WOW - first of all can you believe that Jamie Bell Adventure Park burnt down on Saturday night. How sad is that!!!! My son loves going there to play on the tire swings and climb to the top of the tower. He even loves to slide down the slide and fall into the big puddle that forms after it rains at the bottom.
But an even bigger WOW.... is that our local hero's Canadian Tire have offered $50,000 towards the repairs to fix the adventure Park up. Talk about pay it forward. Thats amazing. I am so happy that businesses like Canadian Tire are stepping up and helping the City reconstruct this Park. Its loved by so many children and even some adults too!
Good for you Can Tire. Thanks for paying it forward! What a great example you have set for being home town proud and doing activities locally. Other organizations should think about doing the same!!!!!!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Friday, April 1, 2011
"Being Let Go" - Devastating to the Ego
I think once in everyone's life a crushing blow comes to them when their career or job if its not a career comes crashing to an end. There's always a daunting feeling when the boss calls you into his or her office for a chat........ You know it can't be good news!!!!!
Well this recently happened to a friend of mine. She went to work - somewhere she has worked on and off for about 10 years - well as far back as I can remember. They told her that they were going to have to make her redundant - economic climate as it is. Just like that after possibly the shittiest year ever she loses her job.
Now was it a kick up the arse to move forward with her life I hope so - but in the meantime man it sucks for her. She just recently got diagnosed with Cancer - she got through that with a couple painful surgeries, a 6 month rehabilitiation period and then back to work. No sooner does she return to work - then she is let go.
I tell you - she has had some hard knocks in her lifetime but having only a $1 in your account and no sign of money on the horizon just blows. She is a girl with brains (criminal law degree from Michigan State) working a factory job because she can't get a job in Canada. Nothing seems to line up for this lady. Anyway I'll quit bitching because its probably not a good thing to carry on about and I'm sure if my gf read this she might have a slight conniption.
I remember being in a similar situation only about 4 years ago. I had recently returned from the UK, broken up with the love of my life - or so I thought, lost my job after only 5 months and then got done for a DUI (that was a terrific time in my life.... NOT). Anyway all I wished was that someone would call me, give me a job, make sure I was ok, look after me. So last week I went out and bought a load of groceries, made a quiche and dropped $50 in my purse. I drove out to see my girlfriend and gave her all the stuff I had brought. Its the worst feeling in the entire world to not know where your next paycheck is coming from and yet so many of us live from one of those dam things to the next......
For all those people out there who have an extra $5 or $50 or even more laying around.... Think about the people around you and who could benefit from that. I look at people like Richard Branson who just paid an undisclosed amount for the "planet/ not planet Pluto" in the hopes that he can reinstate it as a planet. Come on guy .... seriously don't you have anything better to spend your money on - because if you don't want to spend it, I sure could for you.... and I have plenty of causes I would love to splash out on.
So think about it next time. A friend in need is a friend indeed - or something like that anyway!
Have a great week peeps.
Well this recently happened to a friend of mine. She went to work - somewhere she has worked on and off for about 10 years - well as far back as I can remember. They told her that they were going to have to make her redundant - economic climate as it is. Just like that after possibly the shittiest year ever she loses her job.
Now was it a kick up the arse to move forward with her life I hope so - but in the meantime man it sucks for her. She just recently got diagnosed with Cancer - she got through that with a couple painful surgeries, a 6 month rehabilitiation period and then back to work. No sooner does she return to work - then she is let go.
I tell you - she has had some hard knocks in her lifetime but having only a $1 in your account and no sign of money on the horizon just blows. She is a girl with brains (criminal law degree from Michigan State) working a factory job because she can't get a job in Canada. Nothing seems to line up for this lady. Anyway I'll quit bitching because its probably not a good thing to carry on about and I'm sure if my gf read this she might have a slight conniption.
I remember being in a similar situation only about 4 years ago. I had recently returned from the UK, broken up with the love of my life - or so I thought, lost my job after only 5 months and then got done for a DUI (that was a terrific time in my life.... NOT). Anyway all I wished was that someone would call me, give me a job, make sure I was ok, look after me. So last week I went out and bought a load of groceries, made a quiche and dropped $50 in my purse. I drove out to see my girlfriend and gave her all the stuff I had brought. Its the worst feeling in the entire world to not know where your next paycheck is coming from and yet so many of us live from one of those dam things to the next......
For all those people out there who have an extra $5 or $50 or even more laying around.... Think about the people around you and who could benefit from that. I look at people like Richard Branson who just paid an undisclosed amount for the "planet/ not planet Pluto" in the hopes that he can reinstate it as a planet. Come on guy .... seriously don't you have anything better to spend your money on - because if you don't want to spend it, I sure could for you.... and I have plenty of causes I would love to splash out on.
