosures and short sales have been absorbed.

During this correction many groups and hedge funds purchased much of the available inventory. 

These properties have been entered into the rental pool. The expectation was that much of this rental property would be held until the market recovered. Conversely to the strategy expectations these properties are yielding higher rents causing very little motivation to kill the "golden goose". 

The thinking goes something like this. Why sell and lose the cash flow while properties continue to appreciate?

Due to this and a few other conditions the availability of entry level property is down hence rising prices."

2.  What is the biggest thing a Canadian should know about US real estate vs Can real estate?

"Because the US is tied to the development of Real Estate and all of the associated industries as a huge portion of the GDP. There is political capital available to support the market through things like:

A. Low down payments, FHA is 3% down, VA can be a  Zero (zed) down payment
B. Owners of primary residences which are financed have the opportunity to deduct from there federal taxes the interest paid for the year. That calculation is total annual interest times the effective income tax rate of the home owner.

C. There also exists a capital gain free sales window for those that have resided in the home (as their primary residence) for 2 of the last 5 years. The maximum window varies if you are married $500,000 or single $250,000. Currently there is no limit to this exemption. It can be utilized as often as one might qualify for it. If timed correctly a person could live in a home for two years lease it for two years and then sell it without tax. The property owner could have 2-3 homes in play with this strategy."

3.  Any other tips or information you’d like to convey?

"Seasonal use of a property in Arizona provides so many intangibles. What to do with the time in Arizona never seems to be an issue. The cost of living and the property taxes provide for a cost effective way to enjoy some or all of the winter in Arizona. Canadians seem to have a budget for winter escape. When doing the math it very cost effective."

A few other important things you should be aware of if you’re considering visiting or buying over the winter you’d wise to know includes:

1.  Know the 'legal' aspects of buying and visiting the United States.  The most current up-to-date book I recommend is The Border Guide - by Robert Keats.  It's updated often and you can find information on it at theborderguide.com

2.  You are only allowed to be in the United States for 181 days annually - but it's a complicated formula of what counts and what doesn't when you go back and forth.  Both borders are now 'sharing' information so you're wise to set up a formal system tracking your visits.  

It’s not a ‘calendar’ allotment but an annual tally and it resets after you have been out of the US for 30 days.

3.  The Health Care coverage you receive when leaving Canada is different in EACH Province for how many months you are allowed to be out of the country and it does NOT align with the 181 day rules so 'know you're particular rules.'

4.  I highly suggest you join the Canadian Snowbird Association - snowbirds.org - it's very inexpensive and they provide constantly updated information about the US situation.  They provide Health Coverage; organize special events that you can attend for updates (and meet other Snowbirds); and have been lobbying the US Government for a modification to the Days Allowed in the US - attempting to get us 240 days.

5.  Get a HOME CHECKER if you buy a place down there.  Mine goes in 'weekly' - brings my mail in; picks up anything that is left at the front door (menus, etc) that would be left there for months showing that I'm likely not at home; he checks various things around the place - and makes sure the water gets turned on to circulate during the 115F summer days so that pipes and toilets (seals) don't go dry and cause problems.

6.  Get an A/C-Heat deal from one of the local providers.  They come twice a year to make sure that your units are working properly.  I also have an ADT deal that allows me to turn both on - via an iPad app - so that I know they're both working prior to my visits - and to cool the place down prior to my arrival.  These past two suggestions are 'plus' items for your Insurance provider too - don't leave a home empty.

7.  Finally check your cell phone 'roaming' policy and costs as you can get a huge surprise when you head home if you have used your phone extensively down there.  Usually you have a roaming charge and a separate charge for 'text' usage - so again have your provider explain their costs to you - and 'each one in Canada is different.'  ie. Bell, Rogers, Telus, etc.

Be aware that many laws are very different as is the culture.  A sun destination is a wonderful place to wait out winter - but it’s imperative that you remember that you are in another country and their ways and laws can be dramatically different than what ours - so do your homework just in case.