So think about it next time. A friend in need is a friend indeed - or something like that anyway!
Have a great week peeps.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
PhD status
Today I took a bottle of wine round to a friend who just finished her PhD. Its as simple as this to make someone's day. A card and a bottle of wine.......
Monday, October 4, 2010
Factual Story #2 - Bike/Car Rage
Two weeks ago I was taking my son to daycare on High Park Avenue and I see this cyclist abusing (because there is no other word to describe it) this 80 odd year old man who is sat behind the wheel of the car. The cyclist is yelling at the top of his lungs, grabbing this drivers arm, roughing him up. I quickly walked across the street as the driver pulled away.
I said to the cyclist..... "as a fellow cyclist, I understand how frustrating it can be to drive on the roads of Toronto but do you think that was a justified reaction?"
To that the cyclist responded .... "but the guy ran me off the road."
To which I said the following.... " so what the guy was like 80 years old. Shame on you I said. How is your response any better? I'm sure him driving you off the road if thats what he did was probably an accident, and for you to yell and scream and climb inside his window, in front of children and other concerned citizens is not a justified response?"
The cyclist apologized and went on with his day.
I hope he thinks long and hard about his actions, and I hope that poor old man in the car is ok.
These are the types of stories I am looking to capture. The one little thing that you said or did that makes Toronto a better place to live.
Please share.
I said to the cyclist..... "as a fellow cyclist, I understand how frustrating it can be to drive on the roads of Toronto but do you think that was a justified reaction?"
To that the cyclist responded .... "but the guy ran me off the road."
To which I said the following.... " so what the guy was like 80 years old. Shame on you I said. How is your response any better? I'm sure him driving you off the road if thats what he did was probably an accident, and for you to yell and scream and climb inside his window, in front of children and other concerned citizens is not a justified response?"
The cyclist apologized and went on with his day.
I hope he thinks long and hard about his actions, and I hope that poor old man in the car is ok.
These are the types of stories I am looking to capture. The one little thing that you said or did that makes Toronto a better place to live.
Please share.
Pay It Forward Toronto - Factual Story 1
Anyway I want to tell you about something that happened to me a little over two years ago - and really has not been settled until this year and has had a huge impact on my life.
It involves standing up for something I believe in to the core of my being. I grew up believing that everyone should be treated equal. Now I should warn you before I start that I am not always the most politically correct in my terminology and in my wordage, however thats me and I refuse to become anything different. If I change myself to be politically correct I lose the passion and determination that makes me, quite frankly me...... Now what I mean by treated equal is that is doesn't matter how much money you have, or where you work, if you are a Vice President or a Janitor you still should be treated equally. It shouldn't matter the colour of your skin or if you are a man or a women. You have equal access to the same rights, and freedoms granted to you by the country that we live in.
So a little over a year and a half ago I experienced the first form of blatant discrimination I have ever experienced in my entire life. I was discriminated based on the fact that I was pregnant or that I had a baby. You have to know me to understand that I am a very career driven young intellectual woman. My career is everything to me, or it used to be before this event happened. Now for legal reasons I am going to have to fudge some information for you. I can't tell you the name of the company or the industry but I can describe some of the feelings, and actions that were taken to correct the unjust that I experienced.
I began working at this company under the premise that I was pregnant. I was honest with them and told them I was having a baby. They awarded me the contract on an renewable basis and gave me a task to achieve prior to my maternity leave. I started in the January of 2008 and was due to go on maternity leave June 2008. I loved working at this company. I loved the people - I felt like I was at home everyday. When June came around they threw me a lovely baby shower that made me cry with excitement and nervousness. They hired someone to take over my position for the duration of my maternity leave and I actually trained that individual to do my job.
I wanted to return early from my maternity leave and made it known before I left in the June that I wanted to come back early. After Christmas of 2008 at the end of January I provided two weeks notice of my wish to return to work. My son would have been about 7 months old at the time. The company agreed that it was ok for me to return to work and my boss asked me to meet with him for lunch. At this lunch I was told that the team had grown significantly while I was on maternity leave and that there was no need for two Project Managers (ie: myself and the individual who replaced me on my maternity leave). I was told that the other individual would keep the PM post and I would be put in a different position - official title unknown but it might be something like Implementation Manager or Implementation Specialist. I was a little uneasy but said ok and two weeks later returned to work.
Upon my return to work, I did not have email, a designated phone line, a title, or most importantly a contract. See my initial contract had expired in the January of 2009, I returned to work on the 2nd of February 2009. However throughout my initial employment period I was praised for my work in the community and paid maternity leave top up payments on the premise that I was going to return. After about a month to six weeks of working I still had not received a new contract or a new job title for that matter. However what I did have was the lady who replaced me, who thought she was now my boss.
I never did receive my original job back and after 6 months of asking for the position and being told that they wanted me long term but couldn't take the other individual out of my initial position I gave up. I was defeated..... and so I left. Probably not the best decision I have ever made in my life but the right decision for me.
After about 6 months of contemplating what to do I decided to seek action against the organization. What I mean by that is that I filed an employment standards case against them. There are three ways of pursuing legal action against an organization when they discriminate: -
1. File an employment standards suit
2. File a human rights case against them
3. Or plain out sue them using by way of a usually costly litigation suit.
In most cases the organization will always try and settle with the individual. They don't need the bad press.
But let me make one thing clear to all females who have suffered through this injustice....... if you go on maternity leave and your original position that you left is still present or currently being fulfilled by another individual in the firm - it is illegal not to offer the position back to you. If however the position no longer exists the organization has to offer you a position based on the following four criteria:
1. Same location
2. Same hours
3. Same pay
4. Same level of responsibility
They have to give you a job that offers you the same level of career progression and same level of responsibility. They are also obliged to offer you pay increases should your salary increase while you are on maternity leave.
I can't tell you how often women in the work force get made redundant or get "shafted" when it comes time to return to their position, and quite frankly I am appauled that the government lets this happen.
Well actually - I can't tell you how many women during my battle with this event told me that they wouldn't even bother following it up, that I was better off out of the organization. Whilst I agree that I was better off being out of the organization, I can't possibly agree with the not following up. WHAT THEY DID WAS ILLEGAL. And what I had to ask myself was if I had a daughter would I want her to have to experience this. My answer was no I wouldn't.
Now if you are after a cash grab.... I am not promoting this. By filing an employment standards or a human rights claim against the organization, puts a so called "black mark" on the organizations file. So that if a similar incident occurs that a pattern can be established.
It wasn't a money thing for me, let me just put it out there, it was about standing up for what I believe in, and making sure that the organization never does this to another female employee.
If you need any advice or want to be pointed in the right direction in order to pursue your own claim please feel free to ask questions. You have up to three years after the incident to make a claim just remember that. Also if you are currently in that same position and you are at the same company they will hold your job while the process is going on. Now I know how uncomfortable that is but it is worth it.
For all of those women out there who didn't believe in me, or didn't believe I should take the case further you were WRONG. It was the right thing to do and whilst I am not happy I had to do it. It was the right thing to do. I promise you that.......
It involves standing up for something I believe in to the core of my being. I grew up believing that everyone should be treated equal. Now I should warn you before I start that I am not always the most politically correct in my terminology and in my wordage, however thats me and I refuse to become anything different. If I change myself to be politically correct I lose the passion and determination that makes me, quite frankly me...... Now what I mean by treated equal is that is doesn't matter how much money you have, or where you work, if you are a Vice President or a Janitor you still should be treated equally. It shouldn't matter the colour of your skin or if you are a man or a women. You have equal access to the same rights, and freedoms granted to you by the country that we live in.
So a little over a year and a half ago I experienced the first form of blatant discrimination I have ever experienced in my entire life. I was discriminated based on the fact that I was pregnant or that I had a baby. You have to know me to understand that I am a very career driven young intellectual woman. My career is everything to me, or it used to be before this event happened. Now for legal reasons I am going to have to fudge some information for you. I can't tell you the name of the company or the industry but I can describe some of the feelings, and actions that were taken to correct the unjust that I experienced.
I began working at this company under the premise that I was pregnant. I was honest with them and told them I was having a baby. They awarded me the contract on an renewable basis and gave me a task to achieve prior to my maternity leave. I started in the January of 2008 and was due to go on maternity leave June 2008. I loved working at this company. I loved the people - I felt like I was at home everyday. When June came around they threw me a lovely baby shower that made me cry with excitement and nervousness. They hired someone to take over my position for the duration of my maternity leave and I actually trained that individual to do my job.
I wanted to return early from my maternity leave and made it known before I left in the June that I wanted to come back early. After Christmas of 2008 at the end of January I provided two weeks notice of my wish to return to work. My son would have been about 7 months old at the time. The company agreed that it was ok for me to return to work and my boss asked me to meet with him for lunch. At this lunch I was told that the team had grown significantly while I was on maternity leave and that there was no need for two Project Managers (ie: myself and the individual who replaced me on my maternity leave). I was told that the other individual would keep the PM post and I would be put in a different position - official title unknown but it might be something like Implementation Manager or Implementation Specialist. I was a little uneasy but said ok and two weeks later returned to work.
Upon my return to work, I did not have email, a designated phone line, a title, or most importantly a contract. See my initial contract had expired in the January of 2009, I returned to work on the 2nd of February 2009. However throughout my initial employment period I was praised for my work in the community and paid maternity leave top up payments on the premise that I was going to return. After about a month to six weeks of working I still had not received a new contract or a new job title for that matter. However what I did have was the lady who replaced me, who thought she was now my boss.
I never did receive my original job back and after 6 months of asking for the position and being told that they wanted me long term but couldn't take the other individual out of my initial position I gave up. I was defeated..... and so I left. Probably not the best decision I have ever made in my life but the right decision for me.
After about 6 months of contemplating what to do I decided to seek action against the organization. What I mean by that is that I filed an employment standards case against them. There are three ways of pursuing legal action against an organization when they discriminate: -
1. File an employment standards suit
2. File a human rights case against them
3. Or plain out sue them using by way of a usually costly litigation suit.
In most cases the organization will always try and settle with the individual. They don't need the bad press.
But let me make one thing clear to all females who have suffered through this injustice....... if you go on maternity leave and your original position that you left is still present or currently being fulfilled by another individual in the firm - it is illegal not to offer the position back to you. If however the position no longer exists the organization has to offer you a position based on the following four criteria:
1. Same location
2. Same hours
3. Same pay
4. Same level of responsibility
They have to give you a job that offers you the same level of career progression and same level of responsibility. They are also obliged to offer you pay increases should your salary increase while you are on maternity leave.
I can't tell you how often women in the work force get made redundant or get "shafted" when it comes time to return to their position, and quite frankly I am appauled that the government lets this happen.
Well actually - I can't tell you how many women during my battle with this event told me that they wouldn't even bother following it up, that I was better off out of the organization. Whilst I agree that I was better off being out of the organization, I can't possibly agree with the not following up. WHAT THEY DID WAS ILLEGAL. And what I had to ask myself was if I had a daughter would I want her to have to experience this. My answer was no I wouldn't.
Now if you are after a cash grab.... I am not promoting this. By filing an employment standards or a human rights claim against the organization, puts a so called "black mark" on the organizations file. So that if a similar incident occurs that a pattern can be established.
It wasn't a money thing for me, let me just put it out there, it was about standing up for what I believe in, and making sure that the organization never does this to another female employee.
If you need any advice or want to be pointed in the right direction in order to pursue your own claim please feel free to ask questions. You have up to three years after the incident to make a claim just remember that. Also if you are currently in that same position and you are at the same company they will hold your job while the process is going on. Now I know how uncomfortable that is but it is worth it.
For all of those women out there who didn't believe in me, or didn't believe I should take the case further you were WRONG. It was the right thing to do and whilst I am not happy I had to do it. It was the right thing to do. I promise you that.......
Introduction to Pay It Forward Toronto
My name is Michelle Jordan and yes, I'm a bit behind the times on this whole blogging thing.... but I've been thinking about doing this for a while and I decided that now is the time.
Have you ever wanted to stand up and say something to someone in public but haven't had the courage, or you have been too shy..... or quite frankly too busy or you just haven't cared enough to "stir the pot" so to speak. Well this is the time and this is your forum to stand up and share your experiences. I am just a regular gal who seems to open her mouth far too often to stand up for what she believes in and I want to know if I am the only one out there that does this or are there others out there like me who do the same thing. Sometimes it has gained me respect, other times I have lost friends over my decisions. BUT I WANT TO KNOW IF THERE ARE OTHER UPSTANDING CITIZENS OUT THERE THAT STAND UP FOR WHAT THEY BELIEVE IN......?????
I am not looking for hate stories, just stories that empower other people to act the same way. Things to consider when you are contributing to this blog.... include a) how would you want your children to act in the same situation, b) how would you protect another human being and c) how does the act align with your morales and values and how does it set an example for others around you to act?
Please feel free to contribute your stories as they happen or if they have happened in the past. I will start with one story that I am really proud of and another one that just happened to me recently.
Happy blogging people I can't wait to hear all of your stories.
Have you ever wanted to stand up and say something to someone in public but haven't had the courage, or you have been too shy..... or quite frankly too busy or you just haven't cared enough to "stir the pot" so to speak. Well this is the time and this is your forum to stand up and share your experiences. I am just a regular gal who seems to open her mouth far too often to stand up for what she believes in and I want to know if I am the only one out there that does this or are there others out there like me who do the same thing. Sometimes it has gained me respect, other times I have lost friends over my decisions. BUT I WANT TO KNOW IF THERE ARE OTHER UPSTANDING CITIZENS OUT THERE THAT STAND UP FOR WHAT THEY BELIEVE IN......?????
I am not looking for hate stories, just stories that empower other people to act the same way. Things to consider when you are contributing to this blog.... include a) how would you want your children to act in the same situation, b) how would you protect another human being and c) how does the act align with your morales and values and how does it set an example for others around you to act?
Please feel free to contribute your stories as they happen or if they have happened in the past. I will start with one story that I am really proud of and another one that just happened to me recently.
Happy blogging people I can't wait to hear all of your stories.
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